Between Jobs

I'm just home from my first job and on my way to my second (hence the title) but I wanted to make at least a cursory effort to post before another three or four days went by. I stopped off at my LCS today and picked up a couple of things so I'll hopefully come on and post a little later about that, and I'm also listening to the new INXS album, 'Switch', which I'm likely to have some opinions on as well.

Then again, I might just get home and crash.

Later!

mike

Evil Dead Stuff

As I think I mentioned earlier, I recently purchased the new game based on the Evil Dead trilogy, Evil Dead: Regeneration. After the last game, Fistful of Boomstick, my expectations ween't very high but I always look forward to new ED stuff, regardless of their eventual quality. I'm pleased to say that Regeneration is maybe the best ED game yet combining good clean playability with an interesting storyline, good writing, great voice over work and nice smooth graphics that make you feel like you're actually playing in a world created by the Raimis, Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell.

I'm having a great time working my way through the levels of this baby and it's even managed to renew my waning interest in the Army of Darkness comic book series put out by Dynamite Entertainment. The most recent storyline involves a crossover with Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator which, initially, gave me pause but has turned out to be a fairly entertaining read overall. The last mini, Shop Till You Drop, left on something of a low note and I was having serious misgivings about picking up the series as an ongoing. Not so much anymore.

On a kind of weird note, I've started my 8 year-old daughter on the ED franchise as a result of the game. She really enjoys watching me play, if you can believe that, and I've shown her some of the more slapsticky scenes from Army of Darkness to give her some more flavour and to answer some of her questions about the series. She seems to be liking what she sees so I just may have another horror afficianado in the making. It would certainly make my life easier to have another horror fan in the house, let me tell you.

Remember to shop smart, shop S-Mart!

mike

Problems and More Problems

It's been a while since I posted on here, the reasons for which are twofold.

Firstly, I'm working two jobs right now, which I may have mentioned in a previous post, and if I'm not at one I'm at the other. If I'm not at one of the jobs, I'm asleep. It's pretty simple, really. The only reason I've had my computer on in the last week is to back-up some DVDs and check my e-mail quickly before scootling off to the grocery or the electronics store. They seem to be taking up an inordinate amount of my time, but I guess it pays the bills, so...

Secondly, my internet was out for a little while there. Coincidentally, that was one of those bills that I appear to be working two jobs to pay.

*sigh*

I've also just got the news today that I've mismanaged my distance learning course to the point where I'm going to have to beg for an extension or just withdraw outright if I want to avoid academic penalty, so I'm not in the best of moods tonight.

Add to that a growing number of projects and things that have yet to be taken care of and I'm starting to feel the suck, if you know what I mean.

I do have some time off this weekend, though. My second job was nice enough to let me stay home on Sunday and Saturday so I only have to work a 7 to noon shift in the morning and then I have time to do whatever. I don't think there are any major commitments this weekend so it'll be likely that I post again, and soon.

I hope everybody else out there is having a decent enough time of it. I look forward to putting some words to the web shortly!

mike

Man-O-Man

I just started a second job this week which is mostt of the reason for why I haven't posted in the last few days. I picked up a sales position in a local electronics shop so that, coupled with my shipper/receiver job, is keeping me very busy and very tired. I've never done a two job schedule before.

Anyway, I just wanted to come on and make sure that I said a few words, made sure that I didn't go five whole days without posting a single thought or comment.

Stuff that I would like to talk about (and may well do so one day soon): Invincible Vol. 1, the Man-Thing movie, the Seth Fisher interview that I suck for not having posted, The Batman season 3, Alex de Campi and Igor Kordey's Smoke, IDW's Angel minis, Billy Wilder, Superman Returns, The Batman vs. Dracula, The Stardust Kid, F. Scott Fitzgerald and more. There's gotta be at least a month or two worth of posts in there, don't you think?

Well, that's it for me for tonight. It's getting late and I gotta hit the hay or I'm going to have a rough day at work tomorrow.

Later!

mike

Night Stalker Not to Return

In a move that totally depresses me, ABC has decided to halt production on Frank Spotnitz' stylish reimagining of The Night Stalker. Despite all their words to the contrary in past comments to the press, the show did not appear to be reaching a large enough audience - at least not for the #1 network on TV. According to SciFi Wire 9 episodes have been completed but the last three will not air. This week's episode will, instead, be replaced by a two hour Primetime Live which I'm sure will enrich all of our lives.

