The Avengers @Avengers

The #Avengers Global Fan Chat is about to begin! Get your questions ready for Joss Whedon, @twhiddleston, @clarkgregg and @samuelljackson!

The Avengers

Don’t forget: Immediately following our #Avengers fan chat, we’ll show you a tease of our Super Bowl XLVI commercial. It’s almost time!

The Avengers

Use #Avengers to ask your questions and direct to one of the participants. Use “For JW” if you have a question for Joss!

The Avengers

Here we go, @SamuelLJackson, @twhiddleston, @clarkgregg! Here’s Joss! Send through your #Avengers questions!

Samuel L. Jackson

Question:

For @SamuelLJackson , do we get to see some cool interaction with you and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) a few times??

Answer:

all the time, but it’s sorta contentious.

Question:

To Mr. Whedon, how many #Avengers comics did you read as reference for this movie?

Answer:

“I had already read them all.”

Question:

@twhiddleston @SamuelLJackson What was your biggest challenge in playing Loki and Fury in the #Avengers?

Answer:

SamuelLJackson

losing the weight to fit my costume & keep it off.

@clarkgregg

CG with the Whedon Wizard at @avengers tweet chat

Clark Gregg

Very diff dynamic in IM, Thor and Avengers, diff heroes, more layers to Coulson’s world/powers revealed

Question:

For JW: Is the movie’s plot going to reference any classic Avengers stories or be a more “ulitmate-ized” story?

Answer:

“It’s a combo platter: classic, Ultimate, plus a little “Richie Rich” & “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”

Question:

For JW, was there an Avenger you wanted to put in the movie but couldn’t make it work for whatever reason be it budget or time? #Avengers

Answer:

“I’m a fan of the Wasp. She’s goofy and sting-y.”

Question:

@twhiddleston Were the stunts more difficult this time around in The Avengers as opposed to Thor & how’d u prepare for them?

Answer:

More stunts. More training. Day in, day out. Running, jumping, flying, twisting. We worked like athletes. It was really fun.

Question:

@SamuelLJackson How much of your portrayal is based on comics Nick Fury and how much of Nick Fury is based on you?

Answer:

there’s a lot of Nick Fury in me already.

Question:

@twhiddleston @SamuelLJackson What was your biggest challenge in playing Loki and Fury in the #Avengers ?

Answer:

The biggest challenge was magnifying his menace without losing touch of his emotional truth. Keeping his chaos honest!

Question:

@SamuelLJackson Will we get to see any background on Fury?

Answer:

not yet.

Question:

For JW: what about the Spiderman cameo in #Avengers?

Answer:

“There is no Spider-Man cameo. But the Avengers do turn off the dark.”

“Coulson’s the fan dubbed chuck norris of @avengers” due respect, but Coulson crush walker tex ranger…w/ a bag of flour

Question:

@SamuelLJackson did the eyepatch throw off your depth perception?

Answer:

not at all, there was a new memory factor involved.

Question:

@twhiddleston You’ve said that in you listened to Prodigy for Loki. What did you listen to this time to get rdy for the #Avengers?

Answer:

“Archangel”, by a band called Burial. And not a little of Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack compositions.

In all honesty, yes. Sometimes you wake up feeling warm and sunny, but the scene requires hatefulness and spite.

Question:

@twhiddleston what kind of relationship do you have with other actors on the set of “The Avengers”?

Answer:

Nothing but love… It wasn’t called Group Hug for nothing!

You have to reach deeper. And stay aware of the fact that the emotions are true, but they’re not mine.

Question:

@SamuelLJackson are we going to see you kick some ass?! Maybe @twhiddleston ass?

Answer:

Fo Sho!

Question:

For JW: Most Difficult and Best things about filming (part) of The #Avengers in NYC?

Answer:

JW: “Who gets the last bagel.”

Question:

@clarkgregg @SamuelLJackson @twhiddleston funniest moment on Avengers set?:-)#Avengers

Answer:

Getting the giggles when the Hulk smashed. Joss got the giggles too. I was hopeless.

Question:

@twhiddleston Might we see a more mischievous (rather than mostly just evil) Loki in the #Avengers ?

Answer:

ENTIRELY. More mischievous. More evil. More hubristic. More delusional. More damaged. More badass.

Question:

For @SamuelLJackson Who’s your favorite Avenger?#Avengers

Answer:

Black Widow is my pick!

Question:

For JW: Everyone always asks what the hardest part of directing the movie was. What was the easiest? #Avengers

Answer:

JW: “Controlling the meat puppets…I mean, actors.”

Question:

@clarkgregg @twhiddleston @SamuelLJackson Care to share the best of the #Avengers bloopers with us?

Answer:

JW: “Not when @SamuelLJackson says them.”

Question:

@SamuelLJackson How much of your own stunts did you do? How did you prepare for all the physical work? #avengers

Answer:

As much as the insurance company allowed. I prepped by working out a bit?

Question:

My question is for Clark Gregg. What do you like most about playing Agent Phil Coulson #Avengers

Answer:

Every single part of it.

Question:

For JW what was ur first reaction to getting the chance to direct the #Avengers

Answer:

JW: “What moron would take a job that hard? Show me this moron, so that I may mock him.”

Question:

For JW Any big lessons learned from filming/one thing you wish you could do over? Also, Clark Gregg/Joss Whedon TV series? Please? #avengers

Answer:

Great idea. Asking him now. Joss????

Question:

#ForJW: will the female characters, esp. Black Widow, remind the boys how strong they are, and how?

Answer:

JW: “The females will spend their time whimpering and baking and being befuddled by math.” #sarcasm

Question:

Has the ante been upped on Easter Eggs? And if so, how attentive will movie goers have to be to stop them? #Avengers

Answer:

“There will be actual dyed eggs. Try to find them all!”

Question:

For @clarkgregg: Agent Coulson is one of my favorite characters! In the #Avengers do we get to see a lot more of him in action?

Answer:

Oh hell yes…

Question:

JW: can we expect some bromance Between captain america and iron man?

Answer:

“Not as long as there’s two of them and only one bagel. Heroes need carbs.”

Question:

@Avengers Clark Gregg: Love your Character… Are you going to see more action in the Avengers?

Answer:

Everybody sees more action in the avengers, hell, the audience even has to fight bad guys

Question:

JW- Can you enjoy #Avengers without seeing all the other films? @Avengers

Answer:

“You don’t need to see any @Marvel movies to enjoy #Avengers! But you need to see Steel Magnolias, like, six times.”

Question:

@SamuelLJackson, who was your first favorite superhero? #Avengers

Answer:

The Flash

Question:

@twhiddleston in Thor Loki was looking for Odin’s attention and approval, now is he looking for revenge? #avengers

Answer:

He doesn’t want revenge so much as identity. Belonging. Purpose. Self-esteem. Through delusional dreams.

Question:

@ SamuelLJackson Eye patch did not interfere during the filming? # Avengers

Answer:

Not a bit. Makes me feel cool!

Tom Hiddleston

The most badass tweets on twitter come from one place: @godofbadassery. Yes I am talking to myself.

Question:

For JW: How long did it take to shoot the movie?

Answer:

“I started when I was 12 and should be done by May 3rd at 11:59 pm.”

Question:

@clarkgregg Will we see you with flour bags again?

Answer:

Coulson never kills with the same cooking ingredient twice

The Avengers

JW: “Heading back to editing. You are all now my very best friends.”

Question:

@SamuelLJackson @clarkgregg @twhiddleston What do you consider your character’s theme song for The #Avengers?

Answer:

Born Free/ Hendrix.

Question:

Who was the jokester on the set? There is always one on every movie shoot. #Avengers

Answer:

JW: “I had the jokester put down on day 3.”

Question:

@twhiddleston Loki’s costume looks great, but so terribly intricate. How long did it usually take getting everything on? #Avengers

Answer:

About forty-five minutes to an hour, depending on how energetic I am feeling. Kudos to Bob Moore Jnr.

Question:

@twhiddleston Loki’s costume looks great, but so terribly intricate. How long did it usually take getting everything on? #Avengers

Answer:

@xoxogossipthor Bob Moore Jnr. from the costume department. Dressing was a two man job. But we had a great playlist & we laughed a lot.

Question:

For Clark Gregg. What do u like best about Coulson?

Answer:

the bulletproof dolce suits

Clark Gregg @clarkgregg

CG with the Whedon Wizard at @avengers tweet chat

Question:

@Avengers JW: I’m assuming #Avengers will be a masterpiece of wit and sarcasm. Which character got the most snark? @clarkgregg perhaps?

Answer:

That’s a toss up, an awful lot of Avenger-snark to go around…

Question:

For @SamuelLJackson Nick Fury or Mace Windu?

Answer:

Jedi or mortal? You be the judge!

Question:

@twhiddleston what did you do to get into character for #Avengers ?

Answer:

Learn lines. Run five miles a day. Get dressed and go through the works. Turn up on set. And play.

Here’s a photo of @twhiddleston tweeting away for the #Avengers fan chat!

Samuel L. Jackson @SamuelLJackson

Here a mughuqqa is at da @Avengers twitter rest!

Question:

@avengers @SamuelLJackson @twhiddleston @clarkgregg Feels like every question has already been asked…so how was catering on set?

Answer:

JW: “I stayed away from catering. But it smelled good from far away.”

Question:

@clarkgregg — does that mean that he’s moving on to vegetable oil and paprika?

Answer:

@ramdonomo I’m sorry. I cannot disclose SHIELD approved lethal ingredients.

Question:

@clarkgregg @Avengers Funniest experience with a fan?

Answer:

May have signed some large boobs at NYCC

Samuel L. Jackson @SamuelLJackson

Nick Fury OUT MAVENGERFUQQAS!

Question:

@Avengers @twhiddleston Scariest moment on set? Any injuries?

Answer:

twhiddleston

I smashed my elbow when facing down the great green incarnation of rage. I guess the Hulk really does smash.

The Avengers

Joss is back to editing #Avengers. @SamuelLJackson @clarkgregg & @twhiddleston are wrapping up. Super Bowl XLVI commercial tease coming!

Question:

@twhiddleston Who was the funnest #Avenger to fight?

Answer:

Brother-to-brother is intense. Hemsworth is a giant, but we trust each other implicitly as actors…

Question:

Shakespeare quote to describe Loki?

Answer:

“O beware my lord of jealousy, it is the green eyed monster that doth mock the meat it feeds on” (Othello)

Question:

@twhiddleston Who was the funnest #Avenger to fight?

Answer:

#Avengers which means we can really commit to the physicality of the choreography, and imbue it with emotion.

Question:

@ Clarkgregg, please tell me what happend Can With The wasp? thank you.

Answer:

Coulson and Wasp broke up. It was very painful.

Question:

@twhiddleston Five years ago, would you have believed that you would play the most badass villain in superhero movie history?

Answer:

Bless you. And no!

Question:

@twhiddleston Shakespeare quote to describe Loki?

Answer:

“Stand up for bastards!” (King Lear)

Question:

@clarkgregg Where does Coulson buy his suits? #Avengers

Answer:

@Reggicidal assembling late night in the ABQ

Question:

@clarkgregg Will you have an action figure released? If not, are you jealous. #Avengers

Answer:

No coulson action figure, very jealous

Clark Gregg

@clarkgregg Where does Coulson buy his suits?#Avengers – Dolce has a SHIELD outlet

@twhiddleston @samuelljackson @clarkgregg Have you ever wanted to wear Iron Man suit ?#avengers — wearing it now

Question:

@twhiddleston Will we see you pole dancing again in #Avengers? just like we did in Thor:)

Answer:

Ahem… (clears throat)… er… well… I don’t think so. Joss?

Clark Gregg

Meeting some skrull friends for lunch. Thanks for the all the support! Coulson out!

The Avengers

Thanks for assembling in the #Avengers Global Fan Chat! Here’s a sneak peek at our exclusive Super Bowl XLVI commercial

Tom Hiddleston

By the way… IN THE END, IT WILL BE EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF.

My three year old son Nathan had just spent two days at Disneyland before entering the big extravaganza at the D23 Expo.  For the previous 48 hours, Nathan had been waiting in very long lines at the parks, but had gotten used to the idea that you wait and wait and then go on a fun ride.  After waiting in line to pick up his ticket, Nathan was wondering where the ride was.  It was hard for his three year old brain to understand that we were there to look at things.  Upon entering the show floor, Nathan’s realized that this place was pretty cool and both lightning McQueen and Mater were waiting there to greet him.  While I wanted to look at the Dharma van from LOST but I was quickly overruled.

Nathan approached Lightning McQueen expecting his friend to respond to him and the following conversation followed:

Nathan: Hi, I’m Nathan

Lightning McQueen: Silence

Nathan: This is my mom, her name is Jami.

Lightning McQueen: Silence

Nathan: I came here.

Lightning McQueen: Silence

Nathan: Why are you here?

Lightning McQueen: Silence

Nathan: WHY AREN’T YOU TALKING TO ME!?!?!

At that point, Nathan decided he was done looking at things and it was time to do something.  Luckily, it was time for our appointment to check out the new game for the Kinect for the XBox 360, Disneyland Adventures.

Disneyland Adventures lets you explore the Disneyland park.  I immediately wished we had this before visiting Disneyland.  For anyone who loves Disneyland, they would love exploring their favorite areas of the park.  For us, with a preschooler, it would have assisted a lot in explaining what we were planning to do.  We could have showed Nathan what the park looks like and how we are going to go to each ride, and wait in line.

Whether we want him to or not, when we are playing our Kinect games, Nathan wants to play too.  Inevitably we will ask if he wants to play, he will say no and then see us doing it and want to jump in.  I was happy to see that Disneyland Adventures allows cooperative play, and allows you to jump in or out of game play without disturbing the other player.  Having two players with different skill levels is also not a problem.  I shouldn’t have been surprised that Disney would create a game for both adults and little kids can play together.  The game has a bunch of  fun mini-games based on following rides in the park:

• Alice in Wonderland
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Haunted Mansion
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Matterhorn Bobsleds
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Jungle Cruise

Disneyland Adventures also allows you to play adventures based on popular Disneyland rides.  Nathan tested out the Peter Pan adventure.  He enjoyed flying through the air, and seemed to understand which character he was controlling (that doesn’t always happen).

One of the reasons our family enjoys the Kinect is because its fun to play and to watch.  The D23  Kinect Demonstration area was basically like a people aquarium.  It was a great advertisement for the game since people could see in to the room and watch you have fun and look a little silly while you are playing the various adventures.

Disneyland Adventures, published by Microsoft Corporation, is scheduled to be released this November.  It’s definitely a game for the whole family that I plan to add to our collection.  I can’t wait to have Nathan try battling Captain Hook.  I will also use the game to introduce Nathan to the concept of collecting autographs from the Disney characters.  The game offers quite a bit of things to do including the ability to:

• Create memories. Whether it’s your first time or hundredth time exploring Disneyland park, relive your fondest memories or embark on a new adventure.
• Discover Disneyland park. Whether you want to go on an adventure in your favorite attraction or explore the entire park, “Kinect: Disneyland Adventures” allows you to play at your own pace and customize your own Disneyland park experiences right from your living room, whenever you want.
• Explore attractions. Experience your favorite Disneyland park attractions as immersive adventures — explore Neverland at Peter Pan’s side and take up your sword to fight Captain Hook; battle your way to the island in Pirates of the Caribbean; or partner with a friend to enjoy the fascinating world of Alice in Wonderland.
• Meet the characters. Share magical moments with your favorite Disney characters — hug a princess, high-five Mickey Mouse, collect autographs and accept quests.
• Collect and unlock. Collect Disney-themed items, rewards and Xbox 360 Achievements as you make your way through the park to discover new game experiences, including themed parades and firework displays.
• Cooperative play. Partner with a friend or family member to explore Disneyland park; have him or her jump in to lend a hand on difficult challenges and help you earn rewards. Designed to adjust difficulty based on skill, “Kinect: Disneyland Adventures” ensures that everyone is having fun and playing together.

This game is a lot of fun to play for both kids and adults and it’s perfect for families that love Disneyland!  Look for it to come out exclusively for the XBOX 360 this November!

Pre-order your copy today!

Jeramy Davis (0-0)/Tyree Johnson (1-2)- These 2 Super-Heavyweights slammed into each other for the first fight of the night.  Some quick strikes and hard slams led to exhaustion for both fighters.  After 3 rounds, Johnson evens up his record at 2-2 with a unanimous decision victory.

Zach Jefferson(0-0)/Jonathan Flores (0-0)- These two 170 lb fighters made their Roctagon debut.  Quick fists and a rear-naked choke make for a quick victory for Flores with only 1:23 into the first round.

Dave Zimmerman(0-0)/Daniel Coffman(1-0)- An explosive start and a quick achilles hold 21 seconds into the first round lead to an easy victory for Coffman.

Brian Knox(2-0)/Jake Hedrick (2-0)- “Anything you can do I can do better”, Jake Hedrick reverses full mounts and gets out of a triangle hold for a unanimous decision victory over Knox in the first 145 lb fight of the night.

Edwin Taylor(1-0)/Jerrett “Hightower” Scott (1-0)- An explosive start and explosive fists lead to an explosive finish for the hard-hitting Taylor.

Joshua Hardwick(0-0)/Alphie Reyes (1-0)- Reyes intensity and massive beard prove to be too much for the green Hardwick as Reyes ends the fight quickly with a rear-naked choke in the first.

Jeremiah Yeager(4-2)/Arman Allyev (2-2)- Yeager and Allyev have a stand-up showdown but Yeager walks away with a split decision victory.

Roger Blankenship(4-4)/Mark “Hollywood” MacDonald (4-4)- Both fighters look for their fifth win while the rivalry between Cleveland and Pittsburg goes deeper than football as Blankenship and MacDonald battle it out on the grid iron for their cities.  Cleveland’s own Roger Blankenship wins with a split decision over Pittsburg’s MacDonald to chants of Cleveland from the crowd.

Josh Lasich(1-0)/Mike “Soul Train” Karis (3-0)- First round- Lasich dominates with rear position over Karis for all of first with a brief breath of life from Karis at the end. Second round- Little bit of stand-up game quickly  goes to ground as Lasich gets rear position again, this time locking in a rear-naked choke and winning by submission.

Brandon Seyler(4-1)/Rob Miller (11-2)- The title fight of the night was between these two masters of the mat.  Miller was defending his title against the up and coming Seyler.  First round-A couple kicks from Miller lead to a hard takedown by Seyler…enter groundgame, where Miller and Seyler battle for strategic position.  Seylers energy and desire showed flashes early on, but it was Millers experience that took control of the round.  Second round-Millers experience didn’t have time to take control this time as Seyelers energy and ferociousness lead to a devastating chokehold submission for a huge upset over the champ.  Miller stayed down unconscious after the fight ended and medics rushed to his aid.  After revival, Miller clearly didn’t know where he was, and ran around the ring, swinging blindly, before climbing over the cage and wildly throwing his body to the ground.  The medic and friends again rushed to his aid, this time to calm him as well as  resuscitate him.  After making sure he was all right, Miller entered the ring to congratulate the new champion, Brandon Seyler.

Certainly an exciting night for fans with a huge upset to end the night.  Be sure to come to the next Roctagon event, once again at the Westside Masonic Temple November 17th…..who knows what you’ll see!

Photos by Scott T. Morrison / Discovery Photo

As stated, Frankenweenie is a remake of one of Burton’s earliest works.  Now having the means to really flesh out this story, he has decided to recreate the film as a stop-animated feature.  There are a few quirks to this method of filming, as many know, but Burton looks to be adding more.  As those who are familiar with the original short film are aware, it was filmed in black & white, evoking the spirit of the original Frankenstein.  For this new Frankenweenie, Burton is creating this animated feature in black & white as well.  He is also shooting the film in 3D.  These two factors make the film more intriguing to me, as the last notable stop-animated film to be shot in 3D was the wonderful Coraline, which looked great in that format.  There is a hand-crafted quality to stop-animation, which actually makes 3D more immersive.  Adding black & white to that equation is an element that should give Frankenweenie quite the unique aesthetic.

Participating in the production of the film are several Tim Burton regulars.  Danny Elfman will of course provide the score for the film.  Screenwriter John August (Big Fish) has adapted the original’s story into a full script.  As a chance in pace, neither Johnny Depp nor Helena Bonham Carter will be a part of the cast (as of yet, anyway); however the voice talent that is involved with the film includes Winona Ryder, Martin Landau, Catherine O’Hara, and Martin Short.  On hand to actually present on stage were producers Don Hahn and Allison Abbate, along with a special guest.  One of the Frankenweenie stop-animation models was present as well, with Abbate giving an example of how to actually pose these small models when it comes to shooting them on film.

While only a brief making-of featurette was shown at the panel, along with the stop-motion example on stage, I again found myself optimistic about this film.  It mainly has to do with the fact that Tim Burton is getting back to something that stemmed from his own mind.  His older films, such as Bettlejuice and Edward Scissorhands are great examples his imagination at work and revisting this old short film of his could turn into something quite enjoyable.

Disney’s Official Synopsis:

From creative genius Tim Burton comes Frankenweenie, a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

Frankenweenie is due to come out October 5, 2012.  Look below to watch the original short film.

The presentation for John Carter was similar to the others, but had more information to share.  Director Andrew Stanton came on stage and explained what John Carter is, which included a brief history lesson of sorts about the legacy of this character and how the original novels, from which the character originated, have been the biggest inspiration for a majority of the science fiction properties known by everyone today.  Stanton also explained a bit about what went into the making of the film.  What I found most interesting was his process for filming the actors portraying 12-foot tall aliens.  Rather than just dealing with that aspect in post-production, Stanton actually had the actors in motion capture suits, while standing and walking on stilts.  By doing this, he would have both his alien characters and regular sized actors be able to act more naturally, given the correct eye line to play off of each other during their interactions.

