COOL STUFF: "An Outsider's View of Star Wars" (6 July 2008)

TOP: Star Wars, still a classic...

Hi All,

I can't imagine a world without Star Wars. While I was born before it came out, I was young (...and impressionable) when it came out. I remember collected Star Wars figures of which my sister summarily beheaded as one of those sibling rivalry pranks we all do... I also remember playing Star Wars on the playground with other grade schoolers SO...

When perusing my friend Yehuda's blog the other day ago, I was SHOCKED to discover that Yehuda had apparently NEVER seen the Star Wars film before! Yehuda's review is written as an outsider, someone not completely taken in by the Star Wars cult... which made it rather novel in my eyes. Here we live in a world where many UK citizens publicly declare their religion to be "THE FORCE" and Yehuda had still never seen the films, while living in the Western world... To gosh and beyond...

Please enjoy this short excerpt from Yehuda's review and then find the link below to the entire shebang.

First movie (The Phantom Menace)

This was a neat movie. The good guys and their light swords are ubercool. Obi-Wan, Qui Jon, Yoda, and Palpatine are all played well enough, although they don't exhibit much more than one-dimensional personalities. Padme is a feisty heroine, but she really doesn't have much to do or say in the movie. She just wanders around.

It culminates in a battle to recapture the Naboo palace, and a wicked fight scene with light sabers.

Unfortunately, the actors who play Anakin and his mother are pretty bad, as are some of the hokey lines of dialog. Some of the dialog is inconsistent. For instance, the mother lets Anakin go off with Qui Gon Jinn to be a Jedi, and then two seconds later Anakin asks if he can go. Du-uh.

The Trade Federation's droids are supposed to be menacing, but they're fairly ineffective and say a lot of things that don't make sense for a droid, such as "Uh oh". And there's a race of annoying aquatic people on Naboo who talk with Jamaican accents and blubber a lot, added as comic relief. They were dispensable.

I think Yehuda about summed up the Star Wars Episode I film in those few sentences. Jar-Jar Binks is pretty universally despised and "dispensable" seems just about right for him... maybe too kind. Uggh.

The rest of his comments were fun too... it's just hard to know if Yehuda was being sarcastic or if his review is as sincere as it appears. It seems so hard to imagine that an adult male could have missed Star Wars altogether unless they were cloistered in a monastery, prison, or some other sort of similar explanation. Of course, Yehuda is also a dedicated family man and that's as good an excuse as any. But still... LOL

Read Yehuda's review with all six Star Wars films here:

http://jergames.blogspot.com/2008/07/review-star-wars.html

Have a great Sunday!
And good gaming to you!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).

FILMS: "Fracture = Good Flick!" (30 January 2008)

Hi All,

I had the opportunity this past weekend to rent a DVD and viewed Fracture, a spank'in good murder-mystery with the impeccable Anthony Hopkins leading the cast in an antagonist / bad guy role. I really enjoyed the film and can recommend it highly. I can also say that despite Anthony Hopkins being the murderer, I was rooting for him the whole film; he played a very charismatic and likable character.

Plot summary:

Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins), a methodical structural engineer, plans a systematic way to kill his younger wife, Jennifer (Embeth Davidtz), when he discovers that she is having an affair with a police negotiator. Crawford has logically figured a way to kill his wife and involve hostage negotiator Detective Rob Nunally (Billy Burke) into his plan. After Crawford shoots his wife, the police arrive and he allows only the negotiator, Detective Nunally, to enter the house. Crawford admits to shooting his wife and that she is lying on the floor in the other room. Detective Nunally checks Jennifer out to see if she is still alive, and then he recognizes that she is his lover. Jennifer was shot in the head, but she is not dead. Detective Nunally is able to overpower Crawford and put him under arrest. Crawford is arraigned and wants an immediate trial, acting as his own lawyer.

With a signed confession and the gun, the Assistant District Attorney Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) believes he has a slam-dunk case and agrees to go to trial. What Beachum thought was a perfectly simple case ends up being a battle of wits and a psychological fight that takes him to his breaking point.

By: Douglas Young (The-Movie-Guy)

TOP: Fracture, a good murder-mystery film.

Here's a little "linkety-link" about the film:

IMDB entry for Fracture:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0488120/

Wikipedia entry for Fracture:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fracture_%28film%29

Have a great Wednesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).

FILMS: "Beowulf = Pro-Wrestling + Fantasy" (7 December 2007)

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Hi All,

My buddies and I went to see Beowulf on an IMAX screen yesterday and... it was pretty bad. It was great to hang out with my buddies, but the film was marginal... at best. If I had to give it a percentage grade, it would get about a 76% or 76 / 100. A little gratuitous violence and a few zinger lines don't make a film.

TOP: Even "mostly-naked" Angelina couldn't save it...
Although one of my buddies might disagree...

If you're literary fan of Beowulf then just don't bother. PERIOD. I wouldn't take children to it either...

However, in an informal poll of my buddies, we all agreed that The 300 was more over-the-top than Beowulf... and that's not really saying much...

