In the third act of Sony’s video game comedy, Pixels, Josh Gad’s Ludlow professes his love to his 8-bit crush, the deadly assassin Lady Lisa, while she has him pinned down by a pair of swords. I hoped she would run him through with the blade instead of falling for his romantic gestures because Gad’s annoying and uninspired performance represents the film’s overall tone.
Continue reading “Pixels is Pixelated”On April 1, 1990, I cried profusely as my hero, Hulk Hogan, lost the WWF title to the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 6. Now that the cold hard sting of reality has reared its ugly head again, I realize that I was the victim of a 25 year April fool’s joke.
I would give anything to hop into Doc Brown’s DeLorean and travel back in time to that now tainted evening.
I’d sit next to my eight-year-old self on the couch, look him right in his watery eyes and give him a big hug while trying to convince him that the red and yellow man on the TV screen isn’t worth our tears.
Late last week, Hulk Hogan was fired from WWE after The National Enquirer, and Radar Online released a transcript of Hogan’s racist comments on the sex tape he is currently suing Gawker Media over. Hogan repeatedly used the N-Word, called to racial stereotypes as fact, and admitted that he is a racist. Continue reading “My Thoughts on Hulk Hogan’s Racist Comments”
Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger captured my imagination from the moment he emerged from the curtain at WCW Superbrawl II. Liger lost the Light Heavyweight championship to Brian Pillman on that February evening in 1992, but it didn’t matter. The mixture of revolutionary high-flying moves and technical wrestling coupled with his anime inspired ring gear had me at hello.
Liger has wrestled all over the world. You name the promotion, and he has been there. That is, except for WWE. That will finally end as it was announced that Liger will appear at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn on 8/22/15. The event will air live on the WWE Network and spoiler alert, he will square off against Tyler Breeze. Continue reading “Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger will appear at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn”
Would you be surprised if I told you that Ant-Man is a comic book character created in 1962 by industry legends Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby, and Stan Lee? Would it also surprise you to know that Ant-Man is also a founding member of the Avengers?
You probably didn’t know that based on what has transpired on the silver screen with Marvel thus far. It’s ok, though, really. The prospect of a superhero that plays with ants doesn’t sound like a financially viable project for movie executives to invest in.
However, we got a talking Raccoon in a film, and it made millions.
Ant-Man is a character that really never did it for me. That all changed as Director Peyton Reed’s theatrical interpretation lit up movie screens in the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Continue reading “Ant-Man Crawls to Prominence”
I had the pleasure of providing play-by-play commentary, this past Friday, for Northeast Championship Wrestling’s ‘Red, White, & Bruised’ event in Norwood, Massachusetts. I’ve done commentary before in post-production for a few different promotions. This was the first time I would do it live as the show was happening. I was nervous and excited for the opportunity. Continue reading “Channeling My Inner Jim Ross”
I’m back after taking a long and overdue vacation where my wife and I put our phones on airplane mode and were unplugged from the real world. Now that I’ve caught up on all of the wrestling news, it seems that Cesaro is getting a lot of praise for his stellar matches with John Cena on Monday Night Raw.
Cesaro is truly one of the most talented wrestlers on the planet today.
He can have a good match with anyone and often has a great match with most. Due to Cesaro’s performance over the last three weeks, die-hard fans are waiting with bated breath and both fingers crossed, hoping this will be the time that WWE finally pushes the ‘Swiss Superman’ as the main event player he deserves to be.
Unfortunately, this shall not come to pass.
Continue reading “Cesaro is Mid-Card 4-Life”
Hell froze over last Wednesday when Jeff Jarrett entered the ring on Impact Wrestling while wearing a t-shirt of his own start-up promotion, Global Force Wrestling. The TNA founder announced his participation in the King of the Mountain match to be held at the Slammiversary, which he ended up winning.
This is all very intriguing considering Jeff Jarrett left the company on poor terms.
Continue reading “The Impact of Global Force Wrestling”
Last Friday, in the main event of Bellator 138, Kimbo Slice knocked out Ken Shamrock. The former bare-knuckle brawler seemingly came back from the jaws of defeat as he escaped from a rear-naked choke and landed a right hand that sent Shamrock crumbling to the canvas.
