Star Wars: The Force Awakens

There are some of us that have spent more time in a "Galaxy Far Far Away" than others. For all of us the big question after the bonfire celebration at the end of Return of the Jedi is where do we go from here?

This is where that direction goes with the licencing. The Saga continued in novel form with The Truce at Bakura where the rebel alliance continues their battle against the remains of the Empire and as the novels continue Han and Leia marry and have children and we are shown the formation of the New Republic and the new Jedi Order under the guidance of Luke Skywalker and his wife Myra Jade.  

In comic book form the Dark Empire trilogy The Emperor resurfaces and Luke briefly joins him as his new apprentice though he overcomes the temptation of the Darkside 

They were not all Happy Endings. 

In 1999 readers mourned with out familiar cast of heroes the death of Chewbacca who sacrificed his life to save Han's youngest son and the turning to the Darkside of Han and Leia's son Jacen after killing Luke's wife. 

It was still a fun time to be a Star Wars fan 

In theatres audiences saw the prequels and the origins of Darth Vader which while not well received by loyal fans the films still kept the fan experience alive.

After all there has been a few missteps in the Galaxy such as the Holiday Special and the Ewoks Movies.

At least the Holiday Special gave us Bobba Fett.

I personally liked The Force Unleashed Video Game...Part 2 not so much.

2008 viewers got to finally see the often discussed Clone Wars and the continuing origin of the saga. 

When we least expected a change it was announced in 2012 that Lucasfilms was sold to Disney and that there was going to be a new trilogy produced and that Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill were all on board. Peter Mahew, Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker were also announced to be reprising their Roles. 

When Star Trek Director JJ Abrams was announced at the Helm of the new feature fans rejoiced, 

The Hype of the flick was definetly building but there was not without it's issues as it was announced that with the exception of Clone Wars and the saga all other areas of Star Wars were no longer considered to be Canon and have been wiped out of existence. 

Now we were also treated to Star Wars Rebels which debuted in 2014 which takes place between Episode III and IV and follows a small band that opposes the Empire and we are shown the formation of the Rebel Alliance, 

A continuation of Clone Wars Rebels features the return of Voice Actors as well as characters from it's predecessor and reprisals of classic Characters and the actors that played them including Billy Dee Williams appearing as Lando Calrisian, Frank Oz as Yoda and James Earl Jones returning to voice Darth Vader. 

Naturally when Episode VII now called The Force Awakens finally arrived in Theaters, Yours Truly was at the Alamo Drafthouse along with the Dallas chapter of the 501st as well as some of the classic cosplayers and Chelsea Davis from CBS 11 and I was armed with my trusty camera to cover the event and the Alamo was nice enough to give me some food vouchers and I enjoyed some of the Star Wars themed cuisines that were available. I definetly liked the Wookie Cookies. 

I'm Glad everyone knew I was there because I ended up appearing on CBS 11 filming the screening. 

I admit that I have been waiting for reviewing the flick because I decided to wait for BluRay and see what special features were to come. 

I also felt that I could not talk about the flick without spoilers so I decided to be respectful to the fans that have yet to see the film. 

It is no secret that This film is the first chapter of a new trilogy and a new expanded universe but this is the chapter that while following a new cast of characters in Ray, Finn, Poe and BB8 we are continuing the saga of our returning favorites with Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, C-3P0 and R2-D2, Now that brings us to Han Solo, 

The famous Smuggler is featured prominently in the film alongside as his trusty sidekick Chewy we are shown his end at the hands of his own son Ben AK Kylo Ren. 

Granted I saw this death coming when Han stepped out on that bridge to try to reason to his son, because frankly this is the first chapter in a new trilogy and if it was the third I would see Ren returning to who he was but here is our primary villain having his big defining moment for the Saga. 

He will be always be remembered as the man who killed Han Solo and where will this take the characters. 

