This site is updated Thursday afternoon with a new article about an artistic pursuit generally considered to be beneath consideration. James Schellenberg probes science-fiction, Carol Borden draws out the best in comics, Chris Szego dallies with romance and Ian Driscoll stares deeply into the screen. Click here for their bios and individual takes on the gutter. Our Guest Stars shine hereWhile the writers have considerable enthusiasm for their subjects, they don't let it numb their critical faculties. Tossing away the shield of journalistic objectivity and refusing the shovel of fannish boosterism, they write in the hopes of starting honest and intelligent discussions about these oft-enjoyed but rarely examined artforms. Contact us here.
 Recent Features
The Biography of Ebony White
 "People
don't realize how a man's whole life can be changed by one book."
--Malcolm
X / Malik El-Shabazz, The Autobiography of Malcolm X (As Told To
Alex Haley)
Running
from 1940-1952, Will Eisner's The Spirit
was a newspaper insert back when publishers could afford to do such
awesome things. It features Denny Colt, a detective who comes back to
life to fight crime from his secret hide-out in Wildwood Cemetery.
The Spirit is indeed
everything good anyone has ever written about it—all the joyful
adventure, groundbreaking art and genre play. But then there's Ebony
White, the Spirit's African-American sidekick and driver, all eyes
and lips and minstrel show dialect. And I can barely look at him, even though I know
I should.
Continue reading...
Small Press Combo Attack
 Time to check in with a few small-press books. This is where where a lot of people get their start, and it’s
also where the books can live quite happily apart from the concerns of multinational conglomerates.
Continue reading...
Good Things Gro-o-ow in To-ron-to
 Right.
So you’ve joined the RWA, and are enjoying the information and
advocacy your membership entitles you to. But National’s a long
way off, and RWA headquarters is in Texas, and you’re starting to
get a little lonely. So what do you do? You join your local
chapter. Where I live, that means the Toronto Romance Writers.
Continue reading...
Forgetful?
|
Notes Archives
Elmore Leonard, Hats and Adaptations
Elmore Leonard talks hats and adaptations, sometimes both.
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"Elmore Leonard, Hats and Adaptations"
Tags: 1950s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , adaptation , Barry Sonnenfeld , Burt Reynolds , Canada , crime , detectives , Detroit , Elmore Leonard , gangsters , George Clooney , Graham Yost , heists , Jennifer Lopez , Midwest , movies , Pam Grier , Quentin Tarantino , thieves , thrillers , Tom Olyphant , tv , Westerns , writing
The History of Black Comic Book Heroes Through the Ages
Dart Adams Presents: Black Like Me: The History of Black Comic Book Heroes Through the Ages, Part One (1900-1968)and Part Two (1969-2008). (Click it! It's amazing).
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"The History of Black Comic Book Heroes Through the Ages"
Tags: 1900s , 1910s , 1920s , 1930s , 1940s , 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , Aaron McGruder , adventure , African Americans , Afro Samurai , afrogeekery , Al McWilliams , animation , Avengers , Berkeley Breathed , Big City Comics , capes , Charles Shulz , children , comedy , comics , comics history , dailies , Denys Cowan , Derek Dingle , Dick Gregory , Dwayne McDuffie , Frank King , gender , George Herriman , horror , industry , Jack Kirby , Jackie Ormes , Japan , JLA , John Saunders , Keith Knight , kung fu , Lee Falk , Mal Duncan , martial arts , Marvel , Michael Davis , Milestone Comics , military , Morrie Turner , Mort Walker , movies , Otto Messner , Outland , Pat Sullivan , Phil Davis , publishing , R.F. Outcault , race , racism , Rob Liefeld , scans , Sesame Street , shorts , Stan Lee , strips , Ted Shearer , Teen Titans , the ladies , Todd McFarlane , tv , UK , vampires , Walt Kelly , Walter Lantz , war , Will Eisner , William Mariner , X-Men
More from Champion Mojo Storyteller, Joe R. Lansdale
Mojo Champion Storyteller talks about his pulp classic, The Drive-In, including its influences, low-budget 1980s horror movies, East Texas tall tales, television and American politics.
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"More from Champion Mojo Storyteller, Joe R. Lansdale"
Tags: 1980s , 2010s , audio , horror , Joe Lansdale , podcasts , publishing , pulps , sequels , technology , Texas , writing
Two Geeks Enter, One Geek Leaves
John Hodgman and Patton Oswalt face off in an epic geek-off for WFMU. Bester'ed, Bova'ed-- two geeks enter, one geek leaves.
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"Two Geeks Enter, One Geek Leaves"
Tags: audio , community , fandom , geekery , John Hodgman , Patton Oswalt , radio , WFMU
Camera Obscura
A young woman releases demons and then has to trap them up again with her grandfather's camera in the webseries, Camera Obscura. The trailer looks promising.
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"Camera Obscura"
Tags: demons , Drew Daywalt , horror , trailer , video , webseries
"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe..."
LEGO Bladerunner. LEGO lightsaber duel. (thanks, edie!) Continue reading
""I've seen things you people wouldn't believe...""
Tags: animation , Bladerunner , dystopia , Harrison Ford , martial arts , replicants , robots , Rutgar Hauer , science fiction , Star Wars , toys , video
Symbol
Symbol. It's a metaphysical, lucha-loving film by Hitoshi Matsumoto. It's especially funny if you've seen art films with a someone sitting in a plain white room. Continue reading
"Symbol"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , comedy , Hitoshi Matsumoto , lucha libre , metaphysics , Mexico , movies , religion , trailers , video , wrestling
Kathryn Bigelow Retrospective
Kathryn Bigelow won a best directing Oscar for The Hurt Locker. Time for a retrospective. Here's the trailer for Near Dark and some clips. Point Break (i.e. Keeanu Reeves best movie). Jamie Lee Curtis in the cop thriller, Blue Steel. The premillennial tension of Strange Days. The Pirelli ad, Mission Zero. And her sub movie, possible the manliest of genres, K-19: The Widowmaker. She also wrote an episode of The Equalizer. Continue reading
"Kathryn Bigelow Retrospective"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , Angela Bassett , Bill Paxton , California , cars , Cold War , cyberpunk , detectives , dystopia , Edward Woodward , end times , Harrison Ford , historicals , horror , Jamie Lee Curtis , Joel Silver , Kathryn Bigelow , Keanu Reeves , Lance Henriksen , Liam Neeson , Los Angeles , marketing , military , movies , Patrick Swayze , Peter Saarsgard , police , Ralph Fiennes , science fiction , Soviet , sports , submarines , surfing , thrillers , tv , undead , undercover , underwater , vampires , Vincent D'Onofrio , war
Milestone!
So much Milestone going on! Milestone creator Dwayne McDuffie talks with The Atlantic about "reinventing personal mythologies, pop-cultural representations of race and an investigation of what shapes our moral frameworks" and how much he likes writing romance. Meanwhile, Evan Narcisse shares his memories of Milestone Comics--with pictures.
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"Milestone!"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , comics , comics history , diversity , Dwayne McDuffie , industry , LGBTQ , Milestone Comics , morality , race , romance , scans , superheroes
Baba O'Geeky (LOL)
The Who's "Baba O'Reilly" performed with Think Geek gadgets. Yeah, it's marketing but it's also neat.(via Wil Wheaton)
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"Baba O'Geeky (LOL)"
Tags: 1960s , 2010s , geekery , marketing , music , technology , The Who , video
Guild'd
What happens when a young woman named Felicia Day decides to make a webseries about online gamers and their socially maladjusted SoCal hijinx? Log on and get Guild'd. (and occasionally, Wil Wheaton'd). Here's season 3. Continue reading
"Guild'd"
Tags: comedy , community , fandom , Felicia Day , games , geekery , online , video , webseries , Wil Wheaton
Hollow Victory
The Artful Gamer writes about the hollow victory of playing a good character in many roleplaying videogames: "Yet, days later, I feel like Conan the Barbarian, sitting on his throne at
the end of the first film like a king who has done it all yet feels
ultimately unfulfilled. This is when the spiritual hollowness of
traditional RPGs grates at me." Continue reading
"Hollow Victory"
Tags: gameplay , games , morality , RPGs
Science Determines the Best and Worst Genres
Science analyzes the best and worst types of genre movies. Results listed here.
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"Science Determines the Best and Worst Genres"
Tags: adaptation , aliens , dystopia , end timems , horror , lists , math , movies , remakes , science , science fiction , space , superheroes , thrillers , undead , vampires , zombies
Roofed!
Jim Munroe's been working on a new movie, Ghosts with Shit Jobs. It's not even out and he has a spin-off game--"Roofed!"
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"Roofed!"
Tags: 2010s , Cultural Gutter , dystopia , futurism , games , giant animals , insects , interactivity , Jim Munroe , science fiction , text adventure , tie-ins , work
"You Asked For It--Cried For It--Demanded It!"
"You asked for it--Cried for it--Demanded it!" Yes, dear reader, Sequential Crush, a blog dedicated to romance comics from the 1960s and 1970s. Check out "Black + White = Heartbreak," a story about interracial romance in the early 1970s and scans of the first three issues of Night Nurse. (via The Groovy Age of Horror)
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""You Asked For It--Cried For It--Demanded It!""
Tags: 1960s , 1970s , African Americans , comics , medical , race , racism , romance , scans
Comics Misunderstanding, Well, Argument Really
The comics misunderstanding (i.e. respectful critical discussion) continues at The Groovy Age of Horror as Scott McCloud responds, a commenter gets in a dig and Curt Purcell writes more about homeostasis and how human brains process information. Geek fight! C'mon, fight! Fight?
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"Comics Misunderstanding, Well, Argument Really"
Tags: 2010s , art , brain , comics , criticism , Curt Purcell , perception , science , Scott McCloud
The Return of the Sea King
Aquaman's alive. He was dead, if you hadn't heard. Glen Weldon writes about the Sea King's re-ascening his throne and how hard it is to be an Aqua-fan.
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"The Return of the Sea King"
Tags: 2010s , Aquaman , comics , death , event comics , fandom , superheroes , underwater
Just Say, "No" to Black Magic
The upcoming Malaysian film, Niyang Rapik warns of the dangers of picking up stuff that doesn't belong to you and black magic. But if the kids weren't scared straight by Indonesia's Léak / Mystics of Bali, I don't what would. (Trailer available under video). Continue reading
"Just Say, "No" to Black Magic"
Tags: 1980s , 2010s , Ahmad Idham , H. Tjut Djalil , horror , Indonesia , magic , Malaysia , movies , paranormality , trailers , video
Slash set to Nine Inch Nails
Spock forgot the safe word.
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"Slash set to Nine Inch Nails"
Tags: 2010s , fandom , geekery , industrial , Metal , music , Nine Inch Nails , romance , sex , slash , Star Trek , Trent Reznor , video
Black History Mumf
It's Black History Mumf at Big Media Vandalism and the Odienator provides a recap of his film reviews here.
