John Carter Is Awesome

John Carter ~ In the year of The Avengers , there are only a few movies that I have been anticipating with the same tension and excitement as that of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. There is Battleship, which is more a curiosity than anything else, as in how can a flick based on a kids game have such an awesome trailer? There's also The Dark Knight Rises, which falls more into the morbid curiosity category. Regular readers know how much I absolutely hated The Dark Knight, so I am curious to see how much of a train wreck this one will be. And then there's John Carter. In some ways, I have been more excited about this one than The Avengers.

First things first, all you critics and naysayers and underage idiots who think it rips off Star Wars can all just go to hell. John Carter is awesome. The books, by Edgar Rice Burroughs about John Carter of Mars are now over a hundred years old. A century, idiots, so if anything, George Lucas was mining Burroughs, not the other way around. And that goes for everything else under a hundred years old the uneducated are saying John Carter rips off. This is the original, literally the great granddaddy of pulp adventure science fiction. Everything from Flash Gordon to Superman to Adam Strange to Avatar owes a huge debt to this property.

And the other thing, yeah, that thing, I don't want to hear any crap about box office. Yes, it was an expensive movie, and yes, it did not do well at the box office. The box office folks are talking about is domestic, John Carter did quite well overseas, where also apparently folks knew who the character was, despite the "of Mars" being removed from the title, but I'll get to that in a minute. The fact is not that the movie did do well financially, it just did not do the numbers it was expected to do, that's all. Let's look at the facts - John Carter has made more money than The Artist and Hugo combined. Does that sound like a bomb to you?

There were other problems. The project got orphaned at Disney/Pixar, as nearly everyone involved in marketing was no longer with the company when it came out. So Disney only gave it the minimum promotion a motion picture of its size, budget and content should have gotten. Disney had written the film off before it even came out, and in recent weeks has even admitted it. Feeling saturated by the PR blitz of The Avengers and Brave? Well, enjoy, that's John Carter's marketing money at work.

And then there's the title. Disney had a real bomb last year called Mars Needs Moms, and decided that the word "Mars" was bad publicity, and so removed it. These are also the geniuses who wouldn't call it A Princess of Mars (the book on which this movie is mostly based) because it would confuse the little girls (and probably the parents as well) in the audience. Not only is that just plain stupid reasoning, it's also ripping the heart out of the character. John Carter is John Carter of Mars, period. It's like calling a movie about Superman just "Man." And also if they had kept the "Mars" in the title, at least some of the folks who weren't aware of the character wouldn't have at least known it was scifi of some sort.

Despite all that that, despite all of this crap that has been piled on top of the movie - I loved it. I've seen it three times. John Carter is the best movie I've seen this year. Now don't get me wrong, it's not a great movie, and there's nothing original you haven't already seen somewhere else (it has had a hundred years to be ripped off, mind you), but it is a fun movie, and I really enjoyed the two hours plus I spent in the theater each time. There hasn't been an adventure like this is some time.

Based on the first novel A Princess of Mars, yet borrowing from later novels as well, John Carter stars newcomer Taylor Kitsch ("Friday Night Lights") in the title role, genre actress Lynn Collins as the Princess, and Willem Dafoe brilliantly voice acting Carter's Thark friend Tars Tarkas. Rounding out the cast are two veteran actors from one of my favorite HBO series "Rome," Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, as well as Dominic West and Bryan Cranston who rule the screen while they're on it.

I loved this pulp adventure of a Civil War vet transported to the otherworldly Mars to fight for and against its various peoples. I read these books as a ten year old at the Camden County Library when it was part of the long gone Echelon Mall, thanks to my reading enabling big sister. They were great then, and great now, as I read the first book again before seeing the movie. A friend of mine called it adventure porn for ten year old boys. I don't find that all that offensive, I think it's right on target actually.

John Carter is a fun adventure flick - don't believe anything the naysayers tell you, go see it, go see it now.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2012

The Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan this year, at the end of May. For those unfamiliar with the phenomenon, it is similar to "American Idol," but predates it by several decades.

