tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16127662691969914722024-03-14T04:54:08.544-04:00Ryan ColucciEntertainment and life blog from someone who knows nothing about either.Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.comBlogger277125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-68062924562502748722011-11-28T19:39:00.001-05:002011-11-28T19:40:56.605-05:00Moving to WordpressHello everyone... because Blogger doesn't transfer so easily to my website (both spokelane.com and ryancolucci.com), I'll be switching over to Wordpress. Within the next few weeks I'll be blogging directly from my domains - but it'll all be through Wordpress. So, please subscribe to the blog through there or change your bookmarks. <br />
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<a href="http://ryancolucci.wordpress.com/">Ryan's Wordpress Blog. </a><br />
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Thanks!Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-50679455149997968182011-11-22T13:27:00.001-05:002011-11-22T13:50:00.528-05:00R.E.M. Artist Zsombor Huszka: Welcome to the FamilyIt is with a lot of excitement, and a bit of sadness, that I am announcing Zsombor Huszka as the artist on the graphic novel <i>R.E.M. </i><br />
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For those of you who have been reading this blog regularly for some time, you may remember I announced Budi Setiawan as the artist a few months ago. However, Budi was diagnosed with cancer. We waited it out... he went into remission - but then it came back almost immediately. He's very weak and unable to draw. My prayers go out to him and his family as he battles that monster. As soon as he's back up and drawing we'll find another project to work on. He's an extremely talented artist (and the cousin of Sigit Nugroho, who is drawing <i>Chasing Rabbits</i>). Sigit actually credits Budi with teaching him how to draw. That's one artistic family...<br />
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Hailing from Hungary, Zsombor is ready to throw <i>R.E.M. </i>into a rear naked choke and dominate. Yes, an artist who also does Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He actually received his degree in architecture from Budapest University of Technology and
Economics’ Department of Architecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After his first art exhibit in 2010, he was
chosen to participate at The National Exhibition of Digital Artworks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has worked on projects for a variety of
Hungarian pop-stars and illustrated Hungarian advertising campaigns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is currently working on the music video
for pop-star Linda Kiraly, as well as writing and illustrating the graphic
novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Sultan’s Beast</i>. Although currently a BJJ fanatic, Zsombor was a professional fencer - on the Hungarian National Fencing Team. <br />
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We will eventually have to roll together. Until then, we are going to make an amazing graphic novel. Here are some of his previous works...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyf5xQSomEa_ww4w5aoLdGhhQrYc03jyjDNAAUwh6PMGAZqyuzB0muu7M1svHnMTPAQKi9I720E0Xksz-DxaS4qJYKxiiLItaIeO7DpusrrbJrv-3oTXEYHPUEofKUYH4yXRnBb9rLHk/s1600/Zsombor-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyf5xQSomEa_ww4w5aoLdGhhQrYc03jyjDNAAUwh6PMGAZqyuzB0muu7M1svHnMTPAQKi9I720E0Xksz-DxaS4qJYKxiiLItaIeO7DpusrrbJrv-3oTXEYHPUEofKUYH4yXRnBb9rLHk/s320/Zsombor-1.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPRL3iLjGf7fs0WjoUAMf9UA6n048fkXU1tN7V66YMt1kFzoZ1pnOf__aEyF7qunOtvGKp55Rhii7wLOLCtmd6uZiNOVte_HQphSIb8yLVwAR_oqBrt3nHt4s3wKFRfj4r7yyBFH1qJ0/s1600/Zsombor-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPRL3iLjGf7fs0WjoUAMf9UA6n048fkXU1tN7V66YMt1kFzoZ1pnOf__aEyF7qunOtvGKp55Rhii7wLOLCtmd6uZiNOVte_HQphSIb8yLVwAR_oqBrt3nHt4s3wKFRfj4r7yyBFH1qJ0/s320/Zsombor-2.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9pEQ9eRNxM6pv8thWSI8bf3GZ1UZa5E_83A7ngpIY5Uja7KVbgUYR_AOke0_9A3-rqNH4FME2yOiQNKs28j3H8kx2w7HE_B-FHTUipB9RjNYEHGenIk1HhdZL8Egmj3KhbsHmpuDotk/s1600/Zsombor-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9pEQ9eRNxM6pv8thWSI8bf3GZ1UZa5E_83A7ngpIY5Uja7KVbgUYR_AOke0_9A3-rqNH4FME2yOiQNKs28j3H8kx2w7HE_B-FHTUipB9RjNYEHGenIk1HhdZL8Egmj3KhbsHmpuDotk/s320/Zsombor-3.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<br />Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-4270727391065260122011-11-21T19:25:00.001-05:002011-11-21T19:30:00.536-05:00Goodreads Choice AwardsThe finalists for the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/award/choice/">Goodreads Choice Awards</a> were announced today... and <i><a href="http://www.harbor-moon.com/">Harbor Moon</a></i> wasn't on there. Oh well. It was just really cool to be nominated through the semi-finals for an award next to some of these massive artists/writers/titles. Books like <i>The Walking Dead,</i> <i>Twilight</i> series, <i>Buffy</i> and <i>Locke & Key.</i><br />
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Thanks to all of the fans, readers, friends and family that voted and spread the word. And thanks to everyone that has supported us/me and the book since it came out. It is appreciated more than words could describe.Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-36250530562599791842011-11-16T15:49:00.000-05:002011-11-17T12:24:52.334-05:00Top 5 RemakesA pretty self-explanatory list. <br />
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<u>Top 5</u></div>
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<ul>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Fistful of Dollars</i>
- (based on Kurosawa’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yojimbo</i> from
1961) – Leone’s classic is head and shoulders above the original. It is
actually the one Kurosawa film I do not like.</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Last of the Mohicans</i>
(1936, 1992) – Michael Mann at his best against a film made during the