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"Black History Mumf"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , African Americans , afrogeekery , Black History Month , criticism , movies , race
It's Free, and It Will Change Your Life
The Necronomicon, brought to you by the Esoteric Order of the Old Ones and Cthulhu Cultists: "If knowing the unknowable is crazy, I don't wanna be sane." (thanks, victoria!)
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"It's Free, and It Will Change Your Life"
Tags: 2000s , comedy , Cthulhu , horror , Lovecraft , Necronomicon , parody , religion , satire , shorts , video
Understanding Closure
Curt Purcell explores the gutters of the mind, Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics and a little bit of Grant Morrison's Final Crisis.
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"Understanding Closure"
Tags: 1990s , 2000s , 2010s , art , brain , comics , Grant Morrison , perception , science , Scott McCloud
A Social Theory of Burn Notice
Grant McCracken posits an "enmeshed male" theory of Burn Notice and a few of the other entertaining shows on the USA Network.
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"A Social Theory of Burn Notice"
Wars, Etc.
"A pretty harrowing movie, realistic in an emotional way that most war movies don't catch" - Joe Haldeman, on The Hurt Locker.
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"Wars, Etc."
Great Videogame or Greatest Videogame?
System Shock, a great videogame from 1994, gets a mod to make it easier to play for modern videogamers (with lots of tips in the comments on how to get the game running).
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"Great Videogame or Greatest Videogame?"
Black Panther Animated Series
Marvel's animating my childhood with their upcoming Black Panther series for BET. (No, I wasn't T'Challa, the King of Wakanda. I just loved Black Panther). Animated Superheroes has the theme song as well as screen shots of characters and the voice-acting credits. (via Black SuperHero Blog).
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"Black Panther Animated Series"
Tags: Africa , Alfre Woodard , animation , Black Entertainment Television , Black Panther , Djimon Hounsou , Jill Scott , Kerry Washington , music , Phil Lamar , soundtracks , Stan Lee , Stephen James Taylor , Storm , superheroes , video
A HK Poster A Day
Colin at Kung Fu Fridays is posting a Hong Kong movie poster/day. Wild Search (starring Chow Yun-Fat and Cherie Chung Cho-Hung) is gorgeous.
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"A HK Poster A Day"
Tags: 1980s , art , Cherie Chung Cho-Hung , China , Chow Yun-Fat , Hong Kong , movies , posters , Ringo Lam Ting-Tung
Monks with Guns
There are no bulletproof monks in Nak Prok/Shadow of the Naga. In fact there are some remarkably violent novices who've hidden stolen money in a monastery and have to get it out again. Wise Kwai has the trailer and a discussion of Nak Prok and the new Thai ratings system.
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"Monks with Guns"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , action , Buddhism , censorship , gangsters , guns , heists , Inthira Charoenpura , movies , Pawat Panangkasiri , Pitisak Yaowanon , religion , Somchai Kemklad , Thailand , trailers , video
Chinese Ghost Story: The Animation
"Nothing is easy when a man loves a ghost woman." Not even for animated men in Tsui Harks Chinese Ghost Story: The Animation. (Keith's piece also has a pretty thorough retrospective of Tsui Hark's career).
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"Chinese Ghost Story: The Animation"
Tags: 1990s , animation , China , fantasy , ghosts , Hong Kong , horror , movies , paranormality , Tsui Hark , wuxia
I Can See Forever
It's like the 1980s are a black hole and the event horizon reaches forever: The A-Team, The Karate Kid, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Tron, Ghostbusters, Conan The Barbarian, Red Dawn, Short Circuit and Wall Street.
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"I Can See Forever"
Tags: 1980s , 2000s , 2010s , action , capitalism , dream sequences , ghosts , horror , invasion , Jackie Chan , John Milius , karate , martial arts , movies , nostalgia , remakes , robots , sequels , sfx , Soviet , technology , tv , Wes Craven
Smiting the Wicked in The Book of Eli
In the Hughes Brothers' fourth film, The Book of Eli, Nick Pinkerton writes, "Our hero is mostly an Old Testament smiter of the wicked,
finally—unless I forget when Christ said, 'You lay that hand on me
again and you will not get it back" at the Garden of Gethsemane.'" Continue reading
"Smiting the Wicked in The Book of Eli"
Tags: 2010s , Christianity , Denzel Washington , dystopia , end times , futurism , Hughes Brothers , movies , religion
RIP Zelda Rubinstein
Actress Zelda Rubinstein has died after being taken off life support in L.A. last month. Most Gutter readers probably know her best as the psychic in Poltergeist, but she also starred in movies like Anguish, Sixteen Candles and Southland Tales. She was a human rights activist and also a lab tech, so pour 1L for a righteous sister.
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"RIP Zelda Rubinstein"
Tags: 1980s , 2000s , California , comedy , horror , John Hughes , Los Angeles , movies , Pennsylvania , Pittsburgh , RIP , Spain , YA , Zelda Rubinstein
Investigating Lois
Kelly Thompson never much liked reporters or Lois Lane, now she's giving Lois a second chance with a review of Mindy Newell's Lois Lane miniseries. (The discussion in the comments is excellent, too).
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"Investigating Lois"
Tags: 1980s , 2010s , Clark Kent , comics , fear and loathing , gender , journalism , Lana Lang , Lois Lane , Mindy Newell , romance , scans , Superman , the ladies
LEGO MMO
LEGO still clicking with their new "LEGO Universe" MMO game. The trailer's here. Meanwhile, Unreality tries to understand the appeal.
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"LEGO MMO"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , games , Lego , MMOs , online , toys , trailers , video
The Windrow-Ravenswood Deck
Play unimaginable games staked on innocent souls or divine the unholy, maddening fate that awaits you (and perhaps how to save yourself) with the recently rediscovered Windrow-Ravenswood Deck.
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"The Windrow-Ravenswood Deck"
Tags: 2010s , art , cards , Dmitri Arbacauskas , games , horror , steam punk
Making the Case for Trades and Single Issues
"Whether to read a book month-to-month or to wait for the trades is a
personal decision, of course,...but make no
mistake: It's a decision of vital interest to the future of the comics
industry." Glen Weldon discusses both at NPR's Monkey See Blog.
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"Making the Case for Trades and Single Issues"
Tags: comics , industry , Mike Carey , Peter Gross
Wander over Yonder for Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls
Wander over to Cartoon Brew to see Craig McCracken's character sketches for Wander Over Yonder and Lauren Faust's Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls.
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"Wander over Yonder for Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls"
Tags: animation , art , Craig McCracken , Lauren Faust , the ladies
Jizztastic!
You read about it here (and here) and now you can have it all to yourself, former Gutter movie editor Robin Bougie's XXX movie, The Cumming of Jizzus. Check out Robin's blog for more info.
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"Jizztastic!"
Tags: 2010s , Cultural Gutter , DIY , movies , porn , religion , Robin Bougie , sex
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
Bloody Disgusting also has a trailer for and clips from another horror comedy, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. Tucker and Dale are just trying to fix up their cabin in the woods and college kids are offing themselves all over the place. (Interview with writer/director Eli Craig here).
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"Tucker and Dale vs. Evil"
Tags: 2010s , Alan Tudyk , blood , comedy , Eli Craig , horror , parody , slasher , trailers , Tyler Labine , video
The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu
It's beginning to look a lot like fishmen in The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu. Bloody Disgusting has the trailer.
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"The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu"
Tags: 2010s , comedy , Cthulhu , festivals and conventions , Henry Slaine , horror , Lovecraft , movies , Slamdance , trailers , video
Pretty Puppet Poe
Lo tech makes hi tech better! Puppets illustrate this ebook version of Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven. (Also, check out the link to Two-Fisted Poe). Continue reading
"Pretty Puppet Poe"
Tags: 1840s , 2010s , art , ebooks , Edgar Allen Poe , horror , illustration , puppetry , technology
Shape of--An Unpayable Mortgage with My Face on It!
"What the Wonder Twins Would Take the Form and Shape of if They were Sent to Correct the Subprime Mortgage Crisis" is a McSweeney's article that is most likely not providing cover for a heist.
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"Shape of--An Unpayable Mortgage with My Face on It!"
Tags: Ben Greenman , capitalism , comedy , Detroit , heists , stealth , superheroes , Wonder Twins
Even chavs like it
Amazing British series Misfits features a work crew of juvenile delinquents who get zapped by the ol' superpower-endowing lightning. Despite the well-worn premise, excellent snappy dialogue, cultural specificity and fresh twists makes this the first SF dramedy I've been excited about in ages.
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"Even chavs like it"
Tags: dramedy , England , science fiction , superheroes , television
What Will They Say about the Books of 2010?
The librarians who run the blog Awful Library Books were recently on Jimmy Kimmel. Their blog has some disturbing material on it!
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"What Will They Say about the Books of 2010?"
Solid Gold Star Wars Showdown
C3POs vs. Darth Vaders in this solid gold french Star Wars disco showdown. Continue reading
"Solid Gold Star Wars Showdown"
Tags: 1970s , dance , disco , France , movies , music , replicants , robots , space , space opera , Star Wars , versus , video
10 Overlooked Movies of 2009
Tired of seeing the same movies on all the top ten of 2009 lists? Grady Hendrix lists his own "highly subjective list of the Top 10 movies (plus two extras) that were overlooked in 2009." Continue reading
"10 Overlooked Movies of 2009"
Tags: 2000s , animals , animation , Australia , Bai Ling , Belgium , Berlin , Bobcat Goldthwait , Canada , Chile , comedy , David Carradine , Denmark , Dennis Hopper , documentaries , Ernesto Diaz Espinoza , exploitation , George Lazenby , Germany , giant animals , Grady Hendrix , guns , horror , Jamie Lee Curtis , Japan , Jason Statham , Korea , Laurence Fishburn , lists , Los Angeles , Marko Zaror , martial arts , Matt Dillon , movies , Nimrod Antol , Robin Williams , romance , sex work , shapeshifters , Sion Sono , Spike Lee , superheroes , thrillers , zombies
The Dungeon Masters
The gamers profiled in Keven McAlester's documentary The Dungeon Masters roll d20 against Mundanity. Twitch has a trailer.
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"The Dungeon Masters"
Tags: community , D&D , dice , documentaries , games , geekery , Keven McAlester , movies , RPGs
Wolverine: Look Sharp
Wolverine shines up his snikt-stickers and sharpens his up-do for the fancy new costumes designed for him at Project Rooftop.
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"Wolverine: Look Sharp"
Tags: art , comics , Marvel , scans , Wolverine
Kick-Ass Trailer
Kick-Ass has some, well,... pretty good trailers. (thanks, Tera and Rebecca) Continue reading
"Kick-Ass Trailer"
Tags: 2010s , comedy , movies , Nicholas Cage , parody , superheroes , trailers , video
The Avatar Treatment
Pascal writes a treatment for Avatar by making a few changes to Pocahontas.
