SlamShut's Recent Comments
Interlude: Eggsistential - Mar 30, 2008 - 04:56pm
MnEGGSmosyne, EGGSvidently you are EGGSperiencing an EGGStraordinary amount of EGGSasperation while EGGSamining my mEGGSsages. I take EGGSeption to your tone, and do not EGGSpect this kind of disrEGGSpectful rEGGSponse when all I am EGGtempting to do is EGGSpress myself. I EGGSpect an EGGSpology for this inEGGScusable hostilitEGGSy. SincEGGSerely, SlamEGGShut. OH MAN I AM ON FUCKING FIRE! EGGS.
MnEGGSmosyne, EGGSvidently you are EGGSperiencing an EGGStraordinary amount of EGGSasperation while EGGSamining my mEGGSsages. I take EGGSeption to your tone, and do not EGGSpect this kind of disrEGGSpectful rEGGSponse when all I am EGGtempting to do is EGGSpress myself. I EGGSpect an EGGSpology for this inEGGScusable hostilitEGGSy. SincEGGSerely, SlamEGGShut. OH MAN I AM ON FUCKING FIRE! EGGS.
Interlude: Eggsistential - Mar 29, 2008 - 10:17pm
Eggsactly! OH SNAP! DID YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE? I FUCKIN' FLIPPED THAT SHIT ON YOU! EGGS! GET IT? GET IT? EGGS!
Eggsactly! OH SNAP! DID YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE? I FUCKIN' FLIPPED THAT SHIT ON YOU! EGGS! GET IT? GET IT? EGGS!
Les TempsPliers - Mar 08, 2008 - 09:15am
Oooh, wait, I think I understood this one! It's about clocks n'shit.
Oooh, wait, I think I understood this one! It's about clocks n'shit.
No Penguins in Florence - Mar 01, 2008 - 10:37am
Hey Mania, can I have a regular column too? I want to just ramble on semi-coherently without explaining a damn thing about who I'm talking about or why it matters to anyone. Whaddya say, Mania? It certainly can't be any worse than this completely irrelevant shit.
Hey Mania, can I have a regular column too? I want to just ramble on semi-coherently without explaining a damn thing about who I'm talking about or why it matters to anyone. Whaddya say, Mania? It certainly can't be any worse than this completely irrelevant shit.
And the Desert Shall Bloom - Feb 07, 2008 - 06:37am
The crowning ironies here are that Jake and I have a long history that predates this website, and that I'm actually far deeper into gaming than he is. I'd go on, but quite frankly, I've lost interest in this whole thing. Chennai, you are boring. And come on-- "ShamSlut?" What, are we in the fuckin' fifth grade here? Name-calling? That's all you have left? Sad.
The crowning ironies here are that Jake and I have a long history that predates this website, and that I'm actually far deeper into gaming than he is. I'd go on, but quite frankly, I've lost interest in this whole thing. Chennai, you are boring. And come on-- "ShamSlut?" What, are we in the fuckin' fifth grade here? Name-calling? That's all you have left? Sad.
Manga Sutra, Volume One - Feb 04, 2008 - 10:06am
Millions of people are into this-- if you're not familiar, it's called 'hentai' (which is actually a Western adoption of a Japanese word, which carries a different meaning in Japanese, but that's another discussion). But there are literally millions of people who are into hentai. I'm not one of them, because like you, I'd rather look at actual human beings, but there is a gigantic market for this stuff.
Millions of people are into this-- if you're not familiar, it's called 'hentai' (which is actually a Western adoption of a Japanese word, which carries a different meaning in Japanese, but that's another discussion). But there are literally millions of people who are into hentai. I'm not one of them, because like you, I'd rather look at actual human beings, but there is a gigantic market for this stuff.
And the Desert Shall Bloom - Feb 03, 2008 - 10:43pm
Ahhh, there we go. Submitted. http://digg.com/arts_culture/Fascinating_essay_about_Symbology_in_pop_culture REQUEST: If any of you have Digg accounts, please take a moment to Digg up the story, so that it can be read and judged by a wider audience. Thanks for your help!
Ahhh, there we go. Submitted. http://digg.com/arts_culture/Fascinating_essay_about_Symbology_in_pop_culture REQUEST: If any of you have Digg accounts, please take a moment to Digg up the story, so that it can be read and judged by a wider audience. Thanks for your help!
