Two Amazing Short Horror Films

Okay, I’ve seen plenty of zombie films. So have you. What could possibly come along to freshen up such an overworked genre? Dring of the Dead is your answer. A five minute French film that will make you laugh as it gives us a new take on zombies. The whole “walking dead apocalypse” has become such a standard trope, that filmmakers can now use it to introduce new ideas. When the lead character is running pell mell down the street, we easily accept that a zombie as the reason why. His accidental solution to the problem of being eaten is amazing. Check it out.

This other short is Lovecraftian gold. Called Black Gold, it is the brainchild of Hank Friedmann. It reminds me a little of the 1980s flick Mazes and Monsters with Tom Hanks. Only in Black Sugar, the teens take a Chthonian drug that looks like a flourescent Twinkie. The kids are transported to a world where Cthulhu creatures rule. Or are they? The viewer isn’t sure if this is real or simply a hallucination brought on by the drugs. Either way, this would be a terrific anti-drung advert. No one would touch drugs after seeing what happens to these kids.

Black Sugar from Hank Friedmann on Vimeo.

Here’s a clip from Mazes and Monsters to make you feel better after watching Black Sugar.

Enjoy your 15 minutes of horror entertainment. Remember: Shop Smart. Shop Smart.

Tim Kane

Vamp Shout Out

A quick shout out to Vamped for including me in their discussion about Nosferatu and how vampires react to sunlight. They included a picture I’d purchased from The Return of the Vampire (1943) where the vampire Armand Tesla melts in the sunlight.

The first face melting of a vampire in sunlight (or from staking, who's to say).

The first face melting of a vampire in sunlight (or from staking, who’s to say).

Wondrous Science Mysteries to Start Debates

Ever have this situation?

You and a friend argue about a scientific fact, say why the sky is blue. You go on for a few moments, passionately offering point and counterpoint UNTIL one of your whips out your smartphone and Goggles it. Mystery ended. So is the debate.

I stumbled on a book, The Where, The Why, and The How, that offers up mysteries still eluding science (and Wikipedia). This is exactly the book for me, and possibly you. I know that one of the greatest deciding factors for purchasing a smartphone was the ability to look up information anytime, anywhere. Before this I had (sill have) a slew of books to do the same job: Full Webster’s Dictionary, Dictionary of Idioms, Cambridge Guide to English Usage, heck I even have a dictionary of punctuation (can you tell I was an English major).

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I discovered The Where, The Why, and The How at the San Diego Comic Con (the only place where I allow my inner accountant to take a backseat). This book drew me in. Not only with the art, but also the mysteries. Here lie questions that still beg for speculation. The debate is still ongoing.

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You may not be aware, but squirrels bury up to 5000 nuts each fall and in the spring, they can find them again. What’s weird is that a squirrel can’t detect another squirrel’s buried nut. But it can detect a nut buried at the same depth by a human. Apparently squirrels have a stealth nut technology.

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This illustration pairs with “Why do we hiccup?” Believe it or not, this still eludes science. They think it is a vestigial nerve reaction related to frogs when they go through tadpole phase. One interesting cure for hiccups mentioned is swallowing a spoonful of sugar. Who knew that Mary Poppins had such a long lasting effect.

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I love this illustration. It details how stars are born in interstellar nurseries. So of course artist Jenny Volvovski created an actual nursery. I love the nurse “gravity” which pulls the stars together.

Go out and buy this book (or order online). It’s very worth your time. If nothing else, you can start up a fresh debate around the household.

Tim Kane

My Unexpected Comic Con Journey

Every year, I’ve been lucky enough to garner a professional badge to the San Diego Comic Con. Every year except this one. I was too slow on the draw to contact the Comic Con folks and when I did, they were out of badges. I didn’t like the situation, but what could I do? (This was after the sale of tickets.) So I spent my July hanging out with my family doing touristy vacation stuff (like SeaWorld and the La Brea Tar Pits). Then a good friend asked if I could use some comps (this would be Wednesday night, before the Con started). Of course I said yes.