beginning of cinema. Not much of a
matchup. Mann’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heat</i> would probably be #1 if I had any way to see <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L.A. Takedown</i>.</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lord of the Flies</i>
(1963, 1990)</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dawn of the Dead</i>
(1978, 2004)</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Texas Chainsaw
Massacre, The</i> (1974, 2003)</li>
</ul>
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<u>Very Honorable Mentions</u></div>
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<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">King Kong</i> (1933,
2005) – There’s a lot of nostalgia out there for the original, but not for
me. I’ll take convincing visual effects
and good action over that any day of the week.
Peter Jackson really pushes the boundaries in terms of CG characters…
giving Kong a personality and feelings that endears him to the audience.</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ocean’s Eleven</i> (1960,
2001) – the original is fun, but nowhere near as fun as the remake. </li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mr. & Mrs. Smith</i>
– (1941, 2005)</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mission: Impossible</i>
(1966 TV Series, 1996)</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Assault on Precinct 13</i> (1976, 2005)</li>
<li><i>Taking of Pelham 123 </i>(1974, 2009)</li>
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<u>Honorable Mentions</u></div>
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<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vanilla Sky</i> (based
on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Abre Los Ojos</i>) - I know I'm pretty much alone on this one, but I just couldn't get into the original.</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thomas Crown Affair</i>
(1999) – It’s not that I love this film, it’s that I don’t think the original
is any good. That said, this is not a bad film.
It’s a fun ride.</li>
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<u>Remakes I liked, but don’t quite live up to the original</u></div>
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<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Departed, The</i> (based
on the Japanese film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Infernal Affairs</i>)
– I liked the remake, a lot, but it doesn’t hold a candle to my favorite
foreign film out of Asia since Kurosawa’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seven
Samurai</i>.</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Magnificent Seven</i>
(based on Kurosawa’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seven Samurai</i>) –
an okay western based on Kurosawa’s best film.</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scarface</i> (1932,
1983) - Original was a gangster movie that was more my speed.</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ring, The</i> (Based
on the Japanese film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ringu</i>)</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Italian Job</i>
(1969, 2003) </li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Payback</i> (based on
1967’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Point Blank</i>) - Love this Mel Gibson film, but the Lee Marvin version is pretty awesome.</li>
</ul>
<u>Originals I Need to See:</u><br />
<ul>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heat</i> – Original is
the TV movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L.A. Takedown</i></li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maltese Falcon – </i>Original
is a 1931 film of the same name, directed by Roy Del Ruth</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Insomnia</i> –
Original is a 1997 Norwegian film of the same name</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fly</i> – Original
is a 1958 film of the same name</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">3:10 to Yuma</i> –
Original is a 1957 film of the same name</li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">True Lies</i> –
Original is the French film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Totale!</i></li>
<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Solaris – </i>Original
is the 1972 Russian film of the same name</li>
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<u>Worst Remake Ever:</u></div>
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<li><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory</i></li>
</ul>Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-82694348690472955732011-11-15T20:19:00.001-05:002011-11-15T20:30:15.370-05:004.2.3. - Trailer (Slightly Revised)Because I sort of obsess over very small things, here is the new and improved trailer for my short film <i>4.2.3.</i><br />
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<object style="height: 300px; width: 492px;"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5ANYtRjUKBk?version=3&feature=player_detailpage">
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
<param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always">
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5ANYtRjUKBk?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="492" height="300"></object></div>
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What was wrong with the old trailer you may ask? <br />
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First off, I was editing video that was compressed (H.264). This is a great codec for sharing/streaming - but it is too compressed to edit. I had to go back to my original file for the short film which was in Apple Pro-Res 422 and re-edit that (tons of fun). <br />