TOP: Is having CGI sensors attached to your face acting?
Surely it counts as voice acting?

However, if you're the type that enjoys Pro Wrestling, the kind with chairs and molls, or you like Mexican Wrestling then it might be up your alley... it did have alot of gratuitous violence... IT DID!

Wiki Beowulf Literary Work background link here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf

Wiki 2007 film Beowulf entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf_%282007_film%29

So, in summation, if you have very low expectations, they'll probably be met... otherwise, wait for Beowulf to hit cheap rental video before bothering.

Have a great Friday!
And Happy Chanukkah to my Jewish readers!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

FILMS: "Vertical Limit" (29 November 2007)

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Hi All,

I saw a great movie the other day ago... a real cliffhanger called "Vertical Limit." Great flick, I highly recommend it... go out and rent it. Don't expect witty dialogue or a particularly good storyline, but the special effects, good-looking "faces," great soundtrack, and amazing special effects are worth enjoying for their own sake separate of the cruddy plot line and dialogue.

Here are a few of my favorite review snippets:

Unwind, eat popcorn, watch people fall off mountains. That's entertainment.
- Liz Braun of Jam! Movies

And...

When the characters just shut up and dangle, Vertical Limit becomes one heck of a wild time.
- David Germain of the Associated Press

Thanks, Cheri and Keri!

IMDB link for "Vertical Limit" here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190865/

Wikipedia link for "Vertical Limit" here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_Limit

Rotten Tomatoes entry for "Vertical Limit" here:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/vertical_limit/

Have a great Thursday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

COOL STUFF: "The Ko-Dan Armada — For Real!" (6 November 2007)

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TOP: The Last Starfighter movie poster from 1984!

Hi All,

Way back in 1984, one of my favorite sci-fi movies ever debutted, The Last Starfighter, a fun little romp of a film that helped to pioneer the use of CG (computer generated) special effects. One of most entertaining details of the movie back in the 1980s was the use of a video arcade game unit in the film as a recruiting tool to find star pilots for a fantastic galactic force of Gunstar starfighters to defend the universe against bad guys everywhere. The idea was that if you could beat the video game, you'd make a good starfighter pilot since you'd have the right eye-hand coordination, reflexes, and all that. It worked in the movie at any rate and after the film came out, young people everywhere scanned video game arcades everywhere for Last Starfighter units hoping to enlist in the galactic force, but... a video game of the movie was never made... until now!

Check out this excerpt from a cool Galactica Watercooler post:

As we discussed at length in DTA Podcast #1, we all ran out of the theater after seeing The Last Starfighter hoping to find a Starfighter game in the arcade — so we could blow our little hometowns home planet forever. Well, now you can have a Starfighter game of your very own — but you’ll have to build it yourself.

Here’s the skinny: the great folks at Rogue Synapse — a resource for movie-aficionados and game cabinet builders — have not only researched the details of the game cabinet from the movie, they’ve also developed a working version of the Starfighter game. This is the game that should’ve hit arcades right after the movie but never did. And it’s a free download!

Post continued at the Galactica Watercooler...

Galactica Watercooler entry for the new Last Starfighter video game:
http://www.galacticawatercooler.com/2007/10/31/fight-the-ko-dan-armada-for-reals/

So, alright already, let's go out and blow up the Ko-Dan Armada!

TOP: A REAL The Last Starfighter video game unit.

And if you've never seen the film, go out and rent it soon. It's a family-friendly film and just good, clean fun. I'm including two links about the film below if you'd like to learn more about it.

IMDb (International Movie Data Base) entry for the The Last Starfighter:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087597/

Wikipedia entry for the The Last Starfighter:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Starfighter

TOP: The awesome CG Gunstar space fighter from The Last Starfighter.

And if you ever wanted to get a miniatures model version of the Gunstar, this is the place:
http://www.minimodelmadness.com/store/

Mini Model Madness has all sorts of fun resin replicas of movie vehicles. I've seen games use MMM models before for miniatures wargaming... They're a bit pricey but they paint up nicely.

Have a great Tuesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

FUN VIDEOS: "Maksimok Takes On The Argonauts" (19 October 2007)

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Hi All,

The above clip is one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite films of all time: "Jason and the Argonauts" made by one of the all-time great film directors of all time, Ray Harryhausen. "Jason" is a retelling of the classic Greek myth by the same name, a tale of adventure, heroes & monsters with what were at the time, the best special effects ever made. Ray Harryhausen, an amazing special effects guru, made stop-motion model animation famous. Here's a little bit about the technique:

Stop motion (or frame-by-frame) animation is a general term for an animation technique which makes a physically manipulated object appear to move. The object is moved by very small amounts between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence. Clay figures are often used in stop motion animations, known as claymation, for their ease of repositioning. Software applications such as Stop Motion Pro, istopmotion and monkeyjam have made the technique popular among young filmmakers.

