Shared posts

17 Sep 01:45

Male Grooming Guidelines

by DOGHOUSE DIARIES

Male Grooming Guidelines

You’re welcome.

01 Sep 02:26

08.11.2013

Archive
Cyanide and Happiness, a daily webcomic
25 Aug 20:16

Amazing Scientific Breakthroughs

by DOGHOUSE DIARIES
21 Aug 04:36

August 07, 2013

21 Aug 04:27

Sayings 2.0

by DOGHOUSE DIARIES

Sayings 2.0

A couple of things. First off, ‘Close but no WiFi’ is something my cousin Nab said once, and it got me thinking about other sayings. Secondly, yes, some of these don’t quite make sense if you think about them too long—some are just meant to be funny. Also, ‘Don’t bite the hand…’ came to mind when thinking of the Google RSS debacle, and for some strange reason when I look at ‘Never judge an app by its icon’, I think of Marco Arment’s Bugshot (I know the story behind it, so in the words of Marco “Don’t email me.”). Also, normally with a post like this I’d ask for y’all’s ideas on other ones, but I plan on doing another set, so I don’t want to cheat by seeing some other great ones. ;) Thanks for reading this whole thing.

19 Aug 06:11

Weekend in Bugrump

by Piraro

bz panel 08-01-13Bizarro is brought to you today by I Gave Him $5 For The Laugh.

This was one of those cartoons that required a little extra work to convert from panel to strip. As I’ve mentioned here before, I draw the vertical panel first, then use the elements to create the horizontal strip version. This often requires some extra drawing. Since this gag is very vertical in its original form, I had to move the airline displays down quite a bit and enlarge them so they could be read. This changed the angle that the pig’s head needed to point so I had to flop and reattach it. Then, of course, there’s the matter of the extra drawings needed to fill the blank spaces at the left and right. Montel Williams was nice enough to step in as the character at right.

bz strip 08-01-13One obvious inconsistency in this cartoon is that the information on the screen tells “where,” and has nothing to do with “when,” as promised by the punch line. I didn’t have room for gates and times and all that so I just made it simple. Most folks will never notice and who cares if they do? One of the nicest things about being a cartoonist for a living is that I don’t have to be accurate all of the time.Bz 05-25-09 airline

 

KLASSICS KORNER: Don’t you hate it when people use “K” instead of “C” in advertising and such in an attempt to make something cute? Man, I sure do.

This elderly cartoon from ’09 is about one of my favorite pet peeves. I once checked in for a flight with two bags, one that weighed 45 lbs and one that weighed 52 lbs. The representative said I could pay the $25 fee for a bag over 50 lbs, or just put a couple things from one bag to the other. She was serious. My head exploded and ruined her uniform with brain bits and blood stains. Served her right.

19 Aug 05:38

Photos: Nine Inch Nails @ Outside Lands 2013

by Sung

NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_12

NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_19 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_18 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_16 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_15 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_13 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_10 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_09 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_06 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_05 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_04 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_02 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_17 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_14 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_11 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_08 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_07 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_03 NIN_Outside_Lands_2013_01
Nine Inch Nails | nin.com
Hesitation Marks | New LP 9.3.13 | store.nin.com

15 Aug 03:27

Homemade McDonalds McRib Sandwich

by Billy Vasquez
Perpetually on it's final tour, the Frankenfood pork sandwich, McRib, is celebrated and reviled at the same time when it's reintroduced once or twice a year by McDonald's. For the latest outre entree The 99 Cent Chef rides to the rescue for those (with Job's patience) who love them. Well, the wait is over -- here's a cheaper Homemade McRib Sandwich you can make anytime!


For my cheap work lunches $1 (or 99 cent) Banquet and other frozen dinners are on rotation. Sometimes it's Salisbury Steak, Cheese Enchiladas or Turkey Dinners (it's not every day, as I have healthier frozen dinners I also find on sale.) I've recently added their Boneless Pork Riblet Meal. It was only a matter of time until I placed the Pork Riblet with it's barbeque sauce between two slices of bread, adding chopped raw onion and a few pickle slices. It didn't take long to put two and two together -- well, those are the ingredients for the McDonald's McRib sandwich.


Yeah, I know it's a cheat, but it's a lot of trouble to ground a bunch of mystery pork scraps to form a McDonald's McRib patty, so The Slothful Chef is taking the easy but tasty route! 

A McRib is relatively inexpensive -- but not cheap enough for The Frugal Forager. A McDonald's McRib sandwich cost almost $3, but with my chintzy twist, you can make your own for less than half that price, after the initial investment for a package of steak rolls, an onion and a small jar of pickles, plus a few Banquet Boneless Pork Riblet Meals. (Another homemade fast food entree I've done is an Egg McMuffin, that's also cheaper than the original, just click here to see my recipe video post.)

I always find all these ingredients cheaply, especially onion, pickles and bread at local 99c only Stores. They don't always stock frozen Banquet meals, but my local big chain grocery stores do for around a dollar each.


A McRib patty is pale white like typical cooked pork (because of extra chemical bleaches and dyes?) while a Banquet Riblet is brown, and it's fine ground, with a little more texture than a hot dog. The Riblet patty is thin and about the same size as a McRib, but still large enough to fill a steak bread roll.


And the Banquet Riblet barbeque sauce is passable, slightly sweet with a typical smokey ketchup flavor. And as a bonus the Banquet meal comes with sides of mashed potatoes and corn -- so take that, McDonald's.

The corn is the best side with a fresh frozen kernel flavor -- much better than canned corn. I've never cared for their frozen mashed potatoes. It has the flavor and texture of  powdery dried and reconstituted boxed mashed potatoes -- mainly there to soak up the gravy or barbeque sauce that comes from the meat container part.


I guess the main question is how does the Banquet Riblet compare with a McRib pork patty? Well the porkiness of a McRib is superior. While not objectionable, the Banquet Riblet is mild in comparison (it's made from mechanically separated pork and chicken, plus soy protein.) And the advantage of making a Homemade McRib Sandwich is you can add as much barbeque sauce, chopped onion, and sliced pickle as you desire (plus anything else you like.)

Click on photo to read ingredients -- if you dare.

So, on my Deal of the Day and Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best, this Homemade McRib Sandwich  gets a 6. While my Homemade McRib Sandwich is inferior to McDonald's, it will tide you over until the real thing washes ashore once again. So, keep on reading to see how I make a Homemade McRib Sandwich.


Making a Homemade McRib Sandwich
Microwave or bake the Banquet Riblet Dinner according to directions. While it's heating up, chop some onion and get out 3 pickles slices, and a steak roll.


When the TV dinner is hot, carefully remove riblet and place inside the sliced steak dinner roll. The heated barbeque sauce amount is more than what you get on a McRib, so slather on as much as you like.


Finally top with chopped onion and pickle slices. And serve with the corn and mashed potato sides.
13 Aug 21:08

Jonathan Gold's 10 Favorite L.A. Burgers: I Want To Go To There

by Mike
Burger
(Pic: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

When Jonathan Gold reveals his ten favorite Los Angeles burgers, it's worth paying attention. I have not tried nearly enough of these:

The Apple Pan: "Is the Hickoryburger, touched with a bit of smoke in the sauce, the one to get? In my opinion, yes." 10801 W. Pico Blvd., West L.A.

