Stories of Halo's Demise Exaggerated.

It was recently reported that financial backers Universal (makers of Bean II) and Fox (distributors of The Marine) had backed out of funding a movie based on the successful video game franchise Halo.

According to James Brightman of Hollywood Reporter, predictions that this may prevent a film from ever being released are premature. The creative team of Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh are still very much behind the movie, as is Microsoft.

Having played the first game and enjoyed its narrative nature, I very much look forward to a big screen adaptation of the Master Chief. I have watched enough computer based fan-films and I want to see the story super-sized.

Why Does the Media Hate Me?

According to Court TV, a defense attorney is claiming that it was obsession with Dungeons and Dragons that made James Flemons walk into his workplace with a Samurai sword and slash a co-worker to death. You see, according to the defense, Jack Chick was right and D&D, is corruptive and evil (you can read an MST3K-esque parody here).

As you know, I hate the association that is constantly put in front of the public that roleplayers are "deviants" and "outsiders" who don't merge well with society and are in constant danger of committing homicide. I wrote about it last year when discussing Anti-Harry Potterism and when discussing Penny Arcade's charity.

This is just another one of those ploys. ICV2 describes many of these "rpgs-are-evil" types as small time Savonarola's and I'm just wondering when Americans will really evaluate the claims made by the press regarding rpgs and give them the same amount of credence as the "Twinkie Defense." When are we going to come to understand that storytelling and catharsis aren't action? When will we come to learn that the News Media is so obsessed with sensationalism that facts don't matter? When will we learn that these modern Brother Girolamo Savonarola's are manipulating us and making a Bonfire of the RPGs? Do we really need Court TV to save our children's souls? And to be fair, though we may have disdain for Savonarola's attacks on art and games he was opposing actual corruption in the Church. So let's not give him a worse name by associating it with people who just want to remove any sense of personal responsibility from the actions of their clients.

This very night, I am opening up my first edition Dungeon Master's Guide and putting a hex on the attorney.

Why the first edition? It's the one with the real hexes!

On the Horizon

Next spring will see the release of a Pokemon based collectible miniatures game. I hate Pokemon's premise, that being slavery. I hate the show. I hate the card game. But I might just be interested in playing this miniatures game. Have you looked at the Charzard?

Marvel Comics is developing a TV series based on my favorite Batman ripoff Moon Knight.

Fantasy Flight Games' Marvel Superheroes Boardgame should be coming out any day now. You can look at some pictures here.

The boardgame based on Wizkids' popular "Pirates of" constructible card game series of games was just released, "Quest for Davy Jones' Gold."

Eden Studios will no longer be producing game products based on the Buffy and Angel licenses.

How Are You Ringing in All Hallow's Eve?

This weekend, my wife and I are inviting some friends over to watch classic horror films and play one of my horror themed boardgames. This year's likely candidate is The Fury of Dracula by Fantasy Flight Games, it's actually a new edition of a classic Games Workshop game from when they did more than miniature wargames. We'll likely slide in an old Vincent Price or vintage Hammer film and have a roaring good time.

That is, if we don't go over to the Alex Theater to watch Vincent Price exact revenge in larger than life fashion in House on Haunted Hill. In a move that would please Tim Burton, the Alex screening includes the EMERGO effect where the skeleton emerges from the screen and floats over the audience. At least that's what the website promises.

What About Frankenweenie?

The Calendar section of the LA Times has a nice bio of Tim Burton and his return to Los Angeles for the 3-D opening of his classic Halloween musical The Nightmare Before Christmas. The bio is filled with some interesting Angelino nostalgia points that are useful to LA Implants like me, for example the location of a historic restaurant in Burbank or discussions of how Hollywood's facelift might affect an aging goth.

The article is quite good, but the intro paragraphs focus on Tim Burton's "dark side" and how it is evident in films like Edward Scissorhands or The Corpse Bride, but what isn't mentioned is how Burton's dark side is only dark in appearance. His films are about outsiders, who often misunderstand normal society, whose attempts at kindness often appear frightening to those around them. His films are a wonderful expression of the desire of a person to love and be loved, but who doesn't understand or value "normal" society.