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"The Avatar Treatment"
Tags: 2000s , 3D , aliens , animation , Avatar , CG , Disney , historicals , James Cameron , Native Americans , Pocahontas , space opera
Cruel Gun Stories from Unusual Suspects
This month Teleport City shakes down Nikkatsu Studios from Cruel Gun Story to Detective Bureau 2-3: Go To Hell Bastards! (aka, "The Best Named Film Ever"). Continue reading
"Cruel Gun Stories from Unusual Suspects"
Tags: 1960s , crime , detectives , gangsters , Japan , movies , Nikkatsu , noir , police , procedural , yakuza
Unthawing Action Heroes
Dolph Lundgren and Jean Claude Van Damme have been unthawed for the upcoming Universal Soldier: Regeneration. (Well, JCVD's only been in the crisper drawer since JCVD).
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"Unthawing Action Heroes"
Tags: 1990s , 2010s , action , Andrei Arlovsky , cyborgs , Dolph Lundgren , guns , Jean-Claude Van Damme , martial arts , military , MMA , movies , robots , sequels , stills , trailers , Universal Soldier , video
"Why Anti-Telepathy Helmets Do Not Work"
Lady, That's My Skull has fragments from a manifesto written by a disgruntled smoking scientist at a secret base in Nevada: "Why Anti-Telepathy Helmets Do Not Work." Continue reading
""Why Anti-Telepathy Helmets Do Not Work""
Tags: 1980s , 2000s , conspiracies , geekery , mad science , Nevada , psychic powers , science , telepathy
In Space No One Can Hear You Explode
On the physics of space battles looks at the balance between realism in space battles (at least what we can estimate that would be) and fun stories.
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"In Space No One Can Hear You Explode"
Market Forces Unleashed in Iron Man 2
It's the invisible hand of the market-- Tony Stark privatizes world peace and runs into a little competition from Mickey Rourke's Ivan Vanko / Whiplash in the trailer for Iron Man 2.
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"Market Forces Unleashed in Iron Man 2"
Tags: 2000s , 2010s , capitalism , comics , Don Cheadle , Gary Shandling , Gwyneth Paltrow , Iron Man , Jon Favreau , Marvel , Mickey Rourke , movies , Robert Downey Jr. , Sam Rockwell , Samuel L. Jackson , Scarlett Johansen , sequels , superheroes , Tony Stark , trailers , video
Holiday Link Round Up
2 holiday classics suitable for Xmas or the Solstice (here, here and wth here) and a couple of advent calendars sans the stale chocolate (here and here).
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"Holiday Link Round Up"
Tags: 2000s , Christmas , comics , Cthulhu , geekery , London , Lovecraft , monsters , muppets , music , puppetry , Solstice , UK , video
The Comics Journal, Online
The Comics Journal goes fully online, and give you a brief history of comics criticism Continue reading
"The Comics Journal, Online"
Tags: comics , comics history , criticism , industry , The Comics Journal
Kaiju vs Ultramen
Sometimes it seems like the world is an empty, awesomeless place. And then there is another clip from a Japanese variety/game show. This one involves kaiju and Ultramen.
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"Kaiju vs Ultramen"
Tags: 2000s , dance , fandom , geekery , Japan , kaiju , Michael Jackson , monsters , music , tokusatsu , tv , Ultraman , versus , video
Cartographic Curiosities
Step right up for your glimpse of Slate Magazine's slideshow collection of cartographic curiosities!
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"Cartographic Curiosities"
Tags: 1500s , 1700s , 1940s , 1990s , 2000s , alternate history , alternate reality , Ancient World , art , California , colonialism , Enlightenment , France , geography , Germany , imaging , maps , moon , Soviet , Turkey , UK , utopia
Universal's Years of Terror and Longing!
Beware the stalking half-human half beast! Cursed with the thirst for human blood, unconscionable hubris, and demanding a mate, the Monster Legacy site comes to life and walks among us! (as part of promotion for The Wolf Man remake). Thrills! Shock! Suspense!
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"Universal's Years of Terror and Longing!"
Tags: 1920s , 1930s , 1940s , 1950s , Bela Lugosi , Boris Karloff , Charles Laughton , Claude Rains , disability , Dracula , Elsa Lanchester , Frankenstein , Gill-Man , horror , James Whale , John Carradine , Lon Chaney , mad science , madness , marketing , monsters , movies , mummies , music , posters , science , soundtracks , swamp monsters , undead , vampires , werewolves
Talking More Twilight
Gabe Lezra hits a nerve when he writes about the white man's burden in Twilight and New Moon and wonders why there's no Team Bella and the comments at The Wesleyan Argus are all kerfuffled.
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"Talking More Twilight"
Tags: community , fandom , fantasy , feminism , gender , movies , Native Americans , race , racism , romance , sex , Stephanie Meyer , Twilight , undead , urban fantasy , vampires , werewolves , YA
Paa! My Brain!
The poster for Paa calls it "A Very Rare Father-Son, Son-Father story." It's a rare father and son story where Abhisheck Bachchan plays the father of a 13-year-old boy with progeria. And who plays his prematurely aging son? His real life father, Amitabh Bachchan. Todd at 4DK has more. The Economic Times interviews Abhishek Bachchan here.
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"Paa! My Brain!"
Tags: Abhisheck Bachchan , Amitabh Bachchan , Bollywood , children , India , interviews , movies , musicals , parenthood , sickness
Time Your Pee Break
Need to know when it's safe to go at the movies? RunPee.com does the calculating so you don't have to. (Thanks, Ian!)
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"Time Your Pee Break"
Tags: applications , biology , community , geekery , movies
Are Video Games Moral?
Are video games moral? Yes, but what does "moral" mean, writes Oliver Saenz in "Killing Grannies, Slaughtering Monsters and Leveling the Fuck Up."
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"Are Video Games Moral?"
Tags: blood , Diablo , ethics , games , Grand Theft Auto , Metal Gear Solid , morality
Confucius
Chow Yun-Fat displays filial piety in nearly every role, now he plays Confucius in the eponymous movie directed by Hu Mei. Twitch has behind the scenes footage (in Chinese) and a trailer.
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"Confucius"
Tags: biography , China , Chow Yun-Fat , Confucius , documentaries , historicals , Hu Mei , movies , trailers , video
RIP, Paul Naschy
Spanish icon Paul Naschy has died. He was best known for his character, the werewolf Waldemar Daninsky, but he worked in every aspect of filmmaking from the 1960s till his death. Cinebeats and FEARnet have tributes. (thanks, Colin)
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"RIP, Paul Naschy"
Tags: 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , horror , movies , Paul Naschy , RIP , shifters , Spain , werewolves
Rin-ne Online
Miss Takahashi Rumiko? Sad that InuYasha is complete? Well, you could go over to Viz' website, where they're publishing her new manga, Rin-ne, online as its serialized in Japan...
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"Rin-ne Online"
Tags: 1990s , 2000s , comics , demons , ghosts , horror , InuYasha , Japan , manga , Rin-ne , romance , Rumiko Takahashi , spirits , the ladies , webcomics
The End of the Zombie Plague
Jim Rossignol shotguns him some zombies, really the zombie infestation of gaming, writing, "My issue with the zombie archetype is that it is largely without a
villain, and we need specific villains" in games.
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"The End of the Zombie Plague"
Tags: 2000s , design , games , horror , memes , survival horror , undead , zombie fatigue , zombies
The Necessary Elements for UFO to be a Hit
Purple wigs, gull-wing doors and lack of affect--Todd from 4DK provides "a list of some elements from the [1960s British] TV series [UFO] that, if they were to be
included in the movie, would lead me to forgive a multitude of sins." Continue reading
"The Necessary Elements for UFO to be a Hit"
Tags: 1960s , 2000s , adaptation , Gerry Anderson , movies , nostalgia , retrofuturism , science fiction , space , tv , UK
Sketching the LittleBigPlanet
Boing Boing has sketches and art from Little Big Planet as well as a little meditation on its wonder, joy and charm. Very little, mostly art.
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"Sketching the LittleBigPlanet"
Tags: 2000s , art , collaboration , console , design , games , LittleBigPlanet , Playstation , Sony
A Magician in the C.I.A.
"In 1953, [John] Mulholland was hired
by the C.I.A. to adapt his craft for its agents. The documents he
produced...were discovered in 2007 by two C.I.A.
historians, who have recently published The Official C.I.A. Manual of Trickery and Deception. What could a magician teach spies? Much sleight of hand... used for dosing
drinks, passing pills and exchanging messages." (Make sure to click through to the slideshow of adapted magic tricks).
Continue reading
"A Magician in the C.I.A."
Tags: 1950s , 2000s , CIA , Cold War , history , magic , spies , stealth
Do You Like Pie?
Do you like the use of office presentation materials for fun? How about some pie... (Thanks, Room3!)
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"Do You Like Pie?"
Tags: 2000s , capitalism , comedy , work
HK Heist
It's a heist worthy of Johnnie To and Simon Yam: "On Monday night, robbers stole 228 bottles of vintage Chateau Lafite
Rothschild, France’s prized Bordeaux - a haul valued at 6.8 million
Hong Kong dollars ($877,000), Hong Kong police confirmed." (via SuperPunch)
Continue reading
"HK Heist"
Tags: 2000s , China , crime , food , heists , Hong Kong , Johnnie To , Simon Yam
Werner TKO's Chuck Every Time
5 reasons Werner Herzog is more badass than Chuck Norris (even with his action jeans).
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"Werner TKO's Chuck Every Time"
Tags: Chuck Norris , Germany , Klaus Kinski , memes , movies , Werner Herzog
Interview with John Woo
Andrew O'Herir interviews John Woo, harbinger of "Chinawood," and reviews the international version of The Battle of Red Cliff ("Doves, lots of doves!")
Continue reading
"Interview with John Woo"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , 200s , action , China , Classical World , epics , historicals , Hong Kong , interviews , John Woo , Takeshi Kaneshiro , Tony Leung Chiu-Wai , war , Zhang Fengyi
RIP Edward Woodward
RIP Edward Woodward. Respectable critics will righly remember you for Breaker Morant, but here in the Gutter we'll remember you for The Wicker Man, The Equalizer and EastEnders. Obituaries here and here.
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"RIP Edward Woodward"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , Eward Woodward , horror , movies , RIP , soaps , spies , tv , UK
No More Uncertain Endings
College Humor fixes ambiguous endings from The Graduate to The Sopranos to No Country for Old Men. I'd be happier if Anton Chigurh were taken out by Llewellyn Moss' ninjitsu, though.
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"No More Uncertain Endings"
Tags: 1960s , 2000s , comedy , endings , movies , tv , video
"Yow," Being the Operative Word Here
Adi Tantimedh doesn't like AMC's remake of The Prisoner. Not at all: "Let’s get this out of the way: The Prisoner remake is shit. Pointless, generic shit." "Shit," being the operative word here. (via PWBeat, who have more discussion in their comments).
