My awesome correspondent (and partner in fun) Hot Donna will be accompanying me to this year’s Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con as press! How awesome is that?

Juliet Landau and James Marsters at Wizard World, photo by Andrew Gamble

Wizard World recently posted their full program list, which can be found here. I’ve decided to share my top picks with you. I’m not saying that we will be able to make it to all of these great events but they sound super awesome. We probably won’t be arriving until Saturday, but possibly Friday, so fingers crossed!

Friday 06/01/12
3-3:45 p.m.: Vampire Lore And Other Urban Myths And Legends (Room A)
Star Wars Q&A (Room B)
4-4:45 p.m.: James Marsters And Juliet Landau (of Buffy & Angel) Q&A (Room A)-I bet this will rock!
5-5:45 p.m.: Sam Trammell (of True Blood) Q&A (Room A)-he’s so dreamy
6-6:45 p.m.: Sam Witwer (of the Being Human US reboot) Q&A (Room B)

Saturday 06/02/12
11-11:45 a.m.: Stan Lee Q&A (Theater Room)
1:15-1:45 p.m.: Chris Hemsworth Q&A (Theater Room)-I can’t believe they got THOR, amazing!
3-3:45 p.m.: Bruce Campbell Q&A (Room A)-I’ve seen him do these at other events in the past and highly recommend checking this out. I know you will love it if you are a BC fan.
4-4:45 p.m.: Evil Dead Q&A (Room B)
5-5:45 p.m.: Boondock Saints Q&A featuring Sean Patrick Flanery & Norman Reedus (Room A)
6:30-9 p.m.: Wizard World Adult Costume Contest (Room A)-I adore watching costume contests.
9 p.m.: Geeknation Launch Party Presented By Wizard World (Field House)-I’m not entirely sure what this is but Action Flick Chick is involved so I definitely want to check it out.

Sunday 06/03/12
Shannon Elizabeth Q&A (Room B)-Have you ever seen her in Tomcats? No? Go watch it, now!
Noon-12:45 p.m.: Buffyfest 20th Anniversary Q&A (Room A)-so excited!
1-1:45 p.m.: Quantum Leap Q&A (Room A)
2-2:45 p.m.: Melissa Joan Hart & Joey Lawrence Q&A (Room A)-fun show

They will also be screening Lloyd the Conqueror, a comedy about LARPing, starring Brian Posehn and Harland Williams. I’m not sure when though. It looks pretty funny.

I can’t wait! You should definitely come join us.

Note: Unless noted, programming events take place in designated rooms at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Many are included as part of standard Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con admission; VIP tickets or additional costs may apply to ensure access to select activities. Seating for panels is strictly limited and available on a first come first serve basis and each room will be cleared between panels. Programming subject to change; attendees should check the schedule board on site for updates.-from Wizard World

Want to be prepared?
You can buy tickets here.
Visit the official Wizard World Comic Con site

“You are meeting these people in a bar” her mentor stated. “But you met your wife in a bar”. “But she was working”.

That was the crux. The girl wasn’t working in a bar. She was a patron. But where else would you meet someone in a town full of mean people? She had a problem with people. They scared her. So if she had to be in an altered state of mind just to meet them then so be it.

“Hi” said the cutie in the mechanic looking cut off tank and wife beater. “Hi, how are you?” she responded fueled by substances to overcome her innate state.

Much later she felt like her metaphorical balls were in place. She’d had a couple of more drinks. He had his tank back on so her prosopagnosia let her make sure it was him.

He sang his second song by another band that she adored. This was her in. She knew it. She stopped him on his way to the bar. She did it. She made small talk. The smallest of talk. About the bands, shared experiences, being the majority of the straight people in the gay bar…

and yet, it didn’t matter. He blew her off (nicely).

She was wrong. Earlier she had misread him. He didn’t have any interest. Or her body repulsed him, or her choice of song repulsed him or most likely her awkwardness repulsed him. Whatever the reason she was wrong, she was doomed. If someone didn’t accept those things as part of her here, a place where everyone was themselves, where would they?

And so she went on, she went home, she continued to be a caricature of the adult she’d envisioned at age 10. Because some don’t fit in. Some don’t get the happy ending of the couple in the beginning. They were lucky or it was kismet, fate, what have you.

And then she cried…

And then she went on because that’s what you do…

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This post is for The Film Experience’s awesome series Hit Me With Your Best Shot series.

I chose this difficult to cap moment because it’s when Edward fully realizes that he can’t pass as normal anymore so he rips off his suburban costume. This would probably work better as a gif but I still haven’t taught myself how to make those.

Normally when I do one of these I go overboard telling you everything that I love about the specific film. However I’m currently highly emotional so I mainly just cried while rewatching this Tim Burton film for the first time in years.

