Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo 2012: Day 2

Things were so crazy yesterday I didn't get a chance to post so be prepared for a long one about Saturday and Sunday at the Expo!

Day 2:

As tradition dictates, I got up around 6 am to start getting into my costume before everyone else as mine took longer to get ready then everyone else.  This year's line up of cosplay included me as Lulu from Final Fantasy X, J as a new and improved version of his Jayne from Firefly that he did last year, R as Waldo of Where's Waldo? fame, and D as Amy Pond from Doctor Who in "The Beast Below" episode.

We headed down to the Expo around 8:30 and there was a bit of confusion as to where we were supposed to go but we ended up herded down to the corral.  I did enjoy the pre-show entertainment in the corral, but I got separated from D, R and J.  The were sent up into the stands and I was directed to sit on the floor as it was very difficult for me to climb stairs in my costume.  Luckily I was sitting with a really nice gentleman dressed as Doctor Jones who had broken his foot.  You could see the cracks in organization beginning to form at this point.  People who were there earlier were seated higher in the Corral while those who arrived just before the doors opened got to sit on the floor much closer to the doors than those who came earlier.  There was no separation between people who had purchased advanced passes and those who still needed to purchase resulting in a bit of a cluster.  We managed to find each other when the crowd just started moving wherever they wanted to.  I got the impression there were quite a few people who were upset that they arrived early and were sent to sit higher and farther away from the doors than those who came later.  I felt really bad for the poor volunteer who was trying very hard to keep the crowd moving and seated, but he was very young and people just ignored him.

We decided that since we had done most of our important stuff the day before not to fight the crowds to much and just take the opportunity to pose for some photos and check out other people's costumes until the sea of people parted a bit.  We eventually got inside and wandered for a little bit before heading to the Boyce Theatre for the voice actors panel.  We waited to long to get in line however and didn't make it into the room.  Lesson learned.  Get in line for a panel super early or miss out.  That was totally our fault and we knew it.  So we did what any other cosplayer would do and wandered the floor trying to bring a few smiles to peoples faces.  Our plan was to have R photobomb as much as humanly possible the rest of the weekend.  People LOVED it.  We did get a little tired of hearing "Found You!" constantly all weekend, but it was all in good fun.  R even saw someone post on Tumblr later that weekend that the highlight of their Expo experience was playing Where's Waldo in the Corral and looking for him in the crowd.  Around noon-ish, J and I stepped outside to cool off a bit as I was overheating and needed a quick break.  The crowd outside was enormous!  There were thousands of people lined up down the street waiting to get in.  We headed back inside and made it to the ticket area at the main entrance to the Corral when they suddenly closed the gates in front of us.  Rumors began to circulate through the crowd.  "Oversold" and "Over-capacity" were the terms flying around.  We heard that we may not get back in.  You could feel the tension in the room beginning to mount.  I was seriously worried there was going to be a riot on there hands and we were trapped like cattle in a holding pen.  There were A TON of people jammed in that room.  I totally understand why the Fire Marshall shut things down.  My Twitter was blowing up with irate people in the line farther back.  We figured if we just waited for a bit and a few more people left we could get back inside.  I texted R and told him and D what was going on and NOT to leave the hall no matter what.  Then they closed the doors behind us as well.  I was really getting overheated now and I had no water (it was with D) and that room started to feel awfully small and really crowded.  I began to feel faint.  J inched us closer to the wall area where there were some tables set up so we would have left people around us but I was really getting worried that I was going to faint.  Just when I was about to declare a medical emergency, they opened the gates and let those of us in the "holding cell" back into the room.  We found R and D and had a happy little reunion.  Luckily we were only in that room for about 20 minutes.  We heard later that many others were not so lucky.  There were a lot of people turned away and even more who waited for 3 or 4 hours to get back in.  Let me tell you, the mood it that place changed on a dime!  People get very grumpy and short with each other.  We did our best to brighten each other's moods and those around us but it was crazy!

J really wanted to go to the Adam Baldwin panel so he and I went to line up (about an hour before it started)  We jumped in at the end of the Amanda Tapping line so we would be near the front for the next seating.  Everyone was talking about the lockdown.  At one point a very nice volunteer came by to let the people in the Amanda Tapping line know that the panel was running later starting.  He had a counter in his hand and clicked them all off and let them know that they would get in.  More confusion.  Her panel was supposed to start at 1 and it was now almost 1:30.  Then a lady came by and told everyone that the panel was full.  In fact, it seems like it was full and going for a while at that point.  I thought there was going to be another riot.  They moved us forward for the Baldwin line up.  The line started to get really long so they split it off about 15 people behind us and moved the "second line" way down the hall and closer the the Boyce than we were.  Then the rumblings started in our line that we were going to get screwed and not seated as they had us father away and potentially would forget about us.  Thank goodness there was a woman volunteer there who was very loud and very organized.  She made sure that then line was counted off correctly and told people when it was full before we had even been seated so they didn't end up waiting for no reason.  Now this is where we are considerate Con-goers.  R and D had gone to get some food and it took longer than anticipated.  When they came and counted off the line, they hadn't arrived back so they didn't come with us to the panel.  No line jumping for us. They went and watched the costume contest instead.  That way 2 people father back in the line wouldn't end up without a seat.