And the Desert Shall Bloom - Feb 03, 2008 - 10:34pm
Thanks, Mental. Oh, and to the Pretension Twins-- looks like so far it's 4 and 0, with my torrid bagel-rape vignette in the lead. But hey, I'm willing to let the rope play out on this... who knows, maybe come Monday morning this piece will have attracted a whole gaggle of nonsense-loving navelgazers. Tell you what-- let's toss this one out on the shoulders of the Info-mation Superhighway. I'm submitting it to Digg. We'll see what happens.
Thanks, Mental. Oh, and to the Pretension Twins-- looks like so far it's 4 and 0, with my torrid bagel-rape vignette in the lead. But hey, I'm willing to let the rope play out on this... who knows, maybe come Monday morning this piece will have attracted a whole gaggle of nonsense-loving navelgazers. Tell you what-- let's toss this one out on the shoulders of the Info-mation Superhighway. I'm submitting it to Digg. We'll see what happens.
And the Desert Shall Bloom - Feb 03, 2008 - 06:55pm
Quite true, Jake, quite true. This is why I suggested a vote for either Stella's piece or my on, based on each piece's merits, and not where each piece has been published. I notice that you still haven't voted, Chennai.
Quite true, Jake, quite true. This is why I suggested a vote for either Stella's piece or my on, based on each piece's merits, and not where each piece has been published. I notice that you still haven't voted, Chennai.
And the Desert Shall Bloom - Feb 03, 2008 - 03:39pm
Dear Mnemosyne, You have a girl name. And your post is the first in this discussion to contain the phrase "other people's dicks"; moreover, you are the only person in this discussion thus far who has felt compelled to discuss penises in plural. So according to your own logic, you are obsessed with penises. Girl name. Obsessed with penises. I'll let you do the math. Yours truly, SlamShut, World's Greatest Everything
Dear Mnemosyne, You have a girl name. And your post is the first in this discussion to contain the phrase "other people's dicks"; moreover, you are the only person in this discussion thus far who has felt compelled to discuss penises in plural. So according to your own logic, you are obsessed with penises. Girl name. Obsessed with penises. I'll let you do the math. Yours truly, SlamShut, World's Greatest Everything
And the Desert Shall Bloom - Feb 03, 2008 - 11:45am
Dear Buzzkill and DIIDDIID, Let's take a moment here and chart the progress of this discussion. First, the site posts another rambling , nigh-incoherent essay from Stella, and in this installment, she blathers on about symbology in popular culture. Because her writing shows a marked lack of direction or purpose, the immediate majority reaction is "what the f*ck is this?" Next, you two rush to her defense. And what does your defense consist of? Ad hominem attacks, pure and simple. Rewind and review, fellas-- in my first response, I was critical of Stella's WRITING, criticizing the essay itself and its content. Your contributions are all personal attacks-- just florid, poorly-disguised ways of saying "YOU DON'T LIKE IT CUZ YOU'RE TOO DUMB." So I (and others) criticize the writing, and your response is to call me (and others) stupid. Niiiiiice. Okay, shitrags. Wanna have an a-hole contest? Fine with me. Let's throw this out to the hoi polloi (look! I used a snotty, idiotic and unnecessary term, too! DO YOU HAVE A BIG-WORD BONER FOR ME NOW, TOO?) Let's use the remainder of this discussion to tally votes on what's more readable: 1) This article, with its pancake stack of two-dollar words and no discernible purpose or 2) A short prose piece I wrote a year or so ago, which is on the front page of my profile: http://www.mania.com/SlamShut/ I'll warn you two absinthe-gargling snotrags (whoops! Ad hominem attack! Looks like it's catching) right now: my piece doesn't contain any unnecessary adverbs or adjectives, it doesn't use the phrase "enigmatic curiosities" even once, and it starts with a hillbilly getting his dick stuck in a bagel. But for all of its profane subject matter, I will stand firmly on the assertion that it's a better goddamn piece of writing than Stella's unfocused ramble. So let's put it to a popular vote. Which piece is better, Maniacs? Which piece shows a more effective use of language? Which piece will you be more likely to think about tomorrow, or tell a friend about? VOTE NOW. VOTE WITH YOUR FISTS. 1. Stella's Symbology Essay or 2. Dick in a bagel. Love and kisses, SlamShut P.S. One of you snivellers made the suggestion that my dissatisfaction with Stella's essay is motived by the fact that this site does not publish or pay for my own writing-- I write professionally for a living, and have my writing constantly peer-reviewed, and am paid well for it. I do not seek recognition or compensation from Mania for anything I write, as I have neither the need nor desire for it. Assuming that my criticism of Stella's writing is based on jealousy is just as infantile and ignorant as assuming that I'm too dumb to read an unfocused essay full of wind and sails. I'm not too dumb to read it, muchachos, and I'm not jealous of her standing on the site. But I do question that standing when all she seems to contribute is pointless blather. Okay, enough out of me. Go vote, dicks.
