FRESH NEW KICKS (TOO)!

Voyage to the Bottom of the AWESOME!

I was home sick yesterday and took advantage of some in-between-nap couch time to put another classic sci-fi notch in my belt w/ a viewing of 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'. Co-written, produced and directed by Irwin Allen (master of 'disaster' genre w/ films like 'Earthquake' and 'The Towering Inferno' AND the the man behind some of the coolest TV ever in 'Lost in Space', 'The Time Tunnel' and 'Land of the Giants'), this flick had a little bit of everything.

When I say everything, I mean it has meteors, sabotage, a minefield, a hostile submarine, a young/nubile Barbara Eden shimmying in the mess hall, a giant squid, a giant octopus, a near-mutiny, an atomic missile, a religious fanatic, a shark attack and even a chain smoking Peter Lorre! Throw in a theme song sung by Frankie Avalon, who also appears in the film and...whew, that's an action-packed hour and forty-six minutes.

Irwin also proves to be a bit of a cinematic Nostradamus, as the major plot line is centered around Meteors piercing the Van Allen radiation belt, causing it to catch fire and make the world's temperature rise alarmingly each day. Sounds familiar, except for the meteors and radiation belt. Granted, the vision of 'global warming' to the extent the sky actually catches fire and the proposed solution of blasting it away from the Earth w/ a missile presented in the film, is just a bit off mark.

Regardless, it was a really fun flick. While not as loopy as the previously reviewed 'Latitude Zero', it's still worth throwing it in your Netflix que for when there are no new releases ticking your fancy. Take a look for yourself ('YOU ARE THERE!')...

SLOAN

'Parallel Play'

Wow. I mean, really...WOW. The Canadian torchbearers of the lost art of guitar/power-pop come from out of nowhere to knock my freaking tube socks off. I've been dabbling in the collected works of Sloan for years now, never quite the rabid fan that some of my most-trusted musical compadres are. After (finally) catching them live last Summer in a great show, I think I finally reached a point of teetering at the brink of true fandom.

Well, it looks as if their impending June release, 'Parallel Play', may just have pushed me over the edge. The previous album, 'Never Hear the End of It', had some decent tunes, but it's ambitious 30-song track listing proved to have just too much filler for me to be able to really get into. This release, however, is a laser-focused thirteen tracks full of both beauteous Beatles-esque balladry and flat-out arena-friendly rock. As they'd say on the classic rock station this album would not at all sound out of place on: 'all killer, no filler'.

Funny thing is, as much as Sloan's sound pulls from the past, it also sounds contemporary enough to find a place on any decent college station as well. The sheer strut of the jumpoff track, 'Believe In Me', is sheer pop rock goodness peppered w/ those vintage AM-Radio harmonies the band does so well. 'Cheap Champagne' wouldn't sound of place of on a Supertramp album, but somehow manages to still retain it's cool-ness. 'Emergency 911' is kind of an unnecessary punk rock pit stop, but gets back on track w/ the badass groove of 'Burn For It' and 'Witch's Wand' does a fantastic job in releasing the ELO fan buried deep inside of me.

For the four tracks thereafter, they channel the Beatles in a tour de force of lush, vintage sounding pop only to pick up the pace again in a barrage of hand claps and more sweet, sweet harmonies that would make Jeff Lynne blush on 'If I Could Change Your Mind'. Then, the track that absolutely sold me on how great this band can be and perhaps the greatest rock ode to the drag of adulthood since TPOH's 'I'm An Adult Now'...'I'm Not a Kid Any More'. I mean, c'mon...

'Once upon a time I was on the scene, an attitude and a jacket of jean.

These days i'm up to my ass in routine, another day another dollar.'

Awesome. Even more awesome, is that even though the album isn't officially released until June...you can check it out LEGALLY and guilt-free in it's entirety at the Yep-Roc records website HERE. Don't know for how long, so get your ass over there and rock the fuck out!

Too lazy, bitches?! You can taste the awesomeness in the sample area if you need further incentive. I'll be shocked if this doesn't reappear on the year-end favorites list...both mine AND yours.

Worth Remembering

Grandma and Grandpa paid us a visit this weekend, so we were able to catch a flick on Saturday night while they held down the fort. This time, the stars aligned and there was actually something we BOTH wanted to see...even better, it ended up being a great choice.