Believe me I was in the crowded theater during this scene where members of the audiences gasped and there were many WTFs and then silence. 

I am sure that Harrison Ford requested that his character die as that is what he wanted for Jedi and they did do the character justice in a franchise that is infamous for giving popular characters bad deaths. 

That brings us to Luke Skywalker as I know that many were complaining that Luke pops up at only the end and essentially has one shot in the flick and I actually liked that as this was the plot of the whole flick was the search for the last Jedi Knight. 

My intirpration of the ending was that Luke had some kind of connection to R2-D2 who was remaining in Low Power mode and had remained in hiding. 

When Han was killed it sent a great disturbance in the force as we saw Leia reacting, I'm sure Luke felt it as well and sent a signal activating R2-D2 to provide the last part of the map informing them of his location. 

Like Yoda Luke is in exile and seems reluctant to take Rey on as a apprentice. 

Personally I like the character of Rey and and the character of Poe and I am looking forward to seeing where these characters go in the next entries. 

The BluRay release features a multipart documentary that followed the production as well as features showcasing the music, the effects, and a special about the Table Read for the film. 

All in All This flick is a Buy and I recommend as far as BluRay waiting for a Box Set of all of the flicks when it is completed. 

Alamo Drafthouse and AGFA

Well Kiddies it has been a crazy couple of weeks here and I admit that I am still standing strong.

We have been hard at work on the upcoming HauntShooter project and in early preparations on this year's Texas Frightmare Weekend. There are also some other projects that I am Hard at work on but I choose to keep them on the down low for now at least.

What I really want to talk about here is The Alamo Drafthouse.

Founded by Tim League, The Alamo Drafthouse was one of the original Dine-In Theatres featuring a wide assortment of Beers of all types and Genre films. The Alamo is greatly respected by both fans and filmmakers.

 The Drafthouse has experienced Premieres and Festivals and sneak previews for upcoming releases and has attracted headlines for the enforcement of its No Talking rule as well as its Banning of Texting in theaters. 

The Drafthouse attracted the attention for this in 2011 when I young woman was ejected from the establishment after using her phone in the theatre and called the front office to complain leaving a voicemail.

As many of you will know when I was in Austin the Alamo was where I found my sanctuary. I enjoyed Terror Tuesday's, Weird Wednesdays, Master Pancakes, and Horror Remixes among other special events. 

 These along with Rolling Roadshows and Fantastic Fest.

When I returned to the Dallas area in 2013 it was not long until a Alamo Drafthouse was built and opened it's doors in Richardson Texas and naturally I became a regular at the establishment and James Wallace was the programmer bringing us events like Master Pancake and the Horror Remixes as well as introducing us to the monthly AGFA Secret Screenings and the Dismember the Alamo event in October.

While I am an advocate for the Angelica as well as it is a great place to view Arthouse and Indeflicks, The Alamo is the place for Genre film screenings.

The opening Night of Star Wars was a blast.

Now I know that I have in the past been quite critical of the cuisine of the Alamo but that was in fact in Austin where the places were far more of the Vegan friendly but the DFW locations don't fall for this because when you order a burger you actually get a decent burger and fries and I had the pleasure of attending some of the feasts there are some great items on the Menu.

Now we can't forget the Beer with the events and the utilization of local breweries The Alamo still lives up to it's name as the Drafthouse even utilizing events such as special screenings utilizing the beers and seasonal Ale.

Dallas has received the opening of its second Drafthouse in the Dallas area just off Lamar next to the Southside and Gilley's...Trust Me you can't miss it. Naturally I was going to be there for the Soft opening that they have had this Week to check the place out.

This theatre is awesome! They have 2 stories for movie lovers and social types alike. 

With the first floor being the cinema intended like many of the Drafthouses is from Genre fans where we are shown posters ranging from Dallas produced films like Robocop and the Phantom of the Paradise to more cult titles like Barbaraella and Dementia 13.

