Fake Monster Shark Sighting in Cardiff, CA

Now this is creative:

From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

An often-abused statue of a surfer on Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas was turned into a Jaws-dropping artwork early Saturday morning by a group of unknown pranksters. Crowds of gawkers and picture takers nearly created a traffic hazard, as they gathered around the bronze statue, which, sometime in the early morning hours, was entombed inside a 15-foot tall papier-mâché version of a great white shark’s massive snout. ... A large seam along the shark’s jaw indicates it was transported in two large pieces and then stuck together with a foamlike sealer that also made it look like the beast was bursting through the surface of the ocean.


The statue, called "Magic Carpet Ride," was made by artist Matthew Antichevich and erected in 2007 at a cost of $120,000 paid for mostly by the Cardiff Botanical Society. It was said to be the first to honor surfing in San Diego County. But the reaction from local surfers was cool at best, and heated at worst, as they found the surfer to fall short of the macho image they thought their sport should project.


Ever since, the statue, known locally — and derisively — by local surfers as the “Cardiff Kook,” has routinely been dressed in different costumes by snarky locals. At various times, the statue of a young male surfer has been adorned with a ballerina’s tutu and luche libre wrestler’s mask, a woman’s bikini and other costumes, most recently a tennis outfit with racket. But the shark attack took pranks on the statue to a new level.

Click here to learn about the fake shark's creator. Click here to see pictures of other pranks involving the Cardiff Kook. From what I've read, the shark was removed from the Cardiff Kook statue earlier this week.

Since this prank is essentially a three-dimensional rendition of a poster for Jaws or a Jaws rip-off, I'm going to use this opportunity to indulge my love of horror movie art by posting pics of posters and VHS box covers which depict sharks, piranhas, and other hungry denizens of the deep either eating or about to eat helpless humans. Click below for the all-you-can-eat bloody pulp art buffet.

The Hunt Continues: A Spoiler-Free Review of Predators

My schedule finally cleared up so I could see Predators, a sequel to the 1987 movie which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and was directed by John McTiernan. When I first heard that Predators producer Robert Rodriguez intended this sequel to be a direct continuation of the first Predator while ignoring the events in Predator 2 and the Alien vs. Predator movies, I was somewhat concerned that Predators would turn out to be something like Bryan Singer's Superman Returns. For me, it seemed like Singer in Superman Returns was so determined to pay tribute to Richard Donner and the late Christopher Reeve's contributions to the Superman movies from the 70s and 80s that he forgot to make a good Superman movie, so I was worried that Rodriguez and director Nimród Antal were going to end up making a sequel that's too reverent of the first Predator to be a good Predator movie. Thankfully, I was wrong. Not only is Predators the best Predator sequel to date, but I also found it to be a better film than Predator itself. Read on....

Most importantly, Predators does what any good monster movie sequel should do: It adheres to the narrative logic of the previous entries while at the same time upping the ante by adding new details to the titular monster and effectively incorporating these details into the story itself so that if feels like a deeper, richer filmgoing experience than just a simple retread. In the case of Predators, we finally get away from Earth and on to one of the Predators' worlds, where we see what exactly they do on those worlds and what other alien creatures are involved. We get additional information (albeit vague and fleeting) about the Predators' social structure and hints of intense conflict within the Predator culture. Predator 2 and the AvP movies provided a few extra details (mostly visual in nature) about the Predators, but nothing too drastic to change or add to what was already established in the first movie; even making the Predators Erich von Däniken-esque "ancient astronauts" in the first AvP movie really didn't do much to add depth to the monsters. In contrast, Predators throws enough new stuff into the Predator universe to keep the franchise going for some time to come.

Yet what really makes Predators work is that it is clear from its opening frames that this film is a quality product. In that sense, Predators outdoes the first Predator: The cinematography, direction, casting, writing and acting are all a notch or two above the original, and I think Antal is a superior director in comparison to McTiernan. McTiernan has largely made a name for himself in action-adventure movies while Antal's work is more focused on suspense and mystery in films such as Kontroll and Vacancy, and it shows. Antal places the jungle setting in a very foreboding, creepy light, and he effectively paces the movie between action, character development, horror and narrative exposition. Perhaps I'm more inclined to appreciate Antal's approach to the Predator universe because I'm more of a horror fan than an action-adventure fan; nevertheless, Antal knows what it takes to make these monsters both menacing and morbid, scary and sadistic, moreso than any other director who has handled the Predator franchise to date.

Interestingly, while Predators does use quite a few visual, thematic and musical cues as references to the first movie, its plot hinges on ideas which echo those in the first AvP movie--namely, the notions of Predators building "game preserves" and choosing a group of humans to be involved in a hunt. However, Predators script and direction make better use of these concepts so they are more integrated into the plot and not as arbitrary as they were in AvP. (Click here for some of my additional observations and opinions on the AvP movies.) In particular, the Predators' selection of human participants in Predators--a rich combination of criminals, mercenaries, and military personnel--tantalizingly suggests that the alien hunters intimately understand the human race and its capacity for a wide range of violence, perhaps even better than the human characters themselves.

