Every year, the TBS Network plays the 1983 holiday classic “A Christmas Story” for 24 straight hours, beginning on Christmas Eve and continuing throughout Christmas Day.

Almost everyone you visit will have the film on in the background, complimenting their warm holiday decor with sounds like “You’ll shoot your eye out!” and the near-constant wail of main character Ralphie’s little brother Randy, easily one of the most annoyingly unlikeable characters in Christmas cinema.

But why should fans of the movie wait to see Flick get his tongue stuck to a pole, where it will only be interrupted by commercial breaks and family distraction? Fortunately, Phoenixville’s Colonial Theatre will put this question to rest when the historic movie palace screens A Christmas Story–unedited and uninterrupted.

On Saturday, December 22nd, avoid the crowds of shoppers that are jamming up nearby malls and shopping centers. Instead, spend a few hours in a comfortable theater seat, enjoying the antics of Ralphie, the Old Man, Scut Farkus, and company on the big screen.

Ovaltine will not be served. Details on the Colonial Theatre’s website.

This week marks my two-year anniversary of writing for Geekadelphia and, by extension, the Comic Roundup. In that time I have read a lot of comic books, some good, some bad, some really bad. But one thing that hasn’t changed is my love for the medium. I’ve adored comic books ever since I read my first Spider-Man comic at age 10. Comic books are awesome, plain and simple. But a big part of the reason they are awesome announced she is leaving comics this week, and I felt a need to say thank you.

Karen Berger began working for DC Comics way back in 1979 and quickly became a creative force at the company while working as an editor. She believed that comic books could be literate, mature and much more than just the superheroes they are mostly known for. She looked at them as books that mattered, and that belief shone through every book she worked on, from Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman to Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol and The Invisibles. She even made Wonder Woman popular again when she edited that book during its post Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot.

When you read a Karen Berger comic, there was something about it that made it stand apart from the rest. There are very few editors who could leave their mark on a book like that while giving the creative team the freedom to create like she did. It was a large part of the reason she was able to found the Vertigo imprint in 1993. And that event led to two of the reasons I still love comics to this day.

In the early nineties, comics were awash in variant, gimmick covers, big meaningless crossovers and just really bad writing and art. I was quickly losing interest in the comics I grew up with and used to love. I was bored with superheroes and needed something more, something different, something I hadn’t seen before. Continue Reading…

V/H/S is a film that manages to mash-up 2 of my favorite horror sub-genres, found footage and anthology horror to make something that seems really new and fresh.  The film, which was the brainchild of Brad Miska of  Bloody Disgusting, was first pitched as a possible TV or web show and then later evolved into an anthology horror film during pre-production.

Some of the best and brightest directors currently working in horror were hand picked to try and put a fresh spin on the found footage narrative, which is not an easy task. The film is the story of a group of hoodlums sent to a house to steal a specific VHS tape and the film unfolds as they watch the tapes they find in the house, while being picked off one by one.

Being a fan of most of the directors and the found footage aspect, I loved V/H/S honestly. While some folks will gladly rip the film apart. I think there is something in this anthology for every horror fan and since there is such a range or stories not every one will appeal to all who watch it, but all stories are strong enough on their own.

Magnet was kind enough to send me the Blu-ray that was released last week and I spent some time culling through not only the film, but also all the extras on this great release.

Video:

The film is created from so many different formats all trying to evoke that dingy feel of VHS and while that effect is achieved, I really can’t rate this transfer in this respect. I will however say it its clear and crisp as it can be.

Audio:

The audio however is a different animal altogether; while the video is a haphazard mixture of formats the aggressive DTS-HD audio track has been well crafted to evoke the most scares humanly possible. You can also tell the mix is tailored to suit each segment as well with some mixes heavier on the lows than others depending on the segment. I found the audio played a great part in each segment enhancing what was already on screen.

For greatest effect watch this one late at night with the lights off, you wont be disappointed.

Supplements:

Since so many parties were involved in this release, the extras are a bit uneven as it pertains to each segment. This seems to be because not all of the filmmakers were available to participate as the bonus material was being collected for the release, because they were off busy working on their next projects.

I definitely enjoyed the cast and crew commentary. You really get a great sense of just how fun the project was for those involved and how low the budget was on some of these shorts. Unlike a Paranormal Activity where so much money is spent to make the film look low budget, these folks actually had no money and managed to do some great things with that limitation.

For the filmmakers out there however, there is enough great discussion of how some of the segments were produced and shot to give you some good ideas if you were looking to do something similar. I definitely found some of the discussions involving the shooting techniques on some of the various segments to be very interesting and insightful.

I also enjoyed the interviews and deleted material, although the alternate ending of the wrap-around segment Tape 56 that was spoken about on the commentary and hinted at on the film’s facebook page was sadly not included.

Final Thoughts:

If you are an anthology horror fan like myself, then this disc is definitely a must. With the sequel S-VHS premiering at Sundance in January its very fitting this title is giving folks a chance to catch up before they unleash it. I think V/H/S brought some new life to one of the deadest sub-genres out there and with some of the directors who submitted segments for the sequel, I can’t wait to see what the future has in store as well.

We spend a lot of time talking about fantasy. About science fiction. About comics and anime. But what if I told you that this week’s Kickstarter, The Shadow of the Gauntlet, combines all of those things? I know, right?!

Written by Casey Caracciolo, the novel covers well worn, well loved territory, but puts a fresh spin on the magic, tech, and fantasy that we’ve all grown up loving. A Shakespeare quoting, whiskey-swilling werewolf style spin. Yup. Check out Casey’s synopsis:

Five years ago I had an idea: what if I took all the mythology and magic from various cultures from around the world and combined them into one cohesive mythos. Then take this mythos to construct a fully realized world filled with characters that represent these various cultures and their magical histories.

To put it simply:

Sci-Fi + Fantasy + a dash of Comics and Anime = The Shadow of the Gauntlet

I’m talking robots, dragons, and fireballs shooting out of people’s hands…

On the eve of his graduation from New Salem High, Thomas Scargen awakens from an all-too-real nightmare depicting his father’s mysterious disappearance. Before the boy can regain his composure and slack back into his familiar world of artifs and hologames, Thomas is torn away from his home and hastily ushered into a secret world of magic. He quickly begins to discover his magical potential and grasp his manifesting abilities, but he lacks perhaps the most important component: control.

Yareli Chula, Spirit Summoner and member of The Council of Mages, has been dispatched to recover the boy and bring him to The Council. There he can find the discipline he needs and the answers he seeks, but getting him there alive will be anything but easy.  Yareli is not the only one searching for the Scargen boy.

Along his journey, Thomas will ride atop a teleport dragon, duel a High Demon of the Depths, run with the Lions of Sirati, outfox a spirit ghost, race a vampire, and quote Shakespeare with a whiskey-swilling werewolf—all in the hope of discovering the truth about his father.

This quest will be fraught with darkness and a malevolence far more unyielding than anything Thomas has come across in his fantasy books. Armed with his newly realized powers and his unlikely companions, Thomas Scargen will have to face this pervasive evil without being consumed by The Shadow of the Gauntlet.

The campaign has a pretty unique backing structure, with “augments” available to you at any level to add more swag to your pledge. As Casey says, “It’s like when you are fighting a troll and you are wielding the Axe of Eternity, but you just want to get a few more hit points for every strike…you would naturally augment the weapon.”

Obviously.

The Project: The Shadow of the Gauntlet

Creator: Casey Caracciolo

The Sweet Spot: $35 gets you the TPB of Shadow of the Gauntlet, with the added bonus of being able to augment your pledge at one of three levels. Higher pledges throw the augments in for free, and the backer bonuses ramp up considerably.

Funding Deadline: January 2nd, 2013

More Info: Check out the official Kickstarter for the project video, which will leave no doubt about Casey’s geek cred and has tons more detail about the project, backer levels, and augments.

Every Monday Geekadelphia features a Kickstarter created by local Philadelphians. Check ‘em out and support our local geek scene. If you have a project that you’d like featured on site, contact [email protected]

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true geek gave to me…

A Zenescope Wonderland Gift Pack (Part Two)!

