Blu Ray Review: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part One

Crossposted and commissioned by Film.com

As a die hard Harry Potter fan whose first blu-ray purchase was the gift pack containing the first six Harry movies, you can imagine how ecstatic I was at the prospect of reviewing the blu ray for the seventh film - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One. I loved this movie when I saw it in theaters and - surprise - loved it just as much watching it again in gorgeous high definition on my 82 inch screen. But the question at hand here isn't so much "Is the movie good?" because we know the answer to that. Yes. It's great. (If for some reason you don't like it, read the books, then watch it again. If you're one of those people who refuses to read the books, I'm not sure we can be friends.) The real question is, "Should I buy the blu-ray?" So here is a breakdown of what the three disc combo pack has to offer and if it's worth the $34.00 list price.

Disc 1 Special Features:

Maximum Movie Mode

In lieu of a standard commentary, this blu-ray has the option of "Maximum Movie Mode", apparently a feature that can be seen all over the place these days, but not by me, as this one was my first experience. Jason Isaacs hosts a journey through the entire film, extending it to almost three hours. Every so often, a snippet of a behind the scenes "Focus Point" pops up (along with the option to pause Maximum Movie Mode and watch the entire 2-4 minute piece, see below) and even more frequently, various actors & crew members pause the action to really go in depth in regards to what we're watching, whether it's an actor on his motivation, makeup effects designer, Nick Dudman, on creating Harry's swollen face or the details of Voldemort, someone from the fx department teaching us about the seamless effects we didn't know existed, or the (genius) production designer, Stuart Craig, specifying his inspirations, from Citizen Kane to Nazi propaganda. We are also treated to history lessons of sorts, seeing a recap of Harry's love life, where we've seen items like the deluminator and the Gryffindor Sword before, and at last being told who the creators of the Maurader's Map were, all providing context we may have forgotten or for those who haven't read the book, never knew in the first place, and my favorite bit, passages from the book read aloud (quite well, I might add) by Tom Felton, that provide a bit more insight into the current scene.

Keep an eye out for the commentary pause during the Ministry of Magic sequence - the escape at the end was the last shot ever filmed of the entire series and the footage of the wrap is really wonderful. Perhaps my favorite shot of the entire blu-ray is contained here, when a tear-filled Emma Watson & Rupert Grint share a hug. During Maximum Movie Mode, we're also informed of the original ending of the film. I think you'll agree with me when you see it that extending the film through to where it *did* end was ESSENTIAL.

Needless to say, I absolutely adored watching the movie in this fashion. I was most taken with the parts about the special effects and makeup that literally never occurred to me as existing (Three Words. Mad-Eye. Moody's. Eye.) The attention to detail on this film was astounding and it got me especially hoping that Part Two will get to take home a ton of Oscars next year to reward the entire crew for 10 years worth of hard work.

But Maximum Movie Mode wasn't perfect. There was a little too much focus on the experiences of actors who played extremely small roles, and while I loved hearing their stories, I found myself yearning for something similar from Rupert Grint, Emma Watson (complete with post-Harry pixie cut), or Helena Bonham Carter. This is the type of film I would watch with commentary of all kinds, so not having after the fact reflection from the main characters was kind of disappointing. My only explanation for this is that they are holding off on the big guns for the blu-ray release of the final film, or for the inevitable complete series package.

But regardless of what's missing, Maximum Movie Mode is still a must watch for any fan, especially right before seeing Deathly Hallows Part Two. The whole thrust of this mode of watching is preparing the viewer for the final movie, so if you don't get around to rewatching every film or rereading every book before July, the Maximum Movie Mode of Deathly Hallows Part One makes a totally suitable substitute.

More on the rest of the special features after the jump!



Each of the Focus Points in Maximum Movie Mode can be viewed separately on disc one. They include,
-The Last Days of Privet Drive (2:36)
 Some nice on set footage of the Dursley family out of character on their last day, which is especially humorous in the case of Richard Griffiths, so prim and proper and delightful when he's being himself.
-Hagrid's Motorbike (4:01)
A dissection of all the different elements that went into the motorbike scene. It's quite astounding to see it broken down the way it his here and simultaneously watch how perfectly it all flows together in the finished product.
-Magical Tents (2:18)
Goes in to the design of and inspiration for the various magical tents, including the one used for Bill & Fleur's wedding, and the one Harry, Hermione and Ron stay in while in the forest.
-Death Eaters Attack Cafe (2:51)
Revolves around the scene in scene in London where Ron, Harry and Hermione engage in a wand fight with two death eaters, shedding light on elements like wand mechanics and stunt fighting.
-Creating Dobby and Kreacher (3:48)
 Shows the progression of the elves over the many films. What started as an actor talking to a stick with a tennis ball for a head has transformed into actual little people, in costume, saying the lines and communicating with the actors, to bring more of a sense of realism and connection to the screen. Here we also hear from Toby Jones, the voice of Dobby.
-The Return of Griphook (3:45)
Veteran actor Warwick Davis talks about getting to don a copious amount of makeup to double up and play Griphook as well as Professor Flitwick and what it meant to him that he got to play both roles.

Disc 2 Special Features

Disc two offers a whole new slew of behind the scenes bits, as well as eight deleted scenes and an opening scene from Deathly Hallows Part 2, omitted from the blu-ray review copies. The whole disc only took about an hour, which on the one hand was great, cause you know, I'm a busy gal, but on the other hand was disappointing in that I wanted MOAR. (I just keep having to remind myself  "Big guns for the second movie. Big guns for the second movie.") Here's what's included,

-The Seven Harrys (5 min)
A look into what went into the Polyjuice Potion scene. Absolutely fascinating. Dan Radcliffe studied every actor doing the movement he was meant to imitate, and then did it himself, each time in front of a green screen with a camera on a special rig that made sure it moved in the exact same way every single time. 
-On The Green with Rupert, Tom, Oliver and James (13 min)
The actors who play Ron, the Weasley Twins, and Draco, head to a resort to play a game of golf and reminisce about their ten years shooting Harry Potter films. A really nice peak into the relationship between these four boys who have literally grown up together, along with clips of them from the past movies, when they were actual tiny children. 
-Dan, Rupert and Emma's Running Competition (3 min)
A glimpse into the relationship between the three leads and how one upping each other in a chase scene almost eclipsed the point of the scene itself. At one point someone has to remind Emma that it isn't a race and maybe she shouldn't be zooming past the boys in every single shot. It's pretty adorable.
-Godric's Hollow/The Harry and Nagini Battle (6 min)
A look at the Godric's Hollow set, which to my surprise, was a set, not an actual place. Seriously. WHAT. Gorgeous. This is followed by a couple minutes on how the Nagini fight was prepped and shot. 
-The Frozen Lake (4 min)
Here we get to see how the crew used a giant water tank to film the frozen lake scene. Nice to see director David Yates' concern for Radcliffe, reassuring him that they would only do one or two takes, and then almost an entire minute of Radcliffe listening intently to his stunt double give him tips, advice and instruction on how to nail it. Can I just say Daniel Radcliffe comes across in all of these as simply the greatest of human beings? Always up for talking to the behind the scenes crew, always happy on set, always ready to work, full of self-depricating humor, really seems like a stand up guy.
-HP&DH1: Behind The Soundtrack (4 min)
An informative look into the creation of the score, featuring footage of Alexandre Desplat conducting the orchestra, and interviews with both Desplate and producer David Heyman on the importance of the score and what Desplat brought to the table.
-The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Promo Trailer (6 min)
Promo about both the creation of the theme park and the astonishing opening celebration. Features great footage of the cast seeing the theme park for the first time, and later, riding the rides with small schoolchildren who won a contest to be the first members of the public allowed in on opening day. I want to go to there.

