Some people just don't get it, which makes me wish I could whip this song out on them whenever necessary. Preach on, Run-DMC!
« February 2010 | Main | April 2010 »
March 31, 2010
March 30, 2010
Comic News Insider Episode 251 - David Monteith (Geek Syndicate) & Live Audience!
Comic News Insider: Episode 251 is now available for free download! Click on the link or get it through iTunes! Sponsored by Dynamic Forces.
Reviews: Chip #1, The Guild #1, Nemesis #1, Time Lincoln One-Shot, How to Train Your Dragon
David Monteith from the UK podcast, Geek Syndicate, joins us in studio for some cross over action! A live audience is also present for the momentous occasion. News includes: Dick Giordano, Bryan Singer not directing X-Men: First Class film, SDCC sells out, Mark Millar to edit Wizard, new Sci-Fi comedy from Michael Rosenbaum, The Walking Dead gets greenlit, Another Superman comic sales record and more! The boys discuss the state of comics and television in the UK and get a first hand account from Mr. Monteith on comics/shows to look out for. 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!
March 29, 2010
Claire Van Der BOOM!
I've been watching and loving HBO's The Pacific mini-series. If you haven't heard about it, look it up. Some minor spoilers ahead so beware!
In last night's episode 3, the character of "Bob Leckie" meets a girl while stationed in Melbourne, Australia. The girl is played by Aussie actress Claire Van Der Boom. Go on. Say it again. Van Der Boom! Before I learned her name, I loved her performance in the episode. She's really good. Then, at the end, it was left uncertain of her character's role in future episodes. So, I looked her up on IMDB and it seems like she will only be in episode 3. A shame because she's very talented. And, of course, obviously quite strikingly beautiful. She's still fairly new to showbiz but hopefully this small role will lead to more work. And not just in Australia. America wants YOU, Van Der Boom!
In the series, she's a brunette as pictured below.
Not so much in the photo above, but definitely on the episode, she sort of resembled my friend, Natali Del Conte. (Amazing tech journalist, smart as a whip and also stunningly gorgeous.).
Just me or do you see it too? Anyway...watch The Pacific. It's really great. To my Aussie filmmaker friends, send Claire over for more work. Heck, put her in a Sci-Fi or superhero movie so I can interview her for the podcast. That would make my life happy.
Okay, one last time. VAN DER BOOM!!!
March 28, 2010
Anna Campilicious!
You know Anna Camp? No? Well then you don't watch True Blood on HBO! She was on season 2 playing "Sarah Newlin", the preacher's tempted wife. And she was awesome! Besides being clearly talented and cool, she's pretty durn cute as well. And even more so in person. Yep, your name dropping hero, (that's me), met and chatted with her for a few. As you may or may not know, my friend Carrie Preston plays "Arlene Fowler" on True Blood. So, I had an "in" to greet her. And let me tell you, Anna was just as sweet, lovely and downright sexy in person!
I'm pretty sure she fell in love with me. Sure, her husband was there as well but you couldn't deny the attraction! I'm just so lovable. As she left, she came over to say goodbye. I seem to remember her kissing me on the mouth and saying she loved me, but no one else says that happened. Oh well, if it happened in my head then it must be true!
If they had these type of Camps when I was growing up, I would have went every summer!
p.s. Clearly joshing about the love/kissy part, ya mooks. But serious about meeting/chatting. She be awesome.
March 27, 2010
Filet-o-Fish of Confusion
First off, I don't want a lecture about how crappy McDonald's is for you. I had a craving and wanted a Filet-o-Fish. So I got one. Suck it. Anyway, here was the exchange with one of the geniuses they employ:
Me: Filet-o-Fish. Extra sauce please.
McIdiot: Uh..what kind of sauce?
Me: You should quit.
I literally had to tell him 5 times as he wasn't getting it. And they still didn't do it! Eventually, 10 minutes later, they brought me some on the side. Oh, Ronald. Your hiring standards used to be so much higher! What would Hamburglar say?
March 26, 2010
Alice In Slasherland: The Review
The Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company is back with a bloody vengeance! Their latest show, Alice In Slasherland, is a gory homage to your favorite slasher films from the 70's and 80's. True to the VCT production mandate, it's full of pop culture references, hilarity, hot girls and kick ass smack downs. Add buckets of blood and the result is a truly fun romp.
First off, this has nothing to do with Alice in Wonderland. There's a character named Alice and one named Lewis and that's it. Got it? Moving on...