'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' was a romantic comedy that had something for both me and the Mrs. The film was infused w/ the appropriate amount of immature gross-out stuff usually found in any project w/ Judd Apatow's name attached to it, but had a nice little love story written by and starring Jason Segel in the main role.

Segel is great as the jilted boyfriend and the supporting cast does an awesome job in bringing the funny as well. Especially fantastic is Russell Brand, as the new guy in the former girlfriend's life...brilliantly laid-back, oblivious and daft done up in a British accent. Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis are equally as great (and incredibly hot) in their roles as the former vs. future love interests the movie revolves around. Rounded out w/ some Apatow stalwarts in Paul Rudd, Bill Hader and Jonah Hill, it's got both the cast and script to make it the total package.

Speaking of packages, the, errr, lengths that Segel goes to in this flick for a laugh deserves some applause...you'll understand what i'm talking about 10 - 15 minutes into the flick. A great comedic precursor to the upcoming bombardment of Summer blockbuster FX pics i've been geeking out over for the past few months. Definitely recommend checking it out.

Check Your (Bobble)Head!

I totally missed this back in December, but FUNKO announced their plans to bring its retro style to everybody's favorite MARVEL super-heroes and villians in bobblehead form! Since then, the initial launch of said MARVEL Wacky Wobblers started with...

...the Spiderman Series featuring Spidey, Green Goblin and The Lizard (not pictured), followed closely by...

...the Avengers Series featuring Captain America, Thor and Vision. So all Avengers are accounted for...

...FUNKO will also produce official bobble-heads for the eagerly anticipated Iron Man (in both Mach I and Mach II armour!) and Incredible Hulk movies!

The X-Men will also appear later in the fall for FUNKO w/ bobbleheads for Cyclops, Storm, Colossus and Wolverine. My hope is that a set for the Fantastic Four and a Doctor Doom won't be too far behind. Whatever the case, this is sooo best of both worlds for me. Bobbleheads AND superheroes...same league as peanut butter and jelly from where i'm standing!

M83

'Saturdays = Youth'

Again, meant to be a little more proactive w/ a review for this one, but better late than never. I remember when the Postal Service album, 'Give Up', first came out and in my recommendation provided to anybody who would listen...i'd always describe it as 'the soundtrack to the best John Hughes movie never made'. Looks like I was wrong...happily wrong.

I've always been a big M83 fan, ever since being drawn in by the album cover to listen to 'Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts' at a listening station in the now defunct Tower Records. I was blown away by how Mark Gonzalez could meld simple synths and drum machines into such an orchestral, expansive body of work...still am, actually.

On the ambitious follow-up, 'Before the Dawn Heals Us', less blip/glitch, more rhythmic structure and the addition of vocals showed a leaning towards a glossier (albeit occasionally spooky) synth-pop over it's more ambient predecessor. The results were equally as cool and hinted at things to come.

'Saturdays = Youth' somehow manages to be a throwback album of sorts, while retaining a freshness about it that removes any possible cliche in it's sound. The cinematic approach to sound rife on the previous album continues here, but more 'Sixteen Candles' than Michael Mann's 'Manhunter' this go around. While the almost pristine 80's aesthetic is there on both, M83 travels a more uncertain, optimistic road more akin to the latter.

Even down to the 'Breakfast Club'-esque album cover, this disc bleeds the stylized Hollywood conceptualization of life as a teenager. I don't know who 'Kim & Jessie' are, but 'they are crazy about romance and illusion'. As corny as that looks on paper, it makes for a great song and, really, even in real life...what teenager isn't? That cute goth girl from 5th period English gets a sweeping, uptempo shout-out on the awesome 'Graveyard Girl'. I just wonder if she was invited along for the musical last road trip of the Summer on 'Highway of Endless Dreams'? Perhaps, she was too busy sitting on a coffee table w/ the school jock and a birthday cake while 'Too Late' plays in the distance?

I totally understand how that all sounds exceedingly schmaltzy and not at all like 'real' life. Thing is, while trapped inside a hard shell of sarcasm and cynicism to protect yourself from the uncertainty of High School...didn't we all long for an escape from that reality? Escaping to a place where the geek really does get to make out w/ the head cheerleader and the football captain is best pals w/ the metalhead that skips art class to smoke cigarettes? Maybe that's just how I remember it.

