In Queue Review: She Makes Comics

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Denise

She Makes Comics onesheet
The Story: If you’re a fan of comic books, or even if you simply know what comic books are, you probably know that for too long they’ve been thought of as a dude club.  Women weren’t welcome, and if you happened to be female and a comic book fan, it was like you were out in the desert, alone with half a canteen and miles to go.  She Makes Comics discusses the history of comics, filtered through the lens of women who broke into the business, women in the business now, and fans of the medium.

The Good: And the Award for “Best Summation of The History of Women Dealing With the Comics Industry” goes to Heidi MacDonald;  “you managed to alienate the half of the population that like to shop. How’d you do that?”  Because that’s how it was for decades.  It’s only now getting better, thanks to the work of some amazingly talented and badass women in the field, from creators to bloggers to cosplay pros.

This film hits a whole lot of topics in a short period, including cosplay, Manga, webcomic, and how the Internet helped “level the playing field”.  There’s also the problem of “real geek” negging and other forms of sexism in the fandom.  And it’s all handled beautifully by women who have jumped through hoops to simply do what they love.  She Makes Comics is positive, uplifting, and hopeful for the future of comics, for both creators and readers.  That’s a very good thing.
Continue reading →

Posted in In Queue Review | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Meet Hasty Pudding’s Man 2015 of the Year: Chris Pratt!

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Denise

Wondering if Chris Pratt could be any cooler after his Superbowl bet with Chris Evans?  But he’s about to get cooler; Pratt is the Hasty Pudding’s Man of the Year too. And now I want that bra.  Dragon bra?  C’mon.  No brainer.

Take a peek at the pics, and read on for the full release!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Continue reading →

Posted in Awards Season | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Meet Me Giveaway: tix to the Fathom Events showing of Bluebeard!

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Denise

BluebeardTrying to figure out what to do on Valentine’s Day? Looking to surprise someone, or just treat yourself and a BFF?  Well, Fathom Events has their Live showing of The Met: Live for you.  Valentine’s Day is the live broadcast of Iolanta (Bluebeard’s Castle)!  L’amour!  And I’ve got passes for the Cinemark Egyptian showing (including the encore on 2/18) that I’m looking to share!

Want to know more?  Well who better to ask than the perky PR peeps.  Take it away!

Iolanta / Bluebeard’s Castle

Date: Saturday, February 14, 2015

Time: 12:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. CT / 10:30 a.m. MT / 9:30 a.m. PT

Run Time: 3 hours 40 minutes (approximate)

Ticketing: Tickets are available by clicking on the orange “Buy Tickets” button. If online ticketing is not available for your location, you can purchase your tickets by visiting the box office at your local participating cinema.

Special Fathom Features: Go behind the scenes with the Met’s stars! During intermission, interviews with cast, crew, and production teams give an unprecedented look at what goes into the staging of an opera.

Experience the ninth season of the Metropolitan Opera’s Peabody and Emmy Award-winning series The Met: Live in HD in select cinemas nationwide. The double bill broadcast of Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta / Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castlewill be presented live on Saturday, February 14 at 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT, followed by an Encore presentation in select cinemas on Wednesday, February 18 at 6:30 p.m. in all time zones.

On the heels of her triumphant Met performances in Eugene Onegin, soprano Anna Netrebko takes on another Tchaikovsky heroine in the first opera of this intriguing double bill, consisting of an enchanting fairy tale (Iolanta) followed by an erotic psychological thriller (Bluebeard’s Castle). Netrebko stars as the beautiful blind girl who experiences love for the first time in Iolanta, while Nadja Michael is the unwitting victim of the diabolical Bluebeard, played by Mikhail Petrenko. Both operas are directed by Mariusz Treliński, who was inspired by classic noir films of the 1940s. Iolanta also stars Piotr Beczala, and Valery Gergiev conducts both operas.

Now. How to win? Easy — find me! Here’s the when & where…

Continue reading →

Posted in Giveaways | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: Hot Tub Time Machine 2!

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Denise

HTTM2 onesheetDunno about you, but I freakin’ LOVED Hot Tub Time Machine.  I actually spent my hard-earned and saw it twice.  Yeah I did.  And those are just the times I’ve seen it in theaters.  Who didn’t love that retro vibe, the who-cares-we-went-there humor, and the frienship chemistry of the leads?  Want more?  Of course you do.  I know I do.

So why not head out and catch the screening for Hot Tub Time Machine 2?  Yeah I’ve got passes.  For you.  Because I care.  I’m a giver y’all.

Here’s the synopsis:

When Lou (Corddry) finds himself in trouble, Nick (Robinson) and Jacob (Duke) fire up the hot tub time machine in an attempt to get back to the past. But they inadvertently land in the future. Now they have to alter the future in order to save the past… which is really the present, in the sequel from the same team that brought you the original cult hit.

As much as I’d love to see Cusack back in the saddle, I’m betting Parks and Recreation‘s Adam Scott can more than step up to the shenanigans.  (Seriously — seen the Superbowl spot?)  And here’s how you can feast your eyes first…

Continue reading →

Posted in Free Screenings | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

50 Shades: sizzle pics and behind-the-scenes shots

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Denise

You ready?  Whether you’re a die-hard fan, a happy hate watcher, or one of the curious-as-hell, 50 Shades of Grey is comin’ at us next week.  So?  More pics!