Besides, the article didn't mention my favorite Tim Burton film Frankenweenie. How can you say that someone has a frightening dark side when he makes a film that is a tale of wish fulfilment for any child (or adult) who has ever had a dog die. His combination of the Frankenstein story with the "terrors" of suburbia is genius. Go watch it on your The Nightmare Before Christmas DVD and you can see what I am talking about.

Entertainment News Rundown 10/25

I am thinking of doing a new feature, similar to Fishbowl LA's rundown of LA news. I'd like to do a quick stroll through entertainment news.

Anne Thompson has a good post on how the NYT is covering the box office results for Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers. She also has an excellent article on Aronofsky's upcoming fantasy The Fountain.

TV Critic Ray Richmond weighs in on the Madonna adoption.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Borat will no longer be a wide release, rather it will open on 800 rather than 2000 screens demonstrating just how much Americans don't pay attention to foreigners. Ah, the power of YouTube...show the first four minutes of a major studio release and have to cut back the number of theaters.

Patrick Goldstein, unlike the NYT, understands that October is also early Oscar season and not just when we worry about grudges.

You too can be baffled as to why the best new show on television was ranked 24th last week.

Shawna Benson keeps us appraised of the state of the fall lineup. I know that you can get info from the Futon Critic as well, but I like the way Shawna structures the results and predictions.

Bill Cunningham gives us the lowdown on Drive-in studio AIP. Bill's comments on how direct to dvd is the new AIP is very informative.

Construct Your Own Cylon for Halloween

Thanks to the folks over at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories, you can now build your very own Cylon Jack O'Lantern for Halloween.

Before you do though, I would like to add the following cautionary note. Be sure that your household does not have a wireless ethernet router. It is one thing for sinister alien androids to take over your neighbor's computer, or even the city's computer system. One might even argue that alien androids taking over city computers might be a good thing, but one's own computer? Nay, I say!

Oh, and after the holiday, make sure that you have a class V disruptor as the combination of plant matter with computer circuitry makes the Cylon O'Lantern resistant to Classes' I through IV.

Titanic: Two the Surface

In a world gone mad with sequel-mania, one man had the courage to go where no sequel had gone before.

The 300 Teaser Trailer

The Battle of Thermopylae is one of the classic battles of Western history and a quintessential few against many story. A few years ago, Frank Miller wrote an acclaimed comic book adaptation of the story and a film based on Miller's adaptation is scheduled to be released early next year. I couldn't be more excited. I am a big fan of the story, and of the cheesy film version The 300 Spartans by Rudolph Mate. I expect great things from the latest version, which seems like it will be filled with common Spartan wit.

Watch the trailer to get an example of Spartan comments, but know that many of the best lines were not written by Miller. Rather they are matters of historical record and can be found in Plutarch's Moralia.


Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Now that you've seen the video, here are some quotes from the Moralia.

• Leonidas: When someone said, "Because of the arrows of the barbarians it is impossible to see the sun," he said, "Won't it be nice then, if we shall have shade in which to fight them?"


• Thearidas: Thearidas, as he was whetting his sword, was asked if it was sharp, and he replied, "Sharper than slander."


• Themisteas: Themisteas fortold to Leonidas, the king, the coming destruction both of himself and of his fellowsoldiers at Thermopylae, for he was a prophet. He was sent away by Leonidas to Sparta, on the pretext of announcing there what would come to pass, but in reality so that he should not suffer death with the rest. He, however, would not brook this, but said, "I was sent out to fight, not to carry messages."


• When the ambassador from Elis said that his citizens had sent him for the especial reason that he alone emulated the Spartan way of living, Theopompus said, "Is your way of living or that of the other citizens better?" And when the man said that his own was, Theopompus said, "How then, can that State be saved in which, among many citizens, only one is a good man?"


• Theopompus: When someone pointed out to him a wall, and inquired if it was strong and high, he said, "Is it not a place where women live?"


• Cleomenes: When somebody inquired of him why Spartans do not dedicate to the gods the spoils from their enemies, he said, "Because they are taken from cowards."


• Leonidas: Being asked why the best of men prefer a glorious death to an inglorious life, he said, "Because they believe the one to be Nature's gift, but the other to be within their own control."