Stanton then brought out three stars of the film, including Taylor Kitsch (Tim Riggins! from Friday Night Lights and Gambit from X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Willem Dafoe, and Lynn Collins (also from X-Men Origins: Wolverine).  As the three arrived on stage and got to speak about being a part of the film, Stanton then announced that the audience would be treated to four separate scenes from the film.  The first scene involved John Carter and Dafoe’s alien character, Tars Tarkas meeting for the first time and John discovering that he can leap great bounds on Mars.  The second clip featured John Carter escaping from being bound inside of a cave, only to befriend a large Martian-type dog of sorts.  The third clip involved John and Collins’ character discussing John’s decision about possibly remaining on Mars to help fight for what is right.  The final clip looked like something out of the end of Attack of the Clones, as we found John and Tars facing off in a gladiator arena against a large creature.

The clips shown did enough to serve their purpose.  I have a good enough idea of what the tone of the film will be at this point.  What I have been most intrigued about concerning this film was the fact that Stanton, known for his work on directing Pixar films, would be handling his first live-action feature, which is an ambitious sci-fi adventure.  From the trailer, I could not say I was more excited about the film.  After seeing the footage, I am still optimistic, but it also did not raise my excitement.  I am confident in the subject matter and the people involved however, so I can certainly get behind this film, just as I did when Tron: Legacy was the big upcoming live-action film from Disney the previous year.

Something nice about this panel was the actual participation from the cast in answering some questions and inviting a bit of conversation about the actual making of the film.  While it was nice to have the other cast members of the other films that were present appear on stage and wave hello, I can appreciate having the cast actually involved in the film’s discussion on stage.  I would have to say this is most likely due to the fact that John Carter is basically an unknown property as far as the general movie audience is concerned and it will need all the support it can get, once it arrives in theaters this upcoming spring 2012.

Here’s the official synopsis from Disney:

From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, WALL-E), JOHN CARTER OF MARS brings this captivating hero to the big screen in a stunning adventure epic set on the wounded planet of Mars, a world inhabited by warrior tribes and exotic desert beings. Based on the first of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ ‘Barsoom Series,’ the film chronicles the journey of Civil-War veteran John Carter (Taylor Kitch), who finds himself battling a new and mysterious war amidst a host of strange Martian inhabitants, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins).

John Carter will be released in theaters and IMAX 3D on March 9, 2012.  Check out the trailer below:

The presentation for The Muppets was simple enough, but quite enjoyable nonetheless.  Star and screenwriter Jason Segel and Kermit the Frog arrived on stage and had some fun with the crowd.  The two then announced that they would be letting the audience have a look at two scenes from the film.  It was then noted that Miss Piggy would be arriving shortly, which worried Segel and Kermit, as they realized that the scenes being shown did not feature her at all.  Sure enough, Miss Piggy arrived on stage, riding in the sidecar of a motorcycle, and was upset once she learned that audiences would not be seeing her in the clips from the film.  Regardless, audiences were treated to some footage anyway.

The clips that were shown communicated exactly what one would hope for from a new Muppets movie.  The first clip was just a fun scene that set the tone for the film, which is that of that same level of joyful irreverence that has fueled past Muppets films.  Jason Segel, Amy Adams, and the new Muppet character, Walter all look to be having a lot of fun in this film.  The second clip was just classic Muppets.  The entire Muppets cast arrives at their old theater and decides to clean it up…the Muppets way, which means singing a popular rock song, while doing so.  Simple enough, but still charming and hilarious.  I was very happy to have this sneak peak at the film and I will definitely looking forward to seeing the whole thing as soon as it’s time to play the music and light the lights.

Official Movie Synopsis:

On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets’ former stomping grounds.  To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways:  Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate.  Directed by James Bobin (Flight of the Conchords) and written by Segel and Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) , The Muppets Movie features cameos by Zach Galifianakis, Billy Crystal, Jack Black, Alan Arkin, and Jean-Claude Van Damme, among others, The Muppets hits the big screen Nov. 23, 2011.

Start Your Muppet Fun Early By Ordering A Copy Of The Green Album:

The first presentation was all about Brave, the upcoming ancient adventure epic, featuring Pixar’s first female lead character as well as period setting.  Directors Mark Andrews (wearing a kilt) and Brenda Chapman were on hand to present some new behind the scenes footage and a full scene (though not completely finished) from the film.  The directors were then joined by stars Kelly Macdonald and Kevin McKidd on stage, who were proud to be a part of a new Pixar feature film.  While I am already a huge Pixar fan, I was happy to see just a small peak at what looks to be a very strong and ambitious entry into their film catalogue.

Disney’s Synopsis of Brave:

Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. In Brave, a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts. Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Witch (Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.

Brave was written by Brenda Chapman and Irene Mecchi and is directed by Chapman and Mark Andrews.  The film is scheduled for release on June 22, 2012.

Next up was a very small look at the prequel to Monsters, Inc.  Director Dan Scanlon was on hand to show off the new designs for Mike and Sulley in their college years, as well as announce some of the returning actors and newest additions for the voice cast.  Audiences then got to see a video featuring John Goodman and Billy Crystal, explaining how thrilled they were to be returning as these characters, only to then have Crystal enter onto the actual stage and explain in person how excited he was.  I know there are a lot of people who really fell in love with the original Monsters, Inc. and the characters in that film, so I can only hope that they will come to love this newest entry into that world as well.

News thus far about Monsters University:

Monsters University will be a prequel, which focuses on Sulley and Mike’s studies at the University of Fear, where they start off as rivals but soon become best friends.  The feature will be directed by Dan Scanlon and produced by Kori Rae. It was also announced that John Goodman, Billy Crystal and Steve Buscemi will be reprising their roles. New voice cast includes Dave Foley, Julia Sweeney, Joel Murray and Peter Sohn. Monsters University will be released June 21^st, 2013.

The Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs

Very little information was given about the Pixar film set to come out after Monsters University, but an intriguing enough setup was given:

What if that life-changing asteroid missed Earth?  Director Bob Peterson’s hilarious tale depicts a world where dinosaurs never went extinct.

The film does not have a title yet, but it does have quite the interesting setup for a premise.  The film is being directed by Bob Peterson and Peter Sohn, and is scheduled for release on November 27, 2013

The Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside the Mind

Just as little information was given about the 2014 Pixar film as well:

Pixar takes audiences on incredible journeys into extraordinary worlds: from the darkest depths of the ocean to the top of the Tepui Mountains in South America; from the fictional metropolis of Monstropolis to a futuristic fantasy of outer space. From director Pete Docter (Up and Monsters, Inc.) and producer Jonas Rivera (Up), the inventive new film will take you to a place that everyone knows, but no one has ever seen: the world inside the human mind.  The film is scheduled for release on May 30, 2014.

While Brave was certainly the film I was anticipating to see new footage of, I was very pleased with this presentation of all the future Pixar films.  There was a lot to chew on here, with some really interesting ideas and creative talent involved for their upcoming projects.  As the presentation was ending, John Lasseter did have one more surprise as well.  As Pixar is celebrating its 25^th year as an animation studio, life-size Buzz and Woody characters appeared on stage with a large cake for all of the Pixar crew and directors who were currently on stage as well.  Lasseter then proclaimed that he should always have enough for everyone, which was followed by the announcement, “Cupcakes for everyone!”  Teams of people then entered the floor, with boxed of cupcakes for the massive D23 Arena audience.  It was a nice and tasty way for Pixar to end their pretty spectacular presentation.

Disney provided the summary seen below:

Some of us are born to be bad, but that doesn’t mean we have to like it. Walt Disney Animation Studios and Emmy®-winning director Rich Moore (TV’s “The Simpsons,” “Futurama”) take moviegoers on a hilarious, video-game-hopping journey in “Wreck-It Ralph,” the story of an arcade game Bad Guy determined to prove he can be a Good Guy. Produced by Clark Spencer (“Lilo & Stitch,” “Bolt”) and featuring the voices of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch, the CG comedy adventure will hit theaters on Nov. 2, 2012, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.

Says Moore, “I love the idea of a very simple 8-bit video game character struggling with the complex question: ‘isn’t there more to life than the role I’ve been assigned?’ In his quest for the answer, we journey with our hero through three visually distinct video game worlds. It’s unlike anything anyone’s seen before, and I’m thrilled to be to creating it here at Walt Disney Animation Studios.”

Wreck-It Ralph (voice of Reilly) longs to be as beloved as his game’s perfect Good Guy, Fix-It Felix (voice of McBrayer). Problem is, nobody loves a Bad Guy. But they do love heroes… so when a modern, first-person shooter game arrives featuring tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Lynch), Ralph sees it as his ticket to heroism and happiness. He sneaks into the game with a simple plan—win a medal—but soon wrecks everything, and accidently unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens every game in the arcade. Ralph’s only hope? Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Silverman), a young troublemaking “glitch” from a candy-coated cart racing game who might just be the one to teach Ralph what it means to be a Good Guy. But will he realize he is good enough to become a hero before it’s “Game Over” for the entire arcade?

The presentation was exciting enough.  The film’s director, Rich Moore, gave audiences a sneak peak at the film.  We were able to see the film’s opening, which was still early in development.  No animation, only storyboards and some early concept art ideas were presented.  That said, it was very funny, definitely due to the presence of John C. Reilly as the lead character.  Appearing in person were two members of the cast, Jack McBrayer and Sarah Silverman.  Overall, there was enough to the presentation, which has me anticipating its release quite a bit.  I mean…it’s a cartoon that has fun playing with video game conventions.  I’m sold on this, so well played Disney.

The Avengers presentation began before the new footage was shown with a reel that highlighted all the important moments in the previous five Marvel movies (Iron Man 1 & 2, The Incredibly Hulk, Thor, Captain America), including the end credit scenes. Those were edited between the following words, “From Technology, To Mythology, From Science, To Legend, Has All Been Leading to This.”  Producer Kevin Feige then came out, talked about being a Disney geek, and said there are only two weeks left of shooting but he wanted to show something special to D23.  What followed was a scene and a montage of new footage, which I will attempt to describe.

The scene began with Loki (Tom Hiddleston) being locked in a large, circular glass room that looked very high tech.  Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) then entered the area, pressed a button and assured Loki that he is locked up tight.  At this point, it is revealed that they are aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and very high in the sky.  Fury states that Loki will be dropped from 30,000 feet in the air if he were to try and escape.  Loki calmly states that he is aware of his situation, but is also aware that the room he is locked in was not originally meant for him, as it is too large.  Loki and Fury then bicker about the tesseract (the Cosmic Cube), which grants ultimate power, followed by Loki calling Fury desperate, as he needed so many superheroes to stop him.  As we watch this discussion, it is revealed that the Avengers are watching it as well, via security camera.  As Fury leaves the room, while Loki stares at the security camera, Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) states, “He really does grow on you, doesn’t he?”

The next segment starts off with Nick Fury addressing S.H.I.E.L.D.’s original plan of bringing together all of the powerful and extraordinary people of the world together as a team, in order to preserve the world’s safety.  And then all the crazy awesomeness kicks in.  A ton of different shots from the film involving the different Avengers appear, as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) singles out Loki as being responsible for, “pissing all of them off.”  After seeing these various shots that include Cap jumping away from explosions in his new suit, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Cap fighting, Iron Man mid flight, and shots of Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in action, the real tease kicks in.  Loki states, “I have an army.”  Stark responds, “We have a Hulk.”  Cut to the first shot of Hulk screaming into the camera! Credits.

As the cheers raged on, Kevin Feige then introduced a number of the cast members who were basically available to wave hello to the crowd.  The stars present included Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Scarlett Johansson, and Cobie Smulders.  Downey Jr. naturally took control of the mic and got the crowd all riled up even more.  After seeing the footage once, the cast made us aware that they had not seen this before and asked if we wanted to see it again.  The answer was obviously yes, and the footage was played again.  Feige stated that this footage would not be available for a while, so it was certainly a good way to show some exclusive footage and build the buzz on what looks to be a pretty kick ass film.  The Avengers assemble May 4, 2012.

I had the chance to talk to Nickie from Chula Vista, CA, and ask her a few questions.

Why did you decide to sleep out?

I like Stephanie Meyers and the Twilight series, and I was really hoping to meet the cast. Also I wanted to make sure I get into Hall H, I really want to see the movie clips!

What is your favorite Book/Movie in the series and why?

Breaking Dawn is my favorite book. Bella’s transformation into the vampire world and how her relationship with Edward finally comes together.

Well I have to ask are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?

I love them both! And also Bella! I have my tickets for next year’s Comic Con already!

It was a long cold night but the reward was beyond what I could have imagined. We where treated to breakfast. They passed out water, orange juice, bananas’, and assorted muffins. They also passed out Breaking Dawn mugs and posters.

This was my first year at Comic Con, I really didn’t expect this, it was really cool. In my eyes it shows that Summit and the cast of Breaking Dawn care for their fans as much as the fans do for them! And if that wasn’t enough, Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen), Nikki Reed (Rosalie Hale), Elizabeth Reaser (Esme Cullen), Booboo Stewart (Seth Clearwater), Julia Jones (Leah Clearwater) came out into the crowds and started signing autographs, taking pictures, talking to fans. They where actually going up and down the lines. It was amazing that they would just jump right into the lines, and it’s not like they signed a few autographs and left, they stayed for an hour or so. And if I may say, the ladies of Twilight are so gorgeous, what makes them even more beautiful was the kindness that they showed their fans. They took time with them and gave a lot of people some very special memories!

Finally around 10:45 we made our way into Hall H. Once inside of Hall H, with a crowd of over 6,000 fans the cast took the stage! The panel included: Bill Condon (Director), Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan), Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen), Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black), Elizabeth Reaser (Esme) , Nikki Reed (Rosalie), and Ashley Greene (Alice).

The first clip they showed was about Jacob: It begins with Jacob talking to Esme and Carlisle. “Carlisle you’re the enemy now” Jacob warns. “Sam won’t hesitate, you will be slaughtered.”  Jacob also admits that the Cullen’s clan is indeed a family. “This is a family as strong as the one I was born into.” I know what I have to do.”

Taylor about his character: “Jacob at the beginning is the Jacob you know, then his heart is crushed.”  “He is forced to grow up, and become a different person.”

Another clip they showed The honeymoon at Isle Esme. Everyone went crazy!!

Bella and Edward walk into the bedroom, “You tired?”  he asked.  She shakes her head no. He invites her to swim. “I could use a few human minutes,” she says. He kisses her forehead, and then opens a sliding door leading to a private beach, and undresses as he walks towards the water. Hall H went wild. Let me just add Rob has been working out for this movie. So HOT! Bella is in the bathroom, giving herself a little pep talk as she looks in the mirror. She brushes her teeth, brushes her hair, and shaves her legs, and pick through some lingerie. It’s too much for her, she holds her head on the floor.

She walks out onto the beach in just a towel, she drops the towel, naked in the moonlight she strolls into the water where Edward waits, already swimming in the water, naked.

The place goes crazy again!!!!

The fans got to ask questions, but my favorite was from a little girl. She asked Rob, “Do you like having a baby with Bella?”

His answer: “I like babies. It was fun, especially in this series. You’re playing the statuesque guy, but as soon as you have a baby no one can contain their emotions, which is what Edward has been doing this whole time.”

Check out some of my photos below. Hope you like them, I had a blast!

Also check out the pic to see if Brian White is Team Edward or Team Jacob!

Spartacus: Vengeance

The interview roundtables were held on Friday, July 22nd at the beautiful Hilton Bayfront hotel.   The star participants included Liam McIntyre, Lucy Lawless, Manu Bennett, Dustin Clare, Katrina Law and executive producer Steven S. DeKnight.   They were all on hand to discuss everything related to the prequel, the first season and the hotly anticipated second season…no holds barred.   I will present them below in the order as they were conducted (please excuse the poor iPhone pictures).  For anyone that does not want to listen to the audio interviews in their entirety I was also nice enough to very briefly summarize what was said by each actor.   Why?  Because I’m such a nice guy!

Liam McIntyre (Spartacus) and Steven DeKnight

Newcomer Liam McIntyre claimed he was already a big fan of the show before trying out.   He said he lost so much weight for the role.   He talked about his rigorous diet and the boot camp he underwent last September.  He said there were two days in particular that were the toughest.

DeKnight talked about Andy Whitfield’s departure from the show and his wishes to want the show to continue.  He said he was not trying to cast to recreate the physical appearance of Andy, but instead for talent.

Lucy Lawless (Lucretia)

Lucy recounts how her character lost a lot in Season 1.  She said her character will fight for survival in Season 2, but she’s got a master plan and endgame in sight.  She also talked about the show’s great writing.  She went on to admit that she is a bit nervous without John Hannah this season.   She says that Viva Bianca will bring more intrigue to the show.  She finished by talking about the sheer amount of money that goes into the show and how her character in Season 2 will initially be desolate, but will quickly get her mojo back.

Manu Bennett (Crixus)

Manu commented on how the scripts for the show are great.  He said in the second season there will still be a struggle between his character and Spartacus because of their different nationalities.  He said the second season will have lots of retribution.   He claims the appeal of the show is that viewers love the show and the characters no matter if they are villains or good guys.  He expanded upon his love for working on the show by saying that the actors are allowed to give insight and ideas about their characters to Steven DeKnight.  He says nothing stays the same.   He also said that camera and special effects have upped the game and that the aerial landscape shot in the Season 2 trailer will blow you away now that they are out in the real world.

Katrina Law (Mira)

Katrina says that Mira’s biggest journey in Season 2 is figuring out who she is, how does she fit into this new world and what does it mean to be free.  She says that Mira loves Spartacus because of the tender way he acts and how he treated his wife.  She claims there are not a lot of pranks on the set because there is a lot of ground to cover and tight shooting schedules.  She commented on the brilliant one liners we all came to know and love from the show.  She said they just finished episode 6 before breaking for a short hiatus.  She is excited to see Mira’s journey.  When asked, she said the actors get the script 1-1.5 weeks beforehand.  She also said we will see a lot of female slaves this year.  She went on to say that the sets are so varied and she is really proud of the show.  She is appreciative of her role.  She finished by saying that she watched the prequels as a fan much like the first 10 episodes of Season 1.  And oh yeah…I can’t forget this.  She called me out at the table and asked me if I interviewed her before.  When I said yes, she said she knew my name was familiar.   Needless to say, I had a sh1t eating grin on my face.   That full interview can be found here.

Dustin Clare (Gannicus)

I don’t know what it is about this guy, but I loved him in the prequels and he really impressed me in person, but I digress.   Dustin shied away from the initial question asked of him because he cannot giveaway the plot of Season 2 and how the characters will all meet up.  He says his character has a strong sense of purpose and won’t be swayed by anyone.  He would not elaborate on any character relationships.  He did know ahead of time that he would be in Season 2.  Lucky man!   He confirmed that 5 years of fictional time has elapsed between the prequel series and Season 2.  He said he was not included in the hunt for Andy’s replacement.  He also said he did a musical in Australia.  He said there will be romantic subplots and women in his life in Season 2.  He said gladiator school was hard and again and not easy at all.   He expanded by saying that he doesn’t eat a lot and does lots of stunts.   He finished that thought by saying the stunt team was nominated for an Emmy for the fight scene in episode 6 of the prequel and that the fight scene took 8 days to film.  He answered my final question by saying that Season 2 will both be about revenge and being hunted.

So let me ask.   Are you all as excited as I am?   Because…I cannot ‘effing wait!   Gladiators!

Season 2′s trailer premiered first at the Comic-Con panel on Friday, July 22nd.  It has since been shared with members of the press.   Make sure to check it out below as well as some of our exclusive balcony pictures I snapped of the cast at the Hilton Bayfront hotel.   What a beautiful view!   Enjoy!

So with that all being said, I am pleased to share with you my 17-minute conversation with two of my newest favorites, Adam Rifkin and Tim Sullivan.  And if those names sound familiar to you, then they should.  They just so happened to be involved and responsible for a little cult favorite of mine, Detroit Rock City.  By the way, can we get this out on Blu-ray already?!  Click below to listen to the audio interview in its entirety.  Enjoy!

Comic-Con 2011: Interview with CHILLERAMA’s Adam Rifkin and Tim Sullivan by Darkest Night Productions

If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the full review of Chillerama here.

Chillerama

Up first is the segment of the film known as  “Wadzilla” and it is directed and written by  Adam Rifkin.  Rifkin is notably known because of a little cult classic he once directed, Detroit Rock City.  The 1950′s monster movie spoof is about a guy that goes to get his sperm count checked and through some prescribed medication, he ends up creating one hell of a big sperm that ultimately attacks New York City.   Tell me you read that sentence without chuckling.  I dare you!  Yep, that’s right…a killer sperm.  Picture a giant sperm-like Pac Man creature with razor sharp teeth and there’s your vision of a killer sperm.

The second segment in Chillerama is called “I Was a Teenage Werebear.”  It is directed and written by Tim Sullivan and stars Sean Paul Lockhart, Gabby West, Anton Troy, Lin Shaye, Adam Robitel and even Ron Jeremy.   Basically, it’s both a musical and a spoof of Rebel Without a Cause, Grease and The Twilight Saga.  You may remember Lin from a little successful film already this year called Insidious.  And Ron Jeremy…well his name goes without saying.  I can honestly say that after hanging with the cast after the film’s premiere last Friday night, they are all a swell bunch of werebears and I’m happy to have met their acquaintance.

Up next was the main reason I was there, in support of my main man.  “The Diary of Anne Frankenstein” is directed and written by Adam Green.  The black and white film about Hitler trying to create the perfect killing machine to win the war stars Avatar and Hatchet‘s Joel Moore.   Moore plays Hitler and his bumbling vernacular, complete with English subtitles, steals the show.  “It was a mash, it was a monster mash!”  And to hear the crowd clapping along as Adam’s segment closed was just music to my ears.

And last but certainly not least, “Zom B Movie” is a spoof of 70′s and 80′s zombie films.  It was directed and written by Joe Lynch.  In the end, there’s a reason why this segment is last in the anthology.   It ties together all the events woven in between each segment.   I guess I should back up a minute here and let you all know that Chillerama is actually an anthology capsulated within its own film.   That’s right.   You heard me.   Chillerama is its own film that just so happens to encompass all the segments and Joe Lynch’s finale brilliantly, in my opinion (rules of three), sends this film off in a promising way all horror and gore hounds will love.