And if you've never seen a Harryhausen film before, by all means, go out and rent one, or better yet, buy one of the Harryhausen DVD collections now available. From "Jason and the Argonauts," "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad," to "Clash of the Titans," there are some real film gems out there for someone never exposed to the wonders of Harryhausen.

And, by the way, my RPG / Miniatures game alter-ego, Master Necromancer Maksimok, would have done things the same as the necromancer in the above film clip, EXCEPT... Maksimok's skeleton underlings have a real thing for guys who wear skirts, from Greeks to Scots. I can't imagine the heroes doing so well against Maksimok's skeleton hordes. Booyah!

And a few links as is my wont:

Everything you ever wanted to know about the great Ray Harryhausen:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harryhausen

Lots about "Jason and the Argonauts":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_and_the_Argonauts_%28film%29

More about the classic Greek myth of the Argonauts:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argonauts

Have a great Friday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

COOL STUFF: Deathstar Mania! Part-Four: Deathstar Theatre! (20 September 2007)

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TOP: This Grand Imperial Theater features three seating levels...
...a stage screen, and a fiber-optic star field.

Hi All,

I'm undoubtedly a Geek, and, at that, a blasted big Geek, but... every time I think I'm a hopeless fanboy of the multiple shades of Geekness known by such appellations as Battlestar Galactica, Robotech, Star Trek, Traveller, and, of course, Star Wars... I get a rude awakening! Here's an excerpt written about the Geekiest Star Wars home theatre I've EVER seen (...and that includes the previously shown Star Wars sub woofer shaped like the Deathstar):

Designing a Death Star Theater

Three separate rooms, one star field, and a life-sized Han Solo are just a few of the things that help two super "Star Wars" fans get their geek on in this theater.

A long time ago in a home theater far, far away—well, outside of Seattle anyway—began one of the greatest “Star Wars” spectacles to ever exist outside the doors of Comic-Con.

Super-fans Vic Wertz and Lisa Stevens used to run the Official Star Wars Fan Club and even the “Star Wars Insider” magazine. But even though they’re both out of that business now, they still pay homage to their dark lord and master each and every day—thanks to their incredibly impressive and geeky home theater.

Darth Vader wouldn’t call in an Ewok to do his dirty work, and neither did this couple. Instead they recruited Doug Chiang, the lead designer on “Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace” and “Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones.” Stevens met him during her days at another game company, Wizards of the Coast. “When we decided to do this project, I wanted to make sure I had the right designer, and he was at the top of the list,” says Wertz. Sure, but was he gettable? “He was pretty busy at the time, so it almost didn’t happen, but at the last minute, he was able to schedule a block of time for the designs.”

Three designs later, the couple brought in Mike Dillon and his custom design and fabrication company, Dillon Works, to do the icing on the cake. “We can design and fabricate just about anything,” he says. And he wasn’t kidding.

“It ended up being the control deck of the Death Star,” says Eric Ward, custom sales manager at Definitive Audio. The Bellevue, Wash.-based installation company was responsible for all of the audio and video for this 36-month project...

Please follow the below link to read the rest of the article...

Here's a link to the full Death Star Theatre article: http://www.electronichouse.com/article/designing_the_death_star_theater/

TOP: The Jedi’s Last Supper: Which One Is Judas?

And I threw in the above "Jedi's Last Supper" graphic even though it's old news and has been floating around the 'Net for the Lord only knows how long... As far as the question goes, I think that the Judas of Star Wars is obvious... don't you?

*** Who do you think the Judas of Star Wars is? ***

If you'd care to share, please share your Judas in the comments section of this post.

Here's a link to one of the MANY posts featuring this graphic:
http://www.uberreview.com/2007/08/the-jedi-last-supper-which-one-is-judas.htm

Have a great Thursday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

FILMS: "Armageddon"... Not Quite Bust'in Up The Planet...

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TOP: Armageddon, saving the world...

...from spiky steaming turd-shaped asteroids.

Hi All,

I tend to not be the most avid movie-goer... and I finally caught up to Armageddon, a 1998 "oldie & moldie" starring Bruce Willis and unfortunately featuring Ben "Wuss-boy" Affleck. The basic premise of the movie is that a giant asteroid is discovered hurdling towards the Earth on a collision path that will bring about an apocalyptic "planet killer" event like many scientists theorize ended the reign of the dinosaurs. And, of course, the only person who can save us is a burly oil driller played by Bruce Willis and his team of fellow "roughneck" drillers including the ever-annoying Ben Affleck. Billy Bob Thornton, puts in a good performance as a NASA administrator... and Liv Tyler acts pouty and annoying... as well as hot as is her prime talent.

TOP: The asteroid is spikey and Hollywood-set-looking...

The "Roughnecks" are played by a host of Hollywood "2nd stringers" including quite a few of them who have made their way into "leading man" roles almost a decade later. Among the better-known "Roughnecks":

Steve Buscemi: How this bug-eyed guy makes it in Hollywood is almost beyond me until I remembered that he has an excellent sense of comedic timing... and he doesn't fail in this flick with his comedic talents. Despite specializing in playing sleezeballs, he's likable and ends up both surviving the mission and being rewarded Hollywood-style with a trophy wife who just happens to be a stripper named "Molly Mounds." Only in Hollywood...

