Watch "Clerks 2" with commentary before the DVD comes out

Kevin Smith will make the commentary for Clerks 2 available as a free download from the iTunes Music Store. The idea being that you'll go back and see the movie again with your iPod and commentary in tow. This is an obvious off-shoot of the TV commentaries released by the Sci-Fi Channel for episodes of Battlestar Galactica, but it's still brilliant. Love him or hate him, Smith does know how to shake things up a bit.

Here's a NY Times article about the in-theater commentary idea.

[via Daring Fireball]

Superman Returns

You've probably tuned into the accolades already, and I'll add mine: Superman Returns is the best superhero flick of the summer, if not the best movie of the season full stop. Kate Bosworth continues to prove herself as an actress (love those mismatched eyes), making the Lois Lane role her own (and not some sort of homage to Lois Lanes past, thank Jor-El). Kevin Spacey turns in his best performance since American Beauty, at least to my knowledge (I heard Shipping News was good?), and whoever cast Parker Posey deserves a big fat kiss. Brandon Routh as the Big Blue Boy Scout turns in an understated (and likely underrated) perfomance, filling the boots ably but never overselling. A nice job directing by Bryan Singer, even if he did abandon the X-Franchise mid-trilogy. I particularly liked the movie's quieter moments, as when Clark uses his x-ray vision to watch Lois ride an elevator.

One troubling bit that my wife commented on after the movie: being Superman's mom has to be one of the tougher jobs in cinema history. Doesn't Ma Kent get any respect? Supes just up and disappears for five years without writing, and when the spit hits the fan one wonders whether he bothers to call home to say everything's OK.

Go, buy tickets. Watch out for the hordes of your fellow movie-goers, though. They're not any more polite than when you last saw them.

Snakes on a Plane early auditions

Funny for about the first thirty seconds, then it gets old. (Is that supposed to be DeNiro?) Still, wait it out for the Muppet cameo near the end. (Not safe for work due to liberal use of the F-bomb.)

Slacking

Wow, a whole week without an entry? Sorry guys, the jobs and life in general have really been kicking my ass this summer. I've been watching The Daily Show and AFF screeners pretty exclusively, neither of which is good material for the blog. Scott and I have reviews of B13 and My Baby is Black on tap (boy, are we late for this B-Masters Roundtable), so there should be some material for you soon.

Tonight, though, I'm headed out to the Alamo Downtown for the last screening of Showgirls as presented by the Sinus Show. I've heard nothing but enthusiasm for this particular Sinus Show, and of course Showgirls is an old favorite as one of the crappiest pictures ever committed to film. (Never mind that it's a de facto remake of The Lonely Lady.) The Sinus Show guys always do a terrific job of riffing on the subject chosen for their savagery – I'm so glad I bullied my wife into going with me tonight.

In other news, T-Fest (aka Tyrannosaurus Fest) - the summer b-movie festival run by yours truly along with Ken Begg and other b-movie lovers - will be held on July 8th in Dallas. If you're in that neck of the woods or can arrange to be for the weekend of the 8th, we'd love to see you there. It's free but seating is limited so please get in touch by e-mail.

Exit Rose

I had a feeling this might happen, and now the BBC confirms it: Billie Piper is leaving Doctor Who at the end of this season. There have been lots of complaints about the uneven episodes this past season (David Tennant's first as the Doctor), but I haven't really seen that. Maybe it's just the blindness of a geek-boy thrilled to see his favorite TV series back on the air, but I've been uniformly delighted by all of the episodes in "Series Two."

While Billie Piper's departure is sad, there is some interesting news:

The corporation refused to comment on reports that her character, Rose Tyler, would die in the final episode.

"It has been an amazing adventure and I can confirm it comes to an end, for now at least, as series two climaxes," the former pop star said.

Writer Russell T Davies said the Doctor Who team had created "a stunning exit" for Piper's character.

"The Doctor Who team have had a whole year to plan this final scene," he said.

I would say "I can't wait," but that would be a lie.

Cthocolate

sleeper-ice-cream
Originally uploaded by Twosixteen.

If I knew more about HP Lovecraft I could write a pithy caption for this, but I don't. So I can't.

Ultraman luau party

This video perfectly combines two of my favorite things in the universe: Ultraman and tiki culture. The level of attention to detail is pretty amazing, from the tikified credits to the ending scene – apparently even in a luau paradise, Ultraman has a limited amount of time in which to hang out.

[via Tiki Talk]

"Legend of Godzilla" pop-up book

Matt Alt (he of the excellent blog AltJapan) posts a quick picture diary of a Godzilla pop-up book entitled The Legend of Godzilla. This book (apparently published in 1994) hasn't been translated to English but I think anyone interested in the book knows the story of Godzilla well enough to appreciate it simply for its gorgeous renderings of familiar Godzilla scenes. I guess you could keep an eye out for it on eBay . . . .

Takashi Miike to direct Daimajin remake?

It's the latest wacky rumor (this time coming by way of Kaiju Shakedown) from the world of Asian monster movies - Takahi Miike (Audition, Dead or Alive, Full Metal Yakuza) will direct a remake of the movie Daimajin. Daimajin, you may recall, was the giant statue who comes to life to repel a gang of bandits who take over a village. There were two tenuously-related sequels to the original Daimajin. They were Return Daimajin and Wrath of Daimajin, which are often confused for one another.

Related links:
Daimajin (review)
Wrath of Daimajin (review)

Stupid Video for Friday: Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey

At the end of the video, watch the anchor on the far left try to hold it together.

Summertime TV: What to Watch

Now that summer is here and the network TV shows have mostly ended for the year, Scott wonders: what will he watch now? Here's a quick list of my own plans and recommendations for filling those lonely months during which the networks air re-runs.

1. TV on DVD. DVD is the perfect way to catch up on shows that didn't intrigue me initially, but became popular -- or at least critically acclaimed -- afterwards. Not wanting to jump in mid-season, I wait for these shows to come out on DVD so I can watch them in order and in quick succession.

» Huff is a great example - as a channel, Showtime has precious little to offer me for an extra twelve bucks a month, but some of their original programming is well worth the rental. This show features Hank Azaria in a long-overdue leading man role as a psychiatrist named Craig Huffstodt who needs a bit of therapy himself. More entertaining than Huff is the cast of characters who orbit him, including Blythe Danner as his spoiled, neurotic mother and the endlessly amusing Oliver Platt as Huff's childhood friend-turned-attorney with an addictive personality. Huff, the first season of which is available on disc, was created by some of the same minds behind Dead Like Me.

» Alias is another show on the rental queue; as a science-fictiony spy genre series I probably should have been on it sooner, but nothing I ever heard about it inspired me to watch an episode. Now that I know JJ Abrams (one of the creators of Lost) was behind the series, I'm glad it's available on disc. My only exposure to Jennifer Garner thus far has been through Elektra and 13 Going on 30 -- of the two, I definitely preferred the latter, so I'm a bit apprehensive that I won't like her in serious girl-spy mode. My wife will also take a bit of convincing since there are several seasons involved -- if Christina gives it the thumbs-down, it's unlikely I'll find time to watch the series without her.

» Other shows I'll probably add to the queue: House M.D., Numbers, Weeds (once it's released), and 24. (No, I've never seen an episode of 24 either. Quit gasping.)

2. Summer TV: it's not a complete wasteland. In the nooks and crannies between noxious reality shows and re-runs are a few gems such as...

» Weeds, the second season of which starts up on Showtime this summer. I haven't actually seen the first season (see the previous list), but my spies tell me it's pretty good. Something about a pot-dealing suburban housewife?

» Deadwood. Season 3 (apparently the last, except for a pair of TV movies that have been scheduled for later) begins next week. I dropped out in the middle of the second season, but there are legions of Western fans just waiting for their next does of cowboy profanity. I wish them well; I probably won't catch up until the series comes out on DVD in full. Hopefully the creators will take the opportunities afforded by the knowledge that this season is their last to really make some bold moves in story and character development. There are few things more pitiful than a series that limps along uncertainly long after it should have been cancelled. (I'm looking at you, X-Files.)

» Eureka, a new series from the Sci-Fi Channel, looks promising. Here's the official synopsis.

For years, the government has been relocating the world's geniuses (and their families) to the picturesque Pacific Northwest town of Eureka, where daily life straddles the line between unprecedented innovation and total chaos. U.S. Marshal Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) finds this out firsthand when he wrecks his car and becomes stranded there. After the town's eccentric inhabitants unleash a scientific creation still unknown to the outside world, Carter steps in to restore order and consequently is let in on one of our country's best-kept secrets.

If the writing can keep up with the premise (it's difficult to consistently write believable dialogue for geniuses), Eureka could be a really good ride.

» The 4400, season 3. This last season was so consistently enjoyable that I honestly didn't expect the USA Network to renew it (good things never last, right?), but here comes Season 3. The series deals with 4400 people who are abducted by time-travelers from the future over a series of decades and then returned, un-aged but not unchanged, to the year 2004. Season one is out on DVD. Such shrewd and entertaining programming moves by USA makes me want to check out Psych, their new paranormal detective series which starts July 7. (I have no interest, however, in Spike TV's series based on the Marvel Comics vampire book Blade. Go figure.)