Deleted Scenes

Here we are treated to eleven minutes of deleted scenes, all of which are a joy for Potter fans to see and provide a little bit more insight and information for the non die hard fans. We see Arthur showing Ron the radio that he later uses in the tent in the woods to make sure his family is safe, a nice moment between Mrs Dursley and Harry where they briefly share sadness over the loss of Lily Potter, a recap scene of sorts regarding the horcruxes, what they are, where they found them, and who they belonged to, a death-eater discovering the empty Granger house, Harry and Ron trying to blow off steam in the woods, and a sweet scene between Ron and Hermione, where he teaches her how to skip stones.

But my favorite of the group was Dudley's redemption scene, one of my favorite parts of the book, that I endlessly complained about being cut from the movie. In Maximum Movie Mode, the producer explained that leaving the scene in took away from the ominous urgency of the opening, which I suppose I can understand, but thank goodness the scene was filmed anyway, because it was a thrill to see come to life.

So is it worth the buy?

Here's the thing. While I absolutely enjoyed every special feature and recommend watching them, this particular blu ray is only worth buying in the very specific cases of you-already-have-the-blu-rays-for- movies-one-through-six or I-just-need-to-watch-it-over-and-over-right-now. If you only have the DVDs, or only have a blu-ray here or there (let's say, given as gifts), then just wait for the giant Blu-Ray combo pack or AT LEAST wait for parts 1 and 2 to be bundled together. The special features can only get better with the release of the final movie. But don't worry, if you are a Potter completionist and plan on owning this in any event, you will not be disappointed. I'm so jazzed for part two. Three months to go!

Grade: B+
Movie: A- (I love this movie. I love Harry Potter.)
Picture/Sound: A (Blu-ray, I love you too. Yes it's dark, but I have zero problem with that)
Special Features: B (Great effort, what's there is more or less stellar, just wanted A LOT more)

Release Date: April 15, 2011

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Is Scream 4 The Perfect Date Movie?

Crossposted on Film.com

For some sad reason, there has been a severe lack of good, original slasher movies over the past 10 years. Was Scream 3 so bad that it just killed the genre? What happened, guys? The 2000s brought us new horror movies, sure, but with new horror sub genres and new horror rules, none of which have delighted me the way any of the Scream movies have, even the bad one. And consequently, the 2000s seemed to have killed the concept of horror-as-date-movie. Which makes sense. I don't want to see something that is nothing but gross with a boy I want to make out with afterwards. I just don't. I don't think mutants raping people before they brutally murder them is particularly sexy.

But with Scream 4 we see a return to the genre that isn't a remake or a reboot, but a good old, classic, original team in place, sequel. And in spite of being a sequel and filled with pop culture references and self referential humor from top to bottom, it still manages to be....original. And as I applauded the random appearance of Mary McDonnell, accidentally screamed at the top of my lungs multiple times, punched my boyfriend in the shoulder during the silly moments and recalled exact references to the first Scream, I realized that not only is this a return to the genre - this is a definite return to the tradition of horror-as-date-movie. Because Scream 4 is the *perfect* date movie. Check out why after the jump

Built In Second Date
This is a date movie that has a built in prep or follow up, depending on whether you rewatch the first movies before or after the new one. (Note: I'd personally just recommend watching the first beforehand, it's all you need to be fully prepared.) So it's essentially two dates in one. Part of which involves couch cuddling and homemade snacks and perchance a cat or two. Win!

The Nostalgia Factor
I was 10 when Scream came out and after watching it at a slumber party (and falling in love with David Arquette, obvs), I proceeded to borrow my parents' copy and watch it more or less every day when I came home from school for the next forever. I could quote practically the whole movie at age 11 and when I watch it now, it feels like a memory, a conversation I've had, not just a movie I've seen. And let me tell you, I am not the only chick in my mid 20s who feels this way. (Although I hear most others preferred Skeet Ulrich. Pshhh. Hot guys. Whatevs) (Also. Ew. I just said mid 20s. When did that happen.) There is a certain excitement surrounding this movie that is difficult to find in anything else. It's very specific. I mean, the entire (non existent) campaign seems to be relying on nostalgia. And there's nothing like bonding over something you mutually loved in your childhood with a potential or current significant other.

Ability to Test Out Pop Culture Awareness
There are so many references in this movie, it's a VERY good test of where your date falls on the pop culture knowledge scale. Did you both find yourself applauding at the Shaun of the Dead clip? Did you both hang your heads in shame remembering the time you separately and regrettably saw Saw 4 in theaters? Did you both knowingly chuckle at the Movie Cops conversation? Or, the flip side - did he laugh way too hard at the Jeffrey Dahmer joke? Did you wildly applaud for Shaun of the Dead, only for him to ask "What's that?" Which brings me to the next section...

Deal-Breaker Potential
Aside from the Reference Disconnect Potential (which sounds like the name of a Big Bang Theory episode), this is also a movie so ripe for reaction and commentary, that you and your date's true movie going nature can't help but come out. Acceptable movie behavior during a film like Scream 4 ivolves naturally laughing, screaming and reacting strongly, showing a solid sense of investment into what you are watching, but BY ALL MEANS NECESSARY, AVOIDING TALKING AND GIVING PREDICTIONS. If you attempt to talk to me during a movie I will immediately say shh and that will be that and so be it. If you attempt to PREDICT A KILLER during a SLASHER MOVIE, that's called a deal-breaker and goodbye.

Eye Candy
There's a little something for everyone, which never hurts when the optimal result is a sexy-time mood. And by "a little something" for "everyone", I mean "lots of hot girls" for "people who like hot girls" but also "some nerdy cute guys" for "people who like nerdy cute guys." Which covers what my boyfriend and myself like, so we were chillin.

It Can't Not Be Enjoyed
Granted, I haven't read any reviews, so I don't know how the public is receiving the movie, but I loved it and my entire theater loved it along with me. It's not perfect, a lot of the timing is ill paced and there are so many Ghostface calls, I almost got sick of them (almost), but overall, is this a movie anyone is really going to spend time analyzing and wondering about where it fits in in the grand scheme of filmmaking? It wasn't as good as the first, but it shouldn't be, the first is a classic and will forever be a classic. But it's fun. As hell. Legitimately fun. Not "interesting" fun or "depressing" fun or "shit blows up" fun, as most movies I've seen this year seem to have been, but an actual, honest to god, start to finish, great time. It's pretty awful when a rendezvous at the cinema becomes an interminable awkward silence because that movie sucked and how do I say it situation. Here, that concern goes out the window. Note: My favorite date movie of last year was Machete.

Fun Post Movie Chatter
I ADORE the post slasher film discussions of who thought who the killer was when. Because no one ever gets it right, but we're all proud of the fact that we didn't get it right, cause it means the movie worked.

It is a Horror Movie, After All
There was a lot of clutching and hand-holding and arms around my shoulders, is all I have to say. If you are sitting next to me during a movie that is the least bit scary, I will clutch you and if I scream, I expect you to hold my hand. Erm. If we're on a date. If we're not on a date, please don't hold my hand. It will weird me out. Probably.

So there you have it. I proclaim, on the record, that Scream 4 may be your perfect date movie this weekend. I would also like to proclaim that Alison Brie and Hayden Panettiere were awesome in said perfect date movie. Yup, I just used Hayden Panettiere and awesome in the same sentence. Scream 4 did that. It also gave me a fantastic date. It also is four in the morning. Midnight movies FTW.