Night Stalker was on its way to becoming another X-Files, in my opinion, and I am really sorry to see it go. Maybe we'll have a DVD set in the near future to finish up the episodes they made.

mike

Monday LinkBlog

Ahoy-hoy!

Another Monday brings another day where I try to avoid saying anything of real substance by linking to things I believe to be marginally interesting. So, without further ado...

I just watched Bronwen Hughes' Stander for the first time last night and the only thing I liked more than the movie was the funky music provided by David Holmes and The Free Association. If I'm not mistaken, Holmes is the one responsible for the very cool and funky soundtrack to Ocean's 11 and 12, and his work on Stander was outstanding. The piece used in the trailer was enough to hook me on the movie. I recommend checking the stuff out.

I've also added their links to the sidebar, so they'll be around for a while if you're feeling like taking it slow.

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Here's some news on Darren Aronofsky's latest project, The Fountain. As the title of the article states, it's good news and bad news.

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I think I caught this link originally over at Jeff Parker's Blog, but I thought it was interesting enough to link to it as well. John Cusack has always proven to be an interesting figure both in his films and in interviews, so why should his politics be any different?

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MoviesOnline has pics from the new Keanu Reeves offering, A Scanner Darkly, as well as the trailer for Spielberg's latest, Munich (which looks more interesting than it should for someone who has renounced the 'Berg), and some new Jurassic Park IV and Indy IV news here.

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Saw is a movie that has managed to build up quite a following and, as anyone in the 'comic-book-know' knows, IDW has a Saw prequel comic book to cash-in..I mean, enhance the Saw 2 experience by shedding some light on the origins of the villain, Jigsaw. If you're interested, there's an animated comic available here with sound and everything. I'm assuming it's from the comic book but it's possible it's a prequel to the prequel.

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Harvey Danger have a new album (well, EP, actually). Go here to check it out! It's called "Cream and Bastards Rise" and it's good news to see ol' HD out with some new tunes.

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I really liked Duncan Rouleau's work on Marvel's ill-fated pre-Lobdell Alpha Flight revival from a few years back, so when I caught this interview with him on CBR, I was intrigued. He has a new book coming out called The Nightmarist and he's doing the writing and the art. I'm definitely curious.

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Showtime's Masters of Horror. Joe Dante and John Landis. SciFi Weekly interview. Go here. More on this in another dedicated post.

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And, finally, last but not least, another Boilerplate article by Inara Verzemnieks for The Oregonian. This one goes into the whole 'mix-up' with Guinan's character being used in Chris Elliott's book. Man, you can't buy mainstream publicity like this. Or maybe you can and I just don't know how.

Anyway, it's a good read and worth checking out.

Later!

mike

Comics-a-Go-Go

Wow! From, quite literally, out of nowhere comes this mad reading binge for comics. There was a while there where I was seriously considering curbing the habit since it wasn't bringing me a whole lotta joy, but the buzz appears to be back and I've been having a ball the last few days.

I also made a run to my LCS today and picked up some more goodies like Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four #4, Rogue #11, Hero Squared #2, The Stardust Kid #1, Hellblazer #191, and B.P.R.D. #3.

I also just finished the first issue of Alex de Campi and Igor Kordey's Smoke #1 . I enjoyed it and will probably comment on it in the near future. I know I say that a lot, but I'm pretty sure I'll be coming back to this one.

I'll talk more later.

mike

Reading Giffen

I've kind of gotten the comic bug again and I've been reading through stuff that I've had sitting around for the last few weeks and haven't picked through yet. In some cases, if it's something like Zatanna #3, I'll reread the first two just to get myself back up to speed since it's been a lonog time since I've sat down and really read some comics.

