Last night I had the pleasure of experiencing for the second time in my life, a concert performance by THE best live heavy metal band in the world: IRON MAIDEN! As part of the tail end of the Maiden England North American Tour 2012, they played at the Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas, Texas. Opening for Maiden was the alternative metal band Coheed and Cambria, promoting their new double album The Afterman, who put on an impressive set including songs such as "Running Free" and "Welcome Home". The weather was a typical August night in North-East Texas, in the mid-90s but cloudy. Just as Coheed & Cambria finished their set, there were huge, dark, thunderstorm clouds on the horizon, but thankfully the storm went around us and brought with it a cooling breeze as night fell and Iron Maiden began. Before Maiden began however, the venue played "Doctor Doctor" by UFO over the loudspeakers in tribute. Iron Maiden's stage set up had an arctic theme to it with large murals of icebergs which was accompanied by a video montage of arctic settings during the introduction followed by the song "Moonchild".
The show continued as Maiden played "Can I Play with Madness" followed by "The Prisoner" with an introduction on screen of scenes from the song's namesake: the cult 1960's British TV show The Prisoner. After playing "2 Minutes to Midnight", singer Bruce Dickinson spoke about a show they did for the U.S. 7th Cavalry followed by "Afraid to Shoot Strangers". As the band went into "The Trooper", which has become one of their most notable songs, Bruce Dickinson dons a British military "red coat" uniform and proudly waves a large United Kingdom Flag, a.k.a. "Union Jack". As the band started to play "The Number of the Beast", which is arguably their most popular song (and one of my favorites) they featured a large hoofed devil-figure atop the stage who turned his head surveying the crowd as they played.
Next they played "Phantom of the Opera" and "Run to the Hills" where surprisingly, they brought out their mascot Eddie, dressed in a caricatured General Custer costume. Afterwards they continued with "Wasted Years" (another fan-favorite), followed by one of their longest songs: "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" and then "The Clairvoyant". They finished their set with the highly popular "Fear of the Dark" and of course their title song from their first album: "Iron Maiden". While their set included mostly classic and popular songs, (however devoid of such favorites as "Hallowed Be Thy Name" or "Be Quick or Be Dead") I was surprised they did not include any songs from the more modern albums such as Brave New World (2000) or even their most recent release The Final Frontier (2010) which was featured prominently during their 2010 tour, which was the last time I saw Iron Maiden at the same venue (See my past review). The show did however feature more songs from the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988) and Fear of the Dark (1992) era, which no doubt pleased many of the fans. Of the many changing depictions of Eddie on their various backgrounds and stage props, the most impressive was from "Seventh Son..." including a huge mechanical Eddie complete with pulsing brain in hand!
After a short break the band returned for an encore with "Aces High" which included images from WWII era news reels and Winston Churchill's famous speech. They ended the show with "The Evil That Men Do" and another old-school hit, "Running Free". While the crowd was clearing out, as usual, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from Monty Python's The Life of Brian over the speakers.
It never fails that Iron Maiden consistently delivers extraordinarily fantastic shows and has rarely disappointed fans over the 30 years of their existence. It has always been Iron Maiden's forte to provide quality shows utilizing their own unique qualities of musicianship, theatricality and showmanship. Over the years they have included several new features into their live shows from huge multimedia presentations, lights and pyrotechnic effects, along with complex mechanized and animatronic characters with the various incarnations of "Eddie". This year marks the 30th anniversary of The Number of the Beast (1982) in which singer Bruce Dickinson replaced original vocalist Paul Di'Anno, leading the band to a whole new level of success and popularity. Despite Bruce having left the band in 1993, and he was replaced by briefly Blaze Bayley, but Bruce returned in 1999 and has since continued on with the continuation of the band's definitive lineup. Even after over 30 years Iron Maiden continues to be THE best live heavy metal band in the world, achieving worldwide fame and acclaim particularly due to their ability to travel anywhere in the world thanks largely to their own personal 757 jet-aircraft "Ed Force One" piloted by Bruce Dickinson himself. (See the documentary Flight 666). For any fan of Iron Maiden or live heavy metal shows, theirs is always an exciting and rewarding experience definitely NOT to be missed! \m/
I just wanted to share this image from my favorite episode of "The Big Bang Theory" I got from http://www.tbs.com/shows/bigbangtheory/, Episode #54 "The Einstein Approximation"! I just recently got into the show and it has quickly become one of my favorites. Since I don't regularly watch sitcoms "Big Bang Theory" has all the nerdy bits I love and relate too! I have so much in common with the main characters that it's almost scary, particularly Sheldon and all his eccentricities. Bazinga! Be sure to watch new episodes of "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS http://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/!
I recently took a trip with my family to the "Happiest Place on Earth": The Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida! My family and I have been to Disney World at least 22 times since I was 6 years old and surprisingly, we've been to Disneyland in Anaheim, California (as a family) only once! To many, Disney World is merely an expensive amusement park, but to those families like mine who are part of the Disney Vacation Club, it is an amazing experience and a "Magical way to vacation!" It is hard to describe why we return to this place on almost a yearly basis, but truly we have so many fond memories and I couldn't imagine our life without Disney in our lives. Disney is so much a part of our lives that one of my favorite Disney villains (Chernabog) was the basis for my website (http://www.chernobogslair.com/) and this blog! After returning home sunburned and exhausted, we can't help but start planning for our next trip (around Christmas)! As Summer comes to an end I thought it would be a nice change to provide my readers with my own take on Disney World along with a few insider tips and favorite attractions that may help you plan your own trip to Disney World. CHERNOBOG'S BLOG Presents: Chernobog's Guide To Walt Disney World!
