Greetings "Not So Cool Kids!"
We are reaching out to you about some events we have updates for and some events we are announcing for the first time! Good and bad news but regardless, we will make sure to follow up if you have any questions about these events.
1.) Charity Screening of 'Legends of the Knight' to Benefit Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan
YES, we've been approved. The Not So Cool Kids Podcast and the Motor City Comic Con will be hosting a charity screening of the inspirational superhero-themed documentary 'Legends of the Knight.' Filmmaker Brett Culp has traveled around the country, gathering stories from every day people that have overcome struggles in their life based on their love for the Batman. I'm looking forward to it because the trailer looks awesome!! The event will be Thursday, May 15th from 7:30pm - 9:11pm at AMC 20 in Livonia, Michigan and we won't begin selling tickets until April 11th but you can follow the event page here- https://www.tugg.com/go/x8kmrd This is a one-time only, exclusive event that has limited seating! Make sure to follow our website and Facebook page for updates so you can be the first to get your tickets. One of our goals for 2014 is to give back to the community so this event will be a charity event for Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan.
2.) International Broke Student Film Festival
Join filmmakers and fans for the 3rd Annual IBSFF Awards Ceremony and screenings of films throughout the event starting April 4th through April 6th at Lawrence Technological University (21000 W. Ten Mile Rd., Southfield, MI). The Not So Cool Kids Podcast will be at the Awards Ceremony on Sunday interviewing guests and filmmakers. To see some unique, original, and independent works on film come out and join us all week as we celebrate the beauty of film-making from around the world.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Detroit Fanfare Comic Con 2013 Video Recaps...
Three days is a lot to cover for a convention as large as Detroit Fanfare but we have been editing and compiling the video we've captured from the event. Below is some of the videos you can view to give you just a taste of what we experienced throughout the weekend. Please feel free view our Detroit Fanfare coverage as it took a large staff from NSCK and a ton of preparation. Plus if you support us, we support the show, we see the value of getting a table next year and the circle continues. Thanks!
Loitering in Artist Alley
"You got to be more excited"
Action Labs Action-Packed Chat
Interview with Norm Breyfogle
"Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!"
Talking with 501st & Rebel Legion
(2) Live Podcasts from Detroit Fanfare Comic Con 2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7QE4GDfQfM&feature=share
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbRku00sa9U&feature=share
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7QE4GDfQfM&feature=share
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbRku00sa9U&feature=share
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Delightfully Detroit Fanfared...
Dare I say it, I feel like this is the convention that we need right now! For years I've heard the fans cry out for their comic book conventions to be less commercialized and more about the words "talented" and "local." From my perspective you have to simply applaud Detroit Fanfare's effort to feature those exact themes in not one, not two, but three rooms teeming with local and national artists of ALL kinds, vendors that range from the familiar to the "whaaaa?," and media guests that were tastefully displayed without overpowering the rest of the convention. Despite not having full access to the media guests, I think I'm some what glad we were able to just talk mostly to the artists, vendors, and attendees. The pulse on the celebration was very uplifting and being able to see all that energy pulsing the doors off the Adoba Hotel in Dearborn, Michigan was just a pleasure.
Highlights included a sporadic choice to do a second live podcast on day two, interviewing some very fun artists from the alley, speaking with Dan Fogler (perhaps one of the best interviews of the convention), seeing the kids light up throughout the convention when they see their favorite superhero or character, sitting in on the Billy West & Maurice LaMarche panel, and the video gaming area. As we sift through our footage and look back on this weekend I will probably get some more delayed smiles from moments that I now get to reminisce about, just in time to get me through until our next convention coverage for Chi-Fi in Chicago early next year. Thank you to the promoters and to Larry from the media department for being so gracious and allowing us to cover this event. I think The Not So Cool Kids Podcast may spring for a booth next year so we can LIVE broadcast throughout the convention and not miss a minute of the action. Until we meet again!
Monday, September 30, 2013
Rob St. Mary's Reel Recap
Top Ten Films by Rob St. Mary
10 - Most Werner Herzog films but chiefly “Aguirre: The
Wrath of God” and “Fitzcarraldo”. Working with the crazed but amazing Klaus
Kinski, Herzog tells stories of men driven by ambition into the wilderness:
one, it’s the drive for gold and the other, a drive to bring art to a small
town in the Amazon. Herzog is one of the greatest filmmakers of the past 50
years who can work both ends of the film spectrum – as a fiction storyteller
and a documentarian.