I personally like the fact that there is a poster of the Amicus classic Anthology flick Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors which is one of my favorites featuring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.

The Auditoriums feature more personal seats for the moviegoers and is far friendlier for couples but the seats are far more comfortable and recline and I was able to watch both The Martian and Mad Max without pain in my back. The tables feature holes for your cup on the table thus preventing the table from getting wet from the sweat from the glass with the menus are placed under the tables for you to place your orders and still have the flags with pens to do such.

Above the Theatre is the Vetted Well pub where you can kill time before the flick in the bar or grab a bite with some of its own individual eats or just hang out in the Patio.  My friend Beth works there and can always recommend the best cocktails.

You can even sing Karaoke with your friends win individual rooms similar to the Highball in Austin.

Needless to say check it out.

James Wallace told me that the new place will feature many new events which we discussed potential ideas for screenings but don’t fret AGFA will stay at the Richardson location.

Last Week I headed out to Richardson for this Month’s AGFA and sadly Bri could not join me due to some issues where she worked and I met up with my Alamo gang Chris and Alan to check out the flick.

James Wallace soon took the stage and caused Alan to have a fit when he announced that the print was none other than 1985’s Demons.

This now considered Classic Italian Horror Film directed by Lamberto Bava and produced by Horror Master Dario Argento Demons is a flick about a group of people attending a free screening of a film about Demons who end up turning the moviegoers into Demons.

The Demons are malformed homicidal zombies that can in fact be killed with a shot to the head but anyone they attack will soon become a Demon themselves after being scratched in a Dawn of the Dead meets Evil Dead sort of Way.

Needless to say nice flick for AGFA with its 1980’s Gore and Effects as well as it’s soundtrack featuring Musicians like Billy Idol, Rick Springfield and Mötley Crüe.

Now this Flick spawned 9 Sequels but not all are canon I personally recommend Demons 2 and apparently Cemetery Man is considered canon to this flick.

23 Dead Bodies

1 Breast

19 Demons

Eyeball Gouging

Tongue Ripping

Brain Eating

Samuari Bikers  

Crashing Helicopter

  

Playboy: I Read the Articles

Now as many of you may know I have made no bones about my love of the famous Men’s Magazine and I have never tried to cover it up when people come to my home and this has been met by various reactions though not as many as you may think.

I am reminded of a Decade and a half ago when I was 20 hanging out with The Gang and my girl and she was giving me a hard time when she saw the stack of Playboys sitting on my desk to which I stated “I Read the Articles”. This fact was soon verified by my friend Slick who stated it as an almost annoying part of my personality. 

Yes I read the Articles. I’ve been saying it for years now…it has had its fair share of controversies. The truth is that many who see the Brand of Playboy or the iconic Bunny find themselves unable to see past the fact that there are pictures of women without their clothes inside the magazine.

The Lifestyle is what appeals to me. Great Times Beautiful women and intelligent conversations and views on life and freedoms. I like the music and the movie recommendations and the leisure.  

I remember getting my first Playboy in the mid-1990s and like many young boys you think it is going to be cover to cover naked ladies and then you open the pages and after sifting through the many advertisements there are far more articles on politics, relationships, life and the pursuit of the good materials. 

Not too long after this when I would flip through the pages some articles would catch my attention and I would stop and read them and eventually I was buying the magazine more for the articles rather than the pictures especially after the internet came along and you can get much better nudie pics there.

Founded in 1953 by Hugh Hefner, Playboy became the magazine for upwardly mobile young men who lived hard and partied hard as well. Leading to television shows like Playboy after Dark, a TV channel and Clubs and Casinos all across the earth.

The Lifestyle presented within it’s pages was that of the Jet Setting bachelor that lived well had a great time and the ladies adored. Jazz music was loved and Literature abounded.

Playboy’s articles range from the in-depth interviews with various personalities to drink recipes utilizing which liquor is sponsored by the magazine. 

