Double Your Fun!

I'm a big fan of double features. Since the demise of drive-ins [yeah, I know, many of you are too young to have ever been to one], we just don't get 'em anymore.

That's about to change next April when Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez [roll those R's Kelsey!] team up to bring us "Planet Terror" [zombies] and "Death Proof" [muscle car serial killer - not that he kills muscle cars, mind you].

Here's the link for the trailer.

Live Free and File Harder

I enjoyed all of the "Die Hard" movies. While I totally agree that "Die Hard" was by far the best, that doesn't take away my enjoyment of of "Die Hard 2: Die Harder" and "Die Hard with a Vengeance."

So, yeah, I'm looking forward to "Live Free or Die Hard" [although it's going to mess with my alphabetical filing of my DVDs if it makes the cut]. Unfortunately, the trailer doesn't convince me that it will.

007: 002 Views - 001 Vision

The two caricatures of Daniel Craig aka "The New James Bond" are the work of Tom Richmond. Tom is perhaps best known for his artistic endeavors at Mad magazine. I've been following Tom's work for some time now, and regularly check out his blog. Initially it was Tom's art that kept me coming back, but that's not what I'm writing about today.

Tom posted his thoughts after seeing "Casino Royale" yesterday. While I was reading Tom's review, I kept nodding and thinking, "My thoughts EXACTLY." I couldn't agree more with Tom in regard to his take on "Casino Royale" and the James Bond franchise. So if you want to know what I thought about the movie, then click HERE... as an added bonus you'll get to see a bunch of Tom's cool art as well.

On 3/9/07...

... "We're in for a wild night."

Keeping It Movies

Today I want to suggest you check out The Movie Zone. It's a fan site about [surprise] movies. The Movie Zone is just starting out, but you can tell that Dan Balboa [the webmaster] has a passion for his subject.

Drop in and tell Dan I sent ya, and I'll owe you one!

Drive... Wheelman

There’s not much better than a good crime novel… unless it’s two good crime novels. Today I’m going to recommend two excellent ones which interestingly enough both feature a getaway driver as their main character!

Drive written by James Sallis opens with Driver [the main character] wounded and slouched against a cheap hotel room wall. Three dead bodies lay around him. From there the story takes us back showing us glimpses of how a violent childhood led to his current double-life where his talents behind the wheel have brought him to a potentially bloody end. Before his betrayal on a heist doomed from the start, Driver simply drove. He didn’t even carry weapons. Now, wounded and with a price on head, things are about to change…

The Wheelman by Duane Swierczynski opens in the middle of a bank robbery which has gone south. Still, with a little bit of luck Lennon [the driver] and the two robbers get away… briefly. What follows is a fast paced, violent, and at times humorous story of what happens when crooked cops, the Italian mob, the Russian mob, and other quirky characters take an interest in getting their hands on Lennon and the money. Swierczynski takes the story [which moves at a breakneck pace] and fills it with double-crosses, surprises and great prose.

Pamela Anderson Stops Kidding Around

After just four months of marriage, Pamela Anderson has filed for divorce from Kid Rock. What's really strange is how much in love the couple seemed to be and now, suddenly, Pamela wants out.

I wonder what could have caused that sudden desire to be free? Only time will tell...

Man of the Year Material

My buddy, "Big" John Beatty, although best known for his comic book art [The Punisher, Captain America, Batman, etc.] does, from time to time, write a pretty funny blog.

Big John has started updating again. His most recent post looks at People Magazine's two time Sexiest Man of the Year award winners George Clooney and Johnny Depp. Seems that since Big John has so many things in common with them, he feels that his time as Sexiest Man of the Year must be coming. Read John's post and then come on back for my comments.

Oh, back so soon?

I did some research and contacted a friend in the know. He called me back and the conversation went like this:

Mr. X: "John Beatty is on the list to be People's Sexiest Man of the Year. The trouble is there are a few people ahead of him. Folks like: Andy Dick, Abe Vigoda, Don Rickles, Rex Reed and Jackie Gleason."