Aroma Cafe: "Pljeskavica, a thin, Balkan hamburger, as big and round as a phonograph record, flavored with salt and onions and peppers, briefly cooked over a hot charcoal fire and stuffed into a focaccia, is an awe-inspiring unit of consumption." 2530 Overland Ave., West Los Angeles

Chroni’s Famous Sandwich Shop: "May be the best Los Angeles-style chiliburgers in town." 5825 E. Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles

Comme Ça: "These are unfussy hamburgers that taste like good aged meat." 8479 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood

Connie & Ted’s: "There is no arguing with a thick patty of well-aged beef, cooked to a bloody medium rare, served with a basket of fries." 8171 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood

Cora’s Coffee Shoppe: "Magnificent, drippy constructions of loosely packed Wagyu cow." 1802 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica

Father’s Office: "A soft, oozing patty garnished with blue cheese, a pinch of bacon and a thick blanket of deeply caramelized onions, served with a dense thicket of arugula on a hard-crusted French roll." 1018 Montana Ave., Santa Monica

Pie 'n Burger: "About texture, the crunchy sheaf of lettuce, the charred surface of the meat, the outer rim of the bun crisped to almost the consistency of toast." 913 E. California Blvd., Pasadena

Plan Check: "A griddled patty layered with translucent ketchup leather, a microscopically thin layer of crisp, fried cheese, and shaved pickle." 1800 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles

Spice Table: "Gives the impression of an In-N-Out burger with better meat, enriched with the funky Indonesian chile sambal instead of secret spread." 114 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles

Read Gold's full comments on each here.
12 Aug 17:42

Classic Home Haunts Panel, Part 2: Diane Meyer of Rotten Apple 907

by Steve Biodrowski

In part 2 of the Classic Home Haunts panel at ScareLA, Steve Biodrowski interviews Diane Meyer about her family Burbank haunt. The Rotten Apple 907 yard haunt has grown from an entertaining small-scale effort into something that approaches professional quality in terms of conceptual design and technical effects. Amazingly, the haunt features a new theme every year; past incarnations have included Malice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Odz, and Nightmare in the Museum.

Part 3 of the panel will continue with Jeff Gustafson of The Backwoods Maze, also located in Burbank.

See a larger version of the video below.

11 Aug 05:18

Meteors and Aurorae over Iceland

Meteors and Aurorae over Iceland
11 Aug 05:15

Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of Cancer This intriguing monument can be found in Taiwan between the cities of Hualian and Taitong. Split into two sides, it straddles a special circle of latitude on planet Earth, near 23.5 degrees north, known as the Tropic of Cancer. Points along the Tropic of Cancer are the northernmost locations where the Sun can pass directly overhead, an event that occurs once a year during the northern hemisphere's summer solstice. The latitude that defines the Tropic of Cancer corresponds to the tilt of planet Earth's rotation axis with respect to its orbital plane. The name refers to the zodiacal constellation Cancer the Crab. Historically the Sun's position was within Cancer during the northern summer solstice, but because of the precession of Earth's axis, that solstice Sun is currently within the boundaries of Taurus. In this starry night scene the otherwise all white structure is colored by city lights, with its orange side just south of the Tropic of Cancer and the white side just north. Of course, there is a southern hemisphere counterpart of the Tropic of Cancer. It's called the Tropic of Capricorn.
09 Aug 22:33

Festival Recap: Lollapalooza 2013 – Part 1

by David Fisch

Back in March, I attended my very first festival, SXSW, and enjoyed myself so immensely that the moment I left Austin, I knew that I had caught the “festival bug.” I couldn’t wait to get out to cover another festival, but in the months following SXSW, Coachella passed by me, as did Bonnaroo, Sasquatch!, and The Newport Folk Festival. We had certainly talked about their fantastic lineups on the LA Music Blogcast, but as enthused as I was about the possibility of going to these festivals, I knew that the next one I would attend would probably be in the very distant future.

To be fair, my experience at SXSW was so great that if it had been the only festival I attended this year, I would have been completely satisfied. But here I am writing about Lollapalooza, my second festival of the year, a mere five months after SXSW, and official evidence that my festival-going days have only just begun. Attending this festival was initially just a passing thought, and I’m here to tell you that it not only became a reality, but it became another unforgettable music experience that must be seen to be believed.

Lollapalooza1
All photos by David Fisch

Unlike SXSW, where music is pretty much playing in every nook and cranny of 6th Street at every imaginable hour to any audience great or small, Lollapalooza is a much more organized affair, with acts playing a one-time-only set during the course of the weekend and in front of tens of thousands of people.

It’s essentially what you think of when you think of a “music festival” — tons of music, tons of people, tons of drinks, and tons of sunscreen application. You may not find music everywhere you go, but you will always find something to do, and usually with some really fun fellow concert-goers.

I knew full-well what I was getting myself into with Lollapalooza, and I was able to join the massive crowds to enjoy some of the best headliners I’ve ever seen, as well as lesser-known acts that I could easily see becoming headliners in the next few years. On top of all this, I was also a first-time Chicago-goer, and I had a fantastic time enjoying what the city had to offer.

But let me stop introducing this article and get down to business. Since Lollapalooza is held in Chicago, a city whose weather I found out literally changes every ten minutes, I thought it would be appropriate to title each day with a forecast that not only describes the actual weather, but also my overall experience that day. Let’s start with Day 1, held on Friday, August 2nd:

Day 1: Scattered Thunderstorms

Lollapalooza2

I arrived in Chicago the night before Lollapalooza started, and seeing as it was my first time in Chicago AND as I’m a huge fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, I had to see my team play at the famous Wrigley Field. This proved to be a huge moment for me not only because I got to see my team win in an entirely different (and historical) stadium, but it also meant a late night celebrating, which is why I ended up waking up fairly late the next morning.

When I did wake up, it was to the ominous sounds of thunder. My first instinct? A sweater, pants, and an umbrella. The aftermath? Probably the worst idea I had the entire trip.

A subway ride and a walk up a few blocks later, I noticed no more thunder, no rain, and humidity that made me sweat through my clothes without having reached Grant Park. I realized I had another 10 hours outside to go, but I bit the bullet, made my way through the colorful entrance, bought a “box” of water (and drank it immediately), and arrived at the tail end of The Neighbourhood’s set.

So I started Lollapalooza off on the wrong foot. To make matters worse, I made the one mistake even the most novice photographer couldn’t make: I didn’t charge any of my three camera batteries, and the heat only helped to consume their remaining energies.

I smacked myself on the forehead, bit my second bullet of the day, and decided to throw my arms up in the air (but not too high because of the possible stench my sweat created) and catch my first full set of the festival. As much as I wasn’t happy with my circumstances, I came to Lollapalooza to see music, and that’s what I was going to do.

Ghost B.C.

Ghost BC Lollapalooza

How quickly I went from miserable to elated! I had heard a lot about this heavy-metal band, from their back-to-genre-basics to their stage get-ups, and I have to say that they completely delivered on those high expectations. Papa Emeritus II and his Nameless Ghouls didn’t stop once they got going, producing some sinister energy and making sure that everyone in the crowd was gesturing the devil’s horns and/or headbanging throughout the entire set.

Ghost BC Lollapalooza 2

Unfortunately, the moment the sound cut out for Ghost B.C., I decided the best thing to do was to head back to my hotel to charge my batteries as much as I could, rehydrate myself, and change into shorts no matter what the weather would be when I got back. This meant missing out on Band of Horses, which I had included in my intended schedule, but it also meant that I could ultimately have the time of my life seeing two of my all-time favorite rock bands later on in the day.

Queens of the Stone Age

QOTSA Lollapalooza 3

I’ve been listening to Queens of the Stone Age for well over ten years, and I had to change the fact that I had never seen them live (and just missed them at The Wiltern over a month ago) by catching their set at the Bud Light stage towards the north end of the park.

They opened the show with the glass-shattering sounds that kicked off their most recent album, …Like Clockwork, but they went right for the jugular by starting the hour-long set with the one-two punch from my favorite QOTSA album, Songs For The Deaf. The driving force of Josh Homme’s vocals and the drum spread was all too much for this fan to handle, and clearly for the crowd as well, as this set saw perhaps the most crowd surfing of the entire weekend.

QOTSA Lollapalooza 2

Each track they performed seemed to get better and better by the minute, and many of the new tracks from …Like Clockwork (including my favorite, “Smooth Sailing”) held their own with the classics “Go With The Flow,” “Little Sister,” and “Make It Wit Chu.” Of course, ending the set with “A Song For The Dead” — the most rapturous track from Songs For The Deaf — was all too suiting.

When Queens of the Stone Age left the stage, it was only an hour of waiting before I got to see one of my top three most anticipated bands of the festival.

Nine Inch Nails

NIN Lolla 1

I know a few people who are not fans of Trent Reznor, but his thought-provoking persona and willingness to tinker with sounds until he perfects them is all too inspiring for this music fan. From his studio albums as Nine Inch Nails and How To Destroy Angels to his film scores with Atticus Ross, I am drawn to his musical stamina and his knack for producing searing and innovative industrial and electronic rock, which is why I came into Nine Inch Nails at Lollapalooza with the giddiness and squealing of a schoolgirl.

The band came back from a short hiatus earlier this summer with a new track from their new album, Hesitation Marks, and they also arrived back on the stage with a brand new show, an intricately designed and choreographed light and sound setup in the vein of some of the greatest concert performances of the ’80s. It was without a doubt the highlight of Lollapalooza and one of the best concert performances I’ve seen in my short existence on Earth.

NIN Lolla 2

This 100-minute set began with each member of the group entering the stage during certain progressions of the track “Copy of A” from the new album. It all started out normally: the band performing, lights on them, no special background.

But the moment the song went into overdrive, blistering white lights strobed across the stage and we saw each member’s silhouette on five different panels. It was an incredible sight to behold against the tenacity of the track, and it only got more elaborate with each song in the set. I was able to capture most of it, with past LA Music Blogcast guest and The New Regime founder Ilan Rubin drumming in plain sight.

IMG_8429

This was a true concert. The band played many of their hits, including “Closer,” “The Hand That Feeds,” “Hurt,” and “Head Like A Hole,” but they also managed to play new material and deep cuts like my personal favorite “Terrible Lie,” “The Way Out Is Through,” and even “What If We Could?” from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo soundtrack.

Nine Inch Nails utilized the entire stage for an all-out concert experience, bringing together unique visuals with even more unique lighting schemes. It was the best possible cap off of the first day of an otherwise bumpy start for my Lollapalooza, and it was ultimately my favorite event of the festival.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Lollapalooza 2013 coverage coming soon! Also, be sure to LIKE LA Music Blog on Facebook to see some exclusive photos!

09 Aug 22:00

Unused NIN logo art created by Russell Mills for The Downward...













Unused NIN logo art created by Russell Mills for The Downward Spiral, 1994.

09 Aug 21:55

Adventure Time Main Title… … in Legos, thanks to the...



Adventure Time Main Title…

… in Legos, thanks to the uber-talented gang at Screen Novelties.

Produced By Cartoon Network & Screen Novelties (Chris Finnegan, Mark Caballero, and Seamus Walsh)

Directed By Chris Finnegan

Animation Director Kelly Mazurowski

Production Manager Jennifer Newfield

Model Maker John Joyce

Model Maker Kei Chong

Model Maker Jeff Cross

Animator Kelly Mazurowski

Animator Chris Finnegan

Animator John Joyce

EDIT: Sorry it’s not available outside the U.S., but you can understand how allowing that would ruin everything ever.

06 Aug 22:41

Saturn, Titan, Rings, and Haze

Saturn, Titan, Rings, and Haze
06 Aug 22:17

Atacama's Cloudy Night

Atacama's Cloudy Night Storm clouds do sometimes come to Chile's Atacama desert, known as the driest place on Earth. These washed through the night sky just last month during the winter season, captured in this panoramic view. Drifting between are cosmic clouds more welcome by the region's astronomical residents though, including dark dust clouds in silhouette against the crowded starfields and nebulae of the central Milky Way. Below and right of center lies the Large Magellanic Cloud, appropriately named for its appearance in starry southern skies. City lights about 200 kilometers distant still glow along the horizon at the right, while bright star Canopus shines above them in the cloudy sky.
06 Aug 16:00

Meet the man who photographed the world with a Nokia smartphone

by Joel Willans

  LifeIs2

If you’re a regular reader of Nokia Conversations, you might remember Patrick Walsh. He’s the modern day adventurer who spent six action packed years travelling around the world. While the countries and continents changed, one thing always stayed constant: The trusty Nokia smartphone in his backpack.

Recently, in a two part series, he shared the reasons why he uses Nothing but a Nokia to travel through some of the most remote destinations on earth. Now, Patrick has got a book out, Life Is, which shares more of his life story and showcases his amazing trip with fifty never before seen photos, all taken with Nokia smartphones. We hooked up with Patrick to find out more.

Lifeis

What prompted you to spend so much time exploring the world?

“As a sixteen year old, I asked myself a simple question, “If I could do any three things in the world, what would they be?” Third on my list was to explore this great planet of ours.”

Sounds like a fantastic idea, but why with a Nokia?

“While planning my trip, I learnt that Nokia were releasing the N95 with a 5Mpx camera in their flagship store in New York. So, that settled it. I decided to fly from Ireland to New York and begin my exploration of world from there.

The N95 was so far ahead of the game, it was worth it. There was no need for a camera anymore; my Nokia would meet all my electronic needs from alarm clock to calendar to camera.”

The Nokia N95 was a fantastic smartphone. How do you see Nokia Lumia 1020 in comparison ?

“Over the years, I upgraded as Nokia devices developed. However, with the release of the Nokia Lumia 1020 in July, I knew that we were entering a new era in smartphone technology, particularly from a camera perspective.  The ‘phoneographs’ that I had captured in Antarctica, Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and the America’s, as good as they were, would never again be able to stand comparable to the ‘phoneographs’ that will be captured on smartphone’s in the future.  Nokia’s once again changed the game.”

