The Night Gallery

Say the name Rod Serling and most folks will come back with "The Twilight Zone." And rightly so. "The Twilight Zone" was a classic sci-fi series that still holds up fifty years later. Although not as well known, Rod Serling's "The Night Gallery" was his follow-up series which premiered on NBC five years after the cancellation of "The Twilight Zone."

The conceit of "The Night Gallery" was that Serling would come out and talk about a painting on display in the "Night Gallery" and the teleplay, either an original story [many by Serling himself] or an adaptation of HP Lovecraft, Richard Matheson or another sci-fi or horror writer would follow. The paintings always related to the story that followed. It was a cool idea and I loved the show when it originally aired. [Keep in mind this was the early 70's and I would have been 11 or 12.]

I've been watching episodes on RTN lately and I hate to say it, but many don't hold up near as well as older episodes of "The Twilight Zone." Part of the problem could be that "The Night Gallery" episodes in syndication are often cut or expanded to meet the half hour time slot.

I recently discovered this site dedicated to "Rod Serling's Night Gallery." It's chock full of information about the series with everything from episode guides, to misconceptions about the series to a gallery of paintings used in each episode. If you have any interest in Rod Serling or "The Night Gallery" you should check out the site. It's even more fun than some of the episodes it covers!

One of Six

Warner Bros., in a very smart marketing ploy, has posted six new character posters for "Watchmen" on six different sites. ComingSoon.net has smaller versions and links to each right here.

Couture vs Lesnar

This Saturday at 10pm UFC 91 will air on pay-per-view with one of the most highly anticipated mixed martial arts fights of all time. Randy Couture puts his heavyweight title on the line against Brock Lesnar. Both men are accomplished athletes with extensive wrestling skills. Couture is the more experienced octagon fighter, but he will give away over a decade and about 50 pounds. Lesnar is younger, faster, bigger and stronger, but doesn't have anywhere near the experience of Couture.

This is a tough one to call. I'd love to see Couture pull out a win -- it would be the capper to a great career. Although, if Couture beats Lesnar, he'd probably come back for at least another fight or two. Couture has a nearly perfect win streak every time he has gone into a fight as an underdog -- and he is the dog in this fight. Most folks just don't see how Couture can overcome Lesnar's size, strength and punches from fists the size of cinder blocks. Of course if everyone could see how Couture was going to win, he wouldn't be the underdog.

I look forward to reading Raf's predictions for the fight. As for me, I'm going to pull for Couture.

Veterans Day

Kirk and Spock

Slashfilm.com is on a roll. They have posted much larger versions of the "Star Trek" character posters above here.

"The Wrestler"

Slashfilm.com scored the first look at the new poster for "The Wrestler." I am really looking forward to this movie and hope that it lives up to the hype. You can see a bigger version of the poster here.

Cool Watchman Character Poster

Yahoo! Movies scored the first look at this very cool Watchman character poster of Rorschach. You can see an even bigger version of it there. Thanks to JoBlo.com for the tip!

Tales of the Starlight Drive-In

It's no secret that I love drive-in theaters... and comic books. So does Mike San Giacomo. Mike is a writer who took his passion for drive-ins and comics and created a pretty cool concept for a graphic novel. Mike wrote "26 illustrated stories and six text stories set in a drive-in theater." The stories take place over a 53-year period. Each story had to accomplish three things:

1. It had to be able to stand alone, make perfect sense even if nothing else was read.
2. Each stand-alone story must still advance the overarching storyline of the graphic novel as a whole.
3. Each story had to somehow relate to the movie that is playing at the drive-in at the time.

How cool an idea is that? Very cool, I say!

Here's a link to the website for Tales of the Starlight Drive-In. Here are links to Newsarama's three part series [Part One; Part Two; Part III] covering Mike's trips to historic drive-ins to promote his graphic novel. And here's a link in case you want to order a copy of Tales of the Starlight Drive-In for yourself!

