Read These Comics Now!

I reviewed the first half of this book back in February when writer / artist Tommie Kelly released the Electric Ladyland compilation, collecting the early appearances of Jim Soundman and friends from the Road Crew webcomic. The Complete Road Crew is twice that comic, following our hero where few slacker roadies have ever dared go before... including heaven, hell, outer space, The X-Factor, and......

TANGLED 3D (2010)

MyRating: YYYY1/2Director: Nathan Greno & Byron HowardVoice: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, M.C. Gainey, Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett, Paul F. Tompkins, Richard KielMPAA: Rated PG for brief mild violenceA charming and delightful 3D animated musical film by Walt Disney, based on the classic German fairy tale Rapunzel, written by the famous Brothers Grimm. This movie also...

UNSTOPPABLE (2010)

MyRating: YYY1/2Director: Tony ScottCast: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Kevin Dunn, Lew Temple, Ethan Suplee, Jeff WincottMPAA: Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and peril, and some languageA runaway train with no crews in it, carrying a cargo of toxic chemicals, lets loose on the Pennsylvania railway tracks in high speed and opposing traffic, and endangers the community across...

Friday Flash - At Last, The Sex Scene!

This week's #fridayflash almost didn't happen. It's pure genre hokum, and I almost gave up on it at the last minute. But maybe it's not completely hopeless. I'm sure you'll read it anyway. If only because of the title.At Last, The Sex Scene!At last – the sex scene! This was the only reason Simon had taken this stupid part in the first place. It was one of the worst scripts he’d ever read, but the...

Top Twenty Train Songs

I know, it's been a while. You've been getting Top Ten withdrawal, haven't you? To make up for it, here's 20 songs about trains. Because there's a new Denzel Washington movie out this week where the train don't stop for nobody... or something. It's got Captain Kirk in it too (no, not The Shat). I might have to go watch that...20. The Doobie Bros - Long Train RunningLikely to be the first and last...

Mute Witness

I picked this up because it's a while since I've read any US detective fiction. It's a long time since I saw the Steve McQueen movie and all I really remember is the car chase. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the novel had originally been published under a completely different title - one that satisfies my Morrissey obsessions to boot.It's not only the title that changed in transition from...

Thoughtballoons - The 6 Month Anniversary

Hard to believe, but we've been at this Thoughtballoons malarkey six whole months now. Every week we choose a new comics character and write a one page script about them. There are six regular writers so that usually equates to a new script every day. It's been a blast - and we're just getting started.To celebrate our first half-anniversary, we decided on a little interview meme between the writers....

More Than 6?

Both Vicus and Dan tagged me with this one. They both knew it's the kind of meme I couldn't resist. I can tell you before I even start that Vicus scored much higher than me... but then, he is much older...Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here.I can't find the BBC article where they make this claim, so I'm taking that...

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 (2010)

MyRating: YYY1/2Director: David YatesCast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Bill Nighy, Julie Walters, Bonnie WrightMPAA: Rated PG-13 for some sequences of intense action violence, frightening images and brief sensualityThe mega franchise of Harry Potter finally comes near the end of its wizarding tale. This phenomenal...

Friday Flash - You Can Say Anything You Want On The Internet

Although I didn't exactly plan it that way, this week's #fridayflash story works as a reaction to the whole IAmSpartactus scandal on twitter. Coincidentally, I also owe the massed hivemind of twitter a debt of gratitude for helping me write this. You'd be amazed how many tweets you get back when you ask for a little advice on kidnapping...You Can Say Anything You Want On The InternetYou can say anything...

30 Songs - Day 19

Day 19 - A Song From Your Favourite Album No, I haven't forgotten this meme (well, I had a bit), but I have been struggling somewhat with Day 19. My favourite album? My favourite-favourite album? From when, exactly?I could happily name my favourite album from the 70s...My favourite album from the 80s...My favourite album from the 90s...Even, at a push, my favourite album from the 00s...But asking...

MEGAMIND 3D (2010)

MyRating: YY1/2Director: Tom McGrathVoice: Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross, Ben StillerMPAA: Rated PG for action and some languageMegamind, a big headed blue alien (voice by Will Ferrell) and Metro Man (Brad Pitt) were destined to be enemies since they were babies. Both sent from different planets to the Earth due to the destruction of their own planets, the infant Metro...

Two Books For Frustrated Creators

Sean Azzopardi's excellent graphic novel Twelve Hour Shift tells a tale familiar to many of us. A story of someone with creative drive and ambition forced to take a soul-sucking, dead-end job to make ends meet. In this case, comic artist Steve Jones finds himself working as a concierge and night porter in a block of luxury residential flats, suffering the slings and arrows of a mithering boss and...

A Walk In The Autumn Woods

You know how when you get a day off it always rains but when you go back to work the sun shines again?Last week, the law of sod went in the other direction. Tuesday, it hissed it down. Thursday, there was a storm of biblical proprotions. Wednesday, when I was lucky enough to get a day off, the sun shone on the righteous.So I went out for a walk in the woods and enjoyed the colours of Autumn... which...