9 - “Pulp Fiction” – Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film is the
high water mark of his career. It was innovative for taking ideas from the
French New Wave, film noir, Blaxploitation and making it hip for modern
American audiences. I saw this when it came out in the theater when I was in
high school and it really lit a fire under my imagination when it came to film.
I believe I’ve seen “Pulp Fiction” more times in a theater than any other film,
13 times.
8 - “Dawn of the Dead” – the zombie film that can’t be
topped. George A. Romero’s 1978 film is about more than just bloodletting and horror.
The film is a statement on consumerism, small group dynamics and how we live.
The remake is bad. But, I just don’t feel that dead people should run.
7 - “Battles Without Honor and Humanity” – Kinji Fukasaku is
one of the most overlooked Japanese directors. While it’s easy to like
Kurosawa’s samurai films, Fukasaku’s movies may be violent but it’s very
humanistic. This is not violence entertainment sake. It’s shocking, bloody and
awful – just like how violence truly is in real life. Fukasaku’s “Battles
Without Honor and Humanity” series – shot over 2 years in the early 1970s – is
a five film arc telling the tale of rival gangs in post-atomic bombed
Hiroshima. This series makes “The Godfather” look like kindergarten and never
loses a step.
6 - “A Clockwork Orange” – I saw this film at the age of 9.
My father wanted to show it to me the day we got our VCR. Hardly a kid’s film,
but even then I knew it was something special, even if I didn’t know why.
Today, I see it as Kubrick’s philosophical masterpiece. Sure, “2001” is
visually stunning. “The Killing” is a masterwork of non-linier story telling.
Basically, I could say every one of his films is amazing piece in its own way –
but “A Clockwork Orange” has always been the film I come back to. It’s a film
that talks about what humanity truly is, even at its most inhumane.
5 - “The Dark Knight” – More than a Batman movie, but one of
the best comic book movies ever. The Dark Knight is an examination of the
post-9/11 America and the War on Terrorism.
4 - “Brazil” – Terry Gilliam’s darkly comic “1984”-like tale
is about the nightmare of structure and bureaucracy run amok. It also shows
that behind all the plans and facades of the order lies a chaos that cannot be
controlled. It also offers one of the most hopeful downer endings ever.
3 - “There Will Be Blood” – Paul Thomas Anderson’s greatest
film to date. This will be the movie that will be on the “SIGHT AND SOUND”
greatest films of all time lists in 20 or 30 years. “There Will Be Blood” is a
digs deep into the twin drivers of the American story – business and religion.
2 - “Blade Runner” – What needs to be said about it? It’s an
existential neo-noir that asks us fundamental questions about what it means to
be human. Also, I don’t care what Ridley Scott says; Deckard is not a replicant
– END OF DEBATE!
1 - “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie” – Luis Bunuel’s
1972 surrealist comedy of manners is so important to me that the first, and so
far – only, tattoo that I have is the poster art to this film. It tells the
tale of two couples, a single woman and a priest who keep trying to meet for
dinner, but fate has other plans. Everything from they showed up on the wrong
day for dinner to finding themselves on stage to live fire military exercises
taking place on the front lawn keeps them from stuffing their faces. The first
time I saw this, I hated it. I didn’t get it at all. I came back about ten
years later and it makes so much sense to me. Funny, considering Bunuel was
always cagy about talking about his films, their themes in meanings. But, I
guess that’s why it works for me.
Also, be sure to check out 'The Projection Booth' podcast Facebook page for more updates about the schedule of shows and a whole ton more!!
'Detroit Ghostbusters' Short Film - Review
Kimberly Howard and Terence Cover came on our show for Episode 10 of The Not So Cool Kids Podcast to discuss the short film they were working on (at the time) called 'Detroit Ghostbusters.' The project is a fan-film that is not connected in any way to the studio or filmmakers that made the original Ghostbuster films but throughout the short it is clear that it is definitely a "tip of the hat" to the original films. The main characters - Dr. Sara Blakemoore (played by Kimberly Howard), Nathan Fueller (Terence Cover), and Dr. Simon Grey (Mike Kammer) come together to form a remote franchise of Ghostbusters in the Motor City, just in time to get their first case. An office worker named Janet comes to the Detroit Ghostbusters with reports of an eerie disturbance that has left one of her co-workers too scared to go back to their place of work. Sara, Nathan, and Simon are tasked with finding out what lurks in the cubical-clad office and eliminating it once and for all.