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I also wanted to fix the end title design. I knew it wasn't perfect because I basically just swapped it in from the short film. The problem with that is that the short film doesn't have a title come up. I go from a riddle down to the title (barely) - to a title card stating 'Year 4' at the front. Karol made a comment and he was right - it didn't work. So I had to create a title card that had 4 come up, then 2, then 3. This is actually when I discovered my codec problem. So, a fix that should have taken a day took about two weeks. <br />
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But now the resolution is much higher (it may be imperceptible, but the colors are brighter, the blacks are darker and the images are sharper) - and I have a much better title design.Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-54402733581277390092011-11-14T14:40:00.000-05:002011-11-14T14:40:00.505-05:00Movie Review: Paranormal Activity 2After seeing <i>Paranormal Activity 3</i> and liking it so much, I decided to go back and watch <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1536044/">Paranormal Activity 2</a></i>. You know a film kind of got to you when you do this. Since 3 was a prequel, there were a lot of details I wanted to vet. Turns out 2 is a prequel as well - but not 20 years prior like 3. It is from about 60 days previous to the first one, from the POV of the sister's family (Kristi's family). <div>
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My biggest thought right off the bat after watching this was - 'how did I make it through the first one with that horrible wench (Katie) on screen most of the movie?' Every time she showed up in this I wanted to claw my eyeballs out.</div>
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Overall though, this actually wasn't as bad as I had heard, although it wasn't nearly as good as 3. Not even in the same league. 3 had legitimate scares. This, none. But it held my interest and, maybe because I was fresh off the last installment, was definitely interested to see where it all headed. None of the inhabitants of the house are bad, which is a good thing in a movie like this... and all of their reactions to what is going on are pretty believable. When and how they come to accept that something really strange is happening feels natural. 2 opted for security camera POV's, which was okay... but, as I heard someone describe it, felt like a 'Where's Waldo?' horror film. The camera angles and decision to make Dennis a videographer worked so well in 3. </div>
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I'd like to go back and watch the first film, but the thought of sitting through another frame with Katie in it makes my skin crawl. So, we'll see...</div>
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<br /></div>Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-89201884943386179352011-11-11T20:09:00.000-05:002011-11-11T20:09:00.338-05:00Movie Review: Paranormal Activity 3Thanks to the lax security at UA Westbury Theaters (or no security at all - not even ticket takers) I was able to catch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1778304/"><i>Paranormal Activity 3</i> </a>after I went to see<i> Ides of March</i> (<a href="http://35movieminutes.com/news.html_20_Discussion-Ides-of-March">discussion up at 35 Movie Minutes).</a><br />
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I'll start by saying that I was entertained by the first one, but ultimately was not scared. And the two leads were two of the more obnoxious and annoying people ever put to camera. I was rooting for the ghost or demon to put me out of my misery and destroy them and their house. So I decided to skip <i>Paranormal Activity 2</i> altogether.<br />
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But I've been hearing good things about the latest incarnation... how 2 was a trainwreck but this redeems itself and is much better than the first one. So I decided to give it a shot. And I am ultimately glad I did. Because all of those rumblings were true. I was into this film from start to finish, into the characters (it is a prequel to 1 and 2) and cared about whether they lived or died - which is what matters when you're watching a horror movie. That and the scares were genuinely scary. First time in a very long time I can say that. I don't remember the last time in fact (the original <i>Scream</i>?)<br />
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They do a little tugging at your heart strings by making two of the inhabitants children. It's hard to root against them. And, while most children actors are cloying and suck - these two are good. Especially Kristi, the youngest daughter. More importantly, the guy doing all of the taping, Dennis, is actually likeable. I can honestly say it is the first time in a 'found footage' type of movie where I didn't root for their death. I didn't quite care about the wife, but I didn't dislike her either.<br />
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Whereas in films like <i>Blair Witch Project</i> and the original <i>Paranormal</i>, where you're waiting and waiting for something to happen - things get kicked off real quick in this one. And they don't let up.<br />
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My only gripe is how Dennis deals with the mother (girlfriend). She doesn't want to believe any of this stuff... but there's a lot of shit going on. And he's got video footage of it all. It's very frustrating as a viewer. But perhaps the mother, obviously growing up under the grandmother, knows what is going on to some extent? Along those lines, I would have liked to see the grandmother make an appearance somewhere in between her bookends.<br />
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Somewhat small gripes for a film that is definitely worth your time. The directors behind <i>Catfish</i> did a good job with this one... they are definitely not one shot wonders.Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-84129814054766376742011-11-10T19:04:00.000-05:002011-11-10T19:04:00.675-05:00Movie Review: Red StateBehind all of the hoopla of the Sundance screening (and fake auction) for <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0873886/"><i>Red State</i></a>, there was actually a film that was made. Coming out in theaters for a short period, at the same time as VOD... and a Kevin Smith Q&A tour of the film, I applaud Smith for pushing the boundaries of distribution.<br />
