The Man-Cave

I Am Number Four (2011)

2012-02-08T20:24:00.000-05:00

Directed By D.J. Caruso; Dreamworks

This is a film that ended up on many websites'worst films list of 2011, even as far as reaching the number one overall spot. Based on thebook by the same title, I Am Number Four was panned by critics and thoseunfamiliar with its literary origins. There were comparisons made to Twilight (the producers are to blame for that one), a swiss cheese plot and shots taken at the unoriginality within the story, whichis even found in many great cinematic works nowadays. Even the "NumberTwo" joke (which is actually pretty funny!) makes the film an easier target to attack. At the end of the day, wasdirector D.J. Caruso’s screen adaptation really that horrible?

The Mogadorians are alien bounty hunters from a distantplanet whose main purpose for existence is to execute the planet’s Nine beings, who each maintain unique and extraordinary powers once they come of age, as they continue to invade and conquer planet after planet. Toprotect these Nine from being slaughtered, they are hidden away on Earth, eachprotected by a warrior who acts as a mentor and guardian while keeping the Mogadoriansoff their tail. Since the Mogadorians must kill the Nine in numerical order,the warriors also do their best to keep them hidden away or blend into societyas a normal human being without bringing any unwanted attention their way. This is adouble-edged sword because while they are stronger together, they must remain separated in order to be more easily hidden as theirpowers maximize.

The film opens with the Mogadorians disposing of NumberThree, then begin their efforts to identify and dispose of Number Four next. WhenNumber Four (Alex Pettyfer) and his warrior Henri (Timothy Olyphant) learn ofThree’s demise, Henri uproots their operation from sunny Florida to quaint Paradise,Ohio, where he has some business to finish. With Four's new identity as JohnSmith, he enrolls in the local high school so that he can attempt to live asomewhat normal life. There he befriends the local geek Sam (Callan McAuliffe),who believes his father was abducted by extraterrestrials, and falls for beautifulshutterbug Sarah (Dianna Agron). The latter relationship endangers blowing hiscover since she used to date the popular local quarterback, who beginsto make John’s life hell once he learns she is crushing on the new guy.

Making his new transition into the school even moredifficult happens when his super strength and telekinesis-like abilitiesbegin to mature. Henri explains to John that he must learn to harness and perfect these gifts using while keeping his trueidentity a secret. To do that, he will need to master these abilities if he has any hopes of fending offthe Mogadorians. John and Henri are also constantly fighting against the newage of social media, where a recently leaked video exposes John's identity and sends the Mogadorians to Paradise unbeknownst to our heroes. There is also amysterious blonde (Teresa Palmer) tracking John as well and it is uncertain ifshe is friend or foe. Once John knows that his pursuers have him cornered, hemust decide whether to flee or finally put up a fight since their next planet toovertake is Earth. Not only he does he have a passion for his new home world, but his passion for Dianna has also grown to the point where he cannot stand to be apart from her.

Never once did the love angle feel gag-inducing like Twilight and the overall film wasrather gender-neutral. It was also nowhere near some of the horrible films thatreached cinemas in 2011. The plot was maybe not the most original, but it wasstill an interesting sci-fi story contained in a rather intricately developed universe with acting that was more than passable. People cited a confused plot dueto the back story being explained in quick exposition from Henri to keep the film moving,but was probably explained in more detail in the book. Sure there were sometimes where the emphasis was on the love story between John and Dianna, but John learning to use hispowers, his relationship with Henri and the Mogadorians tracking him downdominated the running time. Easily the best part of the film is the last 25-30minutes jammed with non-stop action and a SFX smorgasbord that probably encompassed 75% of the budget.

Too bad this one won’t spawn a sequel thanks to poor reviews because it seemed tobe heading towards an epic film series with the best yet to come. And whodoesn’t like looking at Teresa Palmer?I bet her mirror is happy every day. If you liked this film and want to know what happens after the conclusion’scliffhanger, go read the book or you will more than likely never get any closure.

Let this be a lesson to future film makers and production:Never, EEEVVVEEERRR, market your film as the “Twilight for Men”. That is aboutas a good of an idea as swimming in a lake with piranha. You will be torn apartbefore you make it in neck-deep. I Am Number Four deserved an extremely better and more accurate marketing strategy than that.

RATING:

3.5 out of 5 Creeper Santas

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Cropsey (2009)

2012-02-06T18:26:00.000-05:00

Barbara Brancaccio and Joshua Zeman are two documentary filmmakers who attempt to find a real life boogeyman behind Cropsey, the urban legend character from scary campfire stories they heard as children. Their quest begins on Staten Island at Willowbrook Mental Instituion, a place with a dark past filled with the mistreatment of the patients before its closure. Soon after, their research directs them to the startling story of former custodian Andre Rand.

In 1987, Rand was arrested for the kidnapping of a little girl with Downs Syndrome and then charged with at least five more missing persons cases during the course of the 1970's during his incarceration. No concrete evidence was presented to justify him as the guilty perpertrator, but it seemed as though the area's citizens needed to end their witch hunt and begin the healing process. Unfortunately for Rand, he became the scapegoat of this whole situation, yet he still declares his innocence from his jail cell to this very day. Ties to a satanic cult and other weird avenues are also explored by the film makers during the 84-minute running time.

We are never given an opportunity to actually hear from Rand in an interview or otherwise. Only circumstantial evidence was used the judge, jury and executioner during his trial. Rand and his child snatching past are truly creepy and his physical appearance is that of a disturbed individual or a flat out "weirdo", but nothing definitive is offered as hard proof of his guilt. In the eyes of the law, he could very equally be as guilty as he is not guilty.

While it may resemble programming you'd find on TruTV or an installment of Dateline, it is a very interesting tale, although a but upsetting as well due to the circumstances and end result. Brancaccio and Zeman get major points for intertwining a legendary tale into reality, something that is a huge differentiator against the endless sea of straight forward documentary films out there.

If you thought that this Cropsey would refer to Cropsy, the lead villain of the 80's slasher The Burning, sorry to disappoint you. But this film released through Breaking Glass Pictures is certainly worth a watch.

RATING:

3 out of 5 Creeper Santas

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WWE Debuts Their Webisodes This Week!

2012-02-03T18:34:00.000-05:00

With their network launch date pushed back to November later this year, the WWE has entered a partnership with YouTube to air ninecompany-produced webisodes that started airing this pastWednesday on their WWEFanNationchannel. This new, original programming will feature aspects WWE Superstars inan element outside of the squared circle and the confines of current storylines.

These new webisodes include: WWE Presents, Download, Santino’s Foreign Exchange, Outside theRing, Are You Serious, WWE Inbox, Superstar Toyz, Backstage Fallout, and Z!True Long Island Story. The latter, which has been the outlet for Zack Ryder’sclaim to stardom, will now be produced by the WWE and air on Fridays moving forward.

Download is hosted by Dolph Ziggler and follows the format of shows like Tosh.0 and AMV, airing clips from the internet of people doing hilariously silly activites. Inbox has superstars answering questions aboutthemselves, such as their favorite restaurants and perks of being a WWE star. Outside the Ring features superstars in theirreal life environments, beginning this week with The Usos and their authenticSamoan cooking. Santino’s Foreign Exchange features Santino Marella in a comedic “manon the street" format, interviewing both fans and WWE stars. Are You Serious, Superstar Toyz, Backstage Fallout, WWE Presents, and Z! True Long Island Story have not yet aired as of this writing, so their content cannot be commented on. Z! is mentioned as "not being seen yet" because there is a fear that the show will not be the usual entertaining Ryder series now that WWE is producing them and will probably make drastic changes to the content, co-stars and format. Here's to hoping that they do not fix what is far from broken.

The webisodes that have already debuted are pretty goofy and not as entertaining as originally hoped, with the exception of Foreign Exchange, but granted this is the first week of WWE treading in the waters of a new venture. You may feel otherwise, so check out their YouTube channel and see for yourself at WWEFanNation.

The Man-Cave Remembers: WWF WRESTLEFEST

2012-02-02T19:00:00.000-05:00

Technos, World Wrestling Federation; 1991

Ask any arcade gamer what is their favorite wrestling game of all time and WWF WrestleFest is guaranteed to be at the top of the list. For a 2-D game released in 1991 with a small roster selection, the lovechild creation of Technos and the World Wrestling Federation is still currently one of the most sought after cabinet games ever made. Just check eBay for the many parts on sale to help owners maintain their cabinets. The game was even the reason for the creation of the MAME arcade emulator was developed, so that fans could still play the games on their CPUs since the WWE has no plans on releasing a version for home consoles.

A sequel to WWF Superstars, the first arcade game released by the Technos and the WWF back in 1989, WrestleFest improved many aspects of its predecessor while still keeping the same WWF style presentation that sucked in many gamers’ quarters over the years in between their respective releases. There are two game modes - Saturday Night’s Main Event, a chase for the WWF Tag Team Championships, and Royal Rumble, a battle royal where the object is to defeat every character in the game in one grueling match. You have a choice of ten wrestlers to take into battle: Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Mr. Perfect, Sgt. Slaughter, Earthquake, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Smash of Demolition, and Crush of Demolition. Also in the game are Hawk and Animal of The Legion of Doom, who are non-playable bosses you eventually fight to win the tag team championships in the Saturday Night’s Main Event mode after beating random teams of wrestlers en route to the final stage. Once you beat the L.O.D., you fight the same teams all over again one more time, in both regular and cage matches, before having a rematch with Hawk and Animal to complete the game.

The Royal Rumble sees your character start in the ring three other players. Much like the actual Royal Rumble match, a new superstar comes into the ring every two minutes, but unlike the real match, you can pin your opponents and cause them to submit as well as throw them over the top rope to eliminate them. You win when you are the last one in the ring and the game comes to a conclusion.

WrestleFest has the option of allowing four human users to play at simultaneously. It also includes every wrestler’s real life finishing maneuvers such as Hogan’s legdrop, Warrior’s splash and Jake’s DDT. Sadly the Demos do not have the Decapitation, but the L.O.D. is able to use their deadly Doomsday Device, which all but ensures your downfall.

The gameplay is pretty simple, using a joystick direction and action button to perform various moves after gaining the advantage in a tie-up by mashing your buttons. The moves are all unique to their respective wrestlers as well and not a generic move set for every grappler, which is quite refreshing.

Not only is the game easy to play and addictively fun, Technos presentation also projects the look and feel of the WWF wrestling programming from that era. There are ring entrances for the wrestler, unfortunately without their real life entrance music, and former announcer Mike McGirk is the game’s in-ring announcer. There are even backstage cut scenes with Hawk and Animal being interviewed by Mean Gene Okerlund, not voiced by their real life counterparts, as they exclaim their catchphrases about what they have in store for you in the upcoming match.

Besides the forgivable lack of entrance music, lack of a larger roster and non-genuine voiceovers, the only bad thing about the game is a cool little niche that Superstars contained with the wrestlers heading to the ring on the “Ring Carts” - carts made to look like mini wrestling rings used at events like Wrestlemania III. Again, those nuisances are forgivable and the rest of the game is pure pixel gold! It might show its age in graphics limitations, which really aren’t that bad to begin with considering it was released in ’91, but the gameplay and excitement still hold up to this very day. In an age when console games include 40+ wrestlers each containing their own move sets, that certainly speaks volumes on how this game should be appreciated in 2012 and beyond.

As previously mentioned, the game is available to play if you use the MAME emulator or you are somehow lucky enough to hunt a working cabinet down and have the disposable cash to upkeep its costly maintenance. From testimonials, there is a way to play as the L.O.D. using the emulator by modding it somehow, which would have been a stellar move for Technos to include in the real version considering the legendary popularity of the L.O.D./Road Warriors.

There is no known reason why the WWF and Technos, or any other company for that matter, did not work together for another installment back then despite its huge success in arcades. Imagine if they made a version in ’93 that had Survivor Series as an option where you could use stars like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Yokozuna, and Lex Luger. What if they developed a version in ’98 with Steve Austin, The Rock, Owen Hart, and The Undertaker with the inclusion of a Hell in a Cell option? The possibilities are unlimited in a series that could have been a hit for both the arcade audience as well as the home console market. Maybe they were saving their brainpower for that wonderful Wrestlemania The Arcade Game…sigh. The bigger question is why hasn’t the WWF cashed in on WrestleFest’s continuing success all these years later by releasing it for consoles, such as a download on XBOX 360. It would be better to mash the buttons on a $25 controller than beat up the buttons on a $1500 - $3000 laptop. Why let people download it for free when they could capitalize on longtime fans of the game as well as rope in some new ones as well. They pushed the whole wrestling retro concept with Wrestling All Stars last year, but that was too cartoony and just an awful game with a good concept.

If you have never played WWF WrestleFest, The Man-Cave does not support piracy so forget emulators and take a look at the YouTube videos below: the game's actual intro video and a video from Joe Gagne's Funtime Pro Wrestling Arcade, a web series that has become a recent favorite of The Man-Cave. And if you have played or remember it from its heyday, please leave your cherished memories and thoughts below.

Photos courtesy of:

ArcadiaBay

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The Innkeepers (2011)

2012-01-31T13:09:00.000-05:00

Directed by Ti West; Dark Sky Films; Magnet Releasing

Filmmaker Ti West takes on a journey into the realm of psychologicalhorror with his latest project, The Innkeepers, a follow up to 2009’s The House of the Devil. After that breakouthit and the subsequent bad vibes in the wake from Cabin Fever II, a film he claims no allegiance due to reported heavy studiointerference, West needed a winnerto get the bad tastes out of everybody’s mouths and put that dreck in the past.

Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) are two front deskclerks at the historic Yankee Pedlar Inn working the last weekend before the establishment faces demolition. Both enthusiasts of thesupernatural, Luke operates a "paranormal sighting" website using theYankee Pedlar for the majority of his site’s content while quirky Claire isstill a bit green to the lifestyle. Like many old hotels, this one has a seedystory in its past concerning a woman who committed suicide there when herfiancée stood her up at the altar. Luke’s claim to have previously made contactwith this spirit intrigues Claire to the point that she also tries to reach out to her once she starts hearing andseeing strange things over the course of the next couple of days.