Adam Baldwin's panel was quite enjoyable.  He's quite a funny guy and it was neat to see him in real life.  We had great seats and i was nice to relax for a bit.  After the panel we went to the Costume Contest.  I was a little disappointed with it this year as it seemed very short and not many entrants.  (From what I heard later there were a few people who had entered but were unable to attend due to the lockdown)  There were some great costumes and some pretty awesome skits as well.  I really enjoyed the Jay and Silent Bob/Mortal Kombat crossover where Jay and Silent Bob pretended to play the game and the Mortal Kombat guys enacted it.  My favorite was the Lego Star Wars Darth Maul whose costume "fell apart" just like in the Lego games.  Fantastic!

After the contest we wandered the floor for a while more and made the decision not to leave.  Initially we had intended to leave around 4 or 5 and go back to the hotel, change and eat before the TNG EXPOsed that night, but we were worried about getting back in.  We decided not to risk it and stayed there (in costume) through the rest of the evening.  I decided to go back to Linsner and pick up my commission.  He was so gracious.  He flipped to the sketch he had done for me of Dawn and I loved it!  He asked me about what got me interested in Dawn and his artwork in general.  We talked about how I loved that he drew women "real"  I told him that my favorite piece of work was the one that showed a little tummy roll on her and that I appreciated how he made the one woman in comic books who deserved to be perfect, real.  He took my sketch out of his book and added color to it while we talked.  He didn't have to do that and I didn't pay for color.  I was so very impressed by him.  I have to admit, I was very leery to meet him.  I have loved him from afar for so long I was very worried that he would not live up to my expectations.  (They say never meet your hero's right?)  Thankfully he exceeded everything I hoped he would be.

We wandered the floor some more, met some awesome Cosplayers, posed for countless photos and had a good time.  I was amazed at how well my costume was holding up, even if my train was getting filthy from being stepped on constantly.  Around 4:30 we ran into a volunteer who loved my costume.  He asked if he could take a picture and requested that I do the victory pose.  That was the moment I came to a crushing realization.  I had spent the whole day wandering the con and I had forgotten to put on my necklaces!  I was wearing an unfinished piece of work.  How did I let that happen!

The Expo came to a close and we jumped in line for TNG EXPOsed.  We had seats way up in the nosebleeds which wasn't an issue until I realized how many stairs I would have to climb in that belt skirt.  I got quite the work out!  We settled in and waited for the show to start.  The pre-show was entertaining with a couple of Trek guests and a cute video of celebs at other cons discussing Next Gen.  Once the video ended they told us there was going to be a half hour "intermission" before the show started.  Once again, there was the threat of a riot.  People were not pleased to wait and I heard plenty of grumbling that they should have started the show later instead of having an intermission.  I was inclined to agree, but R used to time to go get me some food at the concession since I hadn't eaten at all that day and was starting to feel it again.  The show itself was fabulous.  The highlights for me were the surprise appearance of John Delancie and the "sick kid from Vancouver" Aaron Douglas.  The exchange between Douglas and Wheaton was priceless.  We really enjoyed the show.  Once it was over though, I was ready for bed!  We headed back to the hotel and called it a night.

Here's a few photo's of our Day 2:

Day 3 to come tomorrow...

Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo 2012: Day One

Today has been an absolute whirlwind of awesomeness!  J, D, R and I packed up the car and hit the very rainy road around 10:30 this morning.  The rain let up by the time we rolled into Calgary and we headed straight for the hotel to check in and get settled quickly before heading to the Expo.  I had a feeling this was going to be a pretty sweet day when Ted "The Million Dollar Man" Dibiase was sitting in the lobby.  We got checked in and unpacked and headed straight for the Expo.  Just as we were about to get back into the car, J and I ran into Jake "The Snake" Roberts.  Let me tell you, that was an interesting experience.  The man is, well, kind of an ass.  A nice ass, but and ass nonetheless.  He asked us where the sketchy area of town is, basically so he could score some drugs and then told us the story of the time he bought 30 bars of soap thinking he was getting crystal meth and ended up smoking 30 bars of actual soap.  Interesting fellow.

We then headed out to the convention, got our weekend badges and ran into an old friend while waiting for the doors to open.  Once inside, I headed straight for Linsner's table.  Happy Happy, he was there.  I paid him for my commision, got my pin up book signed and J got him to sign his Conan comic that Cary Nord had also signed last year.  I can't wait to pick up my sketch tomorrow.

We then did the slow walk/shop of the entire place.  J bought me some awesome Doctor Who fridge magnets and finally found the G.I. Joe figure he was looking for as well as a new shirt for his Jayne costume.  D found an amazing "Edward" T-shirt (with Edward J. Olmos on it) and R found a sweet Princess Bride shirt.

It took us a good couple of hours to hit every booth and check out their wares.  We finally made it over to the Autograph area and J went to talk to Vance Nevada while I lined up to meet Jim Cummings.  I love that man.  He is the Voice of my childhood.  I brought a copy of Winnie the Pooh for him to sign and he was so gracious.  He signed the book with the best autograph ever and then posed with me for a picture.  Hearing the voice of Tigger and Pooh come out of his mouth was so cool.  While I was waiting in line he actually left a message on one girl's friends voice mail in his Tigger voice.

I then had one last stop I had to make.  I brought my copy of World War Z and headed to see Max Brooks and get it signed.  He was an extremely nice person as well and told me that he "will never forget my name".  We walked past his booth a little while later and he yelled my name again.  J joked that I wanted him to remember my name so he would use it in a future novel.  How cool would that be!

We did another quick loop of the floor and then headed back to our hotel, where we ran into Jim Cummings in the lobby.  I think we are staying in a good hotel.  We took a walk and found a pub for a quick dinner and then went back to the hotel.  J saw Vance Nevada and Ted Dibiase in the lobby bar and decided to stay for a pint and R decided to go for a swim.  D and I are just laying here relaxing and exhausted.  Time to get some shut eye before getting up super early and getting all costumed up before Day 2.

