Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
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Artist’s Alley and and Indie Island will be filled to the brim with artists sketching, signing autographs and hanging out with fans. Dealers will fill the convention hall selling everything from vintage toys, comics and magazines to the latest games, t-shirts, and dvds. Comic book writers, horror novelists, publishers and editors will also be on hand. There will be a ton of informative [and fun] panels where creators will discuss everything from how to get into comics, to self-publishing to what’s next for them. Gaming tournaments will run almost non-stop. And of course there is the traditional art auction.
I can’t wait. If you can make it, you should. I can guarantee you’ll have a blast!
Today happens to be the birthday of my best buddy, John Beatty.
Most ZONERs know “Big” John from his appearances on the SZ message boards, but in honor of his birthday, here are:
Some things about John Beatty that you might not know:
* John Beatty was quite an accomplished break dancer in his youth. Rumors abound to this day that he was the first choice to play the role of “Rerun” on “What’s Happening?”
* John Beatty invented the “spoiler alert” used on the internet to let folks not that plot points and surprise endings are forthcoming.
* John Beatty is quite a singer. Perhaps most famous for his cover of Elvis tunes, Jim Ivey [noted raconteur, in the Who’s Who of the World] continues to say, “It’s not Christmas season until Big John sings ‘Blue Christmas.’
* John Beatty is an accomplished actor. He appeared as the evil “Patch” in “Nightveil: Witch War” [available on dvd from accomics.com]. Rumors of an action figure are too scary to think about.
* John Beatty is an accomplished pool player. He has been known to repeatedly spot an opponent every ball on the table and still win!
* John Beatty is an accomplished poker player. He’s been known to go both ways in a game of high-low five card stud having nothing but an Ace High and a ten low and beat the table where players had better lows and better highs!
* John Beatty was ahead of the curve when it came to home computers. While still in his teens he had work published in several books on computer use!
* John Beatty‘s comic career is full of highlights: he worked on the first Secret Wars series [which spawned the popularity of the mini-series]; he worked on the first Punisher mini-series [which kicked the backup character to leading man status]; he worked on the first new Batman book in 50 years [which was also the first comic to start the trend of multple covers]. It is also rumored that Big John, while still a child, was the first to utter Alfred E. Neuman‘s famous, “What, Me Worry?” line.
Although unconfirmed, it is believed that John Beatty was the first to wear the haircut made famous by the lead singer of Flock of Seagals, that Beatty encouraged Brian Setzer to give up glam rock and try something with a rock-a-billy style, that Beatty suggested that James Cameron follow up “Terminator 2” with something “Titanic,” that Beatty was the first to suggest the ideas for “American Idol,” “Survivor,” and “What’s Happening Now?”
Many people find it hard to believe that Big John has done so much in just 45 years on this planet. Speculation abounds that he is much older than that. Unverified pictures of someone looking like John Beatty from the civil war era are rampant in conspiracy circles.
Happy, Happy, Big J!
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I know my jaw hit the floor when Michael blasted Ana-Lucia in the chest from point blank range. My eyes were probably still buggin’ out when he then popped a couple of caps in Libby!
If that had been the season finale, I would have applauded. With a few episodes still to come, I believe that a standing ovation is in order. I knew that Michelle Rodriguez [Ana-Lucia] and Cynthia Watros [Libby] were supposed to be leaving the show. Still, ya gotta give big props for the shocking way that they went.
So, where does that leave Michael? Has he been brain-washed? Is he fully aware of what he’s doing? Is Libby really dead? [Poor, poor Hurley!] And did you know about the novel [Bad Twin] that’s referenced in the show and written by one of the passengers… but was just released in real life?
Talk to me, folks!
Bond. James Bond.
Talk about an iconic character.
For my money Sean Connery WAS James Bond. He had the right mix of charisma, playboy attitude and tough guy machismo to pull off the role of 007.
Roger Moore’s Bond had his moments but swayed too far over into comedy for my taste.
Pierce Brosnon had the playboy attitude and some charisma but not enough tough guy machismo to reach the levels of Connery cool.
Daniel Craig is the next guy to step into 007’s tux and although initial reports were not so hot, this trailer has me thinking that he may do alright.
After my last post, Murph had this to say:
“Craig, seems your very selective in your choices for seeing films on the big screen.”
Wait til he gets a load of my movie pics for next month…
Surprisingly, after looking at the films that will be released in June, only one made my “see in a theater” list. That movie is Superman Returns.
Most folks who predict this sort of thing are saying that Superman Returns will probably make the most bucks at the box office this year. Who am I to argue? Although I think that The DaVinci Code may just give it a run for it’s money. [Pun intended].
May starts off with a bang. Mission Impossible III opens the summer on May 5th. Despite the bad press Cruise has been getting, I still think that MI3 is going to do big business and I can’t wait to see it on the big screen!
Hot on the heals of MI3 is X-Men 3, better known as X-Men: The Last Stand. While I’m a huge fan of the Claremont, Byrne and Austin run in the X-Men comic series, I’ve yet to see an X-Men movie in a theater. Although this clip looks pretty cool, I’ll probably be one of the few who wait for dvd.