Dear Buzzkill and DIIDDIID, Let's take a moment here and chart the progress of this discussion. First, the site posts another rambling , nigh-incoherent essay from Stella, and in this installment, she blathers on about symbology in popular culture. Because her writing shows a marked lack of direction or purpose, the immediate majority reaction is "what the f*ck is this?" Next, you two rush to her defense. And what does your defense consist of? Ad hominem attacks, pure and simple. Rewind and review, fellas-- in my first response, I was critical of Stella's WRITING, criticizing the essay itself and its content. Your contributions are all personal attacks-- just florid, poorly-disguised ways of saying "YOU DON'T LIKE IT CUZ YOU'RE TOO DUMB." So I (and others) criticize the writing, and your response is to call me (and others) stupid. Niiiiiice. Okay, shitrags. Wanna have an a-hole contest? Fine with me. Let's throw this out to the hoi polloi (look! I used a snotty, idiotic and unnecessary term, too! DO YOU HAVE A BIG-WORD BONER FOR ME NOW, TOO?) Let's use the remainder of this discussion to tally votes on what's more readable: 1) This article, with its pancake stack of two-dollar words and no discernible purpose or 2) A short prose piece I wrote a year or so ago, which is on the front page of my profile: http://www.mania.com/SlamShut/ I'll warn you two absinthe-gargling snotrags (whoops! Ad hominem attack! Looks like it's catching) right now: my piece doesn't contain any unnecessary adverbs or adjectives, it doesn't use the phrase "enigmatic curiosities" even once, and it starts with a hillbilly getting his dick stuck in a bagel. But for all of its profane subject matter, I will stand firmly on the assertion that it's a better goddamn piece of writing than Stella's unfocused ramble. So let's put it to a popular vote. Which piece is better, Maniacs? Which piece shows a more effective use of language? Which piece will you be more likely to think about tomorrow, or tell a friend about? VOTE NOW. VOTE WITH YOUR FISTS. 1. Stella's Symbology Essay or 2. Dick in a bagel. Love and kisses, SlamShut P.S. One of you snivellers made the suggestion that my dissatisfaction with Stella's essay is motived by the fact that this site does not publish or pay for my own writing-- I write professionally for a living, and have my writing constantly peer-reviewed, and am paid well for it. I do not seek recognition or compensation from Mania for anything I write, as I have neither the need nor desire for it. Assuming that my criticism of Stella's writing is based on jealousy is just as infantile and ignorant as assuming that I'm too dumb to read an unfocused essay full of wind and sails. I'm not too dumb to read it, muchachos, and I'm not jealous of her standing on the site. But I do question that standing when all she seems to contribute is pointless blather. Okay, enough out of me. Go vote, dicks.
And the Desert Shall Bloom - Feb 02, 2008 - 02:33pm
The first important lesson that any serious writer learns is to write in the simplest terms possible; to eliminate all unnecessary words, and to state your hypothesis in the clearest, simplest way possible. This "article" reads as if a thesaurus puked all over it. Not only does it lack a clear hypothesis, purpose or subject, but it is afloat with so many undefined terms that it becomes immediately inaccessible to the average reader. Buzzkill, you make the point that someone who doesn't "fully understand what she's talking about" will have a hard time with this piece of writing-- and that's exactly the problem here. If the only readers who will gain anything from slogging through these paragraphs are those who already know what she's writing about, then the essay defeats its own purpose, and eliminates any reason for it to exist in the first place. This piece reads like the introductory paragraph and the conclusion have been chopped off-- what we're left with is just a puddle of ideas with lots of colorful multi-syllabic words wiggling around in it. Or to put it more simply: why the sweet green motherfuck is this on the site in the first place? If the writer isn't going to take a moment or a few words to explain what the hell she's talking about, then it's just a bunch of esoteric garbage. Putting this on the front page of the site is going to drive away more readers than it's going to pull in. I understand that Mania is trying to court a lot of different audiences these days, and they should; and I understand that one of those audiences being courted is the paranormal/conspiracy/Coast-to-Coast AM type crowd, but badly-written, rambling prose poems with no clear subject or purpose aren't going to do the trick. Write simply, or don't write at all.