Here's hoping it will be as awesome as Day 1!

An Open Letter To...

Dear Brad Metlzer's Decoded,
   You used to intrigue me with your wild theories and facts but now you just piss me off.  Your episode on Da Vinci stated that Da Vinci predicted the invention of fireworks.  You do realize that the Chinese invented fireworks in about the 7th Century right?  You also know that Da Vinci lived in the 15th Cenury don't you?  Have you ever heard of Marco Polo?  You do know he brought fireworks home from China in approximately the 14th Century don't you?  Please at least pretend to do a little research.
Sincerely,
   Not a History Buff, but still know more than you.
P.S.  I found out the answers to those questions in less than 5 seconds on Google and I didn't even have to leave my bedroom.


Dear Fleece Sheets,
   You are the best invention ever invented.  You keep me toasty in winter and act as a light blanket in summer.  Plus you are extra cuddly.
Sincerely,
   Not a fan of sheets, but a fan of you


Dear Cadbury Chocolate Company,
   Mini Eggs are for Easter only.  My childhood dictates this.  Please stop messing with me and pull them from the shelves year round.
Sincerely,
   Confused by your logic.


Dear General Public,
   Pajama pants are never an acceptable form of clothing outside the comfort and safety of your own home.  Unless you are in the hospital. At least put on a pair of jeans.  I might even forgive sweat pants.  I will not forgive Pajama Jeans.  The inventor of these should be strung up by their toe hairs.
Sincerely,
   Your Self Respect.


Dear Pickles,
   You Rock!  Never Change.  That is all.

Dear TARDIS Mug,
   You are the best mug ever invented.  Your tall stature and square goodness hold a an incredible amount of liquid.  Your lid ensures that you make me the best cup of tea every time.  Please don't tell the yellow "Jesus loves you, you can run but you can't hide" mug that you are my favorite.  He scares me and I think he might be capable of violence.
Sincerely,
   Thirsty

Oscars 2012

In continuing with our Oscar tradition, J and I will be watching and competing over the winners of each category this year.  We went out to get our usual paper with the nominees and a pick your winner slot just a little while ago and, after driving to various locations in order to actually find 2 papers, got home ready to make our picks.  I eagerly opened the paper and turned to the entertainment section only to discover that for the first time in about 10 years they did not include and Oscar picks section.  Apparently the Calgary Sun has decided that the Oscars are going to be "boring" this year and the winners are a foregone conclusion so they didn't do a special.  Boo.

We are still going to do our tradition, just $2.50 poorer for wasting it on two papers.  I must say that although I am not super excited about the nominees in most categories and find this a little bit of a weak year in films, I am very much looking forward to the return of Billy Crystal.  I hope he does a fantastic job.  I also look forward to the fashions.  I'm sitting here watching the red carpet and I've noticed a few trends already.  Holy sequins!  Tons and tons of sparkly sequined and fitted gowns with heavy beading so far.  It's still quite early in the arrivals so I have yet to see anything to wacky and out there.  I've decided to blog along with the awards show and give you my thoughts/opinions as well as any gems of wisdom that may drop out of J's mouth.

I gotta tell you, most of the time the men's fashions really don't show much on my radar as the tux look, while each have their own unique style, is usually pretty boring.  With that being said, I just saw Christopher Plumber arrive in a blue crushed velvet tux and I love it!

Jessica Chastain in a stunning black and gold McQueen looks fabulous as well.  I know there may be some people that don't like this, but I find it stunning and unique.  Cudos.

Michelle Williams - I don't understand why people are raving about this one at all.  I really dislike everything about this except the color.  That weird addition of fabric around her waist/hips is awful.

Rooney Mara - fashion forward?  Please, let's take a step back.  The extra fabric on her bust is a little to futuristic sci-fi to be attractive and the deep neckline really shows off how much she needs to eat a few cheeseburgers.  I do like the fabric and the overall silhouette but the top is a big miss for me.

I'm loving all the bow ties I'm seeing on the guys.  Shout out to the power of Doctor Who because we all know that "bow ties are cool".

And our Oscar predictions are done.  J ended up printing off the wikipedia page for us to make our pics on since the newspaper sucks this year.

Ok, take a close look at this next photo...

No, not George or Stacey...the poor woman in blue is who I'm referring to.  She has the unfortunate distinction of being in the background of almost all of the Clooney/Kiebler photos and that dress is just NOT flattering.  It's clinging in all the wrong areas.  There are plenty of bigger women at the Oscars this year that know how to dress their bodies but this woman is not one of them.  In a dress like that, your undergarments are key.  The lack of them results in, well, this.

Dang, Twitter is all lit up about the stunt that Sasha Baron Cohen just pulled and I missed it.  I guess he showed up dressed as his "Dictator" character and dumped Kim Jong Il's "ashes" all over Ryan Seacrest.  I'm not really a Sasha fan, but that's pretty funny actually.  Man Youtube is all over this one fast!  They are taking down the video faster than people can upload it.  If you really want to see it, you can head over to Perez Hilton's blog.  He has it there.

Ok, I'm getting tired of this pre-show fashion stuff.  Can we just bring on the awards now?  Please?  I want to get back to The Walking Dead's new episode sometime tonight.

Ok I like this:

Best Oscar arrival of the night in my opinion.  I hope they have the Muppets do something on the show tonight.