So here’s the thing folks.   Chillerama is ghoulishly good and delicious.   Its like getting your favorite candy as a kid after an exhausting night of trick ‘r treating.  There’s no way around it.   If you are a fan of “old school” horror and comedy, there’s no way you can’t have fun with this one.  And if you can’t, then you are already a brain dead zombie to me.   Chillerama will have you in stitches one moment and gasping in disbelief at the rude, crude and gruesome events unfolding onscreen the next.  You won’t find anything more offensive than this film and I mean that in the nicest of ways.  I sincerely do.

Before the film’s screening, there was a short question and answer session with all four directors.  Now tell me.   How cool is that?  The full length audio from the Q&A can be listened to below in it’s entirety.  The audio is a bit rough because well, let’s face it…their PA system wasn’t the best.   It wasn’t my fault.   Honestly!  But it’s still worth a listen, IMO.

Comic-Con 2011: Chillerama Q&A by Darkest Night Productions

As you heard in the above audio file, the film premiered to the captive Gas Lamp Cinema crowd raw and uncut, meaning some of the special effects were not completed as of yet.   However, that did not stop me from enjoying this one and eating up every delicious morsel Rifkin, Sullivan, Green and Lynch had to offer.   This is the feature every director in the aforementioned genres would love to make and have fun with and these four guys are doing just that…living the dream.

There is talk of a month long drive-in tour in support of the release of Chillerama.  Unfortunately, I do not know the when, where and other pertinent details just yet.  However, I do know the following.  When Chillerama makes it’s way to home video later this year, there will be a place on my Blu-ray shelves for it.  That’s confirmed, baby!  Until then, if you get the chance to experience this the way it was meant to be seen…at the drive-in, then by all means go for it!   Do it for America!   It’s an America tradition (past time) after all.  It’s almost like a civic duty.  You have to go!  Come to Cleveland, OH…PLEASE guys!

First up…Machete!  Machete Kills and Machete Kills again have been greenlit!  The third film is supposed to be a space opera.  He announced that Spy Kids 4 will be presented in 4D with an aromascope.  Also, the following news will make many Rodriguez and Miller fans very happy.  Sin City 2 will start filming this year or it won’t happen at all.  He would love to do it in 3D and it’s now titled A Dame To Kill For.

But perhaps, even more important, Mr. Rodriguez was very ecstatic to discuss his newest production company called Quick Draw Productions.  It’s a film production company that can develop, finance, greenlight and produce films.  That will allow him and his team to focus on story and character.

Quick Draw’s first project will be Heavy Metal.  His biggest announcement, according to him, was the partnership with AMD that will push the production boundaries of technology in his films.  He has worked with them for the past 10 years.

And last but not least, he also announced another project called Fire and Ice based on the artwork of Frank Frazetta.

When does this guy sleep?

Guillermo Del Toro was on hand to give fans a sneak peak at his newest upcoming horror film, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.  He was joined by stars Guy Pearce and Ron Perlman.  Director Nicolas Winding Refn was also there to show us some scenes from his upcoming film, starring Ryan Gosling, called Drive.  They both look pretty appealing if I do say so myself.

Up next, Fox treated fans to some extended footage of a film I am really looking forward to, Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  Also, Justin Timberlake (who did not seem to want to pose for pictures) was on stage bringing sexy back along with the beautiful Amanda Seyfried to give fans a sneak peak at their upcoming film called In Time.  And oh yeah…there was this little film they showed some clips of too.  What was that name?  Oh yeah!  Prometheus!  Anyone ever hear of it?  Charlize Theron was live on stage as the moderator and her talked to Ridley Scott via videoconferencing.

Check ut some of our exclusive photos below.  Enjoy!

So anyway, the following is a quick summary of everything that went down in the 45-minute panel…

To begin the panel, an exclusive Season 2 Comic-Con 2011 highlight reel was shown to the screaming audience.

The day of the panel, July 23rd, just so happened to be Paul’s birthday.

The panel talked a little bit about the character of Stefan and his dark place he will be in during Season 3.

They spent some time joking around with Nina and her dual roles.

There were also some joking moments when they talked about the characters of Caroline and Tyler and if they hooked up how they would have puppies.

The moderators asked the actors what roles they would want to play.  There were some entertaining answers.  Candice was the only one that responded that she was perfectly happy with her Caroline character.

A female audience member asked Paul for his name sign.  He got embarrassed.  He eventually got up in front of the screaming audience and personally delivered it to the lucky fan.

The Vampire Diaries is the most popular US show in Brazil.  I just thought you should know that!

And now…drum roll please…enjoy the following select pictures that I was able to capture at the 2011 Vampire Diaries Comic-Con panel.

Horror fans will have a chance to catch an exclusive first glimpse of Image Entertainment’s highly anticipated horror anthology film CHILLERAMA during the world famous San Diego Comic Con 2011 with a special sneak preview of the film on Friday evening, July 22^nd at the Gaslamp 15 Cinemas. After the screening, stay for a Q&A with ALL FOUR DIRECTORS – Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Adam Rifkin and Tim Sullivan – moderated by DreadCentral.com’s Steve “Uncle Creepy” Barton!

Produced by ArieScope Pictures and in the spirit of classic “omnibus” films like Dead of Night, Tales From the Crypt, Creepshow and Twilight Zone: The Movie, CHILLERAMA offers something for every bad taste.  With titles like “Wadzilla,” “I Was A Teenage Werebear,” The Diary of Anne Frankenstein,” and “Zom-B-Movie,” CHILLERAMA features appearances by Joel David Moore (Avatar, Hatchet), Lin Shaye (Insidious), Ray Wise (X-Men: First Class), Kane Hodder (Hatchet and Hatchet II), Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, Sharktopus) and more cameos than one can (body) count, CHILLERAMA is a festival of gore, guts, goofiness and good times.

Dr. Who Toys!

2 of my favorites side-by-side!

Everyone’s favorite serial killer!

This sign is made up of thousands of little cars.

You gotta get around somehow, right?

Just what the world needs.

Bieber fever!  I took this for you, Gerard!

It looks like it’s for real.

I took this one for you, Sean.

Looks like there’s a Lego TV special coming in the fall.

February 2, 2012 is the 3-D release date of Episode 1.

Last but not least here is a friend I made.

In addition to conceptualizing the project as a TV show over  a movie, it was also Murphy’s idea to create the tour which features cast members Lea Michele (Rachel), Chris Colfer (Kurt), Dianna Agron (Quinn), Cory Monteith (Finn), Amber Riley (Mercedes), Kevin McHale (Artie), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina), Naya Rivera (Santana), Harry Shum Jr. (Mike), Chord Overstreet (Sam), Ashley Fink (Lauren), Darren Criss (Blaine), Mark Salling (Puck), and oh-my-god-girl-can-you-dance Heather Morris (Brittany).  On June 14th, 2011, this amazing cast made Cleveland home for a night as they took to the stage at Quicken Loans Arena.  So how was this unconvential transition from TV to stage?  Before we answer that, we need to check out the opening act.

If you’ve never visited www.TheLXD.com, you need to do that right now.  Go ahead.  I’ll wait.  This article is still going to be here when you get back.  For those not familiar, LXD stands for the Legion of Extraordinary Dancers.  Created by director Jon Chu (Step Up 3D), this web-based series (which is also available on DVD) follows a good versus evil plot line focused around dance.  Their dancing builds momentum and energy which can manifest itself into a physically damaging weapon.  You’ll experience hip-hop, breakdancing, expressionist/modern dance, pop lockers and some people that are darn near acrobats.  Taking the stage for about 20 minutes, the LXD troupe featured approximately 8 dancers, all taking their turns on stage to wow the crowd.  However, there were fleeting moments when the choreography actually allowed them to go all out.  Quite frequently, it was far too contained and fragmented for the most part, prohibiting that energy from reaching the audience for the maximum effect.  Make no mistake; this group can bring it any day of the week.  I just wish their choreographer let ‘em bring it that often.

After some 40 mnutes of downtime, the lights finally went down again and the 16,000+ audience unleashed a shrill yet positive scream of approval (it seems that Glee‘s got a significant teenie-bopper fanbase).  My prediction was the show would close with Journey’s famous “Don’t Stop Believing,” a song made hugely popular once again through its revival on the first season of Glee.  As it turns out, I was completely wrong and this is what the show opened with.  The place went nuts and as for the cast members, well, they pulled it off with spunk and energy, not to mention a heaping round of solid notes.  The entire show is comprised of songs performed on the show, and while doing so, the cast remained in character.  This added a little bit of well-placed humor to the evening and pretty much gave the audience what they wanted.

Some of the other highlights of the evening included Heather Morris’ performance of Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U,” which she pulled off with incredible ease and sex appeal.  This girl has moves and believe me, she knows how to use them.  Kevin McHale gave a dance-inducing delivery of Michael Jackson’s “P.Y.T.” while Harry Shum Jr. danced his seemingly boneless body around the stage.  Even Darren Criss brought out his pack of Warblers (which drew more than a few favorably mammoth screams of approval) for some smooth-steppin’ tunes backed up by some very prominent stage presence.  Minus the Warblers, the whole Glee cast came out for an abridged version of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” while donned in white t-shirts labeled with their characters’ flaws.  The most savvy performance of the night has to go to Chris Colfer and Lea Michele’s “Happy Days Are Here Again / Get Happy.”  It was nothing short of beautiful and was easily one of the most memorable moments in the entire show, and let me just add, Lea Michele is something incredible in person.  This girl just belts out one tune after another with depth and passion.

So with that in mind, fans of the Fox show will most certainly get their money worth.  For those with no opinion of Glee, I would still recommend catching this act when it’s in town, simply because it’s just damn good music and a box full of talent (not a little box either…like an arena-sized box).  And for those who don’t like Glee, well doom on you, sourpuss.  The cast gave us attendees 90 amazing minutes of entertainment and I did not see one person exit that building without a smile emblazoned on their face…including yours truly.

Regardless of which stars would be present, it seems like an opportunity like this was not one I should have passed up.  These kinds of events only seem to imply fun, as they are all about supporting a good cause, while also getting the chance to enjoy a fun activity.  In the case of this event, I really wanted to see stars race around in go-karts, while having a fun time, and that is exactly what I got to see and do.  Along with the support of several celebrities providing fun commentary during the race, a few musical performances on the stage next to the track, and some other guest appearances, having a group of young stars, lead by an older celeb heading up each go-kart team was a whole lot of fun.

Stars at the event included Alfonso Ribeiro (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), Steve-O (Jackass), Justin “JC” Jones (Glee), Verne Troyer (Austin Powers), Nike Pro-Skater Danny Supa, Mark Christopher Lawrence (Chuck), Christopher Daniels (TNA Wrestling, ROH), Thomas DeCoud from the Atlanta Falcons, Dorian Gregory (Charmed), Darren Sharper from the New Orleans Saints, Gary Sturgis (Diary of a Mad Black Woman), Miss California International – Brittany Wagner, recording artist Mann, and NFL Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson.  Many younger stars were present as well, as they were the most willing participants in the actual go-karting.  These younger stars included Kyle Massey, Christopher Massey, Jared Kusnitz, Danika Yarosh, Zach Callison, Austin Anderson, Dan Benson, Kenton Duty, and Jordan Monaghan.  Honestly, there were so many young stars present that I just gave up on listing their credits.  The list of people I have presented here only makes up about a third of the stars present at this very fun tournament event.

Once the red carpet cleared out and the event finally started to get underway, audiences were treated to a number of the celebrities making announcements about all of the participating charities and organizations that they were at the event supporting, along with a general dose of entertainment, as everyone was around to have a good time.  Following these announcements was a performance by the R&B duo Mona Lisa, who have toured with artists such as Beyonce and look to be on the verge of breaking out.  After this performance, the race finally began, as actor Verne Troyer took the stage as the official starter for the tournament.  As he declared racers to start their (go-kart) engines, members of the various go-kart teams were ready to do their best at racing around the track in record times.  It was in fact the times taken for each lap that would determine how well their charity would benefit from a grand prize at the end of the tournament.  As each team began to race, the tournament would continue to be hosted by Eric Dickerson and actor Gary Sturgis, who would be providing commentary throughout.

Of course, the most important aspect of this whole event was the cause that everyone was here in support of, which was to benefit the American Diabetes Association.  The American Diabetes Association is the nation’s leading nonprofit charity providing diabetes research, information and advocacy.  Various non-profit organizations and health facilities were willing to reach out and show their support and involvement with the tournament as well, including the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, St. Jude’s Research Center, City of Hope Centers, The Salvation Army, Boys & Girls Club of America, Autism Speaks, and Shriners Hospital.  Attending celebrities would be leading one of sixteen children’s team in hopes of winning a cash prize, which would be donated to the organization of their choice.

As stated by event organizer Stacy Lyles, “It is definitely a family event that will show the public an interactive and engaging way to save a child’s life and have fun at the same time.”  This seemed to certainly be the case, as lots of fun was had by all of the stars and audiences alike.  The tournament played a big part, but the event also featured interactive games, musical performances, health culinary demonstrations, professional trainers, and the latest on diabetes prevention and advances.  All of the stars were certainly ready and willing to interact with others there just to have a good time, as no one was too busy to stop, take photos, and chat with their fans.  I certainly had a nice time, as it was a nice way to continue easing into an exciting summer.

Find out more information here:

http://www.diabetes.org

http://www.k1speed.com/

Check out a small video I made of the actual race here:

And feel free to check out many more pictures I took here (click to enlarge):

Jacob:  I’m gonna make a list.  I got like a million things I wanna do.

Harvey Keitel stars in the film as Duke White.  Duke literally begins the film with a noose around his neck, as he prepares to kill himself.  He hasn’t been an ideal father to his five boys.  Known for being a bad gambler and famous fight fixer, any of the luck that Duke has had has certainly run out. The sons return to their family home in Niagara Falls, for their father’s funeral, only to learn of another terrible thing about their father during the reading of his will.  Years ago, Duke signed up his three eldest sons for unsafe drug tests that turned out to have dire consequences: the boys’ life expectancy have been substantially reduced.  This is news that obviously stirs up things significantly for the boys, who each decide to handle their new found expiration date differently.

The sons include Cal (Scott Caan), a womanizer, who decides to hook up with an old flame, Miranda (Tricia Helfer), despite her record for not keeping a husband too long, due to their untimely demise.  Then there is Jacob (Paulo Costanzo), who is known for being bright and cautious, but has now decided to grab life by the…well he’s going to take a lot more risks now, more than ever, and he’ll be accompanied by the youngest brother, Todd (Siam Yu).  Finally, you have Nuts (Jason Jones), the eldest son, who was once a boxer, now helping to train his other brother, the slow witted Juicy (Jared Keeso), despite his reservations about involving himself in a seedy business.  All of the boys will be accomplishing a lot over the course of the next couple of days, so hopefully a little word of advice from their uncle (the always great J.K. Simmons) and possibly some outside interference from Duke will provide some further help.

While enjoyable in a light sort of way, I think one of the main problems I had with this movie is that I could not get past how unreal these characters felt.  These are only people that would exist in a movie.  Now obviously this is a movie, which could make one assume that there shouldn’t be a problem, but I think it is the fact that these characters have been written so overtly as ones who are supposed to be funny, quirky, charming, and witty in the most fitting kinds of ways, that the story does not seem so much to lend itself to naturally progressing as it seems to just be going through its very written structure.  Basically, the film may be trying too hard to have you like these characters, overlooking some of the qualities that would have them be more realistically relatable.

Now, having said that, the actors involved manage to do what they can, mostly very well.  Caan has played this type of character many times, but it is a comfortable role for him to play, as a smooth talking sleaze.  Costanzo has done the know-it-all thing many times, but I like watching him on screen.  I really enjoyed Jason Jones as the eldest son, as his character arc actually had the most weight to it, while enough pathos was effectively created for the character.  And of course, J.K. Simmons can do practically anything, as he is simply saddled with nailing several fitting lines of dialogue, but does so effortlessly.  I did also enjoy seeing Keitel, as his authority in films is generally quite strong, but it only went so far to serve the story, as he was basically a comedic narrator in the background.

As a whole, the film’s story manages to work itself into a fitting tale that involves multiple characters, all intertwining, making chance encounters, and benefiting each other in various ways.  I mentioned Guy Ritchie early on for a reason, as the style is one thing, but the fact that this film functions like a truncated version of Snatch seems very apparent (there is even a climatic Boxing match).  Having received that vibe while watching the film, it is not something that bothered me; it just made the film seem a bit less fresh, as I was very aware of the kind of comic beats I knew it needed to hit.

The direction is another big part of this film.  Writer/director Jonathan Sobol and his crew have gone through large efforts to add plenty of style throughout.  Utilizing split screens, slow motion, rapid editing moments, different film stocks and color grading, this film is all over the place in terms of tackling intriguing adventures in fun cinematography.  It is certainly a way to keep this film from feeling like it was ever slowing down, and at just over 90 minutes, I do give credit to the film having pretty solid pacing throughout.

I also credit the film for its general level of fun.  Despite many things that could be seen as problems, the film is very much a crowd pleaser.  The actors all get along well, Keitel’s voice over and flashbacks lead to some pretty funny moments, and the overall spirit of the film is breezy enough to not mind the lack of stakes that should be present for characters that are basically facing death in their near futures.  I was also happy to see the film take advantage of its location at and around Niagara Falls.  As the producer pointed out before the screening began, it is not an area that I have seen very often in film, let alone the actual city around the water.

A Beginner’s Guide to Endings is a very serviceable comedy.  I am sorry if that comes off worse than it sounds, but despite its flaws, the film does have a nice charm and energy to it, which makes it worth catching at some point.  There are fun moments and I can always appreciate a cast that has good chemistry.  The story is not exactly fresh, but it does have fun with what it accomplishes, and mixed with the relatively speedy pace and flashy direction, it is enough to have kept me entertained.

What the hell is wrong with this family?

Click on the poster below to visit the Newport Beach Film Festival website.  As this was my last screened film for the festival, be sure to find all the Festival reviews I have written at Why So Blu HERE.  One final note, it has been a fun and exhausting week, as I was able to screen many films, meet a lot of good people (filmmakers and others alike), and have a generally wonderful time throughout the festival.  Ideally, I would have written a more in depth article about the festival as a whole, but I just honestly do not have the time to properly assemble an appropriate and substantial article to my liking.  With that in mind, I just want to say thank you to all involved with the festival, as they put on a very solid event that I look forward to attending next year.

Warwick:  You can’t kill me, I’m having a dinner party.

The film begins with John (Clayne Crawford), an injured criminal, currently on the run after dropping off a large sum of money he has stolen in a bank robbery.  As police are currently tracking him down, John needs to get off the streets.  He soon finds himself in front of the home of Warwick (David Hyde Pierce).  Posing as a friend of a friend, John claims to have recently arrived in Los Angeles, but lost his luggage at the airport in the process, and was mugged during his travel, leaving him with only the option of contacting Warwick.  Warwick finds the story convincing enough to let John into his home, despite plans to host a dinner party in an hour’s time.

[Note: Since the film’s theatrical trailer (let alone some of my pictures) gives away a key twist that is revealed early on, I am going to say skip the following paragraph if you really want to stay in the dark on the first surprise.]

Following a few glasses of wine, John and Warwick soon hear about John’s own infamy on the radio, leading to John giving up the act and revealing his true nature to Warwick.  However, Warwick has his own surprise for John, as a reversal is pulled and John finds himself at the mercy of Warwick’s own insane game.  Now trapped inside the house of a sophisticated and fun-loving sociopath, John has now become the featured guest of the night.

Knowing very little about this movie going in, the film pulled the rug out from under me several times, which I appreciated.  Even in the handling of the first twist, which I sort of saw coming, I was still caught off guard in the way that it was handled.  It was not a matter of the film tricking me, but the fact that it was carefully constructed to have me in a certain level of comfort, only to reveal a completely different layer, which I respected the film for.  I have seen similar films use the same kind of setups and reveals, some working better than others, but this film was easily a very good example of how to properly handle key story twists in a small scale thriller.

Also key to this film is the performance by David Hyde Pierce, who does a fantastic job at playing a seriously creepy individual.  He has all the mannerisms and idiosyncrasies of a character that Pierce could be seen playing at any other time, only to add a completely new and, in many ways, terrifying layer to his persona.  Everything he does in this film seems perfectly set to Pierce’s skills as an actor, but this additional aspect does so in a fascinatingly creepy manner.  The way he reveals his true intentions and expresses this other side of himself to the helpless John character is both thrilling and intriguing to watch.

Clayne Crawford is also good in this film.  He has to play a character that we are not too sure about, but cannot help to sympathize with, as he is forced to deal with something much worse than he could have ever imagined.  It also helps that he is given a certain amount of level-headedness that works its way into the story enough to keep things lively between Warwick and himself, without putting the film into territory that feels too ridiculous.  The film also goes to the lengths of incorporating some flashbacks to better establish why John ended up in his predicament, which are well utilized.

Writer/director Nick Tomnay does a solid job at creating a tense ride that keeps you guessing.  The majority of the film is set within Warwick’s house and Tomnay does a great job at keeping the setting fresh throughout.  The way he captures the “out there” quality of Warwick is also effectively handled.  Tomnay must deal with a certain… imaginary aspect to Warwick, which manages to do justice to how we view this character, how he sees things from within his own mind, and how John views everything.  The filmmaking is well handled to match the film’s ambitions.  This keeps the film interesting, adds the darkly comic layer, but also functions to maintain that offbeat layer of tension, which really does a great favor to the film.

The film is short enough that it does not outstay its welcome.  While one may have to forgive a number of conveniences required in order to accept the way things all play out in the end, I think the energy of the film is high enough where it should not really matter.  Along with the initial twist, there are a lot of reveals that pile on towards the end of the film, which managed to not overwhelm what the film was trying to accomplish.  Instead, it becomes a tense journey that continues to challenge its characters and deliver a suitably on edge experience for the audience.

I have failed to mention this for other films, but being that I saw this film at the film festival, it should be noted that a majority of these films won’t actually be hitting regular screens until they find distributors.  The Perfect Host is actually a film that has gone through all the motions and toured around at enough festivals to have found a distributor, which means it will be available OnDemand and in theaters in the near future.  This is good news, as the film is very good.  It creates a very tense atmosphere, while still managing to hit some darkly comic beats.  Best of all, it has David Hyde Pierce showing an all new facet of his talents, which should not be missed.

