Garfield finally goes "there"

Yep, it’s true, I pour over the comics page each day with the intensity of a conservative Jew reading the Torah. Many times I have spoken about my disgust over the lame-ass comic strips that are served up these days. Saying that these things are “phoned in” would be an insult to phones. Every once in a while I am surprised when a comic strip dares to veer into (slightly) edgier material. This is the first Garfield strip I can ever recall that alludes to Garfield’s cat shit. Sorry that the picture is so dark, I took it with my iPhone in lighting that only be compared to that of a monk practicing religious asceticism in a cave with a single candle.

The most depressing painting ever?

As some of you know, I work in a mood disorders clinic. I’m in the oldest building on the Rhode Island Hospital grounds and as such my building doesn’t receive much love. The only painting that hangs in our hallway is pictured above. Every time I walk past it I feel sad. Sure it’s terrible art, but doesn’t it also evoke bleakness? I mean, what do you get from it? I see a kid that’s been abandoned by his parents in the Silent Hill world.



Seriously, who would hang this thing in a mood disorders clinic where people come to receive treatment for depression? The kid is standing next to a dumpster that says “sand box” (!) Okay I get that its sand for the icy sidewalk but it just makes the juxtaposition of the abandoned, soon to freeze to death or get kidnapped from a pedophile, boy all the more dreary. Aside from bad art, what do you see when you look at this thing?

I prefer this boss Six Million Dollar Man puzzle I assembled the other night,

Arnold Schwarzenegger's next film might be a sequel to his worst film

From worstpreviews, Tom Arnold has been saying that Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron are both interested in making a sequel to "True Lies." Then last year we heard that there won't be a movie. Instead, "True Lies" will be turned into a TV series that could possibly star John Cena.

Now, in an interview with Movieweb, Tom Arnold is once again claiming that "True Lies 2" may happen and it may be Schwarzenegger's next movie. On top of that, he says that Cameron will be producing and that there is already a finished script.

"We (Tom Arnold and Arnold Schwarzenegger) have both read the script," said Tom Arnold. "There is a script that James Cameron and a guy named Jeff Eastin, who created the TV show 'White Collar,' wrote. It is really great. Jim can't direct it. But he can produce it. Arnold Schwarzenegger is excited. I am excited."

Kevin Costner Has Nothing Better to Do Than Be Superman's Dad

From toplessrobot, Kevin Costner has been needlessly cast as Pa Kent in Zack Snyder's Superman movie. As you'll recall, Diane Lane has been equally overcast as Ma Kent, which was announced not long after Sally Field was cast as Aunt May in the Spider-Man reboot. This trend annoys me. The movie's supposed to be about Superman, not his goddamned foster parents. I shouldn't have to think about how many times I saw Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1991 while I watch Clark have a tender moment with his folks.

Obviously, this is the price we pay for getting relative unknowns as the superheroes themselves. The studios demand stars in their movies, but the directors know that if you cast well-known actors, you just see them, not the characters they portray. So in compromise, they cast bankable stars in incredibly distracting bit parts instead. I get that. I just don't like it.

British Believe In Lightsabers & Hover Boards

From geekology, A recent study conducted by Birmingham Science City has revealed that an alarming number of British folks believe science-fiction technologies actually exist today. The highlights (or lowlights depending on how you feel about the future of society):

• More than a fifth of adults believe light sabers exist.
• Almost 25 percent of people believe humans can be teleported.
• Nearly 50 percent of adults believe that memory-erasing technology exists.
• More than 40 percent believe that hover boards exist.
• Almost one-fifth of adults believe they can see gravity

To their credit, memory-erasing technology actually DOES exist *puts thumb to lips and pretends to drink straight from a bottle* but believing the rest of that stuff? That's just embarrassing. WHAT ARE YOU BLOKES -- STUPID?! "Americans scored twice as poorly." SONOFA!

Longtime Wayne Butler Michael Gough Dies at 94

From iwatchstuff, Michael Gough, the man who braved more Batman films than any actual Batman dared--and, as anyone who constantly watched Tim Burton's Batman on VHS will remember, always made sure Master Wayne had a constant supply of Diet Coke--passed away today at 94.