“The Nokia Lumia 1020 with its PureView Pro imaging technology is going to take ‘phoneography’ to the next level – a level that I could never have imaged as I walked out of the Nokia store in Manhattan with a N95 in my hand and a smile on my face in 2007.  With its high-resolution 41Mpx image sensor, Carl Zeiss optics, pixel oversampling and lossless zoom we are entering new territory.  The quality of photographs captured on mobile phones is about to change forever.”

You’ve put together three videos, featured here, to showcase your book. What can you tell us about them?

“To salute the Nokia’s that have been with me as I have travelled to more than 100 countries around the world I have spent the weekend searching through the photographs that I’ve captured over the past six years. Here is to the N95, X6, N8, Lumia 800, Lumia 920 and the PureView 808.  Most of all, here is to the future of smartphone technology and the Lumia 1020 – the start of a new era.”

 ”I hope these will inspire all ‘phoneographers’ around the world to ask themselves a similar question to the one I did all those years ago. Because just like Nokia and the continued development of their mobile devices, I believe we should all be aiming to develop at a similar pace as individuals.”

A great sentiment from a man who has been there and done that. To find out how, why not head on over to Amazon and pick Patrick’s book  Life is. Not only does it detail how he got to live the life of his dreams, buy also contains 50 unseen images taken on his various Nokia devices. Doesn’t get much better than that!

05 Aug 02:54

2014 Badge Preregistration

by mgates
Comic-Con is working hard to improve the online registration system and will launch Comic-Con 2014 badge preregistration sometime between November 1 and December 31, 2013. Only those that have purchased a Comic-Con 2013 4-Day attendee or 1-Day attendee badge, have a valid Member ID, and retain their actual Comic-Con 2013 badge will be eligible to participate in 2014 badge preregistration. 
 
27 Jul 01:06

COMIC-CON: How We Pulled Off The X-Files 20th Anniversary Panel

by Mike
Comic-Con

Last year Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan and his girlfriend Holly were talking with my TV Guide Magazine bosses, and the topic of The X-Files came up. Vince reminded them that The X-Files was about to hit its 20th anniversary, and Holly suggested a panel -- perhaps at Comic-Con.

The truth is out there. And here's the backstory on how we wound up putting together what I believe, not so humbly, was one of the highlights of this year's Comic-Con.

My editor Debra Birnbaum emailed me last fall: Did I think we could pull off a panel devoted to the all-star writers and producers of The X-Files? The show's creative minds had gone on to some amazing things, including Gilligan and Howard Gordon (24, Homeland). I knew some of those folks would be game, but also knew we couldn't do anything unless the creator and driving force behind the show, Chris Carter, signed on. I quickly contacted Chris' agents, who in turn sent me to Chris' office.

I interviewed Chris Carter several times during the life of The X-Files, Millennium and Harsh Realm. At Electronic Media, we named him one of our "12 to Watch" in 1997 and I spent an afternoon with him in his 20th Century Fox bungalow. And the very first story I ever wrote for Daily Variety in 1999 was this piece, in which Chris is less than pleased about the cancellation of Harsh Realm. But Chris has been quiet in recent years, and I knew he wouldn't remember me. TV Guide Magazine, however, had been very good to him - even once putting him on the cover with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson (see it here). Much to my excitement, Chris quickly signed on. Gabe Rotter, who works with Chris, sent out feelers to some of the show's key writers, and the reaction was very positive. We were on.

Carter's chief The X-Files partner, Frank Spotnitz, had already scheduled a trip overseas and sent his regrets via a really nice email. Alex Gansa was busy (I assume shooting Homeland at the moment). That led us to this roster: Chris Carter, Vince Gilligan, Howard Gordon, Glen Morgan, Jim Wong, Darin Morgan, John Shiban and David Amann. Not bad, huh?

Over the last seven months, Gabe and I stayed in close contact as the panel took shape. In April, he told me that Gillian was interested -- and then we heard that David was interested as well. Oh, it was definitely on! One problem: Gillian would be in London. David would be shooting Californication. It took some tricky maneuvering, and the help of the folks at 20th Century Fox and Showtime, which is why we initially only announced Carter and the writer/producers. But heaven and earth were moved, and we were eventually able to confirm David and Gillian. From there, what would have been a pretty good panel promised to be a really good panel.

By May, we were ready for the formal invite. Here's what I wrote:

I wanted to formally invite you to join the panel for the big X-FILES 20TH ANNIVERSARY event (it's so exciting, I had to write it in all-caps!) at Comic-Con on Thursday, July 18, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. It's going to take place in one of the biggest Comic-Con venues -- Ballroom 20.

TV Guide Magazine, which of course covered The X-Files extensively through the years and put the show on its cover countless times, is sponsoring the panel, which is why you're hearing from me.

The X-Files, of course, helped usher in the modern age of hit genre shows on TV, but never truly got its due at Comic-Con (since back then, Comic-Con was still, well, about comics). This is a chance to celebrate the show and also marvel at the fact that everyone involved with the show has gone on to do even more amazing things.

I've moderated plenty of panels at Comic-Con, including Community, Chuck and Breaking Bad, and the fan reaction is exhilarating. They're going to go absolutely nuts over this. I know there have been a few reunion gatherings here and there so far this year, but it makes sense that the big one take place at Comic-Con. I hope you can take part!

Here's a tentative list of the panelists; we're still working out logistics on David and Gillian, but it's looking good!

Chris Carter
Vince Gilligan
Howard Gordon
Glen Morgan
Jim Wong
Darin Morgan
John Shiban
David Amann
David Duchovny
Gillian Anderson

I just wanted to make sure you cleared that afternoon in order to help celebrate THE X-FILES on stage in San Diego! Thanks!

X-Files 20th Anniversary, Thursday, 7/18/13, 3:30p.m. - 4:30p.m., Room: Ballroom 20


Meanwhile, my moderator prep had also started. Thanks to Netflix, it was easy to watch countless episodes, and watch them anywhere and on any device -- my TV, my computer, my iPad, no matter where I was. I re-watched mythology episodes and monster-of-the-week episodes. I read articles online and in X-Files books. I checked out the fan sites like X-Files News. I eventually created a Twitter account, @xfiles20sdcc, to follow several X-Files-centric Twitter feeds and also start compiling fan fave episodes, baddies, Mulder/Scully moments, etc.

By the time last week came around, I was excited -- but also filled with anxiety. Thankfully, our PR folks, Chet Mehta and Alyssa Some (in coordination with TV Guide Magazine's marketing chief Janice Dehn) were on the ball and in constant contact with everyone (particularly David's and Gillian's people) to make sure any snafus were ironed out. It was also time to put some finishing touches on the panel. I asked the folks at 20th Century Fox for some clips, but then narrowed it down to just the opening credits. That sent me on a chase to a production facility near Universal City, where late Tuesday evening I brought along a flash drive and had it downloaded.

Wednesday night, my TV Guide Magazine colleague Rich Sands -- who hands all things Con for us -- and I had a tech rehearsal in Ballroom 20. We saw the TV Guide Magazine sizzle reel and the X-Files opening credits play on the big screen in the empty hall. I got goosebumps. We started hearing (and seeing on Twitter) evidence that people were camping out for the panel. It was going to be good.