The thing is, there are a lot of people who are questioning the integrity of the bout. Some scoff at the very idea that there was anything fishy with the bout, while others believe without question that the fix was in.
When examining these matters, the two big questions you have to ask yourself are why the event would unfold this way and what Bellator has to gain from Kimbo getting a big win on national television? Continue reading “Shamrock vs. Kimbo: A Work of Fiction”
Rexodus TPB | Writer: James Farr | Artist: Jon Sommariva | Colorists: Camila Fortuna, Dustin Evans, John Rauch | Publisher: Dark Horse Comics | Release Date: June 24, 2015
“Daddy needs you to step away from the apex predator,” Dr. Dixon nervously says to his 12-year-old daughter, Amber, as she accidentally awakens a living and breathing dinosaur from a 64 million-year cryosleep and brilliantly and humorously sets the tone for this fast-paced intergalactic tale of survival.
If you look at the cover, you see a little girl with an orange T-Rex who is wearing body armor and ready to attack the enemy.
“Maybe this is a comedy, a parody that is only meant to deliver a good laugh,” I thought as I judged this cover. Not that there is nothing wrong with a parody. James Farr and Jon Sommariva take what we know about these historical beasts and flip it upside down.
However, once you immerse yourself in these colorful pages, it becomes evident in a short amount of time that Rexodus delivers so much more than its perceived intent.
Changing what we know about history and our place in the universe had been done before. So, if I were to tell you that dinosaurs could walk and talk, you wouldn’t be so surprised.
Kelvin Sauridon is a relic of a time long ago and finds himself in the 21st century and realizes that everyone he loves is gone. However, something survived with him in the form of the life-sucking entity called The Black Blood.
Amber Dixon is a spunky and extremely savvy young lady who isn’t afraid of much, considering she gets thrown into this crazy interplanetary adventure and handles it like a champ.
The relationship between Kelvin and Amber is the centerpiece of the story.
James Farr handled this with a different type of care and perspective. Amber is anything but a damsel in distress that a person her age would normally be portrayed as. In fact, she helps Kelvin, and he quickly gains a sense of admiration for her. They’re both a fish out of water in this situation, but when the time calls for it, Kelvin is the protector as Amber looks for a way to assist.
Jon Sommariva’s illustrations remind me of a well-drawn animated series that has a strong and pronounced presence throughout the book. The design of the dinosaurs, or in this case, “Disaurians,” is well realized and made to look more humanoid in their portrayal.
My only complaint with the book is that on a few occasions, certain panels don’t completely jive with what’s taking place. In one instance, a small and conniving dinosaur is stepped on by his very large superior. In the next panel, the little guy looks fine and not even bothered by the trauma he experienced.
Stories with multiple layers sometimes fail to find a voice that connects with the reader because they can’t decide what they are trying to be. Whether we are talking about a goggle-wearing fighter pilot pterodactyl who loves to go fast or a surly triceratops who kind of has a Han Solo thing going on, all of the story elements are executed at the right moments and to perfection.
Laughter filled my soul at times, while other moments captivated my imagination by the real stakes involved. Then, there was an occasion or two that made my eyes water a little bit.
What ultimately makes this graphic novel unique is its simplicity. It is easy to follow and aimed at a younger reader. Rexodus is an eclectic gathering of heartfelt action, adventure, and humor that is highly imaginative and never lets up.
Originally written for Forces of Geek.com – 6/24/15
I recently interviewed Brutal Bob Evans at What Culture.com where he shares his thoughts on topics such as Destination America, the success of Micheal Bennett, putting Cheeseburger through a table, and his initial criticism of the company. Here some highlights:
On Being an ROH Critic: The line I use is that I used to hate this company, now it’s the only place I want to be. I think it was the change in philosophy on both our parts. In other words, I think we needed to be a little more open-minded, and I wasn’t open-minded.
Will Briscoe vs. Lethal Deliver: I’ve actually pulled both guys aside and told them there are people who don’t think you’re going to have the match that Ring Of Honor is promising. I think both guys are looking at it as a challenge to really step up their game and compete at that kind of level where they’re going to have that type of match.
I personally want to thank Bob for taking the time to talk to me. You can check out the entire interview here at What Culture.com
