MOVIE-RELATED CRAP

7 Quick Movie-Related Snippets that Pissed Me Off:

1) The Sci-Fi channel is remaking the Wizard of Oz. Blasphemy!

2) Eddie Murphy is going to reprise his role of Axel Foley and do Beverly Hills Cop 4. Why?

3) They are making a remake of POLTERGEIST. Wait, it gets better - its going to be a SHOT-FOR-SHOT remake. ARGH!!!!

4) They are making Starship Troopers 3. I guess Tippet's ST2 wasn't bad enough. This doesn't piss me off so much as just shakes my head at the lack of good ideas in Hollywood.

5) They are making a remake of SHORT CIRCUIT. Yes, Johnny-5 is alive again.... unfortunately. Too bad they can't do UNmakes.

6) Lindsey Lohan may play Stevie Nicks in an upcoming biopic. Why does this waste-o-space keep getting work? Does she actually have fans out there who enjoy watching her... what the hell does she do again?

7) Pixar's CARS. Finally saw this (on the plane) and was sorely disappointed. Worst Pixar movie ever. They seem to be falling into Disney's pit of cliche, predictable, formulaic storytelling. Boo.
(Sorry Melchy & Jason)

GREAT RESTAURANT SIGN

Saw this sign for a restaurant in Cinque Terre, Italy.
The laughing juvenile within had me stop and take a pic!

ROCKY BALBOA DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A WINNER

Saw the longer trailer for ROCKY VI last night. Man, I really want this to be good but it just looks like a rehash of ROCKY V, which sucked. I'll still go see it, but there's little hope of this one being as good as the first 4.

Which reminds me -
go revisit ROCKY I and II.
Both great movies. I'm always surprised how good they are. I think ROCKY III and IV taint the first 2. Sure they're lots of fun, but no where near the solid drama story that the first 2 were.

HARRY POTTER 5 POSTER

Saw the new poster for Harry Potter 5 last night at the theater. Pretty cool. I love that Voldermort is now in the open for all to see. While the films are eh-ok compared to the books, I'm still stoked to see this! Its like watching a Cliff Notes version. And when the hell is Book 7 coming out?!!

FANTASTICAR

Here's a shot of the FANTASTICAR which will apparently be making an appearance in Fantastic Four 2. Wait, why am I posting about this? The first movie was an insult. I must be jetlagged still.

PREACHER TV

GOOD NEWS: DC/Vertigo's awesome comic series PREACHER by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon is coming to the boob tube care of HBO!!! Perfect!!!!

BAD NEWS: Its going to be directed by Howard Deutch (Grumpy Old men) and adapted by Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil, Ghost Rider).
Hmmmm... I heard that the fine folks behind the new Battlestar Galactica are involved, too, but I couldn't find anything online to confirm.....

If you haven't read the comics, don't wait for this show. Go out and pick up the trade paperbacks which collect the finite series. In fact many libraries have em to check out for free, you cheap bastards.

If you like Tarantino flicks, John Wayne & Clint Eastwood movies, dig the supernatural and love a good ole fashion Americana romance story embedded in hyper-violence and hyper-fetish, then you'll love Preacher. One of may all-time favorite stories and comics ever!!!

STAR WARS SCREENING

This is the week of screenings it seems in LA! This saturday night at the AERO Theater in Santa Monica, they are showing STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE!!! Unfortunately, its the crappy Special Edition version (thanks, Lucas), but hey, its still worth seeing on the big screen (just go take a piss during the CG Jabba scene.... and blink when Greedo shoots....).

In addition, across the street at the super cool children's bookstore and gallery EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY, model maker LORNE PETERSON will be doing book signings of SCULPTING A GALAXY! Bonus!!!!

Oh wait, saturday is my and TRex's 6yr Wedding anniversay.

Hmmm, whaddaya think, honey?

ALIENS SCREENING ! ! !

Fuckin-A!!

This friday night, the Academy's Science and Technology Council are presenting a screening of ALIENS with a newly struck 35mm print and a retrospective panel discussion!!!! As you well know, ALIENS is the best movie ever made!

December 8 at 7:30pm at the Linwood Dunn Theater.
I'm already there, baby!!!

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*thanks, Willie!!

HERO OF THE DAY: STEVIE LONG

Check this out!