The 'Detroit Ghostbusters' film has some parallel familiar scenes to some notable scenes from the first Ghostbusters film with their own quirky cast of characters. Dr. Sara Blakemoore is the leader of the Detroit Ghostbusters and she rules with an iron fist. Her character is very Egon-esc, personifying a lab coat wearing nerd that is 100% serious about the prospect of catching ghosts. Dr. Simon Grey strikes me as the "Peter" of the group, serious to a fault...the fault being his snarky attitude. The third character, Nathan Fueller is very much like Ray from the original film because he is more heart than brains. Fully committed to the task of Ghostbusting but Nathan sees it as a "nerd" conquest, demonstrated by the fact that the team found him on a cosplay listing for Craigslist. All the performances were stellar in this film but I felt that the Dr. Simon Grey lacked some of the dialogue that could have really made his character come alive. Understandably so, I realize that sometimes scenes are cut to be considered a short film and if this was a feature, Simon's personality would be explored more in-depth. The special effects in the film were spot on! They made me remember why I loved the idea of Ghostbusting in the first place, the gadgets!! A fun romp down memory lane with a unique cast of characters and a sure-fire short that could easily be made into a fan-film feature.
Make sure to see 'Detroit Ghostbusters' at any of the upcoming public screenings and let us know what you thought of the film. Just e-mail us at notsocoolkidspodcast@gmail.com
The 'Detroit Ghostbusters' film has some parallel familiar scenes to some notable scenes from the first Ghostbusters film with their own quirky cast of characters. Dr. Sara Blakemoore is the leader of the Detroit Ghostbusters and she rules with an iron fist. Her character is very Egon-esc, personifying a lab coat wearing nerd that is 100% serious about the prospect of catching ghosts. Dr. Simon Grey strikes me as the "Peter" of the group, serious to a fault...the fault being his snarky attitude. The third character, Nathan Fueller is very much like Ray from the original film because he is more heart than brains. Fully committed to the task of Ghostbusting but Nathan sees it as a "nerd" conquest, demonstrated by the fact that the team found him on a cosplay listing for Craigslist. All the performances were stellar in this film but I felt that the Dr. Simon Grey lacked some of the dialogue that could have really made his character come alive. Understandably so, I realize that sometimes scenes are cut to be considered a short film and if this was a feature, Simon's personality would be explored more in-depth. The special effects in the film were spot on! They made me remember why I loved the idea of Ghostbusting in the first place, the gadgets!! A fun romp down memory lane with a unique cast of characters and a sure-fire short that could easily be made into a fan-film feature.
Make sure to see 'Detroit Ghostbusters' at any of the upcoming public screenings and let us know what you thought of the film. Just e-mail us at notsocoolkidspodcast@gmail.com
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
The Not So Cool Kids Podcast "Com-Mix Review" - BarCode: Catalyst (Issue 1) from River Comics
Some plot **SPOILERS** are contained in this review. Please read with caution.
Reviewed by: Brian Titus - Producer/Co-Host of The Not So Cool Kids Podcast
River Comics is an independent publisher that recently released the first issue of a three part series called BarCode: Catalyst. A historically charged and colorful melding of science fiction meets thriller. The story follows the journey of a scientist named Dr. Arvind Verma during World War II, as he discovers a strange blue rock formation that spins his world on it's head. The military "powers that be" strong-arm him into working with the government, separating him from his beloved wife Julia.
A quick read but satisfying, BarCode: Catalyst issue one sets up a story set in a tumultuous period of world history but blends an engaging mystery with the introduction of a glowing blue mineral that appears to have a deadly purpose. Straight out of the classified files of World War II, the idea is unique and isolating as it is set in the backdrop of four small islands in the Pacific Ocean. While only being the first issue, it is clear that these characters' moralities will be colliding and clashing with each other throughout the continuation of the series, making for a interesting dynamic. The illustrations are a blend of what appears to be sourced images paired with a Walking Dead style of illustration. That being said, each page pops with various color palettes that make the art very eye-pleasing. I'm looking forward to the building of character developments throughout the next issues but overall would recommend BarCode: Catalyst to readers. That being said, I can only hope the full girth and meat of the story is yet to come.