The Ice King before the Mushroom War as Simon Petrikov

The Ice King before the Mushroom War as Simon Petrikov

With no planning, I embarked on my trek through the largest and most populated convention Saturday morning. I must say, no amount of Googling would predict the length of the badge line. (Up till this point, I’d gone through the professional entrance, which is very quick.) I arrived at 8:30, right when the website said badge pickup opens. There was a long line, so I pulled out my phone to busy myself. Then the lined moved and it never stopped moving. I was up in the Sails Pavillion, badge in hand, in under five minutes. Wow! Now, by the time 9:30 rolled around the place was packed, so I imagine the badge line was longer and moving slower. TIP: arrive at the start time to get your badge quickly.

A lounge singing Boba Fett? Not quite sure who these people are.

A lounge singing Boba Fett? Not quite sure who these people are.

I was waylaid at the Mattel booth for far too long. Their line up system was horrific. I wanted to snag an Ever After High doll for my daughter. Wanted is the key word. I’m willing to accept long lines and product vanishing. That’s a given at the Con. But the line was “capped” so that meant no one else could enter. Then the weirdness happened. The line moved forward (cutting the number of people in half along the wall) but the security guards wouldn’t let anyone else in. They were very aggressive and rude (apparently manhandling many patrons). I heard one guard tell a guest that he would confiscate his bag and kick him out if he didn’t keep moving.

Mojo Jo Jo and Him from the PowerPuff Girls.

Mojo Jo Jo and Him from the PowerPuff Girls.

The only way to get into the line, as far as we could tell, was to be lucky. Because people did get in. I stood on the sidelines, waiting for the capped sign to go down and let more people in, yet the line gradually grew back to its former length. I guess what you were supposed to do was circle the convention floor, like a shark in chummed water, and hope (that’s the best word) that they let you in. Ridiculous.

Needless to say, I never got into the line.

There were plenty of Game of Thrones cosplay going on.

There were plenty of Game of Thrones cosplay going on: Daenerys Targaryen and Dothraki Khal Drogo.

On the plus side, I was able to waltz into the Regular Show panel over at the Hilton. No line. No wait. This panel was amazing. They played the Thanksgiving song and we were gifted with an upcoming episode (The Bachelor Party). The cast was just entertaining as their characters. The panel featured J.G. Quintel (creator, Mordecai), William Salyers (Rigby), Sean Szeles (supervising director), Roger Craig Smith (Thomas), Minty Lewis (storyboard artist, Eileen), and Matt Price (story editor, Quips).

JG Quintel

JG Quintel

I snagged grub at great new restaurant called the Werewolf Pub (yes, that’s its name, no gimmick). The food was astounding. I will certainly visit again.

I loved seeing Hagrid's Monster Compendium on the shelf.

I loved seeing Hagrid’s Monster Compendium on the shelf.

The other panel I visited was the Marvel S.T.A.T.I.O.N. sponsored by former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. The whole panel consisted of real scientists who played along with the S.H.I.E.L.D. premise (we were all promoted to level 4 S.H.I.E.L.D. agents). The panel discussed the scientific underpinnings of the four Avengers (Captain America, The Hulk, Thor and Iron Man) and how their powers worked. I enjoyed the debate over Thor’s hammer. Does it hold a liquid neutron star or does it use weak and strong nuclear forces to change it’s weight?

A full cosplay cast of SpaceBalls was also in attendance.

A full cosplay cast of SpaceBalls was also in attendance.

Of course I shopped and snapped pictures of any interesting costumed cosplayer I could find. That’s the best part about the Con, the folks you see. Everyone (minus the Mattel guards) were courteous and polite. Even when we were crammed into an aisle like tribbles in a ventilation shaft, everyone persevered and kept their smiles up.

Tim Kane

My Interview with Lorna Suzuki

Lorna Suzuki was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to conduct an author interview with me. Don’t know who she is? You should. Lorna is the author of the Imago series, a YA fantasy series. The stories center around a female warrior called Nayla Treeborn.  Half human, half elf, Nayla suffers the pain of being rejected by both groups.  She battles for survival, deploying a fantastic array of weapons, such as the beautiful but deadly ‘War Fan’.

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The Imago Chronicles consists of ten novels, of which the first three have been optioned for a major motion picture trilogy. It has an ensemble cast of characters featuring a powerful female protagonist. The first of three films is in development now with full production scheduled to begin for this fall with plans for it to be filmed in Toronto, Ontario. The first film, based on Imago Chronicles: Book One A Warrior’s Tale is slated for worldwide theatrical release in late 2015. For more information on the film, visit her own interview here.

Tim Kane