Thursday, June 30, 2011

Halloween II 30th Anniversary

From Shock Til You Drop:

Universal Home Entertainment is prepping a 30th anniversary edition of the Rick Rosenthal-directed Halloween II for Blu-Ray.

The Digital Bits reports that the film will arriving on September 26 and extras will include an alternate ending along with...

Terror in the Aisles.

Featuring Donal Pleasence and Nancy Allen, the 1984 Terror in the Aisles is a compilation of horror movie moments and trailers and has long been unavailable on DVD. Needless to say, this marks Terror's Blu-Ray debut.


Hmmm... Maybe it's time to look into Blu-Ray... Hey! Don't call me old!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Friday, June 24, 2011

New Feature: Reasons Why I Love TV

Over at the great Michael May's Adventureblog, he did a post about 100 things he loves about TV. He was inspired by Siskoid's Blog of Geekery and his 100 things he loves about television.

I love their lists, and agree with a bunch of their choices. So, I wanted to follow suit but hesitated, for two reasons. 1: I was afraid I would forget things, people, moments - whatever - and I would hate that. And 2: I would take forever to get it done.

Instead, I have decided to turn it into a feature here. When I think of one of the things I love about TV, I will do a short post and share. Hope you enjoy them and hope they bring back some memories for you, as well!

Reason #1 Why I Love TV:

Start this off with something near and dear to me: Friday the 13th: The Series.

friday the 13th


Michael May had this show at # 64 on his list, saying "That Friday the 13th: The Series was way better than the movies it got its name from." I think the show and the movies are enjoyable in their own rights, but I am just so glad he mentioned it!

Too many times it gets knocked for either being "that Friday the 13th show" or "having nothing to do with Jason." I truly think this is one of those times when a show's title was both a boon and a curse. Having that name certainly brought eyes to the show in the beginning. What horror fan didn't want to see what this was all about? And, to this day, it gets mentioned merely for that association with the Jason Voorhees' franchise.

But it was also hindered by that title. Being unrelated to the movies turned off lots of fans, people who didn't stick around to see what the show had to offer on its own merits. And non-horror fans just disregarded the whole thing based on that name alone.

I admit that I tuned in at first because I was curious. Friday the 13th on the small screen, every week? Interesting. But I fell in love with the characters, the setting, the premise - all of it - from that first episode. Jason wasn't there, but there was a new, strange, dark world there that fascinated me. And I was hooked.

The show should have gone on longer, but that is ancient history now. We have the three seasons and can enjoy them again and again now, thanks to the DVD releases.

Friday the 13th: The Series. The #1 Reason Why I Love TV.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Kristy McNichol by John Mapes

Musician John Mapes has an ode for the return of Kristy McNichol.

Click below to listen:



Cool song, but if Kristy is happy far away from Hollywood and the spotlight, then more power to her. She doesn't need to become one of the 70s/80s celebrities desperately clinging on to any shred of fame she can find. She was a star and that won't change.

Let her be happy now doing whatever it is she wants to do.

Friday, June 3, 2011

This is odd and unsettling



Peter Facinelli and Rob DeFranco produced this interesting spoof trailer
for a strange take on The Brady Bunch.

Thanks to TV Series Finale.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

It doesn't take long...




I have learned that it doesn't take long for someone or something to make its way into your heart.

For almost a year, I have been spending a few hours a week with a friend's two dogs, Diego and Eva. We have played and walked together, and I have come to enjoy spending time with both of them.

The dogs are siblings, although Diego was 7 and Eva just a puppy when I met them. He was always patient and forgiving of his younger sister, who is full of energy and excitement. When he felt like rough-housing, he would let her "attack" him, and he would fight back, but I never once heard her whine in pain. He fought gently, teaching her in his own way, I suppose.

Monday night I received a text from their owner: Diego had been hit by a car. Blood was everywhere, he had at least a broken leg and they were rushing to the local animal hospital.

The next text I received was that Diego had died.

Needless to say, I was shocked. I was just not prepared for either his sudden death or the fact that I had grown so fond of this dog. I still find myself shaking my head at the realization that he's gone.

But, I am glad I got to know him, even if it was for a brief time. He was the epitome of the old idiom "Don't judge a book by its cover." Diego was stern looking and his bark intimidating, but inside was a gentle, kind dog with a big heart.

He will be missed.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

DC Comics - A fresh start



All around the Internet is the news that DC Comics is starting over.

In short, the DCU will be 'rebooting'. All comics - 52 of them - will be starting with #1 issues. Also, the characters and their shared universe will be younger and fresher, apparently. Lastly, the company will be making comics available in both retail shops and in digital form on the same day. A big change, but a needed one. Hopefully a move that will save the company for the future.

I am thrilled with all of this. I have long said that the DCU was in need a restart. So much was weighing these characters down, confusing fans and keeping possible new fans at bay. Too much to wade through. While comics should be read for the story, it was too hard to feel like you could get into just the story when you had missed so much before. Or were just confused by how it all 'fit together'.

My favorite character is Aquaman, a long running DC hero. He will be part of this reboot, and I am honestly quite okay with that. From what I have read, the creators behind all this are going to keep what is iconic or important and just build from that. I couldn't ask for more. I hope this is the beginning of a new, great age for the DCU.

So, I am going to be optimistic and hopeful for this change. A new day and a fresh take on the comic universe I love the most is a thing to be excited for. I, for one, will be there buying some #1 issues and hoping to fall in love with the form all over again.

Check out the DC Universe: The Source.