In Thucydides Peloponessian War, Archidamus describes the Spartan character by saying:

The quality which they condemn is really nothing but a wise moderation; thanks to its possession, we alone do not bemome insolent in success and give way less than others in misfortune; we are not carried away by the pleasure of hearing ourselves cheered on to risks which our judgment condemns; nor, if annoyed, are we any the more convinced by attempts to exasperate us by accusation. We are both warlike and wise, and it is our sense of order that makes us so. We are warlike, because self-control contains honor as a chief constituent, and honor bravery. And we are wise, because we are educated too little to despise the laws, and with too sever a self-control to disobey them, and are brought up not to be too knowing in useless matters -- such as the knowledge which can give a specious criticism of an enemy's plans in theory, but fails to assail them will equal success in practice -- but are taught to consider that the schemes of our enemies are not dissimilar to our own, and that the freaks of chance are not determinable by calculation.

There are many more, but that should whet your appetite.

Comic Books and Daytime Soaps

I know that the A's moving to Fremont might be more "important" news, but I am very intrigued by the fact that Marvel Comics is doing a bit of cross-promotion with Guiding Light.

According to ICV2 News: "Marvel plans to add an 8-page backup story written by comic-and soap scribe Jim McCann to a number of books starting with four titles releasing on October 25th, while Guiding Light episode telecast on November 1st will provide the origin of Springfield's first costumed crime fighter and plenty of "Easter Eggs" for sharp-eyed Marvel fans."

That's right, all us comic book geek completists will need to set our TiVos to CBS and record Guiding Light.

A lot of people I know are surprised by the move by Marvel, but I am not. This seems a perfect way to reach out to new audiences, especially young female readers. Even the idea of having a superhero on a soap doesn't seem all that bizarre to me. I grew up with Scorpio's spy escapades on General Hospital, the show was like a really bad Man From UNCLE for a while. More recently, Port Charles had a "Buffy" storyline where Lucy was a vampire hunter and nearly all of Port Charles were turned into vampires.

How do I know this? Oh, the storyline was so bizarre that I had to watch. Leaving out that storyline, it doesn't take much to find genre soaps, Dark Shadows, Babylon 5, and Battlestar Gallactica all come to mind, at least as far as having what are typically soap operatic conflicts.

RE: Q&A

I'll join in
1. up at 4:30 am,
2. pearls (more class),
3. The Protector,
4. MNF,
5. Corn Pops or oatmeal,
6. quick,
7. Paul,
8. Brussel Sprouts -childhood hangup,
9. N/A
10. Tuna,
11. Cutting my hands climbing a chain link fence,
12. Arbitraryness, (my weakness spelling)
13. running shoes,
14. Nepal,
15. Coral,
16. N/A
17. Philly (there is something about a big city)
18. 20
19. Baseball, Football
20.to 22. N/A
23. Me
24. 8/12
25. Long distance running (it only takes me 6 miles to clear my mind), reading
26. Not sure, or that hell is really one long spelling test
27. passing out on the hood of a car, that was not mine.
28. missed a tree by 3 inches while skiing in Co.
29. Attny
30. She knows who she is,
31. I'd like a dog but none now
32. Plastic
33. A judge, a doctor (what can I say, I am not the greatest at advanced math).
34. Mums - they are tough, I respect endurance
35. If I could, I would make people more reasonable.

Very Long Q&A

The good folks at Pererro have been answering the following Q&A and I figured that I would join them.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:00.

2. Diamonds or pearls? I find pearls to be more attractive, especially black pearls.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Departed, saw it right after Employee of the Month.

4 What is your favourite TV show at the moment? Either Heroes, Ugly Betty, or Eureka two of which can be watched online.

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Faux eggs and turkey bacon.

6. Favourite cuisine? Proficient

7. What is your middle name? Arthur

8. What food do you dislike? Mayonnaise (the jarred kind, I know that certain "sauces" are whipped oil and thus technically mayonnaise. I am talking Best Foods here.) and Liver and Onions.

9. What is your favourite CD at the moment? The new Snow Patrol CD is getting a lot of play in my car, but I am already shifting over to the Killers.

10. Favourite sandwich? Philly Cheesesteak.

11. First Childhood memory? Needing "gummy bottom" shoes so I could run on the bomb shelter door cover.

12. What characteristic do you despise? People who think that ranting is "dialogue."

13. Favourite item of clothing? Uh...Omega watch.

14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be? Neuschwanstein.