Anyhow, it's a great trip and the whole 'straight out of a movie' vibe resonates clear down to the 11-minute final track that serves as the perfect 'closing credits'. It dropped last Tuesday and is available on iTunes or wherever you usually grab your music from. If you're still stuck in class, check out a sample until the bell rings in the orange box to the right.

Creepy Masks = Fun?

So, I remember seeing the original trailer for this on DVD some time ago and it piquing my curiosity back then. 'The Strangers' hits theatres on 20-May and, quite frankly, looks genuinely scary/disturbing in an 'original-John Carpenter's Halloween meets Wes Craven's Last House on the Left' sort-of-way.

I guess the just of it is, Liv Tyler and the 'WereVampire Dude' from the Underworld flicks are staying in an isolated vacation home and are terrorized by three unknown (and creepily masked) assailants. Nothing too original in theory, but the way it's filmed seems to indicate an above-average job in making it look spookier than hell.

I won't give it too much bearing, but the comment posted on imdb from someone who supposedly attended the premiere said it was a bang-up job in the scare department. You can see what you think by checking out both trailers via YouTube above.

Looks like a good time to me...granted, i'll be viewing it in a crowded theatre versus an isolated vacation home being terrorized by three unknown (and creepily masked) assailants. Shonuff.

This Looks Interesting...

Trailer for the Frank Miller ('Sin City, '300') helmed film version of Will Eisner's classic comic, 'The Spirit' is on the web...I think it was previewed at the NY Comicon over the weekend. One thing is for certain, based on Miller's work on the other two films I mentioned, it'll certainly be fun to watch visually...he does have a way of keeping the comic book aesthetic intact in his films.

On the 'Spirit' tip, I keep meaning to check out the 'Batman/The Spirit' crossover from a while back...the art was done by Darwyn Cooke, who i've become sporadically obsessed w/ after seeing his work on 'The New Frontier' from DC...

Cool Stuff. Hopefully, the flick is just as good looking...guess we'll have to wait until 2009 to find out!

Plus Old School Bonus Party Cut

To be clear, however...those Iron Man cups pale in comparison to the series 7-Eleven did back in 1975! I mean, they had a freaking checklist for the 60 different cups bearing the likeness of some of the Marvel Universe's favorite characters of the time...

Thank Heaven indeed! While you folks wrap your head around that, i'm signing off until Monday...heading down to EIU this weekend to hang out w/ fellow alumni from my fraternity. That's right, this self-professed geek is a card-carrying frat guy as well. Onion...layers...whatever. Peace out, true believers...KEEP OUT OF THE DISHWASHER!

P.S. Speaking of 'True Believers'...just for fun and to try and bring some music back into the mix, enjoy the most excellent tune of the same name from Bouncing Souls in the sample area.

Speaking of Comic Books...

There are several different things I enjoy about Summer and two of them are big budget Summer blockbuster movies and Slurpees. Even better, is when those two things combine in a joint venture of awesomeness. Well, 7-Eleven is promoting 'Iron Man' in their first major marketing effort of the year with a new Slurpee flavor, a frozen version of Pepsi's AMP Energy drink and some boss things to drink them with/out of.

Four multi-image, 3-D cups utilize actual film shots of both Iron Man, as well as his nemesis, Iron Monger. Rather than the usual single-image morphing into another single image, these cups feature multiple frames from the movie to enhance the action effect. In fact, the Iron Monger cup includes 24 actual frames from the flick to create some stellar looking graphics - something never done before. I know it sounds crazy to get so jaked about cups, but you do need to see these things...they look fantastic!

They are also offering a collectible, refillable mug featuring the red and gold helmet of the Mark III suit of armor and three different Slurpee spoon-straws with detachable Iron Man/Monger figurines that are pretty fun as well. Fun stuff. Oh yeah, the actual AMP Slurpee ain't too bad either.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

It's obvious that i'm just now really getting back into comics, as I had NEVER even knew it existed until receiving a heads-up just today from my man, Tully. Luckily, it's set to go down on 3-May (3 Saturdays from today)...so you and I have time to prepare.