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But did the film live up to the hype? Let's start with the hype. Once you sifted through the bullshit, there wasn't much - as all the reporting was focused more on Smith and less on his actual movie. But I did catch discussions on the SlashFilm podcast as well as Filmspotting. They all agreed that is was a step forward for Kevin Smith the filmmaker, but were torn on the actual movie itself. </div>
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For me, the movie was way over the top and at times a bit too farcical. It starts off well and then descends into what can only be described as madness. And not David Lynch of Cronenberg madness - just ridiculousness. I felt bad for the actors, who were all giving it their best - but were all over the place. Especially Stephen Root's Sheriff Wynan. He was acting in a Broken Lizard movie, while most of the scenes he was in were a serious cult movie. I understand Kevin Smith's humor will shine through every now and then, but that is more dialogue based. </div>
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This type of stuff took me right out of the film and I ultimately just didn't care about any of the characters. So when shit is going down, I wasn't rooting for anyone. And that is a problem. </div>
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Kevin Smith has said he wants to do a hockey two-fer and then he'll retire. I haven't liked anything he has done since <i>Mallrats </i>(which I loved, along with <i>Clerks</i>)... so I won't shed a tear.</div>
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<br /></div>Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-69762875832093080782011-11-08T19:50:00.002-05:002011-11-08T19:51:04.656-05:00Top 5 Movie NicknamesTo qualify, we had to know the character’s actual name in
the movie (so Harmonica from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Once Upon a
Time in the West</i> doesn’t count). It
can’t be an alter ego (sorry Batman, Neo and Johnny Dangerously) or a legit
name change (Dirk Diggler). No code
names: Joker from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Full Metal Jacket</i>,
or anyone from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Top Gun</i>. And no names given by the press, but not used
to address the actual person – such as Leatherface or Buffalo Bill.<br />
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<u>Top 5</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>Henry ‘Indiana’ Jones, Jr. - <i>Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark</i></li>
<li>Jeff ‘The Dude’ Lebowski - <i>The Big Lebowski</i></li>
<li>Randal ‘Pink’ Floyd – <i>Dazed and Confused</i></li>
<li>Russell ‘Rusty’ Griswold - <i>Vacation</i></li>
<li>Dudley ‘Booger’ Dawson, Fred ‘The Ogre’ Palowakski – <i>Revenge
of the N</i>erds</li>
</ul>
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<u>Next 5</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>Rupert ‘Stiles’ Stilinski (and Lisa ‘Boof’ Marconi) – <i>Teen
Wolf</i></li>
<li>Willie ‘Mays’ Hayes, Rick ‘Wild Thing’ Vaughn – <i>Major League</i></li>
<li>Benny ‘Pookie’ Robinson – <i>New Jack City</i></li>
<li>Clark ‘Mouth’ Devereaux, Richard ‘Data’ Wang - <i>Goonies</i></li>
<li>Jimmy ‘B-Rabbit’ Smith, Jr. –<i> 8 Mile</i></li>
</ul>
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<u>Honorable Mentions</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>Kenny ‘Pig Vomit’ Rushton – <i>Private Parts</i></li>
<li>Michael ‘Crocodile’ Dundee – <i>Crocodile Dundee</i></li>
<li>Harry ‘The Sundance Kid’ Longabaugh – <i>Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid</i></li>
<li>Duey Ox Oxberger - <i>Stripes</i></li>
<li>‘Big Fat’ Bernie Gayle, Little Big Fat Bernie Gale, Jr. –
<i>Safe Men</i></li>
<li>Larry ‘Mother’ Tucker - <i>Fraternity Vacation</i></li>
<li>Maurice ‘Snoopy’ Miller – <i>Out of Sight</i></li>
<li>Bill ‘The Butcher’ Cutting – <i>Gangs of New York</i></li>
<li>‘Angel Eyes’ Sentenza – <i>The Good, the Bad and the Ugly</i></li>
<li>William H. ‘Billy the Kid’ Bonney, Josiah Gordon ‘Doc’
Scurlock, ‘Dirty’ Steve Stephens – <i>Young Guns</i></li>
<li>‘Turbo’ Tony, ‘Ozone’ Orlando – <i>Breakin</i>’</li>
<li>Francis ‘Chainsaw’ Gremp – <i>Summer School</i></li>
<li>‘One Punch’ Mickey Dolan, Franky ‘Four Fingers’, Boris ‘The
Blade’ Yurinov, Doug ‘The Head’ Denovitz – <i>Snatch</i></li>
<li>Enrico ‘Ratso’ Rizzo – <i>Midnight Cowboy</i></li>
<li>Mane ‘Knockout Ned’ Galinha, Ze ‘Lil Ze’ Pequeno, Dadinho
‘Lil Dice’, Sandro ‘Carrot’ Cenoura – <i>City of God</i></li>
<li>‘Bad Boy’ Mike Barnes - <i>Karate Kid III</i></li>
<li>Sunshine’ Ronnie Bass – <i>Remember the Titans</i></li>
<li>Lester ‘Worm’ Murphy – <i>Rounders</i></li>
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<o:p></o:p></div>Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-33038849218601230852011-11-07T18:36:00.000-05:002011-11-07T18:36:32.835-05:00Movie Review: DriveI saw <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780504/">Drive</a></i> a few weeks ago, but am just now sitting down to write about it. The main reason why is because my podcast, <a href="http://www.35movieminutes.com/">35 Movie Minutes</a>, is now up and running and we did a podcast discussion about the film. <br />
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In general, I was a big fan of the movie. I loved the pace, the quiet nature of things - and the explosion of violence/action that occurs throughout. Nicholas Weding Refn finally got his shot here and he delivered. I have loved the Pusher trilogy for quite some time. It seems as if critics are split on Gosling's performance (with many more liking it than not)... I would call it a tour de force. Yes, he's doing his best to channel stars from the 70's like Steve McQueen - but so what? He does it well. And I've missed performances like that. Everything now is quick-cutting, in your face acting and action - it is all the same shit over and over. And I like action movies.<br />