Throwing some behind-the-scenes shots because I love Sam Taylor-Johnson.  She’s a great director.  For her sake, I hope the movie isn’t complete poo.  It’s not like she had high-quality background material to work with.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Posted in Movie News | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Off the Shelf — Rot & Ruin: Warrior Smart

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Denise

Rot and Ruin warrior

Nutshell: Maberry takes his Rot & Ruin novel series and spins ’em off into a highly entertaining graphic novel.  Gorgeous art by Tony Vargas and Alex Ronald, well developed characters and themes worth mulling over after the last page is turned.  Will give The Walking Dead a run for it’s money.  Grade: A-

Story: Tom and his young brother escape their home as the zombie apocalypse began. Now, more than 15 years later, Tom is gone, but his brother Benny — now a teenager himself — struggles to survive and thrive in a world where zombies outnumber living humans millions to one.  But Benny and his friends (GF Nix, BFF Chong, straight-up survivor Lilah) have seen an airplane in the sky…

Thoughts: Been a fan of Maberry from awhile back.  Patient Zero is excellent, and I’ve been meaning to dig into his Rot & Ruin series.  But now it’s spun off into comic book form, hurrah!  I am not lazy.  I swear.  Warrior Smart is definitely a prize for any procrastinator, or any fan of zombie or horror fiction.  The art — panels literally cut through by the reflection of survivors and zombies on the blade of a samurai sword.  Nice. So are the newfangled bits of zombie lore Maberry creates, like “Cadaverine” to mask the scent of life, and  “quieting” zombies rather than “killing” them.  Don’t worry though, there’s still plenty of the usual zombie mythology to keep you up to speed.  Get bit?  Buh-bye.  Get loud?  Might as well ring the dinner bell.

Continue reading →

Posted in Comic book reviews, Comics & Graphic Novels | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Francesca Haig, The Fire Sermon

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Denise

Fire Sermon novel

Nutshell: Like The Hunger Games, Maze Runner, or Red Rising?  The Fire Sermon is right up there with the rest of those top-notch YA series.  It should get a ton of love when it hits shelves; if it doesn’t, that’s just criminal.  A fully realized mythology and characters that are mysterious and yet still compelling.  Francesca Haig shows incredible promise as a novelist, and The Fire Sermon makes me want to grab up her poetry to see if it too has that urgent, mysterious feel.  It’ll also help me pass the time ‘til book two hits.  Grade: A

Imagine if you had a twin.  No, not talking about regular twinning, you crazy-cool multiples.  I mean imagine if you had a twin that appeared to be the opposite of you: blemished, flawed, “different”…or perfect, loved, accepted.  Now think about what would happen if the “perfect” Alpahs decided to subjugate their “lesser” Omegas.  And if the Alphas continued to oppress their twins to the point of near starvation and complete poverty.  Even though the death of one twin would mean the immediate death of the other.  Sound crazy?  Or does it sound like something the human race could easily do?  The Fire Sermon makes readers think uncomfortable thoughts about what it is to be human, to be a member of society, and most importantly, what you would do if you were placed in one of those castes.

Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: The Lazarus Effect!

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Denise

lazarus effect onesheetHi everyone.  How’s your weekend going?  Wish it were better?  Well, I’ve got passes for the Baltimore area screening of The Lazarus Effect.  That could help, right?  Free stuff is always a good thing.

Seen the first images?  Well here’s the synopsis:

A team of graduate students are conducting experiments on reviving the dead. When they successfully bring back a dog, they know this breakthrough will change the world. But when the dean learns of their unsanctioned tests, she shuts them down, confiscating their materials, including the video that proves their technique works. Desperate to save their data and years of work, they break into their own lab to reproduce their results. But in the race to get what they need before they get caught, a member of the team is electrocuted and killed, leaving the group devastated…until they realize they have their first human test subject. What they don’t realize is when you bring someone back from the dead, they don’t come back the same. And what they bring with them is pure evil.

Kinda digging the retro vibe of the poster design.  White borders, groovy!  Ready to get your scaredy-cat on?  Well, read on for how to score yourself tickets…

Continue reading →

Posted in Free Screenings | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Elsewhere Review — The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Denise
As always, clicky for the original piece!

Movie Review — The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of WaterSpongebob

Twitview: fun for kids & grownup fans of the original series.  Sometimes too silly, but it’s all in good fun. Will probably spawn a hipster drinking game. Grade: B

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?  And how does that pineapple never suffer from decomposition?  Oh who cares — it’s SpongeBob y’all!  And he’s got all of his buddies (Patrick, Gary, Sandy, Squidward, Mr. Krabs) and even his rival Sheldon Plankton (as well as Plankton’s computer wife, Karen) here.  It’s the usual Krabby Patty eating good times, with Plankton trying to steal the secret recipe for the Krabby Patty…until a pirate named Burger Beard (Antonio Banderas, totally game for the goofy) enters the scene and makes off with the secret recipe!  Whatever will Bikini Bottom do without Krabby Patties?  And how will our hero get the recipe back and save the day?

Well, first off: Bikini Bottom devolves into a hilarious Mad Max wasteland in the span of 5 seconds without their beloved patties.  Seeing Mr. Krabs in leather is worth the price of admission for any fan of the show.  Second: that’s cheating y’all.  But suffice it to say that the trailer gives you more than a hint.  And when things go from animated to live-action, Banderas gets to pull out all the stops, which is exactly what’s needed when he’s playing against a group of juvenile animated invertebrates.  And Sandy.  (Spoiler alert: Sandy’s transformation to live-action is kinda awesome.)
Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere Reviews | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Tonight’s AMA on Reddit: BronyCon

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Denise

image

That’s right everypony. Have a question? Tonight’s the night!

Or maybe you’ve heard about Bronies, BronyCon, and/or My Little Pony and wonder what gives. Why Baltimore? Why a con? Are there actual ponies? And where can a parched pony get a cider ’round this con?

This year’s BronyCon looks like there’s tons of pony related activities, as well as a slew of creators, from show to comics. So they should be able to answer whatever you’ve got when it comes to anything pony.

So get on over tonight at 8 pm EST. And read on for the full press release!

Continue reading →

Posted in General Mayhem | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment