All posts by grizzlyguestwriter

TV

Review: HBO’s ‘True Blood’ Season 4, Episode 8 – “Spellbound”

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Could season four be writing itself out of a nose dive?  I sure hope so.  While I sill can’t say for sure whether this season is definitively getting better, this week’s episode at least made an improvement from the last one for a change.  Let’s delve right in.

SPOILERS AHEAD…

We last left the folks at Bon Temps undergoing quite a bit of scary spellwork.  Antonia, inhabiting Marnie’s body, has gathered quite a coven of followers to recreate her spell which will cause all vampires in the area to daywalk and burn alive in the sun.  Bill has ordered that each vampire in the area bind him or herself in silver until the day passes.  Bill, however, goes a little easy on Jessica and she manages to escape her binds and is attempting to make her way outside.  Jason runs in like a badass and tackles her to the ground.  They then start making out.

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Review: HBO’s ‘True Blood’ Season 4, Episode 7 – “Cold Grey Light of Dawn”

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Well, with the episodes of this season of True Blood scoring lower and lower quality ratings from me (and let’s face it, I’ve been far too generous), I was not going into this episode with much enthusiasm.  I was, again, underwhelmed.  Behold, another scathing review!

 SPOILERS AHEAD…

Antonia has made up a full-time residence in Marnie’s body.  She casts a spell on Sheriff Baldy who clears the way for her to escape her cell.  He also tries to attack Bill, but Bill overpowers the Sheriff and he is staked and explodes in a mess of bloody vampire bits.  It’s been awhile since we had a good vampire killin’.

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More Helpings of ‘True Blood’ – HBO Signs on for Season Five

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True Blood fans, rejoice!  Creator Alan Ball has announced that the hit HBO series will continue for a fifth season under his own executive producer-ship.  Rumor has it that HBO has signed the series on for more than one continuing season, Alan Ball only agreeing to be at the helm for one more (though he may decide to continue his run).

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Movie News & Opinions

Afro Samurai + Live Action Movie = Yet Another Terrible Decision…

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Amongst my endless volumes of anime, I would definitely say that Afro Samurai is one of the best series I’ve had the pleasure of viewing. It is an incredibly deep story, accompanied by one of the best soundtracks in anime history.  So it was only natural that my heart broke when I heard that Samuel L. Jackson had teamed up with Gonzo Studios to create a live action film.

 Spoilers Ahead…

Afro Samurai revolves around a young samurai (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) who seeks revenge for death of his father, murdered by a lone gunman in the conquest for his father’s number one headband. Throughout his wanders in a futuristic feudal Japan, he is accompanied by an imaginary loud mouth Afro Ninja, and fights countless swordsmen/androids. Afro kills all who stand in his way until he achieves his ultimate goal of revenge.

But lets consider something, the original series consisted of five episodes, filled with constant character development, so its obvious that key plot elements will be axed during the writing process, leaving us with a potential Dragonball: Evolution. And when you aim a movie towards die hard fanboys, those are the type of things you can’t miss. Afro Samurai is perfect the way it is, a live action film will only drag the series down. The only redeeming quality is a potential RZA (original Wu-Tang Clan member) soundtrack.

Afro Samurai is now looking for a writer and cast to attach to this production, and it is due to start filming in 2012.

TV

Review: HBO’s ‘True Blood’ Season 4, Episode 6 – “I Wish I Was the Moon”

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Another Sunday, another True Blood.  I was hoping to have a glowing review to write, and I know you were hoping to read one.  Let this be your warning: You may not find it here.

Oh, and also, there are spoilers ahead.

The episode opens in Sookie’s house.  As predicted, Bill storms over to lay the smack down on Eric, who is busy kanoodling Sookie in the living room.

Sookie stops Eric from killing Bill in a really anti-climactic fight, by explaining that Bill is his King.  So what does Bill do?  Captures Eric of course, turning a deaf ear to Sookie’s protests.  Eric may be a danger to everyone, according to His Highness, because he may be under the control of necromancers.  The great, green monster of jealousy has finally reared its ugly head.  Sookie was missing for over a year and comes back only to shack up with his arch enemy.  Ouch.  No wonder he kicked her off his property.  I don’t know which of them I feel sorrier for.

Eric is thrown in a cell with Pam, who’s looking more and more like Two Face.  She pleads with him to remember, to be the Eric she’s been with for over a hundred years.  Eric vehemently declares that he wants no part in the things that he’s done, he doesn’t want to remember them.  And good thing.  He used to be a giant toolbox.

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The Jack Kirby Settlement…

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On July 28 2011, in a New York court, Judge Coleen McMahon ruled a verdict on the copyright case of The Kirby Family, the plaintiffs and children of legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby, and Marvel/Disney, the defendant and legendary entertainment company. The Kirby family claimed that their father was integral in creating a majority of Marvel’s marquee characters-The Fantastic Four, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos, The X-Men and um, Spider-Man (I’m not joking). Moreover, since he was the primary creator of these characters, Kirby’s estate is entitled to the copyrights to these creations. After reviewing the case, as well as several testimonies from Marvel comics legends such as Stan Lee, his brother Larry Lieber (Stan Lee changed his name), John Romita Sr, Jim Steranko and others, as well as testimonies from close associates of the late Jack Kirby, such as writer Mark Evanier and Kirby collector John Morrow, McMahon ruled in favor of Marvel/Disney.

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