Hopefully these cuties are brains as well as good looks. And ZOMG, how adorable is Teddy Bear’s “chatting”???
BONUS: for you fantasy footballers out there, Baltimore’s National Aquarium has a fantasy team that’s ready to play. Their “Super FISH Bowl” rival? The California Academy of Sciences in San Fran. (Yet another reason I need to visit SF.) Peep the Bal’mer lineup here. Though I’ve gotta say that Baltimore missed an opportunity by not putting their Flying Foxes on offense….
It’s Purple Friday y’all! Time to whip out the purple in your wardrobe and salute the Ravens. Don’t have purple? Really? Sigh. It’s my favorite color (long before I moved here people), but I’ll accept that others may not love the shade as much as I do. So instead, curl up with the Bard of Baltimore. No, not Zappa; I consider him more of our Poet Laureate. I’m talking about E.A. Poe, or Edgar if you’re nasty.
Poe lived in Baltimore for a time, and also died here. His house in town is closed to the public now (thanks for those “really important” budget cuts, Baltimore government. Hope y’all enjoyed your bonuses.) But there’s hope that it will re-open this year, if private donations can drum up the cash needed. But Poe’s gravesite is in the Downtown area, and easily accessible. I walk to it regularly. It’s a lovely walk, and there’s a fantastic brewpub right nearby.
I love Poe’s writing, from his poems to his short stories; love, death, horror and hope, it’s all in there. And you can read them for the low-low price of free, thanks to Project Guttenberg. You can also pick up The Raven (and other works) for your Kindle, free on Amazon.
While we’re on the subject, here’s that lovely poem in it’s entirety. Go Ravens!
Star Trek Into Darkness has been amping up the info lately. A 9-minute IMAX preview (which was awesome, btw), a behind-the-scenes featurette (check it out at Empire Online) and promises of a sweet “Viral Campaign”. Well, they’ve started up the campaign with a fun little item for your communicator cellphone: the Star Trek Into Darkness app. Thank you, Star Trek powers-that-be, for putting this up on iTunes and Google Play for the ‘Droid revolution. Because seriously, I love me my G3.
The Google Play Store’s app is very cool indeed, and very easy to maneuver. The initial “missions” are easy to accomplish (scan photos, find trailers and posters), but I’m sure they’ll get progressively more difficult. The more you play, the higher your “rank”. I can see folks getting quite competitive over their rankings. And I’m looking forward to the geocaching possibilities.
BTW, this Baltimore gal would absolutely freakin’ love to visit the site of the future Star Fleet Academy, but as it’s in San Fransisco I’m SOL. I wonder if the Naval Academy will suffice….
Read on for more info on the app, and what you can expect as the days, weeks and months tick away ’til the premiere. May 17th may be an awfully long wait for a lot of Trekkers, but with this app at least we’ll pass the time pleasantly.
With Warm Bodies, director Jonathan Levine (50/50) takes on the novel by Isaac Marion, a zombie-genre favorite (Marion’s prequel novella, The New Hunger, was just released as an e-book). Warm Bodies the film gives just enough of a spin on current zombie mythology to keep things fresh, but keeps enough “zombie-ness” to please genre fans. This mashup of love story, zombie movie and Shakespeare send-up could find a wide audience. It’s a quirky, fun film that doesn’t take itself too seriously and yet still delivers a few Deep Thoughts about life, and how we live it. Not too shabby for a film relegated to the dreaded February dumping ground.
Zombie “R” (it’s the only part of his name he still remembers) does the same thing every day; eat, shamble, stare vacantly at his surroundings. He also likes to pick up random items that spark something in him; sunglasses, books, a snowglobe. His “house”, an abandoned airplane, is littered with things he’s collected. But one day as he’s searching for food (read: living humans), he meets living girl Julie. He’s drawn to her and wants to keep her safe. But is that him, or the brains of Julie’s boyfriend (that R just ate) talking? And R isn’t the only one changing….
Based on the graphic novel “Headshot” (Du Plomb Dans La Tete) by Alexis ‘Matz’ Nolent, Bullet to the Head has taken years to finally make it to the screen. Unfortunately, all that time doesn’t add up to a well thought-out, well crafted film. While Sly and the cast look great, and the film has some seriously beautiful moments of cinematic mayhem (thanks to Last Man Standing’s Lloyd Ahern II), Bullet to the Head is the kind of action film you’d pass by on cable and take a peek at, if you’re immobile from the flu. Sly is fun as always, but the story itself is dead in the water, with characters that are killed off so quickly the audience never has time to figure out if that was a bad guy or a poor sucker caught in the crossfire.
With the team of Sylvester Stallone and director Walter Hill (48 Hrs.), I was hoping for a grand ol’ flashback time at the movies with this one. But the story — a hitman teams up with an out-of-town cop in order to right a few wrongs — is only so much window dressing to justify the blowing away of a ton of extras and supporting cast. They’re all fodder for Sly’s hitman James “Bobo” Bonomo and Sun Kang’s Taylor Kwon. I loved Kwon in Fast Five, and here he tries his best to inject some sensibility into the film. But as this film tries to be a pure adrenaline rush with as little plot as possible in-between, he’s got little to work with.