The first important lesson that any serious writer learns is to write in the simplest terms possible; to eliminate all unnecessary words, and to state your hypothesis in the clearest, simplest way possible. This "article" reads as if a thesaurus puked all over it. Not only does it lack a clear hypothesis, purpose or subject, but it is afloat with so many undefined terms that it becomes immediately inaccessible to the average reader. Buzzkill, you make the point that someone who doesn't "fully understand what she's talking about" will have a hard time with this piece of writing-- and that's exactly the problem here. If the only readers who will gain anything from slogging through these paragraphs are those who already know what she's writing about, then the essay defeats its own purpose, and eliminates any reason for it to exist in the first place. This piece reads like the introductory paragraph and the conclusion have been chopped off-- what we're left with is just a puddle of ideas with lots of colorful multi-syllabic words wiggling around in it. Or to put it more simply: why the sweet green motherfuck is this on the site in the first place? If the writer isn't going to take a moment or a few words to explain what the hell she's talking about, then it's just a bunch of esoteric garbage. Putting this on the front page of the site is going to drive away more readers than it's going to pull in. I understand that Mania is trying to court a lot of different audiences these days, and they should; and I understand that one of those audiences being courted is the paranormal/conspiracy/Coast-to-Coast AM type crowd, but badly-written, rambling prose poems with no clear subject or purpose aren't going to do the trick. Write simply, or don't write at all.
JJ Abrams' 1-18-08 Site Update - Jul 21, 2007 - 12:44am
Oh, for crying out loud, get it right-- Photo #2 is one girl, not two girls. See here: http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/8648/118081ic2.png
Oh, for crying out loud, get it right-- Photo #2 is one girl, not two girls. See here: http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/8648/118081ic2.png
Susan Sarandon and John Goodman join "Speed Racer" - Apr 02, 2007 - 08:48am
Dammit, Janet, what happened? Susan Sarandon used to be one of the hottest pieces of ass in Hollywood. Now she gets to play wifey to a fat gravybag like Goodman?
Dammit, Janet, what happened? Susan Sarandon used to be one of the hottest pieces of ass in Hollywood. Now she gets to play wifey to a fat gravybag like Goodman?
Susan Sarandon and John Goodman join "Speed Racer" - Apr 02, 2007 - 08:47am
Dammit, Janet, what happened? Susan Sarandon used to be one of the hottest pieces of ass in Hollywood. Now she gets to play wifey to a fat gravybag like Goodman?
Dammit, Janet, what happened? Susan Sarandon used to be one of the hottest pieces of ass in Hollywood. Now she gets to play wifey to a fat gravybag like Goodman?
Magnolia Pictures acquires "The Signal" - Jan 24, 2007 - 07:58am
"The film centers on a mysterious transmission which invades every cell phone, radio and TV in the city, turning its inhabitants into killers." Uh, that's the plot of Stephen King's "Cell." Which is also being made into a movie.
"The film centers on a mysterious transmission which invades every cell phone, radio and TV in the city, turning its inhabitants into killers." Uh, that's the plot of Stephen King's "Cell." Which is also being made into a movie.
Mark Steven talks "Preacher" - Jan 16, 2007 - 11:39am
http://www.keef.net/images/200501/Arseface.jpg Now shut the hell up, idiot.
http://www.keef.net/images/200501/Arseface.jpg Now shut the hell up, idiot.
Mark Steven talks "Preacher" - Jan 16, 2007 - 06:55am
I am so incredibly motherfuckin' psyched for this.
I am so incredibly motherfuckin' psyched for this.
Weekend Box Office Report for January 12-14 - Jan 15, 2007 - 08:40am
Nice writeup, Jarrod. Keep up the quality. All the columns should be this well written.
Nice writeup, Jarrod. Keep up the quality. All the columns should be this well written.