Warwick:  Is everyone not enjoying themselves?

John:  I can speak for everyone here, but I’m having a great time.

Click on the poster to visit the Newport Beach Film Festival website, and be sure to check back to Why So Blu throughout the week for more of my coverage of the festival.

Psychiatrist:  That is an interesting metaphor.

Benno:  No, it is not a metaphor, I am really losing sand.

The film stars Fabian Krüger as Benno, an average, slightly bitter, man who works in a stamp appraisal shop in Switzerland.  Benno also has a taste for music, but cannot stand the woman who owns the coffee shop below his apartment, due to the fact that she constantly practices a one-woman orchestra loudly at nights while he is trying to sleep.  This woman is Sandra (Irene Brügger), whom Benno believes to be untalented and unattractive.

Things take a very odd turn for Benno, who starts to discover a small amount of sand in his home, then at his work, and soon everywhere he goes.  The amount of sand becomes larger, and Benno soon discovers that it is trickling out of him.  Benno eventually finds that his sand has the ability to make people fall asleep instantly, but is more concerned with the dire shape that he soon finds himself in.  As if this were not enough, Benno also finds that every time he falls asleep (due mainly to the sand he inhales), Sandra not only appears in his dreams, but shares the dream within her own mind as well.  The two of them will have to figure out the meaning of all of this together, if Benno wants to try and keep himself in one piece, opposed to millions.

The vibe I got from this film was akin to a romantic/fantasy comedy like Defending Your Life in the way that this film gets by mainly due to the charm and energy from the characters and how they respond to what the premise gives them to work with.  I was also reminded of a film like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; in the way this film has been practically made, with some minor digital touches, in an effort to better convey a strong visual storytelling element.  There is also a bit of meanness that echoes the tone of Eternal Sunshine, but without ever becoming something more extreme than it needs to be.

Present at the screening was the writer/producer/director, Peter Luisi, who explained how this film was essentially a remake of his own short film school assignment, where he was tasked with making a film that had no dialogue.  I can see how this would have worked for that project, as the film uses sand as a very clever device.  It is a great kind of substance to visually portray on screen in relation to the dilemma of the characters, while also suggesting many deeper themes and motifs that relate to them.  Given that Luisi has now made a full length feature, his talents as a writer have continued to payoff, as I really enjoyed the way the story played itself out, now adding dialogue as well.

His characters are a lot of fun, with a good handle on keeping the comedic aspect alive throughout, while settling into some of the more emotional elements later on.  Both lead actors are quite good, sharing a nice sense of chemistry, which can be credited to them and the script as well.  Krüger as Benno, in particular, does a fine job at creating a character who we are not supposed to initially be fond of, but must evolve to liking him as the film goes along and he gets himself into more dire straits.  He also handles physical comedy quite well.  The way Benno handles all of the sand manages to be funny and engaging, while also presenting a dramatic side to his unfortunate dilemma, as time goes on.

The filmmaking is quite solid throughout.  While the film does move along a bit slowly towards the middle, I was engaged enough with the story and characters enough to not mind so much.  It helps that the film stretches its budget (always the nature of independent films) to work out a convincing way to show a character who is constantly spilling sand from within himself.  It becomes this hilarious burden that is used effectively enough to enhance the comedy and the drama when needed.  As Benno starts to suffer a bit more later on in the film, Luisi and his crew also finds ways to have enough fun with camera tricks and editing techniques to continue to create effective ways of showing off the fantasy angle.  There is an effective soundtrack within the film as well, which manages to actually link itself into the story in a neat way.

It is nice to be seeing so many wonderful films at the festival.  I was once again highly entertained during this screening, which is one of the things I usually hope for.  Der Sandmann is a very charming film that is funny, engaging, and well put together.  It also has a sweetness to it, which I think should be able to balance out the strangeness that some may find in its premise.  I embrace the strange, however, so to me, I was pleased to find a romantic comedy that manages to be different from the usual blandness and create a unique premise that is fully realized and adds to the visual sense of a film.  Very entertaining, creative, and thoughtful.

Click on the poster to visit the Newport Beach Film Festival website, and be sure to check back to Why So Blu throughout the week for more of my coverage of the festival.

Frisbee:  They don’t call him “Sweet JP” for nothin’.

The film is set in the distant future.  While technology has advanced far enough that everyone now rides on various types of airborne vehicles, there are still those who love to drive and race with cars, as modified and destructive as they now may be.  Every five years a race known as Redline takes place, which is the toughest and most destructive underground car race in the universe.  The most elite drivers must earn spots to compete in what becomes a winner-takes-all race to the finish.  There are no real rules to the actual race, which means anything goes when it comes to foul play.

The hero of this story is a man named JP (voiced by Takuya Kimura).  JP is a bad boy-type; a reckless driver, fitted with piercings, leather jacket, and a large duck haircut.  He has a past history of working with his best friend and mechanic, Frisbee, to participate in races that have been fixed, so the two can contribute and get paid off by the mob.  Having just gotten out of prison for fixing races and then participating in another race (which ended in a spectacular crash), JP soon finds that his racing skills still managed to have garnered him a spot in the next Redline race.

Problems for JP escalate further, as the Redline race is set to take place on a planet known as Roboworld.  Since the race seems to happen anywhere that is decided on, Roboworld is not pleased with the idea of tons of media coverage showing off what is apparently a secretive military zone.  Regardless, the race must go on and JP is right in the middle of all of this.  He soon meets all of the other racers as well, including a girl he knew from his younger days, Sanosee (voiced by Yu Aoi), who is one of the favorites to win.  With threats coming from the Roboworld leaders, the mafia, and the other racers, it is going to be one hell of a battle to win an extreme race with no rules.

This film is tons of fun.  It is an assault on the senses, in a very good way.  There is so much life and energy dedicated to the making of this feature.  This is director Takeshi Koike’s first full length feature film, which has taken him seven years to complete, but it was all worth it, as he and his loyal crew have pulled off such a wonderful job of making a fantastically ridiculous racing action film.

Redline plays lot like a fully animated comic book, with various homages made to many talented filmmakers, such as Tarantino or Edgar Wright in the way some of the manic energy comes across.  Many films come to mind when thinking about how this film stacks up to other similar features.  One can easily place this film alongside say Speed Racer or the pod-racing sequence in Star Wars: Episode 1, as well as a film like Death Race 2000.  Gamers may even be reminded of the F-Zero racing series when watching or reading about this film.  All of these references speak to just the kind of tone this film is going for, which is one that suggests a high speed roller-coaster of fun.

The story has the advantage of presenting something quite simple, despite all of the abstract elements that I will speak more about in a bit.  It has a standard story structure that is very easy to get into.  You follow one racer, and watch as he interacts with the others, reflects on his own experiences, and becomes involved in the crazy, climatic race.  What certainly helps is how the film is incredibly self aware and does not try to take itself seriously.  Redline knows exactly what kind of film it is, providing plenty of mocking takes on the way some of the characters have been designed, the use of standard clichés that involve some of the characters, the way the music enters into play, and in other various ways that one would see as quite familiar for an anime feature.  The key is how well the film manages to play off these aspects as incredibly funny without ever seeming to break its incredibly fun spirit.  The film is in on the joke, but it cares enough about its story and characters to maintain a proper balance.

As far as the more abstract elements go, speaking as a person who has enjoyed his fair share of anime, but is in no way an expert, I can say that this film falls in line with the type of anime that I can appreciate due to how generally approachable it would seem to be.  The film thrusts you into this world, which features a variety of different species, with almost no setup, yet I feel one can quickly come aboard with the universe that this film is presenting.  As it goes on, there are some of those more bizarre elements, which involve how to measure what the stakes are when opponents keep becoming larger and characters seem to be taking a beating, yet continue, let alone become stronger.  The fact that the film has a purposeful nature in embracing how over-the-top it is certainly helped in not taking away from my experience by becoming too weird for my tastes.  On the contrary, I was engaged throughout and loved all of the details that made this world and these characters come to life.

The animation by the Madhouse animation studio is wonderful.  Working heavily with bright colors and not afraid of backing off from elaborate racing and action sequences, this film is a product of what I can only assume was thousands of hours of work.  The film used over 100,000 handmade drawings, mixed with the use of computer animation, and it has all worked itself out to become this wonderfully crazy full length feature.  Additionally, The various character designs were all interesting and handled well enough to create distinct personalities, including the supporting ones.  The designs for the different racing models fall into a similar regard.  The film has a great soundtrack as well, with beats that exemplify the energy that this film has and how much fun it is to watch.

Redline was just a joy to watch from start to finish.  It is easily a film that I would have no qualms with purchasing on Blu-ray whenever it hopefully makes its official entrance into the U.S. for all audiences to experience, because there is no other way I would wish to see this wonderfully animated film again, unless it would be on another big screen.  I know it must have been a positive experience, when I feel like I would not mind seeing spin off films for many of the supporting characters from within this universe as well.  The whole film seemed to have me on a rocket that let me blast off along an exciting race track full of color, fun, humor, and plenty of excitement from start to the finish line.

Click on the poster to visit the Newport Beach Film Festival website, and be sure to check back to Why So Blu throughout the week for more of my coverage of the festival.

Watch the trailer for Redline here:

Alan:  You wanna ding dong ditch a Mercedes that you stole from your ex-girlfriend on the day that her father was buried?

Ben: Yeah, I do.  That’s what I wanna do.

The film stars Jason Ritter and Jake Sandvig (who also co-wrote the screenplay) as Ben and Alan.  The two are essentially adult misfits, who have specialized in thievery in order to get by in life.  The main crime these two participate in is pretending to be a valet service outside of various locations, mostly funerals, only to then steal cars quite easily and turn them in to their crime boss of sorts, Marty (Todd Louiso), for quick cash.  Ben and Alan live together on a property which has two separate living spaces.  They rent out the other building a mother, Lynette (Carrie Preston) and her 12-year old son, Kelsey (Chandler Canterbury), who have recently moved in, having been left stranded following Hurricane Katrina.  In their spare time, when Ben and Alan aren’t ripping people off, they hang out at the breakfast diner that Alan’s sister, Mel (Rebecca Hall), works at.

The story starts to develop as we learn more about Kelsey.  Kelsey is not currently in the best of living situations, given that he must fend for himself for the most part, while his mother is out trying to find work or doing whatever else.  Ben and Alan become aware of this and are eventually challenged with perhaps becoming more involved in Kelsey’s life than they ever intended.  With others, including Mel and one of Kelsey’s teachers, Wyatt (Gabriel Macht), also wanting to help Kelsey, it may certainly take some growing up on Ben and Alan’s part in order to keep everything together and continue to deal with what life throws at them.

The strongest element about this film may be its chemistry between the actors.  The film has to do a balancing act between being a comedy and a drama, which can easily backfire, but I think it is due to how well these characters bounce off of each other that the film manages to hold itself together all the way through.  In particular, Sandvig and Ritter seem like they could have been friends forever (which is not actually case, I learned), as the two are playing best friends who can practically finish each other’s sentences.  They have a charming nature that works well for them, especially as they continue to match laughs and wits with the other characters in the film.

This chemistry can of course be contributed to both the actors and the quality of the script.  Co-written by Sandvig and the film’s director, Brian Crano, I really enjoyed the way this story played out and how these characters were written.  The back and forth that occurred in the dialogue between characters for a lot of scenes always felt natural and the more emotional beats that occurred seemed to have emerged from the film’s story organically.  The film was funny when it needed to be, but also had a good handle of being appropriately serious.  One scene in particular features a monologue by Jason Ritter’s character, who just knocks it out of the park from a dramatic standpoint, while other scenes feature humorous interplay between the characters that continue to establish the film’s charming identity.

The performances are all solid in this film.  I have already spoken of their chemistry, but Sandvig and Ritter are very good in their roles.  An extra note should go to the way they play characters with a backstory that is never quite explained in full, but we can certainly gain a level of understanding as to where they have come from.  Rebecca Hall is also quite good, seemingly able to have found a way to bounce around between films like The Town and smaller indie films like this one.  She manages to fit right in with the boys on this film, further building on an already solid story.  Carrie Preston, better known as the red-headed waitress, Arlene, on True Blood, has a tricky role, as her character could have easily been played too over-the-top or completely unlikable; but there is layer of helplessness that keeps her glued into reality.  Finally, the young Chandler Canterbury manages to be everything an actor his age could hope to achieve.  He is engaging without being cute and smart without seeming too annoyingly precocious.

For a film like this, which was not made for a lot of money, I was very happy with how well assembled it was as well.  Shot on the Red Camera, the film looks quite good, as it has a little fun with evolving its style over the course of the story and also works in some nice tracking shots.  Filmed in Burbank, California, I feel like enough attention was paid to the setting to have made a lot come from a little.  I would also be remiss if I did not mention the very nice score by Johnny Flynn, who provides an easy going alternative vibe to the whole film.

While very enjoyable throughout, the only minor knock I have against the film is the way in which some of the darker elements are brought up.  It is difficult to balance comedy and drama, as I have stated, and putting that to the test in certain scenes became a challenge that I feel wasn’t quite won in every case.  That being said, seeing Hall wear a goofy waffle hat almost makes me not care about minor quibbles with the tone.  I also had a very good idea of where this film was going, which is hardly an issue, because it is of course the journey that matters more than the destination, and I was very satisfied with moving along with the film.

A Bag of Hammers is very much a film that I hope many will get to see.  It has all of the right kinds of charm and energy that one would hope for in an independent film from talented young filmmakers.  While the film will eventually see a limited theatrical release, it is definitely one that should be picked up in whatever form is available to a wide audience.  The spark within the cast is superb and the writing is clever and well done.  Bringing in both comedy and drama, I was highly entertained throughout this film, which is all I ever ask for.  The added bonus is how well crafted the film was and meaningful the relationships between the characters were.  Surprised and delighted indeed.

Mel:  So what happens when your luck runs out?  Then what?

Watch the trailer for A Bag of Hammers here:

Click on the poster to visit the Newport Beach Film Festival website, and be sure to check back to Why So Blu throughout the week for more of my coverage of the festival.

The focus of the story is Nim, the famous chimpanzee of the 1970s, who became the focus of a landmark experiment that aimed to prove that an ape could learn to communicate, using sign language, if it were raised and nurtured in ways similar to a human child.  Ideally, the results of the project would be insightful; opening up more possibilities to learn more about how closely related these animals are with humans.  The film introduces this part of the story first and supplies plenty of archival footage and interviews/testimonials with the key participants involved in the study.  Similar to the style of Marsh’s last film, Man on Wire, he also provides dramatic imagery to help tell the story.

The film eventually evolves into a more heartbreaking journey, as we learn that the study eventually concluded and Nim was transferred to many different locations during the rest of his lifetime.  As we learn more from other people providing testimonials about Nim’s life and their involvement, it becomes very apparent that Nim was at times suffering at the hands of different people.  There are certainly factors at play, which involve the basic logic that an ape growing to adult status cannot be as easy to deal with as some would hope, given the amount of time he has spent living exclusively with humans.  However, the life Nim had to endure brings other concerns into focus beyond the actions of an unpredictable chimpanzee.

The key participants involved in Project Nim include Stephanie LaFarge, who acted as the maternal figure for Nim, after he was initially taken away from his mother, within days of his birth; Columbia professor Herbert Terrace, the head researcher, who made some interesting conclusions about the experiment and also wrote several articles and a book about the findings; Laura-Ann Pettito, who eventually became the head teacher of Project Nim for a time; Joyce Butler, who would serve as the next surrogate mother until the project ended; and Bill Tynan, who would also be participating in the research process.  All of these people and more would essentially serve as Nim’s family, as they are the only people he would be interacting with during the research study.  Despite the unorthodox nature of raising a chimp as a child, there was no real unorthodox way for them to handle the project, and as such they would go on to figure things out as they went along, while hoping to have Nim learn sign language as a proper form of communication between him and humans.  What we see and learn is how this process was handled, whether it was effective or at times careless in how these researchers acted.

Later on, following the end of Project Nim, we also learn of the facility Nim was sent to next.  We then hear from two more key participants.  One is Bob Ingersoll, the true hero of this film.  Bob befriended Nim in his new location and would go on to fight for Nim’s well being in the later stages of his life.  The other participant we learn from is Dr. James Mahoney, who ran a research lab, which would test medicines on primates.  From him, we learn about some of the harsh realities of the treatment of some of these apes and the ways in which he regrets so much of the inhumane actions he had to perform in the past.

Project Nim is essentially a biopic.  The difference is that this particular biopic goes over the life of an animal.  We pretty much learn everything about Nim from the day he was born and onward.  There are scenes that are fascinating in the ways we learn about Nim’s upbringing and how the researchers did manage to train him in the ways of sign language.  There are also a lot of comic and intriguing scenes that stem essentially from the fact that these people in Nim’s life were a lot of rich hippies and would delve into some of the more obscure realms of Nim’s personality, such as his maturing sexuality and his playful side.  But then, there are also scenes that are heartbreaking in the ways we learn about Nim’s eventual treatment and where he would end up in life.

The testimonials in this film are shot up close and really let you grasp onto the words of the participants.  Hearing about the ways in which Nim acted out in terms of violence against those who raised him and his reactions to seeing those again, who had once left him, are moving.  The film is not necessarily uneasy, but it has revealing moments that are effectively handled without feeling preachy or purposefully worked on to manipulate an audience’s reaction.  Yes, a documentary can be about precise editing to maximize an impact, but the feel of this film is handled in such a way in which I believe the filmmakers are smart enough to know what is appropriate and earned versus what can be too calculated in delivery.  Balance is a key component in this film.  Whether handling sign language and playtime with Nim or the ways in which he would lash out or how others would treat him and their reflections on that, I believe the film has been very well handled in conveying the sense of a properly constructed film.

Again, reflecting on what I saw in this film and the way the subject matter starts out in a fascinating manner, only to evolve into a story that hits many devastating, yet profound moments, I can easily say that this is a wonderful film.  The way it is constructed is superb, providing plenty of information, mixing up the presentation, whether it is the archive footage, dramatized moments, or the interviews, the whole film is expertly crafted.  Getting past the fact that this is a documentary, the film stands well as a great drama in general.  It is an interesting film, while managing to have a narrative structure that delivers on having engaging characters and a proper delivery of the various emotional beats.  Nim had an impact on those who raised and studied him in the past and Nim has now had an impact once again.

Click on the poster to visit the Newport Beach Film Festival website, and be sure to check back to Why So Blu throughout the week for more of my coverage of the festival.

In the film, Colin Hanks plays Ben, a mild mannered office employee, who has had a crush on his co-worker and longtime friend, Lucy (Ari Graynor), for a very long time.  Lucy works the reception desk at an accounting firm and is currently having an affair with her boss.  In a period of both unfortunate and important news, the day that Lucy is dumped, Ben arrives home to find that he has won the lottery, a $36 million payday.  Aware of this news, while thinking of her own misfortune, Lucy is at first miserable to learn all of this.  Meanwhile, Ben, while being goaded to embrace his fantastic luck by his mother, Pauline (Ann-Margaret), seems to be very uneasy about the whole situation.  I am going to avoid spoiling why it is that Ben is not happier for himself, but suffice it say there is a very good reason, which is revealed early on.

After sulking, Lucy decides to play along with the crush that Ben has had on her, essentially tumbling herself into a relationship and eventual marriage with Ben, despite Lucy only seeming to want to be involved for the sake of the fortune Ben has.  Still, being a gold digger may be a much lighter issue than the one that Lucy eventually finds out for herself, as Ben proves to be a person with a hidden side completely different than his usual nervous self.

Despite choosing not to reveal one of the surprises about this film, which you could almost guess if you wanted to, I think the issues I have with it can still be properly expressed.  Mainly, I did not like Lucy.  This is nothing against Ari Graynor’s performance, especially early on and towards the end, but in the middle, Lucy becomes a dislikable character, because everything she does is motivated by her desire for money.  Despite how quirky the character is and how affable she wants her personality to seem, that aspect took me out of the film.  It would be more acceptable for me, if Ben was an opposite type of character in terms of what we are supposed to like about him, but because we are clued in to who he really is, you have two different characters that you are not really supposed to like, but only one of them seems to be more engaging.  Lucy’s appeal to me is unfortunate, because I am clearly supposed to side with her for the majority of the film, and as much as Graynor’s bubbly performance should have worked to handle this aspect, I just could not come to terms with how her character functions in this story.

Colin Hanks is decent in this film.  Given the role that he is playing here, one would assume that he is playing to his strengths, given the similar awkward nature of other characters he has played before, but once we find out more about him, there is a whole new aspect that should challenge him.  I can certainly understand why he would take this role, as it does have that challenging aspect that should be testing his skills as an actor; however, the movie has adopted such a breezy and light sort of tone that the darker element to the Ben character does not come across as well as it should.

The tone is really where I think this movie fumbles the most.  I could easily see this movie working better if the movie had a darker undercurrent lurking throughout.  Of course, I have also seen that type of movie many times before, which I think is why Lucky tries to go for something different.  Unfortunately, trying to be different in that way did not work out in the long run, for me anyway.  For example, there is a detective character played by Jeffrey Tambor.  Sadly, as much as I love watching Tambor, the film essentially wastes having him, by not using his strengths as an actor.  Instead, he simply plays a very straight role, which had me wondering what the purpose of his casting was, besides a familiar face to serve the film in marketing appeal.  In a film like this, which already plays light with the tone, it can’t even settle on keeping a comedic actor comedic.

There are some strengths to this film.  I found Ann-Margaret’s role to be quite good.  Her performance may at first seem a little over-the-top, but it develops into something better later on.  There are also a number of laughs, regardless of some of my issues.  This is a comedy, and while I don’t think the film ended up achieving what it wanted, I at least enjoyed a good number of scenes in it.  And I even enjoyed the alternative-style soundtrack playing throughout the film.

As much as I wish the high level of quirky energy that this film had could have paid off in the end, I don’t think the film met its potential.  It is not for lack of trying, as Graynor is the character who had the most to offer, but unfortunately teetered the wrong way for me in the long run.  I do also think the story was interesting, just mishandled in its way of telling it.  Lucky has small doses of entertainment value, but I think it has too many shares of problems that do not quite measure up to it being a success.