Let us know what you thought of our review and what you thought of BarCode: Catalyst issue 1 by sending us a message at notsocoolkidspodcast@gmail.com
Reviewed by: Brian Titus - Producer/Co-Host of The Not So Cool Kids Podcast
River Comics is an independent publisher that recently released the first issue of a three part series called BarCode: Catalyst. A historically charged and colorful melding of science fiction meets thriller. The story follows the journey of a scientist named Dr. Arvind Verma during World War II, as he discovers a strange blue rock formation that spins his world on it's head. The military "powers that be" strong-arm him into working with the government, separating him from his beloved wife Julia.
A quick read but satisfying, BarCode: Catalyst issue one sets up a story set in a tumultuous period of world history but blends an engaging mystery with the introduction of a glowing blue mineral that appears to have a deadly purpose. Straight out of the classified files of World War II, the idea is unique and isolating as it is set in the backdrop of four small islands in the Pacific Ocean. While only being the first issue, it is clear that these characters' moralities will be colliding and clashing with each other throughout the continuation of the series, making for a interesting dynamic. The illustrations are a blend of what appears to be sourced images paired with a Walking Dead style of illustration. That being said, each page pops with various color palettes that make the art very eye-pleasing. I'm looking forward to the building of character developments throughout the next issues but overall would recommend BarCode: Catalyst to readers. That being said, I can only hope the full girth and meat of the story is yet to come.
Author: J. M. Thakar, Illustrated by: Jackie Diaz
The first issue of BarCode: Catalyst by River Comics is available for $1.99 on Amazon Kindle eBooks, Nook eBooks, iBookstore, and directly at their website.
Let us know what you thought of our review and what you thought of BarCode: Catalyst issue 1 by sending us a message at notsocoolkidspodcast@gmail.com
Friday, August 30, 2013
Becoming The Bat: Understanding Backlash of Ben's Bats!
Just as everyone remembers where they were when something Earth-shattering happens, the same is true for the most recent announcement that Ben Affleck will be portraying Batman in the next 'Man of Steel' film. Not simply because it is assumed as a "bad" thing. Mainly because fans who are invested in Batman, have been following this iconic character through various types of media for years, and feel passionate about the future of his existence feel that this character should forever be given considerable thought when casting. I try to read EVERYTHING that fans post, online media sources publish, and individuals who have a stake in Batman put out on their social media platforms. Obviously people have opinions, some people are out-right angry, and most people are instantly comparing Affleck's casting to other unforeseen casting choices.
It will be easier for me to break down in points:
A.) Ben Affleck is a really good actor and I didn't always think that but watching 'The Town' changed everything for me. Obviously he realizes that this is a big thing and he WILL put his heart into the role because (besides the pay check), he doesn't want to be known as the guy who "phones it in."
B.) Yes, he played Daredevil. So what! The film Daredevil isn't a sub-par film because of Ben Affleck. The problems are hinged on the script and some other poor casting choices for Kingpin, Bullseye, and Elektra. Ben's performance is the ONLY reason I added it to my "superheroes" section of my movie collection.
C.) The casting of Ben Affleck should not be compared to other castings of Batman, Joker, or any other characters in pop culture. Keaton was the FIRST Batman on film so when he was cast obviously there would be blow back. Chances are ANYONE who was cast as the first film-version of Batman would feel the same fan outcry. Clooney's casting as Batman received fan backlash with understandable anger. My reasoning for saying that is because the 2 previous films (Batman Returns and Batman Forever) were met with mixed feedback from fans, settling on the "this neon light, circus henchmen, kiddie version" of Batman sucks!! Therefore Clooney's casting was an insult to injury, the fans felt like the executives and filmmakers behind 'Batman and Robin' were no longer taking it seriously. Clooney himself said he did it for the paycheck (AKA: phoned it in). Schumacher and other behind the scenes people working on the film explained that the film was essentially a commercial to sell toys. Ledger's casting as Joker was some what like Affleck's casting in comparison, in that Ledger was a serious actor (who took his career seriously) but had always been cast in films that made audiences perceive him as a genre/category actor with one note. Understand that the backlash was based on Ledger's previous film roles, paired with the fact that NO ONE ever thought someone could out-due Jack Nicolson's version of the Joker.