An annual event, 7 years in existence, Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book specialty shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their stores. (Unfortunately) that doesn't mean you can just raid the shelves, but rather publishers apply to provide certain promotional comic books and other swag made special for the event at cost to retailers, who in turn give them away for free.

You can see which stores in your area are participating and get the lowdown on some of the comics being given away at the Free Comic Book Day website. This is a really cool concept to provide a warm-fuzzy to hardcore fanboys and introduce newbies to the experience alike...a novel concept in business nowadays.

I'm looking forward to seeing if I can nab the Simpsons book (above) if only for the cover. Doh!

Muxtape, FOOL!

'Soundtrack to Daleks Hovering Over Your House (An AMBFAD Muxtape)'
(Click the link above and just click on the song to play)

Man Or Astro-Man - Polaris
The Art Attacks - I Am A Dalek
Ice Cube - Wicked
The Hollywood Persuaders - Drums A-Go-Go
Pixies - I've Been Waiting For You
TheThree O‘Clock - Jet Fighter
Tom Glazer & Dottie Evans - Thumbnail Sketch Of Atomic Energy
Elvis Costello - (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding
The B-52's - Debbie
Esquivel - The 3rd Man Theme
Frida - I Know There's Something Going On
Sushirobo - Last Call

Plus Summer Blockbuster Bonus Party Cut

New 'Incredible Hulk' poster. Saw a pretty funny online fanboy version that had 'I Am Bruce's Seething Rage...' added in across the top. Ha!

On a side note, every time I see Liv Tyler's name attached to this flick, I think to myself how I can't believe they brought her back again as Betty Ross. Who would of thought that she and Jennifer Connelly could be so interchangeable in my mind? I mean, if you've seen seen J.C. in 'The Hot Spot'...you know just how different the two of them are. Doh!

Speaking of Speed Racer...

I know, I know...like I really need more toys. Eh, couldn't resist...it's the Mach FREAKING 5, for chrisakes! $15 at KB Toys and worth every penny. Still trying to decide if I need the Shooting Star as well...

Look, Matthew Fox may look like a goof in the flick, but even he can't tarnish the cool of Racer X...at least I hope not.

Here He Comes...

...here comes 'Speed Racer'. It's probably nostalgia getting the best of me, but the new-ish trailer is really peaking my interest. A few moments look exceedingly corny, but it's based off of a freaking cartoon. Hell, it actually straddles the line between looking like a cartoon and live-action.

We'll have to wait and see, but looks like a fun ride from this big kid's perspective. GO!

FOALS

'Antidotes'

A little late to the dance on this one, but not by that much. A lot of reviews lazily compartmentalize the U.K.'s Foals as 'math-rock' and while that may be true to some degree...it doesn't do the other facets of their sound justice. A little more melody and focus than their cohorts in the post-punk revival, Bloc Party and Futureheads, plus (IMO) a tad more fun to listen to.

I mean, the shared Gang of Four influences are front and center, but there is something else going down on their first full LP, 'Antidotes', that make it a little more accessible. Maybe it's what sounds to be a more polished approach...to the point where more than a few times I heard shades of Edge-esque early U2 in some of the guitar. Whatever it is, it works.

After some deceptively mournful wails of a few saxophones...the album hits the ground running (or maybe it hits the ground strutting) w/ the near ska punch-up 'French Open' and keeps sprinting forward w/ the powerfully angular (yet danceable) 'Cassius'. The delicate guitar that flutters over the stripped down tick-tock 'Olympic Airways' is gorgeous at times and the dark echo of 'The Race for Radio Supremacy' pulsates until giving way to a solitary wailing alarm. I really dig the build up in instrumental 'Like Swimming' that teeters between cacophony and calculation until dissolving into syncopated static.

There are a few moments where singer/guitarist Yannis Philippakis' yelping gets a sort of grating and I think I like them better when they have the pedal to the metal, so to speak...the slower tunes have a tendency to drag a little. I guess they ditched Dave Sitek's (TV on the Radio) original mix of the album due to overuse of reverb and i'm thinking it's the right choice...there is a crispness here, that the remaining sonic embellishments augment perfectly while never becoming overbearing.