Click on the poster to visit the Newport Beach Film Festival website, and be sure to check back to Why So Blu throughout the week for more of my coverage of it.

As a resident of Southern California, I plan to attend the festival, hopefully gaining access to many different screenings of films that I have my eye on.  Despite the myriad of films that are being screened and my own list of articles that need to come out soon, I will do my best to provide reviews for films that have both been making there rounds through festivals and ones that are making their debuts at the NBFF.  With any luck, I may be able to score a few interviews with some actors and filmmakers as well.  In addition, each night of the film festival will end with exclusive parties, made possible by all of the generous sponsors, wishing to support the art of filmmaking.  Hopefully I will be able to contribute some of my own time in reporting on some of the events that occur throughout this exciting week.

Anyone with further interest should make sure to visit the Newport Beach Film Festival’s official website.  Furthermore, anyone who is actually in the Southern California area should try to make an effort to come down and be a part of the festival.  There are so many interesting and intriguing entries to check out, let alone plenty of stars and filmmakers currently hanging out in the area, so you never know who you might run into, let alone how much you may end up appreciating some of the films you see.

I will be posting reviews, updates, and whatever else I have time to write about throughout the week.  Until then, here is a nice little sneak peak:

It’s usually difficult to find someone who shares the same fanfare as myself when it comes to concerts. Fortunately, planning for this show started off on the right foot for me as I was to head out with an even bigger little monster than I, though I had never met her. My first meeting with her would be one to catch me off guard as I approached the skeleton-faced makeup of my partner in crime for the evening. Donning a blonde wig and cosmetic artistry that mimicked Lady Gaga’s voodoo-like appearance in the ‘Born This Way’ video, we immediately struck up a conversation on the approaching show.

The hours passed quickly as we eventually made our way across the street to Quicken Loans Arena with a show slated for an 8:00 start time. Let me repeat that…an 8:00 start time. Somewhere around 8:30, the opening DJ known as Lady Stardust made her entrance, complete with a full bottle of Jack Daniels in hand. Aside from some attempts to dance on stage while downing gulps of the Tennessee liquor, she spun some hardcore records from some of my favorite bands like Metallica and Faith No More. Talent was fairly non-existent here though cramped as we were on the standing-only floor, I think people just wanted someone to come out and do something. After all, the occasional shove from behind and rising humidity in the close proximity of others was starting to take effect.

After Lady Stardust made her exit, opening band Semi Precious Weapons came out to perform, putting a cap on an overly long delay between acts. With humorous taglines in the songs such as “put a diamond in it and bite down” and “I can’t pay my rent but I’m fu***ng gorgeous,” they provided a smile if nothing else. As my fellow fan next to me said, “I just want to see Gaga already.” I second that, honey. Things started to heat up for fans and not in a good way.  The levels of irritation had long since surpassed a state of mild annoyance at that point. 

It all started with a trio of girls who insisted on pushing through everyone to get a better position closer to the stage. The reluctance of others, yours truly included, resulted in them playing the pout card. Too bad, so sad. The next undesirable event came when a fishnet jumpsuit-wearing individual next to me accidentally clobbered me in the head during his arm-raising cheer. Nothing like an elbow to the back of the cranium. Effectively pissing everyone off in our area, the same guy was trying to maneuver his way to different people over the course of different songs. Finally, my cohort tried making him aware of his aggitating actions. His response was telling the girl next to him, “I’m gonna bring a friend of mine up here to stand in front of you, but don’t worry, she won’t block you.” She won’t block you? Is she invisible? Finally, my temper reached its climax from the constant bumping, nausea-inducing smells and rising temperatures when I blatantly gave Mr. Fishnet his behavioral option. That’s singular. He was not provided with multiple choices at his disposal when it came to rectifying his actions. Thankfully, he disappeared.

Now, on to the show. On to Lady Gaga! Wait, who? The clock struck 10 and we still waited for the pop culture queen to make her appearance. The stage had long been prepped and ready, but the seemingly incessant delay was nothing short of painful. Everyone was getting a little edgy and understandably so. Finally, at around 10:30, the show started. I understand that unexpected delays happen, but for the courtesy of the fans, you need to give them an explanation. It’s like showing up 2 hours late for a date and acting like there’s nothing wrong with that. Still, Gaga is very good to her fans and watching her perform that up close and personal was nothing short of amazing. I have to mention that at one point in between songs she said, “Some people ask me if I lip sync.  No.  F##k no.”  Ms. Spears, are you reading this?  Take notes.

The evening’s set list consisted of the usual favorites like ‘Poker Face’ and the opening tune, ‘Dance in the Dark’.  She even included a ballad rendition of the title track off her new album, ‘Born This Way’, of which she played on her burning piano. In addition, she also played another song off of her upcoming album, this one titled ‘You and I’; a song that she stated was completely written in Cleveland and whose guitar rhythms will be played on the album by Queen guitarist Brian May. The jazzy-sounding piece with frequent tips of the hat to the home of rock n’ roll ignited the crowd, which, like all of her other songs, ended with resounding applause.

Great music and awesome choreography couldn’t save the night though. The awful waiting, irritating fans, wafting body odor, and awful waiting had done its damage (did I mention the waiting). As my concert other-half said to me last night, “This is more draining than a sporting event,” and she meant actually competing in the event. It was taxing to be sure, so with dignity intact and enough stamina to reach the concession stand for some revitalizing Aquafina, we re-energized enough to head out before the show’s closure. We missed ‘Bad Romance’ and the encore, but between the two of us, we felt like we just finished the Boston Marathon…twice. In short, it was time to go. Lady Gaga sounded great but the delaying antics were too hard to swallow to keep the enjoyment buzz going.

Born This Way arrives May 23rd, 2011

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Famous Energy

WATCH LIVE AS THE CAST OF JACKASS 3 CELEBRATES THE FILM’S
BLU-RAY AND DVD “LAUNCH” WITH AN EVENING OF

ASININE ANTICS

Join the Party Live Tonight, Monday, March 7 on Facebook
or Livestream Starting at 8:30 p.m. PT

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (March 7, 2011) – Jackass fans around the world are invited to share in the outrageous insanity of the official JACKASS 3 Blu-ray and DVD launch party by watching all the madness and mayhem LIVE online on the Jackass Facebook page www.facebook.com/jackass or on www.livestream.com/jackass3 tonight, Monday, March 7, beginning at 8:30 p.m. PT. Johnny Knoxville,
Bam Margera, Steve-O, Ryan Dunn, Preston Lacy, Jason “Wee Man” Acuna, Chris Pontius, Ehren McGhehey, David England, director Jeff Tremaine and celebrity fans of all things Jackass will be on hand for the exclusive event, taking place on the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Hollywood, California. Fans can watch the red carpet arrivals, as well as the ludicrous—and potentially hazardous—party activities, all for free via the live stream.

JACKASS 3 hits home on March 8, 2011 in a jam-packed unrated Blu-ray/DVD Combo with Digital Copy and a Limited Edition two-disc DVD. The entire Jackass crew returns for more side-splitting lunacy and cringe-inducing stunts. From wild animal face-offs to pitiless practical jokes and logic-defying acts of guaranteed pain and suffering, JACKASS 3 reaches new heights in the pursuit of the inventively insane.

The JACKASS 3 Blu-ray/DVD Combo with Digital Copy, Limited Edition two-disc DVD and single-disc DVD all include an over-the-top UNRATED version of the film with outrageous footage not seen in theaters, as well as the original theatrical version. Both the Blu-ray/DVD Combo and Limited Edition two-disc DVD also include the original theatrical version of the film in classic 3D with 4 pairs of 3D glasses. Plus, the discs feature deleted scenes, uproarious outtakes and more gut-busting extras.

Order Jackass 3 on Blu-ray!

Today we were able to track down Randy Haberkamp, Director of Education and Special Projects for the Academy, Ohio native, and the man in charge of overseeing the Oscar ® Night America program for various charities across America.  We talked to Randy for about an hour, which was quite generous of him given his schedule and how close we were to the Oscars broadcast.

Randy is your typical unassuming Midwesterner, humble and understated.  However, all one needs to do is see the impeccable work that comes out of his department, or sit and talk about movies with him for a few minutes to appreciate the love he has for the art of movie making and his love for the Academy.

I asked Randy to explain the Oscar Night America program, which designates a single charity to host the one, “Officially Sanctioned” Oscars watch party for a metropolitan television market.  In our area, the ACMC Foundation was recognized by the Academy to host Oscar Night America Cleveland.

Randy explained the many ways the Academy supports the local charities, from official programs and banners, to multimedia for marketing, to a DVD with a specific welcome for each party from the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  Randy went on to explain the other ways that the Academy provides support, including administrating the program, screening all marketing and support materials, and suggestions for best practices.

So while you sit on the couch and watch the Academy Awards this Sunday, you may be tempted to judge the Academy as self serving, guilty of excess, or simply narcissistic, but, before you do that, sit back and think about the Academy spending a great deal of energy for nearly a year, helping over fifty non-profits earn over three million dollars on Oscar night, without the Academy getting back even a dime for their time and efforts.

Yes, Hollywood may occasionally offend some of us Midwesterners with their gritty dramas, coarse language, and depictions of baser living habits, but that is not the Academy.  The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is about hard work, achievement, glamour, and class.  As a Trustee of the ACMC Foundation who has worked with the Academy to organize Oscar Night America Cleveland, it is my opinion that the Academy represents the very best of Hollywood, and the best in us all.

*** 2/27 UPDATE ***

Yesterday, we wrote about our sit down with Randy Haberkamp, Director of Education and Special Projects at the Academy.  In addition to his role at the Academy, Randy is also a student of film and a movie fan like the rest of us.

Today’s video update is part 2 of our interview.  In it, I asked Randy to talk about the many wings of the Academy.  Most of us, when we think about the Oscars or the Academy, we think: Movie Stars.  However, that’s not how the members of the Academy see it.

At the Academy and at their Oscar season Symposiums, the focus is spread from Directing to Hair and Makeup, from Animation to Set Design, from Costume Design to Sound Engineering.  As I visited with Randy, he relays the gory day to day of the average movie actor, director and staffer for a film.

Finally, I asked Randy about his educational programs from this past year. His face lights up as he relays his focus on Film Noir and a special evening honoring Blake Edwards.  He talks of respecting the greats of film, setting them up to be honored and feel honored.

After spending an hour with Randy at such a busy time, I feel the same honor to sit at the feet of a consummate professional and take a quick peek inside his world.

Well, we’re headed home for Oscar Night America Cleveland.  See you there tomorrow night!

CableSuite 541’s coverage of the 83^rd Academy Awards is made possible by the generous sponsorships of The Star Beacon, Kent State University at Ashtabula, ACMC, Carmike Cinemas, E.B. & Co., True North Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, www.whysoblu.com, Star 97, Magic Oldies 102.5 and 98.3 The Bull.

The filmmakers tonight would go out of their way to explain the modern feature film is a real movie; the only thing that sets it apart is the technique to render the images on the screen.  They also argue the modern animated feature is no longer “just a kids” movie, but rather a sophisticated family film.

In the symposium, we learned that in addition to the youth of the award, the award is still a “provisional” award, meaning the Board of Governors have to vote to keep the category each year.  Another interesting fact is that this year the number of nominees for Best Animated Feature stands at three.  Last year there were five.  The reason for the difference-according to the by-laws, if there are sixteen (16) or more Animated Features entered, then the number of nominees will be five.  If there are fewer than sixteen, then the number of nominees is restricted to three (3).

Tonight we would participate more than just getting the red carpet interviews.  We would enter the theater with the public to experience the Symposium as a member of the audience.  After watching clips and being emotionally moved to the point of moist eyes, I had to agree with the filmmakers: This is not child’s play; these are real, character-driven films teaching universal themes without offending the viewer.  Here’s hoping that Hollywood will keep in mind the success of these films and continue to give us films to enjoy with the whole family.

CableSuite 541’s coverage of the 83^rd Academy Awards is made possible by the generous sponsorships of The Star Beacon, Kent State University at Ashtabula, ACMC, Carmike Cinemas, E.B. & Co., True North Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, www.whysoblu.com, Star 97, Magic Oldies 102.5 and 98.3 The Bull.

While killing time this afternoon, I turned to the web to do some research on the nominated films.  I trolled around and was able to find several trailers online.  I watched one, then two, then three, then lost track of how many of the trailers I watched.  Now, armed with these trailers and with my own two square feet of carpet from which to interrogate the filmmakers, I was ready for action.

Each of the filmmakers were excited to share their story about their film.  In documentaries, you don’t write a script, perfect it, then go about trying to find the funding.  Rather, you happen upon a great story, then figure out if you can tell it, how to tell it, and how to fund it.  Each of our interviewees relayed the same enthusiasm for their characters in their films.  Each spoke of the responsibility they felt toward their characters and that character’s story.

Also, each filmmaker talked of being moved when beginning the project, then being changed themselves while merely trying to hold a camera up to their characters to let the world appreciate the story that was playing out in anonymity.

If you can only watch the trailers online, go do it.  There are some exceptional films here.  Strangers No More tells the story of a unique school in Tel Aviv for refugee children, many of whom have lost parents and loved ones in political strife, and some had never attended school before.  Waste Land tells the story of an artist trying to help the poor people of Rio de Janeiro.  These aren’t just poor people either, they are a proud group of “pickers” who make their lives and living around the largest trash heap in the area.  They pick over the trash then resell anything they can find of value.

Time does not permit me to go into detail on Warriors of Quigang, Inside Job, or Killing in the Name, but rest assured, these features also bring to life brave people overcoming the odds and making a difference in the lives of others.

After the reception, I zoomed along Wilshire Boulevard and took notice of all the cars, all the people walking down the sidewalks and thought of all the people in the high-rise buildings overhead.  When I came into town, I was most concerned about how many of these locals would steal from me or do me harm.  Having met face to face with people who have chronicled the stories of ordinary people stepping up to do good, the glow of their idealism had me realizing that yes, there may be a small percentage of Los Angeles residents that take advantage of me, but I also am confident that the vast majority are quiet heroes too, just like the folks in these documentaries.

CableSuite 541’s coverage of the 83^rd Academy Awards is made possible by the generous sponsorships of The Star Beacon, Kent State University at Ashtabula, ACMC, Carmike Cinemas, E.B. & Co., True North Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, www.whysoblu.com, Star 97, Magic Oldies 102.5 and 98.3 The Bull.

Tonight’s reception was to honor the filmmakers behind the Oscar nominated Short films from 2010.  Short films can earn an Oscar nomination in one of three categories: Live action, Animated and Documentary.  To be eligible for an Oscar, the Short Films must be forty minutes or shorter and have been screened for paying audiences in Los Angeles County for three consecutive days with at least two screenings per day.

Kenneth Branagh, the well-known actor and filmmaker, played host for the evening.  When asked how he was drafted to lead the evening, he explained how he had experimented with making short films and once, made the long list of features considered for nomination.  His eyes danced as he relayed the challenge of making a Short feature,  “The most pure form of cinema.”

Another interesting conversation involved Teddy Newton, the filmmaker behind Day and Night, familiar to audiences who caught Toy Story 3 in theaters last year.  Teddy spoke about the excitement of finding out his short film had been chosen to open for Toy Story 3.

As we chatted with the different filmmakers, I began to appreciate the diversity in Short Films.  From animated satire, to serious documentaries about the suffering of people around the world, from gritty, real-life stories, to the allegorical fable, the short film has emerged as an important vehicle for communicating simple, condensed lessons in a “short” 40 minutes.

Tomorrow we’ll shift gears and head back the Academy for the Nominated Documentary Films reception.  We’ll also stop by and visit with Randy Haberkamp, Director of Education and Special Projects for the Academy.  We’re excited to see what behind-the-scenes footage we’ll be able to post for you on Thursday!  Well, time to start the uploads on video and catch some sleep. T he difference in my reporting with and without sleep, is well, like “Day and Night!”

CableSuite 541’s coverage of the 83^rd Academy Awards is made possible by the generous sponsorships of The Star Beacon, Kent State University at Ashtabula, ACMC, Carmike Cinemas, E.B. & Co., True North Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, www.whysoblu.com, Star 97, Magic Oldies 102.5 and 98.3 The Bull.

My coverage is made possible by the generous sponsorships of The Star Beacon, Kent State University at Ashtabula, ACMC, Carmike Cinemas, E.B. & Co., True North Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, www.whysoblu.com, Star 97, Magic Oldies 102.5 and 98.3 The Bull.

When looking down the list of fighters and where they’re from, it became obvious that this event had a little more international flair than normal in front of the estimated 1,300 in attendance.  Okay, so the competitors weren’t from outside North America, but still, a quarter of the fights involved athletes from the Land of the Maple Leaf.  Canada saw four of its own head south to compete in the CageStars Elite Series II on January 29th in the form of Brandon Bouchard, Oskar Gut, Matt Dicenso, and Declan Hayward.  That team from Modern Vision MMA walked away that night with a 3-1 record.  For Gut and Hayward, it was their amteur MMA debut, and after Hayward’s split decision victory, the fighter thanked Ohio for its fans whom are appreciative of the sport, as well as the area in general for its welcoming of Hayward and his teammates.  That’s a class act right there.

For teammate Gut, however, the welcome came in the form of a hard shot to the nose, breaking it and sending him to the mat in stunning fashion.  His opponent, Dan Guilliums, also made his debut in the match, and made it a memorable one he did.  After knocking Gut to the orange padded surface, his killer instinct took over as he leapt toward his helpless opponent, about to deliver an onslaught of lefts and rights.  The ref immediately dove in, removing the 205-pound Guillium from the equation while medical attention rushed into the octagon, administering oxygen to the dazed Gut.  After some minutes passed, Gut arose and left the ring on his own power, earning him an applause while the audience breathed a sigh of relief that the young mixed martial artist was up and about. 

In news of other teams, Kim’s Martial Arts, which went undefeated at the November event we covered, did not have the same success this past weekend.  Involved in half of the evening’s matches, John Kim’s school finished the night with a .500 record, going 3-3.  However, it was the school’s last match of the evening that would mean the most.  The undefeated Dave Vendevelde, walking into the event with a 4-0-1 record, competed in the 170-pound class for the middleweight championship.  Why So Blu got to talk to Dave before the Rocktagon MMA festivities got underway.  We didn’t know what exactly to expect.  After all, the last time we watched Vandevelde, he made quick work of his opponent, dancing around him with eyes the size of dinner plates that were brimming with determination.  Luckily for us, he’s just another normal guy outside the ring and was happy to spare a few minutes of his time.

WSB: Dave, we saw you fight out here in November where you pretty much decimated your opponent.  Who are you fighting tonight?

Dave: His name is Anthony Morgan.  I believe he’s from Dayton, Ohio.

WSB: Have you studied him or watched any footage of him?

Dave: I have.  He has a few videos up on You Tube which my coach and I have gone over and watched them.  Based off those, it was just one fight, three rounds, so we’re just sort of going off that. 

WSB:  You seem to have a lot of followers  at these events (Dave has upwards of 150 people supporting him at his fights, donned in shirts bearing his name).  Does that help or hurt you or is it a non-factor? 

Dave: It helps, I believe it helps.  It’s awesome hearing your name chanted by a large amount of people no matter what you’re doing.  I also believe it’s a big mental factor, not just positive for myself, but negative for my opponent.  It’s gotta be a mind…um…mind f### if I can say that.

WSB:  Haha!  You can say whatever you want!  Now when you’re up in the octagon, do you even hear your fans chanting or do you shut it all out?

Dave: It sort of comes and goes.  Really when I’m up there I hear white noise.  I can tell people are cheering and I’m assuming they’re cheering for me (laughs), whether they’re not or they are, but at points in time during the fights when my fights go longer than the first minute I’ll hear them.  They come and go.  It definitely helps. 

WSB: What is your fighting style?

Dave: I like kickboxing, muay thai, but I’m not afraid to go to the ground or anything, you know?  I’ll go wherever. 

WSB: So you’re well-versed in your training.

Dave: I try to be, yes.  I study all of it as much as I can, but I just prefer to stand and bang it out and if goes to the ground, it goes to the ground.  Either way, whatever.  I just go in there and do what I do I guess. 

WSB: Tonight’s a lot of pressure as you’re going after a belt.  Are you prepared for this?

Dave: Uh, yeah and no.  I mean, it’s still the same stuff, same training, do the same ritual, the same things I always do.  There’s just more on the line this time.  I try and take that factor out of it and just think of it as another fight, but I spoke briefly with my opponent Anthony Morgan, and he actually seems like a legit dude.  He seems nice, so you know, regardless of what happens tonight, hopefully we’ll hug it out.  We’ll each do our best out there.  I’m sure he’s gonna go out there and do his best. 

WSB: Thanks, Dave!

When it came time to perform, Vandevelde entered the octagon with his trademark stare.  With eyes the size of dinner plates and an appetite for destruction to match, the ref gave the green light and away they went.  While most of the night’s fighters tend to tread cautiously moving in and out on there opponent, Vandevelde has a tendancy to throw caution to the wind with an offensive onslaught.  As he and Morgan collided, the two traded punches, each landing their blows on the intended target.  Morgan even managed to square a few on the cheekbones of Vandevelde, though the Kim’s Martial Arts student didn’t seem fazed in the slightest. 

The bell for round 1 sounded, calling it to a close.  Morgan and Vandevelde went to their respective corners, catching audible tidbits of strategy from their coaches behind them.  As the break wound down, the ref called the two fighters to attention as round 2 got underway.  Before revealing the conclusion, let me paint you a picture of how Vandevelde looks in a fight.  I already mentioned his intimidating stare.  On top of that he has an unconventional stance.  His head tends to stick out in front of the rest of his body as it bobs about, from left to right, almost comical in appearance.  Make no mistake though.  Catching a hook from this guy is anything but funny.  His attention in the ring is unlike that of any other fighter’s I’ve seen. 