Disney World is so much more than a theme/amusement park. Ever since Walt Disney opened Disneyland in 1955, he felt limited by the size of land available and sought to expand with a new park in Florida. During the 1960's the Walt Disney Company spent years planning Walt Disney World and EPCOT. After the unfortunate death of Walt Disney in 1966 he never saw his dream realized and left the company to his brother Roy O. Disney, who died shortly after the opening of The Magic Kingdom in 1971. The second park EPCOT opened in 1982 and in 1989, the resort added Disney's MGM Studios which was later renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios. The latest addition to the park, Disney's Animal Kingdom, opened in 1998. Disney World also includes two separate water parks: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Not only does Disney World feature high-quality amusement parks but also exceptional hotel, dining and shopping experiences especially at Downtown Disney!
As I said before, Disney World is more than just a theme park, it's actually four parks in one! I will briefly cover each of these parks including some of my favorite attractions, rides and restaurants and even a few tips to make for a magical vacation!
The Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom, Cinderella's Castle at night
Although very similar to the Magic Kingdom in Disneyland, Disney World's Magic Kingdom is much larger and is currently expanding even more. Centered around the towering Cinderella's Castle, The Magic Kingdom consists of several themed lands which include Main Street U.S.A., Liberty Square, Adventure Land, Frontier Land, Fantasy Land and Tomorrow Land. While this is certainly the most popular park in all of Disney World, this is also the busiest and most crowded of all the parks. While many events and attractions are best seen during the day, it is at night when the park really comes alive, especially with "The Main Street Electrical Parade" and also the nightly fireworks spectacular: "Wishes"!
Magic Kingdom Favorites:
The Haunted Mansion (Liberty Square) - My favorite since I was 6 years old. This delightfully dark and hauntingly hilarious ride features 999 grim-grinning ghosts inhabiting this impressive Gothic-style Mansion.
Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventureland) - Before Jack Sparrow, there was the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. This slow-moving water ride takes you into the world of fabled Caribbean pirates featuring scenes depicting ship battles, raiding, pillaging, drinking and debauchery accompanied by the catchy theme song "Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho, A Pirates Life for Me"!
The Hall of Presidents (Liberty Square) - A fascinating show featuring animatronic figures of all 44 Presidents of the United States of America, including speeches from George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and our current president.
Aloha Isle (Adventureland) - Just inside Adventureland is a little snack shack where the greatest creation ever is located: The Dole Pineapple Whip Float! This is my favorite spot for a cool refreshment on a hot day at Disney World. With pineapple juice and soft-serve ice cream, this tropical concoction is to die for! We tried to order the ingredients online and make it ourselves at home, but nothing compares to the real thing! Get it before it melts!
EPCOT
EPCOT, Spaceship Earth
A truly unique and innovative park, EPCOT was originally conceived as an "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow". EPCOT includes two parts: Future World and World Showcase, which features pavilions representing 11 countries. Surrounding the huge Spaceship Earth, Future World features exhibits both exciting and educational. A center for new technologies and scientific discoveries, EPCOT is one of the largest and most spread-out of all the parks at Disney World. World Showcase is like a short trip around the world as you visit countries including America, Mexico, Canada, China, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Italy, France, Morocco and Norway. Many of the countries include their own attractions, rides, movies, and restaurants all with their own cultural flair. Be sure to stay for EPCOT's nightly fireworks display: "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth". EPCOT was a major part of Walt Disney's concepts of the future and his ideas for "Edu-tainment" by trying to be both educational and entertaining. For most of it's early history it suffered from low attendance and disinterest, but recently it has grown due to the addition of rides like Mission: Space, TestTrack and Soarin'. World Showcase is particularly one of my favorite places to be, I have always been fascinated by other cultures and countries since I was young (in the '80s) which I always thought as unusual because kids always seemed uninterested, despite Disney's determination to keep kids interested, thus the recent additions of KidCot and the Kim Possible Interactive Game.
Future World Favorites:
The Seas with Nemo & Friends - Formerly known as The Living Seas, The Seas contains one of the world's largest saltwater aquariums and an underwater sea-base. Shortly after the release of Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo (2003) the attraction changed it's name and included Turtle Talk with Crush to appeal to a younger audience but still retains it's original purpose featuring dolphins, manatees, sharks, sea turtles and a variety of sea-life. The attraction is joined by the Coral Reef Restaurant, a wonderful seafood restaurant featuring a huge view of the aquarium.
Spaceship Earth - This unique, slow-moving ride features a journey through time following the history of human civilization and communication. Currently narrated by Judi Dench.
World Showcase Favorites:
American Adventure Pavilion - At the American Pavilion is THE greatest American themed show at Disney World next to The Hall of Presidents at Liberty Square/Magic Kingdom: "The American Adventure", a truly impressive and moving show featuring animatronic players. Hosted by Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain (fully animatronic), the show chronicles the history of the United States from the Pilgrims to the 21st Century.
Japan Pavilion - One of my favorite countries in the World Showcase, Japan includes Mitsukoshi, part of the oldest Japanese department store chains which features Tokyo Dining: authentic Japanese Teppanyaki style cooking with tempura and sushi. The Japan pavilion also features an outdoor performance by Matsuriza, playing traditional Taiko drums.
Germany Pavilion - Modeled after a 16th century German cobblestone town, the German Pavilion features authentic German cuisine and beer! If you want the full German dining experience, be sure to make reservations at Biergarten Restauraunt featuring the traditional Bavarian music of Oktoberfest Musikanten! "Zicke, zacke, zicke, zacke, hoi, hoi, hoi!"