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Top Eleven Most Anticipated Movies Of Summer

Crossposted and commissioned by Film.com

 Traditionally spanning from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the summer movie season has begun moving earlier and earlier over the past decade and now

May is usually just as jam packed with tent-poles and huge budgets as July. This year is no exception. In fact, this year is...kind of insane. So packed, I'm not sure many films will have a chance to grow beyond their opening weekend or how your average movie goer will be able to afford to see that many damn movies. But which 11 will end up being the ones movie fans actually head out to in droves? Here are the most anticipated movies of summer 2011.

Honorable (April) Mention
It doesn't technically come out in the summertime, but every single specimen of the male gender I speak to is massively anticipating the April 29th release of Fast Five, so it will receive an honorable mention on this list. I've never seen a Fast and the Furious movie and don't really have any interest in ever starting. I'm sure the stunts are awesome, and in general I do love a good action movie, but they have just never ever piqued my interest. Still, it will make all of the moneys. Another honorable mention goes to Werner Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams, which opens on the same day and is highly anticipated by me personally.

11. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (August 12th)

A young girl moves in with her father and his girlfriend and discovers they are sharing the house with devilish creatures.

This film is only so low on this list because as of right now, it's only highly anticipated by the fan crowd, but I believe the excitement will only grow and grow in the months ahead. Is it possible that the scariest movie of year and Katie Holmes' comeback film are one in the same? With Guillermo Del Toro at the helm, it's very possible.

My Anticipation Level: Opening Weekend

10. Friends With Benefits (July 22nd)

A headhunter recruits a magazine editor and since each is too busy to find  a mate, they agree to sleep together with no strings attached. Things  get complicated when the guy falls for the girl, who's dating someone  else.

It does feel kind of awkward throwing a little romantic comedy on a list containing almost all genre pictures, but Will Gluck impressed many with Easy A last year, great word of mouth landing the film a perfectly lovely slot in teen comedy history. This time he is applying his skills to a movie starring current It Girl, the stunning and talented Mila Kunis. I don't love Justin Timberlake but the Gluck/Kunis combo outweigh any Timberlake fatigue I might be experiencing and may actually add to the must-see factor for some, after his "look, I can act!" turn in The Social Network.

My Anticipation Level: Opening Week

9. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 20th)

Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain  of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after  it too.

The fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean series is highly anticipated because of the apparent return to form, barely there in the  second and utterly missing from the third. Sometimes we all forget how much we loved the first film and if this movie can even touch it,  we're in store for an incredibly fun summer popcorn flick. Which is totally acceptable. As long as this movie isn't a piece of boring shlock, it'll  be a step up.

My Anticipation Level: Second Week

8. Super 8 (June 8th)

No summary for you! I won't be responsible for letting you know a damn thing about this movie.

Everyone loves a Bad Robot picture. Or at least I do. Even Morning Glory. The anticipation here stems from the fact that the film is shrouded in mystery, as is Bad Robot's MO. Yes, there is a new trailer out and yes, some members of the press got a peak at some footage, but Bad Robot  makes it extremely easy for those of us who want to stay in the dark to  get to do just that. I still only know maybe one or two things about Super 8 and that's the way I like it. Can't. Wait.

My Anticipation Level: Opening Weekend

More after the jump!



7. The Hangover II (May 26th)

Phil, Stu, Alan and Doug travel to Bangkok for Stu's wedding.

The Hangover was such a pleasant surprise, I'm very curious to see how the sequel will  play. Part of the reason the first film was so successful was that no  one was  really expecting it to be as hilarious and mad-cap as it was. Word of  mouth was huge and turned the comedy into a massive success. With the sequel, expectations are extremely high, so whether or not it can recapture the magic this group conjured a couple summers ago is the  big question - the just released trailer rang a little bit too "Been there, done that", so I'm skeptical. I keep struggling with whether or not this movie is actually anticipated, but just because I'll forget about it until I actually see it doesn't mean the rest of the country will.

My Anticipation Level: Second week


6. Cowboys and Aliens (July 29th)

A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting  with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys are all that stand in  their way.

The footage at  Comic-Con unexpectedly shot Cowboys and Aliens up to a permanent spot on this list and and the fantastic footage shown at Wondercon has pushed it almost to the top five. Stellar cast plus aliens plus Western equals NOW PLEASE. The timing is  pretty right on too, as Westerns have sort of come back in style, with  things like Red Dead Redemption being the best video game ever in ever  and Community's finale allegedly having a whole portion dedicated to  Sergio Leone.

My Anticipation Level: Opening Day

5. Thor (May 7th)

The powerful but arrogant warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.

This is a tough one, because it's being anticipated so strongly for perhaps the wrong reasons, the most prevalent question being "Will this be a train wreck?" Especially in light of the fact that the Geek market is being seemingly ignored, it feels to me as if someone at the studio saw the film and ran away screaming, calling it a lost cause. Why is not a bigger deal being made of the fact that Natalie Portman, now an Oscar winner, is the female lead? Why is there no real presence anywhere geek-friendly? The trailer is awesome, so what exactly is going on here? Still, I have hope. Positive reaction to the footage at CinemaCon (formally Showest aka not directed towards the fan market) paired with inside sources saying Thor is MUCH better than we are expecting at this moment in time, has bumped it up on this list into the top five.

My Anticipation Level: Opening Weekend

4. X-Men: First Class (June 3rd)

In 1963, Charles Xavier starts up a school and later a team, for humans  with superhuman abilities. Among them is Erik Lensherr, his best  friend... and future archenemy.

I'm personally a little  annoyed that a comic book movie with a cast that includes James McAvoy  AND Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult and more  people I adore, hasn't made a single appearance at a single convention.  It makes me wonder if the film has something to hide and starts making  me paranoid. But then I have to remind myself that Matthew Vaughn may  feel burned by the fans after Kick Ass, perhaps not realizing that they  were the ones who *did* go to see it, loved it and supported it.  Regardless of that frustration, I'm still extremely excited for this  movie, as I think we all are, whether that excitement is directed  towards seeing a new X-Men movie or just seeing these great actors get  to play badass dress up. If we didn't care, we wouldn't react so strongly every time an image is released or have exploded with such effervescent nerdgasms when we saw the first trailer. So. In.

My Anticipation Level: Opening Day


3. Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22)

After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers  for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America's ideals.

On the heels of the new trailer, the pre-release thoughts on Cap went from "highly concerned" to "eff yeah", pretty much overnight. Questions about the believably of tiny Chris Evans remain, but are so far entirely overshadowed by the fact that everything else looks spot on. The film opens during Comic-Con, which will be interesting for the 125,000 fans who ALL will want to see it at midnight/opening weekend.

My Anticipation  Level: Opening Day. BUT HOW?! Screening? Please? Anyone? Hi, my name is  Loquacious Muse and I'd like to see this movie before Comic-Con. K, bye!

2. Green Lantern (June 17th)

A test pilot is granted a mystical green ring that bestows him with  otherworldly powers, as well as membership into an intergalactic squadron tasked with keeping peace within the universe.

It's the first major superhero release since the new WB/DC team was formulated, directed by Martin Campbell and starring Ryan Reynolds, so it should be incredible. There were mumbles of negativity regarding issues like the CGI costume and Blake Lively, but after a stellar showing at Wondercon, where the fans were treated to nine minutes of footage (four of which went online the next day) and the charm of Reynolds, Lively and Geoff Johns on stage together, positivity has taken over and the anticipation level has gone through the roof. The Green Lantern light up rings were the most coveted giveaway of the entire convention and die-hard fans of the comic took to Twitter en masse to reassure everyone that this movie may end up being right on the money.