Over forty nations, mostly from Europe, but some from Africa and Asia, enter one original song into the contest, and over two semi-finals and one final, all of those nations vote by phone or computer for their favorite. The trick? You cannot vote for your own nation's entry. The winning nation hosts the contest the following year. Past winners and contestants have included ABBA, Katrina and the Waves, Lordi, Cliff Richard, Nena, Lulu, Johnny Logan, and Celine Dion.

Here are four more entries from the first semi-final:

Albania: "Suus" by Rona Nishliu



Romania: "Zaleilah" by Mandinga



Switzerland: "Unbreakable" by Sinplus



And Belgium: "Would You?" by Iris



While Albania and Belgium present some of the same old ballads that invariably both bore audiences and also win the contest sadly, Romania and Switzerland are more with the spirit of the mad dancey eurotrash tunes that embody the spirit of Eurovision. I kinda like Romania as an early fave, and the Swiss entry is growing on me.

The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast for the Week of 3-28-2012

The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast is shot live every week at All Things Fun! - the area's best comics and gaming store, located in West Berlin, NJ.

Co-hosts Ed (Secretly a Mutant) Evans, Allison (DC Girl) Eckel, and Glenn (Honorary Avenger) Walker discuss the new comics out this week in two fun video segments, in wicked high definition, and available on the YouTube. See it here!

Discussion featured in this brand new extended episode includes: The big Avengers Vs. X-Men costume dance event at All Things Fun!, Avengers Vs. X-Men #0, The Vision is the fo-shizzle, Secret Avengers #24 by Rick Remender, Allison loses it, more 'vengin' comics, Daredevil #10 by Mark Waid, Moon Knight #11 by Brian Michael Bendis, Allison tackles FF #16, Ed's Marvels and X-titles, X-Men Legal, Aquaman #7, Firestorm needs a hand and an editor, All-Star Western #7, Teen Titans #7, The Flash #7 by Francis Manapul, the rest of the New 52 DCs, The Walking Dead #95, Archie marries everybody, Dorothy of Oz Prequel #1, indies, kids comics, and trades.



Be sure to check out the thrilling new All Things Fun! website, and the All Things Fun! Blogs, by Allison and Glenn, and ATF! on YouTube.

Special thanks go to Dina Evans who keeps us all in line, and on the straight and narrow, and runs the show from behind the scenes. And be back here every Wednesday (or Tuesdays at midnight) to watch the new broadcast, and thereafter throughout the week!

Eurovision 2012 Is Coming

Yes, it's that time of year again, time for the annual Eurovision Song Contest. Today, I'm giving you a peek at the first four entries from the first semi-final on May 22, 2012.

Competing for Montenegro: "Euro Neuro" by Rambo Amadeus



For Iceland: "Never Forget" by Greta Salome & Jonsi



Greece: "Aphrodisiac" by Eleftheria Eleftheriou



And Latvia: "Beautiful Song" by Anmany



Greece is always a fierce competitor in Eurovision, and it looks like this year is no exception. Latvia's song is growing on me, mostly because it's about Eurovision. There are many more to come. We'll see what happens.

Marathon Man

Marathon Man ~ This is actually, just by weird coincidence, my second John Schlesinger and Dustin Hoffman movie this week. Like Midnight Cowboy, Marathon Man is an interesting time capsule that maybe doesn't hold up as well. Midnight Cowboy still holds its own as representative of its era while Marathon Man comes off lacking its initial impact and in fact feeling dated. It's the 1970s, but it's not as timeless and is showing its creaks and groans.

Based on the book by William Goldman, who also wrote the screenplay, this tale of runaway Nazi dentists, smuggled diamonds, and the slacker graduate student caught in the middle just isn't as hard hitting as it was in 1976. Roy Scheider, the king of the seventies, has little to do, while Hoffman does a bad naive Benjamin Braddock imitation throughout, and William DeVane's best bit is when he recites the plot aloud in super speed. Scheider is wasted because the screen feels so empty when he's not there, and it similarly feels that that is the only times the direction appears skilled and careful.

The grueling scenes of torture between Hoffman and Laurence Olivier, what the film is remembered chiefly for these days, are all that still stand up. These scenes are horrifying. I often have conversations with folks who won't watch horror but do watch things like this. I don't get it, I really don't. Olivier as a Nazi scares the crap outta me, yet I laugh at Freddy Krueger. And the Nazis were/are real. It's the real monsters that scare me. The scariest movie I ever saw was The Incident, about two hoods terrorizing a subway car full of innocents. No boogieman there. I just don't get it.