Michael Clark Duncan: This guy has become best-known for his role as the giant possessed black guy from Steven King's "The Green Mile." Despite being such a freakishly large man, he's likable as well.

William Fichtner: Will Fichtner has gone through a string of great roles including "Blackhawk Down" and the television series "Invasion." He plays a steely-faced Air Force colonel... pretty much his archetypal character. He will be playing a supporting role in the upcoming movie adaptation of the classic graphic novel "The Dark Knight."

Will Patton: Will Patton has gone onto to many "leading man" roles including as the coach in the very likable 2000 flick "Remember The Titans." His "down-South" accent give him a certain charisma...

Peter Stormare: Best-known for playing a crazy murderous nut in "Fargo," Peter Stormare plays a really stereotypical Russian cosmonaut in Armageddon. I can't blame him since the director undoubtedly wanted him to play such a lousy two-dimensional character. If the Soviet Union had really wanted to win the Cold War bad enough, they should have come up with a "Communist Hollywood" so they could make NASA look bad... although the whole "American cowboy" stereotype has persisted well enough...

Owen Wilson: Owen Wilson as just a pup back in 1998 and it shows because they knock off his character early in the film. He went on to make a number of bad comedies including several with Jackie Chan.

Here's an IMDB (International Movie Data Base) link to the film:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120591/

TOP: The "Roughnecks," men we should be...

...thankful that NASA has never put in space.

And the central plot device of a planet-destroying asteroid is a common-enough one... very popular in sci-fi novels. I've easily read a half a dozen or so novels with this theme including:

"The Forge of God" by Greg Bear:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Forge_of_God

"The Hammer of God" by Arthur C. Clarke:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hammer_of_God

"Rendezvous With Rama" by Arthur C. Clarke:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendezvous_with_Rama

"Footfall" by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footfall

"Lucifer's Hammer" by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer%27s_Hammer

And lastly, here's a link to everything you could ever want to know about asteroids in science fiction, courtesy of Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroids_in_fiction#Collisions_with_Earth

Have a great Tuesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

FILMS: Robotech To Come To The Big Screen?

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TOP: A video with the Robotech animated series intro.

Hi All,

Last week, I was out of town at training and read about a forthcoming Robotech movie from several sources: TMP, Marc Vezina's blog, Yahoo News, among other sources. I didn't have the time to Blog about it then, but I do now. Being that I'm a major Robotech / Macross fan, I'm excited about the possibility of a Robotech movie... even if Hollywood does it. Here's an excerpt from the Yahoo News article:

TOP: Robotech, THE serial sci-fi cartoon of the 1980s!

...After a lengthy negotiation, Warner Bros. Pictures has picked up feature rights to "Robotech," a 1980s Japanese cartoon series with giant robots known as mechas. Maguire is eyeing the lead role, and will serve as a producer.

"We are very excited to bring 'Robotech' to the big screen," Maguire said. "There is a rich mythology that will be a great foundation for a sophisticated, smart and entertaining film."

A sprawling sci-fi epic, "Robotech" takes place at a time when Earth has developed giant robots from the technology on an alien spacecraft that crashed on a South Pacific isle. Mankind is forced to use the technology to fend off three successive waves of alien invasions. The first invasion concerns a battle with a race of giant warriors who seek to retrieve their flagship's energy source known as "protoculture," and the planet's survival ends up in the hands of two young pilots.

The $686 million worldwide box office success of "Transformers" has inspired other studios to assemble giant robot movies. Last month, Fox-based Regency picked up 1980s Japanese anime series "Voltron."

- Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

In a few word, Robotech has been a major cultural icon... it could be argued that the animated series Robotech and the feature film Akira almost singlehandedly established Japanese animation or anime in the American consciousness. I know that as a younger person, my friends and I religiously watched Robotech... sometimes several times a day if we could. And it wasn't just young people who enjoyed it, I remember a number of adults, some of them "very mature" (...meaning old!) adults who enjoyed the series right alongside us.

Robotech ran in three major series representing different chronological periods in the Robotech universe:

1. Macross
(Humans first encounter aliens and alien technology culminating in an epic final battle.)
2. Southern Cross
(The human survivors of the final battle reorganize and continue the battle in a war-torn Earth.)
3. Mospedia
(In an apocalyptic war-torn Earth, the survivors of the conflict discover new truths about the aliens and, of course, save the PLANET!)

It was tough to say which one was the best because we liked them all. What I can definitively say is that all three Robotech series were tremendously popular and inspired many animated offshoots and games. The incredibly popular Battledroids game, which later morphed into Battletech became a fond part of my gaming experience in the 1980s and is still doing well today... even after Battletech's parent company, FASA, went out of business. I was a major Battletech junkie and even played in a Palladium Robotech RPG campaign that lasted nearly a year....

