As you sign up and start working on your new RevSF blogs, you may have noticed that there’s no place in the user settings to upload a profile picture. That’s because WordPress is a participant in the Gravatar system. All you need is the email you use for your WordPress user account. When you sign up at Gravatar you will end up with an avatar which will follow you across the web.
Monthly Archives: October 2012
Irving Klaw’s Superman
I’ve been reading Grant Morrison’s interesting treatise on super hero comics Supergods when I ran across his reference to the infamous cover of Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane #73.
The kind of behavior this primed young boys to expect from their own future girlfriends was more obscene than the blow jobs, boob jobs, and anal entry they now expect as a result of boring old Internet porn. Superman was educating a generation of sadomasochistic swingers with tastes trending beyond the outré.
This immediately recalled my own grandfather’s work with similar images featuring the ideal 1950s girl-next-store Bettie Page donning a whip. Course none of Irving Klaw’s photos and short films contained a man of steel (though that probably featured prominently with many of the viewers) nor any men at all.
Makes me wonder if the editor of the Superman titles Mort Weisinger, who designed all the covers for his artists (Kurt Schaffenberger in this case), was another comics professional who frequented Movie Star News. Thanks to Blake Bell’s extraordinary retrospective Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko, I learned that the Spider-man creator (along with Al Williamson) visited the store.
The art direction, set design, lighting, characterizations, plotlines and dialog of movies had been a strong influence on comic-book artists from the beginning, and with its many theaters and ready access to research material, Manhattan was a movie haven. One of the most popular haunts for acquiring 8X10-inch movie still photos was Irving Klaw’s Movie Star News on 18th Street.
“Al Williamson once said he always ran into Ditko at Irving’s,” says artist Batton Lash.
My grandfather died in 1966 believing he was the victim of a decade-long witch hunt. The fact that this cover, which appeared a year after his death, caused nary a public outcry might very well support this supposition. Or could it be that he helped to usher in a new morality?
Romantically Apocalyptic
Title: Romantically Apocalyptic
Author: Vitaly S. Alexius
Start Date: 2009
Genre: Sci-fi, dark comedy
Update Schedule: Saturdays
Website: http://romanticallyapocalyptic.com
Synopsis:
Sometime in the future, excessive radioactive pollution has transformed the Earth’s biosphere, causing plant and animal mutations and transforming it into a decaying wasteland known as the Dead Zone. 99% of humanity has escaped from the literal Hell outdoors by moving into large domes and remaining connected to the Internet 24/7 to a large machine, ANNET (“Annie”), which had become sentient over time and, due to an accident and sabotage with the servers, caused it to go berserk and nearly wipe out or zombify humanity. To make matters worse, the remaining 1% who can’t use ANNET have difficulty sleeping due to dreams becoming copyrighted (yes, seriously) by the world’s largest corporation, leading to headaches and occasional nightmares.
The story centers around a military squad joined with the 1%–Captain, Charles “Sniper” Snippy, Pilot, and Alexander “Engie/Engineer” Gromov–who launch a nuclear strike on ANNET and have to deal with nightmares, time travel, and the horrors of the Dead Zone.
Recommended Age Group: 12 and up, mainly due to language.
Strengths:
The artwork is absolutely outstanding! Alexius is a professional photographer who takes pictures of models and actors and morphs them into beautiful compositions with PhotoShop. This is one of the best uses of the software I’ve ever seen.
Weaknesses:
It may be hard to follow along with the story for some readers. The comic has a tendency to blur the line between dreams and reality, so the writing is very mind-screwy and not exactly a clear-cut adventure. I had trouble following the story myself, and I actually had to consult a Wiki just to make heads or tails of everything. After reading through it, the details still aren’t exactly clear.
Verdict:
I give this comic a wholehearted recommendation. If you’re a fan of stories with apocalyptic settings, the psychology of dreams, or just want to look at stunningly gorgeous art, this comic is definitely up your alley! Just be prepared to pay attention, or you may get lost and have to reread through the archives or the Wiki I provided above.
Books received 10/17/12 George R. R. Martin edition
Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.