"Expendables" Teaser

ComingSoon.net scored a first look at "The Expendables" teaser poster currently on display at the American Film Market convention. You can see a Godzilla-sized version here.

Sly is Expendable

Great news! Sly Stallone is set to write, direct and star along side Jason Statham in "The Expendables" for Nu Image/Millennium Films [the same company that released the latest Rambo movie].

Jet Li is in final negotiations to join the cast. "The Expendables" begins filming in February and follows a team of mercenaries hired to overthrow a South American dictator. You can read the full report here.

"...Of the Dead"

DreadCentral.com scored the first look at the poster for George Romero's latest zombie-fest titled "... of the Dead." I kind of like the title considering that we've had "Night of the Living Dead," "Dawn of the Dead," "Day of the Dead," "Land of the Dead," "Diary of the Dead" and even a return to some of the earlier titles. Yeah, "... Of the Dead" works just fine.

You can see a King Kong sized version of the poster and a synopsis of the movie by clicking here.

More Days of Night

A sequel to 30 Days of Night is gearing up with Ghost House Pictures. While this is good news, the really good news is that Steve Niles, who co-created the graphic novel [with artist Ben Templesmith] and co-wrote the first film is back on board. You can read more about the project here.

Cooke Talks Parker

Darwyn Cooke recently talked with CBR.com about his work on the upcoming comic adaptations of Richard Stark's Parker novels. It's great to hear how closely Stark and Cooke are working and how much Cooke loves the project. You can see and hear the interview here.

RIP - Michael Crichton

Michael Crichton died yesterday at the age of 66 from cancer. I was totally shocked to read the news since I had no idea that Mr. Crichton had been ill.

Most folks know Michael Crichton as the author of the best selling novel, Jurassic Park, which became the blockbuster movie of the same name. Many of Mr. Crichton's novels were turned into movies: "The Andromeda Strain," "The Great Train Robbery," "Congo," "The 13th Warrior," and many others made the transition from the written page to the silver screen.

Mr. Crichton wrote the screenplay and directed "Westworld" and was the creator of the long-running and award-winning TV series E.R.? Michael Crichton was a man of many talents, but his greatest was his ability to create impossible stories and fuse in just enough science to make them seem possible. I've read almost all of the books written under his own name and have enjoyed every one. I still have a couple sitting in my "To Be Read" Bookcase. I think, perhaps, when it is time to start a new novel, I'll pull one down.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Michael Crichton's family, friends and fans.

Worth a Look

Most ZONErs will want to check out the current issue [11.07.08] of Entertainment Weekly [which is on newstands now]. Not only does it cover 54 films that will be coming out this fall, but there is also extended coverage of Daniel Craig in "Quantum of Solace" as well as an eight page profile of Mickey Rourke. Any of these features is worth the price of admission, but all three together is a bargain.

Dead Goombas

Here at the ZONE we love a good zombie tale. We are also partial to excellent crime stories. So... you just know we're going to have to check out Dead Goombas by J. Torres and Andy B. [even if it is a comedy]. You can get a preview by clicking here.

Vote Smart

I got up early today and headed down with the family to take part in early voting. Although it was the longest line I've ever stood in for anything, the time went by amazingly fast since we were regularly moving forward. I'm always surprised at the number of people on hand to pass out flyers and information about candidates and positions. If you haven't made up your mind by the time you're in line to vote, you probably should have done a bit more homework. Still, these last minute efforts must pay off since there are always folks on hand to make them. I ended up voting for three Democrats and two Republicans. I guess that fits my Independent profile.

I'm glad that I voted early. Now I can sit back and enjoy watching how the election plays out. Like John Beatty, I seldom post about politics or religion on the ZONE. There are enough political sites on the net and I'd rather spend my time at discussing movies, novels, tv, comics, and art. But before I close out this political post, let me encourage each of you who can vote in this election to do so. Vote for the candidates that you think will do the best job -- and don't be afraid to cross party lines. Do your research and then vote smart.

We now return to our regularly scheduled blogging.