Now, about the upcoming movie, I'm excited but also apprehensive. Hollywood can screw up any good story if you give them a chance and I see Robotech as no less vulnerable a license. I sure hope they don't try to cram all three story lines into one film. Tobey Maguire as a director, actor or producer hasn't been very inspiring in my opinion, but as one TMP poster mentioned, Rick Hunter (the Robotech lead character), has always been a "tool" so it's hard to imagine that Maguire couldn't play a "tool" well. Maguire did a fine job of "wussify-ing" Spiderman. The "Transformers" movie wasn't bad... I enjoyed quite a bit of it. I'm not sure about "Voltron," but I hope they don't decide to try to bring the "Thundercats" to the big screen. I could deal with "Star Blazers" though and we already know that "Speed Racer" is impending... Now, if only they could resurrect some of the old "big hair" bands without denaturing them...

TOP: The third Robotech series, Mospedia, was a fan favorite.

Here are a few helpful links as is my wont:

Yahoo News article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070907/people_nm/maguire_dc;_ylt=ApX8Kzac9.mef8gvMhJUh6txFb8C

Marc Vezina's awesome mecha and gaming blog:

http://www.vectorsphere.com/weblog/archives/005573.html

A Wikipedia article about EVERYTHING Robotech:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotech

And lastly, I have to show this awesome costume, which a Flickr photo album user, Varjohaltia, kindly let me share here on the 'ol blog. It's an actual Robotech Cyclone armor costume worn at DragonCon 2007. Every geek should be jealous of that piece of art!

TOP: Robotech Cyclone battle armor in motorcycle mode...

...from the animated series.

TOP: A truly superb Robotech Cyclone battle armor costume...

...in mecha mode and in REALITY!

Here's a link to the rest of Varjohaltia's awesome DragonCon 2007 photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/varjohaltia/1332318469/

And most of the Robotech animated series is now available on DVD for those who are interested. I'm planning to eventually acquire a copy... And I loved the Robotech: Battlecry video game on my nephew's video game console. Go Robotech!

Have a great Monday!

Shalom,

Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

FILMS: "Cthulhu - Silent... But Deadly!"

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TOP: Cthulhu comes to film (2005)! ...again!

Hi All,

There's a new (2005) Cthulhu film out. And while there's one newer (2007) Cthulhu film out, the 2005 edition is a SILENT film... very cool!

And here's what's been written about it:

Written in 1926, just before the advent of "talking" pictures, The Call of Cthulhu is one of the most famous and influential tales of H.P. Lovecraft, the father of gothic horror. Now the story is brought richly to life in the style of a classic 1920s silent movie, with a haunting original symphonic score. Using the "Mythoscope" process, a mix of modern and vintage techniques, the HPLHS has worked to create the most authentic and faithful screen adaptation of a Lovecraft story yet attempted.

From the cultists of the Louisana bayous to the man-eating non-Euclidean geometry of R'lyeh, the HPLHS brings Cthulhu to the screen as it was meant to be seen. Eighteen months of production and a cast of more than 50 actors went into making this film a period spectacle that must seen to be believed. The DVD includes The Call of Cthulhu (47 minutes, black and white), the high-fidelity and "Mythophonic" soundtracks, a 25 minute "making-of" documentary featurette, two slide shows, deleted footage, a prop PDF of the Sydney Bulletin and more.

TOP: Cthulhu takes a bath and a nap at the same time.

To appeal to Lovecraft fans throughout across the globe, this DVD provides inter-titles in 24 languages including: Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Euskera, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Lithuanian, Luxmbourgish, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish and Welsh. These aren't just subtitles either; they are the real title cards rendered tastefully in each language.

If you thought the story was scary before, wait until you see it in Welsh!

This is not the first Cthulhu film ever made, but it promises to be a good one...

Some of Cthulhu's other film appearences have included:

- (2007) Arkham NW Productions, a Seattle-based production company, produced a 2007 feature horror film titled Cthulhu loosely based on the short story "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", and also incorporating elements from several other Lovecraft stories. Cthulhu is a 2007 American thriller/horror movie, directed by Dan Gildark and was co-written by Grant Cogswell.
Link here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulhu_%282007_film%29

- (2005) The H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society (The film featured in this post) has produced an independent black-and-white silent film titled The Call of Cthulhu, based closely on Lovecraft's original story.
Link here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Call_of_Cthulhu_%28film%29

- (2001) "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" is the principal storyline in the 2001 film Dagon, which also credits the Lovecraft short story of the same name.

