Secret Identity--What's New?

What Is Your Favorite Iconic Image?

4/12/2014

by Matman

In the next episode of Secret Identity, Brian and I were talking about what era was better; the electric 80's or the mopy 90's. We all know civilization reached its peak in the 1980's, but it made me think of something else... is there an image, something iconic that when you see it it brings you back to the first time you saw it?

Mine would be the Hildebrandt Bother's iconic poster from Star Wars. I remember seeing this hang on the wall at a Springfield, MA movie theater in 1977 and I was instantly hooked. When I think Star Wars, this is the image that pops into my head. This poster made my 9 year old brain explode with possibilities and wonder... what is this Star Wars, who is the cool dude with the light up sword thingy and why does this whole thing look so cool?

So what say you?

ComiCONN! What A Lineup!

4/2/2014

From our friend Mitch Hallock comes one of the best lineups at any comic show you'll ever see!

Happening August 15 - 17 in Bridgeport CT, at the home of the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers; the Webster Bank Arena is COMICONN!

For information please go their site at www.comiconn.com and we hope to see you there!

Sunday Funny: BaneCat

3/30/2014

This gets funnier every single time I watch it.

Mark Your Calendars--Connecticut HorrorFest 2014 Arrives August 23rd!

3/10/2014

by Brian LeTendre

Our pals over at the Horror News Network have announced a brand new horror convention that will debut this August, right in our own backyard!

The Connecticut HorrorFest will be happening on August 23rd at the Courtyard Marriott in Waterbury, CT. They've already announced a slew of great horror guests, including Tony Moran (Halloween), Micah Sloat (Paranormal Activity) and John Zaffis (Haunted Collector).

More guests are being announced regularly, as we're still five months away from the show. You don't have to wait to get tickets though, you can get yours right now by heading to the show page. Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 on the day of the show.

You can also like the CT HorrorFest Facebook page to keep up on the latest updates.

Behold The Trailer For Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy!

2/19/2014

Review--The Monuments Men

2/15/2014

by Matman

During the German occupation of Europe in World War II, the Nazi's stole quite a large amount of artwork and were going to keep it for their own. But when the tide began to turn against them, in their hasty retreat they began to destroy these treasures.

'The Monuments Men' is the story of a group of scholars and historians who the US Army put together to help minimize the cultural damage. The group began a wild goose chase over France, Belgium and into Germany; losing comrades and doing everything they can to preserve the past.

Featuring an all star cast including George Clooney, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray and the guy who played Russell Dalrymple on 'Seinfeld', the film certainly has star power that helps carry the film. Some moments seemed forced a bit and at times it seemed the film couldn't decide if it was a comedy or a drama.

Overall the film was very enjoyable and a lot of fun. It's a war movie without being too much of one. If you liked films like American Treasure than you will like this. But be ready...there are a lot of people smoking a whole lot of cigarettes here.

Matman Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stolen works of art

Preview: Vandroid #1 (Dark Horse)

1/31/2014

by Brian LeTendre

Man, I really love the grindhouse renaissance that Dark Horse comics is leading right now. From their Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight title, to miniseries like Clown Fatale and Kiss Me, Satan, Dark Horse has become an amazing resource for comics that capture the feel of the movies we thirty and forty-somethings grew up watching. This week Dark Horse released a preview for their latest '80s action movie come to comics, and it's called Vandroid.

Vandroid is the creation of Tommy Lee Edwards (The Question), and it feels like equal parts Blue Thunder, I Come in Peace and Cobra (at least to me, anyway).

You can watch a live-action trailer for Vandroid below, and then check out the preview in the gallery. You can also head to the official website to find our more about the project.

Vandroid #1 is hitting stores on February 26th.

May The Horse Be With You!

1/8/2014

by Matman

When I interviewed Dark Horse President Mike Richardson at New York Comic Con 2013 we spoke about so much, but it was his exuberance of all things Star Wars that made me take notice. After chatting I began to realize HE is the big reason Star Wars comics have had so much passion and fire.

Also, Mike wrote the stories title on my copy of 'Star Wars - Dark Empire' # 1.

And this is why the news that Star Wars was returning to Marvel hurts so much. Because I know how much Mike and the rest of Dark Horse loved making Star Wars comics.

When Dark Horse got the liscence to make Star Wars comics in 1991, the world didn't care about Star Wars...myself included. I have always considered myself to be one of the worlds biggest Star Wars fans, so much so I give it full credit for saving my life following a traumatic move in 1977.

Dark Horse brought a quality to the Star wars books not seen in a lot of the Marvel run. I always felt that Marvel was just putting it out because it had to, not because it wanted too. Sure some amazing creators and stories filled those 107 issue (and 3 annuals), but there was something deeper about the Dark Horse runs.

With world building like Legacy and Old Republic and the incredible current 'Star Wars' and 'THE Star Wars', Dark Horse has brought the best creators in the business to play in the sandbox and have done an amazing job. Never did I feel Dark Horse treated Star Wars as just another licensed property... they treated the books like they were their own intellectual property... much like they do with all their liscenced or creator owned books.

But in the world we live in, it isn't hard to see why Marvel would be the new home of Star Wars...again. After all, Marvel and Star Wars are owned by Disney so i makes sense to keep it all under the same roof.

But this story isn't about what is gonna happen, it's about what Dark Horse has done and that is given me (and many others) quality books featuring the characters and situations we hold so important to us.

So thank you Dark Horse for making me love Star Wars again and despite the fact that the Jedi all may be moving, you will not only survive... but prosper!

Dark Horse's Mike Richardson On 'Star Wars' Leaving Dark Horse

1/5/2014

Press Release

All things come to pass. So too, do all licensed deals. I am sad to report that Disney, the new owner of Lucasfilm, has notified us here at Dark Horse of their intention to move the Star Wars publishing license to another of their recent acquisitions, Marvel Comics, beginning in 2015. This will end a partnership that has lasted more than two decades.

For those who are new to the industry, Dark Horse revolutionized the treatment of comics based on films. After a history of movie properties being poorly handled with little regard for execution and continuity, Dark Horse took a new approach, carefully choosing licenses and approaching them with excitement and creative energy. Our goal was to create sequels and prequels to the films we loved, paying careful attention to quality and detail, essentially treating those films as though they were our own. Star Wars has been the crown jewel of this approach. We began chasing the title as far back as 1989, and with the launch of Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy’s Dark Empire, a new era in comics was born. I’m not ashamed to admit that we were Star Wars geeks, and we have been determined to spare neither effort nor expense in the pursuit of excellence.

It is ironic that this announcement comes at a time when Dark Horse is experiencing its most successful year ever. For obvious reasons, we have prepared for this eventuality by finding new and exciting projects to place on our schedule for 2015 and beyond. Will they take the place of Star Wars? That’s a tall order, but we will do our best to make that happen. In the meantime, 2014 may be our last year at the helm of the Star Wars comics franchise, but we plan to make it a memorable one. We know that fans of the franchise will expect no less. The Force is with us still.

Mike Richardson

Review--Anchorman 2

12/24/2013

by Brian LeTendre

While Anchorman 2 is easily the funniest movie of the year, for me it didn’t live up to the lofty expectations I had for the sequel to one of the greatest comedies of all time.

Now let me be clear--Anchorman 2 is a very funny movie. There are even a handful of scenes where the movie reaches the kind of hysterical heights the original established. It just doesn’t stay there consistently.

Anchorman 2 picks up years after the first, when Ron Burgundy and Veronica Corningstone are the number one news team on TV. However, when Veronica gets a big promotion and Ron loses his job, things take a turn for the worse. Ron Can’t handle it, and so begins a downward spiral that is only halted when a new opportunity comes along that reunites Ron with his original Channel 4 news team. The gang are invited to become part of a 24-hour news network called GNN. Ron gets the band back together and head to the Big Apple, where as you might imagine, things don’t go exactly as planned.

Will Ferrell feels born to play Ron Burgundy, and Paul Rudd (Brian Fantana), Steve Carell (Brick Tamland), David Koechner (Champ Kind) and Christina Applegate (Veronica Corningstone) don’t miss a beat slipping back into their roles. It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since the original, as the cast makes it feel like ten months. There are also some amazing cameos that I will not spoil, but rank among the best moments in the entire movie.

My biggest problem with the movie is that I felt it focused too much on Ferrell’s Burgundy, at the expense of the rest of the cast. Koechner’s Champ Kind and Rudd’s Brian Fantana are hardly used at all, and even Carell’s romantic subplot with the excellent Kristen Wiig is short-changed as well. It puts a lot of pressure on Ferrell to carry the whole movie, and the material he has to work with it a bit hit and miss.

But, as I said earlier, the movie is very funny overall, and it’s great to see everyone back. Wiig and James Marsden are both excellent additions to the cast, and that’s part of the problem--it’s just an embarrassment of riches, and there’s no way to get everyone their screen time.

If anything, I was reminded that the Anchorman universe is one that deserves to be explored more, as there are great stories waiting to be told for many of its characters. And after waiting ten years for the sequel, I’m not sure there was any way it could have lived up to the original. Sort of makes me wonder about Dumb and Dumber To, as it will be 20 years by the time that sequel arrives in late 2014.

4 out of 5 This Just Ins

<<Previous

Forward>>

What Is Your Favorite Iconic Image?

ComiCONN! What A Lineup!

Sunday Funny: BaneCat

Mark Your Calendars--Connecticut HorrorFest 2014 Arrives August 23rd!

Behold The Trailer For Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy!

Review--The Monuments Men

Preview: Vandroid #1 (Dark Horse)

May The Horse Be With You!

Dark Horse's Mike Richardson On 'Star Wars' Leaving Dark Horse

Review--Anchorman 2

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