My Anticipation Level: Opening Day

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two (July 15th)

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

That should be all the explanation that is required. But to clarify why this is above Cap - it's Harry effing Potter. The LAST Harry effing Potter movie. It will be the biggest movie of the summer because everyone wants to see it and I will see it at least 13679 times. In theaters. At the Arclight. Thems tickets expensive.

My Anticipation Level: MIDNIGHT

So there you have it. I may have left off a few other high profile releases, but I don't believe many of them belong on this list, either because they aren't hugely anticipated or because I refuse. But here's a rundown of the other big Summer titles.

Other May offerings:

Something Borrowed (May 7th. One of MY most anticipated films of the summer.)
Bridesmaids (May 13th. In a strange buzz-land right now coming out of SXSW. It's mostly funny, but also way too long. Time will tell whether a big screen is necessary for this one.)
Priest (May 13th. Shot in 3D and the footage shown at Comic-Con last summer was awesome. A lot will ride on reviews)
Midnight in Paris (May 20th. Woody Allen. Owen Wilson. Rachel McAdams. Intrigued.)
The Beaver (May 20th. Mel Gibson. This almost made the list for that reason alone)
Kung Fu Panda 2 (May 26th. First one was cute. Not a rush out and see it kind of sequel for me. Is it for anyone?)

Other June Offerings:
Beginners (June 3rd)
Mr Popper's Penguins (June 17th)
Cars 2 (June 24th. I can't say I really care.)

Other July offerings:
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (July 1st. No. Is all I have to say. NO! I will never forgive you after ROTF)
Larry Crowne (July 1st. Welcome back, Tom Hanks.)
One Day (July 8th. Cool sounding love story starring Anne Hathway and Jim Sturgess. Can you tell by now I likes me some love stories?)
Winne The Pooh (July 15th. Literally had no idea this was a movie coming out)
Crazy Stupid Love (July 29th. Carrell, Gosling, Stone, Moore, Tomei, screenwriter wrote Tangled. Trailer: Awesome. In.)
Smurfs (July 29th. This movie confuses me. CGI Smurgs are a no, but the cast is awesome.)

Other August offerings:
Rise of the Apes (Aug 5th. A. James Franco and B. Huh? Curious if the film can build enough momentum by the weekend after Comic-Con to make a dent)
The Change Up (Aug 5th. Speculative Fiction comedy with Reynolds, Bateman, Mann, Wilde!)
30 Minutes or Less (Aug 12th. Jesse Eisenberg in a comedy. Looking forward to it.)
Fright Night (Aug 19th. Vampires! Marti Noxon! David Tennant!)
Conan (Aug 19th. No real interest.)
Our Idiot Brother (Aug 26th. Paul Rudd, great reviews, yes.)
Final Destination 5 (Aug 26th. Apparently people are seeing these. Cause they keep making them.)

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The Greatest Fundraiser A Geek Could Ask For [Event]

Why is that you say? Check it out,

Sorry for the tardiness on getting a new post up lately. Things have just been crazy busy, both with Hell Walk and my day job at Bad Robot.

For those who don’t know, the big Hell Walk Fundraiser is going to be this Saturday, April 9th at one of my favorite places in the world, Sonny McLean’s Irish Pub. I’ve watched the Red Sox win both of their World Series titles here, as well as the Celtics triumph over the Lakers a few years ago. Though it may seem like an odd choice to some, I couldn’t think of a better place to have my fundraiser and would like to extend a huge thanks to owner Grant Woods for offering his amazing bar up to Hell Walk.

The last three weeks have been a tornado of contacting business after business in an effort to scare up some awesome prizes for our raffle. So far we are doing really well, with gift certificates from awesome restaurants like A.O.C., The Lobster and Fritto Misto, more athletic apparel from K-Swiss and, of course, a whole bunch of amazing things from Bad Robot.

The fundraiser will begin at 7 p.m. and go until 10 o’clock. Raffle tickets will be sold all day at Sonny McLean’s. At 8:30, the Broken Numbers Band will come onstage to play an hour-long set, followed by our raffle at 9:30 and what I’m sure will be a very boisterous karaoke session at 10 p.m. We are up to 23 prizes right now and hope to blow that number away over the next several days.

In the next couple days, I’ll be writing a huge post about the actual day of Hell Walk — May 1st, 2011. For those who haven’t heard, we will be holding it at a sound stage in Santa Monica. The day will feature several bands, free adult beverages courtesy of brewmaster Jon Nail, food from some of the best food trucks in Los Angeles and — rumor is — a bouncy castle. Details on all of that soon!

Emphasis on the RAFFLE PRIZES FROM BAD ROBOT.

But seriously, this is for a great cause AND is mildly associated with Bad Robot AND my favorite LA band is playing. Come join and hang out! For more specifics on what will be included in the raffle, check out the Aint It Cool write up!

Tonight, 7-10pm (But karaoke starts at 10, so the party will keep going!)

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How A Bad Robot Employee Is Making The World A Better Place Once Mile At A Time

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of getting to chat with Josh Tate who is using his power for good this Spring and holding a charity event called Hell Walk to raise money for Children's Hope Chest. Part of our chat involved a visit to the offices of Bad Robot, a relaxed, yet invigorating environment filled with tons of collectibles and friendly faces. The waiting room alone is something to be marveled at. They encourage you to create art with their supplies while whoever you're meeting with heads over to fetch you. Spoiler Alert: I drew a cartoon cat.

Josh Tate himself is completely down to Earth, but not without a healthy dose of snark, as all awesome people should, and fits right in to the eclectically tranquil yet enthusiastic atmosphere of Bad Robot. His desk, around the corner from the front desk lined with toys of famous robots, features a statue of Starbuck, signed by Katee Sackhoff. When I ask him for recommendations, as I often do in interviews, he lists off amazing bar after amazing bar,

It probably sounds terrible, but I really like to go to bars (and miss them terribly while I’m training for Hell Walk). Here are some of the best: 

West 4th and Jane, James Beach, the back room of the Terrace, Ye Rustic Inne, The Drawing Room, Covell, the back bar at Hobo, The Arsenal, the back bar at Wilshire and the Shack in Playa Del Rey. And of course, Sonny McLean's, birthplace of Hell Walk.

Yeah. This dude is cool. Definitely my kind of person.

So what is Hell Walk and why should you care? Read on to find out.

*****

For the uninitiated, what is Hell Walk?

So Hell Walk is a 24 hour walk-a-thon around a hundred foot circle to raise money for providing schools and shelters for Orphans in Russia and Swaziland, Africa. It is heroically noble (laughs) - no, it was invented because I had not done a lot of charity work in my life and it got to the point where I thought, I've got to start doing better, and so I started volunteering for some charities around town and I enjoyed it, but there was still something missing. And so I talked to my friend Melanie one night at a bar, and I literally just described this whole conversation to her, I was like "I want to do this and I want it to be like this and this" and then at the end, we had this terrible idea called Hell Walk (laughs) it was just the worst. It's gonna hurt, it's gonna take forever, I can't drink for five months, I have to change my life, but that's what it is and it's actually kind of great. I mean, I have a love/hate relationship with it cause I have to live with it every day but it's changed my life for the positive like, infinitely, it's been really great.

What's the name of the charity?

The name of the charity we are raising money for is Children's Hope Chest and what they do is they work in orphanages all over the world. They're an international organization, so they have local chapters and the chapter in LA works with orphanages in Kostroma, which is a region in Russia and then Swaziland and so we just figured we liked the idea of an international charity and we like the idea of local people benefiting from it cause a lot of people who donate are from LA and it just felt like a good fit. They're great, they are nothing like me, they are devoted people who literally dedicate their lives to helping people they don't even know have food and shelter and safety and education. They're a small enough charity that I thought when we raise this money for them, it could really change their lives. And I think it sort of has so far.

What is your goal?

We want to hit 25,000 and right now we, at the end of February are at 7800. Most of the larger fundraising stuff is still in the future so I feel we're going to make 25,000.

How are you training?

Here's my day. I wake up at 5:30. I leave my apt in Los Feliz at 6. I drive to the west side cause I work on the west side to train at the gym in the morning. Then I go to Bad Robot, I work there til 7pm usually, like 8-7 every day usually unless it's a busy day and then I go to the gym after that to do weights. Then I go home and I watch a half hour of MSNBC and I collapse. And then on the weekends, I usually try to take Saturday off if I can, and then Sunday just do like a full 8-10 hours of something, whether it be the LA marathon course (If you go the LA Marathon website you can print out a list of turn by turn directions...and you can do almost the entire course..) or I go to USC a lot and just circle the track for 6 hours or so. Most of that's mental. There's a certain point where - if you and I had to walk 24 hours right now, we probably could if there was like, an army behind us, chasing us. But most of it is mental, getting past that block is going to be a mental hurdle, so that's sort of why I [train that way]. Hell Walk is gonna be, it depends on how much I degrade over time, but it'll be at least two marathons, almost three. My pace is about 3-4 miles an hour and so that comes out to about 80 miles.

More after the jump!



Have you been trying out different shoes to prepare?

I did, actually the first time I did it, I walked 12 miles in my Chuck Taylors. I thought it would be perfect cause it would make my feet stronger because there's not really any cushioning, but it hurt pretty badly. And then I did a couple barefoot with the same idea that also just hurt a lot, you get really sore, it's just unpleasant. Then I tried some Asics, they were okay, not great, I blistered up in them every now and then, and now I'm K-Swiss. Based on my sort of test today, I'm really excited. They're gonna be much better than anything I've had. I'm testing them out fully this weekend, going to do the marathon course again.

Has anyone done anything like this before, to your knowledge?

People have! I actually read about a woman who ran for 24 hours on a treadmill and she did 153 miles. And running and walking, it's like night and day, running is not walking faster, it's a whole different cardiovascular - blood sugar stuff going on. I'm sure some people have [done something exactly like Hell Walk, I don't know who they are, I hope they haven't, that'd be kinda cool.

Is there anything else K-Swiss is providing for you for Hellwalk?

I will be fully dressed in K Swiss. They have done me the ultimate mitzvah and I've become their biggest fan and customer. I'll never even buy Reebok again cause I'll feel guilty. It's true, I'm only going to buy K Swiss things from now on. Put it on the website - a challenge to anyone who can find me buying Nike or any other brand, if you can find me doing it, I'll give ya a hundred dollars.


So this has totally changed your opinion about anything?

Hell Walk has changed my opinion about so many things. Today changed my opinion about [shoes], it changed my opinion about friends, who I thought were casual friends and then literally a friend of mine I hadn't talked to in 20 years was the first person to contribute to the website without me even telling him it was there. He found it on my Facebook profile, he navigated to it, he read the stories, and the website was a week late, so I got pissed off, cause I was like, I need to get started, but the day it opened, within like a half hour of it actually going live, he donated 100 bucks. So it's amazing what you find out about people. People are so much more generous than I thought. (with a smile) I've had such a negative outlook on life until Hell Walk. It's completely changed. And that's partly joking, but there's some truth to that.

Have you been particularly athletic before now?

The story I always tell is I was a dominant center in fourth grade cause I grew very quickly. And so from the fourth til like the seventh grade, I was the center on the Basketball team. I was like 5'10 by the time I was in fourth grade. I was tall. I had dreams of an NBA future. Then I became a slow ninth grade forward and a truly pedestrian twelfth grade guard. So, yeah, my glory years were [elementary] school and early junior high school. I played football in high school and rugby in college. But then I also discovered beer in college and that just wrecked my whole athletic career. Like most people probably...


Are you already noticing a change in your health?

I have, I'm definitely in better health. There was a quick weight loss when I started training cause I stopped drinking too and it sort of plateaued a little bit now because what's happening is (smiles) I exercise a lot but I eat a lot because I'm famished and that's the only joy I have in my life anymore because I stopped drinking and going out so yeah...there's a lot of almonds and walnuts in my future. But I feel better, I feel refreshed when I wake up in the morning.


How are you going to eat on the day?

That's the good thing about walking is you can still maintain a mostly normal function, someone can hand me a drink, or I'll probably just do a lot of like, nuts, protein bars, fruit. I talked to my doctor about it and based on my measurement of calories, I'll burn about 14,000, so I'll need to consume about 6,000 just so I don't like, overwork myself and get into a state of complete disrepair. That's, what 6,000 calories, 300 calories a protein bar...oh that sounds hellish. (laughs) Ohh that sounds hellish.

Well it is the Hell Walk!

It's not the Heck Walk!

(As I covet his Hell Walk bracelets) Are these bracelets available?

These are, you know, anyone who wants one just email me and I'll send you one. At one point someone was like, why don't you sell t-shirts and raise money that way, why don't you sell wristbands, but I didn't and I have this gut feeling that if you just give things to people, they'll actually give you more money back than you would have been able to sell to them and that's worked out almost straight. Like, I paid for all the T-Shirts myself, I made them myself at Bad Robot, along with super intern Drew Dinker, I should mention that, cause he is my T Shirt guru. And I just ordered the wristbands, whenever someone wants one, they can just have them, you can have these, here. (Hands me a Hell Walk wristband) Seriously, take one right now. (I do, excitedly.)

What will the actual day be like, both for you and those attending the event?

On May 1st I will wake up and consider driving to Mexico, but instead I will probably go to Hell Walk and then at 8am, I will start walking. And it's gonna be cool! You know, at first I thought, oh I'll just walk around in a circle, that'll be fun, but we realized, no, no one wants to see me do that for more than twenty minutes. So we're going to have some bands playing throughout the day and we're gonna have food and beer for free, you can just come, hang out, listen to music, have free beer and free food, and watch me, you can walk with me if you'd like, people who want to come take a few laps and experience my own personal version of hell. And it'll last all day, you know, and I expect that the crowd will thin out during the night, but we're still adding to it, it's still building, we might add movie screenings or something, you know? Because we want people to have such a great time that they ultimately engage with the charity we're trying to direct attention to. Because after May 1st, I'm going back to real life for a little while, you know, but this charity is going to have to continue to work. And so hopefully people will have enough of a positive experience that after May 1st, that they'll still with Children's Hope Chest. I probably will too, I'm sure they'll be a Hell Walk 2, we just have to figure out what it's going to be.

What's the best way for people to help? Donations? Showing up on the day? Volunteering to help?

E. All of the above. Donations are obviously a huge part of it, it's something I'm terrible at, so anyone who wants to come to the website, you can donate right there. If you don't have money, but you have time, you can donate your time or if you have something cool, if you have a six pack of vitamin water I can drink while I'm walking - anything that you can give is amazing. If you have a band and you want to play, call me! If you're good, we'll put you on! But really, just get engaged, come to the website, follow us on Twitter, see if it fits, not every charity fits with every person, as you can tell by this interview, I'm a little bit of a smart ass, but if that's your vibe and that works with you and you can handle having fun and also doing some good works, then check us out.