A lot of energy and an exciting listen. You can check out one of the excellent singles, 'Balloons', in the sample area and decide for yourself. Then go buy it on iTunes or via your cooler record store. Speaking of said single..WILL HERMES, of Rolling Stone...it's 'we fly balloons on this fuel called love', not 'we fry balloons on a steel cologne'. Way to butcher a great line in your lazy review, jagoff.

Stop Buying Things!

BTW, I was sent to the mall to pick up make-up for my wife yesterday and ended up nabbing the poster above...and an official FUNKO Boba Fett bobblehead. An actual music review is in the on-deck circle for later today.

Weekend Update

I'm El Famous and you're not. Yep. Not that exciting of a weekend, but I did spend some quality time in front of the tube w/ 'No Country For Old Men' (fan-fucking-tastic) and Peter Jackson's 'King Kong' remake (just as fun on the small screen).

We had also intended to watch 'Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story' on Saturday, but Netflix sent us a bum DVD and it flipped out 10 minutes into the flick. Pfffft. Redemption came in the form of the 'Rock of Love 2' season finale (a Chicago chick wins again) and this little piece of cinematic brilliance courtesy of IFC...

RECOGNIZE! With bodacious visions of Pam Grier dancing in my head, I gotta' get some rest...going to be a helluva work week. I do have some good stuff to dish out though, so stay tuned. Dig?

You Know Where You Are?

NME is reporting that 'Chinese Democracy' has finally been delivered to Geffen records. I think I stopped caring at least 5 times over the past 13 years, so...whatever.

HEY, KOOL-AID...Nice Kicks.

I meant to post up w/ this back in February...Reebok and Kool-Aid paired up on some crazy-ass new kicks. They launched in 3 different 'flavors' (grape, cherry and strawberry) w/ the final 3 'flavors' (lemonade, lemon lime and orange) dropping this month.

Not only do they feature the mug of the walking-taking giant pitcher of powdered drink mix, Kool-Aid Man, and have the fly clear-plastic sole w/ the logo showing through...but they come packed with scent-infused sockliners to match the 'flavor' you've decided to dip your toes in. OHHH YEAHHH!

The collection was inspired by NFL star Laurence Maroney, of the Super Bowl-contending New England Patriots...but I just dig the brand tie-in. That said, as i'm not a huge Reebok fan, nor am I Ye or Cam'ron...there is no way I could get away w/ rocking such day-glo colors (well, maybe the cherry or orange).

You, however, can find the shoes at your favorite high-end sneaker shop and/or online dealer...prices ranging from $50 to $75. Me? I may just hold out for Adidas to pair up w/ the Funny Face drink mix posse. You just know that my man Goofy Grape knows what's up...

Doctor Who?

Looks like Season 4 of the new-ish BBC Doctor Who series will air on the Sci-Fi Network starting 18-April. I caught a decent handful of Season 1 in re-runs after we finally got digital cable, but (surprisingly enough) absolutely none of the other seasons afterwards.

Unfortunately, I just can't seem to get my time in front of the TV to jive w/ the BBC America and/or Sci-Fi schedule and, as I loved watching the original series on PBS as a youngster, it's kind of a bummer. As i've heard nothing but good things, i'll have to try and jump on board next week/play catch-up on DVD.

In the meantime, after languishing at the bottom since we joined several years ago, the first full-fledged feature 'Who' film 'Dr. Who and the Daleks' finally worked it's way up my netflix que and was waiting for me at home last night. As i'm kind of on a bit of a classic sci-fi kick lately, I was pretty jacked to give it a spin.

'Dr. Who and the Daleks' was released to huge success in the UK in 1965 and was the first of two Doctor Who films made in the 1960s. The film features Peter Cushing as Dr. Who and noted 'Carry On' star Roy Castle as his Granddaughter's boyfriend Ian. It was based on 'The Daleks', the second Doctor Who radio serial (and the first to feature the Doc's most famous nemesis). Filmed in brilliant Technicolor, notably, it was also the first Doctor Who story to be made in colour...the television series continued to be made in black-and-white until 1969.

However, seeing the metal baddies in various colors (depending on rank?) wasn't the only major difference between the film and the TV series. In the film version, the good Doctor is a is an Earth-born scientist and absent-minded inventor versus the more prickly, mysterious time-lord from another planet being played on TV at that time by originator of the role, William Hartnell. It's this major change in the story that set the films slightly outside recognized history amongst fans.