- (2000) "Cthulhu" is an Australian low budget horror film made in 1996-1997 and released in 2000, by producer-director Damian Heffernan. It was mostly based on the two Lovecraft stories: "The Thing on the Doorstep" and "The Shadow Over Innsmouth".
Link here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulhu_%282000_film%29

- (1991) Cast a Deadly Spell is a Horror/Detective HBO movie with Fred Ward, Julianne Moore and Clancy Brown. Ward stars as 1940's hardboiled private detective Phillip Lovecraft, in a parallel world in which magic is real, monsters and mythical beasts stalk the back alleys, zombies are used as cheap labor, and everyone -- except Lovecraft -- uses magic every day. Yet, cars, telephones and other modern technology also exist in this world. The movie is very much an homage to the works of H. P. Lovecraft. Though not based on any one particular story by Lovecraft, the film features many Lovecraftian tropes, and can be considered to take place against the unified backdrop which has come to be known as the Cthulhu Mythos. Frequent references are made to the Necronomicon, the Old Ones, and Yog Sothoth throughout the film.
Link here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cast_a_Deadly_Spell

To learn more about Cthulhu, please check out this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulhu

Have a great Tuesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.

A special Ryleh greeting to my favorite Cthulhu cult member, Kimbo, out there!

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

FILMS: "Speedracer Film In The Making!"

.


Hi All,

I just learned that there will be a new film about Speed Racer debuting next year. For those of you who haven't heard of Speed Racer, it was a semi-cult'ish children's cartoon that was originally shown in the 1960s, but I recall watching it in the 1970s and 1980s... as re-runs. It's about a "super race" in which the racers, some of whom dress like Mexican wrestlers, have James Bond-like cars with "super gadgets" in them such as boosters, jumpers, super speed, underwater capability, and all sorts of other goodies. Some of the enmities between the racers border on the lethal and much like the old Hanna Barbara race cartoons, the more dastardly of the racers were never afraid to play nasty tricks on the protagonist "Speed Racer" or the other less-aggressive "Nancy" racers.

You can learn more about the new Speed Racer film here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_%28film%29

And Speed Racer in general here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_racer

Here's some of the projected cast of the new film:

Directors: The Wachowski Brothers (The Matrix)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wachowski

Trixie: Christina Ricci
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Ricci

Speed Racer: Emile Hirsch
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emile_Hirsch

Racer X (...one of the racers dressed like a Mexican wrestler): Matthew Fox (Lost, the television series)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Fox_%28actor%29

Chim-Chim (...the chimpanzee): ? ...maybe CGI?

Pops Racer: John Goodman

Mom Racer: Susan Sarandon... UCK!

Except for Susan Sarandon, whom I can't stand, the film looks like it might actually shape up to be entertaining despite Hollywood's best efforts to otherwise ruin every pop icon with a bad feature film. If you ask me, they'd be better off casting a real chimpanzee for Chim-Chim and a CGI character in place of Susan Sarandon. The Mom Racer character would be more real and warm with CGI. She practically ruined the Sci-fi Channel version of Dune all on her own...

*** Maybe they could get Clyde, the orangutan from Every Which Way but Loose (1978) and Any Which Way You Can (1980) to play either Chim-Chim or the Mom Racer role? ***

I really liked Clyde and he might just be willing to take a break from guzzling beer at his private jungle pad to shoot another film...

And who can forget the immortal words of the Speed Racer theme song:

Here he comes
Here comes Speed Racer
He's a demon on wheels
He's a demon and he's gonna be chasin' after someone.

He's gainin' on you so you better look alive.
He's busy revvin' up a powerful Mach 5.

And when the odds are against him
And there's dangerous work to do
You bet your life Speed Racer
Will see it through.

Go Speed Racer
Go Speed Racer
Go Speed Racer, Go!

He's off and flyin' as he guns the car around the track
He's jammin' down the pedal like he's never comin' back
Adventure's waitin' just ahead.

Go Speed Racer
Go Speed Racer
Go Speed Racer, Go!

I originally learned about this news here:
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=117095

Thanks, Murphy!

Have a great Wednesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

FILMS: 1980s Flash Gordon Out On DVD!

.

TOP: The 1980s Flash Gordon movie rocked!

Hi All,

It's been a bit, but the classic 1980 Flash Gordon movie with Max von Sydow, Sam Jones, Tomothy Dalton, Brian Blessed and the cool Queen soundtrack is FINALLY out on DVD! Yahoo! I'm going to have to go out and get a copy... the 1980 Flash Gordon film is one of my all-time favorite movies... I remember wishing I was a Hawkman growing up!

TOP: I wished I was Brian Blessed's Prince Vultan, the Hawkman growing up.

You can find the International Movie Data Base (IMDB) entry on it here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080745/

TOP: This is my idea of a sci-fi villianess!

And here is a Wikipedia entry about the 1980 film:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_Gordon_%28film%29

And another about the history of the whole Flash Gordon genre:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_Gordon

And the other big news, which is a bit late, is that The Sci-fi Channel has funded a new Flash Gordon TV series, which started last week...

Learn more about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_Gordon_%282007_TV_series%29

TOP: A. New 2007 TV Flash played by Eric Johnson.TOP: B. Old 1980 movie Flash played by Sam J. Jones.TOP: C. Really old 1930's movie Flash played by Buster Crabbe.

Which Flash do you think is the coolest?

A. New 2007 TV Flash played by Eric Johnson.
B. Old 1980 movie Flash played by Sam J. Jones.
...or...
C. Really old 1930's movie Flash played by Buster Crabbe.