Being a hockey fan, I think back to the ’94-’95 New Jersey Devils.  The team was known for instantly picking up on an opponent’s error.  Vandevelde is a strong parallel to this.  If you slip up, even in the most miniscule degree, you will pay and you will do so in painful fashion. Like blood in the water, Vandevelde the shark found an opening as Morgan backpedalled and went in for the kill.  In the blink of an eye, the undefeated fighter introduced Anthony Morgan to his wrath and overpowered him on the ground as he followed up with punch after punch.  It was a barrage of fists that resulted in a TKO, who up to this point, has arguably provided Vandevelde with some of his toughest competition yet.  

Fight Results

Ed Gregorek vs. Nick Dowe - 225 lb. class

Dowe (top) is as menacing with his strikes as his just standing at attention.  Below, you’ll find him dishing out his ferocity which led to a TKO at :39 of the first round:

Kyle Eberts vs. Brandon Bouchard - 185 lb.

Bouchard (background) was Canada’s first competitor of the night, showing his national pride in the form of a red maple leaf tattoo on his left shoulder.  He found himself gaining the upper hand more than once in this fight as he wore down Eberts (foreground) with an eventual tapout win via rear choke hold at 1:38 of round 2:

Brandon Perrott vs. Sean Brown - 135 lb.

In the lightest weight class of the night, these two nimble warriors grappled for a brief moment before Brown (below) saw a chance at victory and moved in on it.  He made quick work of Perrott with a tapout win via arm bar at :39 of the first round:

Dan Guilliums vs. Oskar Gut - 205 lb.

Canada’s second fight of the evening and their only loss.  Guilliums (left) obliterated the canuck at :17 into round 1.  From where I sat, it made it difficult to see if Gut (falling down) lost consciousness, though some rumblings later on in the evening said this was the case:

Dom Mazzotta vs. Steve Bucklew - 145 lb.

These two strategically planned out their attacks with one cautiously placed move after another.  Taekwondo was the specialty of both fighters here.  Though accuracy seemed to go out the window on more than one occasion as Mazzotta (black w/ white letters) was warned about low blow kicks.  He gained his wits and settled in for a mark in the W column.  It was a tapout win courtesy of a rear choke hold at 2:04 in round 2: 

Don Jungquist vs. James Pfeiffer - 175 lb.

Why So Blu was there when Pfeiffer (black shorts) fought his very first match in November.  The guy is not the most entertaining fighter to watch, but he gets the job done.  Still, from a specatator’s point of view, his main weapon of grappling is anything but exciting.  Hey, whatever works, right?  Pfeiffer took out the lanky Jungquist (gray shorts) at the close of round 1.  The bell had sounded, but Jungquist’s shoulder was toast.  He couldn’t continue and lost through a TKO:

Dave Prologo vs. Jacob Rathwell - 170 lb.

Maybe it was the obnoxiously loud red checkered shorts that Prologo displayed or maybe it was the fact that the guy’s just good.  Either way, he claimed a unanimous decision victory after both he and opponent Rathwell went the distance of all 3 rounds:

Kyle Horton vs. Matt Dicenso - 205 lb.

Both men walked into the octagon undefeated at 2-0-0.  Only one would leave victorious and that honor went to Welland, Ontario’s Matt Dicenso (left).  It was a close one as Dicenso took a split decision victory after three rounds:

Kenny Jackson vs. Kevin Bucklew - 155 lb.

Bucklew’s brother Steve fought earlier in the night but suffered a loss.  Kevin (black shorts) tried his abilities against the chiseled Kenny Jackson (red shorts).  The two danced quite a bit around the ring, causing a few rants from onlookers to step up and take a swing already.  At one point, Bucklew taunted his straight-faced adversary with a little hip-wiggling action.  The cockiness did not pay off as Jackson earned his keep with a three-round unanimous decision win:

Pierre Greenhill vs. Declan Hayward - 155 lb.

I know what you’re thinking.  With a name like Pierre (black fighter), he had to be the Canadian in this fight.  Actually it was Declan (white fighter) flying the red and white, and that wasn’t the only thing airborne.  Hayward’s fists found their way to Greenhill’s body sporadically throughout the matchup.  It was enough for a split decision victory when all was said and done:

Tony Dipiero vs. Steve Burton – 205 lb.

Dipiero (gray) came into the fight with almost twice the experience of Burton (black shorts) going 5-4-0 with Burton undefeated at 5-0-0.  This fight was easily one of the most exciting and evenly matched of the evening.  Dipiero’s stamina held strong, as did his jarring kicks for the first two rounds, but just when you thought Burton was soon to find his face in the mat, the athlete retaliated with whatever was left in the tank.  In the end, it wasn’t enough as Tony Dipiero was awarded the belt for his 205-lb. weight class.  The Parma, Ohio native took a split decision victory after three rounds:

Above photo (left to right): Former Boxing Champ Joe Gentile with Dipiero and MMA promoter Lorenzo Gentile

Dave Vandevelde vs. Anthony Morgan - 170 lb.

There’s not much else to say here.  Both fought with a valiant charisma from which both earned a tremendous amount of respect from one another.  The chants of, “Dave! Dave! Dave!” from Vandevelde’s travelling backers might have given him that extra edge, but I’m going to chalk up his victory and new found title to talent and hard work.  TKO at :54 of round 2:

Photography courtesy of Discovery Photo / Scott T. Morrison

For more information on upcoming events, please visit the Rocktagon MMA / CageStars website at  http://www.cagestars.com

Once inside the venue we got ourselves some Jameson whiskey and began watching the opening bands play.  There were two opening bands that played. The first band was called Alevela.  Alevela was pretty damn cool!  They’re a hard rock/metal outfit that crank out the tunes with heart and ease.  They even performed a cover of Lady Ga-Ga’s “Bad Romance” which made everyone feel happy.  What makes them unique is that they have a keyboard/synthesizer player who takes lead.  They have a very multi-layered set-up.  I wish we could have gotten there earlier to check them out from the beginning.

When Alevela finished up their set me and the GF went further into the floor area.  The second band up was called Runner Runner. This is where it got kind of painful, because my music sensibilities never deviated to pop.  They sucked, in my honest opinion.  It was too bubble gum-pop for my (our) tastes.  I think my GF hated them more than I did.

After Runner Runner got off the stage it was now time for Lit to take over and show the youngsters how it was done.  The lights when down, the feedback and bass hum kicked in and the boys exploded onto the stage.  Time had stood still.  I was transported back to my younger days and the band had not skipped a beat.  Lit cruised effortlessly from song to song as if they had never been on a hiatus.  This was the first time the band played at this venue since the death of their original drummer and founding member Allen Shellenberger.  It was a debut show of sorts.  Nathan Walker was the new man on the skins with an even newer addition to the band in Ryan Gillmor who would handle additional guitar and keyboard duties for the band.

Lit played an electrifying set which included old school material mixed in with newer tunes.  I must say that the new stuff sounds GREAT!  Word has it, or at least according to the band, that writing and recording is currently taking place with a new album to be released this summer.  Stay tuned for the official announcement right here on Why So Blu.  After the initial assault on our senses from the first section of songs, the lights went dim and three cellists appeared before us on the center stage.  Jeremy and A.Jay Popoff (guitar and vocals) played a special tribute song to their fallen brother in rock with a special photo album playing on the plasma screens.  It was very cool and heartfelt.

After the touching acoustic/classical tribute ended the boys came back out and proceeded to annihilate us with a few more songs before calling it a night.  They ended the show with “My Own Worst Enemy.”  I looked at my watch and after it was all set and done Lit’s performance only lasted about an hour and forty minutes.  That was kind of short, but then again I am spoiled when it comes to bands that I want to see. I want an epic run time, but understand why a just under two hour show is needed.   Now how did Lit do overall? That’s a loaded question, but I’ll be as impartial as I can.  The brothers in arms Jeremy and A.Jay havent’ slowed down for anything.  They’re beasts.  They own the stage.  No lie.  Kevin Baldes (bass) gets down with a pick and fingers, and never missed a beat.  Although I did see a Youtube clip of him doing a Highway to Hell cover which was pretty impressive.  The new guys, and how did they do?  Nathan Walker (drums) played his heart out and never missed a fill.  Ryan Gillmor (guitar and keyboards) was cool, but got kind of shy towards the very end during the Lit pyramid.  Nervous?  I don’t know, but he blushed.

In wrapping up I will break it down to its bare skeleton.  The show rocked.  The band is back, sound great, and have  a renewed sense of enthusiasm.  I can’t wait for the new record which (I hope) comes out this summer.  I hope people give them a chance, because the true fans (like me) will be here waiting.  They made Big Al proud.

]]> http://whysoblu.com/lit-hob-anaheim-10-year-anniversary-series/feed/ 4 http://whysoblu.com/rocktagon-cage-stars-gear-up-for-another-mma-weekend/ http://whysoblu.com/rocktagon-cage-stars-gear-up-for-another-mma-weekend/#comments Sat, 29 Jan 2011 19:40:23 +0000 Gregg Senko http://whysoblu.com/?p=18634 It’s about that time again, folks.  Rocktagon and Cage Stars have another event tonight in Elyria, Ohio as heavy hitters Dave Vandevolde and Marcus Washington, among many others, take to the ring.  In addition, the mult-talented rock band Jackie will be hammering it out prior to the gladiatorial festivities.  Stay tuned to Why So Blu for the next few days (and always!) as we will have match results and an exclusive interivew with Jackie lead singer, Jackie LaPonza.  In the mean time, check out the press release for tonight’s event:

Steve Burton and Tony Dipiero Compete for Rocktagon MMA’s Cage Stars Amateur Elite Series
Light Heavyweight Title on January 29

Elyria OH. January 24, 2011 – Ohio based mixed martial arts fight promotion Rocktagon MMA announced today that Steve Burton and Tony Dipiero will go head to head in the “Cage Stars Amateur Elite Series 2″ co-main event. The winner of the bout will become Rocktagon MMA’s new Amateur Elite Series light heavyweight champion. The title was recently relinquished by Dustin Carter due to personal issues. The highly anticipated event will feature three title bouts and a total of 16 Amateur MMA fights. “Cage Stars Amateur Elite Series 2″ will take place on January 29, at Midway Mall in Elyria, Ohio.

According to Lorenzo Gentile, president of Rocktagon MMA, “The “Cage Stars Amateur Elite Series 2″ card is stacked with some of the best local amateur talent in Ohio. Burton vs. Dipiero is just one of many compelling title fights on this card. There will be a total of three Cage Stars Amateur Elite Series titles up for grabs on January 29th.”

Excessive Force fighter Steve Burton (5-0) holds two amateur titles in the 185lb weight class and is currently riding a five fight win streak. The UMMAXX and Cage Madness champion recently clinched his fifth straight win with a submission victory over Daniel Haubiel. Burton, a well-rounded mixed martial artist out of Wooster, Ohio, is now looking to add a light heavyweight title to his already impressive list of career accolades.

His opponent Tony Dipiero (5-4) represents Rising Dragon in Cleveland, Ohio. Dipiero is a well-rounded mixed martial artist with notable submission, TKO, and unanimous decision victories. Dipiero is hungry for the title and is determined to emerge as the new Cage Stars Amateur Elite Series light heavyweight champion. Both contenders feel they are worthy of the title, but only one will raise their hand in victory at the end of the night.

*Official “Cage Stars Amateur Elite Series 2″ Line Up:

Mike Stuck vs. Alex Brown
Dan Gullium vs. Oskar Gut
Nick Dowe vs. Ed Gregorek
Declan Hayward vs. Peirre Greenhill
Chad Wright vs. TBA
Brandon Perrott vs. Sean Brown
Jacob Rathwell vs. Dave Prologo
Kyle Horton vs. Matt Dicenso
Kyle Eberts vs. Brandon Bouchard
Kevin Bucklew vs. Kevin Jackson
James Pfeiffer vs. John Jungquist
Steve Bucklew vs. Dom Mazzotta
Kyle Rozanski vs. TBA
Rob Hanna vs. Marcus Washington
Tony Dipiero vs. Steve Burton
Dave Vandevolde vs. Anthony Morgan

*Fight card subject to change

Rocktagon MMA’s “Cage Stars Amateur Elite Series 2″ is stacked with sixteen compelling amateur match-ups including a main event welterweight title bout between Rocktagon MMA veteran Dave Vandevelde and MMA rising-star Anthony Morgan. Tickets are on sale now! “Cage Stars Amateur Elite Series 2″ will take place on Saturday, January 29th at Midway Mall in Elyria, Ohio. Doors open at 4:00 pm ET. “Jackie” performs at 4:45 pm ET. Fights begin at 7:00 pm ET.

Join Rocktagon MMA on January 29th for a night of non-stop entertainment! Tickets range from $25.00 to $35.00 at the door. Save $5.00 now by purchasing your tickets in advance! Tickets can be purchased online at www.rocktagonmma.com or at the door the night of the event. Limited VIP Tables are also available. Please call 440-934-4662 for more information.

About Rocktagon MMA:
Ohio based Rocktagon MMA is a premier mixed martial arts and entrainment group dedicated to hosting quality events and taking highly skilled MMA fighters from obscurity to the National level. At Rocktagon MMA we treat each fighter like an individual business. We focus on the fighter, their skills, and their image, as we help them build a strong presence in the mixed martial arts arena. For more information about Rocktagon MMA, please visit www.rocktagonmma.com.

Taking place on December 12, 2010, at the Gibson Amphitheater, located in Universal City, CA (next to the Waterworld: Stunt Show Spectacular or whatever that attraction is called that is better than Costner’s flop), this was night two of a two night event.  The previous night featured a lineup of acts that included:  The Smashing Pumpkins, Social Distortion, My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, Bad Religion, and Cake.  While I enjoy a good number of those bands, night two was really the show I wanted to see.  The lineup for night two featured:  Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, Brandon Flowers, The Black Keys, The Temper Trap, Neon Trees, Florence + The Machine, Broken Bells, and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.  This was the night that caught my eye and now I am prepared to share how much fun it was…to the best of my under qualified abilities.

For those unaware, KROQ (Kay-Rock) is a Los Angeles based radio station, which mostly airs modern rock, broadcasted all over Los Angeles and Orange County.  This concert has been running since 1990, always taking place mid-December, featuring a solid lineup of popular rock and alternative music groups.  Despite the non-insubstantial price of tickets for the concert, the event does sell out quickly.  Night one sold out in less than 30 minutes.  Night two sold out in less than 15 minutes.  It was a battle for me to log in online and get through the server to purchase my own pair of tickets, although that doesn’t sound epic enough, so let’s say that I had to wrestle a grandma to get one of the last pair, that’ll do.  The proceeds of the Acoustic X-Mas concerts benefit Para Los Ninos, the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center, and other local charities.  It really is a show focused on having a great lineup, with intentions of giving and helping out others for the holidays.  So enough preambles, let me get to the concert.

The Concert

After fighting through traffic on the 101 freeway and within the Curious George parking lot to reach the show’s location, my friend and fellow UCSB graduate, Jessica, and I were ready to rock out.  The show started at 6:00 p.m., and with 9 acts to get through, one of the coolest aspects was how the stage at Gibson Amphitheater was set up to rotate.  This meant that as one group would perform in front of the audience, the proceeding group would be setting up on the opposite side.  This process meant no lag time between sets, which meant “Hell Yeah!” for all of us excited to see these acts.

The first act up was Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.  Besides having one of the coolest band names in the business, this was a fun start up to the show.  Singer Alex Ebert (who I only just recently found out is also the lead singer for indie group Ima Robot, who I really enjoy) managed to lead this 9-person ensemble well, as he made for a fun guy to see interact with the crowd.  Not at all unwilling to be a part of the audience, Alex wandered into the crowd, while continuing to sing, and even gave away a tambourine to a lucky fan.  As every band had only so much time to play, ES and the MZ’s (even their acronym is cool!) delivered a solid setlist, which of course consisted of their two most popular tracks, “Janglin” and “Home.”  By the time the “Zeros” had finished, I am sure the rest of the audience was more than psyched to see this opening act momentum carry on throughout the night.

So next up to play was Broken Bells.  A fairly new group, which has the distinction of being made up of DJ Danger Mouse and lead singer of The Shins, James Mercer, this act was another solid entry in the lineup.  Focused mainly on delivering the music and less on crowd interaction, Broken Bells delivered the goods, as they performed their set, played their songs well (as one would hope, and I am a fan of their self-titled debut album), and made a pumped-up crowd pleased with a more low-key, melancholy, rock sound.  Those unfamiliar by name with Broken Bells, just look up their hit single, “The High Road,” and recognition should occur fairly quickly.

Due to a schedule change, which I will get to later on, the next group up was The Temper Trap.  Fortunately, this Australian, alternative foursome managed to bounce very well off the rhythm of the night so far established, following the Broken Bells set.  Known well for their very popular hit song, “Sweet Disposition,” The Temper Trap made sure to alert the audience to their near obsessive amount of instrument work by lending a majority of their act to very atmospheric set of songs and sound.  Things certainly got tribal, as lead singer Dougy Mandagi eventually left the mic behind and focused on banging on his one large drum during the aptly titled “Drum Song”.  While enthusiastic about keeping the crowd engaged, the dedication to creating the music sans vocals, for the most part, was certainly a way to keep the audience members, who were big fans, held at bay by sounds they would consider mesmerizing.

Next up, a band that certainly commanded the night early on, based on how enthusiastic their lead singer was, Neon Trees performed a fantastic set on stage, which certainly made me a bigger fan of what they had to offer.  Breaking out much bigger this year, with hits like “Animal” and “1983”, Neon Trees truly was a force to be reckoned with, as they arrived on stage, dressed festively, as they had the holiday spirit in mind.  Lead singer Tyler Glenn, who knew how to where a spiked mohawk quite well and, as Jessica pointed out, had quite a large mouth, was certainly going for the gold as he belted out the group’s hits, danced along all silly-like, engaged the audience frequently, and even brought out Santa Clause to hand out presents.  What more could you ask for?  How about a chance to sing-a-long?  Well that happened too, as Tyler gave some simple instructions and the audience readily complied.  While already satisfied, the sudden amp up in faster-paced rock undoubtedly got me even more pumped up.

Following Neon Trees, arriving just in time apparently, as we were informed that traffic getting to Gibson Amphitheater from the 405 freeway was a bitch, Florence + The Machine appeared on the other side of the rotating stage and were ready to get heavy.  Just as I was saying that this concert could use both:  more cowbell and a manic, pixie dream girl, Acoustic X-Mas delivered on at least one point, by letting me listen to London-born lead singer Florence Welch.  While I didn’t get to hear a cowbell, I was compensated by watching a fantastic set that featured incredible vocals by Welch, who was accompanied by her backing band (The Machine), which included a pretty awesome golden harp.  While the whole set was a great and impressive joy to watch (“Cosmic Love” was definitely a highlight), “Florence” ending on the popular hit, “Dog Days Are Over,” was pretty cool due to the fact that their late arrival on stage left them with little time to finish; so the band wholeheartedly continued to play, even as the stage was rotating to bring in the next act.

And speaking of that next act, The Black Keys came onto stage, starting out strong with their recent hit, “Tighten Up.”  The Black Keys were one of my top three reasons for going to the concert, and once again, as I have seen them a few times now, great things came from their performance.  Announcing early on that they had little time and would perform as many songs as they could, the “Keys” wasted no time, as they delivered strong with the dirty, bluesy, rock and roll that was so desired by the squeaky clean audiences, politely going insane with joy.  The duo, consisting of Dan Auerbach on guitar and vocals and Patrick Karney on drums, surely knew how to please their fans, as the setlist consisted of 8 songs, all performed expertly.  Ending on their single, “I Got Mine,” my feelings certainly matched those sentiments.

Following The Black Keys, The Killers front man, Brandon Flowers, was next, embarking on his first Acoustic X-Mas show as a solo artist.  Clearly very popular, while I may not be the biggest fan of his or The Killers, I certainly observed an artist delivering a show that was intensely satisfying for all his followers.  Flowers started out with his newest single, “Crossfire” (which I got caught up in), but had some special surprises in store for the crowd later on.  Flowers told the audience that he has had some time to rework some of The Killers’ songs, which lead to a slow, acoustic (fitting) performance of “When We Were Young.”  I found this to be pretty cool.  At the end of his set, Flowers then managed to put on a techno-remix performance of “Mr. Brightside,” which was a good way to let things finish out.

Not averse in the slightest to having fun with their own image, Vampire Weekend was next to come out onto stage, with a well placed hip-hop beat backing their entrance.  Following this joyful announcement of, “Yes, we are here to have fun,” the New York originated, preppy-dressed, indie rock band started off with a fitting song for the night’s theme, “Holiday.”  I could continue to list off songs, as Vampire Weekend is one of my current, favorite groups, but suffice it to say that this group knows precisely how to blast out their intricately constructed, catchy songs.  Bigger singles such as “Cousins” and “A-Punk” were played and played well, only to be followed by the laid back pseudo-lecture that is “Oxford Comma.”  Even after settling into some of their more island-tinged songs such as “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” Vampire Weekend decided to go out on a great upbeat note with “Walcott.”  One final note, having seen this group a couple times now, I must point out that bassist Chris Baio is a fine multitasker, as he knows how to display some fancy footwork, while performing.

Closing out the night was Phoenix.  Consisting of four, polite, French men, Phoenix has a knack for delivering both:  an amazing performance that echoes the sound of their studio albums and an excuse to try and rave to the sounds of alternative French pop, as the intricate lighting setup of their act will certainly be hard to avoid, let alone separate yourself from, as the fresh sounds of their upbeat melodies never seem to get old.  Phoenix may have been the most difficult group to attempt to photograph, but they certainly put on a damn fun show to watch.  Lead singer Thomas Mars seems to have the qualities of an all around nice individual, as he warmly greets the crowd and heads into the audience to continue his vocal performance.  Guitarist Christian Mazzalai seems to be having plenty of fun as well, as he toys with the audience by hitting simple chords at a time with nothing but smiles for the crowd.  Even with the shortened set time, Phoenix still managed to find time for their almost completely electronic (with some instrumental help) tracks, “Love Like a Sunset, Parts I and II.”  “Lisztomania” may have been played quite early to satisfy many, but Phoenix could of course not get away without playing their massive hit, “1901.”  Despite claiming to end the night with either “Lasso” or “Girlfriend” (or something else I can’t remember, as I was having too much of a good time), the band of course quickly bounced back onto stage and performed their biggest single for the enjoyment of many.