Dreamsongs: Volume I
Dreamsongs: Volume II
by George R. R. Martin
Covers by Dominic Harman
Promo copy:
Even before A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin had already established himself as a giant in the field of fantasy literature. Dreamsongs is a rare treat for readers, offering fascinating insight into his journey from young writer to award-winning master.
Gathered here in Dreamsongs are the very best of George R. R. Martin’s early works, including his Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker award–winning stories, cool fan pieces, and the original novella The Ice Dragon, from which Martin’s New York Times bestselling children’s book of the same title originated. A dazzling array of subjects and styles that features extensive author commentary, Dreamsongs is the perfect collection for both Martin devotees and a new generation of fans.
Dying of the Light
by George R. R. Martin
Promo copy:
In this unforgettable space opera, #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin presents a chilling vision of eternal night—a volatile world where cultures clash, codes of honor do not exist, and the hunter and the hunted are often interchangeable.
A whisperjewel has summoned Dirk t’Larien to Worlorn, and a love he thinks he lost. But Worlorn isn’t the world Dirk imagined, and Gwen Delvano is no longer the woman he once knew. She is bound to another man, and to a dying planet that is trapped in twilight. Gwen needs Dirk’s protection, and he will do anything to keep her safe, even if it means challenging the barbaric man who has claimed her. But an impenetrable veil of secrecy surrounds them all, and it’s becoming impossible for Dirk to distinguish between his allies and his enemies. In this dangerous triangle, one is hurtling toward escape, another toward revenge, and the last toward a brutal, untimely demise.
Windhaven
by George R. R. Martin and Lisa Tuttle
Cover by Stephen Youll
Promo copy:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin and acclaimed author Lisa Tuttle comes a timeless tale that brilliantly renders the struggle between the ironbound world of tradition and a rebellious soul seeking to prove the power of a dream.
Among the scattered islands that make up the water world of Windhaven, no one holds more prestige than the silver-winged flyers, romantic figures who cross treacherous oceans, braving shifting winds and sudden storms, to bring news, gossip, songs, and stories to a waiting populace. Maris of Amberly, a fisherman’s daughter, wants nothing more than to soar on the currents high above Windhaven. So she challenges tradition, demanding that flyers be chosen by merit rather than inheritance. But even after winning that bitter battle, Maris finds that her troubles are only beginning. Now a revolution threatens to destroy the world she fought so hard to join—and force her to make the ultimate sacrifice.
The Armageddon Rag
by George R. R. Martin
Cover by David Stevenson
Promo copy:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin comes the ultimate novel of revolution, rock ’n’ roll, and apocalyptic murder—a stunning work of fiction that portrays not just the end of an era, but the end of the world as we know it.
Onetime underground journalist Sandy Blair has come a long way from his radical roots in the ’60s—until something unexpectedly draws him back: the bizarre and brutal murder of a rock promoter who made millions with a band called the Nazgûl. Now, as Sandy sets out to investigate the crime, he finds himself drawn back into his own past—a magical mystery tour of the pent-up passions of his generation. For a new messiah has resurrected the Nazgûl and the mad new rhythm may be more than anyone bargained for—a requiem of demonism, mind control, and death, whose apocalyptic tune only Sandy may be able to change in time . . . before everyone follows the beat.
How to Stop Bullying
A little off topic today, but relevant.
<Drags out soapbox. Steps up.>
If we truly want bullying to stop, we need to stop looking to children to change their behaviour. We need to start looking to adults to change theirs.
Children learn by watching and then emulating what we do. Look around you. How often do you hear put downs? How often do you dismiss someone based on their skin colour, religion, background, gender, orientation,
education, political affiliation or socio-economic status?When you watch TV, how often is bullying going on? (Hint: Sitcoms would not exist without it. And reality shows like Big Brother? Don’t get me started.) What about in your children’s shows? What video games do you or your children play where taking advantage of the weak is part of the game? (Grand Theft Auto I *am* looking at you.) What about the movies you watch as a family?Take a look at the real world. How often is the news filled with politicians engaged in name calling and rumour spreading? How often do we see witch hunts against whistle blowers and civil servants when they refuse to be partisan in favour of the ruling party and actually try to follow the rules and guidelines? Look out for the public interest as it were? (Sadly, my own Primeminister is a master at the last one.) I won’t ask you about pundits, because they really are the worst of the bunch.