Meanwhile, two guests check-in during the hotel’s finalsendoff, including a washed up actress who now has a different calling in life(Kelly McGillis) and a creepy old-timer (George Riddle) who requests to stay ina specific room for reasons unknown. As more bizarre occurrences keep happeningtowards the Inn’s final farewell, is everything all in Claire’s young mind or are therespirits lurking with bad intentions?

The Innkeepers is a return to form for West who provides uswith the usual slow burn towards his conclusion, apparent in his previous works such asThe Roost and the previously mentioned Devil. The film utilizes a great deal of comedic elements, even going asfar as masquerading as a horror-comedy until the final act. At the same time,this is not a deep venture into psycho-horror, like a Shining clone or anything likethat.

The scares are kept to a minimum with the emphasis on anuneasy atmosphere instead. West aims for a telling an overall interesting storywith good characters rather than trying for an all-out scare fest. In this way,he definitely demonstrates some versatile in his directing skills, especiallyin terms of guiding his talent. The most notable example is with female leadPaxton, who usually uses her piercing blue eyes and good looks to sell herroles. As Claire, Paxton is extremely convincing as a nerdy, awkward chick whoappears uncomfortable in her own skin. She uses her pure acting skills instead of relying on her good looks, which makes you appreciate her talents as an actress on a completely different.

West delivers the expected beautiful cinematography that goes along with his films with excessiveusage of long standing shots and excellent lighting choices for interiorscenes in the hotel. Expect a film that prods along tothe end, where the payoff is ambiguous but enough clues are provided for asatisfying conclusion…if you were paying attention the whole time.

It would definitely be worth your time to register for one last stay at TheYankee Pedlar to meet these particular Innkeepers. Just make sure to keep bugging them for towels early and often. Now available now on VOD with scheduled for theatrical release on February 3.

RATING:

3.5 out of 5 Creeper Santas

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WWE Royal Rumble 2012 PPV Results

2012-01-29T23:14:00.001-05:00

Live from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, it's time for the 25th Annual edition of the WWE Royal Rumble! Coming off arguably their best PPV of 2011, TLC, the WWE launches the first of the big four PPV events with Wrestlemania right around the corner. All of the matches have a ton of potential, especially the 30-man over the top rope main event which is always is fun to watch. Man is that Switchfoot "Dark Horses" song awesome. Anyway, let's get to the action...

World Heavyweight Title Triple Threat Steel Cage Match:

Big Show vs. Daniel Bryan (champ) vs. Mark Henry

The slow burning heel turn for Bryan may come into tonight's match, which he might need to do in order to walk out as champ under these insurmountable odds. He has been able to slip away with the strap when recently facing these to behemoths in one-on-one matchups, but now he is locked in a steel cage with both of them having intentions to squash him flat. Is this the end of the reign or a beginning of a new era for Bryan?

RESULT: Daniel Bryan retains the title when he escapes from the cage. Bryan was made to look strong in this one and Henry's real life injury was noticeable as he did not see much action throughout. Really surprised that this title match was the opening fight on the card.

Video Promo:
John Cena promo. He's there day in, day out...you have seen and heard it all before. The part with the troops was a nicer touch though.

Divas Tag Match (huh?):

Divas of Doom & Bella Twins vs. Kelly Kelly, Eve, Tamina & Alicia Fox

Last minute add-on match. Where has Beth been all this time? No real focus here...they all kind of hate each other. Basically this is filler and there was no time to find an official pic for this section.

RESULT: Beth Phoenix pinned Kelly Kelly after hitting the Glam Slam. Luckily this match was not too long and it was great to see Beth Phoenix back in action. Now back to regularly scheduled programming...

Backstage Segment:
Zack Ryder (in a wheelchair and a back brace) shows up with Eve to tell John Lauranitis that he is there to see Cena kick Kane's butt. Guess no surprise Ryder Rumble return. Eve gives John L. the business and hopes he gets fired tomorrow on RAW.

Embrace the Hate Match (haha!):

John Cena (Skywalker) vs. Kane (The Emperor)

Is this feud over yet? For years, many have clamored for the return of masked Kane but the 'E has sucked the life out of the angle by making it all about John Cena embracing the hate. Kane plays Emperor to Cena's Anakin Skywalker and it has been embarrassingly hokey. And somehow Zack Ryder got dragged into the angle and it cost him the U.S. Title. Here is to hoping that this will be the end of the joke and if Cena does not start to turn heel because of this, then the angle was a huge waste of time for everyone involved.

RESULT: No contest with them both fighting up the ramp as the ref counts a double countout. After the fight reaches the back, Kane drags Ryder to the ring and Tombstones him even after Eve begs for him to stop. Cena tries to help but gets chokeslammed in the process. Eve still blames Cena. Guess this angle is still TBD. Pfft!

Single Match:

Brodus Clay vs. Drew McIntyre

Another last minute added match (again no pic above) involving the undefeated The Funkasaurus and McIntyre, who can't buy a win. Expect the jobbing to continue here as I don't know Drew has to do to get out of the WWE doghouse.

RESULT: Clay in another squash followed by his trademark dancing. So far, this schtick still hasn't gotten old even though it will be remarkable to see him fight in a match longer than a minute. But how can you not love the man from Planet Funk? "My bad!"

WWE Championship Match:

CM Punk(champ) vs. Dolph Ziggler

w/ special guest ref John Laurinaitis

The interim RAW GM and VP of Talent Relations has been warned to call this one down the middle, despite his relationship with Punk, as he will be reviewed for his position tomorrow night on RAW by none other than Triple H. Outside of story lines, Ziggler has definitely worked his butt off in 2011 to get to the main event level and deserves a high exposure match such as this. As cool as it is to be champ, Punk does not need the title anymore to get over, not to say it would be great having him walk out of the Rumble as champ. Either way, both men are great workers and either having their arm raised is a victory for the WWE. Is Johnny Boy going to call it down the middle?

RESULT: Punk retains after hitting the GTS in another top star match between these two athletes. Easily the best bout on the card with the interim GM calling it down the middle...minus a little goofiness towards the end of the match.

The Royal Rumble:
30 WWE Superstars

You know the rules: it starts out with two men and another grappler comes in every 9 seconds. The only way to be eliminated is to be thrown over the top rope and the last man remaining earns an instant title match at Wrestlemania. There are always surprise entrants, such as Diesel last year, and mums been on them so far. But expect Alberto Del Rio and Christian to return from injury as well as Zach Ryder his (kayfabe) ailment. The main buzz has been surrounding Chris Jericho's true in-ring return, where he has promised us all that the world will end as we know it at the Rumble. Are we going to finally find out who "she" is and what Jericho's intentions are for the WWE? Who's going to Wrestlemania...favorites right now are Randy Orton, Sheamus and Wade Barrett.

Contestants:
#1 Miz
#2 Alex Riley
#3 R-Truth
#4 Cody Rhodes
#5 Justin Gabriel
#6 Primo
#7 Mick Foley
#8 Ricardo Rodriquez
#9 Santino Marella
#10 Epico
#11 Kofi Kingston
#12 Jerry Lawler
#13 Ezekiel Jackson
#14 Jinder Mahal
#15 The Great Khali
#16 Hunico
#17 Booker T
#18 Dolph Ziggler
#19 Hacksaw Jim Duggan
#20 Michael Cole
#21 Kharma
#22 Sheamus
#23 Road Dogg Jesse James
#24 Jey Uso
#25 Jack Swagger
#26 Wade Barrett
#27 David Otunga
#28 Randy Orton
#29 Chris Jericho
#30 Big Show

Eliminations:
Miz eliminated Riley
Miz eliminated Truth
Foley and Rodriquez eliminated Gabriel
Foley eliminated Primo
Santino eliminated Rodriquez
Foley eliminated Epico with Mr. Socko
Rhodes eliminated Santino
Rhodes eliminated Foley
Rhodes eliminated Lawler
Khali eliminated Mahal
Khali eliminated Jackson
Rhodes eliminated Duggan
Rhodes and Ziggler eliminated Booker T and Khali
Booker T eliminated Cole by pulling him to the outside
Kharma eliminated Hunico
Ziggler eliminated Kharma
Sheamus eliminated Kingston
Barrett eliminated Road Dogg
Orton eliminated Uso
Orton eliminated Barrett
Jericho eliminated Otunga
Big Show and Sheamus eliminated Swagger
Big Show eliminated Miz and Rhodes
Big Show eliminated Ziggler
Orton eliminated Big Show
Jericho eliminated Orton
Sheamus eliminated Jericho

RESULT: Sheamus eliminated Jericho win a Brogue Kick to knock Jericho to the floor. There were some questionable choices like Otunga, Uso, Epico, and Primo, but it was great to see Duggan and Road Dogg (who was receiving hige pops and chants that he "still had it") return as surprise entrants.

VERDICT:

The Royal Rumble match is always cool to watch, but this year's entrants left a lot to be desired. The Jericho "promise" to end the world as we know it was a non-factor as well. Besides the Punk-Ziggler matchup, the other bouts were pretty much so-so. But aren't these PPVs all just to setup the following night's RAW nowadays anyway? Final score is that it was OK, but definitely a step down in the excitement of the WWE's past two PPVs to close out 2011.

TOTALLY YOU-TUBULAR: “The Humpty Dance” Karaoke

2012-01-27T17:55:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the latest Man-Cave feature, TOTALLY YOU-TUBULAR!Every now and then, I will find something weird around on the social mediaoutlet and post for you all to check out. I was planning to do this back in October, but wanted to wait untilsomething worthy enough of being the debut video would surface…and it has!Thanks to my friend Jessica, she has acquired the found footage whichuncovers the legendary myth of me performing a karaoke version of DigitalUnderground’s early 1990’s opus, "The Humpty Dance". Now you have probably heardme talking about doing this on some webcast or maybe even on some website outthere, but now little Jess has the Holy Grail for you all to enjoy. Originallystarted back at now defunct Thirsty Whale in Orlando, FL, I decided to get upon Wild Bill’s (5^th and Broadway) stage during my last trip toNashville and break it down like DX…after only consuming one-half of a CoronaLight on a full stomach. Backed by my new Nashville friend Andy, click on the link and then please enjoythe sights and sounds of The Humpty Dance and go check out Jess’ YouTubechannel (redsox2833)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgRatmpX6sY

Got any cool videos you want me to play on The Man-Cave?Send them my way by contacting me at etmcrules@yahoo.com.You have a better chance for them to air here than on Tosh.0, ha!!

Interview with Husk author Matt Hults

2012-01-25T17:21:00.000-05:00

Last week I reviewed a very unique and entertaining horror book, entitled Husk. If you have not yet, you can check out the review here and get accustomed to this fantastic literary horror novel. Husk is the story of a mysterious killer slaughtering the inhabitants a small town in Minneapolis, coinciding with the death of serial killer Kale Kane. The killer's identity remains anonymous for a majority of the book and it is not certain if he is of the flesh or a supernatural element. When his intentions become known and the full capacity of his abilities come to fruition, it will take the collective efforts of the book's many protagonists to even hope for a chance to take this seemingly indestructible murderer down.

Matt Hults is a new author on the scene who certainly makes his stake for notoriety with his first book release. The book might be an easy read, but that does not mean it is simple in plot and is very hard to out down. The story seems straight forward in the first act, but then the plot becomes extremely involved with each turn of the page afterward. One thing is certain, you will be engrossed until you reach the conclusion. Husk is also the recipient of the "It Award" for best book in The Man-Cave's annual It & S*** Awards for 2011. Hults is here today to talk to us more in depth about his work and the influences that surrounded its creation.

The Man-Cave: Welcome to The Man-Cave, Matt! First thing first, what is the origin behind the concept for Husk?

Matt Hults: Thank you, Geof. I've excited to be a part of The Man-Cave's 2012 opener! Husk came about as an accident. Years ago I had saved up money to take a summer off work and write my first novel, The Varanus Discovery, an action adventure story that was kind of part Indiana Jones, part Jurassic Park. I knew nothing about writing at the time, and the resulting story turned out to be a 232K behemoth of probably every beginner mistake possible. I learned this as I wrote the last third of the book, knowing I would need to go back and do extensive cuts and revisions. Instead, I decided to take what I'd learned writing that first story and start a whole new book. The day after I typed 'THE END' on Varanus, my wife and I took a day trip to the country, intending to go a state park, but we made a wrong turn and ended up in the small town of Loretto, Minnesota. I knew I wanted to do a horror book, and when I saw Loretto it seemed like the perfect setting. We drove around the area, and a few miles away we came across a small collection of luxurious looking houses built on a hillside, all by themselves. I thought, "How quaint ... but they're a long way from help". When we got home, I sat down and banged out what became chapter one of Husk without any other plot ideas other than that I wanted a villain that was incredibly powerful and versed in ancient knowledge, yet unable to achieve its goals without the help of others. I built the rest of the story around that idea and the town.

TMC: This is your debut publication, so congratulations on your accomplishment. Did you go the horror route because you're a genre fan?

MH: Absolutely! I grew up with Star Wars and Indiana Jones and the Hardy Boys, Scooby-Doo cartoons, Spider-Man comics, and The Twilight Zone. I love adventure, sci-fi, mystery, thrillers, but I'm particularly a sucker for a good horror story no matter what form it may take, and across the spectrum of sub-genres, as well, from the darkly serious to the comically cheesy. My favorite stories present a truly ominous threat for the characters to overcome, yet allow a glimmer of hope. We all know that real life horrors are no fun.

TMC: I felt a little bit of awesome old school slasher/ghost flicks like Shocker, Ghost in the Machine and The Horror Show. Am I right in that assumption?

MH: Oh, yes! As I've said, I'm a horror junkie, and it was inevitable that some of the cinematic influences from growing up in the 70's and 80's would find their way into my writing. I tend to write what I would like to read, if that doesn't come off as too narcissistic. But I also like to care about my characters. I've found with my recent slasher clones I'm rooting for the killer rather than the victims, and I didn't want that to be the case in Husk.

TMC: Was Kale Kane inspired from a real life serial killer?