So on Day 10 of the 12 Days of Geeky Giveaways I told you how Zenescope has given Geekadelphia a literal ton of Wonderland comics to give away this Christmas, so much that we had to split it up into two days.

Well, Part Two is officially here. For the penultimate day of our little Christmas giveaway, we have the entire Wonderland Saga to give to one lucky reader.

That’s right; I said the entire Wonderland Saga.

If you’re nice (and you impress me with a witty Holiday comment), you will have the following trade paperbacks under your tree:

• Return to Wonderland
• Beyond Wonderland
• Escape from Wonderland
• Alice in Wonderland Hardcover
• Call of Wonderland

Plus I’ll even throw in a copy of Wonderland #1, just because I can.

Want Santa to leave this under your tree? Leave a comment!

Zenescope Entertainment
www.zenescope.com

Would you like to meet local blogger, published author, and good friend of Geekadelphia Anna Goldfarb? Then come on out to the Rittenhouse Square Barnes and Noble!

Goldfarb will be signing copies of her new book, Clearly I Didn’t Think This Through on Wednesday, December 12th. The book, released earlier this year, hilariously chronicles her life’s misadventures in dating and accepting the role of “typical thirtysomething.”

While she signs autographs, poses for pictures, and informally chats with fans of her now-famous writing, you might get lucky and she will retell one of the many stories that ultimately made her one of the city’s favorite ladies.

Dates with Anna Goldfarb are not guaranteed, however. Sorry, guys! Details here on Barnes & Noble’s event page.

You don’t need a $700 ticket and a 17-hour flight to celebrate the holidays, European (or African, or Asian, or…you get the idea). All you need is a ride over to the International House in University City.

On December 14th, residents, members, and other representatives alike will celebrate holidays around the world at the International House’s annual holiday party.

Music, treats, and drink will be available for just a $10 admission charge. After meeting and mingling with people from all corners of the world, the party’s holiday tree will be lit, allowing everyone to unite together, sharing the anticipation of the warmth of winter holidays.

Check out the International House website for more information on the event.

Sara Selepouchin’s little shop is tucked away, just a few short blocks away from the margarita crowd on Passyunk Ave in South Philly, on South 12th and Pierce Street.

Girls Can Tell is home to Sara’s creative (and often.. geeky, if we do say so ourselves) diagram-inspired homegoods but her designs are available in 140 plus stores nationwide. Her business grew organically from a few small internet retail orders to a multichannel organization that sustains its own wholesale and brick-and-mortar operation.

Geekadelphia had a chance to visit the the Girls Can Tell HQ and sat down with Sara to talk about her about the Girls Can Tell story.

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Sara is very much like her drawings. She’s a near perfect balance of quirky and cute (maybe, a little dose of rock and roll). A former draftsmen, Sara started making diagram drawings for crafts around eight years ago–when she was still working in architecture–for her friends and family. And then, in rather cinematic fashion, people noticed and encouraged her to start selling them. And she did.

In 2008, after leaving her job to do some marketing work at Etsy, Sara started working for herself, full-time.Originally, Sara was using her designs in jewelry and the latter when she decided to start making more “practical” gifts for a broader audience.

“I wanted to make a line that appeals to men and women, foodies and geeks–just make gifts for more people. Practical gifts that those people can use. Everyone needs tea towels and dish towels. You might as well like the ones you have.” says Sara.

About a year and a half ago, Sara moved Girls Can Tell into a real location.

Continue Reading…

Photo via Foobooz

Have you blamed the darkening days for your snappish responses and general sense of malaise?  Let Scicurious, science blogger and researcher, explain why you might be imagining things and then delve into the history of antidepressants, our understanding of how they work, and their influence on current medical theory.

Scicurious is both a mild-mannered researcher AND an active science blogger, whose work appears at Neurotic Physiology and Scientific American’s “The Scicurious Brain.” Her work has also been featured in Scientific American, the London Guardian, and the New York Times.