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The rest of the cast is great. Carey Mulligan is once again wonderful (has she ever not been?). Oscar Isaacs does a fine job as her criminal husband in a jam. Albert Brooks is good as the crime boss... but I think Ron Perelman is better here. The one person who stood out was Bryan Cranston. His down on his luck auto shop owner didn't sit well with me. Maybe because I'm bringing my own Cranston baggage with me. I know his as the uptight chem teacher/meth cooker - so I couldn't get past the grease and shmoopy demeanor. <br />
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It opens with one of the best car chases put to film... and it's very stoic in the filmmaking. No flipped cars, crazy angles or outrageous stunts. But I think that's why it is so effective. From there it continues to keep you interested, mostly carried by Gosling's unnamed 'Driver'. My one issue with the film would have to be the ending. I don't want to give it away completely, but I just don't buy it. I don't buy that Albert Brooks is going to do what he does in broad daylight, in a parking lot. Especially after Gosling does what he does. Then, the very final moment of the film - no shot. No way. He may not be in it for the money, but this shot just eats at me until now. I don't need to see him drop it off to Mulligan's character - but wouldn't that be a natural reaction? <br />
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Anyone else have trouble with that ending?<br />
<br />Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-562980686686047302011-11-04T10:30:00.000-04:002011-11-03T21:43:34.752-04:00Harbor Moon Now Available on DriveThru ComicsI'm proud to say that <i><a href="http://www.harbor-moon.com/">Harbor Moon</a></i> is now available through digital publisher <a href="http://comics.drivethrustuff.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=harbor+moon&x=0&y=0&quicksearch=1&search_filter=&filters=&search_free=&search_in_description=1&search_in_author=1&search_in_artist=1">DriveThru Comics</a>. You can download the full book, as well as all six issues. <br />
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I met DriveThru's Matt McElroy at NY Comic-con, who gave me the pitch on the company and I was sold. Things got even better once I actually started dealing with them. These guys are really on top of things. They know how to promote and they have a wide audience through DriveThru Comics, DriveThru RPG and DriveThru Fiction. I'm glad they welcomed Spoke Lane and our books into their family.Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-91012678667102546442011-11-03T21:24:00.002-04:002011-11-03T21:24:40.671-04:00First Round of Chasing Rabbit LayoutsSomehow Sigit turned up the heat on Chasing Rabbits. After spending just over a month on character designs (there were a crazy amount of characters)... he pounded out 23 layouts in a week. And these aren't thumbnail layouts with stick figures. They are a step away from pencils. <br />
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If I was excited about this project before (it was and continues to be my personal favorite of all of my projects)... now my head is ready to explode. <br />
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Wanted to share some with you all... remember these are just layouts. It's like this guy was reading my mind with some of this stuff.<br />
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<br />Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-66139138434386243812011-11-02T13:18:00.004-04:002011-11-02T13:19:00.011-04:00Goodreads Reader Choice Awards: Nominate 'Harbor Moon'If you're into reading, chances are you have a <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a> account. It is a great site that lets you connect with like-minded people, authors you like (and don't like)... and chart your own reading. If you want to do all of those things, but don't have an account yet - what are you waiting for?<div>
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Goodreads just started the nomination process for their 2011 Reader's Choice Awards. They have a ton of categories - and a few readers of my graphic novel <i><a href="http://www.harbor-moon.com/">Harbor Moon</a></i> have submitted the book for nomination. </div>
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If you feel so inclined, swing by the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/award/choice/2011#56043-Best-Graphic-Novels-&amp;-Comics">Nomination Page</a> (you can submit for Graphic Novels & Comics as well as Horror) and below the list of titles you will see a line that reads "Write-In Vote" and next to 'Your Choice' just type Harbor Moon... a drop down list will appear and it will be the top one in that list.</div>
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Then submit.</div>Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-34651172721963477242011-11-01T13:00:00.000-04:002011-11-01T13:00:02.523-04:004.2.3. (Trailer)As you may know, I directed a short film in the spring entitled <i>4.2.3.</i>, which is a prequel to my feature film project/graphic novel <i>R.E.M.</i> I got sidetracked a bit from promoting that film as I went right into production on <i><a href="http://www.enterwhitespace.com/">White Space</a></i> and was then dealing with <i><a href="http://www.harbor-moon.com/">Harbor Moon</a></i> promotions and post on the feature. <br />
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But I'm starting to get back on track, and I've recently completed a trailer for <i>Harbor Moon</i> and now <i>4.2.3</i>. The score for the Harbor Moon trailer is currently being done... but I was able to use composer Nathan Matthew David's awesome score from the short in the trailer. <br />
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Without further ado...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZUuLI--X564?hl=en&fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-70976923234269775412011-10-31T23:38:00.001-04:002011-10-31T23:38:42.053-04:00A Good WeekendIt started off poorly... with snowfall in October. October! And I knew my best bud was leaving for the week with her dad, which always blows. But the weekend rallied strong. First with 8 pages of layouts from Sigit on Chasing Rabbits. Then 15 pages from Sigit on Chasing Rabbits. <br />
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23 jaw dropping pages. And these are just layouts.</div>
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Then I received the first assembly from our new editor on <i>White Space</i> - Eric Potter. It's no secret that I wasn't a fan of the first edit. But I had supreme confidence that there wasn't a good movie there, there was a very good movie. However, I was a little nervous and put it off for a few hours. Then I couldn't resist anymore and buckled down for 90 minutes of uncertainty. </div>
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To say it was night and day would be an understatement. It was like Christmas and my birthday and Easter all rolled into one. I wasn't expecting Eric to pull off a miracle, but we didn't need one - we just needed an editor who got it. And he did. He nailed it for the most part - and I say most part because this was just a rough assembly to make sure we were all on the same page as he moved forward. He hasn't even really started editing this thing. </div>
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I'm pumped. I'm excited. I'm the exact opposite of just about everything I was feeling before we brought Eric on. </div>
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<i>White Space</i> is coming... </div>
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<br /></div>Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-39732896895232968852011-10-28T14:52:00.000-04:002011-10-28T14:52:00.310-04:00Top 5 Political MoviesFilms dealing with politicians and government in one form or
another. No films dealing with legal
proceedings or cases that are inherently political (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In the Name of the Father</i> is out).
No films dealing with espionage (sorry <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Quiet American, Three Days of the Condor </i>and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Marathon Man</i>). No war
movies (even though they are inherently political). Films such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Team America: World Police</i> are out.
I’m torn on films about political violence/uprisings. Films such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Bloody Sunday, Battle of Algiers</i>… so I’m going to include them.<br />
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<li><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032553/">Great Dictator, The</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058946/">Battle of Algiers</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226774/">In the Loop</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460989/">Wind That Shakes the Barley, The </a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126886/">Election</a></i></li>
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<li><i>All the President’s Men</i></li>
<li><i>Bloody Sunday</i></li>
<li><i>Milk</i></li>
<li><i>The Candidate</i></li>
<li><i>Manchurian Candidate (Original) </i></li>
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<li><i>Good Night, and Good Luck</i></li>
<li><i>Hunger</i></li>
<li><i>Wag the Dog</i></li>
<li><i>Frost/Nixon</i></li>
<li><i>Outside the Law</i></li>
<li><i>JFK</i></li>
<li><i>Parallax View</i></li>
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co-star (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Full Metal Jacket</i> is knocked
out of the running). That lead has to
start the movie somewhat sane and then unravel as the story progresses (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Machinist</i> is out). Also, if alcohol or drugs are involved the
film is ineligible (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scarface</i>).<br />
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<li><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/">Fight Club</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138704/">Pi</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066921/">A Clockwork Orange</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120601/">Being John Malkovich</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075314/">Taxi Driver </a></i></li>
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<li><i>Mulholland Drive</i></li>
<li><i>Aviator, The</i></li>
<li><i>One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest</i></li>
<li><i>The Shining</i></li>
<li><i>Requiem for a Dream</i></li>
<li><i> 8 1/2</i></li>
<li><i>Vertigo</i></li>
<li><i>Adaptation</i></li>
<li><i>Barton Fink</i></li>
<li><i>Player, The</i></li>
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<li><i>Black Swan</i></li>
<li><i>Scarface</i></li>
<li><i>Schenectady, NY</i></li>
<li><i>Jacob’s Ladder</i></li>
<li><i>Solaris</i></li>
<li><i>Beach, The</i></li>
<li><i>Donnie Darko</i></li>
<li><i>Moon</i></li>
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<o:p></o:p></div>Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-67910305381859334982011-10-24T19:30:00.000-04:002011-10-24T19:30:34.415-04:00Back to NY... Hopefully for a WhileAfter heading to Vegas, Ann Arbor, NY Comic-con and then Pittsburgh I am finally back in NY. Hopefully for an extended period of time. The last month has been tough because I was also dealing with a cough/sore throat that wouldn't go away. It was hard to get much done, although I tried. I have a lot of projects on my plate, which is a good thing... so losing my weekends is a real killer. I'm looking forward to get back to business. And to start training as hard as I can. I bought a month's worth of Bikram Yoga on Groupon for $25 and I plan on starting November 1. It was my goal to be able to do a full split by the new year - but I'm not sure I'll hit that mark. I did lose 5-6 months of serious training/stretching because of <i>4.2.3.</i> and then <i>White Space</i>.<br />