MH: No. Although I suppose his handiwork could be comparable to that of Ed Gein (technically not a serial killer, but still really messed up!), Kane more or less just popped into my head. I knew I wanted him to be gaunt, almost skeletal, someone you might be repulsed by but not necessarily find physically threatening - so when he lets loose in the police raid you get the hint there's something else going on. His name then came from the need to link the killings in the story together. I wanted to have a mark the killer left on the victims, and after some contemplation as to what that mark should be, I settled on a set of initials. I didn't have a name at the time, so I hit the dry-erase board and started with some simple, single-letter combos. I got to K and created the overlapping symbol seen on the cover of the book. Next, I had to come up with a name to fit the letters. KK. Kale Kane. Some people thought the name was too trite, but 'Kenneth Knickerbottoms' didn't have the same ring to it.

TMC: Without giving away any spoilers, the antagonist's endgame intentions are relative to events tied into theological history. Did you perform a lot of research to manifest this history or did you create these historical touches especially for Husk?

MH: Half and half, I guess. I wanted the story to be about Good vs. Evil, but without specifying that Good = Christian, or Evil = Satanic. Having grown up with a strong (aka 'forced') Christian background, I used those beliefs as a base. I did do some research into American Indian theologies after a title change. The original title for Husk was "Glade's Bend", named after the neighborhood where the character Mallory lives. That seemed too passive, though, and I later changed it to "Skinwalker". At the time, the word 'skinwalker' wasn't as much a part of popular culture as it is today, and the only other book I could find with that title was from the 80's. Because my story wasn't about actual skinwalkers, though, I felt it was different enough to go forward. At the same time, I wanted some backing for the title, and thus added the appropriate American Indian references and even got feedback from American Indian readers. When the book was done it became delayed at numerous times, and at one point I simply shelved it and quit writing entirely. In the interim, Skinwalkers began popping up everywhere, from movies to TV to comics. When Books of the Dead accepted the story, we made the hard choice to change the title to avoid confusion with the movie that had come out a few years prior. I chose Husk from a line of dialogue where one character, Frank, describes the villain as "a seed of evil in a husk of flesh." I thought it would be a cool tie-in. Ironically, the movie Husk came out days after the new title was announced *slaps hand to forehead*. Oh, well. It still works.

TMC: Another skill I appreciate about your writing is that you do not waste too much time before diving into the action, while supplying the reader with enough background to catch them up to speed quickly. Is that due to keeping the page numbers down or is it for pacing purposes?

MH: I never really worry about page numbers. Some people will try and tell you that a chapter should be a certain length, but I think that's bull. Lord knows I've agonized over it more than a few times during rewrites, but I've learned to just pace it in a way I hope others will find entertaining. I have to give credit to some of my best test readers, authors Mike Stone, Bret Jordan, Joel Sutherland, and Jerry Gordon who helped me spot where to remind the reader what was going on. Those guys were instrumental in helping polish the story to a shine.

TMC: Speaking of pacing, your writing style is much like Steve Alten (of Meg fame), who offers cinematic experience on pages of a book. There is action among a slew of chaos, which is especially noticeable in the extended final act. Can you elaborate on your literary vision and intention to convert a high budget film into an exciting 300 page book?

MH: I tend to write the story as I see it in my head. Sometimes I'll storyboard a scene on paper. I love to draw, and before delving into writing I often told people I wanted to be a comic book artist or movie director. As mentioned above, the inundation of numerous genre films has also geared my thought process toward the visual telling of the tale.

TMC: Are any of the characters outside of Kane and the mystery killer based on any people you know in real life?

MH: I guess the one character that has some real life roots would be Tim Fleming, he being a combination of myself and one of my best high school friends (whose name is Tim). The character's family's financial and marital issues are reminiscent of my teenage years. Likewise, his experiences with Mallory at the Valley Fair amusement park are an embellished version of an evening I had at the same park the night before leaving for the military. I had gone to the park with a group of friends, and among them was a girl I had a crush on. Unfortunately she was far more interested in one of my wealthier, better looking friends (who drove a Mercedes, just like in the story). He already had a girlfriend at the time, but that didn't stop him of making moves on this other girl. It was a rather bummer of a send-off if you ask me, but it translated perfectly into the story and allowed me to unload some of the emotional baggage leftover from that night. On the other hand, the events from chapter 8 are entirely fictional ... Honest.

TMC: Who are some of your writing influences?

MH: Dean Koontz, hands down. I know that might seem like a cliche answer being that he's one of the biggest authors around, but I find he writes with that same sense of hope-among-chaos that I enjoy. I also learned that our childhoods were not so different. I once saw an interview where he discussed growing up with an alcoholic father, and talked about having prepped his bedroom for a quick escape if needed. My parents divorced when I was a 15, and my mother eventually began dating someone who later turned out to be a drug-abusing, bipolar, bank-robbing ex-con who had served 15 years for murder. When he moved in with us, life got ... scary. My brother and I took the screens off our third floor town-house window in case we needed to get out fast, and I always slept with a knife tucked between the mattress and the bed frame. I guess I should have added him to the answer from the last question about characters based off real people: I used his last name for the first person to die in the opening police raid.

TMC: If there is a message or moral for your readers to take away from Husk, what would it be?

MH: I guess it is to just be true to yourself and not masquerade as someone you're not in order to fit in with others. This is the underlying struggle Mallory and Tim face throughout the story; Mallory with her friends and Tim with his own insecurities. I suppose it's a lesson that I leaned being an artistic guy who went to a jock high school. Oh, yeah, and don't dig up dead serial killers, either.

TMC: Any plans for a follow up to Husk or has the story ended from your perspective?

MH: Thoughts of expanding on the story pop up now and again, but for now it's done.

TMC: What is in the pipeline for you next, Matt? Any projects you want to discuss or is there anything you would like to promote?

MH: I'm currently working on a zombie novella for a Books of the Dead multi-author story titled Living Death Race 2000, as well as plugging away at my next novel. I also invite everyone to check out my collection of horror short stories, Anything Can Be Dangerous, which is available to download for FREE from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and iTunes. Likewise, for those with children (or those who are just a kid at heart) I've published a adventure/horror children's book titled Dwellers of the Dark under my penname Lewis Hand. I'm also on Facebook and happy to meet new friends.

TMC: Thanks again for stopping by and congrats again on your first book release. I just wanted to close this out by telling you and my readers that I am not a huge book reader and have never read a book from beginning to end, especially a 300+ pager, in one day...until I read Husk.

MH: Thank you, Geof! Looking forward to another year of Man-Cave splendor!

Husk can be purchased as an e-book or hard copy by clicking on the widgets below...

The Man-Cave Remembers: STREET HAWK

2012-01-23T18:52:00.000-05:00

The Man...The Machine...STREET HAWK!

Early to mid-1980's television will always be remembered for being saturated with one-hour action programming about super vehicles. Networks threw whatever they could at the wall to see what stuck. For every A-Team, there was a Riptide. For every Knight Rider and Airwolf, there was a Blue Thunder. As you can see, not all of these shows went on to have multiple seasons and made their claim to memorable 80's pop culture, but there was one show that did not deserve a fading into obscurity, even though it has held a cult status to this very day. That show is 1985's Street Hawk.

Jesse Mach (70's & 80's heartthrob Rex Smith) was a motorcycle cop severely injured by some bad guys and destined to desk work forever due to his knee ailment. Not only was his partner and friend killed off by the same criminals who ran him over, but he also lost the ability to retain the hotshot motorcyclist expert lifestyle to which he had become accustomed. That is until he was approached by Norman Tuttle (Murphy Brown's Joe Regalbuto), a genius government tech agent leading the top secret operation entitled Street Hawk, a super motorcycle that would be used to fight crime vigilante-style and unbeknownst to the local Los Angeles police force. Even though Tuttle was originally against the idea, his boss targeted Mach as the perfect candidate with the skills and personality needed to make the Hawk operation successful. After undergoing a new prosthetic surgery to correct his knee and cycle training under Tuttle's tutelage, Mach used Street Hawk to avenge his partner's death and his own attempted murder by a drug dealing criminal (Christopher Lloyd...yup good ol' Doc Brown) and some shady police officials. In superhero-esque fashion, Mach would both keep his LAPD public relations position to remain in the know of all police happenings as well as his "limp" to nullify any ties to him being the police-given moniker Street Hawk. And that was all just in the pilot!

The leads

The pilot episode was as good as any TV pilot back then. It was action-packed and did not spend too much useless time before Jesse Mach got on the bike and started tearing up the streets of L.A. Beginning with the second episode, the series followed the standard "villain of the week" formula with no series-wide arch. Unfortunately, this might have been the show's undoing. Although entertaining, there was no endgame to the premise. There was no "Sam Beckett Quantum Leap-ing trying to get home" or "The A-Team trying to clear their name with the military". Mach also instantly went from P.R. rep in the pilot to a detective in the second episode with no explanation why or how. He also lost the limp, which was his cover. They should have stuck with that neat little idea, but instead they made him a hard-nosed detective and not as much of the enjoyable cool showoff he portrayed in the pilot.

Even though Street Hawk was ABC's answer to NBC's Knight Rider, it really tried not be its clone. Instead, the creators ditched any camp by being a little more serious, evident in the large body count throughout all of the episodes. That's right...good or bad, a lot of people died. Mach was not interested in incarcerating criminals and more concerned with killing them dead by rarely "missing" with his weapons. Ever want to see George Clooney get whacked? Watch the second episode. At the same time, the show tried to come across a little more hip with all demographics of the 80's audience. Girls still thought Smith was dreamy, dudes liked the action and kids were enchanted by the motorcycle - which was totally tubular to the max.

Clooney bites it!

In the show, the Street Hawk bike reached 200 MPH and 300 MPH using the hyperthrust mode. It was armed with machine guns, rocket launchers and a laser cannon. It also came equipped with a vertical lift/jump system, both on and off road capabilities and an infrared camera. Pretty sweet, huh? In reality, three bikes were used to being the Street Hawk model to life. A 1983 Honda XL500 was employed for the pilot, while the rest of the series used 1984 Honda XR500's and stunts scenes used Honda CR250's. (courtesy of streethawkonline.com) Even though it was just extremely sped up film stock used for the effect, the hyperthrust sequences became a trademark of the show because the effect's outcome looked so sleek.

The chemistry between leads Smith and Regalbuto was very good, playing the whole "odd couple" angle. Mach was daring and threw caution to the wind while Tuttle was conservative and always more concerned with his precious bike. However, they needed each other equally since Street Hawk was, at Tuttle put it, so complex that two people were mandatory to operate it. Mach did the driving and heroics, but Tuttle played dependable navigator and operated the Hyper Thrust option from his command center. This led to some comical back and forth conversation between the two through their communication system. Mach was the brawn and Tuttle was the brains. Just how smart was Tuttle? He came up with the idea for the Internet and Google in the fourth episode, wishing there was way to type someone's name in and have everything about them pop up on your screen. No joke.

Hyperthrust

Each episode was filled with popular 80's top-10 tracks, but the synthesizer score by Tangerine Dream was the tangible that paced the show and provided it with its character. The theme song itself is truly a marvel of the 80's action shows, much like Airwolf and Knight Rider.

Alas, the show only lasted one season of 13 total episodes before cancellation, which was not due to poor ratings. According to a recent Street Hawk documentary, network politics got it bounced to Friday nights, a notoriously lame time slot and against powerhouse Dallas no less, instead of the Monday Night Football lead-in slot it was created for (which wound up going to MacGyver). ABC wanted to go another direction with that time slot plus they didn't want to keep coughing up a reported $1 million per episode. At least that is their story, although the show could have really benefited from the previously mentioned idea of a series-wide arch as to not become stale. Nevertheless, it was an exciting show that should be remembered as an enjoyable product of the 80's worth re-visiting if you watched it during its first run or checking it out if this is the first you have heard of it. You can get it on Amazon for less than $20, well worth the price tag.

It even got a couple versions of video games

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Book Review: Husk by Matt Hults

2012-01-19T18:33:00.000-05:00

When law enforcement is finally able to corner deranged serial killer Kale Kane, an ensuing bloodbath occurs. Not until after Kane slaughters most of the police force, he is left comatose while he serves his time lifeless in a mental asylum. His body succumbs to death five years later, but the nightmare has only begun for many in a town outside Minneapolis, Minnesota.

From the shadows, a mysterious Killer watches the Weiss family move into their new home. Divorcee Paul Weiss has moved his children, teenage daughter Mallroy and young son BJ, to this beautiful home for a better life after his recent separation, but has unknowingly placed Mallory in the cross hairs of our unidentified antagonist. His sights are instantly set on slaughtering her as a part of his hidden agenda.

Detective Melissa Humble soon begins to investigate a string of bizarre murders using Kane's modus operandi and recruits retired Frank Atkins to help her solve the mystery based on his familiarity with the source material. Atkins is a survivor of the original police onslaught that subdued Kane, but lost his fiery edge and retired into a life of seclusion after authoring a failed book on theories of the mystery surrounding Kane's reign of terror. He believes that Kane was utilizing ancient supernatural elements during his killing spree and that while he is no longer among the living, the entity that aligned with the deceased killer has returned to finish what they started. Of course, Humble disregards his ideas and concentrates on finding a more realistic and conventional copycat killer.

Meanwhile, the Killer is the only one who knows the location of Kane's grave site and he needs his body to put his evil plan into play. For some reason, he requires the effort of others to unearth the corpse for his use, thus prolonging his agenda. As he continues to kill, he will soon have enough "power" to sacrifice Mallory and make his consequential intentions known to all. Standing in his way is Humble, Atkins, Mallory and Tim Fleming, a local boy with a mega crush on the beautiful Mallory. But will they be enough of a force to stop him once his true identity is revealed? Is he simply a copycat killer or something beyond their comprehension? All will be known to them in time.

Husk is the first book released by author Matt Hults (Books of the Dead Press) and he delivers his own unique breed of horror to his readers. Where else can you find a literary work that effectively mixes the slasher, zombie and paranormal genres all into one nice package? Don't say The Bible either. Just when you think you know the story, he throws a ton of swerves in what is probably the most original horror storyline in print. It's like a large budget motion picture transcended into words, much like that of author Steve Alten (Meg).

