(Photo: Steve Niles, care of William Forsche)
The above is one of many, many incredible photos that writer Steve Niles was lucky enough to obtain. Turns out he’s had a correspondence with special effects guru William Forsche who sent him a disc containing an obscene amount of truly amazing (and super RARE) behind the scenes shots from a bunch of old movies, including an ass load of horror movies. Niles, who is a life-long horror fan (ONE OF US, ONE OF US) got permission to share them via his Tumblr blog, and there are a LOT of them. If you care at all about classic horror or practical effects makeup, you should really go peruse for a while.
You should also go to his store and support creator owned comics, while you’re at it. Some great stuff available, and he signs everything.
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If you’re anything like me, you love books. You love to hold them in your hands, you love walking into large rooms filled with them (libraries and book shops are considered sacred ground to me and mine), and you also love the smell of them. But have you ever wondered what that “old book smell” really is? Wonder no more:
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Is it sad that I want my own inflatable Stonehenge in my back yard?
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Anyone able to provide me with a solid (or digital) copy of this would be my best friend for life.
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Need another reason to love ravens? Here:
When you go outside, do the birds sound happy or angry when they see you? New research has found that at least one group of birds, ravens, remembers prior interactions with people and varies calls based on those earlier experiences.
Some find that creepy, but I love it. Birds are much smarter than people give them credit for.
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Actor Tom Hiddleston, who will be reprising his role as the villainous Loki in Marvel Studios’ superhero-filled, nerdgasm-inducing tentpole blockbuster, The Avengers (opening May 4th), wrote an article for UK news site, The Guardian, in defense of superhero movies as a sub-genre. It’s a brief piece, but a fun read. It’s really more of a love letter to superhero films in general:
I grew up watching Superman. As a child, when I first learned to dive into a swimming pool, I wasn’t diving, I was flying, like Superman. I used to dream of rescuing a girl I had a crush on (my Lois Lane) from a playground bully (General Zod). Reeve, to my mind, was the first real superhero.
Read the rest here.
Here’s the trailer for The Avengers, just for good measure:
And in case you haven’t heard, it seems we’ll be getting a brand spanking new trailer for Warner Bros. The Dark Knight Rises (you know, the OTHER superhero movie coming out this year everyone is looking forward to) along with it. Brilliant strategy, really. The folks at WB realize that most of the people looking forward to seeing The Avengers, including those who will be there on opening day, will also be willing to throw their hard earned money at the final chapter in Christopher Nolan’s Bat-Saga. Well played, Warner Bros. Well played.
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That’s all I’ve got. Not as interesting a post as I was hoping, but it’s a post nonetheless. Maybe something better next time.
Edit: Oh wait, I completely forgot to post a bit of self promotion! How the hell did THAT happen?
I’ve written a new –and short– bit of fiction that I’ve posted here. It’s called Coincidences, and I hope you enjoy it.
Ramblings and Musings 