How have your co-workers at Bad Robot been receiving this and reacting?

It's been great. On my desk downstairs is a jar. I think it was in the middle of December, someone was gonna throw away a big glass jar and the Hell Walk bracelet fit right on the lip of the jar and I was like, I should just leave this on my desk for the next six months and see what happens and there is probably 600 dollars just in there right now. Mostly of like, singles and fives. People come, guests come and they drop money in there. Yesterday a woman who was the aunt of one of our workers came in and gave $60. So it's insane, people just give money, and the support from everyone here has been awesome. If you walk down to the office, you'll see half the office has Hell Walk bracelets on. The support has been unbelievable. Cause I've been ditching work a lot to do things for Hell Walk and they've been very understanding.




When most people like me hear that you work at Bad Robot, they think it must be the coolest job ever -

It is, yeah it is -


Make us jealous for a second - what's the coolest thing about working here?

Here's the thing. So I've lived a long life and I've experienced things that I thought might be cool, and then you get to close to them and you're like, ehhhh, this is sort of lame. You have all these high expectations and it seems like they're never met, but they're met here. The people out there who watch our shows and watch our movies and have an idea of what it's like, it's better than what you think. You know, it's not a bunch of pencil pushers, it's not like cynical Hollywood people here, everyone in the building is excited about making things that are neat and then hopefully keeping them secret so that when people actually hear about them, they're surprised, cause there's so little surprise left in media, that it's sort of a core mission of this company. The perfect example of what Bad Robot, to me, is, is two weeks ago, I'm sitting in the art room, that's where my office is, and the visual effects artist is playing with a motion capture suit and they're animating people. So you could walk by and start moving and the Bad Robot will move on the screen. And then as they're doing that, one of our interns walks by with a broom down his back, covered in raffia and dressed like a scarecrow because our interns were making a short film that had a scarecrow in it. And just seeing that combination - it was this one vision of people moving their arms, the Bad Robot moving on the screen and then right beyond them, a guy walking by dressed up as a scarecrow. It was awesome. It's a great place to work. JJ, everyone in the building are just the nicest folks and they're also really talented. You know, a lot of people are nice, that's not hard, it's easy to be nice, you just be nice to people, yeah, then you're nice, but to be talented *and* nice *and* generous, is rare and I will never leave this place. Until they fire me (laughs).

How did you end up with a job at a place like Bad Robot - what was your career trajectory?

I was incredibly lucky to get this job. I literally almost fell into it. A friend of mine that I worked with at another company got a job here. I basically told her I would do anything she needed if I could get a job there. Literally, I said I would be the janitor if need be. Anyway, I interviewed, waited six excruciating weeks, and got hired. Without a doubt, the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me in my life.

Whats your title?

I don't know if I have a title. We don't really have titles so much here. I do a lot of stuff here, I work with all the people in the art room, the visual effects guys, the interns, I work a lot in operations with a lovely woman named Beth, who was the one who helped me get the job here, and then we do a lot of special projects, we just for Christmas this year build a thousand Bad Robot themed gingerbread boxes. We had to find the perfect box and then we were gonna put a stamp on it with a Bad Robot on it, but we decided we could do something better than that, so we designed a stamp in Illustrator that we sent to an engraver who then sent us an engraving back that we put into our letter press downstairs, this letter press is 120 years old, and so the box was stamped with that, and it's textured and it's got that debossed feeling so you can run your fingers over it and feel all the grooves. Inside that, we had the candy to build the thing, but we wanted to do our own - we didn't just wanna buy candy and give it to people, so we bought candy in bulk, and then bought heat sealers, so that it looked like a model kit, and hand sealed 7000 packs of different candies to go into these boxes and then the instructions had to look like an old model, so one of our visual effects artists designed this fold out sheet of instructions. And what else was in there? The mix, obviously, and other stuff, but it was a ten pound gingerbread box that our interns and myself and a few other people made in this building. So, stuff like that. (Laughs) Stuff that has nothing to do with television or film at all, you know at all. But that's sort of part of the life here too, that it's not just film and tv, there's a huge practical arts aspect of Bad Robot, we have silk screen downstairs, we make our own stuff in house when we can, it's cool.


Are there any Hell Walk pre-events that people can get involved in?

They are, we're still scheduling them right now, so the ideal way to do it is to go to Twitter, and follow @Hellwalk2011 or you can call me anytime you want, my number's 310-741-9106, you can prank call me, I enjoy a good prank call if it's well done, and we'll put you in touch and we'll call you, we'll email you. You can email me, josh@badrobot.com <mailto:josh@badrobot.com> and I'll let you know what's going on with Hellwalk. But call me actually, cause no one ever does that! People leave their phone numbers and dare people to call them, but no one ever does so, call me, I'll let you know what's going on.


Is there anything you'd like to recommend to our readers? Anything you've been into lately that you want to pass the word on about?

Things around LA or books, culture?

Anything like that.

Oh, there's so many things. The TV show Southland is so good...it's such a good - and especially if you live in LA, and you interact with policemen, it's such a good show and I'm afraid it's going to get canceled. Cause it's not the biggest, you know, it's not Glee.


Any movies coming out you're psyched for?

Super 8, hell yeah! I can't wait to see Super 8. You know I'm so out of touch with movie culture now because of f***in Hell Walk. (laughs) All my time.

Oh here's one I'm excited about! The Adjustment Bureau. I've already seen it, it's really good (I freak out with joy - I was worried when it got pushed back). It's a good flick. It's ambitious and ambitious movies can fail in certain ways and this does have a few parts where you're like, oooh, they just kind of missed, but it's great to see a big Hollywood movie be well mounted, with great actors, great visual effects, that is trying to tell a story that hasn't been told before, so I recommend everyone go see it. (Note: I did. Based on his recommendation.)

Go to Big Dean's, great place to get burgers, Big Dean's on the Ocean. Go to Sonny McLean's, my favorite bar, that's the birthplace of Hellwalk! It started in the middle two barstools and they have great beer there, which I don't drink anymore, cause I'm stupidly deciding not to, but they have great craft beers, the best beer in the world, Delirium Tremens on tap, can't beat that, it's $9 a glass, but it's worth it. 26th and Wilshire. Delierium Temens is a belgian beer, I think it's a triple. It's really good, sweet, strong, not a belgian white though. Just drink it!

*****

A couple days later, Josh let me know that on April 9th, a pre-Hell walk fundraiser will be held at its birthplace, Sonny McLean's.  For details on how to attend, click here. Be sure to check out the Hell Walk website here and get involved if you're so inclined. Oh, and in case you haven't seen it, here's the trailer for Super 8. Can it open now please. And if you want a Hell walk bracelet or shirt, if you have a band and you want to perform at the event, don't hesitate to shoot Josh an email - or call him if you're brave enough. He's the real deal and hopes to share his excitement over this charity event with as many people as possible.

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CONTEST - Hanna Prize Package!

In celebration of Hanna opening this weekend, we're doing a little giveaway for you wonderful readers out there!

Here's what we're giving away,

· Unisex T-shirt

· Hooded Sweatshirt

· Skullcandy Earbuds

· Micro Fiber Cloth

· Bumper Sticker

To enter, all you have to do is the following:

1. follow our writers on Twitter
@Eruditechick
@Loquaciousmuse
@Castling
@TooAdorkable

2. Shoot an email to allthingsfangirl at gmail.com, containing your name and shipping address, with the subject HANNA IS AWESOME

For more info on the film, check out the article What To Expect When You're Expecting Hanna or watch the trailer below!