We follow a loser named Lewis (Carlo Alban) who attends the popular girl (Andrea Smith) in school's Halloween party. He pines for his best friend, Margaret (Bonnie Sherman), who is oblivious to his feelings and has longings of her own for the school jock (Sheldon Best). One thing leads to another and a brutally slain girl named Alice (Amy Kim Waschke) is accidentally resurrected. (Brutally slain by a mysterious, non-speaking slasher played by Tom Myers.). Along with a slew of other demons and killers. Alice takes a shining to Lewis and with the help of Margaret and a demon possessed teddy bear named Edgar (puppetry/voice by Sheldon Best), this gang of "Scoobies" takes on the evil unleashed upon the town.
VCT shows tend to have either an even blend of drama and comedy or just straight silliness. I mean that in a good way. This show leans towards the latter. Great costuming adds to the flavor of the genre homage. No, I'm not just talking about Bonnie in the nurse and cheerleader outfit, Andrea in the devil costume or Amy's costume. Though, to be fair....Grrrr, baby. Very Grrrr!
Everyone has a moment to shine in this production. Amy throws in some of her best impressions from The Ring (or original Japanese film it's based on, Ringu) and mixes it up with some Linda Blair from The Exorcist all the while making it her own. Bonnie, in more of the damsel in distress role this time around, still kicks some ass and delivers some of the funniest lines. (If not, THE best one liner of the show.). Carlo is a combination of both Fred and Shaggy from Scooby Doo. He establishes his loser side with his opening monologue in a Wolverine costume and then becomes the hero when the demon ass kicking begins later on.
Tom has a multitude of roles to play including the aforementioned killer. Great costume of the killer (above), by the way. He also has a pretty funny turn as a cop and another one as a jock. Then there's Andrea in her devil costume. That's reason enough to go, but oh yeah...she's got the chops too! She also pulls multiple role status playing popular girl, demon and eventually, an even bigger bad. Andrea's musical introduction is not only sexy and vampy, but a bit menacing as well. I'd hate to pick out one of the performers as a stand out, but gotta say, Sheldon Best shines as Edgar, the demon possessed Teddy Bear. He operates the puppet and voices it as well. Tough job and Sheldon really pulls it off. You forget that Sheldon is standing behind the puppet and just look at the perverted talking teddy bear with the foul mouth.
The fights. Of course, the fights are ridiculously ass kicking and thrilling. Qui Nguyen, the playwright, also choreographs the fights using a mix of several martial arts styles. The show isn't as heavy on the drama as past shows, so the fights have a bit of silliness to them as well. Which works perfectly. The final confrontation is especially exciting! As a former stage fighter/choreographer myself, I know how tough it is to sell the realness of a fight. VCT always pulls it off. Safety and distance are very important in stage combat as you don't want to actually hurt someone. On rare occasion, some of the fighters seemed a bit too far apart to really sell the punch or kick, but it really wasn't all that noticeable. Not every audience member will be a super duper know-it-all fighter type like me, after all!
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the 2 short films shown. VCT likes to use multimedia in their shows and offers little shorts during each show to enhance the story, explain a bit or just to add to the silly. The show opens with a very Grindhouse style short "trailer" for a film called The Devil's Usher (starring VCT veteran Paco Tolson). It's fucking genius. I want to see this fake film! Especially since I was supposed to be killed in it but couldn't work my schedule. There's also a hilarious video in the middle of the show that tries to explain the plot but goes so completely awry.
All of this madness is deftly directed by Robert Ross Parker. He did his horror movie research as references to many popular films are strewn throughout. As always, the overall production value of the VCT shows is top notch.
The show runs Thursday-Sunday until April 10th. More info, tickets, etc. here.
Run see Alice In Slasherland. It's a sanguinary, sexy slash of a time!
If you want to hear some of the cast along with the writer and director, then tune in to the special Episode 250 CNI One-Shot! of my podcast, Comic News Insider.
March 25, 2010
Comic News Insider Episode 250 - CNI One-Shot! Alice In Slasherland
Comic News Insider: Episode 250 is now available for free download! Click on the link or get it through iTunes! Sponsored by Dynamic Forces.
Reviews: No reviews since it's a One-Shot! episode
Some of the cast/production crew of Alice In Slasherland, The Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company's new show, join us in studio! Writer/Fight Choreographer Qui Nguyen, Director Robert Ross Parker and cast members Bonnie Sherman and Sheldon Best come talk about the homage to 70's/80's slasher films, their favorite slasher, costume changes, puppets, songs, blood/gore and more!The show runs Thursdays through Sundays until April 10th at the HERE Arts Center in New York City. Showtime is 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 and are selling out fast. Go get yours or miss out!
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!
March 24, 2010
You Got Yank in My Brit!