The Maelstrom/Norway Pavilion - Norwegian Vikings have always held a huge fascination for me and the Norway pavilion features both a Viking Museum and a ride called The Maelstrom an exciting boat-ride through the era of Vikings and trolls!
Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Formerly known as Disney's MGM Studios, Hollywood Studios is an attraction all about the magic of movies! The main street of the park is reminiscent of the heyday of Hollywood during the 1930's featuring a replica of the classic Grauman's Chinese Theatre housing The Great Movie Ride! Some of the biggest events in Disney World are held at Hollywood Studios! In the Summer, they host my favorite event of the year: Star Wars Weekends, featuring celebrity guests and parades including costumed members of the 501st Legion Florida Garrison and Rebel Alliance. During Christmas time, Hollywood Studios presents the Osborne (Not Ozzy!) Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights with thousands of sparkling lights choreographed to music! Be sure to ride the Studio Backlot Tour for a journey behind the scenes of movie making!
Hollywood Studios Favorites:
Star Tours - Opened in 1989, Star Tours is the only ride based on the phenomenally popular Star Wars movies. As a huge Star Wars fan myself, this is my favorite ride in Hollywood Studios. The ride originally featured an experience as a passenger on a Star Tours shuttle piloted by a rookie droid who takes you into a battle between The Empire and the Rebel Alliance. When the ride was closed for improvement in 2010, many fans (including me) were upset when it was announced that the ride would incorporate 3D and locations from the newer prequel movies. The ride re-opened in the Summer of 2011 as Star Tours - The Adventures Continue (See Star Tours 2 Live) now (accidentally) piloted by C-3P0 (Voiced by Anthony Daniels) where riders experience random, multiple destinations in the Star Wars Universe!
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular - A huge stage-show performance featuring some of the stunt work featured in the classic Indiana Jones movie Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). The show includes a giant boulder, fire and explosive stunts and even functional stunt cars and a bomber plane! Always a thrill to watch if you're a fan of the Indiana Jones movies, don't miss it!
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater - My favorite restaurant in Hollywood Studios, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater is a truly unique dining experience! The whole restaurant is an indoor mock-up of a circa 1950's drive-in movie theater, complete with car shaped tables and booths with a huge movie screen featuring vintage cartoons and trailers of horror/sci-fi B-movies such as Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959).
Fantasmic! - The most epic and phenomenal multi-media stage show ever, Fantasmic features classic Disney characters and villains in a dream-like performance. Watch as Villains such as The Evil Queen, Ursula, Malificent, Scar, Jafar and of course Chernabog (from Fantasia) attempt to take over Mickey Mouse's imagination in a spectacular show filled with fireworks, water, fire and special effects! A must see, only 2 shows per night!
The Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom is the latest park at Disney World and is one of the most elaborate animal attractions in the world! More than just a zoo, Animal Kingdom is divided into 7 different unique areas including: Asia, Africa, The Oasis, Dinoland U.S.A. (featuring a ride based on Disney's Dinosaur), Camp Minnie-Mickey, Discovery Island and Rafiki's Planet Watch. The entire park revolves around a giant artificial Tree of Life featuring carvings of hundreds of animals built around an oil derrick frame. Animal Kingdom focuses on conservation and features rare and exotic animals from all over the world. The newest addition to the park is Expedition Everest, a high-speed roller coaster featuring the Abominable Snowman! Animal Kingdom Favorites:
Kilimanjaro Safaris - A up-close driven safari on board specially modified trucks over a simulated African Savannah where you can view all kinds of animals out in the open such as Black Rhinos, Crocodiles, Elephants, Giraffes, Lions and Zebras. Prepare for an extremely bumpy ride and do NOT sit in the back!
Maharajah Jungle Trek - A wonderful walking tour of the animals of Asia including Bats (my favorite!), Komodo Dragons and Tigers, also a huge aviary filled with many exotic birds.
Yak & Yeti Restaurant - A wonderful restaurant serving Pan-Asian cuisine in an lavish Oriental/Indian setting. I recommend the Fried Wontons!
Disney World Tips:
Stay on property at any of Disney's fine resort hotel to avoid any transportation problems. (I recommend Animal Kingdom Lodge, Old Key West Resort, Wilderness Lodge, or Polynesian Resort. Or budget resorts All-Stars, Pop-Century and the New Art of Animation Resort!)
Make use of Disney's bus lines which run all over the park and to every resort and hotel on property.
Travel light for warm weather, wear hats and/or sunglasses, bring lots of bottled water and sunscreen (especially in the Summer)!
Make use of Disney's Fast Pass to ensure you get through the long lines at many of the attractions.
If you are a guest at select Disney hotels, be sure to take advantage of the exclusive Extra Magic Hours both early and late park times.
Be sure to take a break during the heat of the day to return to your hotel to rest or cool down with a swim.
Disney is known for their exceptional customer service, take that into account and you will never be disappointed!