Batteries Not Included - Jan 10, 2007 - 06:55am
If looking at the "My Buddy" doll reminds you of Chucky from "Child's Play," it's for good reason. When I was in school, I had the opportunity to briefly meet Don Mancini (writer of the Chucky movies), and learned that the "My Buddy" commercials were the primary inspiration for the character of Chucky. As a matter of fact, the original title for the "Child's Play" script was "Bloody Buddy," which was changed to avoid litigation.
If looking at the "My Buddy" doll reminds you of Chucky from "Child's Play," it's for good reason. When I was in school, I had the opportunity to briefly meet Don Mancini (writer of the Chucky movies), and learned that the "My Buddy" commercials were the primary inspiration for the character of Chucky. As a matter of fact, the original title for the "Child's Play" script was "Bloody Buddy," which was changed to avoid litigation.
"MEG" Getting a Green Light? - Jan 01, 2007 - 06:08am
I ordinarily object to most people's incessant complainery about films which they haven't seen, but I'm inclined to agree with you here, Karl-- I tried reading Alten's book, and it is pure, unadulterated monkeyshit. This is an example of how lowbrow, high-concept ideas can survive for years in Hollywood. "It's Jaws meets Jurassic Park!" That's a crapsandwich of ideas that could possibly work, if handled deftly by a talented author, but Steve Alten is a fucking hack (go look up a list of his books-- notice how every one is about underwater monsters, and most are about this stupid dino-shark? That's a red flag, boys and girls, and it signals "hack recycling one idea over and over")........ Anyway, there's good reason this project has never seen the light of day.
I ordinarily object to most people's incessant complainery about films which they haven't seen, but I'm inclined to agree with you here, Karl-- I tried reading Alten's book, and it is pure, unadulterated monkeyshit. This is an example of how lowbrow, high-concept ideas can survive for years in Hollywood. "It's Jaws meets Jurassic Park!" That's a crapsandwich of ideas that could possibly work, if handled deftly by a talented author, but Steve Alten is a fucking hack (go look up a list of his books-- notice how every one is about underwater monsters, and most are about this stupid dino-shark? That's a red flag, boys and girls, and it signals "hack recycling one idea over and over")........ Anyway, there's good reason this project has never seen the light of day.
DC to launch "Minx" comic for girls - Nov 29, 2006 - 02:36pm
Yeah, this'll work. And by "work" I mean "sink like a @#$%ing cement sailboat." The only people who will buy this **** will be pizzafaced fatass male teens who hold out hope that these stupid books hold some shred of a clue to how to talk to a girl. Jesus, what is Vertigo thinking? Just spend the money on bringing back some of the same quality you had in the 90s, you dumb shits.
Yeah, this'll work. And by "work" I mean "sink like a @#$%ing cement sailboat." The only people who will buy this **** will be pizzafaced fatass male teens who hold out hope that these stupid books hold some shred of a clue to how to talk to a girl. Jesus, what is Vertigo thinking? Just spend the money on bringing back some of the same quality you had in the 90s, you dumb shits.
News that Jackson still directing "Hobbit" false - Nov 29, 2006 - 06:47am
ENGLISH, MOTHERFUCKER! DO YOU SPEAK IT?
ENGLISH, MOTHERFUCKER! DO YOU SPEAK IT?
Top 15 Playstation 2 Games Ever - Nov 17, 2006 - 07:02am
Interesting list, Cap, but come on... Red Faction? You'd choose to put a cookie-cutter FPS on the list, but have no mention of the Metal Gear Solid series? Whacko, man.
Interesting list, Cap, but come on... Red Faction? You'd choose to put a cookie-cutter FPS on the list, but have no mention of the Metal Gear Solid series? Whacko, man.
"SEGA Genesis Collection" Contest - Nov 11, 2006 - 04:36pm
Well, the brief bit of reading on this that I've done seems to indicate that they're fully emulated.
Well, the brief bit of reading on this that I've done seems to indicate that they're fully emulated.
Fox developing "Them" - Nov 11, 2006 - 10:23am
"a sleeper cell of extraterrestrial terrorists who take the shape of humans." Stopped reading right there. Seriously, aliens who 'take the form of humans' is the sort of cheap special-effects-budget-savers that we grew tired of in the 80s. Come on, show me some freakin' aliens, for chrissakes, not just some actor with a spacy expression who's an 'alien in disguise!'
