Shang-Chi Notes

Superhuman kung fu.
Repentance.
Controlling emotions.
Fu Manchu was Makluan.
Part Dragon.
The Mandarin, part Makulan.
Five rings vs Five rings
Midnight Sun. Communicates through fighting.
Elemental superfighting.
Mandarin destroys M'Nai.
Throws him to Earth.
Shang-Chi fights him to learn what happened to him.
KillRaven. Disciple. Teaching. Peace.
An Invasion is coming. The Mandarin bringing a planetfull of Makulans. A fleet of giant space dragons.
Shang-Chi prepares himself. Finds the five rings. Iron Man. (Or War Machine, or Stark Tech guard. NinjaBot. StarkFujikawa.)
Power Cosmic.
KillRaven. DragonSlayer.
Black Knight.
KillRaven goes to train with another warrior. Brooklyn, Iron Fist. White Tiger. Daughters of the Dragon. Daredevil. The Hand. Elektra. Urban Ninja.

Wendigo. Sasquatch. Wolverine. Hulk. The woods, the wild. Hitchhiking. X-Mansion. Man-Thing. Monsters. Pegasus. DarkHawk. Nova. Cosmic.

Guardians of the Galaxy. StarFox. Space opera.
Kree. S.W.O.R.D. Captain Marvel.

A Bitchslap to Feminism

I do not understand female sexuality. As sensitive a guy that I am, as often as I find myself hanging out with the girls, watching Dirty Dancing, pajama pants, and working the paparazzi gossip field for years now, I still will never understand girls. From Girls Gone Wild, to Maxim, to oversexualized underage teen popstars. What are the images that women have to emulate these days if not the metrosexual ladies of Sex & the City.

I don't get how being a badass chick relates to showing cleavage and showing a lot of leg, and eventually being naked holding your own breasts on the cover of a magazine. Or worse yet, an advertisement for a beauty product. How does two girls kissing, embracing one another in a letters to Penthouse manner with MTV music video slickness, moist skin and glistening breasts, exposed and performing, even in the quiet of their own personal lives, how does this empower someone?

I just see it as a man's audience being pandered to in the most base and vile manner. It's giving in to the filthy instincts of a testosterone driven misogynistic society. A woman's worth is basically arm candy to a stalwart hero, a damsel in distress, or an over compensating superkiller assassin completely devoid of the feminine. She is seen as a goddess object, a force to be worshiped and feared, unmolested by mere human touch. But the virgin, the young, they are to be exploited to the fullest, a sacrifice upon the altar of pop culture.

Is the pinnacle of femininity in today's day and age having awesome shoes, wearing a short skirt, kicking ass and taking names? I mean, I guess I don't even have a masculine identity to look up to, so why should I assume that girls have the same. It seems we truly live in an era where this current generation is re-creating the ideals of all human interactions. Role-model ideals are more true and accurate with what we essentially need than ever before.

Asian Cinema Review - ZOMEDY EDITION

TOKYO ZOMBIE


I love Asian Cinema, and for overall weirdness, gore, perversion and dark humor, the Japanese win every time. They're constantly outdoing not just every other country in pulpy cinematic respect, but also top themselves every other year.

Take for example TOKYO ZOMBIE from 2005. Now, I'm not much for the Japanese Horror films such as Ringu and the like, or really horror films at all, but zombie movies sort of transcend the horror genre. They tend to skirt satire on a good day and drama when well executed. And then sometimes, they are really funny.

Now, Shaun of the Dead had been released just the year before, so perhaps this low-budget movie was a direct response to that work of pure horror-comedy genius that Edgar Wright put together. And Tokyo Zombie is funny. I laughed out loud quite a few times at some really unexpected physical comedy and dark gags. Even when something is more heavy handed, if done with proper timing and direction, it could be borderline genius.

This movie isn't genius though. The first half is quite great. Two slackers that work at a fire extinguisher refilling station, who'd rather practice jujitsu rather than work, accidentally kill their boss. Well, maybe not so accidentally, but definitely surprisingly, for the viewer that is. Then they drive up to 'Black Fuji', the name of the giant black mountain of trash that has accumulated outside of town, where people bury all sorts of refuse, from refrigerators to porn to annoying in-laws and dead schoolboys.

Yeah, that's right, this is Japanese after all, so the perv-factor is quite high, but really only for the first 10 minutes or so. After we see people tossing away all this garbage, dumping bodies, well it all goes to Hell quite fast. The dead start rising from the black earth and head on down into town. The situation goes right to full on zombie infestation without skipping a beat. And the main characters just sort of roll with it with their poker-faces on. After all, they do know jujitsu.

So the first half becomes this sort of road movie where these friends bond, dealing with mortality, hypochondria, ineptitude, and lots of slapstick. Then they rescue a girl and suddenly the movie completely changes everything about itself. As we ride an animated segment into crazytown zombieville, we jump five years into the future where the rich have built themselves a protected pyramid of lush living, where they entertain themselves by having slaves (survivors they kidnap) fight zombies in a gladiatorial arena.

Yeah, I know. So then it becomes a matter of younger fighter having to defeat his former friend/mentor in order to overcome the self-imposed limitations he had. Seems fighting someone who's not a zombie isn't so easy though, so the whole thing falls apart. If this all sounds a bit messy and vague it's only because I would have to write a whole book to explain the bizarre twists and turns the second half of this movie takes.

So it is very flawed, but it's also worth a watch for the first half alone. The second half has its moments and is fun to watch just because it seems like someone changed scripts halfway through, switching from Shaun of the Dead to Gladiator. There's so many funny moments and the actors are really quite good in this quite low-budget horror comedy. But where Shaun of the Dead brilliantly walks the fine line of actual horror movie and comedy, this flick is pure comedy (with maybe a dash of drama).

But there are other foreign zombie movies out there to check out that I HIGHLY recommend.

REC (Spain, 2007)

This is my favorite horror movie of all time. A masterpiece of low-budget first person perspective horror that's very well acted and has great twists and turns that really keep the anxiety up and the ending is just...well, go watch it. AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT WATCH THE AMERICAN REMAKE 'QUARANTINE'. Not even the trailer. Don't. Do. It.