Me: "Jackie Gleason! Jackie Gleason has been dead for years."

Mr. X: "Yeah, but even now he's still sexier than Beatty."

Me: "Wow. That's rough."

Mr. X: "Yeah, but Craig, there's one thing you need to know."

Me: "What's that?"

Mr. X: "Beatty's ranked ahead of you on the list."

Ouch.

Scalped... a Sly Recommendation

Today I'd like to recommend Scalped, a new comic series which premieres in January. It's a crime comic set in the "world of gambling, gunfights, G-men, Dawg Soldiers, massacres, meth labs, trashy sex, fry bread, Indian pride -"

Hey! Wait a minute. Did you say Indian pride?

Yep [and thanks for asking].

Scalped comes to us from Vertigo comics [for mature readers] and is written by Jason Aaron with art by R.M. Guera. For a preview of the issue click HERE.

The first cover is by fan favorite Jock and can be seen here. Now is it me or does the face on the Native American look a bit like Sylvester Stallone from this Herb Ritts photo? Want to see them both together? What do you think?

Truth be told, it does look like Jock used a Herb Ritts' photo of Sly for reference, but it may have even been another photo from the same session. I can't lay my fingers on the photo, but here's a digital painting that John Beatty did of it.

It'd be cool if Jock was a Stallone fan... but either way, I'd still recommend Scalped.

Return of the Digital Dragon!

Rob Cohen [director of "Daylight," "The Fast and the Furious," and "Dragon"] wrote in to the LatinoReview.com to explain his plans for his next picture which will star Bruce Lee. [You read that right Bruce Lee].

Here are a couple of tidbits from the post: "I am creating an entirely photo-realistic Bruce Lee with new, advanced digital technlogy... This will be the first digital actor and I am very excited about the challenge."

Now before you rush off to read the whole post, let's consider how cool this will be if it works. Not only would we get to see the closest thing to the return of Bruce Lee, but it will also usher in the next generation of all-star movie casts! Think about how cool it would be to see Sly Stallone, young Marlon Brando, Humphrey Bogart and Lee Marvin acting alongside each other. The possibilities are endless.

So, what would your dream cast be?

Frank Miller has the Spirit!

It's drawings like the one above found at Lying in the Gutters [click on the link and scroll down to see the full version] that make me wish Frank Miller did more comics.

Who Thought Hughes Would Lose?

Last night UFC 65: Bad Intentions was held. The main event was Matt Hughes defending his title against George St. Pierre. Despite the fact that GSP was considered to be far and away the best challenger, most folks didn't REALLY think that he'd defeat Hughes. The consensus seemed to be there's Matt Hughes and then a notch down George St. Pierre and then several notches down were contenders for the third spot.

Well, last night George St. Pierre ended any discussion that didn't start with him in the first spot. Not only did GSP defeat Matt Hughes, but he did it soundly by a KO at 1:25 of the second round!

There were other fights on the card and you can see all results HERE, but my guess is you're probably still shaking your head over the Hughes loss.

When I Lie, I Tell the Truth

It was announced today that OJ Simpson has written a book titled "If I Did It." [available November 30th]. OJ will also sit for a two part interview special to air November 27th and 29th on FOX. In the book and interviews Simpson will describe how he would have committed the slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman, "if he were the one responsible."

Despite the fact that the book's publisher is referring to it as OJ's confession, it does carry a disclaimer that it's complete fiction.

Isn't it ironic that many [if not most] folks will feel that in the past when OJ has swore that he didn't do it, he was lying. And now when he says that he's lying, he's really telling the truth!

2 Guns and 4 Issues

In January writer Steven Grant is teaming with artist, Mataes Santolouco, to bring us the crime comic mini-series "Two Guns." Grant, probably best known for his work with Mike Zeck and John Beatty on Marvel's first Punisher mini-series and subsequent graphic novels, is joining forces with Boom Studios for this creator owned release.