You Make the Call

Neatorama.com is a site I check daily. They always have fun and interesting stuff like the photo above. Was is it vandalism or just clever marketing? You make the call!

On Set with the Angel of Death

We first heard about Ed Brubaker's "Angel of Death" back in July. CBR.com has a set report plus photos [like the one above with Zoe Bell and Ed Brubaker between takes]. You can check it out here.

Can You Survive the Outbreak?

Knowing many ZONErs are fans of the zombie genre, I just had to link to the interactive movie called The Outbreak. Not only is it surprisingly well done, but there is a way to actually survive. It took me more than a couple of tries, but I enjoyed the time spent playing If you decide to give it a go, be advised that there is profanity and gore. It is a zombie movie after all. Click here to get started.

In the Chapel of Mignola

It's a special time when Hellboy creator, Mike Mignola, returns to write AND draw his creation. The stars and planets must have lined correctly because this week Mignola returns to do just that in the Hellboy one shot “In the Chapel of Moloch.” You can see some preview art and learn more about it here.

I Am Wrestling

This Olympic Sport Quiz says that I am most like wrestling. I like that. I was a wrestler in high school so it makes sense. As to the last line, "anyone who steps into the ring with me should watch out..." watch out... that I don't pass out. It's been a long time since high school.

Who's the Smart One?

I wasn't surprised that I did well on this US History quiz. It was one of my favorite subjects in school. Still is. I wouldn't have done nearly as well with geography. The funny thing is, and maybe it's not so funny... the last line in the picture above says to "show some foreigners how smart Americans can be" -- but quite often immigrants to the US know more about our country than those born here since the immigrants have to pass a test to get citizenship.

Nice New Posters

IMPAwards.com just posted up several nice new posters. Three French character posters for "Quantum of Solace," the Clint Eastwood "Gran Torino" poster, and a creepy "The Burrowers" poster are included in the group. You can see all of them here.

Previewing the Punisher

I know that many ZONErs are Punisher fans. If you fall into that category, then you'll probably want to check out Newsarama's exclusive six page preview of Punisher: Frank Castle #66. It's written by one of my favorite new authors, Duane Swierczynski with art by Michael Lacombe. Fan favorite, Dave Johnson, provides the cover.

Declaring My Independence

I was really interested in the results of this poll. I've been a registered Independent since I was old enough to vote. Over the years, I've pulled the switch for Republicans and Democrats depending on the person running. I've voted for liberal and conservative causes depending on the issue. My opinions on some issues have changed over the years, due to research and perhaps maturity. So I wondered how the poll would turn out... had I become more liberal or conservative? Seems that although some things have changed, I'm still pretty independent. I like that.

Ain't It Gran?

Two movie posters in two days that I really like. That could be a record. What's not to dig about the Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino" poster? You know, at one time "Gran Torino" was rumored to be a new "Dirty Harry" movie. Although it ain't, it still should be worth a view. Especially if it's as good as the poster.

I Should Be Allowed to Vote

I'm glad that I passed the test to be allowed to vote. Wouldn't it be great if everyone who was of age to vote, was informed on the issues and then did?

Justice is Coming

Are you diggin' the "Watchmen" poster as much as I am? It's the first poster in a looong time that I really like. What say you?

Mr. Zablo Day

As many ZONErs are aware, I'm a high school assistant principal. Years ago, I decided that I would simplify my life by wearing dark pants, a white dress shirt and a tie [usually colorful] to work daily. By doing that I didn't have to worry about matching colors. or when I wore that shirt last, etc. Dark pants, a white dress shirt and a tie became my uniform of sorts.

Today when I went to work I discovered that MANY of our teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, office specialists and students were dressed like me. In honor of my 50th birthday, it was "Dress as Mr. Zablo Day." At lunch many of those, but unfortunately not all, who participated got together for a picture. It was a fun day -- how could it not be when you get birthday cards, gifts, baked goods and people dressing up like you? -- and a birthday I'll never forget.

