Is it too early to eat leftover duck pasta? Not if you're Asian!
p.s. I'm Asian.
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February 27, 2009
February 26, 2009
Super Spank
Here's a representation of a recent event in my life. If you know me, then you'll get it. If you don't, then you wont. Either way, unlike Superman, I didn't love it. It's all good though. So, crisis averted.
But, will it be the Final Crisis? Stay tuned!
February 25, 2009
CNI 182: One Shot! - Soul Samurai
Comic News Insider: Episode 182-One Shot! Soul Samurai is now available for free download! Click on the link or get it through iTunes! Sponsored by Dynamic Forces.
The cast and creator of the Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company's new Off Broadway production, Soul Samurai, join us for a wine induced and fun filled evening. What's Soul Samurai about?
Cooler than Kill Bill, hotter than Shaft! Soul Samurai is the story of Dewdrop and her fight through the mean streets of a post-apocalyptic Brooklyn. After avenging her lover’s murder in the heart of Coney Island, Dewdrop now must make it back home to the Lower East Side before the shoguns of Kings County find her. In a play that mixes hip-hop culture, blaxploitation, and the martial arts, this production dials it back old school with this seventies-inspired samurai story. This is one slick slice with a sharp sword and a score to settle!
How's that for an enticing description? Jimmy saw the show and loved it. Joe plans on seeing it soon. Listen to the cast talk about acting, inspirations for the show, movies, TV, comics, music, fight choreography, accidents, and more. We also give them a nerdy musical quiz to test their geek fu. Do they pass? Tune in to find out!
Meanwhile, if you're in the NYC area, book your tickets for the show. It's getting rave reviews and selling out fast. They give a special promotional code to use for $20 tickets. You save $5! For more information, visit the Vampire Cowboys Theatre site.
Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love! Also, get a hold of us!
212 501 6246
www.myspace.com/comicnewsinsider
www.comicspace.com/comicnewsinsider
Thanks for listening!
February 24, 2009
CNI 181 - Even More NYCC with Greg Pak, Jimmy Aquino (Earth 2), & Cast of Soul Samurai
Comic News Insider: Episode 181 is now available for free download! Click on the link or get it through iTunes! Sponsored by Dynamic Forces. Also sponsored by the New York Comic-Con!
Reviews: Amber Atoms #1, The Great Unknown #1, Johnny Monster #1
A few more interviews from NYCC including writer Greg Pak and listen as the universe collapses with the "other" Jimmy Aquino! Sitting in during our recording was members of the cast and show creators for Vampire Cowboys Theatre production of Soul Samurai. This weeks news includes big news from the world of Battlestar Galactica, the upcoming Thor feature film and an in depth discussion of the controversial "chimp comic" from the New York Post. A healthy amount of wine made the whole show that much more enjoyable. Come back in a day or 2 for the special One-Shot! we recorded with the Soul Samurai crew. And then go buy your tickets!
Feedback, Top 3 and plugs galore. Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love! Also, get a hold of us!
212 501 6246
www.myspace.com/comicnewsinsider
www.comicspace.com/comicnewsinsider
Thanks for listening!
February 23, 2009
The Oscars: The Musical!
The 2009 Academy awards was a fun and strange telecast. Hugh Jackman as host? Hmmm....not so sure about that. Many a musical number? Hit or miss. Speaking of, let me give you my highs and lows.
- The opening musical number was actually pretty fun and funny. And the nerd in me laughed and clapped with glee when he ended the song with a high note singing, "I'M WOLVERINE!!!"
- The stunning Penelope Cruz gave a heartwarming speech when she accepted her Best Supporting Actress award.
- Tina Fey and Steve Martin were hilarious. Brought some much needed levity and humor to the show. Jackman's opening was fun, but he stumbled on a couple of jokes after especially with an awkward moment with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
- Amanda Seyfried (Mean Girls, Big Love, Mamma Mia!) had a very Veronica Lake look to her with the hair over the one eye. Which I loved. Not only am I a fan of Veronica Lake, but I dig Amanda as well. She looked quite striking in her red dress.
- Wall-E won! Really though. Was anyone surprised? That little fucker kicked the shit out of Bolt and Kung Fu Panda. Though I liked all 3 movies for sure.