Full of betrayals, gunplay and plot twists, Grant's tagline for the series ["Imagine the perfect crime. Now get it wrong."] hints at the fun readers should have if they pick up the series.

After reading this interview with Grant, I've added the series to my "pull list." You may want to do the same!

It Takes 4 to Tango

Last night's live final of The Ultimate Fighter Season 4 ended just as I predicted. Lutter beat Cote and Serra won over Lytle. Lutter ended his match quickly due to his superior wrestling skills. Serra earned a split decision win, but rightly so since he pressured the fight the entire way. Of the two winners, I think that Lutter will have the best chance of winning the title shot that last night's victories offer.

Next Saturday, UFC 65: Bad Intentions takes place. It offers a couple of potentially exciting fights. Matt Hughes defends his title against George St. Pierre and Tim Sylvia puts his title on the line against Jeff Monson.

Hughes has already beaten St. Pierre once. Both fighters have improved a lot since then and St. Pierre was in awe of Hughes at that first meeting. That won't be the case next Saturday. Still, I'm giving the nod to Hughes.

Sylvia vs Monson could be a lot of fun, even if it doesn't last long. Sylvia is 6'8" and Monson is 5'9". Sylvia likes to stand up, use his reach and punch. Monson is a grappler and will want to take Sylvia to the mat and submit him. I'm not ready to make a prediction for this one...

... are you?

UFC: Ultimate Fighter Live Tonight

Tonight you can catch the season 4 finale of "The Ultimate Fighter" live on Spike. I'm picking Serra over Lytle and Lutter over Cote.

The show has the potential to be a real knockout. [Groan]

Britney Files

Bad news for for K-Fed...
Everyone knows by now that Britney Spears has filed for divorce.
Almost everyone is speculating as to the reason
That she would leave him...
There may be another man in her life
You would think that if that was the case, there would at least be some clues as to his identity!

Rae of Sunshine

I don't recommend a lot of music because I don't buy a lot of cds. When I do breakdown and make a purchase, odds are, it's a soundtrack or someone "tried and true."

Today I'm giving the highest recommendation possible for Corrine Bailey Rae's self-titled album. Don't take my word, click on this link, and then scroll down and give it a listen. After you do, my guess is you'll be recommending her to your friends!

"23" Reasons Jim Carrey Will Scare Us!

When I think of scary movies the name "Jim Carrey" isn't one of the first names that comes to mind. In fact, he's not even in the top 23... still....

That may change if "23" is as good as its trailer!

"Shoot 'em Up" Wows 'Em

About a year and a half ago we began talking about "Shoot 'em Up." It looked and sounded like a cool idea for an action movie. Then as early word came in, things still looked positive.

Now that we're hearing from people who saw an advance screening, I'd say that we're definitely in for a great ride!

"300" Wallpapers Aren't Enough

Since we all love "300" and can't wait for the movie to open, I thought it would be nice to have some cool wallpapers to help tide us over.

So did the nice folks at moviephone.com!

First Look: "28 Weeks Later"

Yesterday I told you about how cool I thought "28 Days Later" was. I also told you about the graphic novel that will provide a bridge between the original and the sequel, "28 Weeks Later." Today I bring you a first look at footage from "28 Weeks Later."

Can you even imagine what tomorrow might bring?

Steve Niles & 28 Days... What a Treat!

Longtime ZONErs know that I really dug "28 Days Later." The sequel, "28 Weeks Later" will be out next year. I can't wait.

Now there is word of a graphic novel [written by Steve Niles!] called 28 Days Later: The Aftermath. It will serve as a bridge between the original movie and the sequel.

Want to know more... click HERE!

Oh yeah, trick or treat!!

Halloween Fun

Okay, okay.

I heard you knockin'.

You're a day early, but HERE you go. Have fun!

If Being Funny is Wrong...

