All-Star Superman Vol #1

Of all the superheroes, prior to me getting back to be interested in comics, Superman is probably the one guy I'd read about the most - through the series where he "died" and then Kingdom Come. But what's done here is truly interesting. I mean, the problem with Superman to begin with is that it's kind of a hard character to make interesting in that you can't hurt or kill him. And that's where this series flips that on it's head. Instead of putting the threat for Superman's life through a massive super villain, they make it internal. I won't ruin the specifics, but essentially this series is about Superman having to come to terms with her own mortality. He's dying from the inside, and there's nothing he can do about it. And what they do with his alter-ego Clark Kent is very very clever. They make him such a bumbling oaf that, when he tries to tell Lois Lane who he really is, she sees it as a giant practical joke. He's done such a good job of convincing the world otherwise. And it's painful to him.
I think my only issue with this series so far is that it seems to lack a strong through-line. It feels a bit episodic - or more so than I would like it to. Although each issue feels like it's dealing with a variation on a theme/idea so perhaps I'm complaining unnecessarily.
As far as I know there's only one more volume in this series. I look forward to it!

TUWOPS - Finishing the Film!

So today we officially started the online of the film. For those of you unfamiliar with the post-production process I'll give you a little explanation of how it works. There are two different phases of post production in terms of the picture editing: Offline and Online. During the "offline" stage is when you do the actual editing - you chose your takes, cut the movie together. On a regular film that's not super effects heavy it's where you do the bulk of your work. It's the crafting of the performances and story. The "online" is when you do all your effects, colour correcting, etc….. It's the finishing process of the film in terms of the picture. Sound has a different process, but happens around the same time as the online.

So today what we did was the colour correct, and just a few little picture tweaks. I know what you're saying - colour correct? What was wrong with the colour? Well nothing, really. But every film and television show (scripted anyway) gets colour corrected. And when you see a highly stylized film, chances are that they REALLY colour corrected it. So we went through the entire film, scene by scene, and decided what the scene should look like in terms of the colour scheme. So they'll apply those looks to the entire film and then get to work on the other things that need to happen. Some titles, graphics, blurring, etc… Very boring to describe, but all necessary.

And while that's all happening our composers are working away on the score of the film. They sent me some stuff tonight and it's really coming along. Very exciting. Our projected schedule is to finish the film mid-March. Very exciting!

Supreme Power #1

Holy shit was this good. Look at that super-pissed kid in the American flag. Goddamn. This series came out of nowhere and just knocked my socks off. It follows a completely new set of superheroes, but to be fair it's Marvel's way of messing around with the Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, etc... origins... They take some fantastic and brilliant liberties and I love it. Imagine if when Ma & Pa Kent discovered the baby in the crashed space ship, that moments later the military showed up and decided that it was in the countries best interest to raise the child themselves. And they do - they try to condition him to become a superhero for the country, but they do so by lying to him his entire life. And then he finds out.
And. It's. Awesome!
And that's just the one character. What they do with their Wonder Woman character "Power Princess" is just really clever, and I'm sure got a lot of fellow geeks excited. I'll ruin this one little bit - she wakes up in a cave as a haggard old woman whose been biding her time for centuries, and then BAM - she becomes Megan Fox (essentially) and walks around naked. Why? Because it's gratuitous? Maybe a little. But she does it because she can. Because she wants to. And no one is going to goddamn stop her.
God damn this would make a great film. It's dark and real and gritty and fantastic. The writing here is very very sharp and continues to expand on the mentality of troubled superheroes that so many people are covering these days. My only hope is that this series continues to be amazing and that it hasn't already peaked. This got me excited about superheroes in a way that I'm not sure I ever have been before. I liked The Ultimates. But I love Supreme Power. Please oh please continue to be awesome. Please!