3. Submissions to the Austin Film Festival, for which I'm a screener. It's in October, and if you're an independent filmmaker, I honestly think it's one of the better festivals to which you could submit. Too many filmmakers hang their hopes on huge festivals like Sundance and Tribeca, when a medium-large festival like AFF is much more likely to provide both exposure and opportunity. Austin is a great town, and AFF is a laid-back event that really focuses on the best independent movies out there with lots of film fans, filmmakers, and industry types in attendance. Late submission deadline is July 15th. (End of shill.) Last year I watched between 100 and 200 submissions, plus a good number of the 100 features and shorts that actually made it into the competition. If I don't watch half the things I listed above, it will be because the stack of unwatched festival screeners is making me feel guilty. Sorry, I can't write about the movies I watch for AFF until the festival begins.

4. Summer movies -- duh. I mean, what else are summers for? If you want to know what I'm looking forward to (besides Superman Returns and Cars), listen to the Cult Movies Podcast Summer Movie Preview episode. The Alamo Drafthouse will also be offering a variety of weird and wacky things to see over the summer, and the Paramount's summer series always presents more classic movies than I can realistically attend. Austin is a good town for a film geek. I'm also going to try to make it out to some of the vintage theaters in the small Texas towns outside of Austin -- like the Lynn in Gonzalez, pictured above. Last year Christina and I spent a leisurely evening watching a double-feature of War of the Worlds and The Wedding Crashers at the Crossroads Drive-In in Shiner, TX; I'm pretty sure we'll make it down there at some point this summer as well.

5. Visit the outside world. I know that I'm likely to be met with a blank stare from some folks on this one, but it is summer, and for those in climes more hospitable than 100-plus degree Texas it's time to unplug and go outside. Try bungee jumping. I hear that's popular with the kids these days.

Bside Roadshow kicks off in Austin

The film distribution company that keeps my days busy just launched its first major campaign, a touring film and music festival called the Bside Roadshow. Presented in partnership with sponsors like Myspace and AMD, the Roadshow brings one of three movies and a musical performance/after-party to eight cities in the month of June. There are nine stops, as the tour begins and ends in Austin - the picture at right is of the kickoff event, which took place in Republic Square Park.

The stops on the tour are:

• June 4 - Before the Music Dies - Republic Square Park, Austin, TX
• June 7 - Before the Music Dies - Varsity Theater, Minneapolis, MN
• June 9 - Before the Music Dies - Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI
• June 13 - The Outdoorsmen - Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO
• June 16 - The Outdoorsmen - Orpheum Theater, Madison, WI
• June 19 - The Outdoorsmen - World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA
• June 22 - Quality of Life - Bagdad Theater , Portland, OR
• June 27 - Quality of Life - Brattle Theater , Boston, MA
• June 28 - Quality of Life - Alamo Drafthouse, Austin, TX

The three films being shown are:

Before the Music Dies: "An eye-opening documentary exploring the music industry’s abandonment of artists and fans in its single-minded pursuit of corporate profits. The film, which premiered to sold-out audiences at the South by Southwest Film Festival, presents interviews and performances by artists such as Dave Matthews, Erykah Badu, and Eric Clapton." Apart from the amazing music in the film, my favorite moments come from Badu (who credits butt implants with the success of modern pop stars) and Questlove, who lays out in detail the exact procedure for keeping a band together. ("Sunday is Band Day.")

Quality of Life: "An award winning drama surrounding the relationship of two friends facing the prospect of doing hard time for graffiti writing in San Francisco. This film, currently in the midst of successful self-distribution, won the MySpace audience choice award and has set the bar for maximizing exposure on the site with unsurpassed graphics, blogging and outreach." I haven't seen this one yet, but it seems to have a good reputation with audiences who have seen it.

The Outdoorsmen - Blood, Sweat, and Beers: A favorite from the Austin Film Festival last year, I've mentioned it before. Billed as "an outrageous docu-comedy that follows a group of friends in the Pacific Northwest compete each year in an all-day event combining physical challenges with high-speed beer chugging." It's so much more than that.

If the Roadshow is coming to a town near you, please check it out - ticket prices are generally equal to or less than what you'd pay for a regular Hollywood movie, and you get the after-party in addition to the film. Plus there's that warm fuzzy feeling you get from supporting independent filmmakers. For more information visit the Bside Roadshow Myspace page (bump up your friend count by adding the Roadshow as a friend) or Bside.com.

My role at Bside is as a liaison between the company's development team and the film festivals who use our audience participation technology. (In other words, I speak both film geek and tech geek.) If you'd like to see how Bside develops conversations between film festivals and their attendees, please visit the sites for the Jackson Hole Film Festival and the Atlanta Film Festival, both of which take place this month.