Overall, the night was pretty fantabulous (yeah, 2000 words in, I’ll just start making some up).  As I mentioned, this night two show of KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas sold out in less than 15 minutes, so clearly I was not the only one looking forward to what was a pretty fantastic setlist.  Each group brought their unique brand of (mainly) alternative rock to the stage and performed more than adequately.  It is cool to see some of your favorite bands live.  It is even better when you watch them not suck on stage.  That was certainly the case here.  To make things even better, the rotating stage setup was great, as the show rarely slowed down.  Once things got going, it was a great musical experience to witness on a strangely warm December night in Los Angeles.  I hope to carry on the this rock momentum into 2011.

One final note:  I managed to video record several clips of the performances I saw on my iPhone 4.  Using an app, I was able to create a nice little video collage of several songs performed that night.  Feel free to enjoy it in all its HD glory.

Find more pics and get more info about the event at:  http://kroq.radio.com/shows/21st-annual-kroq-almost-acoustic-christmas/

As the show began, I quickly realized the stage and set I was laying my eyes upon was one of the most elaborate, if not thee most, I had ever seen in person.  There were 64 remote controlled turret-based, color-changing lights on the back wall afixed amidst a backdrop of video mesh.  Then there are the numerous concert lights secured to the overhead scaffolding offering yet another dimension to the lighting.  The stage was lined with lengthy bars of color-changing lights, illuminating the environment to resemble something reminiscent of a Tron landscape.  No cent was spared as two catwalks extended over the audience, of which the undersides were covered in video screens.  In addition, there were the alternating pyramid-shaped video screens that hovered above the performers.  Last but not least, were the numerous displays of pyrotechnics that offered jaw-dropping color-changing flames from an unearthly deep orange to blue to an eerie green. 

The group consisted of four female vocalists, three male vocalists, a narrator, a violinist, two pianists, three rhythm guitars, one bass guitar, a drummer, and a string section made up of approximately six violinists and two cellists.  That aforementioned string section was comprised of local performers from the Cleveland area whereas the rest of the cast are part of the regular touring act.  As for the show itself, a TSO concert is divided into two acts.  The first delivers a somewhat confusing, but modern story.  As Lady Gaga’s numerous wardrobe changes were a buzz kill to the flow of her show, the narration, while delivered in a booming voice recited from memory and not a teleprompter, was only a fraction of the first act that seemed to be never-ending in an unpleasant sense.  With roughly only one or two tunes in that first act that really got out to chase the hare, I found myself wanting the show to end quickly.  It was ultimately 80′s hair metal ballad collides with Christmas song. 

For the most part, that first act was ballad after ballad after ballad after ballad.  The lack of energy was simply draining, culminating with one of the male vocalists who talk-sang his way through a tune that felt like it was approaching the ten-minute mark.  With all that being said, this is how the show achieves such a wide-ranging audience; from the 13-year old boy in front of me to the 75-year old woman at the end of the row.  If you expect the older generation to leave a performance of hard rock guitar riffs smiling, you’ve got to apease them as well as the younger crowd.  TSO seems to gracefully walk this fine line.

Despite the overall slow pace of Act I, there is an incredible amount of talent on the stage in many forms.  The pair on the keyboards, one of which is the show’s musical director, tap the artificial ivory in rapid and flawless succession, threading the needle from one note to the next.  The violinist is a ball of energy as he guided his bow over his expertly played strings (the photo above was from a different performance).  The female vocalists are easy on the eyes in their incredibly beautiful and sensuous appearance, only matched by their easiness on the ears with their harp-like voices.  The guitarists, however, are front and center as the show tends to place the spotlight on them more than the others.  With the production’s roots in a metal band known as Savatage, it is no surprise why.  From this sound is where TSO was born. 

The second act took off like the proverbial bat out of hell.  The music grew in intensity.  An aggresively heart-pounding drum solo graced the stage.  The lights and lasers filled the air in luminescent frenzy.  This was the image and sound that came to mind when I think of TSO.  After a disappointing opening, my ears were finally digesting the Christmas-laced ferocity I was after!  What the heck is that?  No, this was no mad rush for a department store sale.  This was ‘Little Drummer Boy’ on steroids.  This was ‘Deck the Halls’ on a missile.  Pure electricty had surged throughout the sellout crowd and the very mixed demographic of the audience loved every bit of it.  Since the show was born out of Cleveland, Ohio over a decade ago, it was only appropriate to close out with a local song that concert-goers would truly appreciate; ‘Cleveland Rocks’. 

The applause was deafening and the show enjoyable, but would I return to another TSO concert?  Chances are, probably not.  That first act was an anchor on a ship trying to get out of port.  The second act cut that line and let TSO show what they’re fully capable of.  It’s unfortunate that the show’s first-half pace doesn’t allow them to let loose a little sooner.  I’m no expert (yet), but when assembling a production, rule numero uno is to not bring the audience down for too long with slow numbers.  That aside, I would attach an honorable yet simple badge of “good” when describing the overall entertainment value of the performance.  With that being said, “good” just isn’t good enough when it comes to earning my ticket sales a second time. 

For tour date near you and more information on the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, check out their website at:
http://www.trans-siberian.com/

Fans can relive every heart-pounding second of television’s groundbreaking show when the “24” complete series DVD box set arrives on December 14.  For the hardcore “24” fan, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is hosting the “24” Marathon Challenge and Fan Fest experience at Hollywood and Highland (6801 Hollywood Blvd) in Los Angeles.  Beginning on December 2, fans will come together to watch continuous episodes of “24” in an attempt to break the current Guinness World Record of 86 hours for longest television viewing.  Participants will experience Jack Bauer’s longest days with the last alert fan winning $10,000 and becoming the ultimate “24” enthusiast.

Starting today, fans can enter the “24” contest and get the official rules online at www.FoxConnect.com/24Marathon .  The Marathon Challenge is open to the first 100 registered participants, who are 18 years or older and will be in the Los Angeles area between December 2 and December 6, 2010.

Fans unable to participate in the marathon are invited to discover more “24” with original props form the series, see behind-the-scenes footage and meet cast members from the show.  Cast member schedule will be announced online prior to the event at www.FoxConnect.com/24 and www.Facebook.com/24.  Fans living outside Los Angeles can also check out video, photos and links to live streaming footage from the event by visiting www.Facebook.com/24 to witness the “24” fandom.

The “24” Marathon Challenge and Fan Fest celebrates the home entertainment release for one of television’s most innovative and acclaimed dramas.  “24” The Complete Series is a must-have collectible box set that includes all eight seasons and is bursting with bonus features including deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage, a comprehensive retrospective, an epilogue to the  series and much more.  Additionally, the final season of “24” arrives to Blu-ray and DVD on December 14 with extended and never-before-seen bonus footage for fans.

]]> http://whysoblu.com/ultimate-24-fan-competition/feed/ 0 http://whysoblu.com/yogi-bear-thanksgiving-holiday-food-drive/ http://whysoblu.com/yogi-bear-thanksgiving-holiday-food-drive/#comments Tue, 23 Nov 2010 22:05:21 +0000 Blu-ray Brian http://whysoblu.com/?p=14991 We normally don’t post about local events like these, but since we are in the holiday spirit around here and I would do anything asked by my kind PR folks who arrange all our advance movie screenings, here we are.  Warner Bros. Pictures and Cleveland Metroparks are teaming up for a YOGI BEAR Thanksgiving Holiday Food Drive to benefit The Cleveland Food Bank on Saturday, November 27th, 2010 at the Cleveland Metroparks Chalet.  Check out below for all the details and how you can win two advance screening passes to see YOGI BEAR.

WHAT:  Cleveland Metroparks will host a YOGI BEAR Food Drive to benefit The Cleveland Food Bank on Saturday, November 27th, in conjunction with the opening of the Cleveland Metroparks Toboggan Chutes located at the Chalet.

THE FIRST 50 PEOPLE who come fill the YOGI BEAR Thanksgiving Bags with CANNED, NON-PERISHABLE items will receive screening passes and a special YOGI BEAR Bag!

WHEN:   Saturday, November 27, 2010 @ NOON

WHERE:  Cleveland Metroparks Chalet in Mill Stream Run Reservation

Located on Valley Parkway between Routes 42 and 82 in Strongsville

16200 Valley Parkway. Cleveland, OH 44133. 440.572.9990

WHY:  To benefit The Cleveland Foodbank , have icy fun at the tobogganing chutes and have the chance to be the first in Cleveland to see Warner Bros. Pictures new film YOGI BEAR, in 3D!  The first 50 people to bring CANNED, NON-PERISHABLE food items to fill the YOGI BEAR Thanksgiving Bags to The Chalet at the Tobogganing Chutes starting at NOON will have the opportunity to receive a special YOGI BEAR screening pass (good for two) to the Advance Cleveland Screening on December 14th.

Our first interview of the evening happened to be with one Marcus Washington.  Washington was billed to take on fellow 155 lb.-class fighter David Parker in the main event.  WSB photographer Scott Morrison and I saw Washington fight back in late June, where he walked away with a commanding victory.  This time around, however, the freestyle fighter trimmed down quite a bit dropping almost 20 pounds.

We talked to Marcus on his weight loss as well as his structure as a fighter:

WSB: It’s been a while since June when we saw you fight.  How have you prepared for tonight’s opponent?

Marcus: This is my very first at a 155 pounds.  When you saw me in June, I was 170 pounds.  So I worked on a lot of conditioning, working my wrestling, my take-down defense, and just really training for my endurance and my ground game.

WSB: Is wrestling your forte?

Marcus: I’m a freestyle fighter, but I’m mostly good with my hands.  All of fights, all of my wins have been mostly TKO’s or KO’s.

WSB: You mentioned dropping weight.  Is this a weight class you’d like to stay at or is this temporary?

Marcus: Depending on how the fight goes, this will probably be a weight class that I want to stay at.  I feel the weight class I was at, 170, I did good at that weight class but I was a little small for that weight class.  The last guy I fought was 6’3” (Marcus is 5’8″).  Everybody else I fought was a lot bigger than me so I felt like it might be the better move to drop down to 155 as I try to go pro.

WSB: What’s the next step after tonight?

Marcus: After tonight I’ve got another title fight in Tiffin, Ohio at 155 pounds, and after that bout I’ll probably work on going pro and getting my first pro fight.

WSB: When is the Tiffin fight?

Marcus: The Tiffin fight is December 4th.

WSB: Are there any regulations with the span of time between matches?

Marcus: It all depends.  If somebody loses within the first minute of the fight, they get a suspension.  If I get knocked or if somebody gets knocked out, they get a suspension.  If you lose in that fashion, you get a suspension.

WSB: How do you get yourself psyched up for these matches?

Marcus: A lot of guys try to get angry and smack themselves around.  I just try to get focused.  I just focus in and feel like I’m a technician. I just focus on what I’m going to do.  I see the fight in my mind. I see me knocking him down.  I see me hitting him with my left hand. I make it happen just as I see it in my mind.

WSB: Thank you, Marcus. Good luck! (he didn’t need it)

Next up on the interview list was super heavyweight contender Nick Brashear.  At 6’4” and 325 pounds, I would venture to guess his parents had one heck of a grocery bill back in the day.  With only one previous fight to his credit (a victory at that), Nick discussed his thoughts on his progressing career as a cage fighter.

WSB:  Nick, I understand you’re fighting in the heavyweight class tonight.  Is that correct?

Nick: Super heavyweight. 

WSB:  How did you get ready for tonight’s fight and when was the last time you fought?

Nick: September 4^th of this year.  I came out with a victory and a couple weeks after my fight I took like a week or two off and then got back in the gym.  I’ve just been in the gym as much as I can.  That’s about it.  I’ve been focusing on my weaknesses from my previous fight and fixing it.

WSB: What is your fighting style?

Nick: I’m kind of like a freestyle just like him (opponent Clay Wetzel).  I’m a little bit more grapple-based than striking, but I tried to mix it all in. 

WSB:  What is the benefit to grappling?

Nick:  I get a lot of pleasure out of making guys submit.  I think whenever you can grapple with a guy and make him submit, it’s a more satisfying victory than knocking a guy out.  You never know if someone could just have a weak chin.  I think it’s a bigger challenge when you grapple a guy. 

From the grand stature of the super heavyweight competitor, we moved on to the familiar face of Brandon Vasquez, a grappling-oriented fighter who won his third consecutive fight in the summer.  The cage gladiator has changed gyms since we last spoke and we caugth up with the undefeated Vasquez on the latest in his career. 

WSB: Brandon, we talked to you back in June.  Has anything changed since then?  Are you still in the same weight class?

Brandon: Yes, I’m still at 185.  I’m currently training out at Unit F-1 Gym in Elyria, Ohio.  This is a big fight for me.  Right now I’m looking to go four-and-oh.  I’ve been training everyday, hard.  This is a big fight for me because, win or lose, going four-and-oh is a big deal. 

WSB: If I remember correctly, Brazilian Ju-Jitsu is your fighting style, is that right?

Brandon: Yes sir.  I’ve also been working with some pro boxers working on my hands and my kickboxing, so, you know, I’m a little more diverse now in my skill set.  I’m a mixed martial artist and I feel more true to that.  That’s always going to be my strong point, my Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, so I look to use my skill set and use my striking…as best I can to win the fight. 

WSB:  Who is your opponent tonight?

Brandon: I’m fighting against a guy that’s two-and-oh.  He’s got his first couple wins by knockout already.  He’s a dangerous opponent, I’m going to forge the competition though.  His name is Josh Martinez.   He’s out of Vanyo Martial Arts, which is more of a Muay Thai kickboxing place.  This is like the classic striker (Muay Thai) versus grapple (Brazilian Ju-Jitsu) deal…I’m up to the challenge.

WSB:  Would you say this opponent is more dangerous than the one you faced in June?

Brandon: I never look past anyone.  This guy’s two-and-oh and he’s going to try and take it to me and throw some big punches right away.  I’m going to weather the storm and go from there.  Every opponent’s dangerous and I never look past any of them.  If I win this one, it’ll bring me to the next level.

WSB: If you claim victory tonight, what is next?

Brandon: Hopefully, with the fans and Lorenzo (Gentile), if everyone agrees, he says the middleweight title’s vacant right now , once I go four-and-oh, I may be in contention for that.

WSB: Thank you, Brandon.  Good seeing you again!

Brandon: Thank you.

The Ring Girls show off their Why So Blu wristbands:

Now that we’ve dispensed with the pleasantries, let’s get on to the fights!  The night showed off two dozen hungry contenders who would face off in a maximum 3 rounds at 3 minutes apiece (you’ll find some didn’t need that much time).  Each entered the black and orange cage with something to prove in their hearts and canyon full of respect for their opponents.  I’m still perplexed at how respect can be existent amongst guys ready to unleash hell upon one another.  Not being part of the sport, I suppose that’s just my incurable “outsider looking in” syndrome.  I guess I don’t have to understand it.  I just need to acknowledge it.

Mark Ondich vs. Mike Schmittle

Schmittle opened with a few rapid kicks that were followed by some stalemate grappling.  It was Ondich, however, that delivered a stunning backhand to the face of Schmittle.  The lapse in attention allowed for Schmittle to move in for more and earn a win via TKO at 2:20 into the first round:

Nate Hurst vs. Paul Troutman

It was Troutman’s raw strength that contributed to outlasting the more cat-like prowess of opponent Hurst.  Engaging in a grapple can be one of the most draining actions in the sport as muscles fight muscles, trying to find an edge in the contest.  Though punches were dealt back and forth, Troutman (green/red trunks) outlasted Hurst, ultimately winning by unanimous decision:

Clay Wetzel vs. Nick Brashear

The behemoths had arrived.  Despite a blood-flowing nose, Akron-native Wetzel (left) owned the third round of the match-up.  Unfortunately for him, Brashear owned the first two and walked away with a unanimous decision victory:

Sean Brown vs. Ron Fitch

Both fighters made a mad dash at one another at the start of the fight, trading hard blows and attempting take-downs.  Unexpectedly, the match ended prematurely for Fitch (black with red trim) after suffering an arm injury.  Brown won via arm bar at 1:20 of the first round:

Jacob Rathwell vs. Andy Johnson

In the land of MMA, one doesn’t say “submission.”  The proper term is “tapout” and it was via this conclusion that Rathwell (white) claimed victory through the execution of his rear choke hold on Johnson (black/yellow):

Nick Schenk vs. Don Jongquist

Schenk (black trunks) had tried in vain througout the three rounds to wrap up Jongquist’s legs and take him down to the mat.  It was Jongquist’s long legs that provided him the leverage he would need to foil Schenk’s attempts at a takedown.  Without being able to complete this objective, Schenk seemed disarmed and frustrated.  Jongquist held his ground and took a unanimous decision victory in the end:

James Pfeiffer vs. Alex Brown

There was only one unimpressive match of the evening and this was it.  Both fighers were making their amateur debut.  Rumor has it, Pfeiffer was a bit of a wrestler and Brown a boxer.  The more nimbly-built Pfeiffer prevented Brown from offering much in the way of punches, which resulted in a grappling galor.  In terms of fighting styles, I’m no one to question what works and what doesn’t.  However, from a spectator point of view, it was a snooze fest while the two fighters spent the majority of the time on the mat jockeying for position.  Pfeiffer won by decision:

Tyree Johnson vs. Kyle Horton

Horton (performing hold move below) had control of this one almost from the begining, and from the look of things, had no thoughts on relinqueshing control.  He came out with a sudden sweep of Johnson’s lower half, taking his legs out from under him.  Horton later followed this up with a series of knees to Johnson’s ribs combined with some jabs to the face.  Normally fighters try and gather themselves in between rounds.  For Johnson, however, the night had come to a close.  In a state of complete exhaustion, he told the ref he was done only seconds after the closing bell of round 1 had sounded:

Josh Martinez vs. Brandon Vasquez

The subject of one of our earlier interviews, Brandon Vasquez (back tattoo) entered the cage with undeniable confidence.  He exuded the persona of someone on a mission and he made sure to carry this over into the fight.  The match started wtih Vasquez making an almost immediate dash for the legs of Martinez.  Vasquez made it look easy.  He wrapped up the Muay Thai-style fighter and dropped a series of hammerfists on Martinez who was saved by the bell.  Then came the surprise of the night.  During the brief break between rounds 1 and 2, Vasquez was declared the loser.  How could this be?!  He was dominating only seconds ago!  Upon closer inspection, one could see the boney lump under the skin of Vasquez’s left shoulder, grotesquely revealing the dislocation that would prevent him from continuing.  When the announcer asked Martinez how he felt about the victory, he bluntly stated that it wasn’t a victory, for which he earned a respectful bow from opponent Vasquez:

Kyle Booth vs. Dave Vandevolde

With Booth (black with green trim) entering the cage first and Vandevolde (camo shorts) following, both fighters danced about with the excitement and energy of a big cat in pursuit of its prey.  These guys came out swinging with an unparalleled fervor.  Only one would be able to walk out on his own power.  Vandevolde pummeled Booth relentlessly and achieved a TKO at a mere 43 seconds in the first round.  It would take the aid of two men to help Booth make his way to the locker room:

Cy Stevens vs. Mike Maderitz

By now, I’ve seen over 50 MMA fighters in action, in person.  Grappling is inevitable and usually ends up with a position that appears nearly impossible to get out from.  That’s where Mike Maderitz (left) proves to be the asterisk.  Maderitz has a slippery knack for squirming or muscling his way out of these tensely grasped positions, sometimes turning the tide of the fight.  Unfortunately for him, his abilities, while at times successful, were not enough to outdo the efforts of Stevens, who won what was the closest and most entertaining bout of the evening.  Not only did this send Stevens to a record of 5-2-0, but he claimed the championship belt in the 145 lb. weight class in the process:

David Parker vs. Marcus Washington

Since they’re both wearing black shorts, it’s just easier for me to say Parker has the Celtic lineage with Washington’s hailing from Africa.  Sure that’s not the most savvy way of saying it, but it does get straight to the point and now you know who is who.  Washington, the subject of Why So Blu’s first interview on the night, came out with his trademark stare that only reinforced his earlier comments of staying focused.  Focused?  If you see this guy in person, you’d think he was about to unleash Superman’s heat vision on an otherwise unsuspecting opponent.  His gaze is piercing if nothing else.  Though the match stayed even early on, Washington began to conduct a series of pivotal moves that led to a crushing blow landing on the right side of Parker’s face.  Parker instantly sprung a hemoglobin leak of Old Faithful proportions which speckled the orange mat with droplets of crimson.  Washington followed up that strike with another of equal power, sending Parker’s mouthguard airborne and astray.  The rapid fire attack from Washington resembled that of a shark who had literally smelled blood and moved in for the final kill with only 1 second to spare in the first round.  Parker was done and Washington victoriously raised his hands in triumph, claiming the 155 lb. weight class championship belt:

Recap:

Ohio based mixed martial arts fight promotion Rocktagon MMA, formerly known as CageStars, is proud to present the first Amateur MMA event under the Rocktagon name. “Cage Stars Amateur Elite Series 1″ is stacked with some of the top Amateur MMA talent on the East Coast. The event will take place on Saturday, November 20, at Midway Mall in Elyria, Ohio.

According to Lorenzo Gentile, president of Rocktagon MMA, “We are very excited about our first event under the Rocktagon MMA name. The fight card is stacked with top local talent and features two very compelling amateur title fights. This is going to be an action packed night of fights that MMA fans in Ohio will not want to miss!”

In the main event the Cage Stars Amateur Elite Series middleweight title is on the line and CageStars veteran Jose Martinez has his eye on the championship belt. Standing in his way is Darnell Hicks, a highly skilled MMA fighter out of Troy, Ohio. In the Co-main event Mike Maderitz will face Cy Stephens for the Cage Stars Amateur Elite Series lightweight title.

Jose Martinez (4-2-0) is a well-rounded mixed martial artist who trains out of Elyria, Ohio. Prior to his transition into MMA, Martinez claimed two regional boxing championship titles in the Junior Olympics and garnered National attention during his wrestling career at Southview High.