1320 - Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

This is one of the films I picked up in the Blockbuster closing-sale earlier in the month with a strong recommend from my buddy Scott. Because I just finished directing a doc-style feature AND because my writing partner and I are working on a horror-comedy he thought that I'd dig this. And he was soooo right.
I say doc-style because I find the term 'mockumentary'... offensive. I don't know why, but I do. I find it cheapens the art form. Given that the last decade has seen the majority of our television programming shifting to reality/doc style the public is fairly used to seeing things done this way. It's a legitimate story telling structure. It's probably the inclusion of 'mock' into it. Alas.
So this film is a lot of fun. Not only does it have a lot of fun with the documentary format, but it has a LOT of fun with the horror genre. One could say it's sending it up, and it does, but it's a legitimate horror film as well. It doesn't go stupid like the Wayans brothers send-ups - instead it goes scary and creepy. And it's a treat. NOW, it does cheat. But I'm okay with it - I won't explain how 'cause that'll ruin some of the fun of the ending.
From time to time I found them over-explaining, but it makes sense in how I think it'll make an average audience grab right along with it. Nathan Baesel & Angela Goethals are really really fantastic as the director & pschiopath. This is the kind of film that I'm so glad that I own so I can dig right into the special features. Highly recommend it!

1319 - Brothers

I'm not big on war movies. But movies about what war does to people - I'm all for. I suppose you could argue that's what ALL war films are about. So perhaps that I should clarify that big battles and explosions don't do anything for me. I'm not against them, but I wouldn't watch a film with the anticipation of that alone.
So what we've got here is a story of two brothers, both from different sides of the fence, one a prisoner slacker and one a soldier with a young family. And from the outset you know that these two men are going to go down the opposite paths of where they started from. Maguire looks exactly like that scrawny pro-military guy we all know. Given all that I'm still not quite convinced that he's landing someone as hot as the cheerleader that Natalie Portman was. But Nat is great in the film and is given a role that's moving her into a different category past the usual manic pixie dream girl and into something more mature and refined. Looking forward to seeing where that takes her.
There are some really nice plot moves in this film, but over all I just wanted the film to go a bit further into what was going on with these characters under the surface of it all. It felt like it went a little more than half there and decided that it was enough. For me, it wasn't.
So it's not a bad film at all, but given the level of talent involved in it - it should have been a great film.

1318 - The Nines

John August isn't someone I follow. I used to read his blog from time to time, but I haven't in years. To me he's just one of those screenwriters that exist amongst the pack. This isn't meant to say I don't like his stuff. I think it was just that I felt with the first film I saw of his "Go!" I just felt like he so badly wanted to try and make something as hip as Pulp Fiction that it got in his way. And now with this, he's still doing the clever pop culture thing as well as throwing QT's name right in there with the rest. And here's the irony - he's done more interesting and more thoughtful things in this one film than all of Tarantino's combined. And now, I'm not suggesting that Tarantino isn't a talented filmmaker - far from it. I just think that he does what he does - and he does it well. He aims for a certain mark and hits it spot on. Nothing wrong with that.
So now to this film. It's one of those ones that I've been well aware of but knowing it's risky premise I've never picked it up - now I wish I had. It starts off shaking and just on the verge of being a bit on the nose pretentious - but then it shifts into this really lovely second act and ending with a very satisfying conclusion. It's not a perfect film, but it's a lot of fun and it leaves you with stuff to chew on. It's a pretty heavy commentary on art Vs. artist, creator Vs. the created. And the cast is pretty great, even when chewing through some of the more expository sections. This film isn't for everyone, that's for sure - but it's worth watching if you're at all interested.

Incognito

This is my first venture into the world of Ed Brubaker. I have to say, I was 'meh' for a lot of this. It's a big world with a lot of characters, and I'm not sure what to think or care as I'm going along. The art work doesn't do anything for me, really. I'm not sure what it is about it, I think I just wanted them to go a little further with the idea of the noir. Feels like photoshop filters on top of photos. Maybe it'll grow on me. I'm not trying to say that they aren't artistic, but to me they just aren't effective. The covers are really wonderful though.
The characters are interesting. Essentially it's about a super-villian in some kind of a witness protection program following the death of his twin brother. It's interesting enough. I mean, I think it would make a hell of a film. By the end of it I was into it and I'll gladly read more (which is rumoured to be coming). Although it felt like they burned through a lot of characters in this book. I'm sure that there's more where that came from. At any rate I'm intrigued enough to look into more of Brubaker's stuff - I'm especially intrigued by "Sleeper" & "Gotham Central". I quite liked Incognito - but I didn't absolutely love it.

Lost At Sea

I've had this book sitting on my shelf for quite some time now and laid up in bed it seemed like the perfect time to pull it off and curl up with it. For those unaware, this is Bryan Lee O'Malley's pre-Scott Pilgrim work - and after that series wraps up, potentially what he'll get back to.
There is a lot to like inside of here. The caption above reminds me of so many highschool evenings and weekends where you do things just-because. And everything seems so important and passions abound. O'Malley has struck deep into the mind of the eighteen year old and come back with many riches. While this book doesn't have much of a strong story structure, it makes up for the character work, or at least the supporting character work. There is a strong sense of discovery here. Of learning. One could say that it becomes pretentious at points. And perhaps it does. But I enjoyed it's ramblings. O'Malley has a gift of wit and of heart that's refreshing and will make me a life long fan. Like the back of the book says, if you were ever eighteen, or confused, or both - maybe you should read this book.

Fables #13: The Great Fables Crossover

So before I get into my thoughts on this, I have to wonder why this last issue of this arc came out last July and the trade just came out last week. That's like seven months! I guess they're trying to get people to keep buying the single issues. If the trades came out right away there would be no incentive to wait. Huh. I guess that makes sense.
So this cross-over was more to do with the Jack storyline than the Fables one, really, and for that I'm really glad that I read the Jack-line all the way through. In all reality you could probably pull this story right out of the Fables line and I don't think it would make that big a difference. Besides their world potentially coming to an end, nothing... really... happened. NOW, that being said, it changed EVERYTHING in the Jack of Fables storyline in that the slate is wiped, pretty much, clean. It could go anywhere, do anything, and that's kind of exciting...
I'd be lying if I didn't say I didn't feel a little concern about the future of both Fables & Jack. It feels, to me, that their greatest battles have been fought and won and... what's left? Fables started off on a pretty interesting path - the idea of how you have to deal with the fall-out from war... but where can/will it go with it? Time will tell.
So overall - I enjoyed this. What was most fun was seeing them mixing the tones of the sillier Jack books with that of Fables - mostly evident in the treating of Bigby. All-in-all a decent book, but I don't think you'll get the full appreciation of it if you haven't read the Jack series. And now... I just have to wait... good thing I've got a stack of things to keep me busy.

Jack of Fables #6: The Big Book of War

I blasted through this. Even though my body is weak as hell from this flu that's kicked my ass my mind is pretty alert and I HATE wasting time. Couldn't watch anything - just... felt... weird... so I hunkered down with some comics. So this one was a blast, and, for now, the end of the Bookburner arc, I believe. Although now that Thorn has his pen back.... huzzah!
Some very interesting reveals at the end of this book. I'm extremely excited for the cross-over book which starts.... now!

Jack of Fables #5: Turning Pages

I spent today in bed with a nasty-ass flu. So inbetween sleeping and trips to the throne I was able to sneak this in. I like this series more and more as I read it. It doesn't have the weight of the Fables main line, but it does things that it can't do. This book in particular is more of a hallway to get us to a bigger story - but it's a really nice hallway. There's a large tangent at the beginning that shows us a version of Jack back in the days of the old west. And it's a savage, different Jack. Which is bizarrely refreshing. And then for the second half of this edition the book does something really interesting - it tells the current story through the window of the three Page sisters. And it's GOOD. It's nice to have a little window into them, helps to see their perspective of this world. So one more trade to get through before I can dig into the Fables cross-over book. Should get to it this week... and then... not sure. I've got a stack of stuff I've picked up over the last few months as well as a bunch of indie comic titles that I really want to give a shot. But my comic supplier Scott apparently has some stuff for me to check out. Who knows. I just can't believe I was never into comics as a kid.