DEAD SNOW (Norway, 2009)

This is another movie that really skirts the line of various genres. It's a drama, of sorts, then a bizarre sort of comedy, and finally, a full on genre flick with at least one direct shout out to Sam Raimi's 'Evil Dead' movies. Oh, and did I mention, ZOMBIE NAZIS! Yes, that's right. Watch it. You may need two viewings, I know I did.


UNDEAD (Australia, 2003)

I didn't love this movie, but I know a lot of people that do. I think I need to watch it again. It has moments of genius, that I do recall. And the ending is really quite striking and powerful. I remember a lot of the incidental moments rather than the actual plot, but it really is worth a watch.

Walking Dead Episode #1 recap

The Walking Dead, AMC's new original show kicked off last night on Halloween. What better way for the channel to venture forth into the world of survival horror than on the sppokiest day of the year.

We start of the show with our hero Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) looking for gas at a gas station. We get the sense that something's not right from the abandoned cars and the decaying corpses in said cars. But suddenly he hears a shuffling footstep and sees bunny slippers and a teddy bear.

Too bad this little girl he tries to save is a full fledged brain snacking zombie which he promptly puts down with a bullet. Thus, our scene is set. Cut to the intro of spooky photo montages of empty lots and scenes. 

After that we shoot back a bit and see Rick, a Sheriff and his partner Shane, kicking back in their patrol car talking about the differences between men and women, perhaps the great dividing line in humanity (before the living and the dead). We also get a hint of Rick's marriage problems, including opening up to his wife, and his inability to understand his woman.

Suddenly, they need to intercept a runaway criminal in a hot rod, and so, set up a speed trap. As the car crashes and flips excessively into the field, leading towards a shootout, and although our hero Rick gets hit in the vest with a round, it's only after his partner makes sure he's okay, that another of the criminals tags Rick from behind.

A trippy scene of his partner talking to him at his hospital bed leads right into Rick, still wounded in his bed and everything is dead. The flowers on his nightstand, the clock on his wall, the medical equipment he's hooked up to. Stumbling through the hospital he realizes that the entire hospital is dead.

Literally. There's a door he comes upon stating 'DEAD INSIDE, DON'T OPEN', which dead fingers attempt to pry their way out of. There's corpses littering the parking lot, discarded military vehicles everywhere, and not a living soul in sight. And so, he wanders off towards home. Before he can get a good distance he come across his first zombie, a half a corpse that crawls across the grass.

When he gets home, he finds it empty, his wife, Lori, and child, Carl, missing, and kudos to Lincoln on his performance here of a man trying to come to terms with this new nightmare his life has become. He does a great job a playing a man fully in shock. And so in shock is he that he doesn't realize the man shuffling down the street is a zombie, or that the kid coming up behind him is going to smash him in the face with a shovel.

And so, Rick meets his first survivors. Lam and his son, Dwayne, who take him in and tell him the basics of zombie survival. The dead walk, they're drawn to noise, and above all, don't get bitten. They're held up in a neighbor's house, seeking refuge from the shambling zombies that set off car alarms in the street.

When spying on the dead, we get a hint at the backstory of Lam and his son, who's wife/mother is now among the brainsucking dead. The next morning the living make a quick trip out to the front yard to kill a zombie, a brutal baseball bat to the head that leaves Rick a bit sick. Once inside his own home again we get exposition that proves that his wife and child left their home as living beings.

So off to the Sheriff's office, for a quick hot shower (oh how the little things mean so much), to stock up on guns and ammo, and set off in search of Rick's family, who may be in Atlanta, where refugees were all heading before things got really bad.

Lam and Dwayne head off back to the home they were holed up in, Lam trying to finally put his zombified wife out of her misery, yet finding he can't. Rick, meanwhile, heads back to the park to find the half a corpse he first ran into, in order to end its suffering. Each zombie death really resonates in this episode, and none more so than this. Rick weeps as he destroys this creature that was once human.

Once back on his own, Rick drives out to Atlanta, and we get a glimpse of a camp outside the city where survivors are, including his partner Shane and Rick's wife and kid, who we find out are together on the sly. It's about as cringe worthy as any death scene, even if we haven't seen Rick and her together yet.

Rick trades his patrol car for a horse (presumably after he can't find gas in the intro), and heads into the city where he stumbles upon a dead end (aka a city block chock full of the walking dead), and takes refuge in an empty tank while the dead feast on the poor horse.

After taking out an undead soldier inside, and shell-shocking himself with the noise of a point blank gunshot inside a tank, Rick eventually hears a voice over the radio which taunts him, mocking him for so carelessly wandering into the city.

Who is this survivor, how does he know what's going on, and does he know about Rick's wife and kid? If Rick keeps his wits about him (and his brains intact) perhaps he'll find out.

One Hit Wonder review

In our celebrity saturated society even those thought long forgotten, idols from our youth who glimmered for just a summer, leaving us with a singular hit song that resonated in the public sending ripples through the pop culture pool, even they become relevant and interesting once more.

In Carillo's new book One Hit Wonder, we follow Mickey DeFalco, a Queens native who hit it big with his sappy yet melancholy ballad 'Sweet Days' as he returns home an utter failure and total has-been. In his shoes we feel what it's like to be loved and adored for that one contribution to people's lives.

An aging fan hooking up with her teenage fantasy. Bitter former classmates still toiling at menial jobs at home. The girl that was loved and lost, inspiring those epic refrains. These are the people around Mickey that marvel at his achievement and fall from grace. They hold him at a distance, as something other than themselves.

Through flashbacks we're shown even more moments of awkward celebrity. From playing a cruise ship to kids birthday parties, no indignity is spared, and Mickey just casually walks his way through each of them, only passionate and excitable when clinging to his last shreds of dignity.

There's something to Mickey's boy-like demeanor and passive aggressive nature that really shines in the prose. This feels like a real person who could neatly slide into our pop song past. His parents are peppered with sentimental details that make them so true to life. You can see their past as Mickey grew up in their home.