TOP: Should Ming be blond?
I don't think so.

The other bad news is that the new 2007 TV Ming the Merciless is now apparently a blond person. The producers were apparently too gutless and politically correct to allow a classic "Yellow Menace" Ming like the original authors intended. Bummer, I'll miss the Swedish-Asian Ming played by von Sydow.

TOP: I hope that the 2007 TV series updates the special effects.
...as much as I like Classic cigar-rocket ships.
...with fire crackers up their chutes.

Update (15 August 2007):
Found two new links cogent to the new Flash TV series:
http://blogs.mediavillage.com/sci_fi/archives/2007/07/flash_gordon_pi.html#comments

And here:
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=2&id=42432

Have a great Monday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

GAMING NEWS: Happy Fantastic Four Fathers Day!

.Happy Fathers Day to all!

Hi All,

First and most importantly:

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

May my Father, all my friends who are fathers and the rest of that whole fathering gang have a great one!

To learn more about the history of Fathers Day, please check out this link:

http://wilstar.com/holidays/fathers.htm

The Fantastic Four, eco-friendly carbon-neutral and enough wooden acting for all!

And my second public service announcement is that I saw the new Fantastic Four film yesterday with my baby sister and it stunk. Don't see it. Wait for video. However, it is a good enough excuse to feature some "gratuitous babe" shots since while Jessica Alba's acting skills are on par with a random hunk of rock, she is very easy on the eyes.

It's a sad movie when a computer-generated character is the best actor.

The movie introduced the Silver Surfer character (...voiced by Lawrence Fishbourne run through a few voice machines) to the silver screen, and despite the silver CG character stealing the movie away from the other actors, the film still couldn't be saved. The movie was almost like a giant contest to see who could be most wooden. Despite the intense competition, Jessica Alba probably won hand in fist.

Jessica Alba is like... a really serious actress, yah know?

And the movie took at least one cheap shot at the US military, intimating that since the Silver Surfer, who had been captured, isn't human that human rights conventions don't apply to him so he could be tortured by all those awful US Army Guantanamo Bay folks... I served at Guantanamo Bay. I know differently.

I've never liked how Hollywood not-so-subtly injects its' world views into our entertainment. It was almost as bad as the last Superman movie in which the big guy went from fighting for "truth, justice and the American way" to "truth, justice, and... all that stuff." My advice to those interested in the new Fantastic Four film: wait for DVD so you can skip over the boring parts. Someday Hollywood will get the message that the plot of a film is at least as important as the special effects. I have now fallen asleep during both Fantastic Four films. Woo hoo!

Jessica has acting talent, worthy of... daytime soap opera.

And here's the short AAR (After Action Report) on yesterday's MWS meeting:

In short, yesterday's meeting was alot of fun and I had a great time!

A HUGE THANKS to all who came and hosted, played, or otherwise contributed to the general happiness.

The 15mm Battle of New Orleans went much as it did historically and the great sea walls made by Mark C. were appreciated and admired by all. Bernie did a great job hosting and Mike O. was very generous to lend his figure collection and terrain to the game. A special thanks to Keith who brought home-baked goodies, "Blondies," to share with everyone!

I hear that Jessica loves Pig Wars and the Dark Ages!
You go, girl! She's like... historically knowledgeable!
That's her "take me seriously" look or something like that...

The 28mm Pig Wars game was simply a BLAST! I think we must have had about eight players / game participants... However, the BIG WINNER was Keith whose Scandi-who-vian Norveggi Vikings took the day with over 40 points of loot! Mazel Tov, Keith! It was a great game and there was much bloodshed and looting that took place throughout a Dark Ages village. Mikos and Vince hosted. The game also saw a rare appearance by local gaming great, Mike Ward of Viking Hobby!

P.S.

I did take photos and will put together a photographic battle report when I get a chance.

P.S.S.

The new club membership cards were also distributed.

.

And again, HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

Shalom,

Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

HUMOUR: Drek'ish Jokes & Films (30 March 2007)

.
Hi Everyone,

Despite my good intentions to get a couple of gaming session reports up and please my gaming friends and readers, I've been distracted by work... and, well... some other things. Among them is the below joke that a friend sent me:

THE MASTER GENEALOGY OF JACK SCHITT

For some time many of us have wondered just who is Jack Schitt?

We find ourselves at a loss when someone says, 'You don't know Jack Schitt!' Well, thanks to my genealogy efforts, you can now respond in an intellectual way.

Jack Schitt is the only son of Awe Schitt. Awe Schitt, the fertilizer magnate, married O. Schitt, the owner of Needeep N. Schitt, Inc. They had one son, Jack.

In turn, Jack Schitt married Noe Schitt. The deeply religious couple produced six children: Holie Schitt, Giva Schitt, Fulla Schitt, Bull Schitt, and the twins Deep Schitt and Dip Schitt. Against her parents' objections, Deep Schitt married Dumb Schitt, a high school dropout.