Regardless, the movie ends up being pretty fun and delightfully retro from a visual perspective. The story revolves around the Doctor and his crew accidentally piloting the time-traveling TARDIS to a planet ravaged by an earlier Nuclear war between the Daleks and the Thals. The remaining factions of both sides ends up clashing again w/ the time-travelers caught in the crossfire. The FX are just as endearingly antiquated as the TV show and it does nothing but add to the kitsch factor.

Hard to say if it would be as enjoyable to someone unfamiliar w/ the TV version, but it could be possible to enjoy it even more w/out the baggage of 45 years worth of history to cloud your judgement. As I said, it's avail via Netflix for you to see for yourself and the sequel, 'Invasion Earth 2150 AD' looks even better...

DAMN YOU, RYAN ADAMS!!!

I've spent 30 minutes (unsuccessfully) trying to embed a video of everybody's 'favorite' mad scientist of alt-country, Ryan Adams, interviewing everybody's 'favorite' elder statesmen/curmudgeon of alt- rock, Bob Mould, from his living room.

You can still enjoy that entertaining interview HERE, unless your 'favorite' elder statesmen/curmudgeon of alt- rock is Black Francics or Westerberg...then you can just watch the video above for 'Egøverride' anyway and/or go read a book, ya' nitz.

Props to everybody's favorite curmudgeon of e-rock, Analogman, for the heads up.

Horton Hears a...meh.

We actually had some friends volunteer to watch dos amigos diablos for a few hours on Sunday, so we decided we'd go catch a flick and some dinner. To start with, it was slim pickings to find something we actually wanted to go see and then line up w/ a showtime within our window of freedom.

Funny enough, we settled on 20th Century Fox Animation's take on the classic Dr. Seuss joint, 'Horton Hears a Who'. I know seeing what could arguably be called a 'kids movie', when given an opportunity to be away from the kids sounds a bit crazy...but it really ended up being the best looking option.

Anyhow, being both a Dr. Seuss and animation fan, I was actually kind of stoked to check it out. I'll spare a long-winded review, but all-in-all I was left a little underwhelmed. There are moments where the animation is really beautiful and stays true to the Doctor's wacked-out artistic vision that was the staple of his books. There are just as many other moments where it becomes a little fuzzy and lost in all the action.

Then, when paired w/ some (surprise) ham-handed voice work from Jim Carrey...wooden performances from Steve Carrell, Seth Rogen and (WTF?) Carol Burnett...a cheesy, unfunny musical # at the end...the whole thing kind of ended up merely 'okay' to me. There were some funny moments and fun stuff from Isla Fisher, Amy Poehler and (especially) Will Arnett...but it wasn't enough.

Throw in that 'Horton Hears a Who' is one of the more cerebral Seuss stories, I think the kids might end up a little bored w/ it too. While worth renting to find out, i'd just tell you to hold onto your scratch for another couple of weeks until the Summer movie season begins. Granted, I don't how your toddler would do w/ 'Iron Man' on the big screen...but i'm sure as hell looking forward to it.

I Wore My Sneakers, but I'm Not A Sneak.

Mindset Media, a media company that examines personality traits of different consumers, recently released poll results that claim that people who buy more than three pairs of sneakers a year are 61 percent more likely to have the qualities of a modern leader.

Said qualities were defined as having 'ideas and vision, and a style with others that is both inclusive and decisive.' Most of the time, I can barely figure out what I want for lunch each day...but I think they may be on to something.

On that tip, i'd like to give props to my girl (MON!) in Los Angeles for posting up on her blog about the recent (PRODUCT) RED media show room event HERE. Lots of cool stuff for an even cooler cause, but one new bit of news in particular really caught my eye and helps to substantiate the 'sneaker = leader' equation above.

The fine folks at Converse have been involved in the initiative since the jump-off. I'm actually wearing a pair of (PRODUCT) RED Chucks I designed online a year or so ago as I type this. Cool enough, yeah? Well, it seems now they are rolling out something called the 1HUND(RED) initative, featuring 100 different artists from around the globe designing 100 unique pairs of kicks...all in celebration of the artisitc spirit and to help fight the AIDS crisis in Africa.