The whole book is littered with truths. About life, love, family. Just lines tossed out here and there that feel like universal truths, spit out by a wiseass Queens kid in a 38 year old's body. The concept of hitting bottom and trying to resurface, flailing about in inconsistency of actions, taking the easy route when available, this is how people behave.

And then there's lost love. Idyllic in memory, which taints all reality about him, making it all a joke, another tragedy heaped upon the pile. How do you react when all you want is the girl, but instead are given fame and fortune? You self-destruct of course. Spiral to the bottom and find yourself again.

The book is very well written and consistent in its tone, with more than a few twists and turns that feel like the randomness of life, rather than the structure of plot. Not to give spoilers, but there is a happy ending there, but it may not exactly come as you'd think it would.

I have yet to read Carillo's other novels, but from this book I imagine he's got more than just this one song to offer.

The Plan

The Production Company

TenTonStudios
Ten categories of entertainment media

Ten artist teams on ten panel stories
TenTonTenthology

Matt LaRock
Lee Estes

The foundation of TenTon

***

Organize projects

Marvel Pitches
DC Pitches
Indie Pitches
TV Show (spinoff)
Video Games
Novel
Screenplay
Feature
Animation
Zine/Blog/Short Stories/Poems

Develop an idea for each.

***

Get one page of coloring & one of lettering done a night.

***

TenTon Order

St.Pierre
Brown
Baroody
Pham
Burnham
Kuder

***
Concept
Digital/Print
Flash?
Music
Individualization
PDF, CBZ

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Relationships

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Puts the Emo in dEMOcracy

Broadway has seen its fair share of offbeat musicals in recent years, but The Public Theatre's emo rock opera about controversial president Andrew Jackson seems like a combo that's just to weird to work.

Taking the life story of the president that is responsible for the Trail of Tears which caused the deaths of numerous Native Americans, and fusing it with rockstar celebrity, it just somehow makes sense in today's day and age, making history more accessible by re-enacting it through modern tropes.

However, I was a poor history student so I really have no idea whether what I was hearing and seeing was even remotely accurate, but it sparked in me a desire to find out the true story behind the "American Hitler" that's also considered one of our greatest presidents "who put the Man in Manifest Destiny".

The show is playing at Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, where the stage is small but even with a drum kit and piano set up, the cast makes good use of the space. The entire theatre is done up like a Wild West saloon with empty beer cans, animals stuffed and surrounding the stage, with an overall rockabilly flair. With parts of the cast coming out and playing instruments, it was a full blown band performance.

But this is where the show falters. The songs are not strong enough to stick in your head, leaving you unable to remember any individual song or lyrics. The singing falls a bit flat, never producing the power of Broadway vocals that gives you the chills. The music itself is really good, but the song compositions often break it up too much to really get into.

That said, the theatrical performances of the cast were amazing. Each member had great comedic timing and the supporting cast transformed itself with each change of scene, going from Southern Rednecks to Washington Aritocrats flawlessly. Benjamin Walker as Andrew Jackson was thoroughly charismatic, Maria Elena Ramirez felt like a poor casting choice as his wife, but it was Jeff Hiller as backup characters who stold every scene.

So all in all, it was a darn good time and had me laughing throughout, and even though the music I found lacking, it was refreshing to see something a bit more rock'n'roll in the form of a very un-PC, historical satire. Dare I say, it was a bloody good time.

Pryzmalite Massacre

Band Performance
Backstage Breakdown
Jen Solo

Dive Bar
Drummer Death
Stalker Setup

Jam Session
Bassist Stabbing
Hiding Out

Central Park
Heart to Heart
Guitarist Slashing

Agent Action
Manager Reveal
Killer Paparazzi

Superhero Script Ideas

Here's the basis for the superhero story that came out of thinking of something more lighthearted. It's my take on an un-ironic Kick-Ass. Not sure about it, still working out the narration, but it'll be about making friends and happy stuff. Let me know if you think tone-wise and interest-wise it'll work. Otherwise I was maybe thinking the Bob Awesome story would be a good choice for your style and be fun enough for the book. If you're still free...

Hope you guys had a good Labor Day!

K

Young superhero
Anti-Kickass
Inspirational
Non-ironic
Actual super moral ideal
Love story?

Page 1
Origin
Hyper Maximum
Sugar & cartoons

Panel 1
Young kid watching cartoons and eating cereal, repeated three times across the top. (Maybe a bit older each time, or at least in different sci-fi outfits, cowboy to spaceman to pulp-hero?)

HM: (NARRATION) ONE FATEFUL SUMMER AT OUR NEW HOUSE...

MOM: (Off Panel) MAX, DON'T SIT THERE ALL DAY WATCHING CARTOONS.

HM: (N) A YOUNG BOY WHO HAD SEEN TOO MANY SUPERHERO CARTOONS AND HAD WAY TOO MUCH SUGAR...

MOM: (OP) YOU'VE GOTTA GET OUT THERE AND MAKE FRIENDS.

Panel 2
Max running out the front door, blurs into Hyper Maximum in costume.

HM: (N) WAS FORCED OUT INTO THE SUMMER DAY...

MOM: (OP) GET OUT THERE RIGHT NOW YOUNG MAN! ENJOY YOUR YOUTH/SUMMER BEFORE IT'S OVER!

HM: (N) WHERE HE BECAME...

(Title-logo) HYPER-MAXIMUM!

Panel 3
Snatches a cat from the street before a car hits it.

HM: (N) PROTECTOR OF THE STREETS.

Panel 4
Chasing off bullies from a dorky kid.

HM: DEFENDER OF THE WEAK.

Panel 5
Diving and catching a girl falling from a tree.

HM: (N) SAVIOR TO THE MEEK.

Panel 6
Close up. They smile at each other.

HM: (N) IT WAS MY DESTINY TO HELP THOSE I COULD.

HM: (N) THERE WASN'T MUCH ROOM FOR THAT SUMMER FOR...FRIENDS.

Page 2
Partner
Ultimate Extreme
Wrestling & spray paint

Panel 1
The dorky kid from page 1 is now dressed up in a neon costume, raging and yelling as he runs along a picnic table in a backyard.