After being married 15 years, Jack and Noe Schitt divorced. Noe Schitt later married Ted Sherlock, and because her kids were living with them, she wanted to keep her previous name. She was then known as Noe Schitt Sherlock.

Meanwhile, Dip Schitt married Loda Schitt, and they produced a son with a rather nervous disposition named Chicken Schitt.

Two of the other six children, Fulla Schitt and Giva Schitt, were inseparable throughout childhood and subsequently married the Happens brothers in a dual ceremony. The wedding announcement in the newspaper announced the Schitt-Happens nuptials. The Schitt-Happens children were Dawg, Byrd, and Horse.

Bull Schitt, the prodigal son, left home to tour the world. He recently returned from Italy with his new Italian bride, Pisa Schitt.

Now when someone says, 'You don't know Jack Schitt,' you can correct them.

Sincerely,
Crock O. Schitt

NOTE:
PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ANYONE WHO NEEDS A LAUGH.

REMEMBER:
LAUGHING LOWERS THE BLOOD PRESSURE.

I've always enjoyed this sort of humour... even if I probably ought NOT to!


Hearing this joke reminded me of one of my favorite actors: Rutger Hauer

And the movie it reminded me of was "Blind Fury," a 1989 movie that I still recall fondly.

Learn more about it here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096945/

In one scene in the movie, two hillbilly brothers are hunting the Rutger Hauer character and at one point, they're trapped in an elevator when all of a sudden, the doors open and the Hauer character stabs the elevator box (...with a Katana... long story), causing a short circuit and trapping them, to which they reply with this witty and brilliant dialogue:

Lyle Pike: Sh*t!
Tector Pike: F*ck!
Lyle Pike, Tector Pike (Looking at each other together to say): Sh*t-f*ck!

Of course, all hillbilly brothers have names like Lyle and Tector Pike...

Instant crystal-clear recall!

Pretty sad to think that I wasted precious grey cells remembering that one.

Rutger Hauer has been in some other great movies including the sci-fi cult classic "Blade Runner" adapted from the Phillip K. Dick story "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"


Learn more about Dick and his story "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" here:
http://wsu.edu/~brians/science_fiction/bladerunner.html

Have a great Friday and a Shabbat Shalom to my Jewish readers!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.
Thanks for the joke, Stephen and Jodi!

P.S.S.
Reminds me of the ol' joke about the Lipshitz Diamond...

And if you must know the ol' joke about the Curse of The Lipshitz Diamond, check out this link:
http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/89q4/curse.907.html

Notes regarding photos / pictures: These are not all my images. I am using various images from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

WEIRD NEWS: Quirky Star Wars Viewpoints!

.I think we ALL wish we were Han Solo at one time or another...

I wonder... do Wookies get hairballs?

Hi Everyone,

Got a few posts in the works, but thought I'd drop off a few fun graphics (the one above and below) for your perusal:
.

Darth Vader - "Truther" Conspiracy Theory Nut: "Need $$$ to build Deathstar!"

And to top that Darth Beggar photo off, check out this amusing "truther perspective" of how the Deathstar was really destroyed:

http://www.websurdity.com/2007/02/28/uncomfortable-questions-was-the-death-star-attack-an-inside-job/

Yeah, right!

------

I have a great weekend planned:

SATURDAY:

- Visit a bunch of friends at the MWS meeting and play games.

- Link to MWS Yahoo E-group:

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/M_W_S/

- My old buddy Mark should be there who I haven't seen in awhile. Should be lots of fun.

- Mark is hosting a VSF (Victorian Science Fiction) game.

- A link to Mark's photo album (gaming miniatures):

http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j213/MACarper/
- Nils will also be hosting a zombie game.

- Check out his blog (lots of photos) here:

http://blackcavalierswargaming.blogspot.com/

- Wish my bro-in-law Vince happy birthday!

- Chill out and work out.

SUNDAY:

- Go see the new movie "The 300" with a group of friends on an IMAX screen.
- Official "The 300" web site:

http://300themovie.warnerbros.com/

- The real historical Battle of Thermopylae that inspired the movie:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thermopylae

- A Wiki page for the comic book of "The 300":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/300_%28comic_book%29

- A movie review by Debbie Schlussel of "The 300":

http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2007/03/weekend_box_off_43.html

http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2007/03/300_not_an_anti.html

- Possibly go pick up a new bed mattress from an old neighbor.
- Chill out and work out. It should be good.

I have mixed feelings about seeing "The 300." On one hand, I love the history of The Battle of Thermopylae, but on the other hand, the previous film "Sin City" was WAY TOO gory for me. Very tasteless, it was. On the other hand, my buddy Vynnie of RIF (Recon In Force) invited me and he should be there with a number of our other friends... and we get to see it on the giant IMAX screen... so, I guess, if nothing else, the company should trump the film if it's really bad.

Vynnie's web site:

http://www.recon-in-force.com/index.html

*** Any good weekend plans yourself? ***

Have a great Friday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.

Haven't posted a "gratuitous babe" in awhile so here goes:

Notes regarding photos / pictures: These are not all my images. I am using various images from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).