Book Club - Harlan Ellison: Dreams With Sharp Teeth

First off, our apologies for the belated nature of this episode. We were meant to discuss the documentary No Direction Home, but those bastards at Netflix done screwed up the audio... SO, instead we present our review of a different, but equally intriguing bio-documentary, "Harlan Ellison: Dreams With Sharp Teeth." I think you're gonna like it.



 PS. Be sure to come back next week for our discussion of Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly's We3, from Vertigo Comics. DON'T HAVE IT? Well, hit up our good friends at World Famous Treasure Island Comics in scenic Fremont, CA; or find your own local comic shop at ComicShopLocator.com.

Comic Book Review - Brian & Bobbi

Hello! This week, I wanna call your attention to a great book, it came out a few weeks ago and probably flew well under your radar (or not.. I'd hate to presume. I'm just saying...).

Brian & Bobbi is written by Adam Wilson, with art by Franco Viglino, and is published by 215ink. It's the story of two young adults, one who's lived his whole life with superpowers he could never convince anyone he had, the other born the illegitimate daughter of a world famous superhero and a delusional overbearing mother. Brain has settled into life as a nobody, while Bobbi is still looking to make a name for herself, and when the two meet... well, stuff gets interesting.

It seems this book is aimed straight at the heart of the Scott Pilgrim crowd, and while Scott Pilgrim it is not, it's a solid example of young adult graphic novels. Viglino's art is great, even brilliant at times. The punk-rock schoolgirl character design for Bobbi stands out especially, as well as the very fluid and exciting depictions of the super-powered battle scenes. And the writing, while a bit stilted and sometimes heavy-handed, tells a very unique tale. Genuinely heartfelt and often hilarious, Wilson's script did a great job of keeping me engaged throughout the book.

Overall, I'd give it a B+, y'know, if thats what we did here... it's a great example of what these smaller publishers have to offer. At the first volume weighs in at 120 black-and-white pages for just $9.99, and is a worthwhile investment for fans of the teenage superhero genre. And it looks to be just one of a whole slew of interesting titles from 215ink, so definitely check them out.

215ink titles are available at Treasure Island Comics in sunny Fremont, CA; or find your own local comic shop at ComicShopLocator.com.

Episode 5 - THOR SPECTACULAR!

This week, our usual Show And Tell has been preempted by all things THOR! And don't miss our bonus Summer Movie Trailer Round-up!

PS. Be sure to buy your THOR comics from our good friends at Treasure Island Comics of Fremont, CA. OR, find your own local comic shop at ComicShopLocator.com



Time Stamps:

[1:37]: Trailers
-[1:45]: Super 8
-[4:53]: X-Men: First Class
-[7:42]: Cowboys and Aliens
-[8:59]: Green Lantern
-[10:37]: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
-[12:25]: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
[13:27]: Thor (Movie)
[27:55]: Thor (Comics)

Netflix Instant Watch Recommendation of the Week: Four Lions

This week, I'm recommending the British comedy "Four Lions," from first-time director Chris Morris. Given the massive international news that broke over the weekend, I thought this film would be a darkly apropos choice. In all honesty, I actually planned on watching and reviewing this film anyway BEFORE the news broke, so it's really just an especially eerie coincidence.

Why is that, you may or may not be asking yourself? Well, "Four Lions" is a dark comedy about a group of hilariously inept jihadists trying to pull off a suicide bombing in the city of London. A controversial premise, yes; but one rife for all sorts of madcap stooge-esque comedy, as well. Despite its often hilarious dialog and occasional moments of explosive slapstick, there is an almost defiant undercurrent of heart running throughout this tale of determined imbeciles. Morris seems to be challenging the audience to root for the actions of these lovable morons, if only because they are just trying SO DAMN HARD to get everything right.

Now, when you take a step back from the action, most of us will likely find the ultimate goal of these aspiring martyrs reprehensible. The performances, however, are just so very enjoyable that it's a little difficult not to care about their fates by the end of the film. The leader of the group, Omar (played with charming determination by Riz Ahmed), serves as the story's heart and soul, as he takes the responsibility of organizing this ragtag group of extremists. This is much to the dismay of fellow jihadist Barry (played with hilariously bull-headed righteousness by Nigel Lindsay), the token white Muslim of the group. The scenes Omar has with his family are especially charming (in a darkly amusing sort of way), such as a scene where Omar is relaying one of his massive fumbles to his young son via the characters from Disney's "The Lion King" in the form of a bedtime story.

Where the film really feels unique, though, is in its final act, where it attempts to balance its dark sense of humor with what can be described as "shit getting real." It does so with moderate success, and while it's not nearly as hilarious as the earlier portions of the film, it certainly has a memorable conclusion.

While its controversial subject matter may be a bit too much for some, those with a taste for dark, wittily written comedy about utter morons should definitely give this film a chance. I've been wanting to see it ever since it's well-received limited release in 2010, and now that it's on Netlix Instant Watch, it is much more easily available. I'd heartily recommend a watch.

Episode 4 - Egg Suckin' (NEW SHOW FORMAT!)

Our show is undergoing some changes. Every Monday will be the Show and Tell episode; this week it's Parks and Recreation (NBC), Survivor (Chuck Palahniuk), and EA: Iris (Aspen Comics), as well as the return of the Ghost Kitty Giveaway Contest. Be sure to come back Wednesday for our Book Club episode, where we take a look at the bio-doc "Harlan Ellison: Dreams With Sharp Teeth".



Time Stamps:

[1:57] Parks and Rec
[12:58] Executive Assistant Iris
[20:51] Survivor

Video Review: Dungeons & Dragons - Castle Ravenloft

Our very first video review! Andrew, Brenda, and Darren tell you all about the Dungeons & Dragons board game, "Castle Ravenloft."

Movie Recommendation - "Harlan Ellison: Dreams with Sharp Teeth"

This should be Darren's responsibility - making a movie recommendation, that is. Of course, it's my responsibility to see to it that he lives up to his responsibilities, at least so far as this whole ordeal is concerned. But that, if anyone in this cast of yahoos and frosted-flakes were ever honestly expected to live up to our responsibilities, everyone would just end up sorely disappointed.

But you know what WASN'T disappointing? 'Harlan Ellison: Dreams with Sharp Teeth,' the feature length bio-documentary from director Erik Nelson, starring Robin Williams, Neil Gaiman, Ronald D. Moore, as well as many more of Harlan Ellison's close friends and colleagues, not to mention Harlan Ellison himself.

WhO? Oh, sorry... Harlan Ellison, in addition to being a "grumpy old jew," is the multi-award winning author of hundreds of spectacular "imaginative fiction" short stories and novels, as well as some of the best episodes of sci-fi television ever to air, and editor of one of the best selling sci-fi anthologies ever, Visions of Danger.

"Dreams with Sharp Teeth" tells, in his own words as well as those of his closest friends, the very engaging and often hilarious story of his over 5 decade career. For anyone who has ever read, seen, or heard a Harlan Ellison story - and if you have even a strictly platonic relationship with sci-fi, you probably have and may not even realize it - this documentary offers an enlightening and entertaining look at the most prolific, hardest working, and most outspoken and crochety old man in sci-fi. Definitely check it out, it's on netflix instant watch right now.

And take that Darren, you lazy bum!