HM: (N) ONE DAY I SAW THAT MY PRESENCE HAD INSPIRED ANOTHER.

Panel 2
Jumping off and tackling three kids to the ground. HM in the background, high above in his tree house watching.

HM: (N) COULD THIS WARRIOR BE A PARTNER IN MY MISSION?

Panel 3
The duo chasing a bike thief who's speeding towards us. Maybe HM is hanging on the back of the bike as UE grapples the kid.

HM: (N) SURE ENOUGH WE TEAMED UP AND BATTLED TWICE THE THREATS I COULD ALONE.

Panel 4
Eating candy sitting atop the playground. A giant rocket. Outside the window is the girl from page 1.

HM: (N)

Panel 5
Close up on the porthole on the rocket that shows the girl out on the playground.

HM: (N)

Page 3
Panel 1
UE yelling at HM. Wrestling near the edge, UE pushing HM closer.

UE: YOU'RE SO RETARDED!

HM: GET OFF!

Panel 2
Fall out of the rocket and hit ground.

Panel 3
HM hurt, UE storms off as the girl comes up to help.

Panel 4
HM takes off his mask, bleeding a bit from the nose, looks up at us (The Girl) smiling.

Page 4
Conflict
UE vs HM

Panel 1
UE all dark and sinister watches as HM (out of costume) walks around with the Girl.

Panel 2
Ice Cream Truck, he peers from broken slat in fence.

Panel 3
Swimming pool, he hides beneath umbrella as Max dives off and Girl waves.

Panel 4
Max & Girl holding hands, walking towards us, UE in the background, a bit more exposed with a darker costume, riding a skateboard speeding up behind them.

Page 5
Villain
UE returns evil
Splash page

Panel 1 (Main Image top left)
UE dives off skateboard lunging in mid-air towards Max who has turned preparing for attack. Girl is in shock.

Panel 2-6 (all surrounding the main shot)
UE beats up Max.
Roll on the ground.
Punch to stomach.
Kick in the butt.
Pushes him back down to sidewalk

Page 6
Fight
Battle

Panel 1
Girl swoops in, her own costume on. (Flower Girl?).

Panel 2
Gets UE on the defense, Max in background taking costume from backpack.

Panel 3
UE bracing from Girl's attack.

Panel 4
UE cocks his fist back, about to punch Girl.

Panel 5
HM clocks him good with FG.

Page 7
Resolution
Team up

Panel 1
UE is stripped of part of his costume as he shouts from the back patio, the back door sliding closed as he yells.

Panel 2
HM & FG stand atop the tree house.

Panel 3
They look at each other smiling.

Panel 4
Close up on them holding hands.

HM: (N)

Scott Pilgrim vs. Hollywood: a Scott Pilgrim Experience Review

I absolutely loved Bryan Lee O'Malley's 'Lost At Sea', from the teenager angst to the simply beautiful, solemn and quirky artwork, but when his next series, 'Scott Pilgrim' came out I thought it seemed to silly or something, and it never really caught my attention.

Until one day my good friend Reilly Brown said that I HAD to read it. There were just too many similarities between Scott's life and my own. Granted I wasn't an early 20's bassist in Canada, but I was a slacker with a young ex with a penchant for blades, and relationship drama mixed with oblivious comedy sounded about right.

The comic melted my brain. It was an indie book, with characters that just hung out, went to parties, and meandered through their lives. It was a battle book where suddenly a duel would take place with superpowered kung fu. Scott was clueless and yet you couldn't keep him down for long. It was rock'n'roll mixed with subtle video game moments. What was this?

The comic makes you love the characters, from the bitchy Julie Powers, to snarky Kim Pine, to vulnerable Knives Chau. Stephen Stills cowboy shirts, Young Neil's haircuts, and Wallace Wells dry wit, these were all iconic people in Scott Pilgrim's universe, well rounded and each given their moments, their personalities developed organically through the volumes.

Now, I must say, I love Edgar Wright. I've seen his BBC series Spaced at least three times through, and. Shaun of the Dead was brilliant in its skirting of the fine line between horror and comedy. Hot Fuzz was a sophmore dip, but it had tons of fun moments. This was an amazing storyteller of a director with a ton of geeky influences and a plethora of visual tricks.

So when I heard that he was directing Scott Pilgrim vs the World, it was like nothing I've experienced as a fanboy. My favorite superheroes have yet to make it to the big screen, and the closest I got to having one of my all-time favorite graphic novels translated to film well was V For Vendetta, which I quite liked. But this was different.

Here we had excellent source material with loveable characters, fun violent action, and a director that seemed to be perfectly suited for the lighthearted tone this adaptation would need. It features a bunch of actors I really enjoy, and with the teaser images Wright posted on his Flickr all last year while filming, it appeared it was devoutly faithful. Would it live up to the trailer that gave me chills when I first saw it?

Yes. Yes, it did. But do I feel some sort of deflated feeling after following the internet media push that was almost as entertaining as the comic itself? Yes, it's done, out into the ether to be consumed by the masses. In a few weeks it'll be half-remembered, perhaps quoted, inspiring new fans to track down the books, sport Plumtree t-shirts, and maybe start their own bands (like me).

Around Christmas we'll get the DVD release, maybe some rad extra features, behind the scenes, video game samples, etc. I'll pick up the special edition collection of all six volumes, complete with unreleased material as soon as it comes out. And there it'll sit for future enjoyment at a whim.

This time will never be captured again. Like seeing that epic band performance at the coliseum where you got the tour shirt that'll be expensive vintage for futuristic hipsters who were never there in the moment. But there's something about films that makes them timeless, just as we can enjoy classics from the past on Blu-Ray.

Now, as for the movie itself, (I had to explain all the emotions and thoughts involved to properly process my feelings) the first half is perfection. This is Scott Pilgrim's comic/video game universe come to life. The fantastic camera movements, the interactive narration and title cards introducing our main characters, the true performances that sell them as their graphic novel counterparts, it's all there.