Plus-I will be launching a new blog in a month or so. you can probably guess what that one will focus on. Since I noticed that the aspies were highly correct on this film I’ll write a detailed analysis at a later date on that new blog.

You may also enjoy:
Hit Me With Your Best Shot: Peggy Sue Got Married
Hit Me With Your Best Shot: Moulin Rouge
Hit Me With Your Best Shot: Beauty and the Beast
Hit Me With Your Best Shot: Showgirls
Movie Review: Dark Shadows
Johnny Depp Online Movie Resource-where to watch Johnny Depp flicks online & what is available, includes picks from Netflix, Hulu & more!
Johnny Depp Movie Marathon Tweetathon Recap-in which I watched and tweeted about Secret Window, Blow, Sweeney Todd, The Ninth Gate and The Libertine.
March Movie Madness-(circa 2010)-my initial review of Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland

4 out of 5 stars

Dark Shadows is a campy horror comedy. It’s based on a supernatural soap opera about a vampire named Barnabas Collins that aired from the late ’60s to the early ’70s. The show was remade in the ’90s. The film version is set in the early ’70s. Tim Burton’s film stars his muse Johnny Depp as well as his long time girlfriend (she would be considered his common law wife if they lived in the US), the awesome Helena Bonham Carter.

The cast is rounded out by Eva Green, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jonny Lee Miller and Jackie Earle Haley (or as we may always think of him, 2nd Freddy Krueger).

(source)

Please enjoy my long but fun and informative video review of the film, above. It touches on the issues with feminism prevalent within the film because I could not avoid it for some reason.

"Is he for real?"

(source)

(source of the photo in the video)

Official photos are from Warner Bros. Pictures

You may also enjoy
(on this site)
Johnny Depp Online Movie Resource-where to watch Johnny Depp flicks online & what is available, includes picks from Netflix, Hulu & more!
Johnny Depp Movie Marathon Tweetathon Recap-in which I watched and tweeted about Secret Window, Blow, Sweeney Todd, The Ninth Gate and The Libertine.
Johnny Depp Movie Marathon Tweetathon-when I discussed setting up the marathon, this could be a useful tool for planning your own. Includes a fun poll asking you what your favorite Depp flick is. (+ a pic of me in my Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland costume that I wore for Halloween in 2010)
Shirtless Beefcakes of the 90s-includes Johnny Depp
When They Were Young-includes a sexy, young pic of Depp and a Sexy Boys playlist
March Movie Madness-(circa 2010)-my initial review of Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland
Move Rundown: March 2011-includes my initial thoughts (in video form, in a wig) on Depp in Rango

(on my tumblr, etc)
My Tim Burton tags on tumblr
My Johnny Depp tags on tumblr
My Helena Bonham Carter tags on tumblr
+ now there is another costume option for dressing your man/a man? up for Halloween, lol. He can be Barnabas Collins, right?
Screencaps from the live Ustream of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland premiere-that I took and posted on Photobucket

Extra Fun Elsewhere
Corpse Bride on JohnAugust.com-about the making of the film

Random May 2012 Mix from Emma_moon on 8tracks.

Enjoy this 22 track collection of songs that I’m listening to with regularity this month.

It includes Foster the People, Madonna, Nickelback, LMFAO, Kelly Clarkson, Fred Durst, Johnny Cash, Rihanna, Chris Isaak, Seth MacFarlane, Megan Hilty & Katharine McPhee (SMASH Soundtrack) and Brian Molko.

“I did it one piece at a time and it wouldn’t cost me a dime”-Johnny Cash

You may also enjoy:
Fashion Playlist
missemmamm’s Favorite Covers Playlist
Madonna Discography Playlist
missemmamm’s Smash Drinking Game

“…without football I don’t know what I love…”

3.5 out of 5

***This review is not a spoiler free zone***

As you may know I have a penchant for the films of 50 Cent. Usually they are exploitation style crime dramas with lots of guns and an awesome sex scene. However with All Things Fall Apart Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson went for something wildy different. For that I commend him.

If you keep up with the celeb gossip then you’ve probably seen photos from this flick which had been dubbed, “the football cancer movie” more than once. During the filming a ton of photos were released showing how 50 had committed to the role by losing a ton of weight. They were quite shocking.