If there were any drawbacks to Predators, it would be that the actors in the creature suits should have paid more attention to the costumed performances given by Kevin Peter Hall and Ian Whyte in the previous Predator movies. What Hall and Whyte understood is that when wearing a costume that's a bit bigger than you--and thus doesn't always move the way you want it to move--body language goes a long way towards making the costume appear realistic. In their performances, Hall and Whyte moved with a sense of purpose and somewhat slower and more precise than a human being would, which added an aura of alien-ness and determination to their characterization of the Predators. In contrast, the monster actors in Predators often move faster than they should, sometimes making it appear as if the actors weren't quite the right fit for the costumes they were wearing.

Minor complaints aside, Predators is clearly a labor of love that's a treat for both Predator and monster movie fans alike. The box office has been largely bereft of monster movies as of late (Splice, another monster movie which featured Adrien Brody in a starring role, came and went without much notice last June), so Predators is a great way to get a big-screen, high-quality monster mash during this long, hot summer season. 

Live from DC: The Horrors of Online Dating

When people think of where to see a fun, over-the-top gore-a-thon, they usually think of mediums such as films, comic books, and (with increasing frequency) video games. Sadly, the opportunities for seeing such colorful entertainment in live performances for the masses are rare--which is all the more reason why the Molotov Theatre Group in the Washington DC area is a true bloodlust blessing for us gore hounds on the east coast.

As part of Washington DC's Capital Fringe Festival, the Molotov Theatre Group are performing "The Horrors of Online Dating" until July 31 at the Playbill Café. This world-premier musical by Shawn Northrip details the dating adventures of Judy (played by Jenny Donovan), a pill-popping psychopath whose favorite pastime is slicing and dicing the many men she meets via the Internet. Cheering her on in her gruesome activities are her hallucinatory friends, three of which are portrayed by puppets (yes, puppets). Judy eventually meets a self-help guru who she believes can make her "uncrazy". Of course, for someone as disturbed as Judy, the path to uncraziness is not painless one. Especially for the guru....

As director Kevin Finkelstein puts it, "The Horrors of Online Dating creates a world seen through the eyes of a schizophrenic serial killer. Come for the violent deaths and buckets of blood, but stay for the possessed laptop, singing pill bottles and cat with enormous balls. The Horrors of Online Dating will redefine your concept of musicals, puppets, and general bad taste."

So if you've got a strong stomach and you're itching for a musical, gory live show that includes puppets, buy your tickets now for "The Horrors of Online Dating". (If you really want to get into the thick of things, be sure to sit near the front--you'll be given protective plastic bags to shield yourself from the projectile splatter. Yummy!) Be sure to check out the Molotov Theatre Group's site for more information about their current production, their past performances and a brief overview of the theatrical tradition of "Grand Guignol", a form of performance art that's ideal for the discerning degenerate. Click below to see more pictures of Judy, her victims and her imaginary puppet friends, courtesy of Paul Gillis for the Capital Fringe Festival.

Click here for Gillis' complete set of "Online Dating" pictures on flickr.com.

An Exclusive Look at Comic-Con 2010 Exclusives

As any good geek knows, Comic-Con 2010 is right around the corner, from July 22 to the 25 at the San Diego Convention Center. Unfortunately, while I may be a good geek, I'm also a very poor and very busy geek so I won't be going. However, if I had oodles of money to burn, not only would I be at the con but I would also be snatching up quite a few of the exclusives that will be available at this event. Read on after the jump for my top picks, in alphabetical order by franchise.

Macross: Zentraedi (Regault) Tactical Battlepod Vinyl Figure. This limited version of the Zentraedi Battlepod features the color scheme used in the Macross movie. According to the description on the Comic-Con site, Toynami designed this collectible to be in scale with their 1/100 super-posable Valkyrie action figures. If I had my way, the perfect Macross/Robotech collectible set would include a fully-transformable Valkyrie with a removable human pilot and a Battlepod with a removable full-size Zentraedi pilot, and each would be in scale with each other so you can see just how large each character and vehicle is in relation to each other. (Given what is said in the TV series, a Battlepod should tower over a Valkyrie in robot mode, but that never seems to happen when watching the battle scenes.) Neverthess, this exclusive Battlepod is a must-have.

Predator: Predators "Cloaked Berserker" Predator 7" Figure (NECA) and Guardian Predator Collectible Figure (Hot Toys). In honor of the recent release of Predators (which I haven't seen yet and probably won't be able to for another few weeks), Comic-Con will have two Predator limited-edition collectibles available for die-hard Preda-fans. The NECA figure appears to be like other "cloaked" Predator figures previously released by McFarlane Toys and NECA—namely, Predator figure sculpts rendered in a semi-transparent plastic. Nevertheless, the NECA Predators Berserker figure is a cheaper buy than the Predator 2 Guardian figure which, like most things from Hot Toys, is super-posable, super-detailed, and super-expensive.