Showtime.  I love the opening montage.  Great to see the classic Billy-inserts-himself-into-nominated-films opening.  And and opening song!  Slightly out of tune a number of times, but overall good.  Much better than a few of the past hosts for sure.

Cinematography
My Pick: Hugo
J: The Artist
Winner:  Hugo - score one for me!

Art Direction
My Pick: The Artist
J: The Artist
Winner: Hugo
   J "This is not going well for me.  I quit!"

Costume Design
My Pick: The Artist
J: The Artist
Winner: The Artist
   J "I really hope The Artist comes through for me.  I picked it for almost everything"

Makeup
My Pick: Harry Potter
J: The Iron Lady
Winner:  The Iron Lady
   Dang, now we're tied.

Foreign Language Film
My Pick: Bullhead
J: A Separation
Winner: A Separation
   This one's always a crap shoot because neither of us has a clue what film is what.  J said he picked this one because he thought he heard the guy who made it was dead...

Supporting Actress
My Pick: Octavia Spencer
J: Berenice Bejo
Winner: Octavia Spencer
  Yes, I'm back in this one!

Film Editing
My Pick: The Artist
J: The Artist
Winner: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Sound Editing
My Pick: Hugo
J: Transformers
Winner: Hugo

Sound Mixing
My Pick: Hugo
J: Transformers
Winner: Hugo
   J "I guess I just don't now enough about movie making because I wonder why these are two seperate categories.  I mean isn't sound mixing and editing a hand in hand thing?  Why isn't it just a best sound category?"  I think he's just mad that that put me ahead by two more.

I Love the Cirque number!  That was amazing and worthy of a standing ovation.  I could have done without the close up on Clooney during it though.  Show me the amazing stuff going on onstage not what's going on in the crowd.

Documentary Feature
My Pick: Paradise Lost 3 (because I've actually seen it)
J: Undefeated
Winner: Undefeated
   I think the award for best presenters should go with this category.  Robert Downey Jr and Gwenyth Paltrow were awesome.  Loved that Downey Tebowed.

Animated Feature
My Pick: Rango
J: Puss in Boots
Winner: Rango
   Yay me, but come on, what a weak category this was this year.  Nothing in this category was really that great.  Chris Rock's intro, on the other hand, was great.

Visual Effects
My Pick: Hugo
J: Transformers
Winner: Hugo
  J now officially hates Hugo and has declared it a stupid movie that he will never see and claims Martin Scorsese an asshole.

Supporting Actor
My Pick: Christopher Plummer
J: Kenneth Branagh
Winner: Christopher Plummer

Original Score
My Pick: The Artist
J: Hugo
Winner: The Artist
  J now believes the Oscars are rigged.

Original Song
My Pick: Man or Muppet
J: Man or Muppet
Winner: Man or Muppet
  Ok while I did enjoy the intro to this I'm very disappointed that the songs weren't actually performed.  I was really looking forward to the performances even if there were only two songs.

Adapted Screenplay
My Pick: Hugo
J: Moneyball
Winner: The Descendants
   Ok what the hell happened to Angelina Jolie?  While the dress might be stunning she looks like a bag of bones.  Her arms are disgustingly thin.  I hope it's for some upcoming film role about an anorexic and not that she's trying to make an adopted African baby feel at home with her tribute to malnutrition.

Original Screenplay
My Pick: The Artist
J: The Artist
Winner: Midnight in Paris
   Why is Woody Allen not at the awards?  Anybody?

Live Action Short
My Pick: Time Freak
J: Raju
Winner: The Shore
  Throw a dart and both get it wrong.

Documentary Short
My Pick: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
J: Incident in New Baghdad
Winner: Saving Face

Animated Short
My Pick: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
J: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Winner: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
   What can we say, it sounded like an Oscar winning title.

Director
My Pick: The Artist
J: The Artist
Winner: The Artist
  Why was Micheal Douglas interrupted in the middle of his joke by a vitamin commercial?  Did anyone else see that?  Or have you all begun to lose interest in the Oscars like the rest of us have?  Ugh.

And now...In Memoriam,  Thank you for not cutting to the singer during the actual presentation, for not making one person top billed over any other, and for making that a respectful presentation.  Well done.

Actor
My Pick: Jean Dujardin
J: Jean Dujardin
Winner: Jean Dujardin
  Cute that he did his little dance.  I'm really getting bored now.

Actress
My pick: Viola Davis
J: Meryl Streep
Winner: Meryl Streep
  Meryl is always so classy.  I'm happy to see her win.  I also think her dress was quite a good choice for her.

Best Picture
My Pick: The Artist
J: The Artist
Winner: The Artist

And with that we are finally through this.  Final Score:  Me: 14, J:10

Closing Thoughts:  Fashions- pretty great this year overall.  Host- not bad.  Hoped for better, but better than last year.  Show overall- meh.  It may be time for the Oscars to overhaul their thinking on keeping things entertaining...

Crazy Life

Wow it's been forever since I've even had 5 minutes to update this.  Life has been way more than hectic lately.  Between work, rehearsal and life in general, I've barely even had a minute to breathe.

I celebrated my 31st birthday last week and it was pretty good.  I'm not sure how I feel about 31, but it's not like you can go back right?  J bought me a new cell phone (horay for joining the rest of the world!) and I love it!  How did I function without a smart phone before?  Just having the calendar app has saved my butt countless times this last week.  I had a great birthday though.  We went out to see a band play on my actual birthday (after rehearsal) and Saturday we went to dinner with a ton of friends.  Sunday, I got together with my family for a little birthday celebration and the most amazing cake made by my awesome sister, D.  Thanks D!  I loved my TARDIS cake and it was super yummy too!  Oh, and I also won week one of my fantasy football!