On Thursday morning, I walked over to CVS and found a big lantern flashlight. But they had only one, a yellow torch. I ran across the street to Rite Aid. They also had just one, a blue torch. So I bought both of them. I then turned around and bought Hershey's chocolate syrup. Yes, to double as black oil. Apparently I'm the Carrot Top of Comic-Con moderators, I brought props.

Comic-Con

When I arrived at the Ballroom 20 green room, Chris Carter was already there. I gave him a copy of that 1997 "12 to Watch" feature I wrote about him. Vince and Howard were also both there -- it was a good day for both of them, as their shows were once again nominated for the Outstanding Drama Series Emmy. I met some of the other writers for the first time. It was like a high school reunion, as everyone milled about and caught up.

Then in walked David and Gillian, together. (I believe they had come from a signing on the floor.) Mulder and Scully were in the house! Inside the green room pics:

Comic Con

Comic Con

David and Gillian weren't quite sure what to make of my flashlights, but I assured them that the audience would eat it up. My plan: Introduce the writers and Chris. Then throw to that opening credits clip. Keep the lights off. David and Gillian walk out, carrying those flashlights just like they did in countless episodes of the show.

It worked. The crowd ate it up. And almost every story I read about the panel mentioned the flashlights.

As for the panel itself, I knew Chris Carter wouldn't have any new news, but I also knew the fans wanted to know something, anything, about a third movie (or even a miniseries). Chris kept mum. But surprisingly, Gillian quickly shot down the idea of a miniseries reunion like the one 24 is doing next year.

Here are two three different videos of the same panel (thanks to SDCC Blog for just posting the third one) that I found on YouTube:








Afterward, the whole panel and their guests headed behind the Convention Center to the TV Guide Magazine Comic-Con yacht, where they took photos and toasted the reunion. (Small world: Howard Gordon even ran into Navid Negahban, the actor who played Abu Nazir on Homeland.

Comic Con
Above, Vince Gilligan, Howard Gordon and Glen Morgan chat.



Comic con
Above, David and Gillian on the yacht.

Thanks to Gabe, Debra, Janice, Rich, Chet, Alyssa, as well as Shari Rosenblum, Chris Kaspers, Conor Sellers, Kottie Kreischer, Rebecca Smith, Lindsay Flinn, Melanie Greene and so many other folks who helped make the panel happen. And thanks to the X-Files producers and stars, as well as the fans for coming out in droves to honor the show!
26 Jul 17:47

Review: PACIFIC RIM

by James Whatley

Hold on, we’re going in.

Gypsy Danger

First up: here’s my [expletive free] first reaction:

PACIFIC RIM just changed my life.

— James Whatley (@Whatleydude) July 19, 2013

And I’m not kidding. PACIFIC RIM was incredible. Just incredible. It’s everything you could want from a GIANT ROBOTS vs MONSTERS movie and more. Much, much more.

First off, if you only take one thing away from this review make it be this:

SEE PACIFIC RIM AT THE CINEMA. SEE IT BIG. SEE IT LOUD. BUT SEE IT HOW IT IS MEANT TO BE SEEN. 

(you can tell your friends I said that too)

Both the Kaiju (the monsters) and the Jaegers (the robots) are huge. Monstrous even. And they have to be seen in IMAX to fully appreciate the magnitude of it all. But the spectacle of it all isn’t the only thing worth investing your time in, oh no. The story is actually fairly awesome, as is the emotional centre that sits within, underneath all that armour. As much as the trailer(s) would have you believe otherwise, PACIFIC RIM is not 131mins of non-stop gigantic city battles. It really isn’t.

kaiju

There is humanity and story underneath and that itself is brought to life by a trio of decent leading actors. First, Charlie Hunnum, as our number one guy, Raleigh Becket,  holds the film together really well and is not only our way in but also our way through this brave new world that we live in; supporting him we have the bloody fantastic Idris Elba (as Jaeger veteran Stacker Pentecost) and Rinko Kikuchi (as mystic Jaeger research assistant, Mako Mori). All three are great independently, but par excellence when thrown together – and it’s fortunate that that happens often.

The supporting characters are slightly one dimensional and, in places, seemingly only around for light relief. However each has a bearing on the story in some respect (again – I mention story – there is a lot of it here, and some smarts behind the Why? too) and each is given their time to shine… just.

The Good:

  • ALL OF THE GIANT THINGS (I may have mentioned this already)
  • The lead characters are, as mentioned, all really well fleshed out.
  • The title sequence: when it hits, it blows you away how much prologue you’ve just been given.
  • The CGI is second to none; you will believe these robot,s and these monsters, exist.
  • On a related note: this isn’t Transformers. The fight scenes are clear, there are rarely any cutaways and basically, you get to see EVERYTHING.

The Bad:

  • The story might be pretty good but the script, in places, is shockingly bad. If you’ve seen any of the trailers then you know that CANCELLING THE APOCALYPSE is possibly the singular most ridiculous line you’ve heard all year (well, outside of ‘UNLEASH THE WORLD ENGINE’ anyway). While they are few and far between, there are some humdingers in there and they CLUNK when they hit.
  • I mentioned one-dimensional characters earlier, there are a few – given the effort that goes into making so much of this world believable (especially the monster-ravaged China Town), it’s frustrating to experience so many unbelievable characters – and the acting isn’t super either.
  • There’s a bit, that I can’t talk about because it’s a bit spoilery, but when it happens you will, like me, scream at the screen: ‘WHAT?! WE HAD THAT THE WHOLE TIME?!’ – you wait, you’ll see.

The good news is, the bad is so far out-weighed by the awesome you can forgive PACIFIC RIM its shortcomings. It is an astonishing film and it is, without doubt, the best giant robots vs monsters film you will have ever seen.

I’m going to close off with something I read recently over by Tyler Cowen (on a blog post about how China is reshaping Hollywood):

You will note that in Pacific Rim they do not kiss, respect and loyalty to family are major motives in the plot, and there is nothing approaching a nude scene, except when the female lead sneakingly admires the torso of the male lead.

In a summer of mega-superheroes and leading men who always get the girl, PACIFIC RIM is a respectful giant of a movie, that stands up not only against the blockbusters of its ilk, but also against the better natures of some of the more lower budget efforts floating around too.

 

26 Jul 01:30

Comic-Con: ‘Vikings’ Interactive Waterway launches fans toward bounty

by blakehennon

The Vikings Interactive Experience at Comic-Con International features mini Viking boat races. Boat 2 with Rachel Moore of San Diego (front seat) and Lottie Aston from England, jumped their lane and nosed out boat 1 with Cynthia Loza (front) and Araceli Castro (both from San Diego). (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

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Viking shield maidens Xan Rogers and Saeri Far at the entrance to the “Vikings” Interactive Waterway. (Kirk McKoy/ Los Angeles Times)

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The History Channel's "Vikings" tells the tale of the lives and adventures of the warriors. The show brought to Comic-Con an interactive experience with mini Viking boat races. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

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They boarded Viking longships and paddled toward glory and loot.

But it wasn’t 9th century Scandinavia; it was 21st century San Diego. (And, OK, the ships weren’t so long — they were two-seaters. But the glory and loot at stake were real.)

