Nerdage NewsOK.com Blogging Community

Hope everyone’s Halloween is successful, and just as spooky as they want it to be.

Kyle Roberts and Matt Price discuss the conclusion to Mark Millar’s “Marvel 1985,” the prelude to “Blackest Night,” “Rage of the Red Lanterns,” and the next part of “Original Sin,” “Wolverine: Origins” No. 29.

The trailer for the thriller directed by Bryan Singer and starring Tom Cruise, based on actual World War II events.

This isn’t the 1996 Tom Berenger film, but instead a Danish import from 2007 directed by Ole Bornedal. “The Substitute” is part of the “Ghost House Underground” series of horror films selected for DVD release by Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi, the producer and director, respectively, of the “Evil Dead” films.

In “The Substitute,” an alien, puzzled by the concept of love, lands on Earth, mimics human form, and becomes a substitute teacher for a group of sixth-graders. She’s horrifically mean to them, and can read their minds. However, when the kids point this out to their parents, the kids are told they are being overly imaginative.

This is the kind of film that could have been made in the U.S. in the 1980s: A non-R rated horror film, like “The Goonies” or “The Monster Squad” that is aimed at the pre-teen audience.

Paprika Steen is suitably menacing as Ulla, the substitute. Jonas Wandschneider plays Carl, the student at the center of the film, already reeling from his mother’s death in a car accident prior to the substitute’s arrival.

“The Substitute” is clever, funny horror that’s almost entirely gore-free. There are some similarities to Robert Rodriguez’s “The Faculty,” but “The Substitute” is a better film.

PAULS VALLEY - Oklahoma cartoonists and famous toy lines were among the honorees Saturday as the Toy and Action Figure Museum, 111 S. Chickasaw, celebrated its third anniversary.

Joining the museum’s action figure Hall of Fame were two action-figure lines that took the 1980s by storm: Masters of the Universe and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.

Masters of the Universe were supremely muscled characters who lived on the planet Eternia. The star of this line was He-Man, who gained his strength when he held aloft his magic sword and repeated the phrase “by the power of Grayskull.”

“G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” was a 1980s update of the classic Joe action figure, which had been a 12-inch figure. “A Real American Hero” was in the 3 and ¾-inch size and introduced G.I. Joe, a special missions force for the U.S. military, who defended freedom against Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world. Rather than just one “G.I. Joe,” the brand now introduced a line full of characters, developed by comics and animation writer Larry Hama, including the ninja Snake-Eyes, leader Duke and counter-intelligence specialist Scarlett.

Introduced into the Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection Hall of Fame were four cartoonists - and it came as a surprise to one of them. Museum curator Kevin Stark, creator of the comic strip and comic book “Geezer,” was named to the Hall of Fame. “Geezer” ran for seven years in the Pauls Valley Daily Democrat, and further comic books are in development.

Also honored:

Russell Myers, the creator of “Broom Hilda,” who was raised and attended college in Tulsa.

George Storm, who created adventure strips “Phil Hardy” in 1925 and “Bobby Thatcher” in 1927. He co-created The Hangman for MLJ and drew Bugs Bunny for Dell. He died in 1976.

Terry Tidwell, who was born and raised in Claremore. He worked on “The Green Hornet” and “Conan.” Tidwell, who was in attendance at the ceremony, also co-created the Tulsa-based hero “The Twilight Avenger.”

– Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Producer Rob Tapert knows his scary movies.

He and director Sam Raimi got started together, making the “Evil Dead” films starring Bruce Campbell.

Tapert is currently working to line up films for the “Ghost House” line with Raimi. Eight branded horror movies are out now in the “Ghost House Underground” set: “Dance of the Dead,” “No Man’s Land: The Rise of the Reeker,” “The Substitute,” “Dark Floors,” “Trackman,” “Room 205,” “Last House in the Woods” and “Brotherhood of Blood.”

Tapert recently talked to The Oklahoman about the scariest movies he’d ever seen. On Halloween, if you’re looking for a last-minute rental to scare the pants off of you, here’s three recommended by a master.

The Exorcist (1973)

Two priests attempt to exorcise a demon from a 12-year-old girl. The film was directed by William Friedkin (”The French Connection”) based on the novel by William Peter Blatty.

“I saw ‘The Exorcist’ at the Woods Theater in Detroit, Michigan,” Tapert said. “I had read the book. It was the first time in my life I ever thought, this would make a great movie - and I was a kid, too. And it exceeded my expectations even then, as it was far scarier than the book.”

Halloween (1978)

Michael Myers escapes from an institution and goes on a Halloween killing spree. This film was the debut of Jamie Lee Curtis. Donald Pleasence plays a psychiatrist on the trail of the killer in this film by co-writer and director John Carpenter.

“I saw ‘Halloween’ in a packed house and in an empty house,” Tapert said. “When I saw it in a packed house, that was an experience I had never imagined before. That was a visceral experience.”

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Tobe Hooper’s tale of five friends terrorized by a killer with a chainsaw became the highest grossing independent film of all time. It was based, very loosely, on the crimes of serial killer Ed Gein.

“The first Texas Chainsaw, I saw it at midnight in college, and that was horrifying, that was really scary at the time.”

– Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

It’s space-based survivalist horror in EA’s “Dead Space.”

The gamer takes on the role of engineer Isaac Clarke. He’s en route to the USG Ishimura, a “planet cracker” ship that harvests energy. He’s been dispatched with his team to repair their communications array; he’s also received an unclear message from a friend, Nicole Brennan, a medical officer on the Ishimura.

Once the team arrives, they find the ship has been overrun by Necromorphs (more or less zombies), and Isaac is separated from his team. He has to use the tools on-hand (like saws and welding guns) to take out the zombies. “Dead Space” is somewhat different from many zombie-type games in its “strategic dismemberment” theory - the only way to take out a Necromorph is to remove its limbs.

“Dead Space” will inspire some comparisons to “Resident Evil.” Of course, calling a game “Resident Evil” in space is more of a selling point than a detriment.

“Dead Space” has also worked much of the information you need to play the game into the experience. Rather than calling up a heads-up display, health, ammunition, and even objectives are displayed as part of the in-game experience. This means, of course, that while you’re checking on your ammo, you can be ambushed from behind by a Necromorph.

Overall, “Dead Space” is an atmospheric thriller that’s among the best the genre has to offer, with great visuals and sound joined to a gripping story.

The game is rated M for mature and is available on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and personal computer.

From Friday’s The Oklahoman
THE NEXT LEVEL
By Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor

A tip of the hat to The Oklahoman’s Jay Marks, who points out this unusual story on Yahoo:

TOKYO (AFP) –  A Japanese man has enlisted hundreds of people in a campaign to allow marriages between humans and cartoon characters, saying he feels more at ease in the “two-dimensional world.”

Seems to me to be taking fandom to a new extreme.   Check out the whole story in the link.

- Matt Price

Good news for Mac owners — City of Heroes, the popular superher massively multiplayer online game, will come to Apple Macintosh this year.   The Mac version will be available for public beta testing with the release of the game’s thirteenth expansion, Issue 13: Power and Responsibility later this fall.

Full release and more artwork after the break.

(more…)