I am in the full swing of rehearsals for Oliver now.  Stage managing a cast of 74 people is a full time job in itself.  Yes, 74 people.  The orphans are all double cast in case you were wondering why there are so many as the run of the show is 3 weeks and that's a lot of time for any kid, let alone adult.  It a great cast to work with and once we get the scheduling bugs worked out things should run pretty smoothly.  As much as I'm enjoying it, I have to admit I'm tired and can't wait for it to be over.  Plus the songs are playing on a continuous loop in my head.

Yesterday was a really tough day.  J's uncle Davey was killed the day before my birthday in a really bad car accident.  He was a truck driver and was killed by another driver who crossed the center line and hit him.  The other driver was later discovered to be texting at the time.  Such a waste.  His funeral was yesterday and I didn't think it was going to be as hard as it was, but I broke down more than once. It's weird to say, but that was one of the best funerals I've ever been to.  Everything about it was just so...him.  From the coffin that was the same color as his truck and all chromed out to the funeral procession of motorbikes and semi trucks.  His sister and daughter gave the best memorial speeches.  They made us all laugh and cry.  There was even a guitar solo of Stairway to Heaven.  The part that really was the hardest for me was after the graveside service, my feet found their way to J's grandfathers grave.  He was such an amazing man and his loss still leaves us all very raw emotionally.  I was doing ok until my oldest nephew cam up beside me and put his arm through mine.  We stood there in silence for a minute and then I heard him sniff and I realized we were both crying.  J's dad came up behind us and put his arm around my nephew and we all just kind of crumbled into each other crying for a few minutes.  When I finally had the strength to loo around, I realized that the whole family was standing there and we were all crying.  We all miss him so much and losing Davey just made us all break down again.  But they are a strong family and we will all get through it.  J's mom and sister are amazing in situations like this.  They sweep in and make sure that all the things that need to be done are completed and that everyone is taken care of.  I admire their strength.  I am so grateful to be a part of this family.

So there's a little update on my crazy life.  It's been a week of ups and downs, but through it all, I think I've found a little more strength in myself through it all.

My Doctor Who Break

In case you haven't noticed, I'm a big Doctor Who fan.  With the severe lack of anything good on television at the moment I have decided to re-watch the new series in it's entirety and blog about each episode.  I don't want to bog this blog down though so I have created a new blog that will be strictly Doctor Who based.  I will blog about a new episode each weekday and will perhaps have the occasional weekend blog featuring some classic Doctor Who or maybe even a book review.  Now don't think that this means I won't be writing about any more Doctor here...on no.  You will still find plenty of references to him here, it's just that there will be a second outlet for my geekiness now.  If you wish to follow along, you can find the blog at:
http://timeandspace-faeriegoddess.blogspot.com/

Safe travels everyone.

Fright Night :A Review

My girlfriend DG asked me to go see this one with her on opening night.  She, like me, is a huge David Tennant fan.  Truth be told, that's the only reason we even wanted to see this one, but I'm very glad we did.  Fright Night surprised me.  It was slick, funny and well done.  It's kind of like the Zombieland of vampire flicks.

I'm not the biggest fan of Colin Farrel but he really surprised me with his portrayal of Jerry the vampire.  He was modern and creepy.  I loved the scene where he was trying to get invited into the house by borrowing some beer.  And the "Hey guy" line was fabulous.  Although I wasn't a big fan of the vampire transformation.  The shark-like face was unrealistic and really over the top.  That aside, Farrel was smoldering, sexy, creepy and funny.

Anton Yelchin was really great in this film.  I loved him as Checkov in Star Trek and he didn't disappoint here either.  He was funny and portrayed the growth that his character goes through very well.  Yelchin has impeccable timing with his line delivery.

And then there's David Tennant.  My Doctor.  I was a little leery that I wasn't going to care for him in this role.  However, in true Tennant form, he was absolutely fabulous.  The scene where he is being "interviewed" by Yelchin and slowly strips off all the trappings of his Vincent character while musing on how to kill a real vampire was superbly done.  It doesn't hurt that he looks pretty great in a tight pair of leather pants either.  I loved the break down of his character into a scared little boy and then rebuilding himself into a chicken fighter.

I am not a big fan of the 3D fad.  I think in most cases it's a money grab and does nothing to add to the film.  I prefer to see them in 2D unless they are films that the 3D adds to (ie. Avatar or Despicable Me).  This film was only playing in 3D at the theatre so we had to go that route.  Most of the 3D in the film did nothing to add to it, but there were a couple of small scenes where it did get kind of cool.  The ashes of a dead vamp floating around were pretty neat and the paint can that went through the window and straight at my head was well done but I don't think you'll miss anything by seeing this one in 2D.

Overall, this was a really well done film.  They took the original concept, stripped it down and brought it into 2011 fantastically.  The entire cast was great.  The writing was quick witted.  The effects, while over the top at times, were good.  I loved the comeo appearance of the original "Jerry".

I highly recommend this film as a fun, freaky Friday night ritual.

I give this film 4 out of 5 wooden stakes and raise it with a bit of holy water.

Calgary Comic Expo 2011

I'm home.  What a fantastic weekend we had!  The con was amazing.  I thought I'd share the weekend with you so you could come along for the ride.