Today the comic books of choice have all been Giffen books. Common Foe #s 1 & 2 and Hero Squared #1, to be specific. With the exception of Common Foe #2, it turns out that I'd read these already but it was really refreshing to get another crack at them. Common Foe, in particular, was a book I wasn't enjoying too terribly much before today, and now I'm really happy with the way it's developed over the first two issues. The artwork is nice, if a little muddy, and the characetrs are often hard to distinguish from each other, but I'm used to working a little harder on a Giffen book. Hero Squared was simply one of the best reads I've had in months. Not a lot happens, but the writing was more natural than either of the recent Justice League minis or The Defenders, and Abraham's art has really improved since the X-Tra Sized Special. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series will go, not to mention craving a little more DeMatteis action. I think I'll finally pick up those cost-prohibitive copies of The Stardust Kid that are sitting in my file.

On a side note, I managed to track down and put in my file the What Were They Thinking? issue that BOOM! put out where Keith takes an old war comic and changes all the dialogue. I can't afford it yet, but I'm hoping I get achance to read it soon. I think it'll be great fun.

I'm also thinking of rereading my Drax #1, now. It sort of unimpressed me when I read it the first time and it hasn't driven me run out and pick up the next issue, so maybe giving it another chance in my new Giffenesque mood will change matters a bit. We'll see.

That's it for now. Later!

mike

On the Battlefront

I don't normally do game posts, but I had some fun with the ol' Xbox this week so I thought I would mention it.

I got a craving the other day to play some Xbox so I invited my brother to come over and spend a few hours blowing up CIS droids in the new Star Wars game, Battlefront. I didn't enjoy the first game when I played it way back when but I have to say that I'm certainly enjoying its sequel. Quite a bit, actually. In this version you can play not only infantry units but also Jedi characters if you earn it and you get to participate in the space battles as well. You get to fulfill mission objectives during the capital ship combat then you board the cruisers and assault the other ships bridge or engine room or whatever. Fun for the whole family.

Some people loved being able to shoot Ewoks in the last game but I'm a sucker for Rise of the Empire period Star Wars stuff. I am a discerning fan, however. I don't go for just any SW product, it has to be pretty cool as well. Battlefront fits the bill, plays comfortably and has a low learning curve so there's nothing much to master right up front. As long as you can aim and shoot you'll do all right and you can pick up the subtleties of the game as you go.

Oh, and for the Star Wars minded reader, SciFi.com has a nice little interview with producer Rick McCallum covering the upcoming TV show, the animated series, the 3D Episode IV, and some other stuff. Check it out.

mike

Sunday, Sunday

I'm not sure what to post today that would be of any interest to anyone, so I'll just to a State of the Nation and go back to watching Farscape.

I had another job interview today. It was with Blockbuster, which isn't exactly aiming high, but I need something extra for evenings and weekends and a video store is kind of a not-very-intense way to make some side-money. I've done the video store thing before so I know what I'm in for and I told my wife that if I pick up a second job it would have to pretty much be something I could do in my sleep otherwise I would crack-up.

So, yeah, I did the 'audition' thing and we'll see where that goes. I might be able to get something higher up than a CSR since I have the experience to back it up. Let's hope so, anyway.

I also have an interview with a place called Michael's tomorrow before I have to go to work. I know somebody who works there and she says I'm pretty much a shoe-in, so I might have another job early next week, Blockbuster or no Blockbuster. It's a craft place so I'm not bursting out of my skin to work there, but with the wife's contract coming up in December, I'm going to take what I can get. I also need money for Fear of Falling, so I have a few motivators going on there.

So as not to leave you with only tales of my meager existence, I will post this link to MoviesOnline regarding the Serenity DVD release date and details.

Good night, and good luck.

mike

Something to Crowe About

I've finally managed to get my mitts on Cameron Crowe's 1982 high school comedy, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which was the second last Crowe DVD I needed to complete my collection. The Special Edition of Jerry Maguire still eludes me, but I'm sure it won't be too long before we cross paths.

Crowe is one of my favourite writer/directors and any chance I get to listen to one of his audio commentaries is a treat (hence my disgruntledness with Warner Bros. for not releasing a Singles special edition with all the bells and whistles). In fact, I find it hard to listen to one and not want to immediately run outside and shoot a movie. There's something in the way he talks about the medium that I find really inspiring, and there's such a love for what he's doing. He's genuinely having a lot of fun and I think his actors and crew are, too.