Chris Castagnetto and Zach Warburg, who had not met before this inaugural raid, were teamed in a race at the “Vikings” Interactive Waterway, a free attraction across from the San Diego Convention Center that the hit show on the History channel is staging Thursday, Friday and Saturday as part of its Comic-Con International activities. The prize? Shields signed by the case of “Vikings.”

FULL COVERAGE: San Diego Comic-Con 2013

Warburg, from San Diego, and Castagnetto, from San Jose, crossed the 50-foot pool in 10.4 seconds. Castagnetto, who counted the seconds of the following race to himself — 12 — said, “It’s all about synchronization.”

Victorious teammates Rachel Moore of San Diego and Lottie Aston of Britain plundered their rivals diagonally in a later race.

“We cheated, but we won,” Moore joked.

The friends, who met over Tumblr, agree that their favorite character is the handsome captured monk Athelstan (George Blagden).

COMIC-CON 2013: Follow it live on Twitter

Blagden and other cast members, including Travis Fimmel and Kathryn Winnick, are scheduled to sign autographs at the waterway Friday from 11 a.m. to noon. The show’s sure-to-be-boisterous panel is at 6 p.m. Friday in Room 6A, and attendees will get a free “Vikings” comic book, also available at the waterway, located at 450 Second Ave.

If Castagnetto and Warburg’s mark stands through Thursday — it had through several subsequent races — they won’t have to fight over the loot: There’s a shield for each winner on the team with the day’s fastest time.

– Blake Hennon | @BlakeHennon

RECENT AND RELATED:

The cover art for the "Vikings" comic that will be handed out at its Comic-Con panel features pencils by Anthony Spay, cover inks by Ariela Kristantina, cover colors by Ivan Nunes. (Zenescope / History)Jim Lee, Darick Robertson and the charitable side of Comic-Con

Comic-Con: Vikings will land with stars, comic, races

‘Walking Dead’ to celebrate 10th anniversary at Comic-Con

Celebs join lightsaber relay to Comic-Con — in costume

WonderCon 2013: ‘Vikings’ invades

‘Amazing Spider-Man 2′ swings into Comic-Con


26 Jul 01:28

Police rush to save woman from fall at Comic-Con

by Elena Howe
A woman hung off the 14th-floor balcony of a building in downtown San Diego Thursday afternoon in an apparent suicide attempt that onlookers first thought was a stunt.  (Rebecca Keegan / Los Angeles Times)

A woman hangs off the 14th-floor balcony of a building in downtown San Diego in an apparent suicide attempt. (Rebecca Keegan / Los Angeles Times)

A woman hung from the 14th-floor balcony of a condominium building called the Mark in downtown San Diego on Thursday afternoon in an apparent suicide attempt that onlookers first thought was a stunt to promote a movie during Comic-Con.

San Diego police took the woman into custody after removing her from the balcony in a harness. They declined to release her name.

Some of the crowds beneath the building on 8th Avenue, in the city’s busy Gaslamp District, initially thought they might be watching a bit of a guerrilla marketing campaign for a movie. The condo building is situated above a parking lot where Universal Pictures and Playboy were gearing up to host a party for “Kick-Ass 2,” complete with a giant wrap-around poster advertising the upcoming superhero film.

The woman was wearing green shorts, the color of a distinctive costume worn by a character in the film.

“Don’t do it! Don’t jump!” onlookers began screaming as it became clear the woman was not, in fact, part of the elaborate promotional activities that overtake San Diego for four days every July.

Police officials and a representative from Universal confirmed the incident was unrelated to the movie. “The call came in as a jumper,” said Officer Jim Johnson of the San Diego Police Department. “A female hanging from a balcony. There was something thrown from the balcony and she was crying. After some negotiations, she was taken into custody.”

Johnson said the woman would be taken to a county mental health facility.

–Rebecca Keegan

Follow us on Twitter: @LATHeroComplex

RECENT AND RELATED

Comic-Con 2013: Follow it live from San Diego on Twitter

‘Ender’s Game’ recruits for Battle School with new video, test

‘Amazing Spider-Man 2′ swings into Comic-Con

Comic-Con: Peter Jackson won’t bring ‘Hobbit’ sequel to San Diego

‘Vikings’ will land with stars, free comic, boat races

Celebs join lightsaber relay to Comic-Con — in costume

‘Pacific Rim’: 50 images from Guillermo del Toro’s kaiju film


26 Jul 01:06

PocketNow: Nokia Nailed it with the Nokia Lumia 1020 – rest is up to you, Microsoft

by Jay Montano

 

Screen Shot 2013-07-17 at 15.52.01

PocketNow’s Jaime Rivera is giving quite a lot of praise for the Nokia Lumia 1020 saying that Nokia has nailed it.

But there’s a growing trend across the blogosphere that sees Microsoft as a hindrance to Nokia. Why? Because they aren’t improving at the rate they need to.

Despite the billions of cash reserves idly sitting away, despite the thousands of staff members, we have possibly one guy, one guy eating a donut with sugar coated fingers working on Windows Phone. And that’s when he’s not on Reddit.

http://pocketnow.com/2013/07/16/nokia-nailed-it-your-move-microsoft

Jaime things that MS’s lack of wider hardware support is letting Nokia down. Seriously, fantastic move on Microsoft’s behalf to add challenges such as tight hardware controls. I mean, isn’t it fun when your work is a lot harder than it’s supposed to be? When fighting the competition, isn’t it even better when you aren’t well equipped to fight and thus must make yourself stronger in other ways? No? Someone please tell Belfiore and his team of people who do nothing this.

At the time when Nokia joined with MS, WP looked very promising. The rate of development looked quite good. Now, they seem to be stuck or going backwards. BACKWARDS. Seriously MS, is Ballmer actually working for Samsung/Google/Apple to ensure the internal destruction of MS?

Perhaps we’re all being a bit too harsh. Perhaps it’s because we’re not seeing anything happen and because we’re all so jaded, we’d rather not have hope for a positive but instead express anger. Perhaps it’s a bit too hot and the heat is making everything irritate me a lot more than it would otherwise. I need some ice cream.

14 Jul 04:33

Sunspot at Sunset

Sunspot at Sunset Reddened rays of the setting Sun flooded the skies over Cedar Creek Lake, southeast of Dallas, Texas, planet Earth on July 6th. And while sunsets may be the most watched celestial event, this one even offered something extra. A sunspot so large it was visible to the naked eye is captured in the serene sunset view, near the center of a solar disk dimmed and distorted by Earth's dense atomosphere. Telescopic views revealed the spot to be a complex of large solar active regions composed of sunspots, some larger than planet Earth itself.
13 Jul 21:17

Accessories: Lehmann Aviation creates 41MP UAV Drone using Nokia Lumia 1020 (@haikus/@heremaps)

by Jay Montano

Screen Shot 2013-07-13 at 17.21.26Ooh, lack of sleep caught up with me when I got back! Some interesting news though in the tips to wake up to.

With the release of the Nokia 1020 and its obscenely high detailed 41mp camera Lehmann Aviation have created an ‘accessory’ take advantage of that.

In one the hands on demos for the Nokia Lumia 1020, I was told that satellite imagery inspired it and certainly from the sample overhead images of New York, you can certainly see the Nokia Lumia 1020 being that eye in the sky (and one can actually zoom into the same picture and see all that detail).