Marathon Man is a good thriller for its time, just don't see it before a dentist appointment.

Chat with Novelist C. Hope Clark Tonight

I have been interviewing writer C. Hope Clark of Funds for Writers in The Writer's Chatroom on a regular basis now for nearly a decade. She is a wonderful lady, a terrific writer, a font of amazing writing knowledge, a mentor, a friend, and now, a novelist.

Tonight I will be interviewing her about her just released first novel, Lowcountry Bribe, the first book in the Carolina Slade Mystery Series. So please come on by the chatroom here tonight at 7:00 PM EST to find out more about the book, the author, and the world of writing.

Here's more about Hope: C. Hope Clark is founder of FundsforWriters.com, a well-known writer's reference for grants, contests, markets, publishers and agents for the serious writer. The website and newsletters have existed for a dozen years and been recognized by Writer's Digest Magazine in its 101 Best Websites for Writers for eleven of those years. 42,000 writers receive her newsletters each week.

She's published in Writer's Digest, Writer's Market, Guide to Literary Agents (by Writer's Digest), The Writer Magazine, as well as multiple trades, glossy mags and numerous Chicken Soup books. She's interviewed often by both writing and business websites and speaks to writing conferences throughout the United States. Her book The Shy Writer: An Introvert's Guide to Writing Success, continues to sell steadily.

She is also author of The Carolina Slade Mystery Series. Lowcountry Bribe is the first in the series published by Bell Bridge Books. The mysteries describe federally employed Carolina Slade's sleuthing abilities throughout rural, rarely seen South Carolina settings, facing crimes not found in your typical mystery.

Hope Clark lives in rural South Carolina, on the banks of the beautiful Lake Murray, amidst her wildlife and gardens, alongside her federal agent husband and chickens.

Hope to see you tonight!

Game Change

Game Change ~ I always have trepidations when liberals make a movie about conservatives, especially in the vicious and hostile environment the two sides have existed in the last few years. And I'm not taking sides either, I feel the same way about movies made by conservatives about the liberals. The problem of course is that the latter films are never really that good or get that much exposure. An American Carol might be the exception to that rule, but even it is very heavy handed.

I have discussed several times the sheer quality of the programming on HBO, and Game Change is no exception. The story of Governor Sarah Palin's rise and fall during the 2008 Presidential Election is an amazing rollercoaster ride, and by amazing, I mean it in both the good way and the bad way. The film does well in showing that, we see the good and the bad, but sometimes, just sometimes the humor in the script can be quite cruel. I think that was a bit unnecessary. It's all about show don't tell, folks, I think we all know what kind of person Sarah Palin was during the Election.

Other than Woody Harrelson, who I have trouble keeping a straight face whenever he's in a movie, the cast is first class. Julianne Moore is great as Palin, except when she goes over the top, which is thankfully not often. Ed Harris and the rest of the ensemble cast turn in admirable performances. Well worth watching, just don't take it, or your own politics that seriously, when you're watching it.

The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast for 3-21-2012

The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast is shot live every week at All Things Fun! - the area's best comics and gaming store, located in West Berlin, NJ.

Co-hosts Ed (Shazam) Evans and Glenn (Captain Marvel) Walker (the much-missed Allison will be back next week) discuss the new comics out this week in two fun video segments, in wicked high definition, and available on the YouTube. See it here!

This first segment includes discussion of the following topics: The Big Avengers Vs. X-Men Event at ATF!, Justice League #7 by Geoff Johns and Gene Ha, more Flashpoint trades, Green Lantern Corps #7, Batman #7, comics of the future, 'chick' comics, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents V2 #5 (of 6) by Nick Spencer, Wes Craig and Michael Choi, Neal Adams' Batman Odyssey V2 #6 (of 7), Catwoman's day after, and the rest of the DC New 52.