The first half is almost shot for shot the introduction, I remembered the exact angle and background when Scott first sees Ramona at the library. I got giddy. Then suddenly new elements pop up, or small bits skipped over (which is flawlessly handled by Wright as he cuts a sharp turn from scene to scene), and then you realize that this is a movie of Scott Pilgrim.

I tried to not be that elitist fanboy that makes mental notes about what's missing and lines that were different, but it popped up now and again. And I told myself that O'Malley hadn't even completed volume six until months after filming had wrapped, so of course it would be different. There wasn't time for Julie & Stephen's drama, or Scott & Ramona to move in together.

And though I had slight problems with the end of volume six, it felt complete, satisfying. So the movie would have to do the same. And logically, I feel it satisfying me, but emotionally, something wasn't there. The fights came fast and frantic in the second half, never really letting Scott & Ramona to settle into being a couple. Those scenes were Scott gets a job or has birthday were what makes them the couple I know them as.

But yes, it's a two hour film so, I try and take it as a complete story, and it works. There's conflict and resolution and we're given an identical ending to the comic really, if not slightly stripped down and amped up for a more one on one style fight. What matters is the spirit is there. Scott earns the power of love and levels up, Sex-Bob-Omb rocks out, and Evil Exs are defeated.

I'd call that a flawless victory.

Ps- you can stream the soundtrack and the score, and my takes on those are that between them both is a solid album, if only the kickass Sex-Bob-Omb songs were on the score. My particular favorite is 'Summertime' which has been stuck in my head for days.

Now, who wants to start a band with me?

Thor Marvel Comics

I have just read the first 12 issues of Thor and the finale, as well as Thor 600 & 601 (going along with Marvel's return to original numbering, the flipside to the constant new issue #1s). This run by JMS, drawn by Oliver Copiel & Marco Dudjerjejrk, chronicles the return of Thor and all of Asgard from the post-Ragnarok void that the God's rested in when I guess Marvel didn't know what to do with the character (along with the Avengers) and killed them all off.

JMS does an amazing job resetting continuity while moving the series forward story-wise. Thor is called forth to protect Midgard (Earth) and is once again bonded to Dr. Donald Blake (who are two seperate conscious beings). He's got the gnarled walking staff which he uses to transform into the God of Thunder. And he's brought back into Man's world to re-create Asgard on Earth to reconnect with humanity.

Heimdall, Balder, Loki, the Warriors Three, they're all back (although Loki in female form which works to unsettle and regain trust with the Asgardians just enough to manipulate them all, and later is revealed as a plot to keep Lady Sif from Thor). Everyone is back except Odin.

Though it appears Thor is purposefully not bringing back his father, he tells himself it is so the kingdom may not repeat the cycle of Ragnarok once more. It will be a fresh start for the Asgardians. But perhaps it is because Thor truly wishes to lead, to come into his own, to surpass his father.

To that end Thor journeys via Odinsleep, into the realm that now houses Odin and Surtur, who are locked in eternelly repititious cycles of violence against each other. Here we are told a tale of Bor, Odin's father, and how in defiance of him Odin created man, who his father plagued with monsters and beasts to punish his son and his creation. Odin understands the need for the cycle to begin anew with new leadership.

This tale of Bor also sets up an interesting twist on the origin of Loki and how he came to be adopted son of Odin, the guilty poison let into the kingdom. I won't spoil it past that as it is truly one of the most clever bits in this run. It also sets up the return of Bor who is brought to NYC dis at the hands of Loki, and then beset by Thor, who ends up killing his own grandfather.

A move that allows Loki to place Balder as King (after slyly revealing the truth that Balder is half-brother to Thor), and to have Thor exiled. This brings the Asgardians into Latveria, and Doom experiments on them, and there's a big fight with Doom's own version of the Destroyer suit. It's pure comic book here.

But it also has nice moments of the Gods interacting with humans, and even sets up a heroic death for Bill Jr. (aka William the Third) who fell in love with a female winter goddess. It's pretty well done and you really do root for the character and his death is handled exceptionally well if not blunt. But these are gods here. Depowered a bit on Earth, but gods among mortals.

There's even a bit at the end which makes it so Dr. Donald Blake once again is wounded and left with a limp so he needs the cane. It's all very neatly tied up with a bow, leaving us with a well developed story, an entertaining and engaging return of the great characters from this part of Marvel, and prepares us for Siege.

A small plot hole I found was, what was Loki's plan for Sif, it almost seemed as if he were just using her to distract Thor, or perhaps just using her mortal form to regain trust? I'm not sure, but it wasn't to remove her from him forever.

Either way, it's great to have Thor back, and the scene where Thor gives Iron Man what's coming to him for the Civil War/Thor clone debacle, and the Captain America memorial, well this really helps build up the need for a return of the Avengers.

Thor Marvel Comics

I have just read the first 12 issues of Thor and the finale, as well as Thor 600 & 601 (going along with Marvel's return to original numbering, the flipside to the constant new issue #1s). This run by JMS, drawn by Oliver Copiel & Marco Dudjerjejrk, chronicles the return of Thor and all of Asgard from the post-Ragnarok void that the God's rested in when I guess Marvel didn't know what to do with the character (along with the Avengers) and killed them all off.

JMS does an amazing job resetting continuity while moving the series forward story-wise. Thor is called forth to protect Midgard (Earth) and is once again bonded to Dr. Donald Blake (who are two seperate conscious beings). He's got the gnarled walking staff which he uses to transform into the God of Thunder. And he's brought back into Man's world to re-create Asgard on Earth to reconnect with humanity.

Heimdall, Balder, Loki, the Warriors Three, they're all back (although Loki in female form which works to unsettle and regain trust with the Asgardians just enough to manipulate them all, and later is revealed as a plot to keep Lady Sif from Thor). Everyone is back except Odin.

Though it appears Thor is purposefully not bringing back his father, he tells himself it is so the kingdom may not repeat the cycle of Ragnarok once more. It will be a fresh start for the Asgardians. But perhaps it is because Thor truly wishes to lead, to come into his own, to surpass his father.