Things started out bad.  We got the news Thursday the George A. Romero was forced to cancel his appearance due to injury.  You see he broke his arm and would be unable to sign any autographs so he decided to cancel.  While I understand the reasons I was a little choked that we had spent money on tickets to the private screening and now we weren't sure what was going to happen.  There was some quick work done on the organizers part and they brought in Linda Blair at short notice and billed a double feature of The Exorcist and Night of the Living Dead.  They also gave you the option of getting a full refund.  We decided to wait and decide with D and R on the way there to see if they wanted to go or get a refund.  We spent the evening Thursday getting our bags packed and triple checking that we didn't forget anything.

Thursday morning we did an extra check of inventory (and yet I still managed to forget my jacket) and hit the road at 11 a.m.  We got everything loaded in the car I asked D and R if they had their tickets.  Good thing I said something because they had forgotten them!  We made a quick detour back to their house and got on the road.  We made Calgary in good time and stopped off at the mall so I could buy some new eyelashes for my costume because I lost the ones I had.  I bought them months ago and put them someplace safe which of course I couldn't remember later.  I found some amazing ones and then we walked the mall for a little bit before going to our hotel to check in.  The hotel was quite nice and very close to the Con.  We probably could have walked there except that we were downtown and I wasn't comfortable with walking through some of the sketchy areas to get there.  We checked in and dropped our bags and headed off to day 1 of the Expo.  I was very pleased with the changes they had made this year.  The layout was better, the lineups for the panels had virtually disappeared because the venues was much larger.  The more popular panels were held in the Corral which can seat around 6000 so no one was turned away.  Once we got in the door we made a bolt for Artists Alley to find Linsner and Cary Nord.  And they weren't there...  We found their tables, but not them.  So we decided to do a little shopping and walk the floor.  While we were shopping an announcement came on that if you had tickets for the Romero screening you could exchange them for tickets to the Masquerade Ball instead.  I was pissed!  We would have done that in a heart beat if we had known before hand but we didn't bring outfits that would have worked for the Ball with us and we were 3 hours from home.  So now it's no Romero, no Linsner and no Masquerade.  This was not shaping up to be a good weekend.  We decided to do all our shopping on Friday because it was much quieter in the hall and the booths were fully stocked.  We came across and awesome t-shirt booth and I got a shirt that says "I'm with flanking bonus" and J got one that says "If you can read this, you just provoked and attack of opportunity".  D got a "Neville would have done it in four books"  I went to the autograph area and collected 2 more Cylons.  Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh) was very sweet.  Micheal Hogan (The XO Saul Tigh) was fraking halarious!  J did some more shopping and we check for Linsner, Nord and Jeph Jacques one more time before we decided to leave.  We were all hungry so we decided to find a place to eat.  We decided to go to this little pub across the street from J's favorite gaming store in Calgary (The Sentry Box).  We shopped a bit there and then had a fantastic meal on the patio of the pub.  This was the point when I realized I had no jacket.  It got a bit chilly but I survived.  Then it was back to the hotel to try to get some rest before the biggest day of the con.

I was like a kid waiting for Christmas morning that night.  I was so tired but I couldn't sleep!  I knew I had to get up extra early to get in costume because there was only one bathroom and 4 of us that needed it.  I got up around 6 and decided to do down to the lobby at 6:30 to get a coffee from Starbucks.  I went back up to started getting ready and J, D and R went down for coffee about half hour after I did.  They come back up and tell me that they were in line behind Micheal Hogan!  Frak!  I can't believe I missed that!  So we all finished getting ready, took a couple of quick pictures and then headed out for the Con.  I was so nervous leaving the hotel because my costume was a bit revealing and people in the lobby where staring at me like crazy.  I almost lost me nerve and went back up to the room to change, but I decided that I would be ok once I got there and was around other geeks who would stare in a good way. I thought maybe a few people here and there would "get" my costume but I was overwhelmed with the response!

The finished product!

We arrived around 9 a.m. (advanced tickets holders got in at 9:30) and the line was huge!  It was much better organized than last year and it moved very quickly once the door opened.  In less than a minute walking through the doors people were already asking if they could take my picture.  I was shocked!  I couldn't believe how many Repo! fans there were.  Not only did people get what I was, they loved it!  This was the first person to ask to take a pic of me.  He was a real sweetie!

Photo Op while waiting in line with the cutest Ash ever.

Once we got inside we decided to walk the floor and check out other people's costumes.  We found out quickly that if you stopped walking or even slowed down for a moment you would get mobbed for pictures. We did each manage to find someone else there who was wearing the same costume as us and get a pic.  One of the convention organizers even ran up to me and awarded me a costume prize.

Found another Blind Mag!

Tron!  Let the games begin.

Galactica Crew

J's doppleganger was so excited to meet him.  Ah, the hero of Canton.

We went to the Battlestar Galactica panel at 11 with Kate Vernon and Micheal Hogan.  It was good but not as entertaining as last years panel.  I found it very hard to sit so I didn't want to do to many panels and there was a very annoying family in front of us that just let the squeaky shoed child run around the whole time.  People, they provided a daycare for this very reason!  After the panel we tried one more to to find Linsner only to find out his sign had been taken down and someone else took over his booth.  J did managed to find Cary Nord and get his Conan autographed and we finally tracked down Jeph Jacques and bought 2 copies of his book.  So many people were complimenting my costume J, D and R decided that they were going to register me for the costume contest.  I protested but they insisted.  We went to the booth but they told us they were full up on registration.  Shucks!  I guess I won't have to go onstage in front of several thousand people.  At 3:00 we went to the William Shatner panel.  Unfortunately it didn't get started until 3:30 or so due to the back up at Photo Ops.  He was funny as predicted and even managed to turn the stupid questions people asked into something else.  He did come across as a little arrogant at times, particularly when he basically dissed the InnerSpace boys who were moderating asking them what they were doing there.  His panel ran a little overtime which was good since he did start late, but he was a little put out when they said he had 10 more minutes.  After the panel we walked the floor some more, took more pics with people and chilled a bit before going back to watch the costume contest.  I must say, most of the entries in the contest where amazing! Some of the stand outs for me where Iron Man, Spawn, Master Chief, and Kneesocks.  There were so many amazing costumes there!  The major downside to the Costume contest was the sheer amount of Batman villains (I felt bad for them because the crowd got really tired of another Batman entry)and the fact that we were subject to almost 45 minutes of terrible improv while the judges deliberated.  I had heard that the improv troop The 404's were really good, but I (and the rest of the crowd) was less than impressed.  The costume contest ended after the expo was closed for the night so we headed back to the hotel to change and have a quick bite to eat before heading out to the private screening of The Exorcist.