I've got to admit that until last weekend, I wasn't aware of Borat. Then I saw a clip and was hooked. This guy is so wrong, but so funny. So is that wrong?

Almost Time for Tampa

If all goes according to our plan, in two weekends [November 12th to be exact], I will join my buddies, "Big" John Beatty, John "Star Wars" Higashi, and "The James" Howell for our tri-annual trip to Tim Gordon's Tampa Comic Book and Toy Show. That's Tim pictured above. He's the guy not wearing a mask.

The show is always a blast. If you're a long-time ZONE reader, then you've heard me speak about the show many times before. If you're new to these parts, then click HERE and you'll get a preview of the fun.

Hope to see some of you at the show. I'll be the guy looking for Stallone sketches!

Two of "300"

Here's the second part of the "300" interview from yesterday. Today the interview concludes with Zack Snyder [co-writer and director] and the movie's producers.

"Smokin' Aces" and Frank Miller

I loved "Narc" and was excited to hear that Joe Carnahan was coming back with a new movie called "Smokin' Aces." I must admit that when I first saw the trailer a couple of months ago, I wasn't knocked out. I went back and watched it again tonight, and I'm definitely on board now. I wonder how I'll feel after I see the movie.

On another note, there' s nice little interview HERE with Frank Miller who talks about "300," "Sin City 2" and "The Spirit."

Jack is Back in January!

The sixth season of "24" doesn't start until January, but FOX has released a trailer which you can see by clicking HERE.

Although last season will be hard to top, season six just may do it!

Every Zombie has its Day

Everybody, well, almost everybody here at the ZONE loves a good zombie movie. If you hurry, you should be able to see a sneak peak at the "Day of the Dead" trailer. Just click HERE.

Root for the Bad Guy... Again

"Payback" is one of my favorite Mel Gibson films. Based on the novel by Richard Stark, it's a worthy adaptation of a crime classic. The story behind the making of the movie is almost as interesting.

Screenwriter, Brian Helgeland, hot of the success of "LA Confidential" wanted to direct. Pairing him with Mel Gibson on "Payback" seemed a natural. Things went well until late into filming when either Gibson, the studio or both decided that Gibson's character needed to be more likeable and the film needed more action.

Helgeland disagreed. Guess who won out?

Yep, Gibson and the studio. So Mel went behind the camera and filmed some additional scenes and the tone of the movie changed.

As I said, "Payback" is one of my favorite Mel Gibson movies... but I always thought it would be cool to see Brian Helgeland's vision. Perhaps, it too, would be one of my favorites.

According to Harry at Ain't It Cool News, we'll soon find out! "Payback: Straight Up - The Director's Cut" is comming out in a few months. And unlike some "director's cuts" where a few minutes of footage [that wasn't good enough to make the original release!] is added, this is going to be a complete overhaul. It will be Helgeland's vision .

And I can't wait to see it!

300 Goes Live

The official "300" site has gone live! Man, I can not wait for this movie!

Changing the Paper

If you're like me, and you enjoy changing your computer wallpaper every few days, then you might want to check out THIS SITE.

Hellboy vs the Universal Monsters

If this news comes to pass it would be the coolest...

Universal has acquired the rights to Hellboy. Guillermo del Toro [who co-wrote and directed the first Hellboy movie] and Mike Mignola [creator, writer and artist of Hellboy] are excited about the prospects of not only a sequel [or two] to the 2004 movie, but the fact that a Hellboy movie could now feature some of the classic Universal monsters! That's right, Frankenstein, the Wolfman, Dracula, the Creature from the Black Lagoon and more!!

Mignola and del Toro have discussed the possibilities. Here's a couple of quotes from del Toro: "I must say that I'm having a great experience right now at Universal, because I find that their understanding of Hellboy as a possibility is so great... My hope is that if everything goes well and we continue [the franchise], Hellboy can start fighting the Universal monsters! I would love to see that."

So would I. For the full article, click HERE.

