By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)
A few great holidays gifts, namely videos, have arrived over at Otaku no Culture. In the coming weeks, reviews of fond classics will be looked at. One such title that must be mentioned right away has to be with Warner Brother’s repackaged 2011 rerelease of The Flash
Continue reading “Revisiting the 90’s Flash with a 2011 Repackaging”
By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)
Fans of horror fandom have plenty of choices these days when considering there’s a wide array of conventions for them to get their spook on. Some are multi-faceted enough to include a section just for them and others are 100% focussed. In the world of horror entertainment, this niche market is mainstream enough to allow them to run independently or be part of a larger show. In Canada, Rue Morgue Magazine runs Festival of Fear as part of Fan Expo Vancouver, and in the United States, Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors occurs in various cities throughout the year. Those are perhaps the most recognized conventions in North America.
In Kyle Kuchta’s documentary, Fantasm, he looks at a host of other shows — Monster Mania, Rock and Shock, Spooky Empire and HorrorHound — that takes place in the Eastern part of the United States. Here both he, fans, producers, vendors and performers explain why attending horror conventions have become a rite of passage. This 55 minute program does not always focus on the appeal of horror to the masses. It looks at the reasons why fandom likes to gather at these events. Through all the interviews that Kuchta has collected in the 2012 and 2013 year at these particular shows, he nicely reveals that the desire to attend these festivals is more about nurturing a passion. Some attendees forge lasting relationships while at these events. Kuchta does a great job at putting together an extended discourse about the passion everyone has instead of going in-depth.
Continue reading “Trip the Light Fantasm-ic, Going on a Convention Documentary Review”
By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)
Fans of the giant robot genre should take note: the “limited edition” video release of Pacific Rim is worth picking up for the packaging alone. It makes for a very cool display piece, and it ranks up there with other specially designed products like the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection, presented as a chest, and Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One, contained in a suitcase. The bonus is that this simple 3D display piece is far cheaper than the other two, and it can still be the center of attention on any collector’s shelf.
Continue reading “Examining Pacific Rim’s Video Release: The Bonus Disc & Beyond”
Fans of Disney’s Gargoyles do not have to go through the Disney Movie Club (DMC) to order the highly desired Season Two Volume Two release.
Fans of Disney’s Gargoyles do not have to go through the Disney Movie Club (DMC) to order the highly desired Season Two Volume Two release. It was once an exclusive through this mail order catalogue house and the months that followed after my editorial has shown that the Mouse does care. A tip from a reader to say that they have made buying this release easier and further monitoring of where this video collection can be found shows that the stone protectors of the night are indeed loose! This volume can now be ordered through Amazon.
Peter Dickinson’s The Flight of Dragons looks at the mythical origins of the creature and postulates how they may have evolved based on real life science.
Not since 30 years ago has there been a worthy look at the nomenclature of dragons. Author Peter Dickinson and illustrator Wayne Anderson crafted the brilliant The Flight of Dragons. It’s a book that’s sadly forgotten. This unique tome and movie based on it looks at the mythical origins of the creature and postulates how they may have evolved based on real life science.
Literary observation and historical research fills the pages. The read is like that of a textbook. Dickinson draws upon centuries of research from clerics to theologians to explore the habitat and biology of a dragon. In what he gleams from various novelists, especially from Tolkien to McCaffrey, the ideas presented here read like something Charles Darwin would write.
Some readers might liken this work to that of On the Origin of Species. The prose is sometimes difficult to read, and whats presented is nothing like the Book of Dragons, as penned by a youthful Hiccup in the animated series How to Train Your Dragon. In the novels, Fishlegs is responsible for chronicling what they discover. His version gives stats and descriptions alongside illustrations. In Dickinson’s version, the drawings are phenomenally detailed. It’s doubtful that Hiccup will ever dissect a beast just to explain how the digestion system works.
Continue reading “The Fantasy and Freedom Found with The Flight of Dragons”
By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)
On the eve of Halloween night, young children should not be denied some early treats. Disney’s DVD release of The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad (Disney Gold Classic Collection)
Continue reading “Halloween Treats: Getting Nostalgic with the Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad”