Continue reading
""Yow," Being the Operative Word Here"
Tags: 1960s , 2000s , allegory , fear and loathing , Ian McKellen , Jim Caviezel , Number Six , Patrick McGoohan , spies , surrealism , The Prisoner , tv , UK
Super Baozi
Super Baozi pays honor to Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury. (via Twitch)
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"Super Baozi"
Tags: 2000s , animation , Bruce Lee , China , food , kung fu , martial arts , movies , shorts , Sun Haipeng , video
Good Morning, Lil' Cthulhu
It's a brand new day and the stars are right for Lil' Cthulhu! Now if only Nickelodeon would pick it up. (Thanks, Steven)
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"Good Morning, Lil' Cthulhu"
Tags: 2000s , animation , children , Cthulhu , fandom , geekery , horror , Lovecraft , movies , shorts , video
"Make Steam Not War"
England's own clockwork soldier has the temerity to protest conscription, reported in The London Bell, May 12, 1887.
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""Make Steam Not War""
Tags: 1880s , 2000s , alternate history , England , geekery , historicals , robots , steam punk , UK , Vidtorian , war
Machinarium
Machinarium is a gorgeous game illustrated with colored pencil. Read a review and see the trailer here. (thanks, alex!)
Continue reading
"Machinarium"
Tags: adventure , games , illustration , Machinariu , point-and-click , puzzle , robots , silents , steam punk
Taking Back Horror
Hey, Freddy and Jason, Fewdio want to take horror back:
"All the members of Fewdio felt that the term “horror” had been hijacked
by gore hounds and slasher fanatics. There’s nothing wrong with those
two subgenres, not by a longshot, but they are subgenres. People hear
horror nowadays and they automatically think slasher. We wanted to take
the name horror back. We want our work to encompass all things eerie,
creepy, macabre, gothic, evil and spooky… not just bloody." Continue reading
"Taking Back Horror"
Tags: 2000s , Fewdio , horror , interviews , movies , shorts , webseries
Secret Eating Habits of Sperm Whales, Revealed!
National Geographic reveals the secret eating habits of sperm whales in a series of 5 photos by Tony Wu. Okay, it's no secret they eat giant squid, but National Geographic has pictures! Continue reading
"Secret Eating Habits of Sperm Whales, Revealed!"
Tags: animals , cephalopods , giant animals , photography , science , squids , Tony Wu , underwater , whales
"A Common Nomenclature for LEGO Pieces"
Giles Turnball charts the names 4 children, British and American, use for various Lego pieces. (He also includes the Lego company's names for them). (via Neatorama). Continue reading
""A Common Nomenclature for LEGO Pieces""
Tags: children , geekery , Lego , toys
Klenginem
Klenginem lays down Eminem's "Without Me" in the original Klingon, "Suvwl'pu' qan tu'lu'be."
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"Klenginem"
Tags: 2000s , fandom , geekery , hip hop , Klingon , linguistics , music , nerdcore , science fiction , space , Star Trek , video
Supernatural Collective Nouns
Everybody knows what you call a group of crows (hint: a murder) and other species of wildlife, but what about supernatural entities?
Continue reading
"Supernatural Collective Nouns"
O.C.D.
Itchy for your Fewdio fix? The horror film collective has just released, "O.C.D.": "Obsession. Compulsion. Internet Dating." Continue reading
"O.C.D."
Tags: 2000s , Fewdio , horror , shorts , video , webseries
Halloween Valu-Pak
Dread Central has pulled together a bunch of Halloween fun from "Attack of the Show" including an interview with Robert Englund and the animated Slasher School series, written by Fresh Ink's Blair Butler.
Continue reading
"Halloween Valu-Pak"
Tags: 2000s , animation , Blair Butler , Halloween , horror , interviews , Robert Englund , tv , video
The Eternal Game Backlog
Tales of the Rampant Coyote extols the virtues of waiting to buy a game: "Them's that wait long enough years get the 'Platinum Pack' with all the
expansions fully integrated in and patched to the latest level for a
big discount." Continue reading
"The Eternal Game Backlog"
Tags: capitalism , community , fandom , games , geekery
Rob Liefield, Scene By Scene
Chris Sims watches The Comic Book Greats: Rob Liefield, in which a 23-year-old Rob Liefield is interviewed by the ever-lovin' Stan Lee. "[W]hether you think of Liefeld as the dynamic heir to Jack Kirby or the much-deserved punching-bag of the Comics Internet, it makes for a fascinating snapshot of one of the strangest times in the history of the industry." (via ISB) Continue reading
"Rob Liefield, Scene By Scene"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , comics , interviews , Rob Liefeld , Stan Lee , video
Ghostly Voices from the Past
Old Time Radio has a collection of old horror shows just in time for Halloween. You can find the Mercury Theater of the Air's "War of the Worlds" and "Dracula," a collection of Australian Frankenstein shows and some Dark Fantasy, too. Aren't you glad they aren't "spooktacular" or "fangtastic?" Continue reading
"Ghostly Voices from the Past"
Tags: 1930s , angry red planet , audio , Australia , Bram Stoker , Dracula , Frankenstein , H.G. Wells , horror , invasion , Orson Welles , radio , science fiction , space , undead , vampires
The Details that Make Life Real and Beautiful
"My inspiration comes from the details that make life real and beautiful to me." Illustrator, printmaker and zinester, Aijung Kim is interviewed by Pikaland. Check out the lovely art they include. Continue reading
"The Details that Make Life Real and Beautiful"
Tags: Aijung Kim , animals , art , children , comics , fish , illustration , insects , interviews , underwater , zines
"Carnage? Perhaps, But A Wonderful Triumph For Love."
This gore-soaked wedding proposal is enough to re-animate even my dead, zombie-fatigued heart. (via Boing-Boing and thanks, VoodooRabbit!)
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""Carnage? Perhaps, But A Wonderful Triumph For Love.""
Tags: 2000s , marriage , movies , romance , undead , video , zombies
Gory, Gory Indonesian Horror
Rumah Dara (aka, Macabre) is some cinematographically exquisite gory, gory Indonesian horror. Here's the trailer, but watch out: gore.
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"Gory, Gory Indonesian Horror"
Tags: 2000s , blood , horror , Indonesia , Mo Bros. , movies , trailers , video
Gothtober 2009
It's Gothtober Time, check out the screenings at this year's Gothtober Drive-In!
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"Gothtober 2009"
Tags: 2000s , animation , drive-ins , geekery , Gothtober , Halloween , horror , LGBT , Queerness , video
Secret Identity
Ian's girlfriend discovers he has a secret in his pants in this animated film by Guillaume Chartier. (thanks, Dr. O!) Continue reading
"Secret Identity"
Tags: animation , anime , Canada , Guillaume Chartier , Montreal , movies , Quebec , superheroes , video
Smash Cut
Hey everybody, Gutter screen editor, Ian Driscoll, has a new movie out, Smash Cut, starring David Hess and Sasha Grey! The official site's here. Continue reading
"Smash Cut"
Tags: 2000s , blood , Canada , Cultural Gutter , David Hess , film industry , film making , Herschell Gordon Lewis , horror , Ian Driscoll , Lee Demarbre , movies , Ottawa , Sasha Grey , trailers , video
"My First Book of Noir"
People in the 1950s knew what was important, getting their children reading noir young: "'Mom was right!' Sweat Weasel thought. 'I am the world's worst blackmailer ever!'" Continue reading
""My First Book of Noir""
Tags: 1950s , children , crime , noir , scans , YA
The Mysterious Specimen Cases of Alex CF
A severed dragon head, a monkey's paw, a vampire pharaoh and an interdimensional cat are all specimens collected and mounted by artist Alex CF. Cryptids, oddities and mythical monsters presented with retro-Victorian naturalism. (thanks, Ariel!) Continue reading
"The Mysterious Specimen Cases of Alex CF"
Tags: Alex CF , alternate history , animals , art , carnival , cryptozoology , dinosaurs , dragons , fairy tales , horror , magic , monsters , mummies , science , science fiction , steam punk , surrealism , undead , vampires , werewolves
Left Themselves Wide Open...
Wow, they left themselves wide open on this one: a devastating montage called Previously On Lost... Continue reading
"Left Themselves Wide Open..."
Tags: 2000s , Lost , tv , video
"Good Dog"
Is there anything sadder than Laika? (Art by Nick Abadzis, music by Luca Tozzi). Continue reading
""Good Dog""
Tags: 1950s , 2000s , adaptation , animals , biography , Cold War , collaboration , comics , dogs , historicals , history , Laika , Luca Tozzi , music , Nick Abadzis , Russia , science , soundtracks , Soviet , space , Sputnik , video
Sexploitation that's not Sexist?
The makers of Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys have made a sexploitation lesbian heist movie in homage to Russ Meyer: Bitch Slap. It's no Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! but it's the movie Quentin Tarantino wishes he could make with Zoe Bell doing the stunt choreography. Continue reading
"Sexploitation that's not Sexist?"
Tags: 2000s , action , America Olivo , Eric Gruendemann , Erin Cummings , gender , heists , homage , interviews , Julia Voth , lesbian , LGBT , Lucy Lawless , Michael Hurst , movies , Queerness , Renee O'Connor , Rick Jacobson , Russ Meyer , sexploitation , spies , stunts , the ladies , trailers , video , Zoe Bell
Handy Tips
Want to know "How to REALLY Help an Author Out"? Among others: "Mow my lawn. (I know it’s a long shot, but I thought I’d throw it out
there. I despise lawn mowing, and it’s going to be a few years before
my kids are old enough to take over.)" Continue reading
"Handy Tips"
Tags: writing
Neat Anatomy Prints
Check out this anatomy diagram of a Gummi Bear (does that even make sense?), along with quite a few other imaginary creatures explained in diagram form.
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"Neat Anatomy Prints"
Tags: anatomy , art , biology , geekery , science , toys
Anti-Kindle
"Jeff Bezos Eats Kittens"? C'mon, Stross, tell us what you really think of the Kindle! Continue reading
"Anti-Kindle"
Tags: 2000s , reading , technology
"If Not For Brent Spiner, I'd Be Illiterate
LeVar Burton isn' t the only bridge between Star Trek and the reading rainbow. Dan at Faust's Fantastically Fantasmagoric Forum explains how a media tie-in novel, Star Trek: The Next Generation: Metamorphosis transformed him into a reader. Continue reading
""If Not For Brent Spiner, I'd Be Illiterate"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , Brent Spiner , LeVar Burton , reading , science fiction , Star Trek , tie-ins , tv , YA
"Total Nowhere Emotion Expansion"
What is "Total Nowhere Emotion Expansion?" It's a digital art exhibit on the back of a trailer in Australia. "Eight artists from five countries have mashed together snippets of
online culture - chatrooms, Second Life, online dream journals, first
person shooters and more - to make some interesting observations about
what cyberspace has become." See it here. (via Articulate) Continue reading
""Total Nowhere Emotion Expansion""
Tags: 2000s , art , Australia , autobiography , community , exhibition , games , internet , movies , shooters , video
Inside a Haunted Mansion
FXGuy7 has video of a Haunted Mansion on the assembly floor. Here are two birdseye views (one, two) and a walkthrough. Continue reading
"Inside a Haunted Mansion"
Tags: Halloween , horror , sfx , video
"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!"