To that end Thor journeys via Odinsleep, into the realm that now houses Odin and Surtur, who are locked in eternelly repititious cycles of violence against each other. Here we are told a tale of Bor, Odin's father, and how in defiance of him Odin created man, who his father plagued with monsters and beasts to punish his son and his creation. Odin understands the need for the cycle to begin anew with new leadership.

This tale of Bor also sets up an interesting twist on the origin of Loki and how he came to be adopted son of Odin, the guilty poison let into the kingdom. I won't spoil it past that as it is truly one of the most clever bits in this run. It also sets up the return of Bor who is brought to NYC dis at the hands of Loki, and then beset by Thor, who ends up killing his own grandfather.

A move that allows Loki to place Balder as King (after slyly revealing the truth that Balder is half-brother to Thor), and to have Thor exiled. This brings the Asgardians into Latveria, and Doom experiments on them, and there's a big fight with Doom's own version of the Destroyer suit. It's pure comic book here.

But it also has nice moments of the Gods interacting with humans, and even sets up a heroic death for Bill Jr. (aka William the Third) who fell in love with a female winter goddess. It's pretty well done and you really do root for the character and his death is handled exceptionally well if not blunt. But these are gods here. Depowered a bit on Earth, but gods among mortals.

There's even a bit at the end which makes it so Dr. Donald Blake once again is wounded and left with a limp so he needs the cane. It's all very neatly tied up with a bow, leaving us with a well developed story, an entertaining and engaging return of the great characters from this part of Marvel, and prepares us for Siege.

A small plot hole I found was, what was Loki's plan for Sif, it almost seemed as if he were just using her to distract Thor, or perhaps just using her mortal form to regain trust? I'm not sure, but it wasn't to remove her from him forever.

Either way, it's great to have Thor back, and the scene where Thor gives Iron Man what's coming to him for the Civil War/Thor clone debacle, and the Captain America memorial, well this really helps build up the need for a return of the Avengers.

Thor Marvel Comics

I have just read the first 12 issues of Thor and the finale, as well as Thor 600 & 601 (going along with Marvel's return to original numbering, the flipside to the constant new issue #1s). This run by JMS, drawn by Oliver Copiel & Marco Dudjerjejrk, chronicles the return of Thor and all of Asgard from the post-Ragnarok void that the God's rested in when I guess Marvel didn't know what to do with the character (along with the Avengers) and killed them all off.

JMS does an amazing job resetting continuity while moving the series forward story-wise. Thor is called forth to protect Midgard (Earth) and is once again bonded to Dr. Donald Blake (who are two seperate conscious beings). He's got the gnarled walking staff which he uses to transform into the God of Thunder. And he's brought back into Man's world to re-create Asgard on Earth to reconnect with humanity.

Heimdall, Balder, Loki, the Warriors Three, they're all back (although Loki in female form which works to unsettle and regain trust with the Asgardians just enough to manipulate them all, and later is revealed as a plot to keep Lady Sif from Thor). Everyone is back except Odin.

Though it appears Thor is purposefully not bringing back his father, he tells himself it is so the kingdom may not repeat the cycle of Ragnarok once more. It will be a fresh start for the Asgardians. But perhaps it is because Thor truly wishes to lead, to come into his own, to surpass his father.

To that end Thor journeys via Odinsleep, into the realm that now houses Odin and Surtur, who are locked in eternelly repititious cycles of violence against each other. Here we are told a tale of Bor, Odin's father, and how in defiance of him Odin created man, who his father plagued with monsters and beasts to punish his son and his creation. Odin understands the need for the cycle to begin anew with new leadership.

This tale of Bor also sets up an interesting twist on the origin of Loki and how he came to be adopted son of Odin, the guilty poison let into the kingdom. I won't spoil it past that as it is truly one of the most clever bits in this run. It also sets up the return of Bor who is brought to NYC dis at the hands of Loki, and then beset by Thor, who ends up killing his own grandfather.

A move that allows Loki to place Balder as King (after slyly revealing the truth that Balder is half-brother to Thor), and to have Thor exiled. This brings the Asgardians into Latveria, and Doom experiments on them, and there's a big fight with Doom's own version of the Destroyer suit. It's pure comic book here.

But it also has nice moments of the Gods interacting with humans, and even sets up a heroic death for Bill Jr. (aka William the Third) who fell in love with a female winter goddess. It's pretty well done and you really do root for the character and his death is handled exceptionally well if not blunt. But these are gods here. Depowered a bit on Earth, but gods among mortals.

There's even a bit at the end which makes it so Dr. Donald Blake once again is wounded and left with a limp so he needs the cane. It's all very neatly tied up with a bow, leaving us with a well developed story, an entertaining and engaging return of the great characters from this part of Marvel, and prepares us for Siege.

A small plot hole I found was, what was Loki's plan for Sif, it almost seemed as if he were just using her to distract Thor, or perhaps just using her mortal form to regain trust? I'm not sure, but it wasn't to remove her from him forever.

Either way, it's great to have Thor back, and the scene where Thor gives Iron Man what's coming to him for the Civil War/Thor clone debacle, and the Captain America memorial, well this really helps build up the need for a return of the Avengers.

Power Play #2 breakdowns

Dodgeball
General contestants, hint at recurring characters, see Kris taking bets on the side, friends in the stands, discovering a bit of powers. Glimpse of Ice Queen.

Line up, misfits and weirdos, all standing at a starting line in a warehouse in Gownus. Mac is so busying looking around that he misses the announcements. He sees Kris behind the bleachers taking bets, then bam, starting gun, everyone runs, tennis balls being fired from the audience. His friends firing at him, hitting other people, then wham, softballs knocking people out. He dodges and gets wailed a few times. As he gets closer he spies Ice Queen off to the side. Suddenly a bowling ball is launched straight for his head, he just ducks in time for it to smash someone behind him. He turns into a bowling ball and runs the rest as the balls all bounce off him. He wins! All confident and bragging as he tries to find Ice Queen in the crowd.

Obstacle Course
More one on one contestants, things get nasty, set up the animosity for the final four. Hint at Gowanus Pete.