- Ben Stiller came out with one of my future ex-girlfriends, Natalie Portman. Ben did a bit making fun of Joaquin Phoenix's recent strange appearance of The David Letterman Show. It was pretty funny stuff! Of course, if you missed Phoenix on Letterman, then you probably were wondering why Stiller had this massive beard and sunglasses on and was acting strange.
- The big musical number starring Hugh Jackman and Beyonce'. Along with Seyfried and some of those Highschool Musical kids. It was this weird medley arranged by Baz Luhrman. I'm pretty sure Beyonce' lip-synched parts of it too. It was this mish-mosh of songs from musicals and had horrible choreography along with it. Jackman ended it with a big statement. "The musical is back!" Which, I think it has been for awhile. I'm all for musicals as I did them professionally for years. But, wow. That was a really lame way to get that point across. Just bad.
- Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor. Fuck yeah. His mother, father and sister got up to accept. Of course, everyone knew he would win and rightfully so. Too bad the film didn't get as many kudos.
- Kate Winslet finally won for Best Actress. I didn't see the flick, but I do agree she is one of the finest actresses out there. And yep, she looked absolutely gorgeous as well. Always loved her.
- Oh, the thing they did with the presenting of awards to actors. Having 5 previous winners come out and speak separately about a particular nominee. It was cool in some parts, lame in others. Cuba Gooding, Jr. joked with nominee Robert Downey, Jr. about playing a black man and that he is stealing his roles. Hey Cuba, maybe if you didn't make crap movies like Snow Dogs and Rat Race you'd get better roles. Made the show all that longer.
- Seth Rogen and James Franco reviewing comedies as their characters in Pineapple Express. It was fucking genius especially when they showed them cracking up to serious dramas.
- After the awful musical number in the middle, there was a touch of class having Queen Latifah sing "I'll Be Seeing You" during the annual tribute to those who passed away over the past year. Which, perhaps, made people not do the drinking game they normally do during that part. You know the one. Where you have to drink if you didn't realize the person had died.
- The entire cast of Slumdog Millionaire and most of India came on stage to accept the Best Picture award. Perhaps not related, but I sure had a hard time getting through to tech support. HEYO!
Overall, it was long as per usual, yet entertaining in many spots. Most winners were predictable except for when Sean Penn upset Mickey Rourke for Best Actor. Everyone says it every year that categories should be cut. While many may appreciate categories like Best Editing, most of us just don't care. Here's what I think should be the only categories on air:
- Best Picture
- Best Director
- Best Actor/Actress
- Best Supporting Actor/Actress
- Best Score
- Best Animated Feature
- Best Foreign Language Film
- Best Documentary
- Best Writing (Adapted and Original)
And that's it. Sorry mixing, editing, makeup, effects, etc. No one really cares. Everyone once in awhile you get a gem of a speech from one of the winners, but for the most part...meh.
I think they need to go back to a comedian hosting though. Jackman is personable and the first number was good, but a good comedian can keep things rolling. After this year's appearance, they should have Tina Fey and Steve Martin host together next year. That would be awesome.
Maybe this year I'll actually see more movies. There was a time I used to see 2 or more movies a week. The past couple of years, not too many. Maybe next year I'll actually attend. I'll be looking for that invite, Academy!
February 22, 2009
F*%# Watchmen...Literally!
Channel your inner *Dr. Manhattan and get your Watchmen freak on.
*Not recommended for Smurfs, Cookie Monster, Huckleberry Hound, Aladdin's Genie and X-Men's Mystique. (Hey, she's a shapeshifter, so you never know what's going on down there.)
February 21, 2009
Invisible Jimmy
I'm not going to go into yet another rant about people that don't reply to emails/texts/calls/smoke signals/carrier pigeons/etc. I'm amazed at how many people in my life are like this. Thanks for trying to make me feel like I don't matter and am basically invisible to you. You rock.
Fuckers.
February 19, 2009
Soul Samurai
You've heard me talk about it on my podcast, Comic News Insider. Soul Samurai, the new play by those crazy fuckers at Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company. It's their first Off-Broadway production.
Well, I saw it last night. And I moderated a talkback with the cast, director and writer afterward. (I'll get to the talkback later.) My review? I'd love to give one if I didn't walk out after 10 minutes. It was the worst thing I have seen in a long time and....wait...
No, that's not right. I'm thinking of the time I saw the new Knight Rider. What a piece of crap! Oh, right. Soul Samurai. Very much the opposite of Knight Rider. As in it kicked ass. A lot of ass! Literally.