You are interested in the future, because that is where you will live and you must decide what you will do to survive Plan 9. (Thanks, Eric, for the Plan 9 from Outer Space title quote).
Continue reading
""Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!""
Tags: 1950s , 2000s , adaptation , aliens , Ed Wood , fear and loathing , ghouls , horror , movies , remakes , science fiction , space , trailers , undead , video , zombies
The Clash Trailer
Twitch has the trailer for The Clash / Bâỹ Rông, the new film from The Rebel stars Johnny Tri Nguyen and Veronica Ngo. This time, they have guns and sharp clothes. (via Kung Fu Cinema) Continue reading
"The Clash Trailer"
Tags: 2000s , action , guns , Johnny Tri Nguyen , Le Thanh Son , martial arts , movies , trailers , Veronica Ngo , video , Vietnam
Manga Hulk!
Manga Hulk smash and cry! Colin from Kung Fu Fridays has posted scans of a 1970s Hulk manga drawn by Kazuo Koike. Continue reading
"Manga Hulk!"
Tags: 1970s , adaptation , comics , Japan , Kazuo Koike , manga , scans , superheroes , the Hulk
No Fatties, No Hamsters, No Crazies
Back off bitches, Fred the Viking is mine. Love and 1980s technology combine for a new world of romance in this collage of dating videos. (Thanks, Jen!).
Continue reading
"No Fatties, No Hamsters, No Crazies"
Tags: 1980s , gender , romance , technology , the ladies , video
Big Game Hunting: Space Invaders
Where would the internet be without Photoshop? Some surprisingly realistic "photos" about hunting a famous video game enemy that comes out of the sky... Continue reading
"Big Game Hunting: Space Invaders"
Tags: 2000s , art , games , geekery , guns , photography , photoshop , Space Invaders
Solomon Kane: Puritan Swordsman
Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane buckles his swash, fights the Devil's Reaper and becomes a puritan swordsman in, well, Solomon Kane--a much better action movie with Christian themes in which the hero is crucified than The Passion of the Christ.
Continue reading
"Solomon Kane: Puritan Swordsman"
Tags: 1920s , 1930s , 2000s , action , adventure , Christianity , conventions and festivals , horror , James Purefoy , Max von Sydow , Michael J. Bassett , Midnight Madness , movies , Pete Postlethwaite , pulp , religion , Robert E. Howard , Texas , trailers , UK , video
Clashing with Star Wars
Two items where Star Wars runs up against participatory culture: the completely awesome Animals with Lightsabers and the completely logical one-off joke The Hook. Continue reading
"Clashing with Star Wars"
Tags: 2000s , animals , cartoons , comics , community , fandom , geekery , memes , photoshop , Star Wars
The Right Social Circles
Bill Harris on Play: "When I meet a grown-up who does not know how to play, I'm not
interested in talking to them. I would much rather talk to children,
who always understand play and always know how to laugh." Continue reading
"The Right Social Circles"
The Gamer Generation's Parenting Style
In Properly Molding the Gamer Child:
"I
strongly encourage both girls' fascination with Pokemon. Pokemon
provide fulfillment to every human being's basic desire to have an army
of monsters. Also, Pokemon spend all their time fighting each other,
which is good. For what other reason would one want to have an army of
monsters?" Continue reading
"The Gamer Generation's Parenting Style"
Tags: children , community , fandom , games , parenthood , pokemon
A Cast of Thousands and Still Token Females
Marie Brennan over at SF Novelists looks at epic fantasy and the Bechdel test: "Two hundred pages into the book, and there’s been three named female
characters. One is evil. The second existed only for a brief scene, for
the purpose of highlighting how attractive the third one is." Continue reading
"A Cast of Thousands and Still Token Females"
Tags: epics , fantasy , feminism , gender , sexism , the ladies , writing
More Ninjas!
Ninjas throwing swords and flipping in the forest and Ken'ichi Matsuyama from Death Note and Detroit Metal City plays another manga hero in Kamui Gaiden. Continue reading
"More Ninjas!"
Tags: assassins , fantasy , historicals , Japan , Ken'ichi Matsuyama , manga , movies , ninjas , Shirato Sanpei , stealth , trailers , video
Spectacularly... Bad!
Presenting a flashback to Tattoo Assassin, a rather startlingly awful Mortal Kombat clone. Continue reading
"Spectacularly... Bad!"
Tags: 1990s , action , Bob Gale , design , developers , games , history , martial arts , Mortal Kombat , replicants , tattoo assassin
Jenkins' List
Henry Jenkins writes up a handy list of some comics he's enjoyed recently, divvied into stories of everyday life, superheroes, science fiction/fantasy/horror, and some unclassifiable items. Continue reading
"Jenkins' List"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , Alan Moore , Alison Bechdel , allegory , Antarctica , Art Spiegelman , Bill Willingham , biography , Brian Bendis , Brian K. Vaughn , Brian Wood , Canada , Charles Burns , Chris Ware , Classical World , Craig Thompson , Daniel Clowes , Dash Shaw , dystopia , end times , Eric Shanower , fantasy , futurism , gender , Germany , Greece , Greg Rucka , Holocaust , Hope Larsen , horror , Iliad , Iran , Jeremy Love , Jim Gownley , Kim Deitch , Kurt Busiek , LGBT , lists , Los Bros. Hernandez , Lousiana , Luna Bros. , Marjane Satrapi , Mike Allred , Nazis , Neil Gaiman , New York City , Paul Chadwick , Queerness , race , racism , Robert Kirkman , science fiction , Seth , superheroes , Terry Moore , the ladies , Toronto , Troy , UK , Warren Ellis , zombies
Spying on the Universe
The Hubble's been busy spying on the universe. It has images of nebulae and the "spectacular outflow of Markarian 817" for your perusal. Continue reading
"Spying on the Universe"
Tags: 2000s , imaging , photography , science , space
Symbol
Matsumoto Hitoshi has not made an art film, but it sure looks like one. Continue reading
"Symbol"
Tags: 2000s , allegory , art , comedy , conventions and festivals , Hitoshi Matsumoto , Japan , lucha libre , Mexico , Midnight Madness , movies , surrealism
A Town Called Panic
A stop-motion plastic cowboy, Indian and horse all live together. In Belgium. And they're adapted by Aardman Animations. And they have a movie, too. Here's part of an episode of, A Town Called Panic. Continue reading
"A Town Called Panic"
Tags: Aardman Animation , animation , Belgium , children , comedy , Harryhausen , movies , stop-motion , trailers , tv , UK , video
13: Game of Death
A down on his luck salesman gets a mysterious phone call promising him 100 million baht if he undertakes 13 tasks that go increasingly bad. No fun to live, but really good as a film. Continue reading
"13: Game of Death"
Tags: Chookiat Sakveerakul , Eakasit Thairaat , movies , Noi Krissada Sukosol , Thailand , thrillers
A Graph about a Book
Writer Hines examines his writing process and comes up with The Stages of Book Love - I like where the level where the process ends (Hines returns to the joke and vows to actually read Twilight later). Continue reading
"A Graph about a Book"
Whoa, Inflammatory Rhetoric on the Internet about Nerdy Topics...
Animator Mark Mayerson takes a stab at the recent big business deal: "Disney and Marvel: Two Creative Failures." Continue reading
"Whoa, Inflammatory Rhetoric on the Internet about Nerdy Topics..."
Tags: capitalism , Disney , Marvel
Grr, Argh, Trailer Round-up
Grr, argh! Here's a little undead creatures trailer round-up from the Toronto International Film Festival's Midnight Madness program: Daybreakers, Survival of the Dead and [Rec]2. Grr, argh! Continue reading
"Grr, Argh, Trailer Round-up"
Tags: 2000s , Australia , Canada , conventions and festivals , dystopia , Ethan Hawke , George Romero , horror , Jaume Belaguero , Midnight Madness , movies , Paco Plaza , plague , Sam Neill , Spain , Spierig Bros. , Toronto , trailers , undead , vampires , video , viruses , Westerns , Willem Dafoe , zombies
RIP, Shing Fui-On
Hong Kong star Shing Fui-On has died of cancer. Most Gutter readers likely remember him as the psychotic Triad head in John Woo's The Killer. Here's a clip from his leading role in The Blue Jean Monster. (And speaking Hakka with Chow Yun-Fat). Continue reading
"RIP, Shing Fui-On"
Tags: 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , action , China , Chow Yun-Fat , comedy , detectives , gangsters , guns , Hong Kong , John Woo , movies , police , RIP , Shing Fui-On , Triads , Tsui Hark , tv
Confessions of the B-Masters Cabal
The B-masters confess movies they haven't seen. "My viewing of Zombie Lake was one of those events that lead
you to question everything in your life that has lead up to it. I
wouldn’t necessarily say that it was a “where did I go wrong” moment,
because many of the choices that brought me to it couldn’t in
themselves be considered mistakes. Nonetheless, when you get to the
point where you see watching Zombie Lake as some kind of solemn obligation, it’s a circumstance that bares some investigation." (More shame here)
Continue reading
"Confessions of the B-Masters Cabal"
Tags: 1930s , 1950s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , airplanes , Dana Andrews , dinosaurs , disaster , fear and loathing , France , Frankenstein , George Lucas , giant animals , horror , insects , Lyle Talbot , Mexico , monsters , movies , Nazis , science , science fiction , Spain , spiders , Stephen Spielberg , the ladies , undead , war , zombies
Charlie Brown at 19, 35 and 65
"If the Peanuts characters aged like real people." Scans! Continue reading
"Charlie Brown at 19, 35 and 65"
Tags: 1970s , Bob Clarke , Charles Schulz , comedy , comics , Frank Jacobs , Mad Magazine , parody , Peanuts , scans , strips
Indonesian James Bond
James Bond, 007 contra Komplotan Pistol Emas. That's right, scans of a 1967 Indonesian comic version of The Man with the Golden Gun by Ganes TH. You might like it more than Roger Moore. Continue reading
"Indonesian James Bond"
Tags: 007 , 1960s , adaptation , comics , Ganes TH , Ian Fleming , Indonesia , Roger Moore , scans , spies , UK
Komik Indonesia
Devil Dog de la Rosa! The Blind Man from the Ghost Cave! Gundala, Son of Thunder and the Mahabharata's own Bisma! Komik Indonesia has a huge gallery of cover art! Glaaar! (onomatopeia for thunder in Indonesian). Continue reading
"Komik Indonesia"
Tags: 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , adventure , animals , comics , covers , Djair , dogs , epics , Ganes TH , Hans Jaladara , historicals , horror , Indonesia , Jakarta , Jan Mintaraga , martial arts , Medan , myths , R.A. Kosasih , romance , scans , silat , superheroes , Yogyakarta
Phobia 2 Trailer
Hey, Phobia 2, what's with the "scare quotes?" Continue reading
"Phobia 2 Trailer"
Tags: anthology , Bangkok , cars , film making , ghosts , horror , monks , movies , paranormality , Thailand , trailers , undead , video , zombies
"Alien 0 or Alien 5?"