15. What colour is your bathroom? White.

16. Favourite brand of clothing? Brooks Brothers.

17. Where would you retire to? Northern California, Oregon, or England if they change their taxes.

18. What was your most memorable birthday? 31st, my wife threw me a Disneyland surprise party.

19. Favourite sport to watch? In order...Baseball, Soccer, Formula One.

20. Furthest place you are sending this? Cinerati.

21. Who do you least expect to send this back to you? N/A

22. Person you expect to send it back first? N/A

23. Person who is most busy? My Wife.

24. When is your birthday? 1/8

25. Hobbies? Reading, Movies, Rpgs, Computer Games, Boardgames.

26. Biggest Fear? Void.

27. Drunk memory: Not going there.

28. Luckiest moment: We make our own luck.

29. Career highlights: Promotion to Program Director of Non-Profit.

30. Regrets: Being unfair to certain people in the past.

31. Pets? Cat. Used to have 3 cats and a dog, but time takes its toll.

No. 32 Paper or Plastic? Plastic.

33. What did you want to be when you were little? Lawyer, Politician, or Astronaut.

34. What is your favourite flower? I really like Lilies.

35. What would you change about the world? If I had psionics, I'd make it so people were mentally incapable of using Nuclear Technology in the development of weapons. Barring that, keep making my space in the world as pleasant as possible.

A Look at Video Gamer Demographics

According to the Hollywood Reporter, those of us looking to have "gaming" experiences with those mysterious creatures known as women need look no further than our desk tops. Of the remarkably high 58.5 million "active gamers" who play online games, 64% are women. That's right, according to Nielsen if you want to play a game with a woman play online.

Does that mean that all those WoW players hiding in their basements are on the cutting edge of the dating future like Will Ferrell in The Wedding Crashers (he crashed funerals)? Not necessarily, the Nielsen study defines some of the terms a little differently than an MMORPG player might expect. First, "active gamer" means someone who plays 1 or more HOURS a week on a gaming device. To you and me that is more like what I would call a "casual gamer." Second, "older females make up the largest percentage of casual gamers, usually playing online card and puzzle games." Casual games are games similar in content to traditional boardgames. So if you want to meet "gamer women" the likelihood is that they love Scrabble, chess, sudoku, or some other traditional type games. Of course, this also means they like games that translate well into a "social" environment so if you meet a date via online Scrabble, you might actually want a second date.

The Hollywood Reporter article has a lot of information about other demographics, but the fact that females make the majority of online gaming is pretty interesting stuff.

A Glimpse at the Beautiful Game.

An interesting song, a compilation of Football clips featuring grace, violence, and bloopers. Life is indeed good.



Oh, and this video is way better than the actual video.

I Was Bushwacked!

Those who frequent this site, both of you, might have noticed a significant downturn in the number of posts last week. That is largely due to the fact that I was in Jesse James country. You got it, I was in western Missouri in a small town called Excelsior Springs, which is pretty close to Liberty and is only a few miles away from Jesse James' birthplace.

I would have posted earlier, but I had to prove I was neither a "Yankee" or a "damned Pinkerton croney." Beautiful country, see for yourself.

Eragon Trailer Now Available for Viewing

Part Elfstones of Shannara, part Harry Potter, and part childhood dreams of flying, the Eragon trailer is now available for viewing. After seeing Jeremy Irons in Dungeons and Dragons, I began to fear that any fantasy film in which he starred would be doomed to failure. But if the trailer is any clue, then all that is required for a good fantasy film is a good story. Oh, wait...I already knew that. Eragon the book was very entertaining and the movie looks equally good.

You can view the trailer here.

Upset That Robert Downey Jr. Was Cast as Iron Man?

Well, I've got news for you. Soon you too will be able to be Iron Man, and not in some meaningless film either. That's right, Engineers in Japan are designing a working powersuit for those in the Nursing profession. Sure, the suit makes you look more like Exo-Skeleton Man (from the Champions Role Playing Game) than Iron Man, but it's a start.

Thanks to Chris Roberson of Monkeybrain Books for the tip.