So if you want to stop tragedies like the one that happened this week, your posts, petitions and private member’s bills, while well intentioned, really won’t change a thing. Instead, you need to look at your behaviour and change. Be more accepting. Be less judgmental. Model the behaviour you want to see in our children. Drop things from your life that promote bullying. Even if you love them. And then challenge the other adults in your life to do the same. Start with your circle and then reach out further. Politicians. Entertainment icons. The World.
Is it easy? No. I struggle every day to be a better person, someone worthy of my son’s admiration. Of my student’s. Of my former cadets. And I am nowhere near where I want to be. But I keep trying. I slip and stumble, but I stand up and keep going.
We all have to do this because *we* are the adults here. That means that we need to behave like it. And we have to stop expecting children to be more mature than we are.
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Ghandi.
<Steps down. Puts soapbox away.>
1st Trailer for Joe R. Lansdale’s Christmas With the Dead
The first trailer for the feature film Christmas with the Dead premiered on You Tube last night. Based on the Joe R. Lansdale short story of the same name and executive produced by Lansdale, his ownself, Dead chronicles Calvin (Damian Maffei) efforts to celebrate Christmas despite being the only human left following a zombie Apocalypse.
His first full length effort, Terry Lee Lankford directed Christmas with the Dead from the screenplay by Joe’s son and accomplished journalist Keith Lansdale. Completing this Lansdale family affair, daughter Kasey, the blonde at the beginning of the trailer, and son-in-law Adam Coats play prominent roles in the movie. An internationally acclaimed singer, Kasey also provides much of the movie soundtrack.
Made for less than a reported $1.5 million in conjunction with Stephen F. Austin University, Christmas with the Dead was shot entirely in Lansdale’s hometown of Nacogdoches, TX.
Books received 10/9/12
Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.
Superman: Earth One Vol. 2
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Art by Shane Davis
Promo copy:
Following the events of the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling graphic novel by acclaimed writer Michael J. Straczynski and superstar artist Shane Davis, comes the long awaited sequel SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE VOL. 2!
Young Clark Kent continues his journey toward becoming the World’s Greatest Super Hero, but finds dealing with humanity to be a bigger challenge than he ever imagined! From a ruthless dictator to a new love interest who’s NOT Lois Lane, things are never easy for this emerging Man of Steel.
And the worst is yet to come, in the form of a man-monster with an insatiable appetite, the Parasite! The only thing that might appease his hunger is The Last Son of Kryptonian! But that will also mean he will have Superman’s powers without his conscience, and Kal-El cannot come anywhere near him, even though he has to stop him!
Bloodfire Quest: The Dark Legacy of Shannara
by Terry Brooks
The Hobbit: An Illustrated Edition of the Fantasy Classic
by J. R. R. Tolkien
Adapted by Charles Dixon
Art by David Wenzel
Cover by Didier Graffert
Promo copy:
AN ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF THE FANTASY CLASSIC WITH SIX NEW PAGES OF ILLUSTRATIONS!
First published in the United States more than seventy-five years ago, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is one of the best-loved books of all time. Now a blockbuster film by Peter Jackson, Academy Award–winning director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit was also adapted into a fully painted graphic novel, a classic in its own right, presented here in a new expanded edition.
When Thorin Oakenshield and his band of dwarves embark upon a dangerous quest to reclaim stolen treasure from the evil dragon Smaug, Gandalf the wizard suggests an unlikely accomplice: Bilbo Baggins, a quiet and contented hobbit. Along the way, the company faces trolls, goblins, giant spiders, and worse. But in the end it is Bilbo alone who must face the most dreaded dragon in all Middle-earth—and a destiny that waits in the dark caverns beneath the Misty Mountains, where a twisted creature known as Gollum jealously guards a precious magic ring.
I’ve never read this graphic novel. Perhaps unlike any of Tolkien’s prose books, I could actually finish a comic adaptation. Might as well give it a shot.
