You know you've caught lightning in a bottle when you have rights being optioned on books not yet published, and you're straight out of school. Clearly, it's because of the robots.



His site is here and it's pretty cool...



:::



"Paramount has bought film rights to Daniel H. Wilson's "How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion" and setting up the comedy sci-fi project with Michael De Luca. Par made the deal based on a pitch from the writing team of Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant ("The Pacifier", "Herbie: Fully Loaded"), who will script. Wilson penned "Uprising" while a doctoral candidate at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon U. with much of the information based on actual robotics. Book includes sections such as "Know Your Enemy," "Fight Back," "How to Treat a Laser Wound" and "How to Pose as a Humanoid Robot"..."

-Dark Horizons



:::



And, according to a few sites, Mike Meyers has signed on already...

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Just LOOK at the NAME!



very impressive, albeit VIOLENT, animation.

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Okay, my buddy showed me this and I have now spent a little while typing combinations of: VIKING, BATTLE, MUSIC, CARTOON, and GUITAR into google.



but I present to you:



Jason Forest War Photographer



Now, you may be asking yourself, "WHY Monkey + Robot Culture?" and I respond...



"Wait for it."

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Damn. OK, first of all, I had no idea this was based on a true story until the movie closed with a type block stating that Frank Serpico resigned from the NYPD in '72 and now lived in Switzerland. So I looked up some info online and found that it was, indeed, based on a real guy. For more on that, click hereto be whisked away to Frank Serpico's Wikipedia page, or herefor Frank's website.



Let's talk about Al Pacino for a minute. I've recently watched another Pacino classic, "Dog Day Afternoon," which is coincidentally, another movie based on a real man's story. But that's not the point. The point is that back in the days, Al Pacino was really making amazing, poignant work. "Dog Day Afternoon," "Serpico," and of course "The Godfather Part II" and "The Godfather Part III." So what happened? "Heat" was of course, great, but really, after that? "Scent Of A Woman?" "Insomnia?" C'mon. They have their strong points, sure, especially the former, but they're NOTHING like this gritty, raw, earlier stuff. Did Pacino give up somewhere? Or did Hollywood stop making anything good? I contend it's the latter.



But this one was a phenomenal Pacino outing. The story is one of a NYPD officer who, in a direct contrast to every po-lice I've ever met, is a good guy. That is to say, he's not on the take, and he's actually interested in stopping wrongdoing. His drive takes him up against the entirety of the NYPD, who he's already on the bad side of, just for the way he looks. Frank knows that undercover cops are even more obvious than uniformed officers because they just don't know the streets. But Frank does, and he looks the part. Crazy hats and a fat beard and long hair. Earrings, street fashion, and a very bohemian lifestyle in Greenwich Village. From a styling perspective in the movie, Frank contradicts every other officer out there, and his steez is actually so tight that you could imagine him walking the streets of a current urban center. London, SF, whatever. It's rock solid. This gives him great success as an undercover cop, but as noted, puts him up against every comrade and superior officer in every precinct he gets reassigned to. And as the movie progresses, the way he looks becomes less of an issue than the fact that he's not on the take. This means that the other cops can't trust him, and he knows it. So the movie now moves on to be the story of him going undercover WITHIN the police force to gather intel on the levels to which the corruption reaches. Which is high.



Anyway, Frank, now pretty much the most hated guy on the force, gets shot in the face at a drug bust and left for dead by the rest of the cops on hand. A random tenant in the building being raided is who calls on Frank's behalf, likely saving his life. Frank recovers and goes on to testify against the corrupt police he's been watching, instigating an intense investigation and bringing down several high levels of police corruption.



It's a great story, frankly, and the character of Frank Serpico is such a dichotomy that you can't help but be enraptured. I simply loved watching Pacino/Serpico. Sidney Lumet's direction is really solid in this flick, too, from the opening scene. The movie opens, as most good ones do, somewhere in the middle of the story, flashing back from there and catching back up to itself about 3/4 through. I loved this technique in "Walk The Line," and I loved it in "Serpico." Lumet also establishes a very real feel to every aspect of the lives that he's showing. Serpico's lifestyle has a colorful and mellow vibe to it, like the man himself, while the police precincts and ride-alongs have a rigid, structured feel that makes you uncomfortable. And Frank's undercover work, on the streets, has that same raw feel you get in your gut when you're walking your own beat. Your eyes focus and your pace takes a little slide to it. This is brought home through Lumet and Pacino working together.



This movie garnered something like 4 Oscar nominations, including one for Pacino's role. It didn't win, though, which makes me want to go look up what else could have possibly beat it that year.



I give this movie the big IronLung seal of approval and bestow upon it...