Now that the hype over The Dark Knight Rises has calmed down a little and not to mention the subsequent reaction over the Aurora, Colorado theater shootings, I would like to continue blogging as usual...and since it's Wednesday, being new comic book day, I wanted to look back at all the great Batman stories that have impressed and inspired over the years. I have been a huge Batman fan almost all my life. Ever since watching the "Super-Friends" and "Batman" cartoons of the late 70's reruns and the "Super-Powers" show. I even enjoyed the laughable '60's TV show when I was a kid and grew up during the height of the original Tim Burton Batman movie and of course remarkable "Batman: The Animated Series". Since his first appearance in "Detective Comics" #27 in May, 1939, THE Batman has gone through many different incarnations from dark avenger to family-friendly crusader and back again. For over 70-years there have been many talented writers and artists who have added to the Batman mythos some changing the character forever or forgotten in the annals of comics history. Creator Bob Kane left a legacy for generations of readers and fans and all those involved from Bill Finger, Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams, Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee and many others who have kept the Bat-signal lit over the years. CHERNOBOG'S BLOG Proudly Presents The Top 10 Batman Stories...Enjoy!
#10 "Gotham By Gaslight" (Feb. 1989) Written by Brian Augustyn, art by Michael Mignola - Originally a DC Comics one-shot it is considered to be the first "Elseworlds" story. Set in 1889, Batman searches for a murderer in Gotham City whose crimes resemble Jack the Ripper! The story spawned a sequel: "Master of the Future" in 1991.
#9 "The Long Halloween" (1996-1997) Written by Jeph Loeb, art by Tim Sale - With the success of the "Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Specials" by Loeb and Sale, the team reunited and published a 13-issue maxi-series featuring holiday themed storylines with some of Batman's major villains. Set in the early years of Batman's career, Batman tracks down a villain known as Holiday, who kills on holidays.
Breaking of the Bat
#8 "Batman: A Death in the Family" (1988-1989) Written by Jim Starlin, art by Jim Aparo with covers by Mike Mignola - Featured in the pages of "Batman" #s 426-429, the story followed the infamous events that lead to death of the second Robin (Jason Todd) who died at the hands of the Joker. The unique aspect to the story was that DC Comics planned two alternate endings where Robin either lived or died and left it to the readers to a vote by phone call to a 1-900 number. The vote was close, but ultimately Robin died horrifically in a bomb explosion. The disadvantage to the vote was that many who voted were not current readers and thought it was deciding the fate of the original Robin (Dick Grayson) who had recently become Nightwing.
#7 "Hush" (2002-2003) Written by Jeph Loeb, art by Jim Lee - A 12-issue storyline in featured in Batman #'s 608-619, Hush, is a mysterious stalker later revealed to be Dr. Thomas "Tommy" Elliot, a former childhood friend of Bruce Wayne's, who attempts to destroy Batman by manipulating many of Batman's allies and enemies.
#6 "Birthof the Demon" (1992) Written by Dennis O'Neil, art by Norm Breyfogle - Following the campy 1966 Batman TV show as the 1960's came to a close and the 70's began, Batman was going through some major changes. Under the direction of DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz and with the help of writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, Batman would once again return to his darker roots. With the change also came the introduction a new major villain: Ra's Al Ghul, The Demon's Head! Created by O'Neal and Adams, Ra's first appeared in Batman #232, June 1971, with the story "Daughter of the Demon" the daughter of Ra's al Ghul, Talia and Robin are kidnapped but it turns out all to be a plot by Ra's to prove whether Batman was worthy. "Birth of the Demon" is the telling of Ra's al Ghul's origin and the death of his wife surrounding a story where a dying Ra's sends his forces to search for new Lazarus pits which leads to the ultimate confrontation between The Demon and The Detective!
#5 "Batman: Arkham Asylum (A Serious House on Serious Earth)" (1989) Written by Grant Morrison, Illustrated by Dave McKean, lettering by Gaspar Saladino - A fully-painted graphic novel All Hell breaks loose when the inmates of Arkham Asylum led by the Joker takes over and takes the staff hostage and threatens to kill them unless Batman agrees to meet with them. "Arkham Asylum" is a truly unique and disturbing story and an artistic masterpiece!
#4 "Knightfall" (1993-1994), Quite possibly the longest running crossover storyline in Batman's history with multiple writers and artists contributing to five different titles including "Detective Comics", "Batman", "Legends of the Dark Knight", "Shadow of the Bat" and spin-off titles "Robin" and "Catwoman". The story featured a new villain Bane, who plotted to "break" the Batman, first by releasing the inmates of Arkham Asylum and then beating Batman and breaking his back. The story continued with "KnightQuest" which featured a new Batman: Jean-Paul Valley (now Azrael) and his exploits as he defeats Bane and grows unstable until the conclusion "KnightsEnd" as Bruce Wayne returns and fights Valley for the title of Batman. Bruce wins but ultimately passes on the mantle of the Batman to Dick Grayson concluding the story with "KnightsEnd: Aftermath".
The Dark Knight Retunrs
#3 "Batman: Year One" (1987), Written by Frank Miller, art by David Mazzucchelli - Following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985-1986), DC Comics rebooted many of it's titles including Superman and Batman. Featured in the pages of Batman #'s 404-407, this modern retelling of the origin and early career of The Batman, featuring Selina Kyle as the Catwoman a dominatrix prostitute. The story continued with Year Two in 1987 but with the events of Zero Hour in 1994, Year Two was erased from continuity. Later, Year Three retold the origin of Robin.
#2 "The Dark Knight Returns" (1986), Written by and art by Frank Miller - This Four-issue limited series tells the story of an aged Batman who comes out of retirement to battle the rising crime-rate of Gotham City, recruiting a young female Robin (Carrie Kelly). Batman goes to extremes in battling a gang called The Mutants, nearly killing The Joker and almost beating Superman to death! Afterward, Batman has a heart-attack and fakes his death.