His opponent Darnell Hicks (5-4-0) is a self-taught mixed martial artist known for his aggressive fight style. Hick’s possesses raw talent and has never been knocked out in the cage. Martinez plans to add a KO loss to Hicks record on Saturday night. This promises to be an explosive fight from start to finish!

*Official “Amateur Elite Series 1″ Fight Card:

Darnell Hicks vs. Jose Martinez
Mike Maderitz vs. Cy Stephens
Dave Vendevolde vs. Kyle Booth
Brandon Vasquez vs. Jerome Black
Kevin Zickefoose vs. Dave Prolongo
Mike Schmittle vs. Mark Ondich
Tyree Johnson vs. Kyle Horton
Dustin Miracle vs. Don Jongquist
Andy Johnson vs. Jacob Rathwell
Ron Fitch vs. Byron Gregory
Nick Brasheare vs Clay Wetzel
Paul Troutman vs. Nate Hurst
Nick Dowe vs. Anthony Carney
James Pfieffer vs. Alex Brown

*Card and Schedule Subject to Change

As the outdoor stage began to take shape Saturday morning, Justin and I quickly realized what was being assembled was not dancer-friendly.  It was high enough, though small in width and depth, but optimism took over and we would make it work.  As the morning progressed and the numerous musicians and stage crew personnel showed up one by one, our worst fears came to light.  With the numerous rock bands that would be on before Rhythm in the Night that day, it made logistic sense (for the bands) for the audio monitors and band equipment (i.e. one intrusive drum kit) to remain on stage throughout the day’s festivities.  That meant the already small stage got even smaller.  We ended up losing about 1/3 of our performance area because of an executive decision that was out of our control.   But hey, throw us a curveball and we’ll show you how to hit it out of the park.

As the day wore on and passersby became increasingly interested in Rhythm in the Night at our booth, its cast members, including yours truly, waited with eagerness to give it our all.  The City of Sarasota Pipe Band, led by Pipe Major Kevin Wiegand, took the stage as the last act before the caged tiger, otherwise known as Rhythm in the Night, was about to be released.  As the artificial fog rolled across the stage and the 1,500+ in attendance waited with baited breath, the female cast members delivered their steps in beautiful synchronicity donned in teal and black Celtic dresses.  They soon traded stage positions with the magnificent footwork of Rhythm in the Night good guy lead, Paul Beardsley.  His shirt emblazoned with the Cross of Malta, Beardsley flew from one end of the stage to the other while the crowd’s cheers grew in volume with each step transitioning in growing complexity.  When Beardsley’s solo concluded on one knee with an outstretched arm, it signaled the time for me to lead the lasses back out on stage on pace to the music.  Oh what an experience it was.  First of all, I’m leading a group of champion dancers.  That’s bragging right numero uno.  Second, we hit that stage with such uncompromising dexterity and determination that the all-at-once beats from our feet were enough to get anyone’s adrenaline flowing.  Was it fun?  Well, yes, but that’s like asking if a shark has teeth.

Then came time for the show’s musicians featuring the likes of Kevin Wiegand on the bagpipes, Michial Wickmott on the Bodhran, Teresa Hassard on the violin and Paul Duffy on guitar.  Their quick tempo aresenal of Irish tunes proved to be fist-pumping for the audience, as smiles and toe-tapping were things everyone was guilty of.  And since Justin and I didn’t want to make a show that drops pace, we made sure to keep it going with the addition of one Geoff Brady on vocals whose rendition of “Raglan Road” was so moving that one audience member claimed, “It almost brought me to tears,” and accurately so.  Where a food critic has the ability to make you taste what they reviewed, Brady relays the song’s emotion straight to your senses like a bullet train.  Shortly thereafter, Boros entered as the production’s main villain, and wicked he was indeed.  His relentless rhythmic pounding of the stage took the audience to a high that would only be outdone by the show’s duel between he and Beardsley.  No one was there measuring decibel levels, but if they were, you could bet that audience of 1,500+ made it sound like triple that capacity.

Bad girl lead, Caitlin Ward, demonstrated her fluidity in the air with a stunning performance donned in the show’s red and black color scheme.  Her ability to play to the audience and take it back at her command is most likely a product of her championsip background and undeniable presence on stage.  The show ended with the full cast of dancers present for the finale and it was a moment I will never forget.  From the audience came a flood of screams, smiles, and outstretched arms reaching for an approving high five from one of the cast.  To describe this in a word, “incredible” comes to mind.  There we were, seven wide with Paul Beardsley in front.  I stood on one end of the dance line serving as an anchor to the corp, and you can bet I made it a point to soak in every bit of that moment.  People would not stop their cheers or their chants for “One more time!” amidst their standing ovation, but I don’t think any of us on stage took umbridge to that.  If life has a rewind button, I want to relive that scene again.

At the show’s conclusion, the cast made its way indoors for photo ops and a little celebratory champagne for its creators; Justin Boros and myself.  With AC/DC’s Brian Johnson about to take the stage that we just left, several in attendance actually left their claimed ground outside to meet us up close.  This just verified that we have something here with this show.  Irish dance has not “seen its day in the sun” as so many unwittingly claim.  It’s become an art form flooded by sub-par shows that offer little punch in their delivery.  We’re here to show you Rhythm in the Night does not fall into that category.  With a little capital, anyone can make a show.  It’s ingenuity and flare that adds the word “successful.”

www.TwoStepProductions.com

Before this screening, a more private event took place nearby at the Roosevelt Hotel, where a select group of press members were invited to preview the special features on the Blu-ray for the film, which is set to be released on November 9, 2010.  A full review for the Blu-ray, courtesy of Sean Ferguson, can be found Here.

In attendance at this preview event were Edgar Wright, Michael Cera, Bryan Lee O’Malley, and star Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Live Free or Die Hard, Death Proof),  who took time to answer questions related to these special features and about the film in general.  I was among the press members at this event, and the following is a mix of the questions asked by its moderator and those of us watching the footage.

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Regarding the test shoot footage.

Edgar Wright:  This was shot in the summer of 2008 and it was the first thing we ever shot.  And it was basically a way of showing the studio what the film was going to look like.  So we made this two minutes of test stuff with a lot of the crew… and everybody worked on it, pretty much for nothing, just to get it up to a point where we felt we could show it to the studio.  And it stars two of the stuntmen, who ended up both having parts in the film.

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Regarding the reaction to the test shoot footage.

Edgar Wright:  Well it showed how much work was going to go into it, especially with the post-production, because we spent with [the test footage] like three months just to finish it on a very low budget scale. But yeah, working with Bill Pope [director of photography] and Brad Allen [fight coordinator], those guys are kind of world class, so it’s great because you have ambitious ideas visually, so you know that these guys can be able to accomplish them.  [Stuntman] Chris Mark who played Matthew Patel [in the test footage] basically doubled everybody at some point during the movie.  He doubled both Michael and Mary. [Laughs]

Michael Cera:  I once walked into the men’s restroom, and he was dressed as Mary at the urinal and I was like “…?” [Laughs]

Edgar Wright:  It was the most erotic thing that happened in that restroom.

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On casting and early audition tapes shown on the Blu-ray.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead:  I’m not sure if we had actual audition tapes.

Edgar Wright:  You appear with like Ellen [Wong] and Kieran [Culkan].  We did sort of some auditions, but we didn’t need to be stubborn with some, like knowing if Kieran Culkan could do it, but I wanted to see him and Michael together and that was really fun.  We pretty much acted out all of their scenes.

Bryan Lee O’Malley:  It took about ten minutes. [Laughs]

Edgar Wright:  And there were some people that came in and read once and that was it, so I had to make sure the actors were cool with the thing on the Blu-ray.  I think it’s great because all of the dates are on there, and you see how far back some of that casting was done, because the film was in pre-production in some form for…well it was in development for five years, but I think even Michael and Mary were cast back in 07 or 08.  And some of the other casting…well to show you how far back it goes, Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick’s casting both pre-date Twilight and Parks and Recreation and Funny People.  So it’s funny because the film took like a year to make and a year to edit, so most of the casting tapes go back to early 2009 at least.

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On the physical training required for getting shape and working on all the fighting in the film.

Michael Cera:  I know my family was divided on the fighting. [Laughs]  We trained for over a month…two months, and after we started shooting none of us continued to train, so you could watch us slowly fall apart.

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Reactions after watching some of the training footage.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead:  I was just kind of a mess.  I would just constantly get injured all the time.  I developed tendinitis from practicing all the time with that hammer and doing most so much choreography, mostly my shoulder would just pop out all the time.  Then I had this completely freak spinal injury that I got from stunt work, but I had to do the stunt work and didn’t know what was wrong with me until we finished shooting, so it was definitely a lot of physical stuff I was working through on the shoot, but it was really kind of cool because I feel way stronger now than before the film, so it’s kind of a unique experience.

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Bryan and Edgar on watching the training process and seeing the characters come to life.

Bryan Lee O’Malley:  [Laughs] I can never put words to it, but it was all pretty fantastic, the whole crew was fantastic.

Edgar Wright:  I miss those training sessions, makes me nostalgic.  It’s not often that you get to work with Superman and Captain America. [Laughs]  And also, you can see in that tape that I was training with the guys as well and there was always like these world class professionals doing the most perfect roundhouse kick in the background and all of the acrobats and stuff in it, so that was amazing doing that training.  And it was a great bonding experience, because a lot of the actors in the training sessions didn’t have any scenes with each other, so a lot of the Exes would all kind of hang out together and then wouldn’t see each other until the premiere.  So it was nice to have the entire cast together for such a long period before shooting, which doesn’t usually happen.  Like most films the cast meets like the night before the first day of shooting.

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On the choices for the music featured and played by the bands in the film, including the idea of not actually showing the bands play their music.

Edgar Wright:  Yeah, that was something we had in the first draft of the script, because Bryan and me thought it would be funny and the book only has sort of whispers of the songs, so there was an idea of not showing the songs and the running joke would be something that you didn’t see on screen, but would hear it was awesome.  Because in a lot of music biopics or films with fictional bands in them, you hear people saying, “That was greatest song ever!” and it usually isn’t [Laughs], so was a way of getting around that.  But then once we started to get the tracks, I think the Beck song, “Garbage Truck,” originally they were just gonna play the intro and then Matthew Patel was going to crash through the roof, and then when we heard it, I think Nigel Godrick [score composer] was the first one to have said, “Well you have this amazing song and you’re going to miss it?  That’s ridiculous.” So, I think it sort of started to expand in that respect.  And I like it, because it starts to feel weirdly like a musical and you have a little musical break.  And it’s something with so much action in it; it’s nice when it just stops for a song you know?  It reminds me of like old 60s and 70s films in that respect.[Laughs]

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On the evolution of the band, “Sex Bob-Omb,” and how the actors continued to jam.

Michael Cera:  It was great to play all of those songs over and over.  It was just six songs, I think, so we just went over those, endlessly, and by the time it came to shoot, it really felt like they were our songs.  You know, because no on one else had heard of them and we had a lot of ownership over them and knew how to play them and really liked them too.  It was nice.  I think we kind of found our group dynamic too, just by learning how to hang out with each other.  We would sit around and eat, and then play the songs; yeah it was great.

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On the opening title sequence and further song usage.

Edgar Wright:  The actual thing of playing the song (“We Are Sex Bob-Omb”) longer came quite late.  The credits that were developed came about two months before the film came out.  So that was a late addition, just the idea of sort of expanding it.  Originally all the credits were at the end, but then it felt like…well a couple of the people at the screenings felt that having the credits at the beginning would give it more of a feeling of prologue, getting us into the story, and suddenly it felt much better once it went there.  So that was the addition, but [the basic concept] was done in like 2008 or maybe earlier. This is how it was originally thought of.

On the animatics features on the Blu-ray.

Edgar Wright:  What’s funny is that when you get to the Lucas Lee animatics, you see how many drafts it goes through, because you have like…well Bryan wrote and drew, he had the script; and you have like full storyboards for everything and then you have like Double Negative and my brother getting involved and making some of those stills into like 3D pieces, then you have what Brad Allen and his team do, and they tend to shoot the rehearsal videos that end up looking like these weird “sweded” versions of the film. [Laughs]  They end up looking like an amateur cover version of the movie…Once you put it all together, you end up having like twenty versions, and I wanted to put in on the Blu-Ray, because I feel it shows how many authors have been on in order to get to the end.  There’s so much action in the film, and we had a long schedule, but it was still like every single day was panicked.  And if you’re not kind of prepped like this, there’s just no sort of way to get through the day.  You just have to have it all mapped out.

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Edgar’s story after watching the animatics feature.

Edgar Wright:  During one of the shots, between one of the two cuts, one of the extras went to the bathroom [Laughs].  So it’s in the first bit, but not the second bit, and it wasn’t until much later, with me thinking, “Hang on, what’s wrong with this shot?”  And this guy literally just disappears, between the two things, so we had to digitally put this guy back in.  So that guy who went for a pee break had no idea of the hours and hours of rendering that he had caused.  I always found that funny. [Laughs]  If I knew his name, I’d call him out.

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On the environment and stylizing Toronto.

Edgar Wright:  Bryan takes a photo of Toronto and then draws it, and he’ll simplify it, so you look at Bryan’s artwork and what’s not there is like all the satellites and crap and extra wires and things that are not as ostensibly pleasing.  So we took real shots of Toronto and then just rubbed stuff out to make it look as nice and simple as like – would you be able to draw from memory essentially?  Or just the things that look more aesthetically pleasing.  Even the trees, the trees are all sort of stripped down to kind of look more like Bryan’s artwork.

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On the outtakes, particularly Michael Cera attempting to make a behind the back basket (33 takes).

Edgar Wright:  Oh yeah, it’s you throwing the package.

Michael Cera:  Is this embarrassing for me? [Laughs]

Edgar Wright:  No, well you did it, eventually. [Laughs]  I wouldn’t be able to do it at all.

Michael Cera:  They should have had me do a commentary on this going like, “Oh my god…” [Laughs]

Moderator:  Yeah, but it’s one of those things that proves – you did it, it wasn’t a trick, it wasn’t a gag, you did it, and it is kind of amazing to see how well you work, and how patient you were to get that shot, and it’s so casual and off-handed in the film.

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On the television edited version.

Edgar Wright:  You contractually have to do a TV safe edit.  And the thing is if you don’t provide them, they’ll be the silliest ones.  And if you watch something like Die Hard 2, you can tell that like Bruce Willis did not show up for his TV edit recordings [Laughs].  We have a thing about ADR (additional recording), I actually really like doing them, and some people watch them and saying, “Oh, that’s retarded, why do they have to like change “ass,””  And I’m thinking, well I think it’s funny.  And what we do is we try to think of the weirdest ones to put in, and then we only do one take of them. [Laughs]  So they start to get really weird – every iteration of the word “ass” is replaced by the word “owl” [Laughs].  What else?  “Shit” is turned to “Smurf” or “Snarf.”

Michael Cera:  “Hell” is turned to “Hootch”

Edgar Wright:  I just like it.  I saw Hot Fuzz on Comedy Central for the first time the other day and I just thought, “Wow, if you’ve only ever seen that film on Comedy Central, you honestly have like another twenty minutes to look forward to” [Laughs].  I was amazed at how butchered it was.  So with these things, if you have to provide like a safety version, it at least helps to have fun with it.

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On the use of the Phantom Camera, which shoots images at 1000 frames per second, making for crystal clear images in super slow motion.

Edgar Wright:  It was the only digital camera that we used in the entire film.  The rest of it was shot on 35 mm film or Vista Vision.  They used to be able to do this stuff, but it was like with equipment as big as a room.  Now you have a better sized camera and it has a hard drive that plays back this work immediately, so it’d be a strange thing whenever we would do these shots, everyone would gather around the monitor, because everyone would be able to see it.  What’s cool about this is that most of the fancy stuff is for the actors doing their own stunts, so I wanted to put this on the Blu-ray, because it felt like it really shows how much the performers actually did and how dangerous some of it is.  It was an amazing tool and fascinating doing this stuff.

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On having someone take new control of Bryan’s material.

Bryan Lee O’Malley:  Well it already belonged to the fans I guess, but I would have never given the material away to anyone, it had to be this guy.  I was like, “Oh, this guy did Shaun of the Dead, awesome.”  And I was a starving artist [Laughs], so maybe it could have been anyone, but fortunately, it was Edgar.

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On the music created by Beck for the film, and the additional material he produced.

Edgar Wright:  I guess anything that we didn’t use in the film is Beck’s to keep.  He gave me like a CD, after he recorded it, which was like 22 tracks long, including 10 different versions of “Ramona.”  The “Ramona” acoustic one that Michael sings in the film and then the Beck version that it ends on; there were like 10 different versions of that, and the one we used in the film, I think it’s just him like improvising.  I think it’s basically the first take.  So there were a lot of different variations of things and different things changed around.  There is only like one track, the “Ramona” one, which Beck applied strings to and did any more work on.  The whole point of it was like, this is supposed to be the band’s first demo, and it’s supposed to be sort of great and crappy at the same time.  So it didn’t feel right to really do too much work to it.  I don’t know if the other stuff will ever surface, but it was fascinating to see his process.

On seeing different Scott Pilgrim themed Halloween costumes.

Edgar Wright:  The best one I saw was two guys who went as Scott and Nega Scott together.  One of them was completely in “gray face,” and that was pretty amazing. [Laughs]

Michael Cera:  I ran into eight guys dressed as The Expendables and they got the shit kicked out of them. [Laughs]

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On the actors seeing themselves on film.

Mary Elizabeth Winsted:  I’m pretty good after the fact.  When you see it for the first time, I usually cringe at everything and I get embarrassed and nervous at the premiere and stuff like that, but pretty much subsequently after that I’m just really happy to watch it and feel really excited about it.  Like I’m so excited to get the Blu-ray to watch all of the behind the scenes stuff because it feels like it’s our own home movies that we get to watch all over again and kind of revisit.  So there’s nothing about watching any of this stuff that would make me uncomfortable.

Michael Cera:  I feel the same way.  When I watch this movie specifically, I remember everything about the shoot, about the day that we started scenes.  It’s really like reliving the whole shoot and it was such an amazing time, so it’s really nice watching the movie.

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The actors on how all the physical training affected them.

Michael Cera:  I loved doing it.  It was so much fun getting on set.  The first thing in the morning was putting a harness on and having to be alert or else an opportunity to duck and get hit in the head could occur. It’s exciting.  The way we did it, we would do scenes for a while, and then we would do fights that would last like a week.  It was fun, but I don’t know if I would do it again.  Obviously I wanted to do it for this movie, because I love the material and Edgar, and I don’t know if I could do a movie, just because there were fight scenes, unless it was guaranteed to be hugely successful. [Laughs]

Mary Elizabeth Winstead:  I think everybody had a lot of fun.  It was just something about the energy of when we were all training together and the way that we sort of put it together, it just was a really fun way to get in shape and be able to learn how to do all this stuff.  I think by the end of it, we were all ready not to like…ever move.  We all wanted to just lay on the couch for like four months.  But I think now I kind of miss it and hopefully I’ll get a reason to get in shape like that again, and have someone pay me to learn all that stuff.  That’s what’s sort of mind boggling about the whole thing, is that you get paid to do that stuff, so it’s pretty exciting.

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On concerns about how concerned they were towards gaining a wide audience.

Edgar Wright:  I don’t think that came up too much during the production of it really.  That didn’t really come up until we started doing our first press, and people would say, “Oh, do you think this film will appeal to the under-30 crowd.”  And I’m thinking, “Well, 1.  I’m 36, and 2.  If everybody under 30 did go and see it, we’d be billionaires. [Laughs]  I think the thing I gotta give credit to Universal for is that they let us make the film that we wanted to make.  It’s not really compromised in that sense.  It’s only really that we tried to absolutely get every single penny of budget on screen, and that was the biggest challenge.  I think if something has a specific voice and is speaking directly to some people, I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing, because I think people feel there’s a connection to the material and there’s plenty of films that have been successful that nobody likes, but everybody goes and sees, but you would be hard-pressed to find somebody in the world who says that it’s their favorite film.  It’s nice to find that sort of person who’s like, “Oh my god, I can’t believe they made this film just for me,” and we just have to find those “me’s.” [Laughs]

On putting the alternate ending on the Blu-ray.

Edgar Wright:  I think it was sort of common knowledge that it existed, so I think that if we hadn’t done that, we would have been asked in every interview why it’s not there. [Laughs]  It was also part of the process.  We talk about it on the commentary, and what the thought process was, and that the ending was there before the release of Volume 6 [of the comic book series], and how we then brought it back to be more like Bryan’s ending.  I think it’s an interesting thing to show the process.  For those kinds of people who are definitely on “Team Knives,” it’s kind of like a fun thing to see.  That said, I think we all prefer and acknowledge the theatrical ending as the official ending.  And it took us a while to get there, because we ended up living with the film for a year before we got to writing and shooting the new ending.  And then what’s crazy in the film, is that we did one scene, and it’s been like a year, and Michael, Mary, and Ellen [Wong] all look no different, and if anything they look better in the new ending, because they had all slept. [Laughs]  So there was no question of not including that, it was just something interesting to see and you can also see how the original piece of music worked.  But I prefer the ending that went out in theaters.

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Again, the jam-packed Blu-ray (review) will be released on Nov. 9th!

See all the Special Features HERE!

It was in late 2005 when Boros approached Senko with the simple inquiry of, “Hey, what do you think about making our own Irish dance show?”  Taken aback a bit at first, Senko quickly gathered his wits with an affirmative “yes” to the question, but how do a pair of guys with just a few bucks in their pockets kick-start their own production?  With Boros in Florida and Senko in Ohio, there were a lot of long distance phone calls that went into the wee hours of the morning going over the details of the show which led to not only the show’s outline on paper, but a full-fledged business plan to present to investors for their own production, Rhythm in the Night.

Two years later, they formed their own production company titled Two Step Productions.  It seemed like they had everything going for them.  Boros spent nearly 3 years touring with Lord of the Dance and Senko was offered a spot in the show’s stationary Las Vegas troupe at the Venetian Hotel & Casino.  With a bit of an impressive résumé betw