9/10 Clanks.

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Fantastic Four: A Death In The Family



Written by: Karl Kesel

Drawn by: Lee Weeks



We start with Sue's death. You can stop there.



Okay, so you kept going. We go back an hour to find it's the annual cleaning day at the Baxter Building. Johnny's procrastinating about having to clean his room. Sue wants everybody to do their share of the work. Johnny tries to weasel his way out of it, and ends up knocking over some equipment in Reed's lab. Sue makes a deal with the group that if Ben and Reed clean the lab, Johnny can help her make chili, something she's apparently awful at.

So while the Storm siblings are in the kitchen, the device that Johnny knocked over brings a being from another dimension to start some havoc in the lab. Sue and Johnny rush in to see what the fuss is about. One of the being's beams goes through Sue's forcefield, killing her.

Distraught with guilt, Johnny uses Reed's time machine to go back one hour to prevent Sue's death.

Johnny succeeds in his plan in saving Sue, but Reed explains that the past can't be changed. In his timeline, Sue will still be dead. So the Sue from this new timeline is saved, and presumably the Sue from "our" timeline is still dead. But now the "new" timeline is "our" correct one. So all ends well.



What a load of crap! This book was hyped as a MAJOR issue resulting in the death of 2 members of the FF! We got nuthin! Just a waste of 4 bucks! Why was this even put out instead of the normal FF issue this month? Where were the supposed deaths? Maybe in the back-up issue of an old John Byrne story, because, admittedly, I did not read that. Not after wasting my time with the new story. This was a complete and utter b.s. story from Marvel. I'm usually very forgiving of my favorite comic company, but I feel really cheated after this issue. I guess they did their job in their eyes, though, because I bought a FF book that I normally wouldn't have. But to false-hype this book just sucks! If it were a normal ish, it wouldn't have been bad. Not anything memorable, but not misleading. Lee Week's art was fine, as always. He's not a flashy artist, just consistant. Clean.

But the hype-machine just cheesed me off to no end! Don't waste your money on this book. Unless you're buying it at the store I work at!!





I give this 1/10 SNIKTS (And the 1 is for the Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius story.)

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This review was posted on Newsarama, a comics-centric site, by Mike, a staff writer and editor. Now, you'd THINK that comic industry types would gush by default, if you weren't a comic reader and didn't know how manic and obsessively critical these fans and creators can be about their touchy infatuation with the material (touchy infatuation sounds like more Suicide Girls talk, but anyway...) but in fact, more often than not, it's the regular crowd that seem to like superhero movies more than the comic fans... based on their childhood nostalgia, their clean slate, whatever. So, when I saw this review, I thought I might post it here, as a little positive incentive to get our juices flowing (again with the comments...) for the film opening this weekend. Now, I only read the first few lines and the last, since I'm trying to remain as spoiler free as I could be for the rest of the days leading up to the film... but anyway, read on.



And, I'm told you have to sit through the credits for some additonal not-to-be-missed material!



:::



"X-Men: The Last Stand is freaking fantastic.



Ah, it's nice to write an Internet review and not follow mainstream writing convention.



X-fans are going to love the hell out of this, best of the X-flick to date. I'm not sure about non comic fans. I had no trouble following it, but most of the characters are familiar.



True, there are dozens of characters to follow, but the film does a good job at making them distinct.



Now I want to warn the squeamish out there that there will be a couple spoilers coming, but I will refrain from revealing anything crucial.



So I won't tell you who dies (three characters you'll care about) or who loses their powers (three more very important ones), but I will talk about new characters in the film - There are a ton!



Consider yourself warned.



The plot is deceptively simple. Warren Worthington's dad uses Leech (who can depower anyone who comes close to him) to synthesize a cure for mutants. Magneto (Ian McKellen) rouses an army of angry mutants who don't want to be cured to attack Worthington Industries and destroy the cure.



Meanwhile, Cyclops (James Marsden) is hearing the voice of the dead Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) in his head. He goes back to the lake where he was believed killed in the last movie and is reunited with her. Sort of.



The Jean/Scott/Wolverine triangle gets a new angle as Phoenix is added to the mix. Okay, I won't blow a major plot point here by saying how Phoenix figures into the plot, but it's major.



Some of comic book regulars, Beast (Kelsey Grammar is brilliant); Angel (Ben Foster) wings look a little goofy; Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones) perfect, especially the battle between Juggy and the 14-year-old Kitty Pryde. "I'm the Juggernaut, bitch," he bellows.



So many more: Psylocke; Callisto; Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man (as a villain); Leech and Artie, Trask and others.



Don't miss Stan Lee and Chris Claremont in the first 10 minutes of the flick.