The discussion continues here in segment two including: Fables #115 by Bill Willingham, Tiny Titans #50 by Franco and Art Baltazar, kids comics, Kick-Ass 2 #7, Supercrooks #1 by Mark Millar and Leinil Yu, Amazing Spider-Man #682 by Dan Slott, Invincible Iron Man #514 by Matt Fraction, Avengers X-Sanction #4, Deadpool #52, the X-titles, indies, and trades.



Be sure to check out the thrilling new All Things Fun! website, and the All Things Fun! Blogs, by Allison and Glenn, and ATF! on YouTube.

Special thanks go to Dina Evans who keeps us all in line, and on the straight and narrow, and runs the show from behind the scenes. And be back here every Wednesday (or Tuesdays at midnight) to watch the new broadcast, and thereafter throughout the week!

Lost Hits of the New Wave #14

"Can't Stand Losing You" by The Police



Back in the days before MTV, or before everyone except me had cable television and MTV, I would seek out every possible avenue to see music videos. Long about 1980, 1981, those avenues were few.

There was a program called "Rockworld" that aired on the pre-Fox channel 29, on the UHF dial for all the old folks reading, and that was one outlet for pre-MTV music videos. It was an hour long and would feature one or two artists or bands per episode, and there really weren't that many episodes, and they repeated them often. This was where I saw many of the early videos by Adam and the Ants, DEVO, Van Halen, the Pretenders, and The Police.

The Police videos all looked they had been filmed on the same day, and quite possibly with a single budget. Besides "Can't Stand Losing You," one of my all-time favorites, there was also "Walking on the Moon," "Message in a Bottle," and of course, "Roxanne."

Midnight Cowboy

Midnight Cowboy ~ This is the movie that changed the way people thought about movies, and it was also the first and only X-rated film to win the Academy Award for best picture, although the X rating meant something a little different back then than it did later on. It cemented Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight as the stars of the 1970s, and it forever placed the song "Everybody's Talkin'" in people's heads when walking in crowds in New York City. It also features two of film's most memorable characters, and one of its most quoted lines, "I'm walkin' here."

Based on the 1965 novel by James Leo Herlihy, written for the screen by Waldo Salt, and brilliantly director by the legendary John Schlesinger, Hoffman and Voight lead an all star ensemble cast through a tour of the seedier side of New York, a Time Square that no longer exists, and the darker side of life that still haunts us. At its core, it's a tale of friendship and desperation.

The real feat of Midnight Cowboy is bringing life, thanks to the expert direction and the performances of the actors, to two almost cartoon-like characters - naïve hustler Joe Buck and the infamous Rico 'Ratso' Rizzo - amazing. You actually grow to love them and their relationship so much that the ending may bring you to tears. This is truly one of the best films of its era, and a definite game changer. Recommended.

Lost Hits of the New Wave #13

"Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners



This song, and "Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats, is one of the reasons I started this "Lost Hits of the New Wave" project. It really bothered me how these two songs are usually what folks who weren't there, think the new wave is all about. There was so much more, and so much that has been sadly forgotten. It's not just "Safety Dance" and "Come On Eileen."

"Come On Eileen" hit huge in the summer of 1982 in the United States, filling the number one spot in the charts between Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" and "Beat It." Like most acts of the era, Dexy's Midnight Runners had already had several hits in the UK. The group at this time, was led by Kevin Rowland, who would eventually take lead billing over the Runners, and also included the addition of a fiddle section called The Emerald Express.

The album "Too-Rye-Ay" also introduced a new look for the band, a kind of ragged gypsy farmer fashion that was unique at the time. I remember the first time I saw the music video for "Come On Eileen" was on "Dancin' On Air," and the host made much of asking the kids what they thought Dexy's Midnight Runners looked like. One kid said he thought they were all shiny like ABC. Most were surprised.

"Come On Eileen" was followed up in the States by two more songs from the album that went nowhere, making "Eileen" a true one hit wonder. The Runners broke up after another album, multiple hits in the UK, and even attempted a couple reunions. Supposedly there is a new album in the works, with the latest release date June of 2012.

Cain and Mabel

Cain and Mabel ~ This is one of those movies with stories from behind the scenes are far more interesting than the movie itself. This classic 1936 romantic comedy, a remake of the silent 1924 The Great White Way, stars a pre-trademark moustache Clark Gable and the infamous Marion Davies in the title roles.