I am a Dog

After yesterday's Cat Quiz, I decided to see what kind of dog I'm most like. It turns out to be a Bullmastiff. That's the kind of dog that Rocky had. Of course that made me smile. Then I read the personality traits and pretty much had to agree.

Jack Lord Ain't Got Nothin' on Me!

Today's my birthday. It's a milestone. My 50th. The Big Five-Oh.

Normally, I would write something like I don't feel fifty years old [I don't], or that you're only as old as you feel [a cliche that I believe] or that age is just a number [another cliche], but I don't think I'll resort to that today.

Instead I think I'll just show some maturity and say, "Hey!! Where are my presents???"

The Shield: "Parricide"

As the final season of The Shield heads to a conclusion, I find my self wondering how it will all end. Whatever happens, the main characters aren't walking away happy. Two of the characters in the photo above, from the first episode of season one, are already dead. Mackey's family is falling apart, his job and pension hang by a thread and his best friend has become his worst enemy.

Another Strike Force Team member could die in tonight's episode which Capone over at Ain't It Cool News calls the best and most gripping installment yet. And that's saying a lot. Maybe too much in fact. And for once I refused to read Capone's invisatext spoiler warning on how the episode ends.

I am a Cat

Although I'm much more of a "dog lover" this quiz says I have the personality of a cat. Funny thing is, they may be right.

Fast Clicker

Think you have quick reflexes? You can test them out here. You can see my score above. They say it's pretty good... so my reflexes must still be fast... that or my RoadRunner has a great connection today.

Do Call It a Comeback

This article brought back a flood of great memories. When I was a kid, mom [and sometimes dad] used to load my brother and sisters up in the car and off to the drive-in we'd go. It wasn't unusual for us to make a stop at a little stand that sold the best popcorn and candy. The place was hardly bigger than a phone booth. [What's that? You've never seen a drive-in or a phone booth?] That little shop was where I first experienced flavored salts for popcorn. Celery salt was my favorite. Sounds pretty mundane now, but back in the 60's that was a big deal.

We'd get to the movies early so we could go down to the playground [all drive-ins had a playground consisting of some swings, teeter-toters and that octagon shaped thing that you'd push around as fast as possible with the hope of getting someone dizzy]. Parents would just send their kids down to the playground without supervision. It was a different time then. We'd head back to the car before the movie started. Usually my sisters and brother would be pretty tired and fall asleep before the second movie. Me, I was there until the end.

When I was old enough to drive, drive-ins were still popular. I loved the fact that you could always count on at least a double feature and sometimes you'd get real lucky and there'd be a marathon of sorts. Usually it was monster movies [who doesn't like those?] or comedies, or even a mismash of genres. I hit the drive-ins [we had two in our town] almost weekly and since we lived in Florida at this point, we could go year round.

It's said that video killed the radio star. I don't know about that, but I do know that video killed the drive-in theater. According to some reports, drive-ins have been making a comeback the last few years. I hope that's true because, man, I miss those days.

SBBN Film Favorites

Stacia from She Blogged by Night asked her readers to name their Top Three Favorite Movies. It's interesting to see the wide variety of film favorites that her readership has. I like that there is such a diverse crowd dropping by her blog. Maybe you will too.

French Headshot

On Wednesday, SlashFilm.com reported that Warner Bros had acquired the rights to a French 3 issue graphic novel series called "Headshot." It's about a hitman and cop who, when their partners are killed, form an uneasy alliance to get revenge on the powers that set them up. You just know this story sounds like something I'd dig. And I the art, by Alexis Nolent, looks to sweeten the deal. I'd love to see an English edition... and plan to keep an eye out on the movie's progress.

ST Covered by EW

I'll bet it's not to hard to guess what will be the cover story of next week's issue of Entertainment Weekly. That's right, ZONErs, the new "Star Trek" movie will get the EW main feature treatment. The issue hits newsstands this Friday and will contain exclusive set visit photos.

