YARG!

Remember the way I used to write about everything I saw or heard? Yeah, that was pretty cool.

A notable week!

Monday was my day of Re-Neducation for my #NEWJOB, and that went well. Class of 15, typical corporate stuff, free lunch, awesome peanut butter cookies.

That night, I exercised one last blast of part-timer power and got myself into the Grimes show at the DU for free. The openers, Born-Gold, were an audiovisual spectacle worth witnessing, with lights attached to bodies, sweet synths, and an instrument that appeared to be a Time Shovel.

Lady Grimes herself was fine, but didn’t really blow my mind. Better suited to the (4AD) studio, I think. Fun show though, and I hung with some friends.

CULTS, though! THAT was a good pop-rockin’ show! They blew it up at The EARL on Tuesday night, and man, yes. I got there in time to see part of Mrs. Magician’s set, but they didn’t even have a single lady wizard on stage, so screw those guys. Anyway, yes, I highly recommend catching a Cults show if one is convenient to your locale. Bonus points for Leonard Cohen cover.

I caught a sneak of KIDS WITH FRIENDS, too. Pretty funny. Better than I expected! Nice work from Lady Hamm.

More on the new job later, maybe.

NP :: The Walking Dead - “Better Angels”

If you’re going to embark on an eight-hour trek to see a simple damn movie, my first recommendation would be that you take some pleasant people with you. I had that part covered– Lil, Tony, Zack and I were heading up to the Mall of Georgia for a sneak of THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN on Saturday morning, and we all got up early to do so. The earliness I insisted upon might have been a bit of overkill, but we got there smoothly, and obtained super-sweet seats in the non-IMAX theater #11. NON-IMAX, alas, as I had really expected it to be IMAX. That would have been ideal because 1) it’s huge, and 2) I could have found out what happens when you show a Digital IMAX film on a REAL IMAX screen (still don’t know that answer.)

Anyway, good folks, timely arrival. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? Before and during the film: nothing! We met up with Kevin, saw a few other friends in the house, and enjoyed a delightful romp across Europe and Africa via mo-cap and magical COM-PU-TOR ANIMATIONS with some great voice talent to boot. Really a fun movie, and the action sequences are huge and thrilling and much more than I was hoping for. 4/5 stars, I think?

LEAVING, though, OH, YOU WANT TO LEAVE THE MALL OF GEORGIA? One does not merely drive out of the Mall of Georgia. One gets in one’s car, pulls out into the access road around the mall, and sits there for about a half an hour without ever making it out to an actual street. Yep.

Horrifyingly long story short(er), we eventually gave up on our plan of getting on 85S, heading home, and stopping at the highly-recommended Umaido for ramen on the way down. That was not to be. I broke West, got us out of sight of the All-Seeing Eye of Sauron atop the MoG, and pulled into the parking lot of Lee’s Golden Buddha a couple of miles away. It had been about two hours since the end of the movie by now. It was almost 2pm, and we hadn’t had any lunch. MANY PLATES of foods were ordered. Much eating was done. The long drive home was begun.

In the end, our little trip to see a free movie took almost eight hours, and a third of a tank of gas.

The movie was great, though, and I think my friends have a new respect (or fear) of the capacity for awful traffic in the ‘burbs. #mallofgeorgiatrafficjam2011

We all vowed together: Never again, Mall of Georgia. Never again.

NP :: Reverend Horton Heat - “We Three Kings”

Nicest Lady In Comics: Laura Martin, colorist on PLANETARY and other fine works. She signed three of my favorite covers, and we chatted for a few. Turns out, she’s local now! Say hi if you ever see her at a con. She’s coloring THE STAND and some DC stuff these days.

Best Eavesdropped Detail: They had set Bill Sienkiewicz up with a nice room at the Hyatt, but for no apparent reason, withdrew that offer, and gave the room to Mickey Thomas of STARSHIP. Bill ended up staying down by the airport.

Most Dapper Gentleman in Comics: STERANKO. Forever. Jeeez, what a dude. Comics great, tough guy, escape artist, and he designed Indiana Jones’ costume as we know it today. I bought a copy of NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD for him to sign, and talked about movie tough guys for 10 minutes or so. Definite con highlight.

[More To Come]

Well, yeah, I HAD to do this, right?

I’m currently onboard Airtran flight 101 to DFW. Why go to Texas when it is so dang hot out there? I’m gonna see some movies! Not just any movies, though. This year’s Rolling Roadshow features a brace of flicks set in the Lone Star State, and I am catching the first three of the series.

THE SEARCHERS - Shown at Ft. Parker near Waco, where the initial raid in the film took place.

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE - Shown at the actual house from the film! Near Austin.

BLOOD SIMPLE - Shown at the music hall in Austin where the bar scenes in the film were shot. Coens… YES.

BONUS:

THE IRON GIANT - Which I get to watch with Mr. Keen and his younglings at the Drafthouse in Katy. This is an all-time favorite film, so, YES!

Pretty excited. If you’re in TX and I haven’t gotten in touch, give a holler! Tacos for all!

NP :: Alice in Chains - “I Stay Away” (thx, in-flight XM!)