I have yet to see Elizabethtown but I'm sure, like the elusive Mr. Maguire, I'll catch it sometime soon. Funds are tight these days but if nothing else, I'll be able to find it in a second run theatre at some point.

mike

Not Quite Done For the Day

Bookslut has a really great review/interview of Ande Parks' GN Capote in Kansas. I've heard good things about this book, but this article genuinely makes me want to pick it up and check it out. At the very least, it's a nicely done piece and worth a little attention either way.

Also, while I haven't been a strong supporter of Stereophonics' latest effort, their new single, "Rewind", has always been one of the stand-out tracks for me. They just debuted the video for "Rewind" on their website as a web exclusive release - at least until it hits the video channels later this month.

mike

Into the Depth Text Commentary

One thing I forgot to mention in my last post regarding the Episode III DVD was that my favourite feature on all the prequel discs (the depth text commentary) is superb, as always, which makes me a happy camper- especially considering I found the audio commentary to be so lackluster. They've made some changes to the site that the DVD links to but it still works OK so I'm not complaining.

One unfortunate side note is that the special web-enhanced features for the previous releases appear to be down, hopefully not gone forever. I have always considered the extra DVD-ROM features to be one of the things that make these Star Wars DVDs stand out from the pack. Most DVD-ROM material is script-to-screen comparisons, cheesy games or bad advertisements disguised as extra value content.

After seeing how SciFi has taken the web and their show sites for Stargate and Battlestar Galactica and used them for adding commentaries and what-not, I don't see why other studios can't get off their asses and maximize the potential of this whole crazy internet thing. I mean, I refused to buy the Batman Begins DVD because there was no Chris Nolan commentary and no explanation as to why. At least when X-Men came out without a Singer commentary, they gave reasons and hinted at a deluxe release somewhere down the road. Not so with ol' BB.

My fantasy (and I fully understand that it is indeed wishful thinking) is that when a studio makes a release like Batman Begins and doesn't add a commentary for whatever reason, they make one later, post it on the web for free or as a download that costs a buck or two and satusfy the fanatics like myself. It seems too logical maybe. You and I both know that it'll never happen, but I can dream.

Anyway, if you have the Episode III DVD I recommend checking the web features out. I think they're worth the trouble - just make sure your shockwave is current and that you're display settings are not cloning the picture out to a secondary media device.

mike

Burton-esque

I just got home from watching Tim Burton's Corpse Bride and I have to say that I enjoyed it. I didn't enjoy it as much as I did The Nightmare Before Christmas, nor was it as charming a movie, but it moves along nicely and has a good dollop of Burton's trademark humour and gothic flair - enough to keep me interested, anyway. I was also amused by how many Burton alumni were involved with the film, from screenwriter John August to most of the voice cast. Kudos should be given to Burton for keeping Christopher Lee in interesting roles, though. After seeing Lee in Episode III again today, it was refreshing to see him playing something other than Dooku, and his character in CB was a hoot. Great design, great vocal performance and just nicely done, overall.

While I'm still on the topic of Burton, I should probably mention that I saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory a few weeks ago when I was in Calgary. We took my daughter there for an Irish dance competition and figured we'd catch a movie at the Imax while we were there since we have yet to manage one here in the wastelands of Saskatchewan (well, one that will play commercial films, anyway). Although I've heard some scathing reviews of the movie I will go out on a limb and say that I liked a lot of things about it. It wasn't a perfect movie, not even by Burtonian standards, but there was something about the quirkiness of the story and Depp's performance that kept me watching. Not all of the set pieces or gags hit the mark, but I do think the tone of the film was correct and just about anything looks astonishing in Imax so I walked away pleased by the experience but I doubt I'll be renting or buying the forthcoming DVD anytime soon.

As for the aforementioned Episode III, I promised to say something about it today so here goes:

Nice video transfer, great sound mix, not bad documentaries, mediocre audio commentary and if any of the three movies deserved or needed some of the deleted scenes added back into the film, this one was it. Unfortunately, George has, for some reason, decided to take a hands-off approach to alternate or deleted scenes, which baffles me somewhat. Both episode I and II had additional footage added so I don't understand why III didn't get any love. Still, the whole saga is now on DVD, I have it, I do enjoy it (believe it or not) and I have no regrets.


I'll catch y'all tomorrow!

mike