Well, Lehmann Aviation have produced a Nokia Lumia 1020 specific unmanned aerial vehicle that would bring it to the sky to take pictures remotely. I guess video would be possible too?

http://www.lehmannaviation.com/la/la300.php

Screen Shot 2013-07-13 at 17.14.28

Screen Shot 2013-07-13 at 17.15.20

I tagged Nokia’s Pino in this post because we recently talked about Here Maps and their new high resolution aerial maps. 1020 and LA300 drone for crowd sourcing high resolution up to date Aerial maps! ha

http://mynokiablog.com/2013/06/28/nokias-new-high-resolution-aerial-maps-covering-90-global-landmass-coming-to-smartphones-too-satellite/

 

Cheeers Navster for the tip!

BTW this was Navster’s take:

It’s amazing that an application like this, and dedicates build of a drone (!), has already been made for the Lumia 1020. It’s the kind of thing that one normally expects to see for iphone first then slowly trickled out to other devices (normally Android).

But this looks like it has been specifically developed with the Lumia 1020 in mind. Also, the LA300 doesn’t look like a typical toy drone (e.g. Parrot AR drone) but one with some specific industrial applications, making use of the 1020′s high res photographic capabilities. Shame about the price though!

Still, given the timing of this, I wonder how closely Nokia might have already been working with business partners, like Lehman Aviation, behind the scenes in the run up to announcing the 1020. Will we see more interesting ‘accessories’ coming to market soon?

12 Jul 23:19

Top 5 ’80s Songs for House Cleaning

by Gerry Doot

I wouldn’t say that my wife and I are slobs, but we aren’t exactly the most organized couple. When I come home and check the mail, I tend to open items and leave the remnants on the coffee table, and my wife’s shoes are practically a repeated decoration throughout the house. Such habits have led us to establish a routine that you might find quite helpful if you’re ever in a similar situation.

We call it the “’80s Cleaning Montage.” It’s simple, really. Think back to your favorite ’80s movie and that part where the teens want to go out to cause some trouble, but their parents won’t let them leave until they finish their chores. Some terrible song comes on, and in fast motion they finish in no time. It even seems fun! These are the songs to put you right in the middle of that montage and get you out of that clutter.

5. AHA – “Take On Me”

Just listen to the beginning of this song. It is a perfect moment of inspiration while you grab your broom and dust rag. As ridiculous as this song is, it will make you move, and it doesn’t hurt to try to nail that high note in the chorus. AHA never had another big hit, but they are still good for something!

Watch this video on YouTube.

4. Starship – “We Built This City”

One of my favorite bad ’80s songs. I love the fact that Starship is an off-shoot from Jefferson Starship, which is an off-shoot from Jefferson Airplane. It’s kind of like what happens when you make a copy of a copy of a copy, but that third copy still looks kind of cool in a weird, distorted way. Regardless, put on a neon bandana and get to work.

Watch this video on YouTube.

3. Phil Collins – “Sussudio”

As a drummer I have a serious soft spot for Mr. Collins. He was kind of a badass in Genesis. That being said, No Jacket Required is an album that is just as amazing as it is ridiculous from start to finish. Watch the video below to see what the song does to the crowd. I’m sure that same ’80s magic will turn you into a cleaning machine. Side note: look for a fantastically young Tarantino at about 0:55.

Watch this video on YouTube.

2. Culture Club – “Karma Chameleon”

I love this song. I can’t help it. I know it’s ridiculous but what can I do? That upbeat pace gets me going, and when they hit the chorus I compulsively need to hop from foot to foot. This might help if you are trying to break up a dirt clot in your carpet. And let’s face it, you’ve been cleaning for a solid 15-20 minutes straight at this point. When they hit that breakdown, take a little break yourself and clap along. It will give you that last little bit of energy you need before you have to tackle your bathroom.

Watch this video on YouTube.

1. Kenny Loggins – “Footloose”

You had to expect this. You’ve “been workin’ so hard” it’s officially time to finish up and party like it’s 1984. Put on your leg warmers and slide across your freshly mopped kitchen floor. That dried spaghetti sauce isn’t there to stop you now. Kenny Loggins had a few good cleaning songs from the ’80s, but “Footloose” is hard to top. Anyone who can sit still while this song is playing is either in a coma or just a bad person in general.

Watch this video on YouTube.

12 Jul 06:24

‘Pacific Rim’ writer Travis Beacham: Hollywood needs original stories

by Gina McIntyre

Charlie Hunnam, left, as Raleigh Becket and Rinko Kikuchi as Mako Mori in "Pacific Rim." (Warner Bros.)

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The United States' Gipsy Danger in a scene from "Pacific Rim." Gipsy Danger is a Jaeger, one of the fighting robots invented by humans to defeat an alien kaiju onslaught. (Warner Bros.)

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Idris Elba as Stacker Pentecost, left, and Charlie Hunnam as Raleigh Becket in "Pacific Rim." (Warner Bros.)

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The United States' Jaeger Gipsy Danger in a scene from "Pacific Rim." (Warner Bros.)

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Rob Kazinsky as Chuck Hansen, left, and Idris Elba as Stacker Pentecost in "Pacific Rim." (Warner Bros.)

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Max Martini as Herc Hansen, left, Idris Elba as Stacker Pentecost, and Clifton Collins as Ops Tendo Choi in "Pacific Rim." (Warner Bros.)

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Rinko Kikuchi as Mako Mori, left, Idris Elba as Stacker Pentecost, and Charlie Hunnam as Raleigh Becket in "Pacific Rim." (Warner Bros.)

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Robert Maillet as Lt. S. Kaidanovsky and Heather Doerksen as Lt. A. Kaidanovsky in "Pacific Rim." (Warner Bros.)

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China's Jaeger Crimson Typhoon, left, and Russia's Jaeger Cherno Alpha in a scene from "Pacific Rim." (Warner Bros.)

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Charlie Hunnam as Raleigh Becket, left, and Mana Ashida as young Mako in "Pacific Rim." (Warner Bros.)

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The United States' Jaeger Gipsy Danger, left, and Australia's Jaeger Striker Eureka in a scene from "Pacific Rim." (Warner Bros.)

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Rob Kazinsky as Chuck Hansen, left, and Charlie Hunnam as Raleigh Becket in "Pacific Rim." (Kerry Hayes / Warner Bros.)

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Charlie Hunnam, left, as Raleigh Becket and Rinko Kikuchi as Mako Mori in "Pacific Rim." (Kerry Hayes / Warner Bros.)

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Max Martini as Herc Hansen, left, and Rob Kazinsky as Chuck Hansen in "Pacific Rim." (Kerry Hayes / Warner Bros.)

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Max Martini as Herc Hansen, left, and Rob Kazinsky as Chuck Hansen in "Pacific Rim." (Kerry Hayes / Warner Bros.)

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Charlie Hunnam, left, as Raleigh Becket and Rinko Kikuchi as Mako Mori in "Pacific Rim." (Kerry Hayes / Warner Bros.)

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Rinko Kikuchi as Mako Mori, left, and Idris Elba as Stacker Pentecost in "Pacific Rim." (Kerry Hayes / Warner Bros.)