Star Wars: Stormtrooper 12” Jumbo Vintage Kenner Figure. While this collectible isn't as expensive or as over-the-top as the recent Shogun Warrior version of the Stormtrooper, it's still pretty big. According to the description provided by Gentle Giant, this figure has been "digitally scanned from mint 3 3/4" Kenner originals and reproduced to a substantial 12" tall", and it is "fully articulated" (their emphasis). From what I can recall, the original Kenner Stormtrooper action figure only had moving joints in the shoulders and hips, so I'm wondering just how "fully articulated" this figure will actually be. (In fact, the 12" inch figure of the Stormtrooper that Kenner released back in the 70s had about the same range of movement at the 3 3/4 figure, even if the scuplt wasn't the same as its smaller counterpart.) This figure will be "packaged on a 1980, Empire Strikes Back inspired blister card with a plastic outer clam shell", which means that not only will you get a super-sized Kenner Star Wars action figure, you will also be getting super-sized Kenner Star Wars action figure packaging to boot!

Terminator: Terminator 2 "Liquid Metal" T-1000 7" Action Figure. Here's another exclusive from NECA, with their T-1000 action figure mold and accessories completely painted in a silver liquid metal finish. What I loved about the release of high-detailed Terminator figures (first by McFarlane Toys and then by NECA) was the availability of the Terminator endoskeletons, such as the T-800 and the T-X models, for the non-resin model kit making, non-Hot Toys/Sideshow Collectibles purchasing fans like me. However, because the T-1000 never had an endoskeleton, the 7" figures available for it only had the stiletto appendages, silver bullet holes, and maybe a malformed head or torso. This exclusive is the closest thing to a completely liquid metal T-1000 figure that I've ever seen, which is better than nothing.

Voltron: Metallic-Edition Vehicle Voltron Vinyl Figure. In the giant robot popularity contest during the 80s, the 15-vehicle Voltron always came in a distant second to the 5-mechanical lion Voltron. Thus, it was much, much harder to find toys of the vehicle Voltron than those for the lion Voltron. (There were also toys for the 3-robot Voltron released by Matchbox, but the anime cartoon which featured this version of Voltron never made it to the US.) To compensate for this gap of the Voltrons (sort of), Toynami is providing this exclusive figure for Comic-Con. There will also be a gold and black "designer" version of this figure. Judging from the details provided, these are just figures of the vehicle Voltron, not deluxe sets that can be disassembled into 15 different vehicles. I guess you could call these items economy-sized Voltron figures; Matchbox also released small non-disassembling figures for both the vehicle and lion Voltrons way back when.

Hopper's Horror: Night Tide

I know I'm a bit late here due to technical difficulties, but I wanted to do this post ever since I first heard about Dennis Hopper's passing last May. To say that Hopper's five-decade long career was diverse and unusual is an understatement: He had done both television and film, he's been in a lion's share of classic and cult classic films, and he also dabbled in writing and directing films. He even provided his vocal talents to video games such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and the Wii's creepy-crawly Deadly Creatures. All of that aside, I wanted to take the time to review one of Hopper's early, overlooked films: Night Tide (1961). Read on …

Hopper was no stranger to horror--after all, he was in such notable horror franchise entries as Tobe Hooper's Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) and George Romero's Land of the Dead (2005). Yet Night Tide is a film of its own, an underrated gem that's evocative of Val Lewton's work, particularly Cat People (1942). Furthermore, its setting, cinematography, and morose, desolate atmosphere is somewhat reminiscent of Herk Harvey's Carnival of Souls.(1962).

Night Tide is about a Johnny Drake (Hopper) a navy cadet who meets and falls in love with Mora (Linda Lawson), a girl he meets while on shore leave at Venice Beach, California. He soon learns that Mora believes that she is descended from a race of murderous sea people, and that her deadly heritage will eventually cause her to become a real mermaid and murder Drake. Is Mora really a killer monster in human guise, or is there something else afoot? Watch Night Tide to find out.

If you want a horror film that's filled with action and shocks, Night Tide is really not for you. It’s more of a mood piece that works at a slow burn, slowly revealing bizarre, tantalizing details to pull you in to the characters’ lives and their world. While most of the story involves ordinary people in a familiar place, there are just enough hints of the supernatural to keep the viewer off balance. (For another example of a low-budget horror mood piece that uses the supernatural in a limited yet very effective way, see Head Trauma (2006).)

That said, Night Tide is not without its faults. The film’s small budget didn’t allow for complicated special effects, so most of the creature scenes look very cheap. The soundtrack isn’t very complementary—it is often upbeat in areas of the narrative where it shouldn't be—and the ending feels rushed, with an expository conclusion that’s too neatly presented. Nevertheless, after the film reveals who and what the real monster is in this film and you consider what it means to the overall story and one of its main characters, Night Tide will stick with you for a while.

Hopper left behind many notable contributions to the film industry, and Night Tide is definitely one of them. If you’re a fan of offbeat, moody horror, do yourself a favor and track down a copy of this underappreciated gem.