The Doctor and the Rough Rider
by Mike Resnick
Cover by J. Seamas Gallagher
Promo copy:
It’s August 19, 1884. The consumptive Doc Holliday is preparing to await his end in a sanitarium in Leadville, Colorado, when the medicine man Geronimo enlists him on a mission. The time the great chief has predicted has come, the one white man he’s willing to treat with has crossed the Mississippi and is heading to Tombstone—a young man named Theodore Roosevelt. The various tribes know that Geronimo is willing to end the spell that has kept the United States from expanding west of the Mississippi. In response, they have created a huge, monstrous, medicine man named War Bonnet, whose function is to kill Roosevelt and Geronimo and keep the United States east of the river forever. And War Bonnet has
enlisted the master shootist John Wesley Hardin.
So the battle lines are drawn: Roosevelt and Geronimo against the most powerful of the medicine men, a supernatural creature that seemingly nothing can harm; and Holliday against the man with more credited kills than any gunfighter in history. It does not promise to be a tranquil summer.
A Winning Proposition: Fantastic Fest films on Netflix Streaming
Several of the Fantastic Fest films that I reviewed made their way onto Netflix streaming. Being the helpful sort, here’s my handy guide to the what to see and what to skip.
Timecrimes
My review from the 2007 Festival:
A well-crafted, ingeniously plotted time travel thriller, Timecrimes made its WORLD premiere at the Festival last night. Not only that, director Nacho Vigalondo had literally just finished the final cut one week before. Previously nominated for an Oscar for the 2003 short film “7:35 de la mañana”, Vigalondo beautifully shot his first feature on a tiny budget. Like all great time travel stories, Timecrimes lures you with red herrings and misdirection. The film lags a bit in the second act as it falls into stereotypical plotting, but is redeemed with a fantastic third act and superior acting throughout.
The conversation with Vigalondo after the film– he was in attendance- was entertaining. Vigalondo, whose English is self-admittingly not that good, provided several purposefully humorous and insightful moments.
Someone in the audience asked a complex time travel question which Vigalondo could not understand in English. Another patron translated it into Spanish. The director shook his head. “I don’t even understand the question in my native tongue. Next.”
When discussing the overall morality theme of the movie: “[When a cheating man is caught with his mistress by his wife], the only way to save the marriage is to kill the girlfriend.”
On how he raised the funds for his first feature: “I’m the only one in the world to use an Oscar [nomination] to make a time travel movie.”
Flash Point
Starring renowned Hong Kong actor and director Donnie Yen as a no nonsense Dirty Harry-type cop in pre-Chinese takeover Hong Kong, Flash Point offers the perfect combination of cop drama and martial art combat. As the film begins, Inspector Jun Ma (Yen), known for his violent treatment of suspects, is demoted to being charge of the police music division. When Ma’s undercover partner encounters problems with the Viet mob, Ma doesn’t let a little thing like a demotion stand in his way. At a slim 88 minutes, Flash Point thrives on character development and well placed action scenes. The climatic battle between Yen and the collection of bad guys is mind boggling.
Let the Bullets Fly
Let The Bullets Fly quickly establishes the picture’s exquisite tone from the opening sequence. A lone train car–steam spewing from it spout—being pulled by a team of horses along railroad tracks. After gunshots are exchanges, events quickly lead to an exaggerated comedic train derailment in the finest Chinese movie slapstick fashion. With 1920s China as the backdrop, screen legends Chow Yun Fat and Jiang Wen (who also directs and wrote the screenplay) deliver virtuoso performances as the power hungry, greedy gangster and the Robin Hood style bandit, respectively. The thinly veiled pro-Chinese Revolution story abounds with fun fight scenes, intriguing interactions, and as the title promises, abundant gunplay, all wrapped within the epic feel of a Sergio Leone western.
.jpg)
The Yellow Sea
My comments from the 2011 Festival:
The balls-to-walls Korean crime drama The Yellow Sea electrifies with creative bloody combat using a machete, kitchen knives, and even a dog leg, intense chase sequences, and a riveting story. Cab driver Gu-nam, living in Yanji City, a Chinese region between North Korea and Russia dominated mostly by Joseonjok (Chinese citizens of Korean ancestry), goes deeply into debt to send his wife to Korea for work. After not hearing from her in six month, he fears she has left him. When largely due to his gambling problem, Gu-nam begins missing repayments to local thugs, he accepts an opportunity from powerful crime boss Myung-ga to wipe the slate clean. He must journey to South Korea and kill a man! While there, Gu-nam searches for his wife. Things goes horribly wrong and Gu-nam must escape the police and gangsters. The Yellow Sea is sure to thrill even the most jaded crime film fan.