What is it about? Well, let's go to the official blurb.
Cooler than Kill Bill, hotter than Shaft! Soul Samurai is the story of Dewdrop and her fight through the mean streets of a post-apocalyptic Brooklyn. After avenging her lover’s murder in the heart of Coney Island, Dewdrop now must make it back home to the Lower East Side before the shoguns of Kings County find her. In a play that mixes hip-hop culture, blaxploitation, and the martial arts, this production dials it back old school with this seventies-inspired samurai story. This is one slick slice with a sharp sword and a score to settle!
Interested? I know I was when I read that. Written by Qui Nguyen and directed by Robert Ross Parker, Soul Samurai is essentially a tale of revenge and love. New York City is crime ridden with different boroughs seceding and forming their own territory. People are slowly moving away as the gangs take over. 3 Shoguns run 3 boroughs. (The Bronx and Staten Island are not represented. I assume so as not to make the play too lengthy.)
We follow Dewdrop (Maureen Sebastian) and her lover Sally December (Bonnie Sherman). A happy little couple. So different, yet drawn together. Yep, that's them over there. And yes, that's a wig. After an unfortunate event, Dewdrop follows a path of destruction until she runs into a kung fu master. He teaches her the ways of the street, body and sword. With this new found power, she sets forth to seek her revenge.
Along her journey, she runs into Cert (Paco Tolson). A jive-talking, break dancing wannabe gangsta. Don't get me wrong, Cert has some fighting skills too. But, his constant bark up the wrong tree (i.e. hitting on lesbian Dewdrop) is hilarious. They create a great "buddy movie" dynamic. Not always getting along. One wanting the other's approval. The other one in charge. One the goofball. The other one the serious one. Their interactions resulted in some really funny stuff!
Sheldon Best takes the stage in multiple roles including Dewdrop's mentor, Master Leroy Green. (All of the players in this show play multiple roles including lead Maureen.) He's also big Boss 2k, leader of the Long Tooths gang. Think about the name and you'll know what type of gang. There's also a very poignant origin-esque story of a man called Marcus. At first, you're not sure how this relates. Qui never throws in anything superfluously, so I knew something was up. And it paid off quite well. This was Sheldon's first show with VCTC and he really fit into the group naturally.
Jon Hoche rounds out the cast in multiple roles as well. Most notably as Grandmaster Mack. Ah homage to all of the big pimps in those blaxploitation films. He had me rolling in that ghetto get up! Gotta say, his turn as Pastor was a real treat too. For those comic book nerds like me (and Hoche), you will immediately react when he enters the stage in his costume. Ennis would be proud.
I'm not going to spoil here. I'll just briefly talk about some of the theater elements and actors. One thing about VCTC shows is their use of stage combat. As you may remember, dear readers, I was trained in stage combat and taught for years. To see it done so well is very exciting. And there's A LOT of fighting in this show as with other VCTC shows. It's a combination of various fighting styles including Capoeira and Kung fu. Weapons are katanas, nunchukus, sticks and hand-to-hand.It's fast paced and frenetic at times. Did I mention there's A LOT of fighting in this show? The cast worked their asses off. Speaking from experience, learning fights is a whole other thing. You learn lines and blocking for regular plays. And people hate on musicals, but learning those dances and songs is yet another element to remember. Same thing with fights. It's choreography. And A LOT of it. Kudos to the cast for kickin the shit out of it and each other.
Another great thing that VCTC likes to do is mix up the way they present the show. They start with some video and there are a few more random ones strewn throughout. If you've not seen any of these from these guys before, you are in for a treat. It's a great way to start off the show with a huge laugh. Make that laughs. It's simple and way low budget by using action figures and fruit which results in many a guffaw. Seriously, I peed my pants. Good thing I always wear Depends to their shows.
Another element they've added to shows is the use of puppets. Yes, puppets. This ain't no Lion King or Sesame Street, but it's another great way to tell the story. Hoche takes control of the puppets and is freakin' hilarious with his puppetry and voices. Sheldon helps out with one of them as well. It's one of those, now expected, out of nowhere moments in a VCTC show. It doesn't take away from the show nor does it seem too ridiculous.