Science on Tap is a monthly series of informal presentations by scientists and other experts.  They’re held at National Mechanics, purveyors of fine food and drinks, on the second Monday of every month and are always a good time.

Science on Tap @ National Mechanics
Monday, December 10^th at 6pm

National Mechanics
22 South 3rd Street Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 701-4883
www.nationalmechanics.com

On the tenth day of Christmas my true geek gave to me…

A Zenescope Wonderland Gift Pack (Part One)!

Other then Grimm Fairy Tales, the title Zenescope is probably best known for is Wonderland. Almost exclusively written by Raven Gregory, it tells the multi-generational tale of the Liddell family, what happened after Alice went down the rabbit hole and what came next. It’s a disturbing, creepy series that has spanned multiple miniseries, one-shots and now a regular ongoing series plus some of the best art ever to see the inside of a comic book.

Zenescope has given us a truckload of Wonderland books to give away this Christmas, so many we’ve had to split them up into two days. Our first gift pack includes the following:

• Call of Wonderland #1-4
• Alice in Wonderland #1-6
• Wonderland Annual 2012
• Wonderland #1-4
• Wonderland #1 Zenescope Variant Cover

That’s a whole lot of Wonderland and that’s not even all of it. Just wait until you see what we have up our sleeve for Day 11!

Want Santa to leave this under your tree? Leave a comment!

Zenescope Entertainment
www.zenescope.com

In my opinion, December is one of the best months for First Friday.

Sure, it’s a bit cold, but that’s what the complimentary booze is for. Plus it’s one of the best ways to jumpstart start your holiday shopping while keeping it local! In addition to some great installations and events including a poetry slam, a Hurricane Sandy fundraiser, and a 35mm screening of 1960s movie trailers (I love you, Secret Cinema), this month a variety of spaces are making it easy to pick up some locally handmade gifts.

While snagging a few free cocktails, of course.

Drink Philly: As you probably know, Drink Philly throws one of the best happy hour/art exhibitions in Philly, and this month is no different. Well, that’s not true—it’s significantly different. For December’s First Friday, Drink Philly is holding a fundraiser for Hurricane Sandy victims. The event itself has no cover as usual, but they will be collecting donations at the door for the Red Cross.

Artists on display are Doogie Horner, Lars Leatu, Jon Swartz, David Swartz, with a special gallery from none other than Quirk Books (!). DuClaw will be providing the libations while Bierstube serves up some German-inspired snacks. Remember, Drink Philly’s happy hour goes from 5-9 PM and is only for newsletter subscribers, so if you’re on the list get your head right and sign up here then RSVP on Eventbrite.

Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction: You can always count on Art in the Age to throw a fabulous event, and frankly their First Friday openings are can’t-miss. This month features an exhibition of prints and other work inspired by the War of 1812 by Post Typography.

AIA actually commissioned the pieces that touch on various bits of americana peppered with sharp wit and symbolism. December 7th is also the kick off for AITA’s holiday sale, so throw back a few SNAP cocktails and get some shopping done while you’re there. More info here.

Clay Studio: The Clay Studio’s annual holiday show and art sale is one of my favorite things about First Friday. Gifted continues this month with an exhibition featuring the beautiful and affordable work of over 100 ceramic artists. The pieces range from abstract jewelry to functional coffee mugs, vases, and sculpture. Browse what’s for sale here.

Space 1026: The annual art auction at Space 1026 isn’t until December 14th, but First Friday launches a week of events leading up to the big day. Stop by the mission space at 1026 Arch St and get a preview of all the items that will be available for auction this year from 7-10 PM. Check out all of the upcoming auction week events here, including the Cruel Summer winter formal, a free screenprinting workshop, Youtube Armageddon 2 and a comedy show based around a Powerpoint presentation.

Vox Populi: The opening at Vox Populi for December is as varied as ever with everything from crochet teddy bears to sculptural video based on classical literature. Geek pick: Caroline Chandler’s unique pieces turn ordinary objects and craft forms into a story about culture and individuality. Polymer casts of Honeycomb and Cheerios and plastic glow-in-the-dark bugs become a celebration of the trite and the desire to feel, tactically and otherwise. Check out all of the featured exhibitions here.