Then there are the new characters, fully formed with cool powers not seen in the comics: Arclight, Kid Omega, Phat, Little Phat, Lizard Man and Spike to name a few.



There are dozens of other mutant characters shown in action as the X-Men try to save Worthington Industries from destruction in one of the longest and most impressive battle scenes in comic movie history. It's a blast.



Director Brett Ratner's use of special effects are nothing short of incredible. Jean Grey's use of the Phoenix force makes for some amazing scenes. Of course, the best scenes are with Magneto, including one where he rips the San Francisco bridge out of its moorings.



Besides the BIG scenes, there are as many powerful, quiet moments.



Iceman's not a fighter, he uses his power defensively. It's clear there will be a showdown with his former friend Pyro, a real fire versus ice grudge match. More importantly, Ratner shows how Iceman gets the courage to become a fighter.



Halle Berry has a front and center role as Storm this time around, leading the X-Men. She's still a tad wooden, but she looks great.



Once again, Hugh Jackman steals the show as Wolverine, showing a lot more humanity this time around. The climactic scenes of Wolverine and Jean Grey are among the most powerful in the film.



Kelsey Grammar is damn near perfect as Hank McCoy, the secretary of mutant affairs. His pompous demeanor fits the character perfectly and he (and his stunt men) do a great job in the athletics department. His fur looks a bit funky, but I believed the character.



And of course, Patrick Stewart is perfect as Professor X...and I can't say anything more about him.



Go see the movie, you'll know what I mean.



X-3 sets a new high water mark in the comic film series, right up there with Batman Begins.



I plan to see it again to catch what I missed the first time."

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WHOA

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I'm not often surprised by Law & Order. It's not a show you watch for Big! Shocker! Events!... it's strength is it's consistency. And on top of that, as you know, I follow industry development news... so I'm not really expecting anything out of the ordinary when a finale comes around and the plot seems to suggest peril for a character...



SPOILER!



But man, man, man, what a shocker the finale was. Alex Borja, idealistic young ADA who eschewed the Boys Club of the DA's office... kidnapped, brutally beaten and asphyxiated in the trunk of a Buick?!? Wifebot(tm) and I were just stunned... how did I not hear of it?!? And the rest of the sp was pretty incredible too... Jack McCoy making about as much of a sham of the legal system as he's ever done, despite the last two seasons' worth of his increasingly conservative, letter-of-the-law attitudes towards his big cases, by actually conducting a sham grand jury indictment and pre-trial hearing, in order to try and trick his DEA-turned-counterfeiting/burglary suspect into cooperating? A mock trial with real jurors and a semi-complicit but ass-minding judge, that gets snowballed when the gambit fails, and the suspect is released, only to be gunned down by Borja's killers... and in the final scene, at the indictment of these thugs, the government sends in a federal prosecutor to take over the case, removing Jack for misconduct...



It was so screwey for a L&O episode that we were on the edges of our deadtech modernistic bullshit couch. This just doesn't happen on L&O! This ain't CSI! And because it's so rare, the urgency feels real, the twists genuine, and frankly, it's a testiment to die-hard viewers' suspension of disbelief and willingness to embrace the world of the cops-and-courts procedural, that these courtroom shenanigans constitute more drama than most other shows I've seen this season.



I HATE that she quit. I had to look up the deal that same night, and learn that it had happened so fast that it was never reported... she left the show right before filming the finale, so Wolf and company had to merely adjust the finale's script to add an unpleasant end to Borja's kidnapping. But more startling than the loss of one of thebest actors the franchise has seen, was the fact that the entire crew was so uncertain of L&O Senior's return next season, that crewmwmbers left with her, and Wolf couldn't as of last check, find a replacement for her. Which must infuriate Wolf to no end, since he prides himself in the 'show must go on' efficiency in which he plows through new castmembers. Now, they subsequently confirmed renewal of all three L&O shows in the franchise. But the writing is on the wall: add young blood, bring the demographic down from it's current 50-60 bracket, or it won't make it past season 17. Which is sad, because I can't conceive of television without the original Law & Order. Demographics be damned.



10/10 Clicks!



Here's some newsery on Borja's exit: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,193098,00.html

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Pictures (mostly): Paco Medina (Pencils), Joe Sanchez (Inks), John Kalisz (Colors), Bill Oakley (Letters)

Words: Keith Giffen



this only ran for 12 issues. I had it sitting on my floor. I read every issue last night. I couldn't stop. I was rapt. This is a smart, funny book that deals with some nasty nasty characters. You ahve to pay attention to everything. I ahve NO idea how this would have worked if I had to read it only every month. I would have lost so many of the little inside jokes.