Continuity's at risk in the new Alien prequel. Faced with "the space jockey," xenomorph eggs in the cargo hold and what the corporation knew and when they knew it, Martin Anderson foresees "some nasty acts of canon-hacking." Continue reading
""Alien 0 or Alien 5?""
Tags: 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , Aliens , aliens , canon , continuity , futurism , horror , movies , prequel , Ridley Scott , science fiction , sequels , space , spaceships , survival horror
Bubba Nosferatu Is Still Rising From The Grave
Bubba Nosferatu continues rising from the grave. Ron Perlman says so on Fangoria Radio. Continue reading
"Bubba Nosferatu Is Still Rising From The Grave"
Tags: 2000s , audio , Don Coscarelli , Elvis , horror , Joe Lansdale , movies , music , Paul Giamatti , podcasts , Ron Perlman , satire , undead , vampires
Comic Critics Comic
The narrative frames and meta possibilities of "Comic Critics" webcomic could crack my head open, but they don't. Instead it's a neat, deeply geeky take on comics, criticism and the industry with a storyline. Special neatness includes this interview with Brian Cronin and this dramatization of Dwayne McDuffie's time as JLA editor. (via Comics Should Be Good)
Continue reading
"Comic Critics Comic"
Tags: Brandon Hanvey , Brian Cronin , comics , criticism , Dwayne McDuffie , industry , interviews , JLA , Sean Whitmore , webcomics
Missing Duncan
"Maybe it's too bad that a game with such a strong visual imagination is entirely about kicking people in the face. But violence is your compass. You'd be lost without it." It's only been a few weeks since Duncan has stopped writing his fine, thoughtful pieces on games, but I miss them. Go read Hit Self Destruct whether you like games or not. (The piece I quoted is here). Continue reading
"Missing Duncan"
Tags: blood , console , criticism , design , designers , developers , games , industry , RIP , videogames , writing
Choosing the Moon
Apollo 11 lands on the moon again in real time at We Choose the Moon. (via farlane.blog) Continue reading
"Choosing the Moon"
Tags: 1960s , audio , Buzz Aldrin , history , John F. Kennedy , Michael Collins , Neil Armstrong , science , space , spaceships , the moon , video
More Real Fight: Raging Phoenix starring Jija Yanin
Jija kicks organ-stealing gangster ass with hip hop and drunken Muay Thai. It's Raging Phoenix with Jija Yanin, B-Boys Thai, Kazu and champion bodybuilder Roongtawan. (via Wise Kwai) Continue reading
"More Real Fight: Raging Phoenix starring Jija Yanin"
Tags: 2000s , action , Bangkok , contemporaries , hip hop , Jeeja Yanin , Kazu , kung fu , martial arts , movies , muay thai , music , Thailand
Gail Simone Interviews John Ostrander
"When I first wrote Villains United, I was eager to
have my chance to write one of the coolest characters in the DCU,
Deadshot. I knew full well, like a lot of writers before me, that
John [Ostrander] was THE Deadshot writer, and I knew if I had the chance, I would
do whatever I could to see him write the character again, even if it
makes my version look horrid in comparison." Gail Simone interviews John Ostrander. Continue reading
"Gail Simone Interviews John Ostrander"
Tags: 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , Barbara Gordon , Batman , comics , comics history , Deadshot , Floyd Lawton , Gail Simone , GrimJack , Hawkman , horror , industry , interviews , J'Onn J'Onzz , Jan Duursema , John Ostrander , Martian Manhunter , mercenaries , Oracle , science fiction , Secret Six , spies , Star Wars , Suicide Squad , superheroes , supervillainy , Tom Mandrake , Westerns , writing
RIP John Hughes
Stepanie Zacharek looks over John Hughes' complicated, heartfelt and well-targeted movie legacy. Continue reading
"RIP John Hughes"
Tags: 1980s , 1990s , Anthony Michael Hall , Chicago , comedy , Illinois , John Hughes , Judd Nelson , Michigan , Midwest , Molly Ringwald , movies , RIP , romance , teens , Wisconsin , YA
Pets or Meat?
"Any time a scary movie apparently involves a decent-sized cast of
people placed in a closed environment, it's a good time to play a game
I like to call Pets or Meat."
Continue reading
"Pets or Meat?"
Tags: games , geekery , horror , Milla Jovovich , movies , slasher , Steve Zahn , survival horror , Timothy Olyphant
More Reasons To Love Doom Patrol
The Most Insane Moments of Doom Patrol, according to Chris Sims.
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"More Reasons To Love Doom Patrol"
Tags: 1960s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , animals , apes , Arnold Drake , comics , cyborgs , disability , Grant Morrison , lists , mad science , robots , scans , superheroes , surrrealism
Matter Eater Lad Before the Retcon
Again With The Comics misses Matter Eater Lad's solo adventures eating matter already, now that the Legion of Super-Heroes has been retconned in Final Crisis. There are scans. Continue reading
"Matter Eater Lad Before the Retcon"
Tags: aliens , comics , continuity , event comics , futurism , Legion of Super-Heroes , Matter Eater Lad , scans , space , superheroes
WWII Reaches Aldebaran
Strange Maps charts tv signals as they reach Alpha Centauri, Chi Draconis, Arcturus and Aldebaran. See the map here. Continue reading
"WWII Reaches Aldebaran"
Tags: aliens , science , space , technology , tv
Man not Superman
Post-it Note Stories features an illustrated adaptation of Jonathan Goldstein's story "Man not Superman". Because, who hasn't had a crush on Lois Lane? Continue reading
"Man not Superman"
Tags: comics , Jonathan Goldstein , Lois Lane , Superman
Vampire, Or Maybe, Werewolf
When's a vampire really more of a werewolf? When it's Toppei from Osamu Tezuka's Vampire. Todd from 4DK writes about the mostly live-action television adaptation, starring Tezuka as himself, beret and all, and they remind him of both Kurosawa's High and Low and Fukasaku's Black Lizard. Continue reading
"Vampire, Or Maybe, Werewolf"
Tags: 1960s , adaptation , Akira Kurosawa , animation , comics , horror , Japan , Kinji Fukasaku , noir , Osamu Tezuka , paranormality , sfx , shapeshifters , Toei , tv , vampires , video , werewolves , witches
Tentacles! Jane Austen!
Jane Austen, co-author of the popular, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, has a new novel that details more than love or manners in the Regency Era. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters reveals shocking and tentacled attacks on respectable society. (Illustrations here. And click through to the book trailer). Continue reading
"Tentacles! Jane Austen!"
Tags: 1810s , Ben H. Winters , cephalopods , giant animals , historicals , horror , illustration , Jane Austen , monsters , piracy , Regency , romance , scans , trailers , UK , underwater , video
Streaming Kung Fu
Stream the Fu at Crunchy Roll. (Also, stream anime and "Asian entertainment"). Continue reading
"Streaming Kung Fu"
Tags: action , animation , anime , China , Hong Kong , Japan , kung fu , martial arts , movies , Tai Seng , Taiwan , video
Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl
Average Babycart Assassin/Lone Wolf and Cub movie not have enough arterial spray for you? Not enough mutilation in Ichi the Killer? Neither of them have enough Japanese schoolgirls? Try Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl, from the makers of Tokyo Gore Police and RoboGeisha.
Continue reading
"Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl"
Tags: blood , Frankenstein , high school , horror , Japan , movies , Naoyuki Tomomatsu , undead , vampires , Yoshihiro Nishimura
Kirk in Black and White, Kirk in Color
Fren Attic writes of growing up in a family of Scottish "proto-Trekkies": "[T]he image that burned itself on to our retinas was the bridge of the
U.S.S. Enterprise. ...Only this time they were devoid of their dull,
grey uniforms. Kirk was yellow, Spock blue, Scotty a shocking red. We
had never witnessed anything like this. It was like walking in to a
Jackson Pollock painting. That image lives with me to this day, in
sparkling Technicolor." (via Blogs from the Mothership)
Continue reading
"Kirk in Black and White, Kirk in Color"
Tags: 1970s , Jackson Pollack , movies , science fiction , Scotland , Star Trek , technology , tv , UK
Le Corbusier on crack
In terms of architecture, what's the #1 comic book city? Answering that question sounds like a job for The Architects' Journal! Continue reading
"Le Corbusier on crack"
Tags: architecture , comics , lists , top 10
"The Stunning Case of the Three Gunshots"
Zhang Yimou is remaking the Coen Bros. Blood Simple, or as it will be known from now on, The Stunning Case of the Three Gunshots. (It's going to star Sun Honglei from Mongol). Continue reading
""The Stunning Case of the Three Gunshots""
Tags: adaptation , blood , China , Coen Brothers , crime , detectives , Hong Kong , movies , noir , remakes , Sun Honglei , Zhang Yimou
Guess who Blair Butler ran into?
Blair Butler ran into comics writer, Grant Morrison, at Meltdown Comics in L.A. Wanna look? Continue reading
"Guess who Blair Butler ran into?"
Tags: 1990s , 2000s , adaptation , Animal Man , animals , California , comics , Grant Morrison , interviews , Los Angeles , movies , Scotland , superheroes , UK , video , We3
Happy International Zine Month!
July is International Zine Month--make a zine in 24 hours, attend events in Glastonbury, Portland and Minneapolis, get cut'n'pastey! Continue reading
"Happy International Zine Month!"
Tags: comics , community , fandom , geekery , movies , romance , science fiction , zines
RoboGeisha: The Geisha War Begins
"Geisha is Robot." Geisha fight samurai, giant temples and lady tengu. Geisha also transform. Continue reading
"RoboGeisha: The Geisha War Begins"
Tags: 2000s , action , blood , exploitation , geisha , horror , Japan , mech , movies , Noboru Iguchi , robots , samurai , science fiction , sexploitation , the ladies , trailers , video , Yoshihiro Nishimura
Karl Malden, RIP
Mladen Sekulovich, aka Karl Malden, has died at 96. He was in many, many entertainments, including Meteor, the legendary 1970s cop show The Streets of San Francisco, some very respectable films and many, many Westerns like How The West Was Won, Nevada Smith and One-Eyed Jacks. Obituaries here, here and here.