A "300" Trifecta

Superherohype.com has posted two images from "300" which you can see by clicking HERE and a French site has posted up a teaser trailer with a couple of new scenes which can... uh, be seen HERE.

Sin-Jin Smyth

I just stumbled across the website for a movie called "Sin-Jin" Smyth. The trailer makes it look like it might be a fun way to spend an October evening!

Sammy Terry Anyone?

One of the things that I love about YouTube.com is that you can find video of almost anything. I was surprised when I found a classic pro wrestling match between "Pretty Boy" Bobby Heenan [accompanied to the ring by Blackjacks Mulligan and Lanza] and "Cowboy" Bob Ellis.

I was even more surprised when I discovered video of Sammy Terry! I first told you about Sammy way back here. As host of "Nightmare Theater," Sammy was on the air from the early 60's through the 80's. Although this clip is from 1987 [near the end of Sammy's run] it will give you a taste of why I loved staying up until 11:30 on the weekend to catch Sammy hosting a horror movie double feature.

I'm really surprised that some network doesn't have a weekend horror movie double feature hosted by someone like Sammy. My guess is that if kids didn't tune in, there'd still be a good-size audience of folks like me!

Halloween Prank... PSA

As a public service announcement for all of you who may be thinking of setting up a Halloween prank... please watch THIS.

Yeah, you're reconsidering, aren't you?

Jericho

Any one [besides me] watching Jericho on CBS?

To be honest, the preview doesn't really do the show justice. [Although it did do it's job well enough to get me to tune in.] The show picked up steam and really hit it's stride in episode 3 and with the major plot twist in episode 4, I'm sure to stay on board for a while.

If you haven't been watching, but would like to catch up, you can see all episodes from the official Jericho site. If you have been tuning in, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

A Day Late is Right on Time

Chris Mills points out that yesterday was Ed Wood Jr.'s birthday. Wood was the director of such infamous movies as "Plan 9 from Outer Space" and "Bride of the Monster" [both of which, can be seen in the early morning hours this Saturday on Turner Movie Classics].

There's something that's just right about celebrating Ed Wood Jr.'s birthday a day late. So with that in mind, here's a fan tribute him.

Shamrock Goes Out a Winner

Let's get this clear from the start, Ken Shamrock lost the fight to Tito Ortiz. Shamrock was stopped in the first round and there was no controversy. Ortiz was clearly the victor.

How then, you might ask, can I title this post, "Shamrock Goes Out a Winner."? Those of you that saw the fight, probably already know where I'm going with this; but in case you don't, or you didn't see the fight, let me explain.

Shamrock came prepared to fight. He was in great shape. When the fight started, Shamrock didn't rush in. He had a plan. When he and Ortiz came together, Shamrock met him head on. Ortiz went for the big takedown, and Shamrock was able to hold him off... for a bit. When they went to the mat and Ortiz started to ground and pound, Shamrock stayed cool. Ortiz was just too strong. Finally punches began to come through Shamrock's guard and the fight was stopped.

Ortiz jumped up and began to go into his after fight antics. He did the gravedigger thing that he does. When Shamrock started to come to the middle of the octogan for the announcement of the winner, he reached out to shake Tito's hand. Instead Ortiz began to flip off Shamrock with both of his hands. In the post fight interview Ortiz made sure to point out that he was wearing a "Punishing Him into Retirement" shirt and then gave the webstie where fans could buy one of their own.

Normally these antics would have sent Shamrock into orbit. But not tonight. Shamrock instead said that Ortiz won and that the stoppage was a good one. Shamrock thanked his fans for the support over the years and said that he wanted to go out with no hard feelings for Ortiz. In fact he wished Ortiz continued success and added "God Bless all of the guys who fight in the octogon."

Ortiz must have been listening, because he came over and when Shamrock was done speaking, took the mic and apologized directly to Shamrock for his antics after the match. They shook hands and hugged.

Ken Shamrock has probably fought his last battle in the octogan. He went out a warrior. He went out with class. Although defeated, he acted like a winner.