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Idris Elba as Stacker Pentecost, left, Max Martini as Herc Hansen, Clifton Collins Jr. as Ops Tendo Choi and Rob Kazinsky as Chuck Hansen in "Pacific Rim." (Kerry Hayes / Warner Bros.)

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Charles Luu, Lance Luu and Mark Luu play the Wei Tang triplets in "Pacific Rim." (Kerry Hayes / Warner Bros.)

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Ron Perlman as Hannibal Chau, left, and Charlie Day as Dr. Newton Geiszler in "Pacific Rim." (Kerry Hayes / Warner Bros.)

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“Pacific Rim” didn’t even exist as a full screenplay when Guillermo del Toro signed on to produce the Jaegers-versus-kaiju epic from that opens in theaters Friday. But Travis Beacham’s outline for the story of a future world that is forever changed after massive monsters attack, forcing humanity to build equally hulking robots to fight back, struck the filmmaker as something he wanted to be a part of.

After his deal to direct his long-planned H.P. Lovecraft adaptation, “At the Mountains of Madness,” fell apart, Del Toro agreed not only to produce and co-write “Pacific Rim” with Beacham but also to direct the movie. In a recent interview with Hero Complex, Beacham described the Oscar-nominated writer-director as a “generous” creative partner — in addition to the film, their collaboration yielded a prequel graphic novel released this year — and went on to discuss the evolution of “Pacific Rim” and the need in Hollywood for more original stories in the genre.

HC: What was your initial inspiration for this world and this story?

TB: I think I’ve always really liked giant-monster movies and giant-robot movies. One of the earliest memories I have is seeing a “Godzilla” movie, and I know also that Ray Harryhausen was the first real filmmaker that I knew by name. If it involved giants on any level, as a kid I was really wrapped up in that.

I think as I got older and started thinking about movies and that sort of thing, I always vaguely wanted to see a modern American summer blockbuster with ILM-style effects explore that sort of subgenre. That in and of itself isn’t an idea — that’s just like, I want to see a space movie or a zombie movie or whatever. I think I didn’t really know that I had a movie at all until I realized that it took two pilots to drive the Jaeger. That was a conceit that let the story be about people in addition to these things. Suddenly, the relationships between the character were quite literally at the center of the battles and affected how the battles played out. If you didn’t get along with your co-pilot or you had whatever baggage between the two of you, that was going to play out in the battle. That was really appealing because it let the story be fundamentally about characters and these battles between these robots and monsters were just how those characters’ stories played out.

MORE: ‘Pacific Rim’ graphic novel: Travis Beacham on ‘formidable’ Del Toro

HC: Was there a script for the film when Guillermo originally came on to produce?

TB: There was, I think, an 18-page treatment. There was no script. The script was started under his sort of producorial supervision, but I think before “Mountains” had fallen by the wayside and before he decided that this was going to be something that he directed was when the script got started. Then by the time I finished it, “Mountains” had kind of fallen apart and he had really fallen in love with “Pacific Rim,” and so then he took a crack at it. There was some back and forth. It was a growing collaboration as he fell more and more in love with it, as his time opened up. It was more an evolution of involvement and an evolution of investment.

HC: How would you characterize Guillermo as a creative partner?

TB: Creatively, he’s a very generous person, and I think he comes by this enthusiasm so earnestly it’s hard not to identify with him on that level. I think a lot of directors, when they tackle this sort of thing, you get the sense that they put some effort into speaking the language. For Guillermo it comes so naturally. The references he makes, the conversations that you have about it creatively, it just flows so well and flows so seamlessly. It’s a lot of fun working with him. It’s hard to believe it’s something you’re getting paid for. You sort of feel like two kids playing with toys in a sandbox.

Guillermo del Toro works with actor Charlie Hunnam on the set of "Pacific Rim," a $180-million original science-fiction action adventure. (Kerry Hayes / Warner Bros.)

Guillermo del Toro works with actor Charlie Hunnam on the set of “Pacific Rim,” a $180-million original science-fiction action adventure. (Kerry Hayes / Warner Bros.)

HC: Did it surprise you that Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. gave you and Guillermo such creative latitude on a project that might be considered risky by some Hollywood standards?

TB: In retrospect, it really surprises me. When you’re in the moment and creating it, your belief in it is so pure and inherent, you can’t conceive of anyone not liking it. It’s basically like your kid; it’s the best thing in the world. But definitely in retrospect, seeing it come together and seeing the trailers and the movie and the how great it looks and the excitement swirling around it, it’s really surprising that [Legendary] took this step. I don’t think it’s something that happens very often.

I grew up in the ’80s and you had these original, big-budget sci-fi adventure things all the time, not based on any source material — you’d have “Gremlins,” “Back to the Future,” “E.T.” “Ghostbusters,” the list goes on and on. I would love it so much if “Pacific Rim” was but the first in a new wave of that sort of thing. I feel like as an industry, we’ve gotten too dependent on source material originated in other mediums. I’m as big of a fan of it as anyone else is. I’ll be there on the first day for the next “Star Wars.” But in addition to that sort of thing, it would be great if we had more content that was originated in the film industry itself.

The cover for "Pacific Rim: Tales from year Zero," created by Alex Ross, was revealed at WonderCon. The book serves a sa prequel to Guillermo del Toro's "Pacific Rim." (Legendary)

The cover of “Pacific Rim: Tales From Year Zero” was created by Alex Ross. The book serves as a prequel to Guillermo del Toro’s movie “Pacific Rim.” (Legendary)

HC: The “Pacific Rim” prequel graphic novel has already been launched, but what’s next for you cinematically?

TB: We’re definitely talking and thinking about “Pacific Rim 2,” but I think that’s something that we’ve been talking and thinking about on some level since it first started. When you’re building a world before you’re necessarily building the movie and you’re finding the story that takes place in that world, you stumble across all kinds of other stories that also take place in that world. There’s a lot of possibility in the “Pacific Rim” universe for additional stories to be told, whether that’s additional graphic novels or animated series or video games or movie sequels. I would love to revisit the universe in some respect down the line.

HC: Has it been communicated to you what the movie might need to do at the box office for some of those ancillary ventures to take root?

TB: It hasn’t. But I think it’s sort of the thing that I guess that nobody really wants to bring up to the writer. [laughs] Knock on wood, I’m really confident in it. I think the people will see it will like it very much and hopefully talk about it very much. I couldn’t possibly love it more.

– Gina McIntyre | @LATherocomplex

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12 Jul 01:49

Super Sexy Burger Time

12 Jul 00:15

Gallery Collection: Lumia 1020 Hands On Images

by Aliqudsi

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For those of us who aren’t luck enough to get some real hands on time with the amazing Lumia 1020, we have to settle for the next best thing, hands on pictures. I’ll try to update this post with multiple images from around the web to give you a feel of the device so check back soon…

*off to hunt for some 1020 porn*

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Nokia 808 - Nokia Lumia 1020 - Black  and cover - 1

Nokia Lumia 2010 - Camera Grip 2

Nokia 808 - Nokia Lumia 1020 - White Yellow Black - 3

Via pureviewclub.com

Via http://www.fonearena.com/

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Via UnleashThePhones

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