If I sound like a wet blanket that hates all action films, I apologize. In fact, I’m a huge fan of the ol’ 80s greats, and even the 80s not-greats. (Cyborg, anyone? Anyone?) But Bullet to the Head lacks that odd, goofy joie de vivre that those films had. Even with Sly tossing off those one-liners he’s famous for, it’s just not the same enjoyable ride. Instead, it feels like a bunch of sourpusses tried to horn in on Sly’s parade without him knowing. Except he did know; Sylvester Stallone oversaw the re-writes for the script, and may have even had a hand in tweaking the thing. I wish he’d been more Rocky here…or even more Over The Top. Ah well.
Even the bad guys here — headed by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Lost) as a guy who gave a payoff to a congressman so he could build condos in a poor section of New Orleans — are nothing more than a few stumbling blocks to get over, so Sylvester Stallone can kick Jason Momoa’s ass. And a fine ass that is. At least we get to see Jason in a tank top at the end of the film. (It’s not his Game of Thrones loincloth, bu it’ll do.) Like Kang’s cop, Momoa’s hired killer Keegan is a character with an intriguing backstory. Same with Bobo’s med-student-turned-tattoo-artist daughter, played bySarah Shahi (Fairly Legal). But do we get to really know them? Nope. That’d take away precious seconds of time that could be spent blowing people away. Not that blowing people away in action movies is a bad thing, but like everything there needs to be balance. Let me give a crap first, then the final scenes are something…how you say…that I’d give a crap about.
If you’re hoping for a slam-bang tribute to one of the great 80s masters of action movies, this one ain’t it. If you’re hoping to see a bunch of stuff get blown up, and watch Christian Slater get blown away? Have at it, but you’ve gotta know that with Bullet to the Head you’re getting brain-dead cinema from the get-go. Stallone, and Nolent’s original novel, deserve better.
Yeah baby. We’re one day away from the last Purple Friday of the season (for you non-Balmer folks, that means it’s the last day we’re “allowed” to show up to work sportin’ a killer amount of purple.) So let’s have some fun after yesterday’s Debbie Downer of a post. Hey what can I say; I’m a sucker for amazeballs writing….
Today we peep at local-boy-made-groovy John Waters’ most well known work: Hairspray. It’s a movie! It’s a musical! It’s a movie musical! Woot!
Why do I love Hairspray? Well, it’s a great story about how fun it can be here in Charm City. It’s by John Waters, who is awesome. It’s a feel-good film that shows how acceptance can triumph over all. And these films are chock-a-block with cool actors too:
* Hairspray 1988: Sonny Bono, Deborah Harry, Ricki Lake, and of course Baltimore darlings Mink Stole and the glorious Divine!
* Hairspray, the Broadway musical: Marissa Winokur, Harvey Fierstein, The Closer‘s Corey Reynolds, and Glee’s Matthew Morrison
* Hairspray 2007: Nikki Blonsky, John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Christopher Walken, and Zac Efron
Phew. That’s a lot of well-known folks, and no wonder. The basic story — about a young girl who just wants to dance on a local dance-hall TV show — was also about compassion, ending bigotry and trying to right the wrongs of social injustice. The original film is a camp classic, and though some were shocked when it made the move to Broadway (though I always thought the campiness of the film lent itself perfectly to the stage), Hairspray the musical won a slew of Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Of course, Hollywood loves a good (cash cow) story, and so Hairspray the Broadway musical, which was based on Hairspray the film, became…Hairspray, the big-budget musical film. Got that?
So tease up your hair, pull on that miniskirt (or caftan, it’s all good), and sing “Good Morning Baltimore”!
Hey there — time for another screening! And this time, we’re forgoing the usual GOFOBO code and giving winners passes via e-mail. Point, click and print; easy, right? Let’s get started!
Today’s giveaway is screening passes to the Baltimore preview of A Good Day To Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis. Here’s the deets:
When: February 12th, at 7:00pm***
Where: a Baltimore-area theater — particulars given to winners.
What: 15 winners will receive an e-mail containing a PDF screening pass. The pass is good for you and a buddy/date/family member/person you just met.
How: send an e-mail to geekfore@gmail.com with the subject A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD, and the first 15 people who hit the Inbox win admit-two passes.
Why: because we like you. We really, really like you.
For you lovers…of action movies, A Good Day To Die Hard opens on February 14th, 2013. Yippee-kay-yay!
***As always, SEATS ARE NOT GUARANTEED. Seating is first-come, first served while seats are available. No admittance once the screening has begun. No cell phones permitted in the theater during this screening.
Baltimore is known for it’s crabs (Old Bay, hon!), the Inner Harbor, and…oh, who am I kidding? Any time someone mentions Baltimore, someone else immediately makes a crack about Charm City actually being Murder City. Which kind of makes me think about how we must have stolen the title from DC (nicknamed “Dodge City” in the 80s and 90s). Anyway, there are three shows that put Baltimore on the map and gave people everywhere a look at our underbelly: The Wire, Homicide: Life on the Street and The Corner.