Continue reading
"Karl Malden, RIP"
Tags: 1940s , 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , California , Chicago , crime , detectives , Karl Malden , Midwest , military , movies , police , prisons , procedural , RIP , San Francisco , science fiction , Steve McQueen , Tennessee Williams , trailers , tv , video , war , Westerns
Posterati
In support of my latest Screen article, there's nothing disappointing about these re-imagined posters by Olly Moss. Or x-factor-e's De Niro stream. Or the endlessly entertaining Film the blanks (Sudoku for film geeks). Continue reading
"Posterati"
Tags: art , Film the Blanks , movies , Olly Moss , posters , Robert De Niro , Sudoku
Interview with Joe Lansdale
Champion Mojo storyteller Joe Lansdale talks about what makes him a champion: a crazy number of upcoming stories, a Jonah Hex animated short and his mighty understanding of the publishing industry.(Thanks, Chuck!)
Continue reading
"Interview with Joe Lansdale"
Tags: animation , audio , comics , horror , Joe Lansdale , Jonah Hex , movies , mysteries , podcasts , publishing , reading , Warner Bros. , Weird Westerns , Westerns , writing
"Asian movies are dead in America and no one cares."
"If the post-"Crouching Tiger" boom in Asian cinema was an irrational,
Dutch-tulip-style bubble, then the virtual disappearance of Asian films
from American screens is an equally irrational overcorrection." Andrew O'Herir interviews Grady Hendrix (NYAFF and formerly Kaiju Shakedown), Keith Allison (Teleport City) and Todd Stadtman (4DK) about corrections, industry incompetence and piracy. Continue reading
""Asian movies are dead in America and no one cares.""
Tags: 1990s , 2000s , capitalism , China , film history , film industry , film making , Grady Hendrix , Hong Kong , industry , Japan , Korea , movies , NYAFF , Thailand
ComicKaze in Cambodia!
One page, one artist, one hour--2 countries. See some of the Cambodian comics here. Continue reading
"ComicKaze in Cambodia!"
Tags: 2000s , Australia , Cambodia , comic jams , comics , community , scans , video
Talking Shit about Grant Morrison and Alan Moore
Savage Critics Jeff Lester and Graeme McMillan talk some shit about Grant Morrison and Alan Moore, smart shit. And if that's not enough, the talk a lot about other comics. But hearing them talk about Grant Morrison and Alan Moore is enough if that's all you have time for. Continue reading
"Talking Shit about Grant Morrison and Alan Moore"
Tags: Alan Moore , audio , Batman , comics , criticism , event comics , Grant Morrison , League of Extraordinary Gentlemen , podcasts
Twilight, Remixed
It was bound to happen: Buffy vs. Edward. (via Smart Bitches). Continue reading
"Twilight, Remixed"
Tags: Buffy , geekery , horror , monsters , movies , paranormality , romance , tv , Twilight , vampires , versus , video
Lathed vs. Laved
The Smart Bitches beg us all, "FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS TURGID, STOP USING THE WORD LATHE" because it's "NOT SOMETHING ANY MAN WANTS DONE TO HIS MANJUNK." They have woodworking videos, too. Continue reading
"Lathed vs. Laved"
Tags: erotica , romance , video , writing
NYAFF 2009 Video
Sad you couldn't make the New York Asian Film Festival this year with all its pink films, Minoru Kawasaki and Wai Ka-Fai? It's time to do something about it. Something sedentary, like watch the Q&A and festival fun from the comfort of your sofa or at your desk. Continue reading
"NYAFF 2009 Video"
Tags: China , conventions and festivals , Hong Kong , India , Japan , Korea , Minoru Kawasaki , movies , NYAFF , video , Wai Ka-Fai
NYAFF 2009 and Hypnotic Escapism
The New York Asian Film Festival wants to help you escape joblessness, global pandemics and despair. Why don't you let it? (Info here). Continue reading
"NYAFF 2009 and Hypnotic Escapism"
Tags: action , blood , Bollywood , China , comedy , conventions and festivals , Donnie Yen , fandom , fantasy , geekery , Grady Hendrix , guns , Hong Kong , horror , India , Japan , kaiju , Kaiju Shakedown , Korea , kung fu , Minoru Kawasaki , movies , NYAFF , pink films , Simon Yam , tokusatsu , Westerns , wuxia
45 Ways of Looking at the Mario Bros.
The Design Inspiration collects 45 portraits of the Mushroom Kingdom's favorite heroes, Mario and Luigi. Continue reading
"45 Ways of Looking at the Mario Bros."
Tags: art , console , games , geekery , Mario , NES , nintendo
Yuen Woo-Ping's True Legend
Beggar So is back, laying out some drunken style justice. And this time he's Chiu Man-Chuk (aka, Vincent Zhao Wen-Zhou) in Yuen Woo-Ping's True Legend. Wanna look? Continue reading
"Yuen Woo-Ping's True Legend"
Tags: Andy On , Beggar So , China , Chiu Man-Chuk , dance , David Carradine , Hong Kong , kung fu , martial arts , Michelle Yeoh , trailers , video , wushu , wuxia , Yuen Woo-Ping , Zhao Wen-Zhou
Self-Defence for Gentlemen (and Suffragettes)
Scare off impudent ruffians and defeat any self-styled Goliath with only your cane or umbrella! Learn Bartitsu, the martial art favored by many Victorian (and some Edwardian) ladies and gentlemen! View a short documentary here. (via Kung Fu Cinema) Continue reading
"Self-Defence for Gentlemen (and Suffragettes)"
Tags: 1890s , 1900s , 1990s , 2000s , Arthur Conan Doyle , Bartitsu , boxing , E. W. Barton-Wright , Edwardian , feminism , history , Japan , jiu-jitsu , judo , London , martial arts , martial arts history , MMA , savate , Sherlock Holmes , stick fighting , Switzerland , UK , Victorian , video
"There was a time when photoshop disasters didn't exist."
Guns. Swords. Paint. Old time Japanese movie posters at Wild Grounds "because there was a time when photoshop disasters didn't exist." Continue reading
""There was a time when photoshop disasters didn't exist.""
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , art , crime , detectives , gangsters , Japan , movies , Nikkatsu , noir , police , posters , scans , Yakuza
Tragedy Systems in Grand Theft Auto IV
"Death is permanent and, in all works of fiction, predetermined. Except in video games, where most of the time it is neither." At Hit Self-Destruct, Duncan writes about agency, time travel and death. Continue reading
"Tragedy Systems in Grand Theft Auto IV"
Tags: agency , death , games , gangsters , Grand Theft Auto , narrative , narrative trees , sandbox , time travel , vengeance
RIP, Ho Meng-Hua
It's a sad time for fan of martial arts and Shaw Bros. Filmmaker Ho Meng-Hua has died. Ho started in the 1950s at Cathay studios, but his wuxia and kaiju work at Shaw Bros. Studios is probably more familiar to most fans. He directed Cheng Pei-Pei and Lo Lieh in The Lady Hermit and Danny Lee in The Mighty Peking Man. Read Frederic Ambroisine's tribute here and Kung Fu Cinema's here.
Continue reading
"RIP, Ho Meng-Hua"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , apes , Cathay Studios , Cheng Pei-Pei , China , Danny Lee , Ho Meng-Hua , Hong Kong , kaiju , kung fun , Lo Lieh , martial arts , monsters , movies , RIP , Shaw Bros. , wuxia
RIP, Shih Kien
Shih Kien has died at 96. He was 61 when he played the villainous Mr. Han opposite Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon. By then he'd played Villain Kin opposite Kwan Tak-Hing's Wong Fei-Hung and various villains threatening Connie Chan Po-Chu and Josephine Siao Fong-Fong for decades. Make sure to follow the link to tributes from the HK film community and Jean Lukitsch's article about him. Continue reading
"RIP, Shih Kien"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1980s , 2000s , action , Bruce Lee , China , Connie Chan Po-Chu , Hong Kong , Josephine Siao Fong-Fong , kung fu , Kwan Tak-Hing , martial arts , movies , RIP , Shaw Bros. , Shih Kien , tv , Wong Fei-Hung , wuxia
The Union Forever
It's card-carrying union members vs. scabs in Crane Wars: "You make your towers, as quickly as you can, topping them off with a
top part to finish them. Alternatively, lob buildings or trucks at the
scabs at work across the street. Or both." Continue reading
"The Union Forever"
Tags: Blurst , construction , Flashbang , games , physics , trailers , versus , video , work
Suzuki Seijun's Japanese Noir
Todd at 4DK has decided to "throw some verbiage" in Suzuki Seijun's direction with reviews of and stills from Underworld Beauty and the best titled film ever, Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! I love it when Todd throws words around.
Continue reading
"Suzuki Seijun's Japanese Noir"
Tags: 1950s , crime , detectives , Japan , Nikkatsu , noir , police , scans , Seijun Suzuki , stills
Re-Taking Pelham 1 2 3
Linda Holmes and Andrew O'Hehir see some things in John Travolta's The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 villain: "the lamentably noisy bad guy" replacing a more chilling, bureaucratic evil and a far more awesome possible movie: "Freddie Mercury .... starring in some cracked Tony Scott movie where
he gets awesome wireless reception in a subway tunnel and shoots a
bunch of people in between verses of 'Bohemian Rhapsody[.]'" Continue reading
"Re-Taking Pelham 1 2 3"
Tags: 1970s , 2000s , adaptation , crime , Denzel Washington , detectives , Freddie Mercury , Hector Elizondo , heists , James Gandolfini , Jerry Stiller , John Travolta , John Turturro , Martin Balsam , movies , New York City , procedural , remakes , Robert Shaw , supervillainy , Tony Scott , villains , Walter Matthau
No. 6, Laid Out
Number Six will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered, but in the 1970s, he was roughed, laid out, sketched, penciled, inked, scanned and collected. Scans of Jack Kirby's The Prisoner at the Madness. (TwoMorrows has some analysis).
Continue reading
"No. 6, Laid Out"
Tags: 1960s , 1970s , allegory , comics , Jack Kirby , Marvel , Number Six , Patrick McGoohan , scans , spies , The Prisoner , tv , UK
Klingon vs. Esperanto--Sindarin Wins!
Andrew O'Hehir reads a book about artificial language and decides: "Tolkien's languages, one might say, form the missing link between
Esperanto and Klingon." Continue reading
"Klingon vs. Esperanto--Sindarin Wins!"
Tags: elves , Esperanto , fantasy , Klingon , language , linguistics , LOTR , science fiction , Star Trek , Tolkien , versus
Smart Bitches, Trashy Radio
Smart Bitches Candy Tan and Sarah Wendell talk man-titty vs. man-boobs, Romance masculinity and their favorite bad euphemisms, but don't too much into the heroine's "magic hoo-hoo" with Australian comedian and radio host, Alan Brough. Hilarity ensues! (We can't recommend the Smart Bitches, Trashy Novels site enough, whether you read romance or not). Continue reading
"Smart Bitches, Trashy Radio"
Tags: Alan Brough , audio , Australia , Candy Tan , gender , interviews , masculinity , Melbourne , radio , romance , Sarah Wendell
Super Wizard Stardust and Fantomah, On the Air!