The Poseidon Adventure was one of my favorite disaster movies when I was a kid. I can still remember getting together with a few of my friends and catching the bus to go downtown to the movie theater to see it. I think that this updated version, Poseidon, will be good, but I have a feeling that I may wait for dvd.
The Da Vinci Code is going to be HUGE. Based on the best selling book, and starring Tom Hanks with direction by Ron Howard. It can’t miss. And this one will get meback to a theater.
Next time we’ll take a look at June!
I thought this post was going to be about the movies coming out this summer that I’m looking forward to, but when I saw the cool title page to Tarantino’s “Death Proof” posted over at Ain’t It Cool News, I just knew that the summer previews would have to wait… at least until you get a look at this!
A little over a month ago, I told you about Rumble in La Rambla, a comic mini-series that I thought was worth a look. Writer Felipe Ferreira and artist Rafael Albuquerque have to feel pretty good since Rumble in La Rambla still has another month before the first issue hits the stands, but the positive buzz is spreading like wild fire.
The big entertainment news this week is that J.J. Abrams [the creative mastermind behind Lost, Alias, and Tom Cruise‘s lastest turn in Mission Impossible III ] will produce, direct and cowrite what looks to be a rebirth of the Star Trek franchise Abrams is planning for a big-screen 2008 release which will focus on the early adventures of James T. Kirk and Spock [sorry Bones, no mention of you].
I’ve got to admit that this news has caught my interest. I was a HUGE fan of Star Trek during it’s initial run on tv. Then again, I was just seven years old. Still, Star Trek did capture my attention and I made a point to watch it each week. I was never a Trekie, but I did see and enjoy the Star Trek movies [well… except for the first one] that featured the original cast.
It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.
Control totally slipped by me… waaaaay under the radar. I don’t remember reading anything about it before, during, or even after it’s release. [And I’m talking theatrical and dvd]. That’s surprising not only because it stars Ray Liotta, Willem Dafoe and Michelle Rodriguez, but also because it’s a pretty decent movie.
Ray Liotta plays a sociopath on death row who is given a last minute, and I mean LAST minute, reprieve, if he will participate in an experimental group testing a drug that might be the key to a cure. Given the set up, I thought that the movie might be a preachy “we can cure them” take on the death sentence. Boy, am I glad that it turned out to be much more than that.
Ray Liotta is one of the most underrated actors working today, and Control provides him an opportunity to show his chops. DaFoe and Rodriguez are welcome additions, but it is the script that really works for me. What could have been a really over the top action-adventure is instead so much more.
Control isn’t the best movie you’ll see this year, but I bet you’ll enjoy it if you give it a shot. “Control” rates a B+.
Director, Phil Joanou, is set to direct a remake of Sharky’s Machine, a 1981 movie that starred Burt Reynolds as a vice cop who puts together a team to bring down a powerful mobster who controls politicians, the city’s drug trade, and a psychotic assassin.
Sharky’s Machine is my favorite Burt Reynolds movie, so you might think that I’d be upset that it’s being remade. You’d be wrong.
The cool thing about re-makes is that they bring new attention to the original movies. It’s usually a win-win situation.
If the new movie kicks butt, then fans may decide to check out the original. If the new movie tanks, it doesn’t change the fact that people are still going to be talking about the original film and better still, there’s a good chance that a new dvd release of the original film with extras will come heading our way in time to celebrate the theatrical release of the re-make.
Now if they’d only remake Nighthawks
Kiefer Sutherland has signed on for three more seasons of 24!
Although that means that his character, Jack Bauer, will face three more really bad days, Kiefer will suffer anything but. He’s being paid a reported $40 million which makes him the highest paid tv actor in a drama. Kiefer will receive other perks as well. He’ll become the executive producer on 24, be set up with his own production company and given a two-year development deal.
Works out to be a sweet deal for Kiefer and a pretty good one for fans of 24.
James Byron Huggins is one of my favorite authors. I’ve enjoyed every book that I’ve read by him, and two [Cain and Hunter] are all-time favorites. In fact, I’ve always wished that Huggins would do a sequel teaming the two heroes, Soloman and Hunter, in a new adventure.
Although Sorcerer, Huggins‘ latest novel, doesn’t bring back either Soloman or Hunter, it does introduce us to a new hero, Michael Thorn. Thorn is an ex-cop, ex-Airborne Ranger who, at 45, has opted for early retirement after seeing more than enough action in the military and as a decorated detective. Thorne, his wife, and two children move to a remote New England town where they buy a house in the country.
Any hope for a peaceful retirement is gone when Thorn discovers a hidden room in his basement. In the room he finds a skeleton chained to the wall. The manacles are engraved with an ancient writing. When the skeleton disappears and people start turning up dead, Thorn suddenly finds himself allies with Assassini sent from Rome to do battle with the ancient evil that has returned from the grave!
Huggins has the ability to make a story move, but never at the expense of character development. He also has the talent to make the unbelievable believable. I must admit that before reading the book,. I was worried that the villain would be some kind of wizard like in Harry Potter or King Arthur. Boy, was I wrong. This sorcerer is an ancient evil who dared to challenge Moses himself!
I thoroughly enjoyed Sorcerer and wouldn’t mind a sequel. Hmmm… maybe Thorn could team with Soloman and Hunter on a new adventure?