"a sleeper cell of extraterrestrial terrorists who take the shape of humans." Stopped reading right there. Seriously, aliens who 'take the form of humans' is the sort of cheap special-effects-budget-savers that we grew tired of in the 80s. Come on, show me some freakin' aliens, for chrissakes, not just some actor with a spacy expression who's an 'alien in disguise!'
"SEGA Genesis Collection" Contest - Nov 11, 2006 - 03:48am
My own PS2 has long since shuffled off to join the great pile of dead consoles in the sky, but for those that are interested in this, here's a complete listing of games in this collection: Alex Kidd Altered Beast Bonanza Bros. Columns Comix Zone Decap Attack Ecco the Dolphin Ecco: The Tides of Time Ecco Jr. Eternal Champions Flicky Gain Ground Golden Axe Golden Axe II Golden Axe III Phantasy Star II Phantasy Star III Phantasy Star IV Ristar Shadow Dancer: Secret of Shinobi Shinobi III Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Super Thunderblade Sword of Vermillion Vectorman Vectorman 2 Virtua Fighter 2 And the following titles are included as unlockable games: Altered Beast Arcade Future Spy TAC/Scan Zaxxon (the 1982 Arcade version) Zektor
My own PS2 has long since shuffled off to join the great pile of dead consoles in the sky, but for those that are interested in this, here's a complete listing of games in this collection: Alex Kidd Altered Beast Bonanza Bros. Columns Comix Zone Decap Attack Ecco the Dolphin Ecco: The Tides of Time Ecco Jr. Eternal Champions Flicky Gain Ground Golden Axe Golden Axe II Golden Axe III Phantasy Star II Phantasy Star III Phantasy Star IV Ristar Shadow Dancer: Secret of Shinobi Shinobi III Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Super Thunderblade Sword of Vermillion Vectorman Vectorman 2 Virtua Fighter 2 And the following titles are included as unlockable games: Altered Beast Arcade Future Spy TAC/Scan Zaxxon (the 1982 Arcade version) Zektor
"World War Z" - Nov 10, 2006 - 07:30am
Interesting article. I'm not familiar with Brooks' work, but this review has prompted me to add it to the 'grab it at the bookstore' list. One of the most thought-provoking points here, as touched upon by the other comments above mine, is the absence of an inarguable literary tentpole for zombie literature, and this absence is what should excite the reader more than anything else. Those who've read Stephen King's rather excellent (and still relevant) treatise on horror film and fiction, "Danse Macabre," know that he very deftly outlines the real archetypes within the genre: the vampire, the werewolf, the ghost, etc., etc., and makes a convincing argument that the majority of genre efforts for the last 40 years or so dovetail neatly into one of these categories. And that touches upon what's so frustrating about browsing the racks at any bookstore generous enough to feature a horror section: it all begins to seem like the same thing, over and over. How many times can one person read a vampire novel, and be captivated by the idea of a sexually threatening lifedrinker? But the plague-zombie, as defined by Romero and his film antecedents, and popularized by the wealth of zombie material in the last several years, is arguably a new concept, and one which has yet to be explored adequately. To me, it's interesting to consider the tremendous popularity of the zombie as a product of the post-911 zeitgeist: in the age where terrorism has become our culture's biggest bogeyman, we've see it manifested in our horror film and fiction in two aspects so far: first, in the form of mainstream torture-horror films, such as "Hostel" and the "Saw" series, and secondly, in the form of the plague-zombie, which is really the product of 'what would happen if the bad guys finally let one of those bugs out of the can in a big city.' Just as the slasher films of the 80s were a product of our nation's fears at finally stepping away from the traditional sexual and social politics of the 1950s and 1960s (ever notice that the kids getting killed are the bad ones, who screw and take drugs?), these torture and disease movies are popular because they address what really freaks us out these days. And it seems that Brooks is maybe the first guy to step up to the plate and take a swing or two at the plague zombie in text, and really crack one out of the park. I'm gonna have to check his stuff out-- I've had the 'Zombie Survival Guide' in my hand at the bookstore before, but always put it back, figuring it was little more than a cheapie gimmick book. Thanks for the review, Brian-- you've made me want to go back and take a closer look.