The Magazine would also feature Adult cartoons and illustrations such as Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder's Little Annie Fanny and The works of Dean Yeagle and many more artists.

I personally like the work of Doug Sneyd

I like the interviews due to the fact that sometimes the subject goes off on topics from their work or politics and anything goes in them.   Many will claim that Jimmy Carter was cost reelection due to his interview in Playboy. Jesse Ventura’s interview stirred up much controversy as did recently Gary Oldman.  My favorite was Pierce Brosnan's interview from 2005 

The fiction in the magazine featured many of the best writers of our time Many of Ray Bradbury’s works were published in the magazine as Arthur C. Clarke, Chuck Palahniuk, Ian Flemming’s 007 stories and many other fictional greats of the modern age.  

I have always held the pictures to a different Standard. There was a day when being selected to be a Playmate was a honor and it looked great on the resume for a young model and took your career to a different level.

I personally prefer the artistic direction of the pictures such as the fact that many of them tell a story for the subjects and their personality and the camera itself is a character and the object of the model’s affections.

I mostly like the work of Arny Freytag as I have always wanted to shoot in his style and lately I have become a fan of Cassandra Keyes.

The truth is that admitting that you were a reader  has not always simple because at some point the powers that be deemed playboy to be pornography and I have never considered this to be true and at one point I had a “friend” threaten my life because I would not adhere to his views on the subject.

There was even an article in the September 1997 Issue where in the Forum there is an article where the writer logs his experiences while publicly reading the magazine with the reactions of those around him. While many simply ignored him he seemed to take more angry looks from men that were with their women than the ones that you would expect to have these problems.

All that I have encountered with  reading the magazine in public are various snickers and comments from various males and it is also the experience with buying it in stores as when you were younger there was always the funny exchange in trying to be nonchalant. Granted I never had this problem as I was never embarrassed when buying an issue. As a matter of fact there was a memorable occasion where I had a funny exchange with the checkout girl at Barnes and Noble where I was buying an issue, She agreed that there were better pictures on the Internet.

Now in the past couple of years it has gotten easier with the use of an IPad or Tablet of your choosing with the IPlayboy as you can read any issue including the current issue and the back issues all for the monthly price of $8.99 which is the price of a single issue which I will recommend to all of you 

In recent years there have been quite a few changes in the company. In 2009 Hugh Hefner’s daughter resigned from the company which she had worked as CEO for decades and the current CEO Scott Flanders has stated to the Wallstreet Journal that the company was quickly becoming a primarily a branding company.

This would explain why you are often seeing the logo pop up on many products from Cologne,  Energy Drinks, Tobacco Products, Barware and ,mostly women’s clothes and accessories.

Playboy Magazine’s primary compeditor is none other than Maxim which has gained ground in the past two decades and is able to expand it’s distribution due to the fact more newsstands are willing to carry them, Where Playboy’s distribution has gone down in recent years due to the opposite effect as many news vendors consider this as adult content. Also let us face it the newsstand is quite frankly going the way of the Dodo.

There also had been some recent changes to the website. The creation of the Playboy Now App and Smoking Jacket.com which has now become Playboy.com featuring articles, games, etc. The Website has also dropped nudity with the exception of PlayboyPlus.com.

It was recently announced that Playboy Magazine will no longer be publishing nudity in the magazine and while I understand this direction I have to say that I am not too happy with it.  Not just due to the lack of nude playmates but I like the nude cartoons as well. I honestly like the more adult magazine that I can read without Standards and Practices.

Now that PlayboyPlus has openly stated that it will keep the nudes ,it isn’t that too big of a deal and will be a great way to sell memberships to the site.

What I will miss is the cartoons and illustrations and the Adult Humor in the magazine. I hope that this aspect of the magazine remains but I will miss the nudity there.

Playboy now has the chance to prove that it is the articles and the lifestyle that carries it and not the nudity and I am curious in the direction that this will take.