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Time to get serious.<br />
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<br />Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-49710354190913154222011-10-20T15:45:00.000-04:002011-10-20T15:45:00.085-04:00Is Your Phone the New DSLR?With a few big filmmakers experimenting with work on their phones... the thought of shooting a feature on a cellphone doesn't sound that preposterous. But more as an exercise in doing it than creating a work of art, right? <br />
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That may not be the case anymore. I just saw a video shot on the new iphone 4S and was blown away. It's not up to the level of the Canon 5D just yet... and without the ability to add high quality lenses... but wow. The video, shot by Benjamin Dowie, looks pretty damn good. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/30578363?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/30578363">A video shot on the iPhone 4S</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/benjamindowie">Benjamin Dowie</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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One could easily shoot a no-frills feature on the phone. Go for natural lighting when possible, get a small sound package... man, this is exciting.<br />
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I wish the iPhone had the ability to flip open with a qwerty keypad. I just can't type on the thing.Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-25968048039776279062011-10-19T11:13:00.001-04:002011-10-19T11:13:46.409-04:00Vdio - a viable competitor for Netflix?I am usually pretty plugged in to things like this, but a new service just started to crop up - <a href="http://gigaom.com/video/skype-founders-new-startup-vdio/">Vdio</a>. It is being hailed as a possible rival (threat) to Netflix. <div>
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The team behind Vdio is pretty amazing: the founders of Skype, Napster, NBC, TV Guide, Skype's design team, someone from Netflix's content acquisition's team... and probably the most interesting (and in the long run, besides content, most important part of the equation - <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">a systems engineer who worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is experienced in “data management and modeling, data analytics, and statistical analyses of large data sets, including data mining, visualization, and interpretation.” Which means their algorithm for curating your viewing could potentially blow Netflix' away. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">No other details are really known about it - when it will come out, what format it'll take, etc... But consider my interest heavily piqued.</span></span></div>Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-8796187862225471612011-10-18T15:04:00.000-04:002011-10-18T15:04:41.817-04:00Movies That Are Better Than The BookPublisher's Weekly had an <a href="http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz/?p=6924">interesting article on Drive</a> the other day, talking about how it was one of the few films that outshines its prose counterpart. For the most part, the book is typically better than the movie. There is just so much more ground that a book can cover. So many more layers. Plunge deeper into the depths of characters.<br />
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But for every <i>Atlas Shrugged</i> and <i>Bonfire of the Vanities</i> there is a <i>Jaws</i>. Or <i>The Godfather</i>. I have yet to read <i>Drive</i>, but from the article there's a good chance I would agree with them. In fact, his opinions on <i>A History of Violence</i> jive with my own. A rather incomplete graphic novel that is far superior onscreen. </div>
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Although a good book by a great author, I believe <i>Fight Club</i> the film triumphs (it's also shares my favorite film of all time honors with <i>Rad</i>).</div>
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<u>Better than the Book</u></div>
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<ul>
<li><i>Fight Club</i></li>
<li><i>Jaws</i></li>
<li><i>The Godfather</i></li>
<li><i>Conan the Barbarian</i></li>
<li><i>Blade Runner</i></li>
<li><i>There Will Be Blood </i>(based on <u>Oil!</u> by Pulitzer Prize winner Upton Sinclair)</li>
<li><i>The Princess Bride</i></li>
<li><i>The Shining</i></li>
<li><i>The Warriors</i></li>
<li><i>The Prestige</i></li>
<li><i>Marathon Man</i></li>
<li><i>Lord of the Rings (full trilogy)</i></li>
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<u>Worst</u></div>
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<li><i>The Scarlet Letter</i></li>
<li><i>The Count of Monte Cristo</i></li>
<li><i>The Time Machine </i> (noting a trend of 'classic' period films)</li>
<li><i>Alice in Wonderland</i> (2010)</li>
<li><i>The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen</i></li>
<li><i>How the Grinch Stole Christmas</i> (2000)</li>
<li><i>Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</i></li>
<li><i>Eragon</i></li>
<li><i>Captain America</i> (1990)</li>
<li><i>Batman and Robin </i>(1997)</li>
<li><i>Fantastic Four</i> (1994 and 2002)</li>
<li><i>X-Men 3</i></li>
<li><i>I Am Legend</i> (2007)</li>
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What do you guys think?</div>
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<br /></div>Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-3755794314132709972011-10-17T11:32:00.001-04:002011-10-17T11:32:23.737-04:00New York Comic-con - AftermathAfter Thursday's dismal ghost town... the convention picked up on Friday, took off on Saturday and ended with a happy whimper on Sunday. <br />
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I try to be as honest as possible, so I will tell you exactly how it went down in terms of sales:<br />