Normally I wouldn’t be up for a sports related movie but I really wanted to see this drama. The movie was co-written by 50 and directed by Mario Van Peebles (who also costars as 50′s dad). The most glaring thing about the movie is, obviously, that 50 Cent is now in his late 30s playing a college football star. But hell I totally understand his motivation. I would want to play the starring role in a movie like this if I were making it.

a collage of his headwear, for your pleasure

Being a drama there isn’t a bunch of out and out fun like other flicks in his repertoire. There is one thing that I want to share because I did chuckle. This movie hits you over the head with foreshadowing. The most prevalent use of it is when we see 50 in a variety of hats covering his dreads. Knowing what the plot is when going in you can tell this is to starkly contrast with him later losing his hair from chemo. However it’s still sort of funny that they used so many and at times I wondered if they were in fact attached to his wig and the whole thing was jimmy rigged to stay in place.

post coitus, we don't get a hot sex scene in this cuz it's a serious film

In All Things Fall Apart 50 is the Big Man On Campus. He’s a football star. Pussy comes easy, grades come easy (in fact he has a scholarship but doesn’t really attend class much) and he’s a local celebrity.

a happy moment

His parents are not well off. His mother runs a bar and is a caterer while his father runs an auto shop. However they are counting on him to get picked up by a pro team. Then they will be set. So all of that is riding on his shoulders.

admiring a classmate

His bro is the shy, nerdy type who actually gets called Urkel on occasion. Things come so easy for 50 that he seemingly accidentally, well at first, picks up his bro’s crush for himself. I won’t really be discussing her cuz yeah, not a fan of that character. No, these brothers do not get along.

more foreshadowing, when 50 falls while breaking up this altercation his parent's worry about an injury sidelining his career

50 Cent's BFF is such a stereotypical stoner parody that he sometimes takes you out of the film

when things start to fall apart

even the lighting reflects his ennui

When 50 is diagnosed with cancer their oncologist (Ray Liotta) tries to be optimistic with them but his parents want to be overly so. All of the sudden he’s super ill and having an identity crisis. He’s no longer a star, people don’t even recognize him. He’s lost his scholarship and hasn’t earned any credits due to his previous goofing off. It’s almost like he’s a ghost of his former self. Even at the family dinner table he feels an outcast since he can’t really eat because of the treatments.

a good time for his bro to kick him when he's down

His brother has to give him a reality check on how the whole family has actually been living. Now they are really scraping to make ends meet. 50′s medical bills are really taking a toll on the whole family financially and emotionally. In fact the dad moves out because he’s a dick can’t take it. His bro basically tries to tell 50 to get his act together.

not getting your act together

So 50 sleeps in a cardboard box outside of his father’s auto shop. His dad tries to hire him to help out. 50′s just not good at it though. He feels downtrodden. But he also gives him some advice, “you can sell shit Deon, that’s a legit skill”. You see in another earlier bit of foreshadowing 50 got the price jacked up on a car his dad was trying to unload. This comes in handy since another job offer that he’d had was just lip service.

selling cars is just that easy

50 decides to go groveling to his bro who is now working at a car lot. He literally gets down on his knees and begs. But his bro still isn’t over that whole living in his shadow thing and says he couldn’t even if he wanted to. So instead of giving up 50 takes a chance and sells a car right outside, without being hired, on the spot. The cowboy doesn’t even need a test drive. That’s how swell a salesman he is.

Things are falling back together. 50′s rolling in the dough. He even manages to donate to his own charity jar at his mom’s bar (aw, so sweet). Plus he doubles the companies sales in the process earning his bro a promotion. Now they can finally be pals.

But it can’t all stay rosy. He does, after all, have cancer. So when 50 starts feeling ill he goes in for some honest advice from his doc, my man Ray Liotta. Liotta takes him outside of the hospital for a completely honest heart to heart that this hospital can never know went down. You see 50 has 9K saved up right now. Liotta gives it to him straight. 50 doesn’t have long. If he goes back in for treatments it will put his family back in the hole for at least 100K, plus he will live out his last days hooked up to medical BS. Liotta illustrates this with a story of an early patient of his.

look how easily he goes from Steve Urkel to Stefan Urquelle‎

At this point there really is only one option, partay! Seriously though 50 decides, to as his weed addled friend (who also planned the party, “I’ve always been the entrepreneurial type, how else was I gonna pay for my weed?”) tells a singer, “I think he just wants to go out on top”, with a fun white party ala something you’d see from Puff Daddy. Shut up, you know you’ve always want to go to one of those too. He tricks his mom by making her think she’s just catering. Sike! You and dad are so getting back together! It is pretty great. He ends up making amends with his whole family.

All in all I do recommend All Things Fall Apart. It doesn’t totally hit the mark authenticity wise. It’s a bit over dramatic. But I think that they did a very good job all in all. I think that a lot of heart and hard work went into this movie. 50 and many of the other actors give very heartfelt, impassioned performances. His character even has a pretty good arc. I mean he goes from just having it easy and being oblivious, to down and out and then to a full man. I find it sad that it only had a limited theatrical run.

Disclosure: This film was provided to me courtesy of Image Entertainment but that doesn’t effect my views on it.

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Top Oscar Winning Movie on Netflix Streaming