PhilaMOCA: The Philadelphia Poetry Slam and workshop is in it’s second month at its new home in PhilaMOCA, and this month features guest Caroline Rothstein of UPenn’s Excelano Project. At 7:30, The Nest workshop opens to any performers/writers that want to hone their skills in a supportive environment.

Poets wishing to participate should arrive at 8:30 and the slam kicks off at 9. $10 donation get you in for the workshop as well as the slam, participating poets pay half price. More info on the Facebook event.

Philadelphia Sculpture Gym: Coldhearted is back! Last February the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym hosted their first handmade art event with businesses from all over Philadelphia, and their second installment kicks off this Friday. Coldhearted II will be a two day event, from 6-9 PM on Friday and again on Saturday from noon-6 PM.

In addition to the incredible artisans selling their wares, the event will be graced by food vendors, vintage goodies, fabulous clothing and more. It really is the perfect one-stop-shop for keep Christmas shopping. Check out the Facebook event for more info.

North Bowl: After the galleries have closed, mosey on over to North Bowl for a late night (9-11) happy hour, complimentary snacks, and the 4th and final installment of their fall exhibitions. “Goodie Goodie! Gimme, & I’m Gone!” features a greeting card installation all handmade by Philly locals centering around the theme “I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave”.

While you’re there, be sure to vote for your favorite—the highest ranking cards will secure their designers their own spring exhibition. More info on the Facebook event.

Secret Cinema: Not really the gallery type? Head to the International House for a cult film double feature. At 8 PM, Son of Trailer Trash explores the most bizarre and unusual assortment of coming attractions previews from the 60’s and 70’s.

Then at 10 PM watch Chesty Anderson, U.S. Navy, which is described as a “drive-in version of Charlie’s Angels. General admission ($9) covers both films. More information at thesecretcinema.com.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true geek gave to me…

A Cartoon Network/Adult Swim DVD Gift Pack!

As you get older and make your way through life, you realize that things change and nothing lasts forever. But there are some memories from my childhood that I miss more than others, and one of them is Saturday morning cartoons.

Now I’m not talking about those “educational” shows that air nowadays. I’m talking about those brain rotting, worthless toy tie-in shows like Smurfs, Spider-Man & his Amazing Friends and Rubik’s Cube (yes, there was a cartoon based on the Rubik’s Cube).

So when the feeling of nostalgia hits me, I pop a DVD into the player and remember times gone by. And now, thanks to Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, so can you. They (and Santa) have given us three DVDs to give away to one lucky reader. They include:

Check It Out Season 1 & 2

Produced by John C. Reilly and Absolutely Productions, Check It Out: Season 1 and 2 includes all 12 episodes that parody a local market’s newsmagazine show starring Oscar-nomineer John C. Reilly as Dr. Steve Brule. With each episode our host Dr. Brule introduces his audience to local celebrities and interesting things around town as well a providing health and lifestyle tips.

Amazing World of Gumball

Gumball’s world is pretty run-of-the-mill. He’s chased around school by a T-Rex. He has a friend named Anton who’s a piece of toast. He’s got a crush on Penny, a peanut with antlers. His dad is a 6’4 bunny. His mom works at a Rainbow Factory. And his brother is a goldfish named Darwin.

Yup, everything looks perfectly normal here.

The Regular Show: Best DVD In the World

The DVD features 16 episodes from seasons 2 and 3. The Emmy nominated hit comedy (Outstanding Animated Program) has been part of the popular Monday night line up on Cartoon Network along with the hit show Adventure Time. Regular Show features Mordecai and Rigby two groundskeepers at a park whose attempts to escape their everyday boredom take them to fantastical extremes. Continue building your Regular Show DVD collection with the Regular Show: The Best DVD in the World. OOOOHHHHHH!

Cartoons at their best!

Want Santa to leave this under your tree? Leave a comment!

Cartoon Network
www.cartoonnetwork.com

Adult Swim
www.adultswim.com