The not so cleverly titled Cain and Mabel is the tale of a rising Broadway star who crosses paths with a prize fighter and rub each other the wrong way, so much so that they, duh, fall in love. The number of great songs and dance numbers are countered however by the terribly staged boxing matches. These folks should have had Rocky to watch back then for inspiration. Still, it's fun, and daffy Davies is a delight to watch.

For those not in the know, actress Marion Davies was the mistress of William Randolph Hearst, and he paid for and/or demanded certain casting choices in the film. Gable was 'loaned' from another studio, and certain leading men who found Hearst's mistress attractive were banned from parts.

Marion Davies, even without her benefactor's money, was a talent all by herself. Her comedy training and below average dancing skills were bonuses for this role. And even though this was early Gable, he still demonstrated that air and power that would dominate screens in years to come. Their lack of chemistry however undoes any magic they have separately. It makes it a love story that only works when the two lovers aren't together.

All in all, this is a fun 1930s frolic that's worth a watch. Check it out.

The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast for 3-14-2012

The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast is shot live every week at All Things Fun! - the area's best comics and gaming store, located in West Berlin, NJ.

Co-hosts Ed (Hand of the King) Evans, Allison (Zenescope Girl) Eckel, and Glenn (Real Head of Hair) Walker discuss the new comics out this week in two fun video segments, in wicked high definition, and available on the YouTube. See it here!

This first segment includes discussion of the following topics: Green Lantern #7, Deathstroke still not a pirate, Frankenstein and the Humanids, Suicide Squad #7, Batman and Robin #7, Legion Lost thoughts, Batgirl #7, Superboy #7, Demon Knights #7, the rest of the New 52 DCs, Fantastic Four #604, fun with audio including Avengers #24 and Avengers Assemble #1, and multiple Zodiacs.



The discussion continues here in segment two including: Punisher #9 by Greg Rucka, Journey into Mystery #635, Incredible Hulk #6 by Jason Aaron, Captain America #9, Ant-Man for kids, Ed's X-titles, inside Kitty Pryde, Allison's Zenescope Comics, pantsless fairies, Robert Kirkman's free pass, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #7, Knights of the Dinner Table #184, Ed's indies, Game of Thrones goodies, kids comics, trades, and glasses.



Be sure to check out the thrilling new All Things Fun! website, and the All Things Fun! Blogs, by Allison and Glenn, and ATF! on YouTube.

Special thanks go to Dina Evans who keeps us all in line, and on the straight and narrow, and runs the show from behind the scenes. And be back here every Wednesday (or Tuesdays at midnight) to watch the new broadcast, and thereafter throughout the week!

Vote for Ace Kilroy!

A message from the creators of Ace Kilroy:

Dear Friends of Ace -

Dan and I are proud as punch to announce Ace Kilroy has been nominated for an Eagle Award, the comics industry longest-running award. Out of the dozens of entries that were in the initial round earlier in the year, it was announced today we made it to the final five contestants and are now officially nominated.

Voting is now open, so we implore you to head over to the Eagle Awards official ballot: http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/nominations/ ...and vote for Ace Kilroy in category #19, Favourite Web-Based Comic.

Dan and I have been doing Ace Kilroy entirely on our own, and just receiving this nomination is a thrill. If we were lucky enough to win, it would be a huge PR push for us, and would help get the word out about the strip to literally thousands of potential new fans.

Voting is open NOW, and ends April 2nd. Please show your support for us and Ace Kilroy, and spread the word about the nomination far and wide.

Thank you for your continued support, and wish us luck!

Rob & Dan
Creators, Ace Kilroy
http://www.acekilroy.com
http://acekilroy.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ace-Kilroy/161251120624209
https://twitter.com/#!/AceKilroy
http://acekilroy.tumblr.com

The Lorax

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax ~ I learned to read very early, thanks to my big sister, starting with Dr. Seuss favorites like "Hop on Pop," "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish," "Fox in Socks" and of course the classics like "The Cat in the Hat" and "Green Eggs and Ham." And although I quickly graduated to comic books, and then real books, I never lost my love of the Doctor (in this case, Seuss, not the guy with the TARDIS).