#1 "Batman: The Killing Joke" (1988), Written by Alan Moore, art by Brian Bolland - This monumental one-shot graphic novel features the origin of The Joker, who started out as a petty-costumed criminal known as The Red Hood, who jumps into a vat of chemicals to escape the Batman but emerges permanently altered with white-skin, green hair and red-lips. Later The Joker attempts to drive Police Commissioner Gordon insane by imprisoning him in a cage at a freak show, then shoots and paralyzes Barbara Gordon (Batgirl, who later becomes Oracle). Batman soon tracks down the Joker but instead of fighting him attempts to offer to help him, putting an end to the madness. Joker declines and instead tells him a joke that actually makes Batman laugh.
In 2005, director Christopher Nolan presented a new perspective on one of the most beloved comic book heroes of all time: Batman. With the film Batman Begins, Nolan reinvented the character and gave a darker and more realistic tone to the Batman origin story. With actor Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, portraying a much more believable and human character as he embarks on a journey to become The Dark Knight after his parents murder. Batman Begins was a huge success both critically and in the box office. With the teaser of the arrival of The Joker at the end of the movie, fans eagerly awaited the sequel. With The Dark Knight (2008), Nolan re-introduced Batman's arch-enemy: The Joker, as played by Heath Ledger, whose unique and disturbing depiction resonated deeply with fans and critics. Unfortunately, the untimely death of Heath Ledger occurred six months before the release of the movie. Although his death had a huge impact on the release, the aggressive, viral advertising campaign by the studio made the movie a huge success. (Read my review!) While a third movie was in the works, it was admitted that Christopher Nolan was hesitant about returning to the franchise, but agreed to come back to conclude the series with the help of his brother Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer who also helped to write the screenplay. The Dark Knight Rises takes place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight when Batman took the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) a.k.a. Two-Face. Since that time, the Batman has disappeared but Gotham City has enforced the new Dent Act which helped to rid the city of organized crime. While Commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) is conflicted in revealing the truth about Harvey Dent, Gotham honors the anniversary of his death with "Harvey Dent Day". Bruce Wayne, having given-up being Batman, has now become a feeble recluse, injured and having to use a cane. With the arrival of the mercenary Bane, Bruce must face him as Batman once again in order to save Gotham from chaos and destruction. After his fall, now he must rise as Batman returns better than ever to confront his most dangerous and formidable adversary yet! In The Dark knight Rises we are introduced to four new characters: one is Officer John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who at first seems like an ancillary character representing the new guard of Gotham's police force, but who later becomes an important figure in the plot. The new "love-interest" for Bruce Wayne is Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), a wealthy investor working on a clean energy project. The Dark Knight Rises marks the return of Batman's most popular femme fatale: Catwoman! Anne Hathaway plays Selina Kyle, a talented jewel thief, dubbed a "Cat" burglar in the news. Although she is never actually called "Catwoman" in the movie, her black cat-suit and cat-like mask makes it obvious. Catwoman previously appeared in Batman Returns (1992) played by Michelle Pfeiffer and also laughably by Halle Berry in Catwoman (2004). While Pfeiffer's Catwoman was a more supernaturally endowed, sultry/sexy Catwoman, Hathaway's Catwoman is much more subtle and realistic, but with a strong, independent, confidence.
Tom Hardy as Bane
The most anticipated of characters is the introduction of the villain Bane, played by (Tom Hardy), Bane is a mysterious mercenary, bent on the destruction of Gotham City. The character of Bane, who is a more modern Batman villain having broken Batman's back in the "Knightfall" storyline during the 1990's, had also previously appeared briefly in the campy Batman & Robin (1997) played by Jeep Swenson, a former WCW wrestler who coincidentally died shortly after the release of the movie. The Dark Knight Rises' Bane is a much more menacing and imposing villain, with an odd face-mask that electronically modulates his voice. Whereas the comic book Bane merely wore a Mexican-wrestler mask and was fueled by the steroid-like drug "Venom" (also in the Joel Schumacher movie), this Bane has a very strong Darth Vader-like presence. His role as a crime-boss/terrorist/mercenary is a much more believable and realistic antagonist. The final battle between Bane and Batman is an intense moment as Bane has literally taken Gotham hostage, threatening to destroy it with a nuclear bomb. The new Bane has met with a lot of speculation and criticism from the beginning since the first teaser trailers and we first heard the "muffled" words of Tom Hardy's character. While his face-mask is both intended as functional and visually striking. The practicality of it however, seems somewhat bizarre as Bane often has very long and articulate dialogue which is often very hard to understand at times. Also, the bizarre inflections of his voice makes his words seem both melodramatic and threatening at the same time. Unlike the previous movie Bane, this Bane is presented more like the comic book version as a highly-intelligent, articulate and extraordinarily strong character. As with the introduction of The Joker in The Dark Knight (2008), (which is never mentioned once in The Dark Knight Rises, either out of respect to Heath Ledger or to not take focus off of the purveying plot of the trilogy.) The introduction of Bane is particularly unique and suspenseful, it involves a botched CIA plane ride where Bane has already made a name for himself in the underground and a desperate CIA agent attempts to reveal bane's identity and his plans but to no avail. It is somewhat disturbing and confusing to discover Bruce Wayne's fate after the events of The Dark Knight, where once stood a confident and powerful man, now is a broken, disheveled, shut-in making us wonder how he could have ever been The Dark Knight at all. Surprisingly Anne Hathaway's portrayal of Catwoman is very close to both the modern Catwoman and "Year One" Catwoman. She is constantly playing off Batman as both an ally and an enemy, which is what makes her character interesting and a fan-favorite. As a fan I think my favorite aspect of this movie is how the story comes together full circle, referencing the events of the first film, particularly the plot involving Ra's al Ghul (Liam Neeson), who is my favorite Batman villain.