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Thursday: nothing<br />
Friday: 2 art prints, 13 books<br />
Saturday: 2 art prints, 2 t-shirts, 32 books<br />
Sunday: 1 art print, 1 t-shirt, 5 books<br />
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The booth in artist alley cost $300. The extra exhibitor badge cost $55. And other costs added up to about $150. So I broke even and then just a little more.<br />
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But that doesn't account for the costs of the books. Which, because of the over-sized printing and quality of paper (along with full color)... cost just under $10/each. So selling them for $10/each at the convention - I definitely lost. However, 50 books out there means 50 people are reading it. Those can be future fans, or messengers of the book. And I made some contacts in the industry. Would I go back next year? Yes, definitely. I will have at least one more book out by then. Hopefully two - but probably only one. And I have a much better grasp on what to bring in terms of art prints (and quality of those prints). <br />
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Thanks for everyone who stopped by. It was a lot of fun no matter what the numbers were...<br />
<br />Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-62347820812085389952011-10-13T22:37:00.002-04:002011-10-13T22:37:53.271-04:00New York Comic-conFirst day of NY Comic-con and I'm asking myself the same question I did in San Diego - why did I do this? <br />
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To be fair, Thursday is preview night - so it is exhibitors, professionals and press - and I guess some people who bought 4 day passes. But my god, it better get a little more lively. <br />
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The cost of these conventions far outweighs possible profits. Unless of course you have a name and a ton of books in the marketplace. Or you're doing manga/super hero stuff. If you're off the beaten path a bit - people look at you like street urchins. And these are street urchins looking at you like this.<br />
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Buck up little camper - tomorrow is 9 hours instead of 3....Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-23826993539810157822011-10-12T11:24:00.000-04:002011-10-12T13:50:38.195-04:0035 Movie Minute PodcastOver the last year and a half I've been working with Rob Scarpelli on getting a podcast off the ground. We ran into some technical difficulties last year around this time and things came to a halt. In all honesty, I think the idea for the podcast I laid out was a bit daunting. <br />
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<i>35 Movie Minutes</i> covers the last week of Hollywood news over the course of 35 minutes. Do you see the clever play on 35 millimeter? So sweet.</div>
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I wanted to format it more like PTI, where we have a running clock and cover items in minute or timed segments. But with me doing the producing and Rob and I hosting, it just seemed insurmountable. So, after producing White Space and getting back on track with my books, I wanted to dive back in. We stripped it down and made it a lot more conversational. Now, we discuss the last week of news, box office, upcoming films, etc... but in a freer format. </div>
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I'm happy to say we are four weeks in and just wrapped our third podcast, as well as special podcasts on the Toronto Film Festival as well as our discussion of the films <i>Drive </i>and<i> Killer Elite.</i></div>
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We are definitely still getting our sea legs, me especially since this is my first time behind the mic. However, our improvement from week one to two was tremendous and we will just get better, make the show tighter and stop leaning on certain crutches (the ums, yeahs, okays).</div>
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The website is live, although still being coded right now (by Karol Wisniewski). It looks sweet and will be ready to go shortly. We are available on iTunes:<br />
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To subscribe go to the iTunes store, search '35 Movie Minutes Podcast' - click 'Subscribe Free'. It's as easy as that.<br />
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You can follow us at:</div>
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Twitter:</div>
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<a href="http://www.twitter.com/35movieminutes">@35movieminutes</a></div>
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Facebook:</div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/35movieminutes">www.facebook.com/35movieminutes</a></div>
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We'll post all of the podcasts, reviews and other updates there. </div>Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1612766269196991472.post-6714886657334171982011-10-12T00:15:00.000-04:002011-10-26T14:22:36.945-04:00Breaking Bad: Season 4In what started off as their weakest season (for the large majority) may have ended with the best 3 episodes of the entire run of the show. Walter finally stopped being a pussy and Jesse, the real star of the show now, was just brilliant. I mean, Walter really hit a new low - which for me was a real high.<br />
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You questioned how it was going to sort out with Gus and company, knowing that Jesse and Walter would probably survive - and the way they pulled through was pretty awesome. I would have been a bit more satisfied with Skylar catching a bullet... but am nonetheless excited to see where they take these characters now.</div>
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Thanks Vince Gilligan for delivering an amazing show. Quite possibly the best on TV right now.</div>Ryan Coluccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11661135327705942190noreply@blogger.com0