This is what I love about their shows. They aren't afraid to try things. Often coming across cinematic in nature, the stage shows will take risks with all of these elements. They combine into a fine mixture that is pleasing to our eyes and ears. Another thing this show accomplishes is the homage to the different genres. If you can't figure out they're acting a certain way in a scene because it's similar to how it was done in Blacula or Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon, then you're an idiot. Still, I don't think you need to be that familiar with those films to enjoy this show. It deftly blends humor, pathos, action, drama and just plain silliness.
Oh, did I mention that it has hot girls kissing? And fighting. And girls kissing, of course? Yes. It does. It runs through March 15th at the HERE Arts Center downtown. Get tickets NOW. I'll be going again soon. Wanna be my date? (Did I mention hot girls kissing?)
Post-show was a little talkback that I hosted with the cast, director and writer. We got down to the nitty-gritty of it all! I made them cry like babies!!!
Actually, it was quite fun, laid back and informative. I opened up questions to the audience as well. I've always enjoyed things like this. Being able to interact with the creators and artists of a show I've seen. It seemed like the audience certainly felt the same way. I think it went quite swimmingly. As you can see, it was very casual. What with the beers and such. A few secrets were spilled too, but alas...no one recorded it! Looks like we'll just have to do it again some time soon. That is, if they'll have me. Who am I kidding? OF COURSE, they'll have me. I'm awesome.
Stay tuned...we may have some of them on an episode of CNI very soon. I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile, go to the VAMPIRE COWBOYS site for more info on the show and how to get tickets. And, please. GO GET TICKETS! (Did I mention hot girls kissing?)
February 17, 2009
CNI 180 - Episode 180 - More NYCC with Jonathan Hickman, Tony Lee & "Alan Moore"!
Comic News Insider: Episode 180 is now available for free download! Click on the link or get it through iTunes! Sponsored by Dynamic Forces. Also sponsored by the New York Comic-Con!
Reviews: Batman #686, R.E.B.E.L.S. #1, Berserker #1
Jimmy's voice is almost back. Good thing Joe is always in top form. The boys discuss the upcoming Vampire Cowboys production of Soul Samurai and the panel that Jimmy is moderating directly after the show on Wednesday, 2/18. More NYCC interviews are sprinkled throughout the episode. Hear "Alan Moore", Jonathan Hickman, and Tony Lee! Next week will be Greg Pak, Molly Crabapple and Earth 2 Jimmy Aquino. News includes no Dollhouse comics, a U.S. No Heroics, MoCCA, superhero beatdowns on Hollywood Blvd. and more including bug sex. Yes. Bug sex.
A special discount is given from the Vampire Cowboys Theater Company for their upcoming production of Soul Samurai. Jimmy will be attending on Wednesday, 2/18 and moderating a panel with the cast directly after. Use that discount code (CNIROCKS) to attend that night!
Feedback, Top 3 and plugs galore. Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love! Also, get a hold of us!
212 501 6246
www.myspace.com/comicnewsinsider
www.comicspace.com/comicnewsinsider
Thanks for listening!
February 15, 2009
"Quintensential Art Decor"
Settle down. I misspelled on purpose. This arrogant douche bag know-it-all was around last night. First, acting like he was some wine expert. He was far from it. Unless his wine expertise only went up to Arbor Mist or that fine boxed wine found in your local grocer. Then I actually heard him say this to his date.
D-bag: It's quintensential art decor.
Girl: You mean art deco?
D-bag: What did I say?
Girl: Art decor.
D-bag: Oh, yeah. Art Deco. Whatever. Anyway...blah blah me me blah me blah me, etc.
She was kind enough to let "quintensential" go or she didn't realize it's actually quintessential. (She wasn't all that bright either.) Reminded me of when another d-bag was in and suggested that a tipsy female nearby was hirsute. I immediately said, "You think she's hairy?" And the girl with next to him said to him,"You have no idea what that means, do you? It's like he (me) said. Hairy. Are you trying to say she's drunk?" To which he replies, "Well, yeah. Same thing."
I love how people can't own up to their stupidity. It's like they heard a certain word or phrase and desperately wanted to use it no matter what. Hoping the other person would be impressed or not know what they were talking about.
Days are awesome when people misuse words and I can put them in their place by correcting them. Superiority complex? You betcha! Why? Duh. I'm smarter than you 'cuz I'm Asian. It's not my fault. Blame genetics.
Or take your hirsute off Arbor Mist ass to the quintensential art decor place thingy. Get me?