Matinee - It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This

Joe Dante's Matinee is definitely one of my desert island, all-time, top-five, favorite movies. I just read Roger Ebert's review of the movie, and he completely captures not just the magic of the film, but the magic of film, for me, going to the movies in a small Wyoming town that had just one, single-screen movie theater -- left over from the 1920s.

"They say if you go to the movies long enough you will finally see yourself on the screen. I had that experience during "Matinee," because in many ways I was just like that kid Gene. At the age of 12, I was fascinated by science fiction, baffled by girls, and starstruck by show business."
-Roger Ebert | January 29, 1993 | 3.5/4 Stars

Figs: Thanos

Inspired by @swankmotron's  awesome figure posts, I've decided to start my own take on action-figure posts.

I'm going to do my best to keep all "photoshopping" out of these photos.

Thanos:

via Flickr

DAREDEVIL #0.1 - Rating/Review

DAREDEVIL

Publisher: MARVEL COMICS

(W) Mark Waid (A) Peter Krause (CA) Chris Samnee

For the first time in print, the story that bridges the gap between the last Daredevil series and the all-new ongoing!
•  A cross country flight pits The Man Without Fear against a man without a heartbeat!
•  Plus, TWO DAREDEVILS (for the price of one)!
•  Mark Waid (Daredevil, Irredeemable) and Peter Krause (Irredeemable) bring you the first leg in Daredevil's journey to a new life!

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This is a great one-shot comic that further proves Waids' epic career has been leading up to his continual masterpiece of Daredevil.

Plus Krause's art is spot-on. If Samnee and Maleev had a baby his/her art would look just like Krause's.

Story: 3.5/4
Art:    4/4

Trent's Rating: 3.75/4 ATOMIC BETA MeV's

See Me at SLC3

The Salt Lake City Comic Con is in a couple of weeks. If you attend, stop in and see me at the Death Ray Comics booth, or sit in on one of the panels I'll be part of.

See more details about panels here.

Where Are You On Cap's To-Do List?

NOTE: This is from the North American version of the theatrical release. There is a difference for other distributions.

$1.99 Find of the Summer!

This LP of Segio Mendes and Brasil '66 "Look Around" is by far the best $1.99 I've spent this summer. The audio quality is awesome!

UNITED STATES OF MURDER INC #1 | Rating/Review

Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
(W) Brian Michael Bendis (A/CA) Michael Avon Oeming
DOUBLE-SIZED FOR REGULAR PRICE!

From the creators of the Eisner Award-winning, best-selling POWERS comes a brand-new world of crime fiction like you've never seen before. In this oversized first issue, you will discover a world in which the families of organized crime never lost their stranglehold on the United States. Today is the day that Valentine Gallo becomes a made man, and it's also the day he learns the secrets behind the organization he has served since he was old enough to walk. But it is mysterious hitwoman Jagger Rose that will forever turn his life upside down. Be there when shocking secrets of this new world spill out onto the very past page. This bold new vision of crime fiction hearkens back to Bendis' earliest work in crime comics, while also giving you everything you expect from the creators of POWERS, one of the most successful and longest-lasting independent comics in history.

Download preview pages here.

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Bendis doing what he truly does best, writes crime fiction in a stylized world. Oeming's art is, well, it's Omeing: beautiful, stylized, and something all his own. An interesting "hook" first issue that leaves me wanting more. Art=4/4 - Story 3/4

Trent's Rating: 3.5/4 ATOMIC BETA MeV's

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1 | Rating/Review

Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
(W) Mike Benson (A) Tan Eng Huat, Craig Yeung (CA) Dave Johnson

MURDER! MYSTERY! MARTIAL ARTS!
A former lover of Shang-Chi's is murdered in cold blood while working deep undercover for MI-6. When Shang-Chi travels to England to pay his respects he learns all is not as it seems, and if he's not careful he may be next to die! Old friends, new enemies, espionage and kung fu collide in this riveting story from Mike Benson and Tan Eng Huat!

Download art preview here.

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Some great Kung-Fu action to a well-tested - yet no surprises -revenge story. Fans of Kung Fu/Spy flicks will do well to pick up this 4 issue series. Art = 4/4 = Story=2.5/4

Trent's Rating: 3.25/4 ATOMIC BETA MeV's

MARVEL's Infinity Reading Order

For some reason, it's never easy to find back-listed reading orders, especially for major comic-book events. So, whenever I run across one, I'll and post it and and make it as searchable as possible.

Marvel's INFINITY (2013) reading order, covering AVENGERS (2012), NEW AVENGERS (2013).

#KevinSmithYes

Through a stroke of serendipity, Kevin Smith came to my comic book shop and brought Jason Mewes. They did their own podcast to a packed shop and also joined Will Wilkins and me on stage for our podcast.

I'm not going to try and recap the experience, especially when the good geeks over at Big Shiny Robot did a better job than I could ever hope to do.

I am going to tell you that while many say "never meet your hero," having met my hero - the aforementioned Kevin Smith - I am even more convinced of his heroism and genuine humanity than I was before.

Preparing for the event was stressful. Stressful is a bit of an understatement, but that's the word we'll go with for now. While stressful, it was also exciting. I felt an amount of excited anxiety that I don't believe I've ever experienced before. The intensity of all of this was a continual crescendo and held at fortississimo during the event. 

While the day-of the event is a bit of a blur, I believe the owner of a business in me took over for the fan boy inside, in an attempt to deal with all of the bombardment. (Don't worry I'm getting to the part about Kevin Smith being an amazing human being, just hold on for a bit longer.) Honestly, I wouldn't have made it through the day without the help of a few amazing friends (Jonathan Ribera, Will Kent, Tom Sherlock, Blake Hunsaker, and Steve Kent).

Some time during the event, whether it was in between setting up and fixing the audio and doing interviews for the press in attendance, or some other hectic moments, there was a short very quiet few seconds when I was in the back of the comic book shop, alone with Kevin Smith. (Now here comes the good stuff.)

We couldn't have been alone for longer than a minute when Kevin looked over at me and said, "Hey man, now that it's just you and me, grab your phone. We should get a picture together."

He pulled me in front of the shop's back door and we took a selfie. While the photo was being taken the door opened and the next problem was ready to be dealt with, and that was that. 

That was the only photo I took during the event. Up until that brief moment, I hadn't even thought about getting a photo with my hero. I don't know if Kevin Smith (I feel like I have to always say both Kevin and Smith because our relationship is of acquaintances, at best, and I really don't want to give anyone the idea that I "know" him,) knew that pulling me aside for that photo would mean as much to me as it did/does, but he did it. I don't know if I would have had the humanist-foresight to have accomplished such a small, impactful gesture were I the one in his shoes.  He took the time to look outside of his own needs, and he completely made all the stress and tension of that day 100% worth it, with just one selfie.

I met my hero, and I vote #KevinSmithYes.