Interesting article. I'm not familiar with Brooks' work, but this review has prompted me to add it to the 'grab it at the bookstore' list. One of the most thought-provoking points here, as touched upon by the other comments above mine, is the absence of an inarguable literary tentpole for zombie literature, and this absence is what should excite the reader more than anything else. Those who've read Stephen King's rather excellent (and still relevant) treatise on horror film and fiction, "Danse Macabre," know that he very deftly outlines the real archetypes within the genre: the vampire, the werewolf, the ghost, etc., etc., and makes a convincing argument that the majority of genre efforts for the last 40 years or so dovetail neatly into one of these categories. And that touches upon what's so frustrating about browsing the racks at any bookstore generous enough to feature a horror section: it all begins to seem like the same thing, over and over. How many times can one person read a vampire novel, and be captivated by the idea of a sexually threatening lifedrinker? But the plague-zombie, as defined by Romero and his film antecedents, and popularized by the wealth of zombie material in the last several years, is arguably a new concept, and one which has yet to be explored adequately. To me, it's interesting to consider the tremendous popularity of the zombie as a product of the post-911 zeitgeist: in the age where terrorism has become our culture's biggest bogeyman, we've see it manifested in our horror film and fiction in two aspects so far: first, in the form of mainstream torture-horror films, such as "Hostel" and the "Saw" series, and secondly, in the form of the plague-zombie, which is really the product of 'what would happen if the bad guys finally let one of those bugs out of the can in a big city.' Just as the slasher films of the 80s were a product of our nation's fears at finally stepping away from the traditional sexual and social politics of the 1950s and 1960s (ever notice that the kids getting killed are the bad ones, who screw and take drugs?), these torture and disease movies are popular because they address what really freaks us out these days. And it seems that Brooks is maybe the first guy to step up to the plate and take a swing or two at the plague zombie in text, and really crack one out of the park. I'm gonna have to check his stuff out-- I've had the 'Zombie Survival Guide' in my hand at the bookstore before, but always put it back, figuring it was little more than a cheapie gimmick book. Thanks for the review, Brian-- you've made me want to go back and take a closer look.
Corman and Davison to make "Space 3001" - Nov 09, 2006 - 08:05am
20 million doesn't buy a lot of movie these days. Expect an entire movie set in 1 spaceship/space station (read: 1 suite of sets), a lot of shaky camera, and some shoddy CGI effects. But it's Corman, so who knows-- he's the master at wringing every last cent out of every budget dollar. Here's to hoping.
20 million doesn't buy a lot of movie these days. Expect an entire movie set in 1 spaceship/space station (read: 1 suite of sets), a lot of shaky camera, and some shoddy CGI effects. But it's Corman, so who knows-- he's the master at wringing every last cent out of every budget dollar. Here's to hoping.
"Gears of War" Contest - Nov 07, 2006 - 05:31pm
GREAT SCOTT!!! I absolutely must win this contest. I'm not usually one to chuck composure out the window and beg like a stewbum, but what the heck... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE CHOOSE ME! SlamWife and I are expecting our first child in January, so my gaming dollars have dried up like a puddle on an August highway! I will happily promise a well-considered review from a veteran gamer if I yam made winner! CHOOSE ME, MANIA MANAGEMENT MASTERS!
GREAT SCOTT!!! I absolutely must win this contest. I'm not usually one to chuck composure out the window and beg like a stewbum, but what the heck... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE CHOOSE ME! SlamWife and I are expecting our first child in January, so my gaming dollars have dried up like a puddle on an August highway! I will happily promise a well-considered review from a veteran gamer if I yam made winner! CHOOSE ME, MANIA MANAGEMENT MASTERS!
"Inside Man" Sequel? - Nov 02, 2006 - 01:13pm
Wouldn't a sequel to "Inside Man" make this trilogy? I thought "Inside Man" was the sequel to "Brokeback Mountain." OH NO HE DI-IN'T! YES I DID, GIRLFIREND!
Wouldn't a sequel to "Inside Man" make this trilogy? I thought "Inside Man" was the sequel to "Brokeback Mountain." OH NO HE DI-IN'T! YES I DID, GIRLFIREND!
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Well blow me down, it's Pat Sauriol. Nice review, man. You've just convinced me to put this one on the "buy it when it hits $40" list. REVIEW MORE GAMES, PAT.