I'm a huge fan of the original "Star Trek" in whatever form, tv series, cartoon or movie. I never gave any of the other incarnations of "Star Trek" more than a occasional glance. I am looking forward to the new movie though. It'll be interesting to see if the magic can be recaptured. Perhaps the Entertainment Weekly cover story will give us a hint.

Enter the War Zone

I'm not expecting a classic, but "Punisher: War Zone" continues to look better and better. There's a new clip at the official web site. You can get there from here.

Kyle Baker Soars on Hawkman

My admiration for Kyle Baker's talents are well known. He recently posted some art samples for a new Hawkman book that he's doing for DC. In the past, I haven't really cared for Hawkman, but with Kyle Baker at the helm, I'll give it a shot.

Do You Believe in Magic?

Tonight, my son, Chris and I are heading over to Orlando to watch the Magic play a pre-season game against CSKA Moscow. Chris is a huge sports fan and the Magic are his favorite B-Ball team, so when I was able to score free tickets, it was a given that we'd go. It's always a blast to see a game live... even if it is pre-season.

Dead Irons is Coming!

I know a lot of ZONErs like horror. I also know that many ZONErs enjoy westerns. When the genres are combined and the end result is a good as The Wicked West Volume 1 or The Wicked West Volume 2, everybody wins. Dead Irons may take us all back to victory lane!

A Few Words with Charlie Huston

Charlie Huston, one of my favorite writers, is the subject of this interview at Blood of the Muse.com. Huston talks about Joe Pitt, his latest novel, Every Last Drop, what's up next and more. It's worth a read.

Empire Magazine recently posted their list of the 500 Greatest Movies of All Time. 500 is just too big a list to deal with... so, using just THEIR TOP 50, I made a list of MY TOP 10 of EMPIRE's TOP 50. Without further adieu, here they are in alphabetical order:

• Aliens (James Cameron, 1986): Took the Alien concept and made it a franchise... and the best movie of the series.
  
  
• Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942): Bogie at his best.
  
  
• Die Hard (John McTiernan 1988): Redefined the action genre and turned Bruce Willis into a star.
  
  
• Dr. Strangelove (Stanley Kubrick, 1964): "There's no fighting in the war room!" -- Need I say more?
  
  
• Godfather, The (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972): Perhaps the best cast movie of all time.
  
  
• Godfather Part II (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974): One of the rare movies that is as good as the original... especially when the original is as good as The Godfather.
  
  
• Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, The (Sergio Leone, 1967): Classic title + classic theme + Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, and Sergio Leone = All Time Greatest Movie
  
  
• Matrix, The (The Wachowski Brothers, 1999): Redefined the action genre. If only the sequels had been as good.
  
  
• Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994): Made Tarantino a star... and rightly so.
  
  
• Terminator 2: Judgement Day (James Cameron, 1991): Like Godfather II and Aliens, a sequel that was as good as the original.

Hammer Sound

Over at Zuda comics, they've started their October 2008 competition. Evan Bryce [an artist whose praises you've heard me sing before] has teamed up with Doug Wagner and Vin-Luan Luu to create a crazy mix of action /adventure / scifi that they call Hammer Sound.

If you've got a few minutes, I'd appreciate it if you'd take a look at Hammer Sound. If you like what you see go ahead and rate it. If you really like what you see, then by all means rate it as one of your favorites. [That's the rating that will help Evan and company the most.] Tell your friends and encourage them to vote. Then take a look around at some of the other comics at Zuda. Who knows? You may find some others that you dig... but not quite as much as Hammer Sound.

Kimbo Falls

That's Kimbo Slice at his press conference following his fight last night. You've probably heard that Kimbo was knocked out in 14 seconds by a last minute replacement for Ken Shamrock. Shamrock sustained a cut to his eye in a warm-up session just hours prior to the fight and state officials wouldn't clear him. So Seth Petruzelli, who was scheduled to fight on a non-televised undercard match, was brought up to the headliner.