1317 - Freaks & Geeks

I don't even know where the hell to begin this. I've meant to watch this series for a long time - but shit happens - life gets in the way - other things get watched. First off, look at the cast above here. Not ONE of these people left this show and didn't go off to a great continuous career. From left to right they're all still working and doing extremely well for themselves. How many ensemble casts can you say that about? Especially ones full of teenagers. AND ones where the series was canceled after it's first season?
So let's talk about that first off. This series is about as close to perfect as you can get. It's a true ensemble. It never gets preachy and yet it deals with strong issues. And it does so with a wink and a knowing smile. It came out at the beginning of the last decade, right before HBO and Showtime proved without a doubt that viewers could sustain an ongoing story. That shows didn't have to be split down the middle comedy or drama. They could be both. I think that this series came down to the fact that they just didn't know how to market the damn thing. And that's a damn shame. There isn't a single episode in this eighteen-episode series that isn't fantastic. Some are simply amazing, but the weakest still stand strong. And it's full of characters that you just ache to spend time with. Mine was Martin Starr's Bill. Goddamn do I love Bill.
So I don't want to talk too much and give anything away. But if you haven't seen this series yet do yourself a big favor and check it out. It's on DVD. I'm going to pick up my own copy as soon as I get a chance. The DVD set is packed with stuff and a great linear notes.
Wish I would have gotten to this sooner, but just glad that I got around to it at all in the mountain of good media that exists.

Jack of Fables #4: Americana

Jack completed the trifecta! For those who read this book you'll know what I mean, for those who don't - the above gives a pretty good clue. This series continues to be fun and more or less light. Which is okay. It never tries to be anything grander so that's fine by me. Of course, having said that, there seems to be a strong story shift now that The Literals are coming out of the woodwork - I know that the upcoming cross-over issue of Fables is about that coming to a head (picked it up today). So I've got two more of these Jack books to dig through before I can sit back and dig into the big-ass crossover.
All in all this book was good - some meandering going on, but lots of fun. I continue to enjoy the random humor.

1316 - Mean Girls

I remember when I saw this film in theaters I was just blown away. Never for a second did I imagine it would be as fantastic as it is. Sadly due to reputations of certain cast members it may drift into obscurity, but this film deserves to become a classic. In no small part to Tina Fey's brilliant script (need to find me a copy of it). The script is just full of great characters, lines, and ideas. It's a hyper-realistic look at some of the horrible things that people, especially girls, do to one another in high-school. It launched a lot of it's young cast, and rightly so. If you haven't seen this film yet YOU MUST SEE IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. This was the film that showed the world the promise of Lindsay Lohan. This is why she became a star. What's happened since then... well, who is to judge - but I for one still hope she gets her stuff figured out and a second shot at it - 'cause she's pretty great here.
And as a side note, for those of you who have seen this and are a fan, the same person that made the 'Burn Book' prop, worked on my feature and made some pretty kick-ass things for us - including something in the same vein as the Burn Book.

Jack of Fables #3: The Bad Prince

So what I'm starting to realize (and be okay with) is that this series is intended, I believe, mostly to just be a side dish. It doesn't have a super strong or important storyline (although they are flirting with the Kevin Thorn stuff that's been in Fables for quite sometime - and so that's the meat to this particular stew). This all being said, it's fun. I like Jack for better than I ever thought I would be - he's entertaining because of those around him and the way that they mess with him and his ego. I'll continue to read this book probably even after the cross-over, but it's not something I get super excited about. It's mildly entertaining, but I think that's all that they're really shooting for. What I like the most about it is that it has these moments of wonderful randomness. It's almost like this is the Fables people's outlet to just fuck around and have fun, while they keep the strong story stuff to the main Fables line.

1315 - Galaxy Quest

So I've meant to see this for forever - and I snagged it during that Blockbuster closing sale last week. Loved it. People have been telling me to see this for a long time. Well worth the wait. Packed with some fantastic stuff. Great gags. Great set-ups and pay-offs. Justin Long and Rainn Wilson make their debuts here. Sigorney Weaver is actually pretty smoking-sexy-hot here. Tim Allen is brilliant. Alan Rickman, Tony Shalaub, the list goes on and on and on. I don't want to ruin any of them, but the film is full of fantastic moments - there's no really any gags written but the laughs keep coming out of the situations and the characters. If you're a fan of sci-fi, or just a fan of good fun films - this is a flick worth checking out!

The Ultimates 2 Vol 2: Grand Theft America

Technically this is volume 4 and where I've been told to stop. If you could look at these books as series, these would have been a nice two films. And the second one would have appropriately upped the ante. The Hulk trial was just amazing and his return here was sweet.
I suppose my one complaint with this one is that there's just too much going on, too many characters. You can't focus. Everyone gets a little moment, but that's it. There's not enough opportunities for greatness. The battle is epic and fantastic in many ways, but ironically feels a bit... diluted. I felt that the battle at the end of the first one, while smaller in scale, was far more personal. More interesting.
I'm curious as to where it goes after this, but I'll probably follow my instructions and not bother. I'll find internet summaries. In truth I find it's all very cyclical in terms of the characters problems within the team (which is the most interesting stuff for me).
So not horrible, but not as strong as the first two books. Worth reading though for sure!

The Ultimates 2 Vol 1: Gods & Monsters

What a bizarre naming structure that Marvel has for this series. It's like this is a sequel to the first book, or they're setting it up much like you would a television series. Bizarre.
Either way, I continue to enjoy this. There's a term that I quite enjoy that I've learned from a friend of mine (and supplier of comics) Scott, that sometimes things are just hallways to get you somewhere. They aren't amazing, but they're necessary. This book is a bit of a hallway, I think. There's a lot of set-up going on, which looking at their naming structure makes sense. According to Scott he series goes to hell after the next book, so I've at least got that to look forward to. I'll finish it up soon to clear some space in my subway reading for Jack of Fables (and then the new Fables!)
So not the best book of the series, but that isn't to say that there isn't some really really wonderful things going on in here. Some devastating actually. I feel bad calling it a hallway. It's better than a hallway. How about... a corridor. Does that sound better.
So again, I'm not a big fan of the big heroes - but this is changing my mind at a rapid pace.

The Ultimates #2: Homeland Security

Gotta admit. Enjoying this series a lot more than I thought it would. Although I've been told that it goes to hell after the fourth book - so I'll dig my way through the next two and then probably shift my focus back to Fables.
A very very interesting book, and in dealing with some of Captain America's back story. Like I said before, I know a whole lot of nothing about these characters pasts and whatnot, but what I'm seeing I like. Captain American is a hard-ass. And it's brilliant. The core characters are all very interesting. They do some great stuff with The Hulk, and especially Betty Ross, who is kind of sexually creepy in how turned on she gets by Banner's actions as Hulk. And although I'd never really heard about the Pym's I quite enjoy The Wasp.
So I'm sticking around this one for two more books at least.

The Ultimates #1: Super-Human

I've always avoided the big super heroes. I've read some of the more famous Superman trades - Death of Superman, World Without a Superman, & Kingdom Come, but I've never really travelled into the Marvel territory of things. In truth I just always felt like I didn't know where to start - there is too much history - too much to know - and I'm a fan of starting things from the beginning and knowing as much as I can, so I was guided towards this as it's designed to be a reboot or a remaining of The Avengers. So not known the original origins of Captain America, I found this really interesting. I got a kick out of how they involved all the characters and the iterations on them. They have some fun with pop-culture as well. I really got a strong feeling for how Bruce Banner felt among all this, and his turn at the end wasn't surprising - in fact you're excited and waiting for it. This trade ends beautifully wanting me to jump in and read the next one (which I just so happen to have in my back-pack…)

So while this doesn't knock my socks off in the way that some of the stuff I've been reading lately has, it's definitely interesting and I'll definitely keep reading it, especially since as I've been told there's only four books in the series (that may just be so-far, not sure).