I've been catching up on some TV and am 3 episodes into the 6 episode season, excuse me...series (as they say in the UK) of a Sci-Fi/supernatural show called Demons on BBC America. Yes, I know. You're over my Anglophilia. But to prove I don't love all things UK, I'm not really feeling this series. One of the main reasons is the mentor character of "Galvin". A British actor using an American accent. And quite horribly at that. His lines are pretty terrible too. It's like they wanted to get every cliche' American TV/Film phrase and have him say it. And in the worst line delivery possible.
Never really had an issue with Brits doing American accents in film or TV before. Yet, I know a lot of my friends in the UK almost always make fun of an American when they do a Brit accent of sorts. No matter how good it might be.
Oh well. At least it has the hot Zoe Tapper in it. Who is in a much better show on BBC America called Survivors.
Cor blimey! Go check it out then, Govna. Pip, pip and all that rot! Cheerio!
March 23, 2010
Comic News Insider Episode 249 - Geektreats
Comic News Insider: Episode 249 is now available for free download! Click on the link or get it through iTunes! Sponsored by Dynamic Forces.
Reviews: American Vampire #1, Fade to Black #1, X-Factor Forever #1
Surprised by that quickie download last week after the regular show? Jimmy explains and chats about his guest spot on the Jay and Jack 30 hour podcast for Autism Speaks last Saturday. Fun times! Joe had a geek retreat of RPG proportions and claims there was no LARPing. Yeah right. News includes: Dynamite acquires Vampirella, Rob Zombie's new comic, Tim Burton to direct animated Addams Family, Al Gore at SDCC?, IDW is a Diamond Premiere Publisher, Captain America is cast, Archie's multiverse, Marvelman is back at Marvel, Popeye in 3D and more!Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love!
Tune in this Thursday for a special One-Shot! episode with the Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company. They discuss their new production of Alice In Slasherland. Writer/Fight Choreographer Qui Nguyen, Director Robert Ross Parker and cast members Bonnie Sherman and Sheldon Best join us in studio to explain the gory and hilarious production.
Also, get a hold of us!
212 501 6246
www.myspace.com/comicnewsinsider
www.comicspace.com/comicnewsinsider
Thanks for listening!
March 22, 2010
Doctor Who Returns with a New Face!
If you're a Sci-Fi fan, then you've heard of this ages ago. If not, it's a good jumping on point for those curious about Doctor Who. To be honest, I was never a fan of the original series in my youth. It's been around since 1963 with 10 different actors playing "The Doctor" over the years. Unlike the James Bond films, they actually explain the reason for different actors each time. Regeneration. When The Doctor dies, he regenerates in a new body.
After a 15 year absence from TV, The BBC relaunched the series back in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston in the lead. He only did one season and was replaced by David Tennant. Whom we all know is my man crush. Really enigmatic and engaging. I was on board with Eccleston but Tennant soon won me over. I loved this new series even though I was unfamiliar with the 40 year lore.
I had the honor of interviewing Tennant, series creator Russell T. Davies, producer Julie Gardner and director Euros Lyn back at San Diego Comic-Con last year.
Tennant decided to leave the show last year and they did a series of 4 specials leading up to his departure. Naturally, with him regenerating into a new Doctor. Now played by Matt Smith. I never heard of him but then again, I had never heard of Tennant. We saw about a minute of Smith as the Doctor at the conclusion of the last special. And I gotta say, I really like him. I'll miss Tennant but am anxious to see what Smith can bring. And he's got a hot, redhead companion played by Amy Pond!
Official blurb:
ABOUT DOCTOR WHO On April 17 a new era of the BAFTA-winning series, Doctor Who, premieres on BBC AMERICA. From new lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, the series follows the adventures of The Doctor, the mysterious traveler who, with his human companions, journeys throughout all of time and space, facing a variety of foes and righting wrongs. This latest series sees Matt Smith's debut as the new, Eleventh incarnation of the famous Time Lord alongside a new travelling companion, the enigmatic Amy Pond (Karen Gillan). Together they explore sixteenth century Venice, France during the 1890s, and the United Kingdom in the far future, now an entire nation floating in space. Doctor Who premieres Saturday, April 17, 9:00p.m. ET/PT. Doctor Who premiere episode is an extended version with limited commercial interruption. The series has episodes written by Richard Curtis (Pirate Radio, Love Actually) and Toby Whithouse (Being Human, Torchwood) and guest stars including Alex Kingston (ER, Flash Forward), JamesCorden (Gavin & Stacey, The History Boys) and Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo (The Secret Life of Bees, Hotel Rwanda) and Tony Curran (24).
And the new trailer looks epic! Can't wait!