The Wire gets the most mentions, and with good reason; it’s a gritty, almost difficult to watch look at the dirty, messy parts of Baltimore that public officials and the Baltimore business district would like to keep on the DL. Director David Simon pretty much knocks it out of the park, with each season focusing on a different aspect of Baltimore (drugs, the seaport, city politics, schools and newspapers), yet they’re all tied together by the end.
The Wire introduced me to so many awesome characters, including junkie-snitch-with-a-heart-of-gold Bubbles, drunk-ass cop Jimmy McNulty, his partner Bunk Moreland, and dollhouse-furniture-making-cop Lester Freamon (aka “Cool Lester Smooth”). The Wire also had strong female characters, especially Detective Kima Greggs and Assistant States Attorney Rhonda Pearlman. Plus, any show that has Idris Elba (as super-slick baddie Stringer Bell)? Win.
I’d love to see this show on Netflix streaming, but alas. Hope springs eternal, though.
Because what’s a mention of The Wire without a little bit o’ Omar? MEME: themikeokeefe.com
Homicide: Life on the Street came out years earlier, and director Paul Attanasio (who would go on to helm the glorious House M.D.) but also didn’t shy away from tough subjects. Probably because Homicide was based on David Simon’s book “Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets”. As this show was on basic cable tv, it’s a bit more toned down in it’s manner. But I love Homicide for giving the world Detective John Munch crazy conspiracy nut with a badge, a character so awesome he made the jump to another series (that’d be Law & Order: SVU).
As with The Wire, this series isn’t available for streaming on Netflix. *shakes fist at the gods*
And last, but certainly not least, we have The Corner, another David Simon joint, this time a mini-series that came out between Homicide and The Wire. Although widely loved by critics, it never got much traction with tv viewers. And that’s too bad. As with Homicide and The Wire, The Corner raked in a slew of awards, including Best Miniseries in 2000. “The Corner” itself was supposedly the intersection of West Fayette and Monroe Streets, in the heart of West Baltimore. It’s a dark, uncompromising look at the toll drug use takes on a family, and how poverty and lack of viable options can lead to anyone becoming…well, let’s just say less than they could be.
If you notice some stars from The Wire here, you’d be correct. I can only guess that Simon saw folks he thought were amazing, and decided to tap them when The Wire got a green light at HBO. And I also assume that The Wire got that green light after HBO saw that Simon had the goods with this show. Oh, and as with The Wire and Homicide, The Corner isn’t available for Netflix streaming. Dammit.
A rough patch to cover for the Ravens Superbowl Celebration? Maybe. But it’s a part of our past (and in some areas, these problems an all too real present), and these shows are amazing, and if you haven’t seen ’em yet, you really should.
To end this day’s post, a song to send you on your way. “Way Down In The Hole”, sung by the awesome Blind Boys of Alabama, the theme song of The Wire. Take it away, boys!
Remember how I said I worried that the remake of Evil Dead would “frak it up”?
I’m no longer worried. Or at least not very worried. There’s always a chance of gacking, when it comes to movies. And with Evil Dead being slapped with an NC-17 rating that the studio swears they’ll try to shave down to a “hard R”, goodness knows there’s fuckup wiggle-room.
However. After taking a peek at the official Red-Band trailer, all I’ve gotta say is DAY-YAM. It’s looking pretty sweet. As in “holy cow they’re balls-out here, and all this with no CGI?” Yeah, like that.
Peep this. IF YOU DARE. *cue ominous music*
And see if you can hold it together ’til the film opens April 12th.
Today’s celebration of all things Baltimore or Ravens take us to Raven territory. More specifically, to two of the movies that name-check that glorious bird of prey, the Raven. Or, The Raven and The Raven.
Edgar Allan Poe’s arguably most famous poem has had four films use it’s title. A silent movie back in 1915, a straight-up horror piece starring Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff in 1935, a Roger Corman send-up in 1963 and a thriller in 2012. Today’s Superbowl Celebration piece will focus on the last two, but if you’re interested in watching the silent film (and it’s really worth a look) check it out on Fandor, or you can grab all of the DVD’s on Netflix.
First off, The Raven (1963) starred Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Boris Karloff. To say it’s “loosely based” on Poe’s poem is a grand understatement, but with these three horror-fan favorites on the screen, who cares? And did I mention that it was directed by B-movie madman extraordinare, Roger Corman? Yeah baby, that’s the stuff right there. The Raven (1963) is a horror spoof, taking the grand names of the genre and getting them to poke fun at the gothic tropes that made ’em famous. The battle between wizards at the end is a rollicking good time. Oh, and is that a very young Jack Nicholson in a supporting role? You betcha.
The Raven gets another turn in 2012, with John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe. This go-round Poe is summoned to help a police investigator (Luke Evans) solve a series of murders that mimic the poet’s written words. Though it’s a far cry from historical accuracy — I’m guessing the real Poe was probably too debilitated in his final months on earth to ever be able to hunt down a killer — it’s a fun ride with tons of blood and mayhem before the final scene.
Ravens. Tough, beautiful creatures. And some pretty kick-ass films.
Read on for a bit of my original review of The Raven (2012)!
Atomic Fangirl 