For a quick and easy read, the action happens early and often and doesn't let up for a breath, especially in the extended final act. There is a hint of supernatural slasher flicks in the mix, such as Shocker, The Horror Show and Ghost in the Machine with a bit of Paranormal Activity thrown in for good measure. Hults is graphic when describing the heavy gore, leaving nothing to your imagination. Yet he still plays on simple things that creep people out like fear of the dark, home invasion and being stalked. There is never a sense of security or safety for reasons that cannot be disclosed without spoiling the fun. Also, the main protagonists are also portrayed as redeemable and quite likable. These include Tim, who all social outcasts can relate to, and Mallory as the fickle and "wanting what she can't have" teenage girl many have become familiar with growing up.

The only problems with Husk are in its typos and an abrupt ending, all of which are forgivable given the final product. It is simply a book that is very hard to put down once you get going due to the aura of mystery behind the intentions of the book's killer, who simply is labeled "the Killer" for a majority of the book, much like Jay Bennett's classic The Executioner. This is one heck of a debut from Hults, who will hopefully share more of his work to the world very soon.You pick this up for only $3.99 as an eBook, so it is also an inexpensive little treasure.

RATING:

4 out of 5 Creeper Santas

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Chillerama (2011)

2012-01-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

Where have all the drive-ins gone? Before cineplexes dominated the industry, drive-ins were the place to check out some of the most truly low budget, zaniest flicks on the planet within the confines of a major social gathering. Not letting us all forget about those good old days are writers/directors Adam Green, Tim Sullivan, Joe Lynch, and Adam Rifkin, whose combined talents bring us Chillerama. With so much promise and hype, did this can't-miss prospect miss the mark?

In the final night of its existence, Cecil B. Kaufman (Office Space's Richard Riehle) closes down his local drive-in with a bang by showing four lost prints of some truly bizarro flicks for his movie-goers to enjoy. The only problem is that a necrophiliac, who gets frisky with the wrong corpse, is turned into a sex-crazed, bloodthirsty zombie and soon inadvertently begins to infect the remainder of the drive-in's audience. Our two main leads on the verge of a blossoming romantic relationship, Tobe (Corey Jones) and Mayna (Kaili Thorne), are among the audience members who watch four Z-grade films including Wadzilla, the story of a man's sperm gone bad; I Was a Teenage Werebear, a tale of a boy whose true sexual side is outed in hairy fashion; The Diary of Anne Frankenstein, which shows what really happened to Anne Frank before Adolf Hitler created the Frankenstein monster in an alternate universe; and Deathication, showing a montage of feces gags.

Chillerama's premise of being a tribute to drive-ins and the films-within-the-film appear to be excellent on paper, but the end result is nowhere near as entertaining as it should be. It is especially disappointing considering the four great cinematic minds at the helm. Rifkin's Wadzilla is like one joke that plays itself out too soon, although it is always good to see Ray Wise working. Sullivan's Werebear is by far the worst aspect of the film, containing too many unfunny and annoying musical numbers that drags the overall film down almost to the level of being completely unwatchable. Even hottie Gabby West (Scream Queens) is totally misused after her opening scene. Lynch's Zom-B-Movie is our wraparound story that tries too hard to be a Troma dedication by saturating the screen with penises and corpse sex, literally. It also concludes with a complete cop out of an ending, thus ruining any steam it was building up to at that point. Meanwhile, Deathication begins with a great introduction by its faux director, but is not as shockingly gross as it intended to be. Thankfully, we only get to see very little of it.

Adam Green's The Diary of Anne Frankenstein is the only saving grace. Completely subtitled and in black & white, this one will have you crying in laughter from beginning to end. Too bad it only lasts around 20 minutes of the film's insanely long two-hour running time. Have you ever wanted to see Joel David Moore (Avatar, Hatchet) playing Adolf Hitler as he sings a song about why people hate him and how understood he is? What do you mean "no"? Well, you will be glad that Green thought of the idea once you finish watching this segment. Moore speaks all of two lines in actual German, while speaking jibberish, with words that include "Boba Fett", "Golimar" and "Osh Kosh B' Gosh", the rest of the time. And that is only scratching the surface of the kind of hilarity you'll find in this mini-flick.

This one "coulda been a contenda", but utterly fails sans the Frankenstein segment. When four equally great modern-day directors collaborate together on a film, the result should be nothing less than a sure-fire hit. Unfortunately, the highlights of this film are too few and far in-between to make Chillerama the epic motion picture that it should have been. If you want to see a film with a quarter of the budget and genuinely in the vein of Troma, check out Drew Besson's The Taint.

If you do watch it, make sure to hang around for the credits to hear Moore's vocal opus!

RATING:

2 out of 5 Creeper Santas

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Getting Daniel Bryan Over

2012-01-12T18:25:00.000-05:00

The WWE finally pulled the trigger on making Daniel Bryan their WWE World Champion, but his booking since his surprising Money in the Bankvictory in July has certainly been underwhelming. Instead of using that PPV win as momentum to elevate him intothe main event scene, Bryan went on an extended losing streak that lasted the remainder of the summer. By mid-September, Bryan was a glorifiedjobber and his “cash in” of the MITB briefcase at Wrestlemania became about asthreatening as being hit in the face with a cotton ball.

At December's TLC, Bryan cashed in the briefcase to beatthe winded Big Show, who just won the belt from Mark Henry just moments ago. This event should have been the turning point where theWWE could do something drastic with his character, but they still have him beingthe nerdy and Rocky-esque underdog title holder who appears to be nothing morethan a transitional champ. While the WWE’s booking of Bryan has been horrible to this point, here is a list of five things that could help him regain his much deserved legitimacy and build a much needed future superstar for the company.

# 1 Promos: Practice, Practice, Practice

He is getting a little better on the mic lately, but he has a long way togo. He needs to use his free time out of the gym to look in the mirror,practice working on some character traits and facial expressions. If he increaseshis promo cutting quality to even 75% to what it is now, he will be over like Dover. But do that heneeds to…

# 2 ...Decide if he should be face or heel

Again, this is where the WWE screwed the pooch with hisbriefcase cash-in. They should have planned for him to cash it on Henry if hewas going to remain face or Show if he was turning heel. Whoever he cashed it in on should have a made a hard stance on his character. He could have won thebelt, celebrated and then jumped Show to re-injure his ankle. The next night hecould have come out on RAW and said that the fans have been holding him backfrom being a champion because he can’t “talk” well on the mic, so he decided togo against his word of waiting until Wrestlemania and cash it in on the injured Show. He could have held upthe belt and said “Look, when I don't listen to someone else besides you potato chipeating morons who don’t know a hip toss from a hippo and here is what I can doon my own!” That being said, he is shorter and not too physically menacing for the mainstream fan to take seriously, somaybe it would be a wise idea to…

# 3 ...Get him some backup or insurance policy

Right now, there is a genetic freak (no, not Scott Steiner)who is a bore as a face and has been going on a losing streak of his own sincedropping the Intercontinental Championship last fall to Cody Rhodes. Yes,Ezekiel Jackson. He also is terrible at promos but he is a strong bull, whocould serve as a bodyguard and muscle for the smaller statured Bryan. Zeke’suse of the tights to pin Drew McIntyre on a recent Smackdown is the mostinteresting thing he has done in months. Either Zeke or Drew, or both, arecharacters in limbo that could be more effective if they joined forces in some sort of stable. Bryancould say to both of them that he too was on a losing streak until he decidedto do something for himself and they should ban together to end the current image of the WWE.

# 4 Make him a true "submission expert" or give him a new gimmick

Whether face or heel, if his character is to remain a submission expert,like a Chris Benoit or a Dean Malenko, he needs to start making big names tap clean.If people are not going to view him as a legitimate physical force due to hissize, have him be resilient like Flair and pull off victories with roll ups(face) or outside interference (heel) after taking a huge beating. Right now,the WWE is riding the submission train with him, so let him Labell Lock a RandyOrton or an Alberto Del Rio and make him tap on a PPV.

# 5- Have a high profile match at this year's Wrestlemania and win

That is probably not going to happen but ifthe WWE keeps the belt on him until Wrestlemania, he needs to put on his usualFive-Star match and walk away victorious. It doesn’t matter if it is againstOrton or Henry, he needs to beat them clean as a face or cheat as a heel. If hewins at ‘Mania, it will be a topic that he can mention in his future promos andestablish legitimacy as a main event player.

Without doing fantasy booking, theseare just some ideas to throw against the wall. It is gfood to see the WWE giving him a nice push, but the real concern is that they are just ending his MITBangle to push him back down into the midcard. Last week's Smackdown and this week's RAW portrayed him as a cocky, egotistical champ with a bit of a chicken-s*** heel quality. The WWE has started to implement "slow burns" to angles, so perhaps this a slow burn to Bryan going flat out heel. On the mic, hispromos are lacking (but have been improving) and his matches are among the best towatch in the ring, but the Cenation and HHH caliber of marks will hold him down from greatness because Bryan is trying to learn the soap opera side of sports entertainment. The fact of the matter is that he is not a great “entertainer”, but an awesome “wrestler” ashe has stated before in the past.

Need more proof on how great he is to watchin the ring when he is allowed to perform at his highest potential. Go to YouTube and typein “Bryan Danielson” with “ROH” or “Ring of Honor”, then enjoy. In the meantime,even though D-Bry is in Booker T’s Fave Five, the WWE needs for him to defeatsome quality opponents and use some traits listed above to elevate thisperformer to the main event status where he rightfully belongs. His No Count-Out/No Disqualification match against Big Show for the championship on this week's Smackdown will hopefully tell us more on what road his character is traveling down as we approach the Royal Rumble.

Interview with Josh Folan and Matt Jared of All God's Creatures

2012-01-10T18:49:00.000-05:00

Back in October of last year, I reviewed a low budget thriller entitled All God's Creatures, which you can read here if you have not already. It is a truly bizarre love story between serial killer Jon and sweet call girl Delia. This independent flick is dark, yet highly entertaining with a premise that is the quintessential example of opposites attracting. After meeting Delia, Jon loses his urge to kill her like he has done so many in the past. Rather, he views her as someone who can help change his grisly ways and makes him want to be a better person, while Delia sees him as someone who is not a john (pun!) and a man she truly cares for. When they learn each other's secrets, will they still feel the same way as before or will their own personal judgements derail their perfect romantic relationship.

And today I have Josh Folan, writer/producer/actor who plays our psycho Jon, as well as co-producer Matt Jared in The Man-Cave to talk about their excellent independent project.

TheMan-Cave: Hello Josh and Matt Jared...and welcome to The Man-Cave. Where did the concept for AllGod's Creatures originate from?

JoshFolan: I had the idea for an everyman moonlighting as a serial killer inJune `08. It took a great deal of workand collaboration, being my first feature-length screenplay, but it was moldedinto the story we have today over the subsequent year and half up to shootingto the film in March 2010.

Matt Jared: Josh came to me with the idea after a business relationshiphe was in previously, dissolved. I was working on a screenplay in asimilar vein and we decided to combine projects and resources to get a film made. Whichever film was the easiest to accomplish, that was the one we wouldshoot first.

TMC: Some reviews have stated that this film seems to have been somewhat influencedby Dexter, which is very flattering. Is that a fair assessment or is there any truthto that statement?

JF: Correct. I had never seen it, thoughhaving watched the full series since I wish I had done so. American Psycho was certainly an influence onthe character of Jon, but the films that I thought of most when writing thestory – a twisted love story, mind you – were two little indies: Jimmy &Judy and Wristcutters: A Love Story.

MJ: I've only seen one episode of Dexter and it was well after the film wascompleted. I don't think Josh watched it either. I'd say AmericanPsycho was a bigger influence.

TMC: Why did you use the title All God's Creatures? Was this always theoriginal name or did you have other prior working titles?

JF: Actually it came from a friend of mine, Meredith Packer, who is also a trustedwriting confidant of mine. The quoteMatt speaks of was on the cover when I sent it over to her, but it was hersuggestion of it that lead to the actual title change.
MJ: The original working title was "Untitled Love Story", which we almoststuck with. Thank God we changed it, but All God’s Creatures came from aquote Josh used as the muse for the story.

TMC: Acting wise, is there any of Josh in Jon? Obviously without the penchantfor being a serial killer...at least I hope. Matt, give us the straight dope on Josh,too.

JF: There certainly is. He’s sees a lot ofthe negative, and that is no doubt one of my many faults.

MJ: Many aspects of Jon are Josh, and if Josh wasn't such a capitalistand workout-holic, I might be more worried. LOL. I think many men feellike Jon in moments, scared, alone, and too insecure/egotistical to ask forhelp. I'm not describing Josh, but the modern male in general.

TMC: What was the motivation behind the character of Jon and how hard was it tomake a transition from heartless killer to heartless killer with a romanticside?

JF: While the role of serial killer without question has a unique set of challengesto relate to as actor, a “transition” between those two elements of the storywas not really necessary – his fondness for killing and the love he developsfor Delia are just, positive from HIS perspective, aspects of his life that hecares dearly about. Killing is taboo inmost people’s eyes, but not in Jon’s.

TMC: You have a lengthy acting resume, so was it difficult wearing so many hatsas actor, producer and writer on a full length feature?

JF: It certainly presented a slew of new challenges, but I wouldn’t say itimpeded on my ability to do my job as an actor. I would also say the dual roles of writer/actor are quite complimentary,actually. If you sit with a characterfor the length of time it requires while writing a script, your understandingof him as an actor is on a level that I think is very tough to achieve on afilm you’re merely hired onto.

TMC: Can you tell me what were the main hurdles to get this project completed?

MJ: Money. We had none, which made every problem that much bigger, because wehad to solve the problem for free. Made us better producers for it, but I cansee why Hollywood budgets get so inflated, so easily. You can almostalways solve the problem with money.

TMC: Matt, you have quite the thespian background as well. How come you didn'tgive yourself a cameo? Or did you and I just missed it?

MJ: I was in the original cut, playing Frank the bartender, which was asmall part I played on As The World Turns. When Josh wrote the part forme, he called me that night, very excited to give me some shit about the insidejoke, which was much appreciated. Long story short, the scene was shot onthe first day, at 4am, and I had been up doing work all night and had notslept. It was terrible, and added nothing to the film, so it was cut. I still wanted to be involved on some level, because you see all thefilmmakers at one time or another, and so I ended up being the voice of the guywho keeps calling Delia about "doing anal." I'd like to thankAdam Sandler for my inspiration.

JF: Hysterical!

TMC: Having produced (and starred) in the comedy Bad Apples, what was it liketo produce a thriller/horror flick?

MJ: I'm a horror junkie, so I enjoyed it much more than Bad Apples inthat way. A horror film usually has a very specific structure, which wewere trying to combine with a rom-com structure, and this made for someinteresting adjustments and insights into the formal structure overall. Horror is what I love; I love blood packs, exploding heads, and anythingZombie... long story short, it was like being at summer camp for three weeks.

TMC: Are you both pleased with the feedback from the festival screenings and reviewsyou received online?

MJ: Very pleased. Amazed at the feedback. You get so blindedby the immense amount of time you spend with the project, you have no ideawhat's good, bad, funny, shitty. I don't think I've ever watched any filmso many freakin' times. I can probably recite the whole movie from startto finish, including music cues. LOL. So, the fact that people seemto really like it, makes all that time in the "foxhole" even more worthit.

JF: I’ve watched Major League more times, but that’s about it. Haha And yes, the positive feedback, the distributor interest we’re fielding,the great reviews – it’s all unbelievable. When you set out to do something like this, having never actually doneit, part of you is just hoping to have an ACTUAL movie when it’s all said anddone. Then again, maybe that was just melooking at the negative at the time. Haha!

TMC: If there is one message or theme you would like viewers to take away fromyour film, what would it be?

JF: "All God’s Creatures is essentially a love story amongsociety’s dregs of hookers and serials killers, proving that all happily everafter stories are not limousines, red roses, googily eyes, white doves, andCarly Simon songs." Haha

MJ: The immense power of love and human connection.

TMC: Where can people check out All God's Creatures?

MJ: You can buy it on our website for a limited time, it's on Indieflix andyou'll be able to see it on Netflix and other Indy outlets as soon as we signone of the distribution deals on the table.

JF: So get it on the cheap on IndieFlix while you can, because the distributor wego with will certainly be raising the price.

TMC: Do either of you you have any other upcoming projects you would like to discussor anything you would like to promote?

JF: I have a feature I wore all the same hats on (writer/producer/actor), as wellas directed, in post-production, WhatWould Bear Do? (www.whatwouldbeardofilm.com) It’s a comedy about two ill-prepared slackerbuddies, girlfriends in-tow, heading into the wilderness hoping theirdocumented exploits catch the eye of their reality television survival idol. We are targeting it for the spring `12festival circuit. Also, while this isn’trelated to entertainment it is up your readership’s alley - I run a cool companycalled Thanks, Bro (www.thanks-bro.com) that boils down toa Manhattan gift delivery service for guys. It allows you to say thanks like a man, with beef jerky and beer,instead of the emasculating norm of fruit, flowers or candy. Check it out, bro.

MJ: I just became an Associate Producer for The King's Speech theatricalproduction, which is about to begin touring England before moving to the WestEnd and hopefully on to Broadway next fall. I'm working on a couple ofreality shows that I can't yet talk about and a new horror flick. Mybiggest news, is that I am in the process of forming the first IndependentMovie Studio in New York since the silent era, Five Points Studio.

TMC:Thanks again for stopping by The Man-Cave, guys. And also thanks for makingsuch a cool flick!

JF: Thanks for “getting it” and providing us with a soapbox to explain it.

MJ: Always a pleasure, Geof. By the way, I love what you've donewith the stripper pole. You were right, leopard print velvet really wasthe way to go.

Nashville Launch Party: SAFETYSUIT releases “These Times”

2012-01-08T16:16:00.000-05:00

After releasing their new album, These Times, to the public this pastTuesday (read the review here), SAFETYSUIT held their official release party inNashville last night. The band held their shin-dig at the venuewhere they were first discovered and signed, 12^th & Porter, which was symbolic of things coming full circle for them. The eventwas completely sold out, with people standing on the steps leading up to thebalcony just to get a view of the night's activities.

Their headlining performance was preceded by two openingacts, Chasing Change (brothers Stephen & Justin Kirk, Tony Pierce, and Drew Scheuer) and Throwing Gravity (Nick James, Jesse Triplett, Sam Hindmarsh, Chris Scott, and Tom DuPree III). Change has a bit more of a Popsound while Gravity is definitely on the harder side, delivering a bit of an edge. Recently their song "Here We Go Again", which is exceptional, was the official theme songof TNA’s Final Resolution 2011 PPV and they also released a new album, It’s Not the End,this past December so they have been around. Both of these bands definitely have a lotof energy and that translated well into their respective sets, sounding fantastic live.

Throwing Gravity, courtesy Lore Newhouse

When it was finally time for SAFETYSUIT to play their highly anticipated newset, which included the entire new album song list plus 5-6 oldies but goodiesfrom their debut Life Left to Go, the crowd began to get amped. Once front man Doug Brown,lead guitarist Dave Garofalo, bassist Jeremy Henshaw, and drummer TateCunningham hit the stage, 12^th & Porter's capacity crowd erupted! They played the new album in order, beginning with “Believe”, “Get Around This”, “Let Go”, “Staring At It”,and then “Never Stop”.

It was towards the end of “Never Stop” when Brown stoppedsinging the lyrics and played his guitar while heading off stage and uncomfortably crouching over. Theband finished the song without Brown and Cunningham stepped up to the micrequesting the house lights to come up. He went on to state that Brownhad been battling a stomach virus all day before Brown came back out to claimthat he has been vomiting all day and said he would only cancel this show if he was falling down and passing out, which apparently almosthappened offstage before he came back out. Brown even tried to start things up again as he used the mic stand to keep his balance...but then the virus totally overtook him at that point and he almost collapsed on stage. Prior to tour manager Mark DiCiccio assisting him off stage, he apologized toall his family, friends and fans for the night’s outcome and promised to havethe show again real soon.

The look of disappointment in his face told the whole storyand thankfully he left to a huge ovation of support instead of a chorus ofboos. For a guy who usually jumps into swimming pools to finish off sets andruns around venues dancing with people during songs, you could tell that somethingwas wrong with him from the get-go. It was extremely valiant that he even played fivesongs and attempted to continue on to play the final 10-11 as not to let everyone down.

But…that was not the end of the show. Not by a long shot.

Cunningham grabbed the mic once again exclaiming that they cameto play and were not leaving. After asking the crowd for song requests, he told themthat they will gladly play the instrument side of things but needed the crowd to providethe lyrics. For a few minutes, everyone was still in shock and it was awkwardto hear the band playing instrumentals of their tune minus Brown’s lyrics.Things appeared desperate until Stephen and Justin Kirk from Chasing Change as well as Chris Scott and Sam Hindmarsh from Throwing Gravity came out on stage. The Kirks grabbed the mic and startingsinging the tracks while Scott and Hindmarsh became energetic hype men! The Kirks kept taking song requests and when they didn’t knowall of the lines to the songs, they turned to the crowd for help. And everyone in the joint seemed to be singing every lyric to support them in return! My wife Jules even sanga whole verse to “The Moment” when Stephen put the mic right in her face while SAFETYSUIT played on…and how many peoplecan say that they performed live with SAFETYSUIT?!

The Calvary Arrives: Throwing Gravity (pic credit), Chasing Change & SAFETYSUIT

This went on for about another twenty minutes before they wrapped it up. What a testament to both the fans and the band. The fanswould rather have played sing-a-long to older tracks than leave disappointedand support the band, while the band would have rather played the rest of their set minus their leadsinger than walk off and leave their fans disappointed. See, this is what makes SAFETYSUIT different than therest of the flock and makes them extremely hard to dislike. You just don't see this kind of fan-to-band relationship nowadays. They wanted to sendthe crowd home happy and thankfully Chasing Change and Throwing Gravity cameout to aid them. That is a real testiament to those two bands as well. I don’tthink they intentionally meant to do so in their split-second decision to backup the ‘Suits, but they made even more fans by the end of the night.

The show concluded to another deafening ovation and the bandpromised to meet everyone on the way out no matter how long it would take. As cliche as it is to say, the whole evening was surreal. The atmosphere went from extremely happy, to being downtrodden,and finally getting back to high level excitement again all in the span of 25minutes. In what could have been a disaster, the night actually ended on a rather positivenote. Never has mass group karaoke been so much fun!

Oh..and get well Doug!

FINAL THOUGHTS: They announced they would reschedule, butunfortunately I will not be able to travel back to Nashvilleagain in the short term. This was definitely themost unique SAFETYSUIT show I have ever attended and trust me when I say that Ihave been fortunate enough to catch them with Jules in some of the mostinteresting of environments. These guys always leave everything they have on thefloor, especially Doug’s tendencies to go nuts like a spider monkey on MonsterEnergy drinks during their gigs, so to see him in that condition was prettyupsetting. I give him 100% proppage and utmost respect for trying to satisfy uswhen he should have been getting an I.V. in the E.R. or at least home in bed.The rest of the band also gets the maddest of mad proppage for hanging in there without having their front man. On a side note, Throwing Gravity covered Filter's "Hey Man, Nice Shot", a song which always causes me to mark out.

At the end of the day, I got to visit Nashville for thefirst time, attend my first album release party, see my friends from all over the U.S.who also congregated to this event, and my wife got to sing live withSAFETYSUIT. Win! And I got to sing "Humpty Dance" twice at my new spot Wild Bill’s on 5th and Broadway. But that’s a story for another time…

CLICK BELOW AND START LISTENING...

CHASING CHANGE

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THROWING GRAVITY

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SAFETYSUIT

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Got Get "A Fistful of Awesome"

2012-01-07T17:44:00.000-05:00

From the genius minds of film making and writing partners, Becky and Nick Sayers, comes a new site for you to have your fill of awesome sauce. A Fistful of Awesome is a new blog that covers film reviews, music recaps, video game coverage, trailers, and cool videos. It's like The Man-Cave's little brother...or sister. Anything from these two partners-in-crime is always sure to be entertaining as evident by their respective blogs, The Horror Effect and The Action Effect. Outside of the bloggersphere, they have also collaborated on writing, producing and directing the independent film, Break. And they are both longtime friends and supporter of my site as well, so I confidently trust their opinions on what is and what is not awesome...and so should you.

So please, after you check out The Man-Cave's happenings for the day and want to enjoy some new reading during the new year, make sure you all go get some Awesome at A Fistful of Awesome!

GO GET SOME AWESOME HERE!

Ninjas vs. Vampires (2010)

2012-01-05T19:13:00.000-05:00

Nerdy Aaron (Jay Saunders) and his dream girl Alex (Devon Marie Burt) are spared as an open bar by vampires thanks to a group of ninjas, but only he wasn't susceptible to being "glamoured" and remembers the encounter. Fearing that the ninjas are vampires themselves, he tracks them down only to discover their intentions are good and his real enemies are the local bloodsuckers. Aaron joins their ranks in time to help them try to save the captured Alex and finally win over her heart as well as rescue the world from utter destruction by vampire warlord Seth (Kurt Skarstedt).

This particular ninja team are not actual "ninjas" like ones found in other films. We have two human goofy ninja-ish warriors, sexy witch Ann (Melissa McConnell) and a a beautiful vampire who is against feeding on humans, Lily (Carla Okouchi). With their combined talents, this ragtag fighting stable are on a mission of taking down the area's vampires and not made into plasma cocktails.

A low budget semi-sequel to 2008's Ninjas vs. Zombies (not seen or reviewed on this site yet), a title like Ninjas vs. Vampires will highly disappoint those expecting bad ass Sho Kosugi clones to have serious battles with night walkers, instead of realizing the title is meant to be hokey going in. Heck, even the trailer (see below) comes across straight as an arrow, which can really mislead potential viewers. Instead, it is never meant to be scary and totally played for laughs. Geared toward comic book, horror and sci-fi fans alike, Star Wars and X-Men references are everywhere, plus director Justin Timpane takes every opportunity he can to stick it to Twilight's sparkling vamps. There is even a tribute to 80's action film training montages set to a rather bizarre remake to the song, "The Touch". G.I. Joe's "Destro" and theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles get clever nods, so that automatically earns some points for all geekdom. Finally, you can also learn the easiest teleportation spell ever, "ELSEWHERE", but just hope you end up where you wanted since you'd be shouting something completely ambiguous.

The acting is sometimes over the top and the effects are mostly Cheese-GI, but the characters are kinda likable. Even the dialogue is sort of funny, especially when Aaron is bantering away like a sweaty fool. And for a low budget affair, the fight scenes are both choreographed and executed rather well, which was absolutely shocking. Unfortunately, things take a bit of a serious turn, steering away from its comedic tone right before the final act, but that might be expected considering that things needed to be not so jokey for the ninjas' multiple showdowns against the films lead baddies. But fear not believers, and run for the hills detractors, because a sequel, Ninjas vs. Monsters, has been announced.

By no means is this a great film, but Timpane never really takes his film too seriously sans five minutes in the latter part of the second act which was needed to move the story forward. It has some low budget, weird charm that makes it watchable. If you are up late on a Friday night and it's on cable, this is a perfect film to watch for some goofy fun. Serious horror and ninja fans, stay clear. Released by Breaking Glass Pictures.

"ELSEWHERE!"

RATING:

2 out of 5 Creeper Santas

TRAILER:

LINKS:

Official Site

Facebook Page

Breaking Glass Pictures' Homepage

“These Times” by SAFETYSUIT review

2012-01-03T17:18:00.001-05:00

Released by UniversalRepublic, 2011

Nashville-basedSAFETYSUIT is probably the best little band you might have never heard about aswell as their 2008 album, Life Left to Go. Their song "Stay" was a Billboard charts hit and the video was a steady mainstay onthe VH1 Top-20 Countdown for most of the summer of 2009, while they toured withpowerhouse bands such as 3 Doors Down, Puddle of Mudd and Seether. As we enterthis new year, SAFETYSUIT finally drops their new release, the sophomore follow-upThese Times.

For the band,this new release showcases a sound that is a maturation of the vibe found in Life Left to Go. While more hints of Popare found in tracks such as “Let Go”, there is no doubt that These Times is an evolution of their creativeexpression. Front man Doug Brown, lead guitarist Dave Garofalo, bassist JeremyHenshaw, and drummer Tate Cunningham tackle some new topics such asappreciating the one you love (“Never Stop”) and knowing when it is time to enda tumultuous relationship (“One Time”).

Theaforementioned “Let Go” is the song most might recognize right away since ithas been receiving air play and the video is currently in the high tier on the VH1 Top-20 Countdown (see below). It’salso a pretty catchy tune even with the band’s new implemented pop element.This particular track was written and produced with Ryan Tedder of One Republicand his influence is extremely noticeable in this song’s rhythm.

Even thoughthe song is a few years old, the band’s decision to include the highly-powered “Crash”was a wise choice. Usually used to kickoff their previous live performances, “Crash”is based on Brown’s real life experience of keeping a boy who was ousted from amoving car awake and alive until the paramedics arrived. (Brown’s detailed accountof the event is in one of the videos below).

These Times is a song with a strong message andone very relative to the tough economic struggles a lot of people in the world arefacing today. Even though this track corresponds as the album’s title, the track’stheme is not the overall tone of the album. Much like The Script’s “For theFirst Time”, this song does not come across as exploitative, but rather as a messageof hope and a friendly shoulder to cry on, so to speak. It is nice when a bandremembers not only the little guys out there, like their family, friends andmost importantly fans, who feel the impact of these times, but they will alwaysremember their own struggles trying to make it in this difficult business.

The singlesfor “Get Around This” and “Let Go” have already been released with all signspointing to “These Times” as next in the pecking order. Hopefully they realize theirunderdog hit is “Stranger”, a song about being in love with someone who hasyou tightly labeled in the dreaded FriendZone. The strength of “Stranger” lies in it being a perfect outlet forBrown to display his incredible vocal range and pitch change adjustments, whichis not assisted by any production techniques or auto-tuning tricks.

SAFETYSUITdefinitely knows how to appeal to both the female and male demographics evenmore so than they did with Life Left toGo, this time executing more of an edge in their lyrics and sound. “NeverStop” and the bonus track “You Don’t See Me” will be a favorite for the ladies whereastracks like “Believe” and “Crash” can be enjoyed by both sides of the field.

In an agewhere Electronica is being hailed as trendy and revolutionary, it is refreshingto know that genuine musical talents are still writing their own lyrics andmusic that contain more meaning than just letting people know that “everyday you’re shuff-a-lin”. SAFETYSUIT is a band on the verge of a major breakoutwith their spirit embedded into that of independent music, something trulyneeded in “these times”. Yes, pun definitely intended.

CLICK THIS LINK TO BUY THESE TIMES NOW ON ITUNES!

LINKS:

SAFETYSUIT OFFICIAL SITE

SAFETYSUIT FACEBOOK PAGE

SAFETYSUIT TWITTER

VIDEOS:

"CRASH" acoustic video I recorded at HACC in 2010...

"LET GO" OFFICIAL VIDEO

Happy New Year Everyone!

2011-12-31T12:53:00.000-05:00

2011 is about to be in the books, so I wanted to take this time to wish you all a safe but extremely fun New Year's Eve and following Day. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Also, I wanted to take this time to thank everyone who spends their time reading The Man-Cave because every single one of you make this effort worthwhile. This site is almost three years old, but I have met so many friends through this experience and am extremely thankful for all of you guys and gals. I am not sure what exactly 2012 holds in store for the Man-Cave, but I am ready to give you all another zany year of fun. So beware...take care...and show your liver who's boss tonight!

The Man-Cave's "It" and "S***" Awards for 2011

2011-12-29T18:49:00.000-05:00

Yes, this is yet another "Best of 2011" list from yet another site, so for your convenience, let's skip all the introductions and get right to it. Now mind you, I am not Roger Ebert or IGN, so I have not seen every film, TV show, album, et cetera out there. These picks are only from media that I have watched and probably have reviewed on this site in some way, shape or form. So don't get all bent out of shape if The Artist or Grey's Anatomy is not listed below. I have also spared the descriptions of why they were awarded because the selections are pretty obvious.

IT AWARDS

Best Major Motion Picture:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Comedy:
Bridesmaids

Best Superhero Film:
X-Men: First Class

Best Indie Flick:
Absentia

Honorable Mention:
I Didn't Come Here to Die

Best Cinematic Surprise:
Paranormal Activity 3

Best Running T.V. Series:
The Walking Dead

Honorable Mention:
The League

Best New T.V. Series:
Revenge

Honorable Mention:
American Horror Story

Best CD:
Wasting Light - Foo Fighters

Best Indie CD:
New Beginnings - S.Y.F.T.

Best Song:
My Body - Young the Giant

Honorable Mention:
Rolling in the Deep - Adele

Best Sports Team:
Green Bay Packers

Best Sports Entertainer:
CM Punk

Best PPV Event:
WWE Money in the Bank

Honorable Mention:
WWE TLC

Best Video Game:
Batman: Arkham City

Honorable Mention:
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Best YouTube Show:
Z! True Long Island Story

Best Sports Moment:
LeBron James choking as the Dallas Mavericks

win the NBA Title

Best Book:
Husk - Matt Hults

Honorable Mention:
CassaStar - Alex J. Cavanaugh

S*** AWARDS

Worst Major Motion Picture:
Sucker Punch

Worst Comedy:
Jack and Jill

Honorable Mention:
Hall Pass

Worst Superhero Film:
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Worst Indie Flick:
Gitchy

Worst Cinematic Surprise:
The Hangover 2

Worst Running T.V. Series:
Bad Girls Club

Worst New T.V. Series:
Charlie's Angels

Worst CD:
Sorry For Party Rocking - LMFAO

Worst Song:
Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae

Worst Disappointing Team:
Philadelphia Eagles

Worst Sports Entertainer:
Jeff Hardy

Worst PPV Event:
TNA Victory Road 2011

Worst Video Game:
Thor: God of Thunder

Congrats to the winners in both categories, thanks for reading and get ready for 2012. Agree or disagree with my selections? Maybe you have your own choices? Let me hear it in the Comments section below.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011 - U.S. Remake)

2011-12-27T10:13:00.000-05:00

(this review is not reflective of the novel or the original film)

After all of the strange trailer spots and even more bizarre print ads, director David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was released last weekend just in time for the Christmas holiday. Deck the halls with mystery and murder...and to all a good fright!

After recently being charged with libel by CEO Hans-Erik Wennerstrom for embezzlement, journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is recruited by the wealthy Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to reside on the family's personal island and locate his missing niece Harriet. Missing for over forty years, Harriet mysteriously vanished from the island without a trace and no one has been able to bring closure to her disappearance. Under the guise of recording Henrik's memoirs to hide his real intentions from the rest of the Vanger family, Mikael reluctantly decides to take him up on his offer when Henrik promises the ammunition and resources to help clear his name and prove Wennerstrom's guilt. As things begin to unravel, Mikael recruits Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a rough around the edges and unorthodox yet intelligent tech genius with extraordinary detective skills, to assist him in uncovering the truth about Harriet and the Vanger clan.

One of the most anticipated films of 2011, Dragon certainly justified the hype. This film is not your traditional mystery or whodunit in the least bit and will have you guessing until end, while you remain on the edge of your seat. The angles, leads and suspects are plenty, so you will have a good time grinding your brain as the Blomkvist/Salander duo bring clarity to their investigation.

The acting is excellent from top to bottom with nary a weak link in the casting choices. Interestingly enough, Mara is getting a lot more praise than she should since she has the fortune of playing such a great character while simply acting like she does in every other film. It's Rooney Mara just being the usual broody Rooney Mara, but maybe her lack of facial expressions or acting range is perfectly suited for the awesome Lisbeth character. Meanwhile, Craig is really solid as the main lead and it is always good to see Plummer in a strong turn. The better question: Is there a role that Stellan Skarsgard cannot perform adequately? He plays
Martin Vanger with the utmost charm and cunning. Even Julian Sands shows up in a cameo.

An added bonus to this flick is Fincher's spot-on choice to employ Trent Reznor in handling scoring duties. From the opening credits' remake of Led Zeppelin's "The Immigrant Song" to the end credits theme, the music and score really help establish Dragon's uneasy and unnerving tone. The score also effectively sets the pace beween high tension sequences and more methodically developed scenes. Speaking of Reznor, look for the visual Nine Inch Nails in-joke.

This cinematic version will please all demographic of TGWTDT enthusiasts. The fans of the book will enjoy seeing the film bring their characters to life, fans of the 2009 film will enjoy seeing another take on the tale and those unfamiliar to the story will be treated to a dark yet beautiful mystery as it unfolds on the big screen. See this one now!

Thoughts From The Cave: If I can sit through a 158-minute long film and be highly entertained without looking at my watch, then trust me when I tell you to see this film. Easily the best flick I have seen in 2011. The film was so cool that it makes me want to read the books, and that NEVER happens with me.

RATING:

4.5 out of 5 Creeper Santas

TRAILER:

VITAL LINKAGE:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK PAGE

Celebrate the Holidays with The McKenzie Brothers!

2011-12-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

Watch the stars of SCTV, Strange Brew and random events of all things Hoser, the McKenzie brothers Bob and Doug, in the animated version of their special rendition of The 12 Days of Christmas. Happy Holidays and take off, you nobs! See you all next week!

It's Happy Holiday Garbage Day Time Again!

2011-12-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

Posting this YouTube clip has become a tradition here on The Man-Cave and one that I wanted to continue this year. This is what would have happened if the film Silent Night Deadly Night 2 was transferred to be made into an old school NES game.

Here is my electronic holiday gift to you all! Have a safe time around the holidays and enjoy your time with loved ones. I will be popping back into the electroverse again very soon.

Merry Christmas and Happy Garbage Day!!!

WWE TLC 2011 PPV Results

2011-12-18T22:51:00.000-05:00

The last WWE PPV of 2011, TLC, took place earlier this evening in Baltimore, MD. The overall card looked very good for a B-Level PPV with only a couple dud match ups, but was it worth the time and money to tune in? Did Punk retain? Was Booker T's in-ring return a successful one? Is Zack Ryder the new U.S. Champ? Did Kevin Nash break his leg climbing the ladder in his sledgehammer match? Well at least we are promised to be John Cena-free for once in a long time, sans a run-in appearance or a last minute decision to get him on the card. Let's get to the action...

WWE U.S. Title Match:

Zack Ryder vs. Dolph Ziggler (champ)

Zack Ryder has another chance to gain his first singles title against the best overall worker in the WWE today. With several non-title wins against Ziggler and his popularity at an all-time high, will WWE pull the trigger on Ryder and give him he strap so Ziggler can move up the card?

RESULT:
Zack Ryder with the Rough Ryder. Vicki was tossed from ringside after she helped save Ziggler from a pinfall earlier in the match. After his victory, the crowd popped extremely loud as he held the title up and celebrated with his dad and Big O at ringside.

Backstage Segment: Cody Rhodes blindsided Booker T while he was chatting it up with Alicia Fox.

WWE Tag Team Titles Match:

Epico & Primo w/ Eva Mendes vs. Air Boom, Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne (champs)

A match added at the last second in an attempt to keep the tag team title scene relevant and interesting after Bourne served his 30-day suspension for failing the WWE Wellness Policy. Epico and Primo are a pretty exciting team to watch, but most exhilarating aspect of this team is their distractingly hot manager Eva Mendes.

RESULT:

Air Boom wins after Kingston hits the Trouble in Paradise. Pretty fast moving match, albeit a but quick, that definitely proved that the WWE is going to stick with Air Boom as the top dogs even with the Bourne mess from last month.

Backstage Segment: Josh Matthews reports that Booker T is with the medical staff and all indications point to him missing his match with Rhodes tonight.

Backstage Segment: A stupid moment with Hornswoggle dressed up like an elf and Teddy Long is dressed up like Santa. Hornswoggle makes an off-color comment about never hearing about a "Black Santa" before. Ouch. Waste of valuable PPV time.

Tables Match:

Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton

Barrett has been owning Orton on a weekly basis and won the rights to select his match of choice against Randy, a tables match. No title on the line, but this is a main event caliber match with both looking strong going into this one. Who will eat some splinters?

RESULT:
Orton with a reversal RKO after Barrett jumped off the top rope. Pretty dull match considering the talent involved. Crowd didn't seem into it until the RKO to end it.

Backstage Segment: Santa Teddy Long has the Bella Twins in his lap, but is interrupted by Jack Swagger who is complaining about being attacked by Henry on Smackdown last week. When Sheamus shows up to say hello, Swagger's defamatory comments to him prompts Long to schedule a surprise match between the two later tonight.

WWE Divas Title Match:

Kelly Kelly vs. Beth Phoenix (champ)

Another last minute added match? What the heck is going on? More matches for your money sounds like a good idea, but not when it is a Divas title match. The talented Phoenix grapples with the wrestling-impaired Kelly for another PPV match. Need I say more? Please don't make me.

RESULT:
Phoenix. Boring Divas match with a top rope reverse Electric Chair Drop. If you have seen these two on PPV over the past few months, it is the same old, same old. Phoenix carries Kelly the whole time as usual. Please hurry back, Kharma!

Backstage Segment: The Miz comes up to Alberto Del Rio while he is talking to Ricardo Rodriquez. They agree that their alliance is over once the match is finished. Animosity starts between the two stars, which contradicts their previously announced effort to team up against CM Punk in the title match.

WWE Intercontinental Title Match:

Booker T. vs. Cody Rhodes (champ)

Rhodes has been getting the upper hand on the Book week after week, so will he finally Spinaroonie his way to a victory for his first in-ring match back with WWE? Or will Booker put over the young, talented Rhodes? Will the rumored return of Goldust factor into this match?

RESULT:
Booker T fights off his injury and comes down the ramp, only to be jumped from behind by Rhodes AGAIN! Looks like this time it will be a grave that Booker T won't return from as this match will not happen at TLC.

Sledgehammer Ladder Match:

Triple HHH vs. Kevin Nash

In the angle that is only happening since Triple HHH is married to the boss' daughter, this flashback to 2002 is H's return from injury at the hands of "former" best friend Nash. It looks like a dreaded, boring match whose only redemption will be its unintentional comedic factor.

RESULT:
HHH wins after bashing Nash with the sledgehammer and two Pedigrees (and a botched Pedigree). Just as bad as imagined with Triple HHH carrying his best buddy for a large majority of the match and completely lost the crowd early on. They were out of breath by the third minute of the match. Seriously. It was slow, prodding, laughable, and went on way too long...and should've been given away for free on Raw instead.

Backstage Segment: CM Punk is interviewed backstage about Del Rio and Miz teaming up on him back on Raw. John Laurinitis comes in to tell him that he mailed his Slammy to Punk, but it would get to him later due to being shipped during the holiday season. He then tells Punk that he needs to worry about tonight instead and wishes him luck. Punk belts out his trademark "Luck is For Losers!"

Normal Match:

Sheamus vs. Jack Swagger

This is the impromptu match made by Teddy Long earlier in the evening. It is also the WWE's excuse to fit the highly popular Sheamus on the PPV. Too bad it is a meaningless match. No other setup is needed for this one.

RESULT:

Sheamus with the Brogue Kick. Nothing really to note here except that the Great White keeps rolling.

Backstage Segment: Big Show is backstage with Josh Matthews and tells him that he is going to end Henry's reign of terror will end.

WWE World Title Match:

Big Show vs. Mark Henry (champ)

The last two times these giants met for the title on PPVs, the ring collapsed for a no contest decision at Vengeance and then Henry low blowed Show to retain via DQ at Survivor Series, who then retaliated by injuring Henry's knee with a steel chair. Henry's sucker punch on Show a couple weeks back only added fuel to the fire, but will that be enough to give Show the edge to finally take the belt? And don't forget Daniel Bryan, whose recent woes might cause him to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase against the winner. Looks like he might be having a change of heart from waiting until Wrestlemania.

RESULT:
Show pinned Henry in a rather short match after hitting the WMD with his in-match injured hand. As Show celebrated his title victory, Henry assaulted Show with a steel chair and then proceeded to DDT him on a pile of them. Which then led to...

...Money in the Bank Cash-In WWE World Title Match:

Daniel Bryan vs. Big Show (champ)

Bryan ran down with his briefcase and a referee. Looks like he is not waiting for Wrestlemania after all.

RESULT:
Bryan covers Show for an easy victory. While an embarrassed Big Show looked on, Bryan celebrated with the entire crowd around ringside. He even held the belt right in his biggest detractor's, Michael Cole, face. The crowd popped big time for his victory, so I hope that the WWE has a good plan for him with his title reign.

Backstage Segment: Even against pleading from Josh Matthews, Booker T tells him that he is going to fight Rhodes tonight, injured or not.

WWE Intercontinental Title Match (Attempt 2):

Booker T. vs. Cody Rhodes (champ)

Looks like we are having the match after all. Booker T is going to try to tough it out. Let's try this again.

RESULT:
Rhodes hits the Beautiful Disaster for the victory. Booker T looked strong and in prime ring shape for this match. In the meantime, he put Rhodes over in a good way as well. Wonder if this will be the last meeting between the two because they actually put on a pretty good match.

WWE Championship 3-Way TLC Match:

The Miz vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk (champ)

With Punk's insults of Raw Interim GM John Laurinitis, especially the hilarious Slammy Awards segment, will he get screwed by the screwee this time around? He has the deck stacked against him with Miz proclaiming that he and ADR will be working to make sure that Punk does not walk out as champ as evident by their vicious assault on his arm on this past Raw.

RESULT:
Punk retained the title by retrieving the belt after nailing Miz with the GTS. An exciting and vicious match that was extremely more brutal than the tame Hell in a Cell match from a few months ago. Every performer took some serious spills, prompting the crowd to channel the old ECW by chanting "Holy S***!" over and over again. Even Ricardo Rodriquez just went up a few hardcore matches for his suck bump he took from the top of the ladder, all the way to the outside and through a table. Awesome match overall.

FINAL RATING:
Even though the Divas match and the Sledgehammer Ladder match were pretty bunk, plus the backstage segments were goofy, the emphasis was on wrestling tonight and not theatrics. The Ryder and Bryan title victories really made the Baltimore crowd pop and Booker T showed he still could have a good run or two left in him. This was one of the most entertaining PPVs of the year, not named Money in the Bank or Survivor Series and one heck of a way for the WWE to end their PPV schedule in 2011. Definitely worth your time and money.

"Speaking of..." for the week of 12/11/11

2011-12-18T12:19:00.000-05:00

We are getting close to the holidays and while most of us are preparing for some needed downtime, the world of news happenings never takes a vacation. This feature is now in its third week and although this does not look like a post on steroids, much like last week's installment, there are some interesting tidbits to catch up on in case you might have missed them.

Speaking of roids...

2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

Looks like Braun had some help in getting his brawn this season. He claims "B.S.", but proof is in his testosterone-produced pudding collected by drug testers. This is a guy who was recently vocal in trashing those who used 'roids to gain an edge and now he is on the edge of the losing his MVP crown. The man leaked too much damning evidence in his urine.

Speaking of leaked...

Lindsey Lohan's Playboy photo shoot pics have leaked online thanks to TMZ.

Please see last week's comments on my prediction that this would happen...and now how that prediction has manifested. Not to say I told you so, but I did. Speaking of butts...wait it's too early for a transition; scratch that. Lohan responded to the bad news by going on vacation with her sis in Hawaii. Bet you she's glad she asked for her dough upfront.

Speaking of dough...

Do you have some money coming your way this Christmas?

If so, you, YES YOU, can rent out the services of former WWE superstar Chyna as an escort. After her latest Vivid adult film became a hit and Vince McMahon still has not returned her calls to come back to the WWE, Chyna is going the Domino's delivery route. All it will cost you is $10,000 for a night with a former WWE Diva. If you got the dime, she's got the time.

Speaking of time...
More proof that the wealthy are above the law, Barry Bonds will not be receiving any jail time for his crimes.

Apparently, things like perjury only equate into a 30-day house arrest sentence and 250 community service hours when you are a rich guy like Bonds, who will finally come clean to using steroids...surprising no one in the process. As far as the bogus punishment he received, Bonds is appealing that too, which will lead him right back into the arms of MLB. Meanwhile, Pete Rose is out there somewhere still made to suffer while desperately trying to re-engage with the sport who made him famous.

Speaking of re-engagements...

Britney Spears is engaged again.

Unfortunately for him, hubby-to-be Jason Trawick (who looks an awful lot like Sam Trammel of True Blood) is not marrying the Britney Spears from 2001 and is opting for the used up, whacked out version of the pop star who exists today. Trawick joins the awesome lineup of stand-up folks like Jason Alexander (not that one) and Kevin Federline who have won Ms. Spears' heart enough to tie the knot. Here is hoping that third time is the charm for the young adult.

Speaking of young adults...

Jason Reitman's dark comedy, Young Adult, starring Charlize Theron debuted this week.

The creators of Juno and Up in the Air joined forces to create this tale of a beautiful ex-homecoming queen who peaked in high school and whose remains stuck in the 90's when she stalks her ex-boyfriend in their old hometown. Too bad for her that he is happily married and celebrating the birth of his newborn. Theron's strong and convincing performance just earned her a Golden Globes Nomination, while Patton Oswalt should have received a nomination as well for his turn as her Star Wars nerd, whiskey-making pal.

Speaking of Star Wars nerds...
The new MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic, is due to hit store shelves next week.

With the game's script reportedly larger than War and Peace, millions of online gamers will be flocking from the World of Warcraft universe to Lucas Land, trading their Wizards and Elves for Jedis and Ewoks. Now people can spend more of their reality "leveling up" their online character while sacrificing "leveling up" their actual lives. But I am not judging and to each their own. May the Force Be With You, guys and gals. The game's release is set for December 20th.

Speaking of releases...

Vanessa Bryant decided to "wo-man up" and kick Kobe to the curb.

She waited and baited until she was eligible for all she could swipe of his earnings and finally flipped the switch on a divorce. For a loudmouth braggart and holier than thou jerk, Bryant is sure one dumb mofo. With no prenup, Vanessa already stole his mansion and now is due half of his earnings for the past ten years. He got his fifth ring, but now he has a lot less bling. Enjoy eating your humble pie, Kobe. Sure he's still rich, but not being as rich is a super blow to someone with his level of ego.

And Kris Humphries' 15 minutes of fame are almost up.

Did I miss something Earth-shattering from this week? Let me hear about it in the Comments section below!

Fathom Events - your feedback needed!

2011-12-14T18:43:00.000-05:00

I am genuinely curious if anyone has ever gone to one these NCM Fathom Events in theaters before. Ever since 2005, I have seen promos for the company's screenings before the trailers of every film I have ever watched at the cinema. Sometimes the events are not of my taste, such as the operas and plays, but most times they look pretty awesome. At one point in time, they ran a KISS concert, a performance with David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, a big screening of Scarface, boxing matches, and even MMA/UFC fights. And these suckers were live, hosted in selected theaters in selected markets much in the vain of old school closed circuit television. According to the company website, attendees can sing, run around, dance, and go crazy without the restrictions of watching a real film even their events are hosted in a theater.

Now I am not truly sure if any of their events have been held in my area, but I have been seeing promos for their special engagements for the last 6 years and from the looks of their website, they seem to be adding even more to their yearly schedule. I can understand the loyal KISS Army flocking in droves to see the band during one of these live events and even I tried to find out (yet failed) to see Gilmour's showing a couple years back, but I wonder what type of draw Fathom can do with plays and operas? Are they really rolling it in?

This is purely a feedback post, which means I would greatly appreciate your collective input. If you have ever attended a NCM Fathom Event, I would love to hear about your experience, good-bad-or otherwise. Even if you haven't attended one and just have some thoughts on NCM Fathom Events or the company, I'd like to hear them as well.

Link to NCM Fathom Events site

Time to Catch Up on New Fall T.V. Show Winners

2011-12-13T19:39:00.000-05:00

Whether Old Man Winter has got you down or you've bitten by the cold weather lazy bug, now is a good chance to catch up on some excellent new T.V. series while most of the TV schedule is in holiday hiatus mode and about to air reruns or marathons. There was a lot of hype for many heavily marketed network programming, such as the ill-fated The Playboy Club and Pan Am, but it seems that the underdogs have reigned supreme thus far. Here are three of The Man-Cave's favorite picks for 2011-2012 in no particular order...

Revenge

Young socialite Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) avenges her father's wrongful imprisonment by strategically ruining the lives of all who had a hand in his incarceration - led by Victoria Grayson (Madeline Stowe). Originally scheduled for 6 episodes, its ratings success led to ABC ordering a full season. Looks like Emily will be around to torture more of the wealthy Hamptons goers in twenty-twelve.

Why You Should Watch:

Lead VanCamp is hot and makes the evilest of facial expressions that look like they can leave you dead. Stowe's performance is equally as good, making for a worthy villain. The secondary characters and their plots are all intriguing, which is a good basis for an interesting show. Plus it's always good to see rich snobs get played out by the working class, a fantasy that is relevant in today's economic mess.

American Horror Story

The Harmon family (Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton and Taissa Farmiga) move into an old California home, that includes the ghosts of those who died there in the past. One of the most bizarre television series since Twin Peaks that jumps back and forth between the house's past inhabitants' demises and back stories along with their eventual interaction with the Harmons. The house has such as tragic past which keeps unfolding with each episode, happily expanding the story to no end.

Why You Should Watch:

This show outdoes itself on the WTF?! factor week after week. While being deranged and unsettling, the show is extremely engaging to the point of being highly addictive. The acting is phenomenal and the intertwining stories look as if they were actually planned out and not just thrown together to be creepy for creepy sakes. This has been the best hidden surprise on the schedule thus far and am pleased that it is a hit, meaning more chills for '12. There is a ton of gore, sex, cursing, and superb cameos by name actors. Even if you despise horror and "Horror" is in the title, American Horror Story is a true, beautiful mystery...with ghosts. Forget NBC, this is Must See TV!

Ringer

The rich Shobian (Sarah Michelle Gellar) fakes her own death to swap lives with her recovering addict twin Bridget (Gellar) to get herself out of some hot water. This is all unbeknownst to the sweet Bridget, who learns that her uppidity sibling has an equally seedy past of her own. Gellar is absolutely outstanding in the dual roles and the mystery behind this double-switch is slowly being uncovered week after week.

Why Should You Watch:

Having never been a fan of Gellar (sorry Buffy fans), her dual performance on Ringer has legitimately softened my stance on her as an actress. There is a bit of action combined with some cool twists and swerves which do not appear to be slowing down anytime in the near future. This is a good effort from the CW and you should give it a try.

Old Faves that are still going strong

The League - This is a welcome return to the level of hilarity it was at during season 1. They have pushed the envelope, then pulled it, folded it in three, and tossed it off the Sears Tower. Uber edgy and more consistently funnier than its lead-in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

The Vampire Diaries - Never has a series arc lasting more than a season been more interesting, yet the writers keep pulling it off. Only those who have been watching this show knows that it is not a chick show or anything like Twilight. There are some really hot chicks on here!

How I Met Your Mother - Still funny and interesting, but I think they should wrap it next season. It is starting to wear a bit and a show this hilarious and clever should go out on a high note.

Rules of Engagement - One of the few shows that actually got better as the season went on. I was sad to recently read that it was either being yanked or canceled although the rating were excellent, but you should still check it out while it is on. A great network show that really pushes Standards and Practice over the edge.

Dexter - Some people are booing it this year, but I dig it. If anything, I wish Dex would do some one episode arc killings again, but it is cool to watch. The notion that Deb is catching on to Dex is also keeping me glued to the set in Sunday nights.

Do you have any favorites I missed or haven't seen?
Hate my picks?
Love my picks?

Let me know by leaving me a comment.

Infection (2005) aka Invasion

2011-12-12T17:27:00.000-05:00

An older entry into the "found footage/confidential video evidence" gimmick subgenre that deals with a pregnant teenager trying to avoid being overtaken by aliens while trapped in a park late at night.

After her boyfriend is "infected" by an alien parasite, Cheryl Cooper (Jenny Dare Paulin) flees from him and the police officer who infected him using the officer's squad car. With only the police dispatcher on C.B. as her guide to escape the park, she learns that many local townsfolk have also been overtaken and her exit back into town won't be an easy task. Things get even more desperate for her once the dispatcher informs her that all hell has broken loose in town as the unexpected alien invasion goes into full effect.

99% of the film is seen through the lens of the mounted police car camera and presented as top secret video that the audience is witnessing. Meanwhile, the narrative is mainly delivered through the police car's radio in conversations between Cheryl, the dispatcher and a scientist who has information concerning what is happening. he budget of destruction and chaos during the town's takeover is saved by going War of the Worlds style with the dispatcher giving Cheryl a play-by-play.

Titled as Invasion on Fearnet, this one became tedious and was really hard to get through. Even only being 81 minutes long, the film starts getting repetitive and boring at about the 20-minute point. This film is a perfect example of having a good idea but poor execution. Add on to the fact that I am a fan of some of Albert Pyun's flicks and that makes everything extra disappointing.

Labeled as an experimental film, it is a one that fails even though the intent of being different is sincere and would have worked a lot better as a video game. The nail in the coffin is the unsatisfying conclusion which leaves an even worse taste in your mouth.

Skip this one and check out one of this old Full Moon classics or Mean Guns instead.

RATING:

1.5 out of 5 Creeper Santas

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"Speaking of..." for the week of 12/4/11

2011-12-09T17:29:00.000-05:00

Here is my second go at this new feature which received a whopping one comment from Man-Cave loyalist and friend Chuck (of the everly awesome blog, Apocalypse Now - check it out!) last week. So Chuck...this one is dedicated to you big guy! And if I dedicate something to someone, I better deliver since my reputation is at stake...

Speaking of Steak...

Ad Week reported a top shoplifting item list for this holiday season. Topping that list is Filet Mignon.

Yup. Not video games, not laptops, not CDs, Blu-rays. Meat is the five-fingered item of choice. When food is being stolen more than electronics, that is a huge sign of how bad the ecomony truly is hurting nowadays.

Speaking of hurting...

Running Back Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears tore his ACL in the first quarter of the team's game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Not only does this hurt the hopes of a championship season for my fantasy football team, the Skeet Patrol, but it also dampens the real life Bears' chances for making the playoffs, who are already without starting quarterback Jay Cutler for the foreseeable future. While Forte was being run into the ground and hoping for a better contract from the team, Cutler's life is perfect, being a millionaire and having hottie Kristin Cavalleri.

Speaking of perfect... (this one is for you, Chuck)

The Green Bay Packers are still undefeated after nipping the New York Giants, 38-35 in this past week's NFL action. Tom Coughlin's G-Men gave them a good run, especially with wide receivers Victor Cruz making Mario Manningham an afterthought and Hakeem Nicks returning to 2010 form. But at the end of the day, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was the Terminator to Eli Manning's Robocop and that made all the difference.

Speaking of Robocop...

Former Robocop and recent Dexter victim Peter Weller has replaced Benicio del Toro in the upcoming Star Trek sequel.

Rumors are swirling that Weller will be playing the Khan character, albeit in creator JJ. Abrams new alternate Trek universe. This is good news since Weller is an underrated actor and has recently had his career resurrected. But will he actually be playing Khan or not? Abrams was keeping his jaws firmly shut on the matter, but recently the cat was let out of the bag by other insider sources.

Speaking of Jaws...

As mentioned Saturday on this site, Universal Studios has decided to close down the theme park's iconic Jaws ride in Orlando on January 2, 2012.

Rumors are circulating that it will be replaced by a Transformers attraction or Harry Potter. Apparently, Shia LeBeouf trumps Bruce the Shark all of a sudden. The only Jaws-related news that would be worse than the ride's closure would be the announcement of a trailer for a Jaws remake.

Speaking of trailers...

Did you all see the official trailer for The Cabin the Woods?

This looks to be amazing! With Hunger Games in March and this the following month, Spring looks to have some good times ahead of us before the summer blockbusters drop and stooge the masses out of their hard earned cash.

Speaking of stooges...

The Farrelly Brothers long awaited Three Stooges trailer is here!

After news of its revival hit in 2009 and casting bounced around like a hot potato, this seemed all but dead. The Farrelly boys have finally put a film in place, but what's with the Jersey Shore cameos? Time will tell if it is a worthy tribute to the original Stooges, or of this is a cinematic version of a horrible cover band.

Speaking of covers...

Lindsay Lohan's Playboy cover has been leaked.

Question: Anyone buying it?

Better Question: Do people still buy these mags anymore when you can see the leaked photos a couple days later for free online instead of spending money.

Speaking of spending money...

The Anaheim Angels signed prized free agent Albert Pujols to a 10-year $260 million deal.

Arguably one of the best players in all of baseball got his big payday. Ok, that is understatement for that deal. At 39, Pujols leaves his longtime team, the St. Louis Cardinals, for "greener" pastures in California. Inn other news, tickets for Angels games have tripled to pay for this behemoth contract.

Well that does it for this Friday's edition. Oh wait a second...

Speaking of Friday...

Ice Cube stated that he wants to film another Friday.

A rep for Cube reported that the plan is to get the entire cast back together again for this installment. Wonder if Chris Tucker will be too "busy" to star in this sequel or not. He-he!

And Tebowing has become really annoying rather quickly.

The New Three Stooges Film Trailer!

2011-12-09T11:45:00.001-05:00

Finally, the trailer from the Farrelly Brothers film drops. And it actually looks funny. See below...

Pro Wrestler (2011) review

2011-12-07T19:05:00.000-05:00

Since the sport's inception, thousands of people from all walks of life have entertained the idea of making a living as a professional wrestler. After years of spending their free time and extra money attending wrestling schools to "learn the ropes", these dreamers perform on weekends in one of the many independent circuits after their 9-to-5 work week is finished. They abuse their bodies and risk injury with no medical insurance as a parachute for one reason only: their love of wrestling. While only a tiniest fraction of these indie performers fulfill their goals by making it to the bright lights of the WWE or TNA, or lower tiers such as Ring of Honor or Chikara Pro, the majority bounce around in the minors until their bodies cannot take it anymor and are forced to hang up their boots.

Documentary filmmaker Kenny Johnson takes a look at five wrestlers banging around in wrestling's indie scene, each at a different points of both their lives and careers. The examined participants include Greg Excellent, Adam Cole, Ryan McBride, JT Roberts, and CORE. All are extremely dissimilar, but all are very similar in sharing their love of pro wrestling.

Greg Excellent went from running backyard wrestling gigs to running his own legitimate promotion, Ground Breaking Wrestling. Adam Cole is a blue chip prospect with the looks and talent to make it to the big time. In the ring, he plays an arrogant heel, but he is a supportive and extremely likable guy in real life. When Ryan McBride is not working at the local auction, he is busy competing for his federation's world title. With a life dedicated to being with his wife and child, JT Roberts ponders how long he is going to continue his in-ring career. Finally, CORE must decide which path he is traveling at the crossroads in his late 20's. Will it be with his wife and his bright future as an educator or continuing to be a big kid living out his wrestling fantasy?

Unlike most documentaries, Pro Wrestler is not heavy on narrator dialogue. Instead, Johnson mainly provides only basic commentary while allowing his subject's to tell their own story to the audience. Each of them take us down the path of their life journeys, seeing the world through their eyes and those they interact with in their personal lives. Even though he is an admitted huge fan of the wrestling business, Johnson also refreshingly treats everyone as a human being and not as the wrestling gimmick they portray in the ring. They are genuine people who have equally as real families, friends, concerns, fears, doubts, injuries, and aspirations.

One of the most emotional parts of the film is to watch JT Roberts' segment, who died in a car accident this past June. He confesses his passion for his family and how he needs to grow out of the wrestling because he is not going to make it to the big leagues and will always focus on taking care of them first and foremost. It is all so especially haunting considering the circumstances of his passing just shortly before this film was finished.

Some recognizable faces for wrestling hardcore fans include the original ECW's "Innovator of Violence" Tommy Dreamer as well as Devon Moore. Pro Wrestler by Kenny Johnson is available from his site, which you can access at this link. His follow up project, They Came For Stiff, is on the release horizon. You can find out more about that film here.

RATING:

4 out of 5 Angry Nashes

TRAILER:

VITAL LINKAGE:

Official Site

Facebook

Watch 386 Films' "Date Night" for Free!

2011-12-06T14:48:00.001-05:00

A few months back, I reviewed Date Night, a quirky and funny short from talented indie filmmaker Joops Fragale. Fragale, who directed last year's indie wonder Simone, executes his stylish flair once again, this time in a rather comedic setting. It's a fun little flick, and now YOU have the chance to check it out for free for a limited time. Please support independent film making and have some fun for yourself at the same time by either watching it below or clicking on this link (www.386films.com) to see the film and the behind-the-scenes featurette. Date Night is the best date you can go on without leaving your house. Enjoy!!

Date Night from Joops Fragale on Vimeo.

Chris Benoit Biopic Announced for 2012

2011-12-05T17:48:00.000-05:00

Matthew Randazzo's 2008 book, Ring of Hell: The Story of Chris Benoit and the Fall of the Pro Wrestling Industry, is being adapted into a feature film entitled Crossface, named after Benoit's in-ring finishing move. According to multiple news outlets, Crossface scribe Sarah Coulter will mirror the book's theme by chronicling Benoit's drug abuse, complications from head trauma and issues within the zany world of professional wrestling.

The revered, dedicated and family man Benoit murdered his wife and child before taking his own life at their family home in 2007. Th nightmarish occurrence was solely blamed on steroids and painkiller abuse at first, before other medical studies revealed that Benoit's brain function was at the level of an 83-year old with possible dementia due to head injuries acquired in the squared circle over the course of several years. This is one of the reasons that concussions and other head-related ailments are being taken more seriously in not only professional wrestling, but other professional sports as well. Another that comes to mind is ex-NFLer Andre Waters' suicide based on head trauma around the same time as the Benoit family murder.

The announcement for the film adaption was made last week by SRG Films, while the search for cast and crew is currently underway with a target production time frame being late 2012.

Last Rites: Universal Studios Jaws Ride in Orlando

2011-12-03T11:26:00.000-05:00

Goodbye old friend!

Beginning January 2, 2012, it will be safe to go back into the water again, at least on the East coast.

Unfortunately, Universal Studios announced yesterday that the park would be shutting down its longest running and one of its most popular attractions, the Jaws ride. That also includes the surrounding Amity portion of the park in order to make room for a new attraction, rumored to be either something for the Transformers films or an expansion of the Harry Potter ride at Islands of Adventures.

Sans a few technical malfunctions which mandated ride re-designs and a funky lawsuit over someone falling into the water during its early inception, the Jaws ride at the Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida has been a staple of the theme park since it opened for business in 1990. Based on the iconic 1975 summer blockbuster from Steven Spielberg and arguably one of the greatest films of all-time, the boat ride involved a face-to-face confrontation with the mechanical great white in the fictional town of Amity.

Anyone who knows me will tell you how much of a Jaws fan I am and how much I dig this ride. I used to live in Orlando and must have gotten on the Jaws ride at least 30 - 40 times during my 8 years residing there. So it is with a heavy heart that I offer Last Rites to my favorite theme park ride, especially at night during Halloween Horror Nights during October. It is a good thing that Universal will still be keeping the tram one open in California. I just wish I could have ridden it one more time (yes I know...that's what she said).

If you have any Jaws ride stories or experiences, please leave your eulogy in the Comments below.

In the meantime, we can always virtually face the shark again via YouTube...

"Speaking of Which" for the week of 11/28/11 - 12/1/11

2011-12-01T18:30:00.000-05:00

This week's wrap up. Let's see who fit the bill.

Speaking of bills...

Steve Johnson of the Buffalo Bills mimicked Plaxico Burress accidentally shooting himself in the leg (from 2009) during a TD catch celebration versus Plax's team, the New York Jets.

Not only did his goofy act cost his team a 15-yard penalty that allowed the Jets to easily take the lead, but he dropped not one but two TD catches to tie the game and the Bills wound up losing. He also got slapped with a $10K fine the next day. Talk about karma being a b****.

Speaking of b****es...

Lebron James did the same celebration during some goofy flag football game.

First of all, I am so impressed that pro athlete James can outrun all of his out of shape buddies, but more importantly, that gesture was pretty ballsy of a man notorious for disappearing in big games. Perhaps the next time he scores a TD, Burress can hold up his championship ring, point towards the camera at James and make a choking motion since he has a championship in his sport and James has zero.

Speaking of zero championships...

The Philadelphia Eagles front office demanded the sound crew increase the in-stadium music volume to drown out the angry fans' chants of "Fire Andy!".

Despite the big free agent signings and "whack job" Vince Young declaring the Eagles as the "Dream Team", his predictable and nonsensical coaching has led his team to a current tie for last place with the Washington Redskins in the NFC East at 4-7. Add that to the fact that the Eagles STILL have not won a Super Bowl under his leadership yet the front office continues to make excuses in order to keep Reid around only further proves that Andy Reid must have pictures of Eagles owner Jeff Lurie exposing his rear end to use as blackmail.

Speaking of ends...
The NBA lockout has ended...much to the joy of 5,000 fans.

It looks like the owners won or something, but the fans ultimately lose with a 66-game season this year and an increase to the already outrageous ticket prices. If big trades are still going to showcase expiring contracts as a prized possession and teams are still going to be one superstar surrounded by four chumps, the NBA will continue to sink.

Speaking of sinking...

I bet these people were happy that their boat wasn't letting in any water.

A 17-foot great white getting a little too close for comfort?! Insert the typical "going to need a bigger boat" line here. Too bad this video leaves to much of a cliffhanger.

Speaking of cliffhangers...
Did you see the mid-season finale of The Walking Dead?

Little Sophia was in the barn all along and a zombie to boot. And after weeks of taking abuse as someone who can't lead, Rick steps up and does what all the rest of them couldn't by putting the little girl our of her misery. And that's the last image we get until February! Well played, AMC! Snub us all 'til the dead of winter.

Speaking of snubs...

Beyonce was snubbed at the Grammy Nominations on Wednesday night. Rejoice!

Somehow Kanye West got nominated (for what?), but so did Adele and the Foo Fighters. That is all that matters. Maybe West's name was thrown in there to stir the pot?

Speaking of pot...

Miley Cyrus admitted she is a major pothead. That explains why she talks like a drunken rube all the time. Is it possible that Miley has (and I thought I'd never say this) upped her "cool factor"? Well anyway, admittal is the first stage to recovery, so you go girl!

And Lady Gaga is a raccoon.