A robber was holding a gun to 5-year-old Mary Long's head when 4-yr old Stevie Long, dressed as a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger, leapt into the room. "Get away from my family," he shouted, punctuating his screams with swipes of his plastic sword and hearty "yah, yahs." The robber and his accomplice fled. "I scared the bad guys away," Stevie said.

Whoa. Scary and awesome at the same time. In addition, they are saying that Stevie (being 4) actually believes he morphed into a Power Ranger complete with powers and abilities. Ok, let's make sure this experience, on all its levels, doesn't mess him up for life, ok? And also get him some decent superhero PJs like Superman or Batman. Power Ranger? Come on.

(article)

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*thanks, Maker!

DOUCHEBAG OF THE DAY: NEW LINE CINEMA

For dropping PETER JACKSON to direct THE HOBBIT.

Fucking idiots.

If he doesn't direct it, I implore you all to boycott the movie.

DAVE COCKRUM PASSED AWAY

Ah, man!!!

The Comic World has lost one of their legends: DAVE COCKRUM. Dave passed away last week (sunday) at the age of 63 after a long battle with diabetes.

Fans know and love Cockrum primarily for his huge contribution to the X-MEN Mythos. Its a little known fact that at one point sales of The X-Men were so poor Marvel cancelled the book. Then came COCKRUM and writer Len Wein in 1975. With "Giant-Size X-Men #1" they brought back the X-Men all-new and all-different, adding many of their own created characters to the comic like Storm, Nightcrawler and Colossus. It was an instant hit and classic which brought back the X-Men to a monthly comic. This began a new era of X-Men that not only changed the comic title, but all comics in mainstream. Just about any team-book out there now is still emulating the groundwork layed out by Cockrum and Wein.

Cockrum was a huge comic lover himself (a fan as well as a professional) and maintained that fun, playful love of the medium til the end - his family stated he died in his favorite chair at home in his Superman pajamas and covered by his Batman blanket. And was cremated in his Green Lantern shirt. Awesome.

I could go on and on about the man, his work and passion for comics and fans...

Like I said, the Comic World has lost one of its Greats.

Recommended X-MEN reading:

Marvel Masterworks: Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 and 2

Dave Cockrum tribute site

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*thanks, Meghan & Maker for the story while I was out.

AUBURN WINS IRON BOWL

AUBURN beat Alabama in the Iron Bowl!!!!
WOO HOO!!!!

There is a god.
How do I know?
Cause the Sky is blue and the sun is orange, baby!!!
Eat it Bama.

WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!

*I actually found this out the day of....
the phone call back to the States was worth it.

JIMSMASH IS ACTIVE !

Whew! Back from the awesome vacation!
Did ya miss me?!!

We had a fantastic time and took oodles of photographs. I'll post some here and there. Don't worry, I won't unindate you with a lame vacation slideshow. I'll post primarily dorky stuff you'd expect from me. Like this one! A life-size WEREWOLF at the Torture Museum in San Gimigano, Italy. Er, I have no idea why a Werewolf is at the Torture Museum either.

Also, there's lots of geeky news I missed.
So bare with as I try to play catch-up!

GREETINGS FROM LATVERIA !

WISH YOU WERE HERE!

JIMSMASH VACATION - BACK IN 2 WEEKS

"And how long will you be on vacation?"

"2weeks.....2 weeks....2 WEEKS!! 2 WEEKS!!!
blagabaargglegggle..."
JIMSMASH will be inactive for the next 2 weeks
as I tour the countryside of Italy, France & Latveria.

So check back December 4th!!
(and have a Safe, Happy Thanksgiving!)

CELEBRITY POP-UP BOOK

Celebrity Pop-Up Book! Relive stupid overrated celebrities behaving like the prescription-drug abusing children that they are, in fun pop-up fun! I post this only because my background once included Illustration and I love pop-up books... not because I give a shit about said freaks.
Click here.

FANBOYS TRAILER

FANBOYS!!!
1998. Four guys from the Midwest drive across America to honor the wish of their dying friend: to watch "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace" at Lucas' Skywalker Ranch before the movie's worldwide release. Man, we already know the movie ends shitty, and I'm not talking about the dying friend. Still, the journey looks like fun!

EAGLEMAN

EAGLEMAN, the infamous Chicago Insurance commercial!
God I love the Internet!

Today seems to be a YouTube day. Sorry for the lack of original JimSmash genius and whit you've probably become accustomed to.... but these are damn entertaining nonetheless!

ELEPHANT MAN

Next time you think you're having a bad day or that your job sucks,
watch this: