(Fandom n. – A community of fans that form around any work of fiction.)

Wow, huh?  Canada got beat by Harry Potter, not that that should really surprise anyone.  So let your geek flag fly!

Bonus points to whoever can guess what all four pictures reference.  Post away in the comments section.

As I’ve brought up before, the collaborations between director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp have been numerous and varied, though honestly, some themes keep popping up with a fair amount of consistency (how much white make-up do you need for that many movies?).  The latest film, Dark Shadows, is their eighth movie together, preceded by, and I’ll see if I can get this in order, Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) and Alice in Wonderland (2010).  Burton and Depp have had a very lucrative and well-enjoyed partnership for the last 20 years or so, but as YouTube and other sites have pointed out, their work might be getting a tad repetitive by this point.

Dark Shadows seems to be no big exception.  Based on the 1966-1971 fantasy soap opera of the same name, it centers around Barnabas Collins (Depp), a young man in eighteenth century Maine who manages to tick off a witch named Angelique (Eva Green), who proceeds to make his life a literal hell by cursing him to become a vampire and burying him in a coffin underground.  He doesnt reemerge until 1972.  There he connects with his descendants and their staff (Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Grace Moretz, Helena Bonham Carter, Bella Heathcote, etc.) and attempts to restore his family name to it’s original glory, all while contending with his vampirism, this new time period and the return of Angelique, who is just as vengeful and unhinged as ever.

Much of the humor derives from Barnabas adjusting to the wacky time that was the 1970s, and there are plenty of references to that decade, from lava lamps to Scooby-Doo to a cameo by Alice Cooper, the latter tying in to one of the best things about Dark Shadows; it’s soundtrack of great 70s music.  But as Burton films go, there’s not a whole lot to make this one memorable.  It wasn’t a bad movie, but it wasn’t a great one either, and it may not end up standing alongside the classic Burton movies.  Still, if you’re looking for a vampire-related chuckle, you could do worse.  Just be prepared for things to get really crazy near the end.

Here’s a trailer to give you a taste.

And just in case you’re curious, here’s a clip from the original Dark Shadows, featuring the recently and dearly departed Jonathan Frid as the definitive Barnabas Collins.  Teens would rush home after school to catch the latest installment.  It was a different time back then.

Ok, so how you doin?? Haven’t heard much of you guys for a while – anything new? Exciting? How many of you have prom coming up??
Dress shopping done? Got your tux all settled?
(p.s. random tangent – it’s kinda annoying how guys get to rent a tux but girls have to buy a dress…this goes for all levels of celebration: formals, prom, weddings…the whole shebang! What’s up with that??)

And so, since I’ve been uberly busy and my brain seems to have stopped working, I will leave this short and sweet and end here.

Oh, and include this pic that George Takei posted on his Facebook page….That guy kills me!! =P

Very true. Very true.

I happen to be one of those people who appreciate a very special kind of experience; that of anticipation.  I’ve never been the type who has to wake up at the crack of dawn to open her Christmas presents because she can’t wait a second longer.  Let me bask in the glow of Christmas morning and enjoy the moment.  Anticipation is often better than both the deed and the memory of it, because often times the thing we’re all so excited for is over so quickly, and sometimes it just can’t be quite as good as we’ve built it up in our heads to be over the days, weeks, months or even years we’ve waited for it.

But not always.

Case in point, The Avengers, a movie literally four years and five other movies in the making.  As anyone within earshot of me or reading this bl0g could probably tell, I have been beyond excited for this movie.  Finally, my favorite superheroes all in one sitting.  This is what all those previous movies and all that sitting through the credits to watch the extra scenes has led up to.  But can it live up to such lofty expectations that not only I and so many other fanboys and fangirls have?  Well I’m happy to report that, yes, it can.

The Avengers was a pleasant surprise in that it was a great action movie, and it had everything you could want in a big summer blockbuster, but it was also a very well balanced character study with some real moments of humanity and depth, plus one liners and comedic scenes that had the whole audience laughing.  Without giving too much away plot-wise, the story revolves around Thor’s brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his attempts to infiltrate and conquer our world with the help of the Cosmic Cube and an alien race of allies.  This prompts SHIELD director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), to bring together a team of superpowered individuals to stop him.  He recruits Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), The Black Widow (Scarlett Johanssson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner).  But the question becomes can each member put aside their own issues to come together as a team and defeat Loki?

The Avengers clocks in at two and a half hours, but never do you feel it drag, and each moment is put to good use.  Director Joss Whedon (a huge player in world of fandom, having created Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly and Dollhouse, not to mention he’s an Oscar nominee for co-writing the screenplay for Toy Story), manages to keep the action scenes so action-packed, while the quiet scenes still hard-hitting.  Each character is given a fair shot to shine and to really make an impact in the story, and everything builds up to a satisfying conclusion.   Plus there are cameos, inside references, an extra scene after the credits (two actually, one after the first set of credits, and one after the main credits) and so much to keep a fan happy.  And did I mention the one-liners?  You can always tell when something’s done by Joss Whedon when there’s just as much humor as there is heart.

 So there you have it, a highly anticipated movie that lives up to the hype.  It does happen.  And The Avengers and it’s predecessors may end up changing how Hollywood does superhero movies.  Will Marvel rule the box office this summer?  It’ll have stiff competition when The Dark Knight Rises opens in a few weeks, but then The Amazing Spider-Man comes out after that, so time will tell. 

So go see it, but savor that anticipation.  And then get excited for what’s coming next in your local theatre.  And here’s one more clip for you, of Iron Man and Thor throwing down.  Good times.

Here are the details:
Friday May 4th, 6-8:30 pm
Bathurst Clark Resource Library
Ages 12-18

Oh and did I mention that there will be FOOD, PRIZES, activities, all your friends, BOOKS, PRIZES, FOOD, and much more!!!

It is going to be a ton of fun, and it will be happening after library hours! Yes, that is right, we will be re-opening the library just for YOU – where we will have the total run of the whole library! It is going to be CraZy!!

And here is the libraries video for the program… woot hoot!!

Day 4 of our all-Avengers-all-the-time coverage finds us looking at two team members who don’t have their own movies yet; The Black Widow and Hawkeye.  The Widow, aka Natasha Romanof, spy extraordinaire, was introduced in Iron Man 2 working undercover for SHIELD as an assistant to Tony Stark.  Hawkeye, aka Clint Barton, the world’s greatest marksman, had a brief cameo in Thor during the scene where Thor breaks into SHIELD’s compound to retrieve his Hammer.  Now, both of them and their boss Nick Fury from the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (the SHIELD everyone’s talking about) will get a bigger role in tomorrow’s new movie.  Let’s read up on all our friends at SHIELD.

 Black Widow: Deadly Origin

Tracing back to Natasha’s days as a Soviet spy up until her time as an Avenger, Deadly Origin gives the reader a glimpse into Romanof’s long and often sordid past, taking us from the frozen Moscow streets into the stratosphere and everywhere in between as ghosts from the Widow’s previous life threaten all she holds dear.

 Nick Fury, agent of SHIELD: Who is Scorpio?

 Taking us back to the 1960s, this collection of stories feature future head of SHIELD Nick Fury as a secret agent trying to keep the world in check from threats such as the mysterious Scorpio.  These stories have been described as both psychedelic and suspenseful.

 Siege: Prelude

As Osborn gathers his forces in the weeks leading up to the Siege of Asgard, Clint Barton, the former Hawkeye who now goes by the codename Ronin, makes one last attempt to expose Osborn and his Dark Avengers.  Can the other New Avengers, who have had to stay underground since Osborn came to power, rally to save their teammate?

So here we are people.  Less than a day away from one of the biggest cinematic events of the year.  I hope you’ve got your ticket.  The next time you hear from me about it will hopefully be a movie review.  But in the mean time, let’s tide ourselves over with a clip of the Black Widow in action.

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!

Day 3 of our Avengers countdown has us focusing on two very distinct heroes; the God of Thunder Thor, and the Incredible Hulk.  One a demigod from another dimension, the other an experiment on Gamma Radiation gone horribly wrong…and while one is a steadfast hero, the other has found himself being taken down more often than not when on his rage-fueled rampages.  But they are both true Avengers when it comes down to it, and in that spirit, here are titles featuring everyone’s favorite hammer-swinger and big green monster.

 Thor, Volume 1

Taking place after the Superhero Civil War, volume one of J. Michael Straczynski’s epic Thor series find’s the Asgardian alone on Earth (Midgard to those of you keeping track of the Nine Realms) after the events of Ragnarok, with only his human counterpart, Dr. Donald Blake, for company.  Thor rebuilds Asgard over a field outside of a small Oklahoma town and sets out to find his fellow Asgardians.  One of the best things about this series is the way small-town midwesterners interact with these powerful, out-of-place beings.

  Thor and Loki: Blood Brothers

This gorgeously drawn ‘what if’ tale is from the point of view of Thor’s villainous brother Loki, who finally achieves what he’s always wanted and taken control of Asgard, putting Thor and his allies in chains.  We hear Loki’s perspective on his family and his upbringing for the first time, and how his own insecurities and self-loathing will be his undoing.  A must for Thor fans.

 The Incredible Hulk Vol. 1: The Return of the Monster

The Hulk at his angsty best.  While Bruce Banner had thought he’d finally tamed the beast within, a sudden Hulk rampage results in the death of a child.  Now with his face all over the news and the police and trained assassins in pursuit, Banner goes on the run, aided only by the mysterious Mr. Blue.   How will our beleaguered scientist grapple with threats from all around and his own demons?

 Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk

I should preface this by saying that I personally am not a fan of the Ultimates line of comic books.  Basically the Ultimates are an alternate version of the Marvel universe and their characters with the grittiness factor upped to ridiculous levels.  And since Wolverine pretty much invented grittiness, he’s essentially the same character in the Ultimates universe.  Having said that, pretty much any occasion for Wolverine and the Hulk to go at it is always worth a look.  Their tussles are legendary.

We’re almost there everyone.  Friday The Avengers officially assemble on movie screens!  Stay tuned for one more Graphic Novel round-up before the big day.  And just because I think it’s fun, here’s a link for cologne and perfume based on the the big-screen Avengers…you know, just in case you want to smell like your favorite hero.

Oh, did I mention there will be FOOD, PRIZES, activities, all your friends, BOOKS, PRIZES, FOOD, and much more!!! It is going to be a ton of fun, and it will be happening after library hours! Yes, that is right, we will be re-opening the library just for YOU – where we will have the total run of the whole library! It is going to be CraZy!!

So sign up now by calling 905-653-7323, and asking to speak to a librarian at the Bathurst Clark Resource Library. OR come into the library and we can sign you up and give you all the stuff that will prepare you for this night.

Curious about the book? Check out the Podcast Review or the Book Trailer

And here is the libraries video for the program… woot hoot!!