Outside of his memorable appearances as a superhero's loyal manservant, Gough had more than 170 other appearances to his credit, including further collaborations with Burton on Sleepy Hollow, The Corpse Bride, and Alice in Wonderland. Those whose nerd knowledge stretches beyond comic book adaptations may also remember his guest spots on Doctor Who, where he appeared as both Councillor Hedin and the Celestial Toymaker, thus thoroughly annoying continuity purists. He had continued working as recently as the last year, voicing Parasite in All-Star Superman. He truly was a classic. More like Coca-Cola Classic than Diet Coke, really.

Zack Snyder's Superman Reboot Will Respect The Canon, Won't Be A Slave To The Movies

From cinemablend, Speaking with the Los Angeles Times, the director revealed his plan when it comes to approaching the material: "Respect the canon but don’t be a slave to the movies." Basically calling it a true reboot, the director likened the project to Batman Begins, which respected the character's origins, but "pre-supposes that there haven’t been any other movies." Commenting on Singer's decision back in 2006, Snyder was sure to point out that his version of the character won't fall to the same issues, instead calling him "a physical cat."

The director also commented on the working relationship with Christopher Nolan, who is serving as a producer on the film and has been deemed the "Godfather" of the production. Without further details, it's been difficult to determine exactly how much Nolan is involved with the process, but quotes from Snyder seem to suggest that he is very much involved in the pre-production.

American Recidivists Eugene Levy, Jason Biggs, Stifler Reuniting for 'American Reunion'

From iwatchstuff [excerpt], The Hollywood Reporter claims Universal has signed Jason Biggs and Seann William Scott--and Levy, naturally--to the sequel, which is being called American Reunion. Fellow co-stars Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Chris Klein, Mena Suvari, and Jennifer Coolidge are also in talks to rejoin the cast, and considering most of their careers (Thomas Ian Nicholas is not the star Rookie of the Year may have led you to believe he'd become), I wouldn't be surprised if we see a few of their noticeably sorrowful faces, either.

‘Doctor Kong’ Trailer – New Donkey Kong Champ Hank Chien Gets His Own Documentary

Doctor Kong (trailer) from alexisneophytides@gmail.com on Vimeo.

From slashfilm, Ever since The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters was released in 2007, we at /Film have watched with great interest as the documentary’s two main subjects, Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe, took turns beating each other for the Donkey Kong world record. Last spring, however, a New York plastic surgeon named Hank Chien burst onto the scene and stole the title from Mitchell, who’d held it for the previous three years. Mitchell then took the title back, only to be bested by Wiebe in September. And Wiebe, in turn, found himself unseated by Chien this past January.

Point being: Chien’s up there now with Mitchell and Wiebe as one of the top Donkey Kong players in the world, with a high score of 1,090,400. And he’s about to catch up to Mitchell and Wiebe in another way, too, as the star of his own documentary, Doctor Kong: Cutting Up the Competition.

Yep, JPX has this comic book

From slashfilm, A Bronze Age comic has broken the six-figure ceiling with the single highest CGC graded example of Incredible Hulk #181, Wolverine’s first full appearance, changing hands on ComicLink for $150,000. This lone 9.9 has long been estimated to be the single most valuable comic book of the 1970s, but it had never changed hands publicly until this sale a few weeks ago. This number sets a new standard for high grade comics from the Bronze Age and clearly demonstrates the popularity of Wolverine amongst collectors.

“It is a rare event when the single highest certified example of a comic as important as Incredible Hulk #181 changes hands,” says ComicLink President Josh Nathanson. “This singular 9.9 has long been tucked away in a private collection, largely hidden away from public view. The sale of this book is not only a great example of the strength of the market for top graded keys, but also an incredible acquisition for the new owner! Think of the bragging rights!”

Hump Day Poem Contest: Siblings!

It's Wednesday already, so the contest is open to any form of poem about your own siblings, or someone else's; real or fictional; celebrity or regular people. Looking forward to some juicy entries!