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Frank Miller’s 300
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 21, 2006 in Comic Books
The new trailer is out for the movie 300 based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel which is harkens back to the ancient Greek Spartans. The plot is centered on the famous battle of Thermopylae, where the king of Sparta led his army against the advancing Persians. and it looks pretty neat: Also check out the films’s production blog:
Virtual Ant Farm
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 21, 2006 in Videogames
This new game fom the makers of Tamagotchi looks like fun: “Perhaps not entirely grasping the concept of escapism, Bandai, creator of the hugely successful Tamagotchi, is set to release Ant’s Life Studio in November – a virtual ant farm that requires its ‘owner’ to build nests, feed the queen and avoid getting eaten by hungry spiders.” Japanese website link:
MangaNEXT: A Manga Convention
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 20, 2006 in Comic Books
At long last there will be a manga convention in North America: MangaNEXT: a fan-run manga convention “MangaNEXT is a fan-run manga convention that will take place on October 6-8, 2006 at the Crowne Plaza Meadowlands in Secaucus, NJ. Anime conventions have been existence for many years, and manga has had a large presence at these events, but there has yet to be a convention dedicated to manga. MangaNEXT aims to correct that. With the manga market growing in leaps and bounds and exceeding the pace of the anime market, it’s manga’s time to shine.”
Doctor Who Standed on Earth
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 20, 2006 in Dr. Who
The new producers of the show are shying away from episodes that take place on alien planets due to budget concerns. They just don’t get the true spirit of the show! What makes Dr, Who special is that the special effects are suppose to look low budget, and the quality of the acting and writing is what makes it all work: Cost ‘keeps Doctor Who on earth’ “Budget constraints mean the new series of Doctor Who is largely earthbound, says writer Russell T Davies. In the most recent series of Doctor Who, only two programmes were set on other worlds. “People will say, ‘Why doesn’t he visit alien planets more often?'” he said. “But that’s because they are expensive. They’re hugely expensive.” Davies also told Doctor Who magazine that these episodes gained the lowest viewing figures of the series.”
Jet Li set to Retire
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 19, 2006 in Cinema
Martial arts star Jet Li is set to retire: Exit Kicking: Jet Li’s Martial Arts Swan Song “POWER, precision — and don’t forget speed,” says the young martial arts whiz Chen Zhen, played by Jet Li, to a bunch of eager students in “Fist of Legend” (1994), and you know this very serious-looking guy isn’t just talking the talk. As Mr. Li demonstrates in the movie (and had, at that point, been proving to Asian film audiences for more than a decade), he can walk the walk, and kick the kick too. And since power, precision and the kind of speed that doesn’t sacrifice either of the first two qualities are not currently in long supply on the world’s screens — even in action movies, where you’d think they were pretty much required — it’s fairly alarming news that Mr. Li is calling his new picture, “Fearless” (set to open Friday), the “conclusion to my life as a martial arts star.”
Turkish Star Wars 2
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 19, 2006 in Cinema
No it’s not the “real” Star Wars, but that’s what makes it so much fun. And looking at the the trailer on the promotional website, the production values don’t look half bad! Dunyayi Kurtaran Adamin Oglu! “The original Turkish Star Wars is absolutely legendary in cult film circles and I’m still a little shocked that they’ve gone and made a sequel to it after all these years, but lo! There’s a new trailer and this one includes actual footage. Alas, it isn’t Turkish Empire Strikes Back – the title actually translates to The Son of the Man who Saved the World – but it certainly looks camp enough for a troop or two of Boy Scouts …” Website: dunyayikurtaranadaminoglu.com
Hobbit Hopefuls Sing
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 19, 2006 in Pulp Fiction
It looks like there’s going to be a “Lord of the Rings” musical in London: “Hundreds of would-be hobbits have flocked to London’s West End theatre district to audition for parts in the musical stage version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”. Candidates had to be less than five feet seven inches tall, and were each required to be able to sing two songs suitable for the stage production of the three-volume tale, which became a worldwide movie blockbuster.” Comic Strip Artist’s Kit
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 19, 2006 in Comic Books
A great blog entry by Mark Kennedy on the famous “Comic Strip Artist’s Kit” by Carson Van Osten, a famous Disney artist: Comic Strip Artist’s Kit (Redux) “The other day I got an e-mail from Carson Van Osten, a famous Disney artist who did many Disney Comic Books and created the famous “Comic Strip Artist’s Kit”. It was created to help beginning comic artists deal with perspective problems and other drawing difficulties. I scanned my old xeroxes a while ago. It’s probably the best thing I’ve ever seen about practical staging and drawing for storyboards or comic books.”
Giant Squid Doll
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 19, 2006 in Hobbies and Collections
Archibald is a giant squid made out of lycra and stuffed with polyester filling. He stands 15 feet tall, has black eyes, a hidden pocket, and is red in color:
Captain N: Retro Nintendo Cartoon
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 18, 2006 in Videogames
In 1989 Nintendo had an animated TV show that ran for a few years: Captain N: The Game Master is an American animated television series that aired from 1989 to 1993. In the U.S., the show aired as part of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup on NBC. The show incorporated elements from many of the most popular Nintendo games of the time. The show was cancelled along with several other cartoons once NBC started changing its format to make more time for news programs. Criticism from government and watchdog groups that NBC’s Saturday morning lineup consisted mostly of thinly veiled commercials aimed at children also may have played a role. Female Space Tourist Blasts Off
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 18, 2006 in Science
From what I’ve been reading she’s a Star Trek fan! I’m green with envy: Female space tourist blasts off “A Russian-built rocket carrying the world’s first female space tourist lifted off Monday in Kazakhstan on a flight to the international space station. Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian-American telecommunications entrepreneur, was accompanied by a U.S.-Russian crew on the Soyuz TMA-9 capsule. Ansari is aiming to realize a life-long dream. As the fourth space tourist, the Iranian-born American also becomes the first woman to pay her way into space, and the first person of Iranian descent to get there.” Action Figures from Season 1 of Lost
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 17, 2006 in Lost
Some really well-done figurines from different seasons in season 1 of Lost: “McFarlane Toys’ Lost Series 1 captures six fan-favorite characters from the series’ first season. Each 6-inch Lost figure comes with a detailed base and photographic backdrop, capturing an episode-specific moment in the character’s story. In addition, each package includes a detailed prop reproduction central to the character’s story, enabling fans to “own” a piece of the show’s mythology.”
Human Space Invaders
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 16, 2006 in Videogames
Some people have way too much time on their hands: Strange Japanese Accessories
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 16, 2006 in Hobbies and Collections
Very silly article on the top useless inventions from Japan: Top 5 Strangest Japanese Accessories Below: The popular nose stretcher!
Oh No! It’s the Psycho Sally Doll!
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 16, 2006 in Hobbies and Collections
This doll even has motorized stabbing action arms: worlddominationtoys.com/toys_psychosally.html
Matt Damon not to be James T. Kirk?
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 16, 2006 in Star Trek
It looks like that rumor that Matt Damon was to play a young Captain Kirk may be false: Exclusive: Matt Damon as James T. Kirk? “Damon was quick to say he hadn’t heard anything about it. His publicist added that Abrams was joking when he said he would choose Matt to play Kirk and it’s nothing serious. As we followed his publicist into the elevator we got a little more, “I think that it [the rumor] came out of a junket he [Abrams] was doing in Asia for Mission Impossible and from my understanding it was one of those hypothetical questions actors always get about who they’d like to work with and JJ threw Matt’s name out there. But we’ve never heard anything on our end. I even called Endeavor, Matt’s agency, to see if they had heard anything – they hadn’t. There has been nothing from Paramount and I haven’t heard anything from JJ’s camp. I’m sorry there’s nothing more interesting to report”.” Why Bollywood Needs a Miramax
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 15, 2006 in Cinema
Here’s an interesting essay by a fanboy who wants to see Bollywood explore different genres: “This is a topic really close to my heart for a variety of reasons, which are all inter-related. As a guy who has always loved innovation, novelty, diversity and variation like so many other Indians, it’s depressing to see how our Bollywood has taken us for a ride all these years. 90% of the movies with similar stories? 4 superstars in 6 decades? This is not healthy, it’s the sign of an industry that is scared to experiment, lest they might fail. However they don’t realize that they have given birth to a whole new generation of dissatisfied viewers that watch maybe 5-10 movies a year out of the 200 odd movies that Bollywood makes. Don’t get me wrong, I still love our movies and probably watch more movies than an average viewer, but that’s because I am an addict. The fact that I love it so much, makes me think, that we can do a lot better than this.” …maybe what’s needed is for more Bollywood films to be exported to markets like the United States (like anime)? That might allow film makers in India to take more chances if they had a larger audience. I guess my other advice is – if you don’t like something, change it! The low budget YouTube digital video revolution allows people on a low budget to make films. If you want to see Bollywood make indie films that explore new genres, do it yourself. The best way to find the Harvey Weinstein of Bollywood is to become that yourself, that’s the true indie film maker spirit. Below: Fusion cuisine! Latino pop singer Shakira doing a Bollywood dance number:
Xena becomes Eris
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 15, 2006 in Science
Pluto’s twin has a new name, and sadly Xena fanboys (and fangurls) will be a bit let down: A Dwarf Planet Gets a Name: Eris “The dwarf planet formerly known as Xena received a new name today, while Pluto was given a number to reflect the loss of its status as a planet. Dr. Michael E. Brown, a professor of planetary astronomy at the California Institute of Technology who discovered the distant ball of ice and rock that he nicknamed Xena, chose the name Eris, after the goddess of discord and strife in Greek mythology. The International Astronomical Union made the name official today.” …but it’s even worse, Pluto now has been given a number! It’s like the sad dwarf planet is a common criminal: “Pluto, now that it is no longer a planet, has been assigned the number 134340 in the catalog of minor planets. In 1999, the astronomical union’s Minor Planet Center had proposed assigning Pluto the number 10000 in the same catalog, to give it dual citizenship as both a planet and a member of the Kuiper Belt, a ring of icy debris beyond Neptune. Brian Marsden, director of the center, said it was meant as special recognition for Pluto, but the idea was withdrawn after protests from people who saw it as a demotion.” Keck Telescope image of Eris and its moon Dysnomia:
Doctor Who Spinoff set for BBC
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 15, 2006 in Dr. Who
I was hearing that this project might have been dead, but it’s pretty neat to see it back on track: Doctor Who spin-off set for CBBC “Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies is to bring back one of the Doctor’s most famous companions for a new children’s TV series. The Sarah Jane Adventures on CBBC will star Elisabeth Sladen, who played Sarah Jane Smith opposite Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker between 1973 and 1976. ” Elisabeth Sladen and Jon Pertwee:
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