100 All Time Best Comedies

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Recently TimeOut.com posted their choices for the 100 Best Comedies of All Time.  Using just their list, here is my top ten…

  • Airplane: The only other movie that made me laugh so hard was Richard Pryor Live… and why didn’t it make the 100 Best list?
  • Blazing Saddles: At the time it was one of the craziest movies I had ever seen.  Mel Brooks‘ masterpiece.
  • Dr. Strangelove: One of my favorite movies.  It’s not an all-out laugh fest like the first two because of the subject matter.  A masterpiece.
  • Arsenic and Old Lace: My favorite Cary Grant movie.  I can watch this one anytime.
  • Planes, Trains and Automobiles: I was surprised at how good this movie was.  A comedy with heart and real LOLs.
  • National Lampoon’s Vacation: Probably gets bonus points because I have so many fond memories of watching it with my ex-brother in law.  I actually like Christmas Vacation better, but it didn’t make the list!
  • Raising Arizona: Nick Cage’s funniest intentionally funny movie.
  • The Pink Panther Strikes Again: I saw it in a theater back in high school and although it’s not as funny as I remembered it to be, my memories of it are good enough to get it into the top ten.
  • The Princess Bride: A classic fairy tale that happens to be pretty dog-gone funny.

Robin Holstein’s Sly Art

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I met Robin Holstein for the first time at this year’s Heroes Con. I’d see a bit of Robin’s art online and so I made sure to swing by his table and meet him. After talking to Robin a bit, I decided to commission a Stallone sketch from him. Robin came up with the sketch above. Upon seeing it, I immediately asked if he had room on his list for another piece — my buddy, LittleJohn312 was with me and he also asked to get on Robin’s list. Lucky for us, Robin was able to fit us both in.

You’ll see my second piece by Robin soon. If you can’t wait and want to see more of Robin’s art now, you can at his site.

UFC 135 Results

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UFC 135 was on pay-per-view last night. There were only two fights that I cared about.  Here are my predictions and the results:

  • Josh Koscheck vs. Matt Hughes.
    Prediction: Koscheck wins via ref stoppage.
    Result: Koscheck won via first round KO making me 1-0 for the night.
  • Jon Jones vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
    Prediction: Jones by TKO.
    Result: Jones won by 4th round submission making me 2-0 for the night.

Final thoughts:

  • Matt Hughes didn’t announce his retirement after the loss.  At 38,  and with two consecutive first round losses, retirement sounds like the right choice.  My guess is that in a few months Dana White will announce that Hughes has a new position in the UFC and will no longer fight.  The word retirement may not even be used.
  • Jones already has his next title defense set.  He will defend against Rashad Evens.

 

UFC 135 Predictions

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UFC 135 is on pay-per-view tonight.  There’s really only two fights that I care about on this card, so this will be short and sweet.

  • Josh Koscheck vs. Matt Hughes – There was a time when Matt Hughes was the best in his division… unfortunately that time has passed.  I don’t see this fight going the distance.
    Prediction: Koscheck wins via ref stoppage.
  • Jon Jones vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson – This might be an interesting fight.  I think Rampage is going to go out and try to take it to Jones.  If Rampage does, he will have a slugger’s chance.
    Prediction: Jones by TKO.

I’ll have the results for you tomorrow.

 

“The Expendables” Cast 1970s Style

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Bryan Enk at IFC.com posted an interesting article that asked and answered the question: What Would a 1970’s-Era “Expendables” Cast Look Like?   For the most part, I think Enk’s choices are spot on.  Let’s look at who he’d cast…

  • Charles Bronson – Bronson would have been my first choice as well.  Bronson would play Stallone’s character.  The only thing better would have been for Bronson to have been alive to join the true cast.
  • Malcolm McDowell – Now THAT is an interesting choice.  Enk says that McDowell would play Statham’s role, but I disagree.  I think that McDowell would be better as Dolph Lundgren’s character. McDowell has that right mix of crazy to pull it off.
  • Steve McQueen – Although Enk doesn’t list a specific character for McQueen, for me at least, it is obvious that McQueen would play the unlucky in love loner that Jason Statham brought to life on the big screen.
  • Bruce Lee – What fan wouldn’t have picked Bruce Lee to play an Expendable?  Of course Lee would naturally fit in as Jet Li’s character.
  • Lee Marvin – Great choice!  I see Lee Marvin taking on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cameo as Trench.  How cool would that have been?  Very cool, says I.
  • Richard Roundtree – I can see Roundtree in the role played by Terry Crews, but I think I’d have rather seen Ron O’Neal or Jim Brown.
  • Gene Hackman – Ok, although I didn’t become a Gene Hackman fan until later in his career [it was me, not him], I can see him playing the Eric Roberts’ role.
  • Clint Eastwood – Who wouldn’t want to see Eastwood in the role of Mr. Church played by Bruce Willis?
  • Charlton Heston – Enk has Heston playing one of the cameos played by Schwarzenegger and Willis, but since I have already filled those parts, we’d have to give Chuck a new role.

Since Enk didn’t come up with a 70’s actor to play the roles brought to life by Steve Austin and David Zayas, I’d like to suggest William Smith and Ernest Borgnine… and don’t you think we’d have to find something for John Wayne?

 

Back Icarus – I Did!

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Are you familiar with Ryan Cody’s Icarus?

  • ICARUS follows U.S.M.C. Major Robert Riley on his exploits to track and assassinate all super-powered beings on Earth.  Things aren’t all that they seem in Riley’s world: Girls that can see the future, alien invasions and government conspiracies all play a part in this twisting and turning adventure. When Big Brother decides to put its foot down, Riley is there to chop it off.

Want to see more?  Then you should consider becoming a backer for Ryan’s Kickstarter project.  For four bucks you’ll get a new 22 page full color issue of Icarus each month for four months!  Talk about a bargain!  There are other levels of support available with bonuses at each level.

Any support you can throw Ryan’s way will be greatly appreciated!

Sly Art from Jesus Antonio

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I was going through the vault and came across this piece that Jesus Antonio did for me a while back.

Jesus Antonio is an artist who lives in Mexico. Jesus posts on quite a few sites and is always positive and complimentary of the artwork of others and humble about his own. When I had the opportunity to get a few Stallone sketches and a sketchbook from Jesus, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. You can see more of Jesus’ art here!

 

The Last Battle

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This December, Tito Faraci (writer) and Dan Brereton’s (artist) The Last Battle is finally coming to the US!  Already published in many countries around the world, The Last Battle is an 80-page full-color graphic novel  set to retail for $7.99 from Image Comics.  For more details check out CBR.com’s coverage.

 

 

Batman: Year One – Adapting a Classic

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Batman: Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli is a masterpiece.   It is (one of my favorites and) without a doubt one of the best received graphic novels ever.

When it was first announced that Batman: Year One was being developed into a feature length animated movie, the idea was to stay true to the story and the art.   Animation Magazine caught up with co-directors Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery who discussed some of the difficulties of adapting the classic tale of Batman’s first year.  If that’s not reason enough to click over, they also preview some of the animation art from the film.