Anne Hathaway as Catwoman
The Dark Knight Rises is the final chapter in Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight Trilogy". Like the third act to any epic story, The Dark Knight Rises is literally the rise after the fall. As Thomas Wayne (Linus Roache) said in Batman Begins, "And why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up."The Dark Knight Rises is a bold, intense, edge-of-your-seat experience! It is the culmination of years of hard work from a truly devoted and remarkable director, who approached these films as a serious epic. Christopher Nolan utilized a human-centered story as well as state-of-the-art camera technology and special effects to tell a story that is both unique and thought provoking. I believe these films to be the definitive Dark Knight films. While both the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher movies added to the Batman film canon, in attempting to capture on film both the dark side and the campiness of Batman. After Batman's 70-year-long history in many mediums, he has become more than just a comic book character; he is an idea, a symbol. To paraphrase Bruce Wayne/Christian Bale in Batman Begins as a symbol, Batman can be "incorruptible and everlasting."While Nolan's films have been a success both critically and financially there will always be those who will deride his efforts. Even before the release, this movie has been met with an enormous amount of both hype and criticism from the media, critics and fans alike. (Who Cares What Critics Think?) After seeing it I felt an enormous amount of awe and relief that this trilogy has successfully come to an end. Not since the original Star Wars Trilogy or even the Indiana Jones franchise have I felt that a film franchise has met the expectations of it's responsibility to the movie-goers and fans. In an age where comic-book movies have dominated the box-office and set trends in Hollywood for the last decade and all other franchises have met with disappointment in the end to their respective trilogies. As with Blade: Trinity (2004), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and Spider-Man 3 (2007), and even further back with the original Superman franchise with Superman III (1983), have all failed miserably! But with The Dark Knight Rises, having come full-circle, I believe it can be considered to be a "perfect trilogy", bringing all three films together successfully into one epic finale!
Personal Note: I was able to see The Dark Knight Rises at the midnight screening at one of my local theaters. It is always quite an experience to go to these events. Yes the theater is packed with people; it's crammed, hot and noisy. The roar of applause and the cheer from the fans with every epic moment "brings a smile to my face"! I enjoy seeing the die-hard fans dress up in costumes both store-bought, professionally made and even amateur/half-assed. As a fan, you feel comfort and acceptance knowing you are surrounded by your fellow fans. Never would I have considered that something so positive like this could bring so much fear and uncertainty. In response to the tragedy where Gunman killed 12 people at The Dark knight Rises screening in Aurora, Colorado, in our post Columbine or 9/11 world, where can we truly consider ourselves safe? It only takes one person who chooses to act in the form of violence to make us think and realize that we have to be vigilant and careful. Any number of things could have been done to prevent this but ultimately something like this is unpredictable and it will happen. It is a harsh reminder of our reality and while it is true that life imitates art or vice-versa art cannot be blamed entirely for someone’s actions. The fact that the media is blaming the violence in the film for this act is ridiculous and I think this TIME article says it best as "Nolan does not use violence in his movie gratuitously. His message is one of economic disparity and of desperate people driven to desperate acts." We wish that there were superheroes like Batman, and in these troubled times especially. We turn to escapism and fantasy during hard times, just as depression-era children turned to Batman in the first place. We must face the fact that we can never really escape reality. Instead we learn from heroes like Batman and his message and strive to make the world a better place.
This week is THE biggest annual comic book convention of all time: San Diego Comic-Con International 2012, and unfortunately...I won't be there! Comic-Con is like nerd Mecca and once a year, fans from all over the globe come and revel in all things comic books, movies, video games, anime, costumes, everything! We here in Texas have some pretty impressive conventions of our own like Dallas Comic-Con, but NOTHING compares to SDCC! Many fans like me dream of going Comic-Con, but whatever lack of funds or determination prevents you from going, fear not! Fortunately a group of geeks, nerds and filmmakers got together to make a documentary of epic proportions about...you guessed it: Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope! For anyone who has never been to a comic convention of any kind, you may be in for a shock. For those of us (like myself) who are regular attendees of conventions like this, get ready for an in-depth look at THE biggest convention in the world. Director Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me (2004)) with producers and fellow geeks: Jeremy Chilnick, Matthew Galkin, Thomas Tull (The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises)and Harry Knowles (Ain't It Cool News), present us with the definitive look at the biggest yearly pop-culture event. The executive producers of the film include Stan Lee, Joss Whedon, Harry Knowles and Gill Champion, so you know it's going to be great!
L to R: Champion, Lee, Knowles, Whedon, Spurlock
The film focuses on the experiences of five individual attendees during San Diego Comic-Con 2010, which includes aspiring artists, costumers, dealers and love-struck fans. The film also features interviews from some of the most important and influential figures in comics and pop-culture like Joss Whedon, Frank Miller, Kevin Smith, Matt Groening, Seth Rogen, Eli Roth and of course Stan Lee! The film was released earlier this year in April to select theaters and is currently available on Pay Per View, On Demand, YouTube, iTunes and is now available on DVD. This is not the first film to give audiences a look into the world of Comic-Con. Back in 2004, Mark Hamill (Star Wars) directed and starred in Comic Book: The Movie. While that film was more of a mockumentary with Mark Hamill playing a devoted comic book fan named Donald Swan, Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope is more like a reality show featuring the real-life experiences of these five people.