The movie was screened in this really neat old theatre that used to be a garage but was converted to a movie theatre in the 1930's. They even served popcorn with real butter!  And for a reasonable price too.  Before Linda Blair came in they staff requested that all cell phones and video camera's be turned off or else she wouldn't come.  This may sound strange, but she explained her reason for this.  She felt that we had paid for a private show and therefore she wanted it to just be between her and those of us that paid and not show up on youtube for the world to see.  She shared some pretty interesting things with us that she doesn't often speak about in the more public venues.  The most interesting thing she shared was the story of how she was injured on the set of the film.  I will respect her wishes and keep most of her stories to myself but I did want to share this with you because it changed the way I viewed the film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThO60o6w7Tc

This scene contains a revolutionary camera shot which lead the way for steady cams as well as has the actual footage in which her back was broken.  There was a malfunction with the apparatus and the result was very real screams to "make it stop"  I choose to just link to the video instead of having it on here because I know a lot of people find this film very disturbing.  I did like that fact that Linda Blair made it clear that this is not a horror film, it's a theological thriller.  I was very glad to have had the chance to watch it with fresh eyes and to see the rare 35mm writer's cut of the film.  Unfortunately due to the late start of the film and the extended cut it was after midnight before they were even getting ready to load the second film so we decided to call it a night.

J and I decided to wear our costumes one more time since they were so popular.  D opted out since her costume didn't survive the day very well and it was extremely hot.  R decided not to because one of the joints in his elbow had frayed and he spent most of Saturday getting electrocuted whenever he moved his left arm.  D decided to bring her camera and follow me around taking pictures of people taking pictures of us.  We were curious how many times we got stopped for pics in a day so we took pictures every time someone else did.  She even got pictures of people who thought they were being sneaky and taking them from afar.  By the time the day was over she had taken over 200 shots.  It was much slower on Sunday so we figure there must be at least 500 out there from the day before.  We watched the zombies vs super heroes roller derby for a bit (cool) and then went to see the Pinky and the Brian vs the Animaniacs panel.  This was one of the highlights from the weekend.  I loved that they started out by reading a scene from The Princess Bride in some of their most popular voices.

This is the panel.  I know it's long but it's totally worth it.  We then went to the Jonathan Frakes panel.  He was very good and I enjoyed listening to it but it became clear that we were about conventioned out.  We did one last walk of the floor before changing out of costume, doing some last quick shopping and then hitting the road for home.  It was an amazing weekend and I can't wait until next year to do it again.  Now to come up with a costume to top this one....

Here's a few of my favorite shots from the weekend:

Top 10 Sci-Fi shows

In honor of the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo that I'll be attending this upcoming weekend, I have decided to do up a list of my top 10 Science Fiction shows.  I am very excited that the con will have some amazing actors from some of these shows in attendance.  So here it is:

10. Quantum Leap

Scientist Sam Beckett finds himself trapped in time--"leaping" into the body of a different person in a different time period each week. - IMDB

This show will always be associated with good memories for me.  My whole family used to sit down together on the "popcorn blanket" every week to watch the adventures of Sam, Al and that wacky computer Ziggy.  I always loved seeing where Sam would end up next and what crazy situation he would find himself in next.  I loved how every episode ended with his next leap and that famous line "Oh Boy".  I also love the morality of this show and the lessons Sam learned as he went on.  I never wanted his next leap to be the leap home because I didn't want his adventures to end.

9. Earth 2

Colonists, crash-landed on an alien planet, begin the long trek to their originally designated landing place, facing both alien and human threats. - IMDB

I love this show and it still makes me sad that it only got one season.  I love seeing the human spirit tested on foreign ground.  It did an excellent job of representing all aspects of human reactions to extreme circumstances.  Protective parents, swindlers, misunderstood aliens, intrigue, hope, fear and so much more can be found in this show.  This was one that me and my brother watched faithfully each week and we were crushed when it was cancelled.

8. Space: Above and Beyond

The Earth is embroiled in a desperate war against alien invaders, and this series focuses on one squadron of Marine pilots involved in it. - IMDB

This is another one that me and my brother watched faithfully.  I loved that they never showed you the Chiggers.  It made them scarier and more interesting.  The cast of this show had stupendous chemistry with each one being a star in their own right.  I think Vansen will always be may favorite because she's one tough kick-ass chick.  I enjoyed how this show blended the horrors of war with the realities of the human condition, especially through the eyes of Cooper Hawkes.  Once again, I was mad when the network axed this one.

7. The X-Files

Two FBI agents, Fox Mulder the believer and Dana Scully the skeptic, investigate the strange and unexplained while hidden forces work to impede their efforts. - IMDB

I was obsessed with this show for years!  I didn't miss and episode and loved the running intrigue woven throughout.  I will admit it jumped the shark when they made the decision to move the show from Vancouver to the States as they seemed to loose the heart of the show in the move.  I will never forget meeting "Cigarette Smoking Man" William B. Davies while I was in university.  I was working in the costume shop sewing a snakeskin suit when I could tell there was someone standing behind me.  I turned around and there was Cancer Man himself watching me sew.  He was there for a speech he was doing later that night and was doing a little tour of the Theater wing.  It freaked me out but it was also very cool.  He wasn't the first cast member I had met though.  A few years earlier my family was on a road trip for my brothers hockey game and we stopped at McDonald's for dinner and sitting at the table next to us was the actress that played Eve 6, 7 and 8.  She was super cute when my brother recognized her.  She said it was the first time someone had recognized her from The X-Files.  I even skated to the theme song once.  I don't know why this show grabbed me so much, but it did.  I loved the mix of the skeptic with the believer, the scary with the humorous, the crazy with the true.  It will always have a special place in my heart.

6. Sanctuary

Stem cells, gene therapy, transplants, cloning; The very meaning of the word "humanity" changes daily in the modern world. But there is a darker side to the evolution of mankind, a truth only a few brave souls are willing to face: There are monsters loose in the world. And they are the key to the future of our race. - IMDB

The premise for this show is what grabbed me right away.  A safe place for things that go bump in the night?  Sign me up.  Although the effects are sometimes cheesy, the awesome stories and cast make up for it.  Amanda Tapping is incredible as the tough Magnus.  I love that Tesla has become more f an important character because he makes me smile.  I'm glad that this one was given a shot and not cancelled too early.

5. Star Trek: The Next Generation

Set decades after Captain James T. Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers in a new Enterprise set off on their own mission to go where no one has gone before. - IMDB

Do I really need an explanation for this?  Come on, it's Star Trek!  Pichard is the man, Worf kicks ass and Data makes me laugh.  I will even forgive some of the terrible Deanna Troy and Wesley Crusher moments. Every episode with Q is a classic and even a sequined blanket monster killing off Tasha Yar couldn't deter me.  Star Trek is an escape from the doldrums of reality, a lesson in humanity, a trial of patience and a genuinely enjoyable ride.  It's one of my favorite shows to have on in the background when I'm working.  I love that almost every episode fits into a very well thought out formula: Sub-Space Anomoly, Encounter with Alien Life Form or problem with the Holodeck.  Great Show!

4. Torchwood

Captain Jack Harkness, the former Time Agent and con man from the 51st century last seen traveling with the Doctor, ventures to early 21st century Cardiff. There, he becomes a member of Torchwood Institute, a renegade criminal investigation group founded by Queen Victoria to battle hostile extraterrestrial and supernatural threats. - IMDB

Two Words: Captian Jack!  This is one of the best spin-offs ever and I'm glad that it landed on it's feet and took off running.  It's much darker and a little more adult than it's parent show, but I like that.  I think it's great that it can be enjoyed on it's own.  Although I hate how many of the main characters get killed off, I like that it keeps you on your toes.  The issues that this show deals with pushes the darkest recesses of humanity, enforces a loose code of morality and forces it's characters to make impossible decisions for the good of all humans.  Captain Jack has made some of the worst sacrifices and I look forward to his redemption in the new series in July.

3. Firefly

Five hundred years in the future, a renegade crew aboard a small, spacecraft tries to survive as they travel the unknown parts of the galaxy and evade warring factions as well as authority agents out to get them. - IMDB

Fun,campy and filled with some of the greatest writing in television history.  Every one of it's characters has such a depth and richness to them that you are left wanting more.  With such a masterful delivery of lines but and incredible cast the rich and exciting space western comes to life.  I enjoyed watching it when it first came out, but I hated having to search for it constantly and being confused but the episodes airing out of order.  I was very excited when this one came out on DVD so I could enjoy the show properly.  The fact that this show got a movie long after it's cancellation is a testament to it's greatness.

2. Battlestar Galactica

After losing the war against the Cylon robots, the Battlestar Galactica crew speed toward the fabled 13th colony, Earth. Galactica Commander Adama and President Laura Roslin face waning supplies, crushed morale, ... and the credible threat Cylons aboard the ship. -IMDB

I love this reboot.  I think they did a fantastic job.  I lost a lot of sleep watching this show when I got the DVD's.  Jay and I would watch just "one more" repeatedly until then next thing we knew it was 3 in the morning.  The characters grabbed me.  I loved to see where they would go and how they would develop and try to figure out who the next Cylon was.  Although the series finale left me a little cold with some of it's decisions (mitochondrial eve...really??? but the skeleton was that of a child so how does that work?) I will always love the journey this show took me on.  I found the religious aspects of this show intriguing and  the question of what it means to be human an important one.  This is also the show that helped me convert my sister to geekdom.

1. Doctor Who

The further adventures of the time traveling alien adventurer and his companions. - IMDB

The longest running science fiction show of all time deserves the number one spot on this list.  There's a reason this show has stood the test of time.  It's fun, light and unique and allows for growth and change by regenerating it's lead character into a new actor before things get a chance to go stale.  I love that the Doctor uses his wits as a weapon rather than a gun.  I miss my Doctor (David Tennant) terribly but I am grateful that I have amassed such an awesome collection of Doctors since then.  I hope this one continues forever so I can one days share it with my own children, but for now, I'll share it with my sister and nephew.