The Corridor
In which I speak poorly of this movie:
Despite an interesting premise, The Corridor delivered a mediocre horror experience with a scant few shocks. After spending several years in a mental institution following the death of his unbalanced mother, Tyler invites four childhood friends to the family cabin in the Canadian wilderness for a wake. After scattering his mother’s ashes, Tyler begins to have visions of a room in the forest surrounded by shimmering walls. In an attempt to prove he’s not insane, Tyler shares his experience with his friends. This time the it appears as a long corridor. Soon after the men start acting strangely then eventually psychotic even homicidal. The performances ranged from average to of the film, nothing memorable. While not a terrible script, it exhibits nothing particularly original or exemplary. The boring film feels very much like a first movie, full of potential that ultimately fails in its boredom.
Headhunters
And on the same day I destroyed The Corridor, I lavished praise:
Based on Jo Nesbø’s bestselling book, the taut, intelligent Headhunters reveals the secret art thief identity of successful corporate headhunter Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie). Initially just a well crafted caper film, unexpected plot twists morph the story into something completely different yet equally fascinating, culminating in a creative, surprising, and satisfying conclusion. Hennie delivers a pitch perfect performance, perhaps the best of the festival, as the unlikable lead, replete with inferiority complexes and disgusting displays of arrogance. Director Morten Tyldum superior handling of scene and action produces a top flight, edge-of-your-seat thriller. Ripe for a remake, see Headhunters before the inferior American remake hits theaters.
Klown
One of the funniest movies I’ve seen at Fantastic Fest:
An extrapolation of the hit Danish TV series of the same name, the riotous comedy Klown follows two longtime friends (Frank Hvam and Casper Christensen reprising their roles as exaggerated versions of themselves from the show) on a canoe trip to an exclusive one-night-a-year brothel for a “Tour De Pussy.” Before the debauchery begins, Frank accidentally learns his longtime girlfriend is pregnant. Fearing he is not father material, she contemplates getting an abortion. In a misguided attempt to prove her wrong, Frank kidnaps her 11 year old nephew, forcing him along on the journey. Chaos ensues. A raunchy film along the lines of The Hangover, Klown offered many laugh-out-loud scenes expertly combined with bittersweet, incisive moments.
It’s a bit early for this years films to show up streaming, but if history is any guide, some of best will eventually be there.
*As always with streaming movies, things may change at a moment's notice. YMMV*
Roadkill (2008)
“Bitch, just give it up already.”
“It’s gotta end here, bitch.”
“I don’t know you well enough, but if they say you’re a bitch, then I’ll trust ’em on it.”
Roadkill cover
This 80 page graphic novel from Dark Horse Comics was written and drawn by the Fillbach Brothers, Matthew and Shawn. This is the first work of theirs that I have read – though I do have another, Maxwell Strangewell, in my to-read pile. They also produce a web comic, with writer Ed Hawkins, called Roninspoon Theater.
When a research project to genetically modify animals for super growth is compromised by a mutated, zombie byproduct, one of the researchers escapes with a giant rabbit before the facility goes into lockdown. Unfortunately the rabbit gets loose and is run over by a truck whose occupants are looking for roadkill to augment the burger meat at a local diner. Unfortunately, again, eating the meat of the genetically modified animals turns people into the aforementioned mutant zombies. Enter Jim Kowalski who works for Illuminati Trucking Inc., a mysterious firm fighting evil and the supernatural, and is sent to investigate the incident. Jim has to fight mutated cockroaches, deal with a death cult and clean up the mess left in the local town.
This is a fun, comic story featuring larger than life characters and outrageous circumstances. The artwork is quite cartoony in style but this complements the comedic nature of the story. The characters are well worn stereotypes but the energy of the increasingly bizarre story carries all before it. I look forward to reading Maxwell Strangewell.
Testing the aggregate feed.
Ping!