As you follow their stories, you start to feel for them and empathize with all their hard work, especially with Skip, the struggling artist trying to make it into comics who is repeatedly rejected. The most revealing of the stories is with Chuck Rozanski, the owner of Mile High Comics, the largest comic book dealer in the U.S., who gives us a very eye-opening view of the future trends of Comic-Con: "Even though they have comic in the name of the event, very little of the convention anymore is actually comics." While it's true that Comic-Con was originally about comic books, the convention has become the biggest venue for any and all pop-culture properties and merchandise including blockbuster movies, video games, anime, toys and collectibles.
Costuming and cosplay is also a big part of Comic-Con and the story of the designer, Holly is very interesting as her team creates very unique and impressive costumes from the Mass Effect video game. Some of the craziest moments in the documentary come from following one particular rabid collector who makes a mad-dash for the Hasbro booth to get a hold of the exclusive collectibles such as a rare 18" Galactus figure. Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope is a highly entertaining and revealing hour and a half for any fan who's ever been to comic convention. Even if you're not a fan of comics or conventions, this is an interesting look into a world that you may have scoffed at before. Yes, I relate to the people in this film, we are all nerds, geeks, collectors, fanboys alike and it's hard to argue with the hundreds of thousands of attendees that sell-out this convention every year. These fans are the ones who buy movie tickets, video games, toys, collectibles, and even in an economic recession, Comic-Con still thrives and grows. After seeing this documentary, it only makes me want to go to SDCC even more, however, the usual restrictions keep coming up every year such as airfare, hotels, and of course money, that prevents me from attending. Hopefully, I will get to go someday, like a devout pilgrim making the journey to the holy land. When I make it to Comic-Con, I will get down on my knees and thank the comic gods that I have come home! Maybe I'll see you next year at SDCC 2013?
As Super-Hero Summer 2012 continues after the release of Marvel's biggest blockbuster ever: The Avengers and in anticipation of The Dark Knight Rises; comic book fanboys like myself can wet their appetites with The Amazing Spider-Man! Barely ten years ago director Sam Raimi's trilogy starring Tobey Maguire as the (not-so young) web-slinging, crime fighter gave us Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004) and the disappointing Spider-Man 3 (2007). Now we have to ask ourselves: "Do we really need anotherSpider-Man trilogy?" Not to mention after last year's laughable and highly accident-prone Broadway musical, "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark", it seemed as though the Spider-Man craze had died off. But since the announcement of Sony/Columbia's reboot of the Spider-Man franchise back in 2010 under director Marc Webb ((500) Days of Summer (2009)) and starring Andrew Garfield (The Social Network (2010)) as the newest wall-crawler; fans and movie-goers were at odds with this latest reboot released so soon after the originals. Despite the hype and the outcries of fanboys everywhere, The Amazing Spider-Man is the beginning of a whole new trilogy!
After his parents mysterious disappearance, a young Peter Parker is left with his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field), who raise him like their own son. Still left with questions Peter soon finds his father's briefcase which leads to seek OSCORP's leading scientist in cross-species genetics: Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans). With the help of intern and fellow student Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), he searches for answers on what his father was working on and the cause of his parents disappearance. Meanwhile, Peter is bitten by a genetically engineered spider which gains him super-powers like the ability to crawl walls and super-human reflexes becoming Spider-Man!
Gwen Stacy
Like anyone who has seen the previous movies or who has ever read a Spider-Man comic book in the last 50 years, we all know this story! It's hard to write a review of this movie without citing the previous movies, while this isn't a sequel or a prequel it is only fair that it be measured so. As a reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man really brings nothing new to the origin of the friendly-neighborhood Spider-Man we all know and love! Everybody knows how Spider-Man came to be. The main difference being the return to a younger version of the character more akin to the early Spider-Man comics. As we return to Peter Parker's high school life, which the 2002 movie barely focused on, we get to see him more as a teenager. True, while Andrew Garfield, 29, is no younger than Tobey Maguire, who was 27 at the time of the first Spider-Man movie. But with his youthful, thin physique, he is just as appealing as Tobey's boyish looks which convinced audiences that a young, twenty-something man could still play a 17-year-old (just look at Luke Perry!). While Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker was more of the shy/nerdy teenager, Andrew Garfield's portrayal is more of an "emo" outcast. While he demonstrates an ingenious level of intelligence, he appears more like the stereotypical hoodie-wearing, skateboard-riding teenager! While this Spider-Man is also much more playful and wise-cracking at times like in the comics, at other times he is very dull. Another difference is that the new Spider-Man deals with his parents which the others never even mentioned. There is one aspect of the new Spider-Man that hearkens back to the original comics in that of Spider-Man's mechanical web-shooters. While the 2002 Spider-Man has organic web-shooters like the Ultimate Spider-Man version. While the new Peter Parker is creative enough to make his own web-shooters, the material he uses is however OSCORP's creation and not his own. One of the biggest differences in the 2002 and 2012 versions is, of course, the love interest: instead of Mary Jane Watson, as played by Kirsten Dunst in the first movies, we get Gwen Stacy, who had appeared previously (however briefly and rather blandly) in Spider-Man 3 (2007) played by Bryce Dallas Howard (26 years-old at the time). Now Emma Stone (Zombieland (2009)), age 24, is the newer, younger Gwen Stacy. As most Spider-Man fans know, Gwen Stacy was Peter Parker's first crush in the comic books. While Emma Stone certainly looks the part, her character is completely changed making her a science geek too, even going so far as to make her an intern at OSCORP while she's still in high school! Captain Stacy also has a more prominent role in this movie, whereas James Cromwell played Capt. Stacey in only a few scenes in Spider-Man 3, Denis Leary plays the police captain in the new movie. Which seems a very fitting part since he recently played a firefighter in the FX TV show Rescue Me (2004-2011).