Oh… oh… oh… new Fables today… will I pick it up? Hrm… I'll probably wait for the weekend…

TUWOPS - The Re-Edit is (pretty much) complete!

Huzzah! Just for a slight re-cap for those who didn't know, our house was broken into on Christmas Day, and with the rest of our loot, they stole the majority of my editing suite, including all my hard-drives and back-ups. Which, as you might guess, included my film. Luckily they never saw any value in stealing my HD tapes, so I still had the original footage - but that's about it. So despite having almost no time, I was able to re-edit the film in a little over a month thanks to help from A LOT of people with BIG HEARTS. From loaning me cameras to re-dig the footage, to recreating art work, tracking down photos, digitizing footage, music, etc... it certainly took a village to re-edit this child, but here we are - nearing the finish line. The only things outstanding are two photo graphs that I've been putting off taking since we wrapped production, and a little graphic thing that needs to be done, but might just be done when we online the film. Also underway is the scoring of the film. I recently put a facebook request for people to submit songs from musician friends for our closing-credit song - and we're narrowing down the list (thanks for all the submissions!).
So now we just need to organize the rest of our post and finish this film. Really excited to do a cast and crew screening. Also we'll be probably gearing up with a website of some kind in the near future - as well as a sneak-preview trailer of the film. We're still submitting to festivals so keep checking back here for news of when and where it'll be screening in the next few months. The festivals in the US are kind of a crap shoot, and all the big Canadian ones don't start up to the late summer/fall, so it might be a little while till an official public screening.
So thanks again to everyone who helped make this re-edit possible so quickly. Even if it was just your kind words and thoughts. It helped a lot!

Jack of Fables #2: Jack of Hearts

I never thought that I would be enjoying this series as much as I am. Jack was never one of my favorite characters in Fabletown, but he's definitely the character with the most back-story, being that every fairy tale that features a Jack, is, at least he claims, about him. So there's a wealth to draw from - more, probably, than any of the other Fables (excluding perhaps Bigby).

There's some interesting stuff going on in this series, and they're definitely setting it up for the long haul. The most fun is just the idea of Jack's ego and how that plays into the narration of it. I'm probably going to take a little break from this series to catch up on some other reading - but I'll be back to it shortly as The Great Fables Crossover (Fables #13) comes out this week and I want to catch up on both sides of the story before reading it.

1314 - Jesus is Magic

I've loved Sarah Silverman for a long time. I've got a crush on her. Can't deny it. She's about as funny as it gets and she goes about as far as one can go. The stand-up is brilliant and edgy, but it's the musical numbers that are just simply outstanding. Sarah's got bigger balls than anyone going today. I want to see people cast her in roles that go as far as her material does. Stop casting her as the boring girlfriend. She's fantastic and deserves fantastic stuff.

p.s. I love Sarah Silverman. Not sure if that was clear.

1313 - Seven Pounds

I won't lie. When this came out I just passed it off as oscar-bait. And maybe it was. I mean, is that a crime? Most of the time films are made just purely for profit, so what's wrong with them being made for the recognition of a golden statue?
What follows here, I believe, is a little more than that. I figured out pretty early on what our hero was up to, but it didn't matter, it still unfolded beautifully and the characters were still interesting. It was watching Smith's character struggle with his decisions and motivations. He was magnificent. I knew exactly what he was thinking, how he was feeling, struggling. I've loved him in a lot of his work - but this was the work of a controlled and talented performer. A far cry from the Fresh Prince we first met many many years ago.
Dawson, above, is lovely as well, and your heart goes out to her. She makes you believe in the healing power of love.
Sounds sappy, but this is a wonderful little film. It's not necessarily uplifting, and maybe it's a tad convoluted, but I didn't care - worked for me. It's not the film I think I'll ever need to see again, but I'd recommend it to anyone even vaguely curious about it. There's some wonderful things going in the telling of this story.