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Best Finds of Wondercon 2011 [And How To Get Some For Yourself!]

Crossposted on Film.com

I've been attending comic book conventions since I was two years old and perhaps my most favorite part of every experience, no matter how many stars are in attendance, no matter how much footage I see, no matter how amazing the cosplay is, no matter how much drinking with fun folk occurs (don't worry, that part didn't start until I was 16. I mean...21...), is raiding the dealer's room for awesome swag and merchandise. ESPECIALLY at Wondercon, which may be packed, but not overly filled to the brim or ginormous enough to make the Dealer's Room bridge on the stressful and wholly enervating experience it can be at big brother Comic-Con. So I thought for the rest of you dealer's room loving geeks out there, I'd give you a taste of some of my favorite items seen and acquired on the show floor.

Green Lantern Light Up Ring
The most coveted swag of Wondercon 2011, these official Green Lantern rings, licensed by DC comics, were given out at the DC booth throughout the weekend. The only guaranteed way to get one was to wait in an epic line, so very few of our cohorts actually got their hands on one. I feared that because of this reason, I wouldn't be able to get an extra one for Da7e, but because the Universe quite likes us, I found one sitting on the floor during the Femme Fatales panel and nabbed it up. Buy one on ebay for 100 bucks, or better yet, don't. Are people insane?!

Star Trek/Reservoir Dogs Tote Bag
Of all the things I tweeted this weekend, a photo of this tote bag hands down got the most response. Expect to see some Retro Outlaw items getting some love across the internets this week. The tote was only *five* dollars and the sole reason I didn't nab it was so Robert Meyer Burnett (or another huge original Trek fan) could. The design is also on a shirt, but as far as I know, you won't be able to find it online. If you are headed to Comic-Con this year, remember to look Retro Outlaw up as soon as you arrive so you can grab yourself one to carry your swag in for the weekend.

The Walking Dead Hoodie
Continuing my trend of owning WAY too much The Walking Dead merchandise, I couldn't resist buying this adorable hoodie from the Image booth for only a meager discount off the retail price. Not only is it comfortable and cute, but it's for The Walking Dead and there was only one size small remaining! And I do mean the COMIC mind you. So the hoodie is only and exclusively full of win. I expect to never take it off. Apparently it isn't available anywhere else yet, but you can pre-order one for yourself here.

More after the jump!

Brittney Lee Art Print
Ob.Sessed. Eruditechick and I made the correct decision of perusing Artist's Alley early on and discovered designer/animator's Brittney Lee's amazing work. I haven't been a fan of this particular style of animation in the past (reminiscent of later Disney works like Hercules, The Emperor's New Groove and Tarzan), but somehow when Lee does it, I can't get enough. A lot of her prints seemed to focus on sweet romance, from one of a pirate trying to get a mermaid's attention, to one of a couple kissing outside of a home in the winter, and many others focused on girls with cats. As someone who loves all of the above, it was difficult to not buy everything she had on sale. But ultimately I went with the one featured above. This particular print had sold out by the time I came back on Sunday, so the one Lee sold to me was the very print she submitted to Comic-Con International for approval in Artist's Alley. She personalized it to me next to her signature and I thoroughly geeked out. Look her up at Comic-Con and be sure to go by her booth. Everything is significantly discounted in person, plus you have the opportunity to get your purchase made out to you and meet the lovely artist! See other favorite prints of mine here and here.

Jedi Master Bathrobe
Another hot booth in the dealer's room was the "Robe" booth. I call it the "Robe" booth, because I don't know what its Christian name is. (Update: Its in fact "Robe Factory." I was close.) But a Jedi Master bathrobe has been on my damn Amazon wishlist for years, so you better believe when I noticed that they were 50% off, I bought one on the spot. It's terrycloth, it's huge, it makes me feel like a Jedi Master, it's the greatest purchase one could ever make at a comic convention ever. Hyperbole? What's that? The booth also featured Star Trek bathrobes and Captain America lounging robes, among others.You can buy one for yourself here, but it might be smarter to wait until Comic-Con for that sweet sweet major discount.

Blank-ees
Hand-painted pop art takes on every geek character imaginable, I picked up one of these in magnet form as an "I went out of town without you" gift for my boyfriend. Anyone who can guess which character I purchased for him wins 12 points. (That number may or may not be a hint. Another hint: You will not see it on her website, but you do see it in the pictures above in large form - the small form is gone, because I bought it, but it's next to a character from the same universe!) The artist, Lauren Perry, takes commissions, and if you choose to order through her website, she can make you any character you desire. I hope I can find her again at Comic-Con, because next time, I'm buying one for myself.

Return of the Jedi Comb
I didn't actually purchase any of these $15 combs, but I was completely fascinated by their existence. Were geek themed combs a thing in the early 80s? How does it even work? Who uses combs? So many questions! I found these at a booth FILLED with bizarre and hard to find Star Wars items that would have made 12 year old me faint. But 25 year old me hasn't rewatched the movies in a while and doesn't use a comb, so the item went unpurchased.

Game of Thrones Sigil Shirts
Now I don't know a damn thing about the George R.R. Martin series because I'm stupid and have only read the beginning of the first book, but from what I was told, these shirts represent different kingdoms, each with its own sigil. The kingdoms are Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, Tully, Arryn, Greyjoy, and Targaryen and by the end of the con, you could get 2 for $35. But again, I'm stupid, and didn't have time to talk to Future Muse about how much she is going to want one of these, so I didn't get one. For a limited time, you can use this code at the HBO store to get the show floor price: WGOT20.

Lord Mesa "Lil" Art Print
Another amazing Artist's Alley find, it was almost impossible to decide which print to buy from Lord Mesa's booth. Ultimately, I went with a five dollar Avatar: The Last Airbender one, as I've only recently gotten into the show and own absolutely nothing relating to it. If you followed my tweets during Wondercon, you'd have noticed my never ending pleas that someone direct me towards a booth with a good stuffed Momo, but alas there wasn't a single Airbender toy in the whole damned hall. Fortunately, this print was a nice (and undoubtedly much cheaper) substitute. Lord Mesa was even kind enough to tell me where to stop looking in his book of prints to avoid Season 3 spoilers, as I'm only halfway through the series. I came close to buying his phenomenal Joker/Harley print and only didn't because I already have two pieces of fantastic Harley artwork, and too much Harley artwork on my walls may give people the wrong impression of me. Or the exact correct impression of me that I would rather wait to show you once we're friends :). Check out his loads of artwork here.

Dorothy of Oz Comic
IDW was giving away samples of the Dorothy of Oz comic, which will act as a bridge between The Wizard of Oz and the forthcoming animated movie featuring the voices of Lea Michele, Hugh Dancy, Patrick Stewart, Oliver Platt and more. I was very excited to pick up this preview, as the Oz books have always been huge in my family, Return to Oz having been a childhood staple. The movie is based on the book by the same name, written by the grandson of L. Frank Baum, Roger S Baum, and the comic supports the notion that the movie, like the book it was based on, will be more on the side of whimsical and fun than disturbing and unsettling, like the original Baum's books were, and like Return to Oz, based on his 2nd and 3rd books, most certainly was. I prefer the dark part of Oz, but was still happy to get my hands on a copy of this comic, purely for collection purposes.