D.) Affleck, much like Two-Face have two sides of the coin to contend with - ON THE GOOD SIDE: He is a good actor, with recent performances that were well received, who is noted as taking his job seriously, and he understands the gravity of the character and the fans' passion behind the character. ON THE BAD SIDE: He will be contending with Christian Bale's version of Batman, paired with Christopher Nolan's understandably well-received darker/grittier vision of Batman films. The 'Man of Steel' sequel will be it's own thing so fans are unsure about it. Affleck also has a stigma, as Ledger also had, that he is a one-trick pony that does a certain kind of film.
E.) People who are legit geeks and in higher profile occupations: such as actors, comedians, directors, and everyone else who has more Twitter followers than Jesus himself are entitled to their opinions. What I don't understand is this media perceived notion that because those people say "thumbs up or thumbs down" about Affleck's casting, it should have some significant and "more important" weight on how legit fans are reacting to Affleck's casting. As if fans are all of a sudden going to say "well Patton Oswald, Matt Damon, Kevin Smith, and others say Affleck will be great in the role, so I'm a robot and going to agree with them!" Dear Media - Fans have their own voice, we aren't stupid! Most arguments I hear for either side are usually well thought out and understandable. I think the die-hard geeks in those higher profile gigs understand that.
F.) But now lets talk about everyone else who could give a rip, media and high profile people included. If you don't care about the casting of Batman...just shut up and keep it to yourself. You do not have the right to poke fun, publicly (via social media forums) de-humanize, or make broad stroking comments about Batman fan and their reaction to Affleck's casting. Most of the comments I've read or heard are- "why don't the nerds just calm down and go back to their basements" or "there are more important topics of news to talk about" or "did you see Miley Cyrus on the MTV Video Music Awards?" Lets get something straight - 1. No one makes fun of your fantasy football leagues so don't be a hypocrite 2. A larger majority of people reading comics and are invested in this character are gainfully employed adults who have families 3. If you think Miley Cyrus is more important than Batman, good luck to you.
To sum all of this up lets look at the facts. The future Batman isn't in jeopardy based on this one casting...however it does impact the DC franchise of films overall. Marvel films have been following a calculated formula for success with fans. Building one character upon another, giving hints about upcoming films in other films, making fans froth at the mouth for more Marvel cross-overs and stand alone films. DC has decided to be completely random with their execution of DC character films. They release a series of films, then they release a stand alone film, then they release some obscure title, then they release Green Lantern (ugh!). No cross over hints (until the most recent 'Man of Steel' film - Batman & Lex Easter eggs), no build up, no excitement - except for the initial reaction and the "sitting in the theater" reaction", and they can still call themselves a business? Until the Justice League movie was announced, I was beginning to lose hope for my most favorite DC characters and the future of DC films overall. Then 'Man of Steel' came out! It looked like the most recent comic books, with the Easter eggs - a vision of possible cross overs, plus the Justice League movie was announced with several other DC character films to come prior. I thought we were saved! THEN came Ben. Coming off the success of the most recent Batman franchise, you'd think Batman would be laid to rest for awhile or at least filmmakers would try to find an actor with the same gravitas that Bale's popular version had. Nope, we're going to take a chance on an actor who is good but hasn't proved to be large-scale franchise good! In fact, we aren't even going to put him in a movie of his own, but we will instead put him in a film with the other #1 DC character in the universe. I guess I just feel a little like when I watched 'Batman Returns' and then 'Batman Forever'...entertained but still craving the Keaton original Batman film and beginning to lose faith again in DC filmmakers to take things seriously. If you consider film-making a business, wouldn't you at least do a focus group to find out what REAL fans thought before green-lighting and announcing who will be wearing the cowl? Seems foolish from that stand point.
Back to why it is important...lets say us fans know what we are talking about and Ben flops as Batman. Where does that leave things? It leaves future Batman films with an uncertain Batman, it leaves a bad taste in the mouths of executives about cross over character films, it leaves a bad taste in their mouths about doing future DC characters that are un-proven successes, and most importantly it could delay or halt the idea of a Justice Leauge film (something DC fans have been waiting forever for). All in all I wish Mr. Affleck good luck and think he will most likely do an "ok" version of Batman (because lets face it, I'm going to see it regardless) but don't hold much hope for uber-frothing fandom cheers for more Affleck Batman.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)