Jack of Fables #1: The (Nearly) Great Escape

Because the next Fables book (due out soon) is a cross-over issue with this series I decided it was high-time I caught up on the adventures of Jack Horner. Jack was never my favorite character and so I was never super interested in this book, but I have to admit, if they continue to be this entertaining it won't be a chore to get through. What was most interesting about this book was realizing how many characters the other Fables series still hadn't used. Amazing really. There was a surprise return from one of the old villains that was a pleasant surprise. Looking forward to where they head with this series, and hope it keeps interesting.

1312 - The Dead Girl

I had never heard of this film until recently. It's essentially a series of short films all revolving around this dead girl. The cast is pretty amazing in it's ensemble - it's filled with a lot of recognizable faces, and talented ones at that - all on top of their game. It's a rich film that's sad and yet hopeful. I quite enjoyed it and recommend it thoroughly.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Volume 2

Wow. What an intense and bizarre follow-up to the first book. What's lovely about this series is just how literate it is, and how many references are all over the place. At one point, in one tiny corner of the frame you can see what appears to be Peter Rabbit being eaten by wolves. Never drawn attention to. It's just there. He exists in this world because he exists in England around this time of publication. Really brilliant.
But other than that, after establishing a really interesting 'team' in the first volume, they have no problem whatsoever ripping it apart and forever damaging it. This was never going to be a tight crime fighting unit. I suppose I never should have thought of it this way. To say that some of the directions that they go into are surprising is an understatement.
This is a book for any one who is well read and likes a fun adventure. You can't beat it, really for that.

The Great DVD Purchase of February 2010

So I'm working late with my story editor and friend, Scott McLaren, when he leaves for home and I finish up working. I'm literally on my way out of my edit suite when my phone rings. And I didn't know it at the time, but it was going to end up being an expensive phone call.

Every now and then, as a geek, you get rare opportunities to expand your library. So the call that Scott made was to tell me that the Blockbuster at Queen/Spadina has a going-out-of-business sale on that just started today. And everything is $6.99 (with a few exceptions).

So yeah. I raced over.

Now by the time I got there it'd be pretty picked over, despite the fact that the sale had just started that day. The guy behind the counter told us that they were staying open till the end of the month - I can't imagine that their stock will last the week. Seriously, unless you're looking for a copy of the new releases I'd get there tomorrow. If I'm honest, it's probably already too late to find anything great. I found a wonderfully random mix of things that are a combination of films that I've always meant to see, but never have, films I'm upgrading from VHS, films I love that I didn't own, and ones that were a STRONG recommend from Scott.

And so, the list:

GERRY - Made a lot of this decades top ten lists, so my interested is re-piqued.

BEHIND THE MASK - Strong recommend.

BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID - Never seen. I know. I'm on it.

MEAN GIRLS - Previously owned, leant out, never returned - love it.

GALAXY QUEST - Never seen, always meant to.

MONTY PYTHON & THE HOLY GRAIL - Didn't own it.

THE JERK - Didn't own it.

BULL DURHAM - Never seen it, strong recommend.

DOGMA: SPECIAL EDITION - Upgrade.

4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days - Recommend

ALL THE REAL GIRLS - Always been interested

CROUPIER - Strong recommend.

So that's that, I dropped a small fortune (not really actually considering I walked away with over a dozen films) and far less than Scott dropped, although to be fair he picked up some television seasons.

So who knows when the hell I'm going to watch any of these. I've got a stupid big pile of stuff to watch. The re-edit is nearing completion and so once that's done my nights are a little more free - I'm going to try and do a marathon of a film a night for as often as I can to catch up on my movie watching.

So there's that - if you're feeling lucky get to that Blockbuster ASAP.