The Lizard: Comic To Screen
While Spider-Man's rogues gallery is comprised of many bizarre and colorful villains, and as how the original trilogy had already introduced both Green Goblins (Norman and harry Osborn), Dr. Octopus, The Sandman and Venom, the next most logical villain to appear was of course: The Lizard! Being one of Spider-Man's earliest and most ferocious villains (and my personal favorite!), there of course is some major changes to his origin. Making Dr. Connors an employee of Oscorp for one, makes for some huge ramifications in the story. While the movie mentions Norman Osborn (who must inevitably become The Green Goblin) on several occasions, he is never actually seen! (SPOILER: be sure to stay a little longer for the credits, you just might be surprised, or confused!) As Dr. Connor's researches various reptiles' ability to regrow limbs, as he suffered from the loss of his right arm, (although it is never mentioned how, either from birth or by injury) yearns to regrow his own and others afflicted with lost limbs. In developing a serum derived from reptile DNA, he is able to regrow his arm but with the side-effect of turning him into The Lizard! It is interesting to note that many of Spider-Man's villains in both comic and film are most often some form of mad scientist from Green Goblin to Doc Ock and Dr. Connors and there is always a tragic aspect to their experiments. It is also interesting that in the new movie, the vile of green liquid/gas which turns Dr. Connors into the Lizard is very reminiscent of the concoction used to turn Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe) into the Green Goblin in the 2002 movie, they both have the OSCORP logo on them too! As The Lizard goes insane (talking to himself too, sound familiar?) he seeks to turn humanity into reptiles as well. While the movie version of The Lizard looks very similar to the comic book version, even in wearing the tattered lab-coat at times, his face remains very humanoid-like, keeping the facial features of the actor visible. While the CGI Lizard is impressive, I can't help but notice a very strong resemblance (particularly in toy form) to a Goomba from the horrible 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie! My biggest picky about this movie comes from an effects standpoint whereas the rest of the movie is chock-full of CGI goodness, it is when Peter Parker happens upon a "batch" of genetically engineered spiders who are kept in this black-light room, which makes the spiders glow-in-the-dark like some cheap carnival haunted house prop!
While many may wonder why Hollywood and Marvel Studios insisted on rebooting the Spider-Man franchise, the super-hero/comic book movie shows no signs of slowing down. The Avengers showed that super-hero movies are still popular, even more-so, and especially profitable in earning almost $600 Million and The Amazing Spider-Man itself pulled in $75 Million in it's opening weekend! Essentially it all comes down to money and keeping the property and franchise alive. While The Amazing Spider-Man is entertaining I would have been just as happy if they simply continued from the original trilogy or even made it a prequel of sorts. It wouldn't be that hard to continue the story with another actor, Marvel movies have done it before with three different actors playing Hulk and also two Punishers. Yes, I enjoyed the 2002 Spider-Man much more than The Amazing Spider-Man, but they are very similar movies in many ways. The originals were fun, and even a little campy thanks to Sam Raimi but Spider-Man has never been as dark as Batman, as this new one tries to make him. Spider-Man has enough character flaws already than to just make him into another "Emo" teenager. Take a lesson from Uncle Ben, Hollywood: "With great power, comes great responsibility." Just because you have the money and ambition to reboot a franchise, doesn't mean that you should. I've accepted the new X-Men with X-Men: First Class and I can't stop singing the praises of The Avengers, but we shall see what this new Spider-Man franchise will hold. Only time and box-office returns will tell...
Last night I had the pleasure of experiencing for the second time in my life, a concert performance by THE best live heavy metal band in the world: IRON MAIDEN! As part of the tail end of the Maiden England North American Tour 2012, they played at the Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas, Texas. Opening for Maiden was the alternative metal band Coheed and Cambria, promoting their new double album The Afterman, who put on an impressive set including songs such as "Running Free" and "Welcome Home". The weather was a typical August night in North-East Texas, in the mid-90s but cloudy. Just as Coheed & Cambria finished their set, there were huge, dark, thunderstorm clouds on the horizon, but thankfully the storm went around us and brought with it a cooling breeze as night fell and Iron Maiden began. Before Maiden began however, the venue played "Doctor Doctor" by UFO over the loudspeakers in tribute. Iron Maiden's stage set up had an arctic theme to it with large murals of icebergs which was accompanied by a video montage of arctic settings during the introduction followed by the song "Moonchild". 
Next they played "Phantom of the Opera" and "Run to the Hills" where surprisingly, they brought out their mascot Eddie, dressed in a caricatured General Custer costume. Afterwards they continued with "Wasted Years" (another fan-favorite), followed by one of their longest songs: "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" and then "The Clairvoyant". They finished their set with the highly popular "Fear of the Dark" and of course their title song from their first album: "Iron Maiden". While their set included mostly classic and popular songs, (however devoid of such favorites as "Hallowed Be Thy Name" or "Be Quick or Be Dead") I was surprised they did not include any songs from the more modern albums such as Brave New World (2000) or even their most recent release The Final Frontier (2010) which was featured prominently during their 2010 tour, which was the last time I saw Iron Maiden at the same venue (See my past review). The show did however feature more songs from the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988) and Fear of the Dark (1992) era, which no doubt pleased many of the fans. Of the many changing depictions of Eddie on their various backgrounds and stage props, the most impressive was from "Seventh Son..." including a huge mechanical Eddie complete with pulsing brain in hand!