Just can't get enough of disturbing Golden Age comics auteur Fletcher Hanks? Stardust the Super Wizard and Fantomah go on the air on WFMU. Or at least Paul Karasik discusses Hanks, which is a much better situation. Continue reading
"Super Wizard Stardust and Fantomah, On the Air!"
Tags: audio , comics , Fletcher Hanks , Golden Age , interviews , Paul Karasik , radio , WFMU
Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose and the Haunted Hoo-Ha
At Chris's Invincible Super-Blog read this heartfelt paean to Jim Balent's fan-service-tastic, Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose and what could be the worst piece of dialogue in comics history… or the best: 'You have to get out of here. Your vagina is haunted.'" Chris has lots more to say about Tarot. (And personally, if my ghostly vagina were constantly bleeding, I wouldn't only be wearing a ghostly thong. Just sayin'). (thanks, 'col!) Continue reading
"Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose and the Haunted Hoo-Ha"
Tags: comics , exploitation , fan service , fear and loathing , feminism , gender , ghosts , horror , hospital , Jim Balent , magic , medical , nurses , sexism , sexploitation , Tarot Witch of the Black Rose , the ladies , undead , underworld
Josh Brolin is Jonah Hex
Here's some pictures of Josh Brolin looking kinda pretty as everybody's favorite Weird Western bounty hunter, Jonah Hex. (See comics covers for less pretty). Cinematical is worried they'll be pulled down. Continue reading
"Josh Brolin is Jonah Hex"
Tags: adaptation , bounty hunters , comics , covers , historicals , horror , Jonah Hex , movies , Nineteenth Century , scans , Weird Westerns , Westerns
RIP, David Carradine
Cinematical remembers David Carradine: "Even as his resume became filled with more and more television work and
direct to video movies during the late 80s and into the 90s, he
maintained an edge to the characters he played and, where appropriate,
a spirited air of bemusement." Continue reading
"RIP, David Carradine"
Tags: 1970s , 1980s , 1990s , 2000s , cars , David Carradine , Death Race 2000 , dystopia , exploitation , Kill Bill , kung fu , movies , Quentin Tarantino , RIP , tv , Woody Guthrie
Protecting Dr. Sun Yat-Sen
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen must be protected and Donnie Yen's gonna do it. Kung Fu Cinema has footage from Bodyguards and Assassins storyboards and all. Continue reading
"Protecting Dr. Sun Yat-Sen"
Tags: 1900s , assassins , China , Eric Tsang , Fan Bing-Bing , historicals , Hong Kong , kung fu , Leon Lai , martial arts , MMA , movies , Nicholas Tse , Peter Chan Ho-Sun , Philip Ng , Simon Yam , Stephen Tung Wei , Sun Yat-Sen , Tony Leung Ka-Fai , trailers , video , Wang Wenjie , Xing Yu
The Black Dragon's Revenge
Ron Van Clief. the Black Dragon, remembers Bruce Lee, Carter Wong, Jimi Hendrix, racism and underground fighting in the 1950s and working with Blaxploitation auteur, Berry Gordy:
"What made The Last Dragon so special is that it was shot in New York
City and it starred an African American. No drugs, no prostitution.
Just a clean Disney-like story. I consider it a martial arts fantasy.
They used my Chinese Goju virtues in the film. It was excellent that
over 30 of my students worked on the film." Continue reading
"The Black Dragon's Revenge"
Tags: 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , action , afrogeekery , Berry Gordy , blaxploitation , Bruce Lee , Carter Wong , interviews , Jimi Hendrix , karate , martial arts , movies , New York City , race , racism
Sample the Awesomeness at Book View Cafe
Primates love samplers. It's not something out of speculative fiction. It's a fact and Book View Cafe knows it, so they're offering a free sampler of their premium content. Continue reading
"Sample the Awesomeness at Book View Cafe"
Tags: downloads , fantasy , freeware , horror , science fiction
"Able Baker perfect. No injuries or other difficulties."
The title alone makes this story about the first primates in space worthwhile: "After 50 Years, Space Monkeys Not Forgotten." Continue reading
""Able Baker perfect. No injuries or other difficulties." "
Tags: animals , audio , Cold War , dogs , Laika , monkeys , radio , RIP , Russia , science , Soviet , space , video
Speaking with the Sensei
Miss the Toronto Comic Arts Festival? That's okay. Deb Aoki has a really nice long interview between Adrian Tomine and Yoshihiro Tatsumi. And some questions she asked Tatsumi-sensei herself. Continue reading
"Speaking with the Sensei"
Tags: 1960s , 1970s , 2000s , Adrian Tomine , Canada , comics , comics history , conventions and festivals , gekiga , interviews , manga , TCAF , Toronto , Yoshihiro Tatsumi
Clean, White and Saved
"Wonderfully retro and absurdly ethnocentric art depicting an idealized American empire on Earth and in Heaven from Bible Readings for the Home (Pacific Press Publishing Associates, 1963)," scans at Lady, That's My Skull. Continue reading
"Clean, White and Saved"
Tags: 1960s , camp , Christianity , illustration , religion , scans
Slog Scans
Scans of Dave McKean's artwork for The Slog (written by David Almond) look a little slicker than his work for Neil Gaiman on Punch and Judy and The Sandman. Continue reading
"Slog Scans"
Tags: art , children , Dave McKean , David Almond , Neil Gaiman , picture books , scans , YA
A latter day Windsor McKay?
A latter day Windsor McKay? Maybe not quite, but Peter Blegvad's strip Leviathan certainly captures the eerie dream-logic quality of Little Nemo in Slumberland, while injecting it with a healthy dose of post-Achewood world that knows "poet is a four-letter word for not a mogul". Continue reading
"A latter day Windsor McKay?"
Tags: Achewood , Chris Onstad , comics , Leviathan , Little Nemo , online strips , Peter Blegvad , Windsor McKay
Play Some Games!
Check out Crayon Physics. Then check out the rest of the games. Jim sez, "a third are pretty good, a third are real good, and a third are frickin brilliant." (thanks, Jim!) Continue reading
"Play Some Games!"
Tags: art , crayons , games , indie
Love Letter to the Invisible Woman
A letter from Girl-Wonder's letter's column I missed in 2007: "25 years after her transformation from girl to woman, the new
creative team of J. Michael Straczyinski and Mike McKone have advanced
the Invisible Woman yet again with a story moment that can be viewed as
one of the few feminist outcries in comics, a wake-up call to fan boys.... 'Do I look like I need
protecting, Reed? Do I?'” Continue reading
"Love Letter to the Invisible Woman"
Tags: 1960s , 1980s , 2000s , comics , Fantastic Four , feminism , gender , Invisible Woman , J. Michael Straczyinski , John Byrne , Marvel , Mike McKone , sexism , Susan Storm , the ladies
8 Bit Resignation
Farbs resigns in 8-bit style to pursue developing indie games. Watch it here. Continue reading
"8 Bit Resignation"
Tags: developers , Farbs , Funk Monkey , games , indie , industry , Jarrad Woods , Mario
The Cultural Gutter Has Updated Its Profile
Hey everybody, the Gutter's nearly living in the year 2004. That's right we've gotten a Facebook page. It's still a little wonky, but it's there. Continue reading
"The Cultural Gutter Has Updated Its Profile"
Tags: Cultural Gutter , technology
60 Views of Mount Wudan
60 views of Mount Wudan, "famed Taoist sanctuary and cradle of the Wudang school of Chinese martial arts" (via Kung Fu Cinema).
Continue reading
"60 Views of Mount Wudan"
Tags: art , China , kung fu , martial arts , photography , religion , Taoism , Wudan , Wudang , wuxia
Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus
Giant animals square off in Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus. You might think Minoru Kawasaki is behind it. But you'd be wrong--Deborah "Debbie" Gibson's behind it all. (Thanks, Steven!)
Continue reading
"Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus"
Tags: animals , California , cephalopods , Deborah Gibson , giant animals , kaiju , Lorenzo Lamas , Los Angeles , megalodon , Minoru Kawasaki , monsters , movies , sharks , trailers , underwater , versus , video
TCAF 2009
Miss the Toronto Comic Arts Festival this year? That's okay, Vepo Studios made a video. And while you're there, check out the profiles of artists like Evan Munday. Continue reading
"TCAF 2009"
Tags: Bryan Lee O'Malley , Canada , comics , conventions and festivals , Cory Doctorow , Evan Munday , James Turner , Jillian Tamaki , libraries , Mariko Tamaki , Seth , TCAF , Toronto , video , Yoshihiro Tatsumi
So Many Fukasaku Kinji Soundtracks!
Don't have enough soundtracks by Japanese composers? Wild Grounds will help you out with "The 5 Japanese Film Composers You Must Know" and a whole section of downloadable soundtracks and excerpts from Yojimbo to Battle Without Honor or Humanity. Continue reading
"So Many Fukasaku Kinji Soundtracks!"
Tags: 1940s , 1950s , 1960s , 1970s , 1990s , 2000s , action , Akira Ifukube , Akira Kurosawa , anime , audio , gangsters , guns , Hayao Miyazaki , Japan , Joe Hisaishi , Kinji Fukasaku , martial arts , Masaru Sato , music , ninjas , samurai , Sonny Chiba , soundtracks , Takeshi Kitano , Toru Takemitsu , Toshiaki Tsushima , Yakuza
New Zelazny Book
Deceased author Roger Zelazny has a new book out, reaching us all the way from the year 1971. (via SF Signal) Continue reading
"New Zelazny Book"
Tags: 1970s , art , Brazil , CIA , fantasy , mysteries , noir , publishing , Roger Zelazny , Rome , science fiction , thrillers , Vatican
3 Trailers from Twitch
It's Twitch round-up time. Supporting martial artists Mike B. and Russell Wong take the lead kneeing and kicking people in the chest in Thanapon Maliwan's The Sanctuary. Lee Byung-Hun, Kimura Takeya and Josh Hartnett go to Hong Kong and walk the line between the police and organized crime in Tran Anh Hung's I Come with the Rain. Matsuyama Kenichi show his ninjitsu in Sai Yoichi's live-action adaptation of Kamui. (What the hell, here's another trailer for Johnnie To's Vengeance).
Continue reading
"3 Trailers from Twitch"
Tags: 2000s , action , Anthony Wong Chau-Sang , assassins , blood , China , fantasy , France , gangsters , guns , historicals , Hong Kong , Japan , Johnnie To , Johnny Hallyday , Josh Hartnett , Kamui , Ken'ichi Matsuyama , Korea , Lam Suet , law enforcement , Lee Byung-hun , manga , martial arts , Mike B. , movies , muay thai , ninjas , Russell Wong , Shirato Sanpei , Simon Yam , Takeya Kimura , Thailand , |