It Ain't Over Until It's Over

We're just a little over 24 hours away from Ortiz vs Shamrock 3 and while Ortiz is heavily favored to perform a three-peat, it ain't over until it's over.

So, what does Shamrock have to do to win?

First of all, he must stay off his back. If Ortiz takes Shamrock down, the fight could be over quickly. That's because Ortiz is at his best when he's "groundin' and poundin'." If Shamrock can avoid the takedowns and push the fight into the second and third rounds, Ortiz will get frustrated.

The second thing that Shamrock must do is to keep moving and punching. If he stands still Ortiz will take him down. If he doesn't throw a lot of punches, Ortiz will take him down. [Heck, even if Shamrock is moving and sticking, Ortiz may still take him down.] By constantly changing his angles and throwing hands, Shamrock will force Ortiz to slow his attack. And of course open up the opportunity for Shamrock to land a knockout blow.

So, what does Ortiz have to do to win?

Ortiz needs to be careful when shooting for the takedown. Everyone is expecting Ortiz to go for the big slam, so if Shamrock has trained and is able to execute, Ortiz could get hammered coming in. Ortiz needs to be patient and pick his shots. If he takes Shamrock down, he needs to swing away as fast and as hard as possible. Shamrock can be rocked and will then take a few punches before responding. This could lead to another quick stoppage.

So how do I see the fight going?

I believe that Ortiz is going to win. Shamrock has a puncher's chance, but odds are against it.

Still... I can't wait to see how it all goes down because, as we all know, it ain't over until it's over.

Everyone Wants to be Bruce Lee!

Bruce Lee was an amazing personality. No one before or since [even with the help of special effects] has been able to capture an audience's attention with pure martial arts skill.

Still, that has stopped this master from trying... or these guys... or even this cow!

Not the Reaction

Halloween will soon be here. This is NOT the reaction you want when taking off your mask!

Two Reasons to Watch

Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock have fought twice. Ortiz has won both fights. Most folks in the know expect him to win again when the two warriors square off in the octagon on Tuesday night. So if everything points to another Shamrock win, why is everyone so interested?

I believe that it's because of two reasons: 1] They really, and I mean really hate each other and 2] because when anything can happen when two skilled men are trying to knock each other out.

You can see the pre-fight weigh-in on Monday at 8pm on SPIKE. Then tune in to watch the fight for free at 8pm on Tuesday on SPIKE.

Predictions?

I Know Where I'll Be

I know where I will be on March 9, 2007. Click HERE and I'll bet you will too!

Watch Your Step!

I'm sometimes amazed at the pranks that take place on foreign shows. Not only are they pretty elaborate, but anyone trying them in the U.S. would probably get sued.

Here's why you should always Watch Your Step!

"Pretty Boy" Bobby Heenan vs Cowby Bob Ellis

When I was growing up in the midwest in the late 60's and early 70's I was a huge pro wrestling fan. My favorite tag team wrestlers were The Blackjacks [Mulligan & Lanza] with manager "Pretty Boy" Bobby Heenan.

Sometimes Heenan would even get involved in matches [usually against his will]. If you watch today's video you'll see a match where Heenan was signed to wrestle crowd favorite "Cowboy" Bob Ellis. Despite the fact that Heenan had recently busted his knee, he went down to the ring on crutches to seek a short postponement... of maybe six or seven months... click HERE and you'll see what happens when the match is forced to go on.

The Hardest Working Man in Comics Gets a New Home!

My buddy, Jesse "Cadre" Hansen aka "The Hardest Working Man in Comics" has opened a new site where he's joined by the rest of his studio mates. If you like art, comics, or surprise, comic art! Then you'll want to check out The Cadre Corner!

Walking Back the Cat

If you're a fan of low budget movies [like me], then you might want to keep your eye on "Walking Back the Cat." It looks like a lot of fun. And who couldn't use a bit more fun in their life?