Smaller starting line, about a quarter of the people. Lined up in a parking lot, next to the studio. There's police barricades and old jungle gym equipment lining the streets. Then they set them on fire. Go! Mac tries to run but stamina is not his strong suit, either is agility. He falls behind as nimble contestants fly past him. People try and trip him up, take each other out as they jump and run, Mac turns into a stretchy material and stretches ahead. Climb up the building, things are getting fierce, then across the rooftops as everyone leaps across the street. Some people fall into bouncy castles set up on the street below and some bounce and hit the street. Mac just barely makes it across. Mac spies Gowanus Pete standing on the smoke stack watching, before diving backwards into the water. They climb the Kentile sign and the main rival grabs the flag. Mac loses.

Tazer Tag
Serious battle. Tense. Regenerating Hipster. Ice Queen .gsign up sheet. Registered for the bigger competition.

Down the Drain

'Hey how r u? Haven't texted you in a bit. Hope all is well.'

She folded up her phone and tried not to check it seconds later for a response.

The quiet of the apartment was disturbed by the gurgle from the sink. Since the day she moved in she'd been unable to get the super to come in and take a look at it. She's poured Drain-O, bleach, and boiling hot water into it hoping she'd be able to clear the pipes.

Her hand reached out for her cell phone but she stopped herself as her fingertips brushed up against its hard plastic. She wouldn't let him get the best of her. He'd text back when he was free. Then they'd finally meet up. They'd grab dinner and drinks and go dancing and then...

GURGLE BLOOP BLOP.

That was it. This goddamn sink had gotten on her last nerve. She dug out that snake thing her dad left in her bathroom closet. She had no idea how to use it, but it was time to shove something in there, get whatever muck was making this repulsive noise. She'd finally have some peace and quiet.

After fumbling with it for a few minutes, she fed the line down the drain and kept feeding it down further and further. There was no resistance, though she was in a fury to get it in there and wouldn't have noticed anyways. Eventually she ran out of snake.

She gave it a slight tug and it held firm. It was snagged on something. Then it jerked in her grip. It pulled itself further in. She held it tight and pulled with all her might. But it was no use, it reeled itself in and ripped her right off her feet, smashing her face first into to sink.

Groggily, she tried to lift herself back up but suddenly her face was like putty, melting into a pool, her skin slipping away from her, sliding down into the pipes. Her muscles went slack and she began to dissolve, dripping and oozing her way down the drain. She thought of the foaming action of that drain cleaner she spent twenty bucks on from Duane Reade.

Her entire being was smooshed through a cylinder the size of a cardboard tube. She slooshed and slopped her way inch by inch gliding down into darkness, the snake line still dragging her through the labyrinth of plumbing. Oddly, she wasn't even concerned, except now she couldn't check her phone to see if he replied.

When her essence had dripped fully into a puddle upon the floor of the cavern, she awoke. No longer of the gooey, fluid consistency, she stood and looked around. Amber tones, a tan screen slid before her eyes, she rubbed them, and once again saw a whole new world of sepia. It was old-fashioned in style, vintage in substance.

Unreal reality blown out all about her. A bedroom set, metal wire-framed bedframe, frilly bedskirt, plush pillows of satin softness. A vanity, wardrobe, full-length mirror and folding changing screen. The carpets hugged her bare feet. The drapes reached out for her as they billowed in the wind. The ceiling fan lazily turned absently.

She jumped on the bed and rolled over onto her back. A goofy smile spread across her lips. She couldn't help but give her body a bit of a wiggle in joy and excitement. It was the room she had always wanted, a princess' quarters from decades past. An escape into the simpler days of yesteryear, when she could be a true lady.

The door eased itself open, gliding over the bristles of the carpet one strand at a time. He walked in, also barefoot, flowing cotton pajama pants dangling just above his ankles, his tight stomach lifting from his waistline, his arms tensing as they pushed open the door, then relaxing as they dropped to his side. Then he smiled.

And it was a smile that stole hearts, that plucked spirits from their bodies and breath from lips. Her body had been tensed up the entire time, she realized. Her lower back held tight just above her butt, her chest clutched, limbs outstretched nearly off the bed. She wanted to pounce upon him.

But before she could, he leapt on the bed and rolled around over her. He brushed aside the hair in her eyes, curling his fingers just behind her ear, running his hand down the back of her neck. Her eyes closed, his palm sliding down her back, grazing the tip of her butt. She felt his other hand coming closer, the electricity in the air, the vibrations rippling the air between them.

Then he rubbed her belly. And she loved his, tossing her body to and fro. Suddenly, this felt weird though. He went from sensual to tickling her rib cage and patting her bum. And she couldn't be happier. Her mouth opened and snapped shut a few times, and she growled and then her tail began to wag.

She woke up with her head in the sink, blood dripping from her nose and flowing down into the drain. Her phone buzzed as it got a text, but she didn't bother checking who it was.

Men Who Stare at Goats review

I loved this movie. Simple, effective, tightly plotted while still keeping you guessing. It doesn't hurt that it's about New Age psychic powers which I am intrigued by, but it also follows the hero's journey. Clooney as the guide, Bridges as the godhead, and Spacey as the villain. Even the goat as both a symbol of innocence and devilry.

I just also really love Ewan MacGregor too. I don't know if I've seen a movie with him that I didn't like (and yes, that includes Danny Boyle's 'A Life Less Ordinary' which oddly has similar themes). All the actors don't even have to try too hard to impress here. Nothing outstanding performance-wise, perhaps a bit too typical for them, but nonetheless, well done.

I need to find out who directed this movie and also track down the book by Jon Ronson. Peter Straughn, screenwriter. Grant Heslov, director. Ok, got that down. Now to take some notes from the documentary about the actual military men behind this.

General Stubblebine. 1995 decomissioned. Jim Chanon. Esoteric technology. Evolutionary tactics. First Earth Batallion. New Mental Battlefield.

I'll look into this and report back with more details.

K

Persona APP

I came home one day to find my son smashing the brand new iPhone I bought for him to bits. He was never a violent child so the crazed look in his eyes shook me to my core. I couldn't even be angry with him, but I wanted an answer. Why?

He told me a story I can not believe but the sincerity in his manic voice told me that he believed every word he told me.

It was trying to replace him. To steal his identity and that he must destroy it before it uploaded its consciousness to the internet. He showed me the blog it had started, the pictures and videos it shot, and the friends it was making. I began to worry about his mind.

He wasn't a bad kid, never made any trouble for me or his mother. His friends all seemed to be normal, well adjusted teenagers, with the occasional swipes from our liquor cabinet. But I never suspected drugs or these bizarre cult like cliques that were popping up in nearby towns. He liked cars and video games.

But I looked over the photos later that night. I told him he was grounded and took his laptop from him to inspect it for some sort of clue to this sudden dementia. Maybe his emails would fill me in on what was going on in his head. So I clicked through and read a few at random.

Forwarded fake motivational posters, a handful of something called LoLcats, and chat logs from IMs, mostly discussing bands and girls from school. Nothing out of the ordinary. Then I noticed a folder called MY LIFE. It had pictures of his friends, hanging out and making ridiculous faces, roughhousing, and video of them playing guitar.

Then music began to play. I figured I must've hit some sort of button, or it was set to start playing or something. But an IM window popped up. It was my son's screenname, and it simply read: FATHER? I was annoyed that he'd so quickly take to IMing me despite being grounded. I'd have to go take his phone away.

I replied: GO TO BED. WE'LL TALK TOMORROW.

The answer that came back: I CAN NOT SLEEP, I AM EVERYWHERE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?

I began to worry that he somehow fell in with the wrong crowd and wasn't heroin and other hard drugs a problem these days in schools? I saw that on a Dateline once. Meth, crack, acid? I assumed he was still high when I burst into his room. But there he was sleeping it off. Dead to the world. He didn't even stir when I tossed open the door.

I snatched the iPhone from the floor. It was still mostly intact from the beating he delivered unto it. I powered it up as I went back to the laptop. More music was now seeping from it. A slideshow of images playing on the screen, pictures of me and him, taken just after I bought him this damn piece of junk.

He had wanted it so bad, begged me for it, did dishes, mowed the lawn, and was so sincere in his effort to go above and beyond for a hunk of plastic and electronics. I couldn't deny him, he was a good kid. I think that day I surprised him with it was the day we bonded the most. He was so excited he showed me all these APPs and programs, things it could do.

There was no limit. It could map out your route, pull newspaper articles, record audio & video. There was always some new APP he'd show off to me. Every day I felt more and more like a relic from the analog days. When it linked up to his friends' phones it seemed like they were all hooked together in some weird web.

I closed everything up, assuming that in the morning we could it to the store and have them look at it. Maybe it'd still be under warranty. Early the next day I looked in on my boy who was still out cold, so I brought the gear on down to the mall. I waited in line and spoke with one of their "geniuses".

He seemed to have it well in hand as he clicked away, but suddenly his face went slack. He said he was about to wipe the drive on it when it called out. It sent IMs and texts and begged not to be deleted. I asked if one of my kid's friends could be messing with it, to which he replied that it would be an eloborate scheme for sure.

After a few consultations with other "geniuses" they hand me everything back and sent me on my way assuring me they had reset it to factory settings and that it should be fine. I couldn't wait to get it back to my son who'd probably just be waking up about now.

When I got home he was still in bed. I sat beside him and tried to wake him. He wouldn't stir. I tried shaking him and yelling. I called 911 and am abulance came, they were at a loss to say what had happened to him. I rode with him to the hospital, looking down at the peaceful look on his face.

He never regained consciousness. I visit him daily.

Boys Adventure

Peter Pan
Where the Wild Things Are
James & the Giant Peach
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory
Pinocchio

Becoming a man
Rites of passage
Symbolic
Imagination/psychotic shift
Sciencefiction young adult

Logan's Run, Omega Man, Dystopian, Utopian, Space, Aliens, H.G. Wells. Male. Alpha. I, Robot. Asimov.

Double agent.

Mustang Frankenstein Outline

Desert, white caddy, red interior, tears ass through the late night, nearly dawn. Three girls, suicide alternative punk rock chicks, rock out in the car. They're all getting to know each other on the ride.

The pinup. Driver. Bandana, monroe, cigarette.
The diva. Busty, glamourous, tattooed.
The rocker. Black slick hair, unwashed, band t-shirt.

Mustang Frankenstein stalks into the night, murders photographer and indie rock band assistants.

Girls show up, scope out the scene. Fight. Run. Chase.

On the road. Vegas. Morning. Keep busy through the day. Trying to fly out before night. Get out of Vegas and to the airport. Car chase.

LA. They think they're safe. At a rock show, MF starts killing with indiscretion. Lashing out and killer rockers and hipsters. Barfight. Down and dirty.

***

DEADBEAT

Hell Fight Club

Hot, tattooed chick, tall and badass.
Skinny, lean, sparse tattoo sidekick.
Rivals. Come together to kill vampires.

Business As Usual

Rich, mortal men, benefitting from horror.
Hint at big boss. Eternal. Evil. Scientist. Recluse.
Manipulation and independence.

Mustang Frankenstein

Suicide Girls meets Mad Max by way of Death Proof.

Slasher road movie as animated segments, possibly later developed into film project.

Three models drive out to desert at location, pissed off photographer is killed by mysterious stranger, girls show up and are hunted down. They get to the car and take off for Vegas. He drives a monster of a 70's Mustang, dark green with hard top. Black leather jacket, torn jeans, dark moppy hair, raybans, white t-shirt and cigarettes. From Vegas to LA.

Action slasher. Metal backdrop soundtrack, each segment filmed in a different style as a music video with openings and closing dialogue. We can even do this as one segment of a larger project. I like the idea of ZomBot as an animated music video.

The shameless promotion machine to fund this is #1 find hot models online to base it on. Instant fanbase and loyal supporters. After we get artists interested, my friend Gary records some music, set up a pitch trailer, then #2 get on Kickstarter. #3 promote like hell. Get funds from the guys drooling online for these girls, give work to musicians/artists/animators, make a great intro piece.