Tony Fleecs' Pulp Superwomen
Also found in Artist's Alley - and I'm still kicking myself for not going back and getting one - were these gorgeous prints of what the covers would look like if superwomen were ever translated into the world of pulp fiction. Fleecs also has a series called "Adorable Tragedies" where he recreates the darkest moments in superheros lives, but in the style of "adorable" or as Lord Mesa calls it, "Lil". Click here to see Batman's adorable tragedy and here to see Wolverine's. Oh, and there may have also been a Team Spike print. I was so impressed with Fleecs work overall, my plan was to go grab Eruditechick and bring her over to help me decide which one to get, but I never made it back. Here's hoping Fleecs appears at Comic-Con so I can get one then - I much prefer buying art FROM the artist. Though if you want one for yourself now, just follow the link.

Cookie Vs. Wookie Shirt
This is just adorable and warranted mention. You can grab one here.

Of course, there was also great swag at many panels, including a Green Lantern shirt & lanyard, Falling Skies comic book, Priest 3D glasses, Femme Fatales bags and Dr Who shirt, and endless other great merchandise on the floor. This year in particular, I grasped the value of spending quality time in Artist's Alley. It's a great way to discover new artists, chat with ones you're already familiar with, and make some great, unique purchases.

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Review: Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog: The Book

Crossposted on Film.com

It had me at "spurty in their lady place."

It's been almost three years since the writer's strike and the release of arguably the most wonderful project to have emerged from that tumultuous period in Hollywood history (what else did the writers strike produce? Oh yeah. Transformers 2. Point made.). Thanks to Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, we have not only a great web-series we can watch over and over, but toys, soundtracks, musical commentary and endless cosplay to geek out over and this week, a brand new book to add to the list. Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog: The Book. And that's exactly what it is. A book. Of Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog. It's pretty badass.

Normally with this kind of publication, the bulk is made up of art and photos, great to own as a fan, sure, but not practical in any way. But Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog The Book, much like Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog the web-series, isn't your typical book....slash.....web series. No, yeah, that makes sense. That sentence definitely was cohesive and was not nonsensical. Oh god. I've been reading and watching so much Whedon-speak, I can almost feel myself becoming a Whedon...self-deprecation! Meta jokes! Sonheim-esque musical interludes!  Attempts at jokes awkwardly placed in the middle of an article!

Now that that's out of my system, back to the topic at hand. To start, Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog: The Book, features both the original shooting script and the complete sheet music, which I was pretty astounded to discover. I was expecting page after page of photos and behind the scenes commentary, like most other coffee table books of this nature, but was thrilled to find out it's so much more. Sure, I couldn't actually keep the book upright on my piano to play the music, it is a giant coffee table book after all, but once I photocopied the pages I wanted to play, I spent hours futzing around with both my piano and guitar. Anything that gets me to musical instrument futz is an instant win. The book also made me want to rewatch the web series - and I did - (it's on Netflix Instant Watch!) - while following along. Singing with the songs, seeing where actors deviated (It warmed my heart that Simon Helberg (Moist) said all of his lines word for word), where moments changed from script to screen, and how actors handled stage directions like "a beat as he realizes he said that sarcastically" and "Captain Hammer isn't thrilled, but he's hiding it from her." I especially liked following along during Commentary: The Musical (not on Netflix Instant Watch, actually had to get up and put a disc in my Xbox to watch that one...Netflix, you shifty bastids, you....) because this time, I actually didn't miss any of the jokes. You really start to notice things like, wow, Neil Patrick Harris sure does know how to enunciate, because he's the only one I understand without this book in front of me! Well, to be fair, I didn't need to book to make out what Maurissa was saying either, but Neil is truly the king of proper musical enunciation. It is a thing to be admired.

The introduction alone is worth the price of admission, as Captain Hammer explains what we're about to read and reminds us that he is Teh Awesome by saying things like

"People often ask me to write the introductions to their books. They ask me to speak at their school, be Godfather to their child, or make a spurty in their lady place." 

Immediately followed by

"I usually say no. Books don't interest me (Stop calling, Michael Chabon!), school is for sissies, and the Godfather was a bad man who did mob crime. The lady thing is okay, as long as it's between consenting adults and no one gets hurt/slapped with a paternity suit (stop calling, Mrs Michael Chabon!). But to conclude this word section, books are for coffee tables." 

And it only gets better from there.

After the intro, the book then goes into a lengthy discussion of the pre-production process with the whole pre-pro team - Jed, Joss, Maurissa and Zack - still infused with that trademark Whedon humor. Well. It better. Considering that's four Whedons right there. The flow and tone of the conversation really makes you as the reader feel like you are in the room, especially because The Whedons Four let us in on fun facts that people *not* in the room may not want us to know, i.e. how Neil, Nathan and Simon all separately forgot about the first table read. Oops. Although Simon actually recalls the moment he realized he forgot about the read through in his "A Horrible Memory," one of four accounts from the actors, which also include "A Horrible Experience" from Felicia Day, a haiku by Nathan Fillion, and a lovely afterward from Neil Patrick Harris.

There also may or may not be scans of call sheets. I happen to love call sheets, with their lines and numbers and organization! Really. I actually do. Seeing the "official" parts of the production is a fun aspect of the book, because it reminds us that despite having zero studio involvement and zero pay, everyone in the production still fell back on their professional habits. There was no slacking off, no foregoing of call sheets, costume continuity shots, sketches, music demos or multiple read throughs that all the actors did eventually attend. And when such talented people bring their A game to a project with no studio interference, it shows.

On that note, the book also features several behind the scenes photos from events celebrating the finished outcome, like The Emmys, The Streamys and Comic-Con. There's even a scan of a reserved seat badge from the 2008 Dr. Horrible panel (sorry forgers, except I'm not sorry at all, the reserved seat passes change pretty much every year) and a shot of the audience watching said panel. I happened to be in that room and experienced what is still one of my favorite Comic-Con memories. Nathan Fillion recited his famous "The Hammer is my penis" line to an adoring crowd, which was immediately followed by a small child behind me asking "Mommy, did he just say the hammer is my penis?" But the aftermath chronicling doesn't stop with Comic-Con and award shows, there are also multiple shots of cosplayers, merchandise, and even some from a couple of amateur Dr. Horrible productions.

Overall, it's a must own for any fan of Dr. Horrible, especially if you don't yet own the sheet music. For some reason, there is actually quite an overlap in terms of Joss geeks and Musical Theater nerds (myself included), so if you know people who fit that criteria, this is certainly the gift for them. The fact that it even exists thrills me - that a webseries gets its own behind the scenes coffee table book. And reading through it got me to rewatch, listen to the commentary, play the music both on iTunes and with my instruments, and all in all remind myself how much I love Dr. Horrible and want a sequel. It's been three years. Enough of this already, Whedons. Moar please!

Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Book 
Release Date: March 29, 2011
Warning: This book may cause you to speak like a Whedon for roughly 3-5 hours upon completion. The only cure is more cowbell. There is no cure.

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HAPPY POETRY MONTH!

April is National Poetry Month. So go read a poem today, tomorrow, or just at some point during the month! Or go write your own! Here's a poem I love:

We Have Not Long To Love

We have not long to love.
Light does not stay.
The tender things are those
we fold away.
Coarse fabrics are the ones
for common wear.
In silence I have watched you
comb your hair.
Intimate the silence,
dim and warm.
I could but did not, reach
to touch your arm.
I could, but do not, break
that which is still.
(Almost the faintest whisper
would be shrill.)
So moments pass as though
they wished to stay.
We have not long to love.
A night. A day....

-Tennessee Williams
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=27204

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