Though I had never actually read the book I do distinctly remember my first encounter with "The Lorax." The night the animated version premiered on CBS I was allowed to stay up later than usual to watch it. I was interested but not very because I thought that previous TV versions of Seuss' work, excepting the Grinch, we're inferior to the source material. Yes, even at seven, I was nurturing a critical mind.

I had not just a critic's thought process, but I was also pretty hip to propaganda, even if it was positive propaganda. I had seen the Justice League fight pollution and promote ecology in the comics, and it had hit a sour note with me. It's not that I don't believe in the causes, I do, it's just I'm very against being fed a message in lieu of a story or characterization. I saw that hand at work in "The Lorax." The bottom line is I don't mind being educated while I'm entertained - I just don't want to be preached at.

Which brings all the way back to 2012 and the movie Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. The Bride and I saw it in 3D, so we spent far far too much to get in. By my estimation, this would have been fine in just plain 2D. There's still a message here in this expanded tale of the Lorax, but really not enough to annoy me. Trust me, it's still there, but nothing like Lou Dobbs and other conservatives have exclaimed (and did I read right, did they call "The Lorax" a novel?). It is clear, not at all subtle, but not overbearing either.

Instead I got to enjoy the fun relationship between Ted (Zac Effron) and Audrey (Taylor Swift), watching Ted escape the city in interesting ways, and hearing the moral yet endearing story of The Once-ler (Ed Helms) and the appropriately annoying (here at least) Danny DeVito in the title role. There is also the predictable role for Betty White. No offense, honey, I love ya, but it's getting old. There were a few pointless scenes, like the chase at the end with the seed. I almost wanted to yell at the screen, "Give it to Wall-E, he'll keep it safe!"

All in all though, it was good, and non-offensive. Add a fun original soundtrack (no excuses for only two nominees in the Best Song category at next year's Oscars) and you have yourself an entertaining hit movie. I don't have a good record with Seuss properties turned into films (note the Grinch and Horton), but this one's a winner.

Moebius 1938-2012

French art legend Moebius passed away today.

He was born Jean Henri Gaston Giraud. His illustrations revolutionized French, Japanese and American comics and influenced art around the world.

He was created Blueberry, The Airtight Garage, Azrach, and co-created the magazine Metal Hulant, which was published in America as Heavy Metal.

We have truly lost one of the world's greatest artists, comic or otherwise. Moebius will be missed.

Arkham Asylum at Biff Bam Pop!

It's March Madness at Biff Bam Pop! and that doesn't have anything to do with brackets, unless they are brackets on barred doors keeping the insanity in. March Madness on the BBP! site is all about madness in all its forms.

My latest contribution is a short tour of the prison hospital outside DC Comics' Gotham City - Arkham Asylum - housing some of the Batman's most fearsome, and most mad, super-foes. You can check it out here.

The madness doesn't end there however, you can check out all the stories for March Madness at Biff Bam Pop! here.

Quicksand!

Quicksand ~ I bet you never knew Mickey Rooney made a film noir, did you? This lost flick from 1950 stars Rooney as a good old American kid, almost a grown up Andy Hardy without the smarts who wants to take a flashy girl, played by Jeanne Cagney (Jimmy's sister), out and impress her. He sneaks twenty bucks from the register at work, fully intending to return it the next day, and chaos ensues. She's not the innocent girl she seems, and is involved in shady dealings, including the creepy and fearsome Peter Lorre who runs the local arcade.

Though for the most part forgotten, this is a pure example of film noir, as our mostly innocent protagonist falls deeper and deeper into a criminal whirlpool of quicksand, thus the title. Taken from Cornell Woolrich story and deftly played by the cast, this film was also one of the first to feature product placement - keep an eye out for Pepsi and Bit-O-Honey.

Quicksand does have two failings, and they're not all that bad, and of course I'm excluding the, er, intriguing fashion of the time. It suffers from the Woody Woodpecker syndrome of "None of this would have happened if only he'd gone to the police in the first place." Also, it's hard to ever forget that Mickey Rooney is anybody other than Mickey Rooney. Still, it's an intriguing time capsule, and a great lost film noir.