You can see a few examples above from Lena Corwin, Camilla Engman and Meghan Berckes and there a few more on their website (link in the STUFF I DIG section to the right). Remember, 10% of the wholesale price will be paid to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria...so lead by example, look good while doing it and GO RED!

HELLS YES!!!

The full theatrical trailer for 'Hellboy 2: The Golden Army' is now making the e-rounds all over the web. I was already stoked for it's release, but this version has put me in a geeked state on par w/ 'The Dark Knight' and 'Iron Man'. Hitting theatres on 11-June...just a week before my birthday. Sweet.

Still Hangin' Tough? NKOTB to Reunite?

Is the tour sponsored by Chess King?!

Latitude: Zero...Stars: FOUR!

I reveled in an absolutely blast of a film last night via Netflix and had to share. 'Latitude Zero' is a bonafide sci-fi/action-adventure classic from TOHO Films...the same Japanese company that brought you the 'Big 5' of daikaijũ (monster) movies in Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla and Rodan.

The film was the last collaboration between director Ishiro Honda and special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, the duo responsible for the original 'GODZILLA' and most of TOHO’s other classic monster movies. The story (using the word story very liberally) was written by Ted Sherdeman, writer on the 1954 science-fi/horror gem, 'Them!' and featured a cavalcade of stars in Joseph Cotten, Cesar Romero and TOHO favorite, Akira Takarada. I mean c'mon...the creative team behind 'GODZILLA', a dude from 'Citizen Kane' and The Joker from TV's 'Batman'?! What more could you ask for?

Well, how about super hi-tech submarines w/ lasers, guided torpedoes and holographic projection? Not enough? What if I throw in jet-packs, gloves that shoot sleeping gas/flames/laser beams and a hot tub that makes you impervious to bullets? Still not enough? If you act now, i'll add giant rats, evil man-aardvark-bat-things and a giant griffin w/ a crazy Japanese chick's brain transplanted into it.

You get my point, it's just so crazy it works...or, maybe, just so crazy it's more fun than gloves that shoot sleeping gas/flames/laser beams. Don't believe me? Watch the trailer above...30 seconds into it you don't even care it's in Japanese! The film itself was shot in English, so no messy subtitles or overdubs.

I really can't believe this didn't get the MST3K treatment, it would have been beautiful. Regardless, this cult classic only became available on DVD back in December of 2007...so go nuts, rent and/or buy it today.

More AMBFAD (Comic) Book Club

'The Golden Age of DC Comics: 365 Days'

A total steal at $9.99 via the bargain bin at my local Barnes & Noble! Comics historian Les Daniels, graphic designer Chip Kidd, and photographer Geoff Spear raided the official DC archives to offer up a book that is a little less an detailed historical retrospective, but more so a visual appreciation for the medium from the late 1930s to the mid-1950s.

Once you get past the issue that, at first glance, it seems like a day-by-day calender project turned into a hardcover semi-coffee table book at the last minute...it's a really fun read. The design proves interesting, w/ every two pages being coupled w/ a historical footnote and a blown-up image of the particular comic being referenced and/or relevant.

All the DC luminaries are in there...Superman, Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Captain Marvel...but so are failed characters, short-lived ideas and even the funny animals that were used as fillers at the time. Again, a fun read for both comic geeks and casual fans...the bargain price-tag made it even better. It's on Amazon, but kind of hefty...check your local B&N first.

To Be the Man, You Have to BEAT the man...

It was sad evening in the Famous household last night, as one the greatest performers in the history of professional wrestling and beyond, 'The Nature Boy' Ric Flair, officially retired after his final match at last Sunday's Wrestlemania.

Even cooler, the tribute on last night's RAW featured a reunion of the FOUR FREAKING HORSEMEN! I have soooo many great memories watching Slick Ric, Arn, Tully, Ole and J.J. Dillon every Saturday afternoon on TBS for years and years. Hulk Hogan may be considered the biggest icon the business ever spawned, but he ended up a such a property/caricature...the Nature Boy lived the role to the hilt.

Owen, Logan and I all traded patented Flair 'WHOO!'s this morning in his honor...as the man himself once said: 'Learn to love it, learn to live with it. Diamonds are forever, and so is Ric Flair.'