That's when a funny thing happened. Kimbo Slice, who had always proclaimed that he'd fight anyone, anytime, anywhere, almost didn't take the fight. I can understand hesitation if you're a fighter and train specifically for one individual and then have to face another. It happens all the time in boxing and MMA. However, if your reputation is that you are the baddest brawler on the planet and you will indeed fight anyone, anywhere, anytime; then you'd better be prepared to do just that! According to reports, it wasn't until twenty minutes before the show was supposed to go live that Kimbo agreed to the fight - perhaps it was the substantial cash bonus that swayed him. Still, he seemed pretty upset in his brief pre-fight interview.

The crazy thing is, the brief interview lasted longer than the fight itself. Kimbo rushed across the ring and was clipped with a short right to the chin, he went down and was pummeled by Petruzelli until the ref stepped in to save Kimbo from worse punishment. The emporer was shown to have no clothes. Kimbo had no clue how to protect himself once he was down. He didn't cover up, he didn't try to grab and close the distance so Petruzelli would have no punching room, he simply laid there taking shots.

All great fighters have lost. There is no shame in losing if you've prepared and give it your best. I credit Kimbo with preparing and giving it his best. Unfortunately, it became clear last night what his best is. Don't get me wrong, if Kimbo walked into any bar across America, he could probably whip 19 out of 20 in there... maybe more. Walking into the octagon is a different story.

I don't fault Kimbo for taking advantage of the opportunities that have come his way. What's happened with Kimbo is very similar to what's currently going on with Brock Lesnar [although Lesnar has much more skills]. Kimbo did show class after the fight. He credited Seth for taking the fight and thanked the fans for coming out to see the show. He then left the octagon... maybe for the last time.

End of an Era or Two

Tomorrow night Ken Shamrock steps into the octagon to face "Youtube" superstar Kimbo Slice. There's a whole lot riding on the outcome of the match, and I'm not just talking about either of the fighters' reputations. In fact, who wins won't impact either of the combatants as much as the number of viewers who tune in to watch the fight who airs for free on CBS.

EliteXC is the company promoting the event. They had a three fight agreement with CBS. This is the third fight of the contract. Although the first card [which featured Kimbo] was the most watched MMA event ever, the second show tanked. So unless the fights tomorrow night bring the viewers to the tube, it's over for EliteXC. Without a network sponsor, word is the company will fold.

Now, there's no doubt that folks will tune in to watch Kimbo fight. He's the one MMA fighter that everyone knows. Kimbo is the big, tough, brawler who knocks people out. The trouble is, in reality, Kimbo is over-rated. He hasn't fought a single ranked fighter. In fact he's yet to fight a fighter who's on the way up. Look at the "name" fighters Kimbo has fought. Ray Mercer was a 46 year old former boxer. Mercer lost in the first round. Tank Abbott was 46 years old, had lost 5 of his last 6 fights and had only fought once a year in that time. Abbott also fell in the first round. Ken Shamrock is 44 years old and has lost 8 of his last 10 fights including his last five. Shamrock's most recent victory was over 4 years ago.

So, who will win?

My guess is Kimbo. If he does, it doesn't really hurt Shamrock's reputation. The guy is already a Hall of Famer. A Kimbo win over Shamrock would also add a bit more luster to Kimbo's figher cred, but mainly with folks who don't really follow MMA. Finally, a Kimbo victory coupled with enough viewers could entice CBS to extend their contract with EliteXC.

If Shamrock wins, he could retire [hopefully] with a win that ended the era of Kimbo Slice. Unfortunately for EliteXC, it would probably also end their era as well.

Watching "Watchmen"

Can't wait for "Watchmen" to reach a theater near you? Then you might want to check out CBR.com's report on a special "Watchmen" screening complete with a question and answer session with Zack Snyder!

"Q of S" Theme Song

Although I really like the James Bond "Quantum of Solace" theme song by Alicia Keys and Jack White a lot better than I did the "Q of S" posters; I'll bet I like the "Q of S" movie a whole lot more.