I'll write a better review for this, but i want you to know...



READ THIS BOOK NOW!



10/10 Crunchy, self-destructive Crunches

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Director: Tim Johnson & Karey Kirkpatrick

Writer: Len Blum (screenplay) and Lorne Cameron (screenplay) & David Hoselton (screenplay) and Karey Kirkpatrick (screenplay)

Based on characters by: Michael Fry and T. Lewis



This is a Place holder for a review. I freakin' LOVE this movie. It made me laugh so ahrd I had a headache. I was that GUY that laughed before everyone else. I'm sorry. I know that guy is insane, but I love this flick.



Now, the story is a bais redemption plot. Sneaky, underhanded character dupes the innocents. COmes back in the end. Blah Blah blah. But the way they tell it. Perfect.



Plus the star talent was PHENOMINAL!



AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNND REVIEW!



Let me begin this review by saying I HATE Dreamworks Animation.

They are using an old model, one Disney under Eisner dropped YEARS ago. Ditching the musical, animal morality tail was possibly the best thing that he did in his tenure. That being said, Dreamworks seems to want to run this horse into the ground and keep riding until flames break out on its hooves and mane like the Western Ghost Rider’s mount. Bad news? It ain’t gonna happen.



There are two notable exceptions to this general dislike however, Shrek 2 and Over the Hedge. I’m not here to talk about Shrek 2.



Yes. Over the Hedge is a story about animals. Cute, fluffy animals. Cute fluffy animals with LOTS of personality.



Yes. Over the Hedge is a morality tale. It is a basic morality tale. It is a predictable morality tale. It is a morality tale with a great set up and execution though.



Yes. Over the Hedge has scene appropriate music. The music helps tell the story. The music is all done by Ben Folds. I really LIKE Ben Folds.



So, here we have all three of my pet peeves with Dreamworks animation. However, the team that made this movie did it in such a way that these three elements combine into something very fun and poignant. The characters are archetypes, but not flat. The story is easy to follow but not stupid. The music is integral, but not cheesy.



As always I will avoid plot and focus on the technical aspects (in no particular order). In this case, I will discuss the direction, animation, and talent.



Direction was outstanding. The pacing of the movie kept the story alive and did not bog it down. This pacing lasted through two viewings of the film. Comedic bits were well “staged” and “shot” to give the maximum effect for the prat falls and the focus of the event. Characters were introduced strongly and with little confusion as to their place in the hierarchy of the script. I am a bad guy, this is why I am a bad guy, you have 10 seconds to comply.



Animation is not the best out there. But, in comparison to films like Monsters Inc. it is hard to say that this was the best animation out there. This is not really a drawback, though. The animation for this film is just in a different vein. The focus was on getting a cartoony feel, with more realistic textures. This they accomplished with flying colors. The little critters are cute. The team did an outstanding job with the look of the characters and the backgrounds. There is a definite 3d feel to everything. The actions are wide and solid. There is never a feel that something had been set in the scene and floats. Everything has weight. A very pretty piece of work to view, just not the best piece ever.



The talent was phenomenal. Everyone interacted astonishingly well considering they never were in the studio at the same time. While Bruce (You better know who this is) Willis is my all time favorite dude, Steve (40 Year Old Virgin, The Office[US]) Carell steals the show. But the duo often play off one another and are the focal point of many of the comedic bits. Acting as straight man for the piece is Gary (Larry Sanders show, Gary Shandling Show) Shandling. His nasally, anxious voice provides a nice counterpoint to Carell’s hyperactivity and Willis’ cool. Rounding out the cast are Avril (I’m a little punk rock grrl) laVigne, William (Star… Trek) Shattner, Wanda (Pootie Tang) Sykes, Nick (48 Hours, Another 48 hours) Nolte, Omid (the Mummy, Casanova) Djalili, Eugene (American Pie, SCTV) Levy, Catehrine (Beetlejuice, SCTV) O’Hara, Thomas (Sideways) Hayden (Ned and Stacy) Church, and Alison (10 things I Hate about You, West Wing) Janney. Whew. And they all give stellar performances.



Be on the look out for the “Law of Threes”. There are often jokes in the movie that will appear more than once, but not in the same form. These jokes are hysterical. And each one builds on the others. My two favorites are in the general categories of “Rides” and “extreme pan outs”. All in all this is a solid film that made me laugh so hard I had a headache. I’m not saying everyone will have this reaction, but I did. The most important thing to note is that I had this reaction even though this movie followed a formula I despise. I was looking forward to this movie for some strange reason, though… weird.



*this movie is based on a semi-political comic strip about suburban life as seen by outsiders













10/10 CRUNCHES BE-YAT-CHES!

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