Why, actually…
..I just spent the past few hours dicking around with the original "Godfather" game for the first time. Obviously, it's mostly a "Godfather" themed take on "Grand Theft Auto" but it's sort of fun. It's what you would see popping up on the internets if G.T.A came with a level editor.

Not that you care but -
I have to go pretty weird and old school here. In no particular order:
1. Don Rickles
Especially on the "Larry King Show."
2. Otto & George
Incredibly foul-mouthed ventriloquist. A veteran of "The Aristocrats" as well as the sorely missed "Joe Franklin Show."
3.Gilbert Gottfried
Funny. Funny. Funny.…

Boo! Hiss!
I might waver a bit on Cheap Trick being a good example of power pop but I don't see how their records (at least the first four) can be an "exercise in frustration." And the self-titled 'Cheap Trick' album, released independently a few years ago - with a bonus Steve Albini recorded e.p. - is a pretty…

And also: "Young Americans"…
..would probably be my No.2 fave song (but I'm trying to play by the rules here and stick with one, hence this cheaty addendum.)

My favorite song is better than yours.
"Cynical Girl" by Marshall Crenshaw

Monsta movies
The starting point for 1960s "monster kids" and general horror film geekery was Universal's syndicated movie package "Shock!," released in the late 1950s. "Famous Monsters" and a bevy of local horror shows across our great nation soon followed. It's the reason why 10 year-old kids (this means you Mr.…

Monsta movies
The starting point for 1960s "monster kids" and general horror film geekery was Universal's syndicated movie package "Shock!," released in the late 1950s. "Famous Monsters" and a bevy of local horror shows across our great nation soon followed. It's the reason why 10 year-old kids (this means you Mr.…

I kinda like Arbys…
Maybe it just that Arbys is a bit farther down the road ( I pass two McD's on the way) but the occasional "roast" "beef" sandwich is a decent change from the usual bloat-inducing fast food. Of course, Arbys "5 for 5.95" deal lends itself to abuse.

It was a dang cool movie…
Hey, it's different from the comic. You still have the comic, the flick doesn't erase it. The movie was a blast. That's all I can say, I'm no Pauline Kael.

(Uh-oh…this is turning into an episode of the "Paper Chase.") I was under the impression that the courts held that sampling music bits - no matter what the percentage or transformation - is not kosher. It sounds a bit contradictory that percentages can make a difference in other media. Those wacky justices!

"Evil poodles" = redundant.

I think "Free Comic Book Day" is one of the more awesome retail initiatives. Right up there with other phony "holidays" like Valentine's Day or Mother's Day (Sorry, Mom..it had to be said.)

…and props to 'jims' for the reference to (new to me) Steinberg v. Columbia Pictures. Apparently the "Moscow on the Hudson" movie poster was a blatant swipe of a very recognizable (trust me, you've seen it) "New Yorker" cover by Saul Steinberg. No spoilers here pal. You want to know who wins then you're gonna have to…

"Fair use" exceptions were attempts to shield academic, scholarly reproductions of protected material. In other words; your English lit professor is not going to be put in solitary confinement for extensively quoting Flannery O'Connor. "Derivative works" - comprised of protected works revised and reassembled to create…

CopyWRONG
Wow, never heard of this site until now. Posting something (i.e. excerpts) under the guise of "fair use" is generally given a pass as long as you're not otherwise destroying and/or competing with the market for the original. You might argue that publishing the new Superman book online is some form of…

I bristle when people blather on about how they only like "indie" this and that. Films, comics, whatever. But DC, Marvel and most superhero stuff are highly visible and easy to find — a billion websites cover superhero stuff quite adequately and often in inverse proportion to the actual worth of the material. A nice…

If you wanted to find a comic book that would send me running for the nearest exit, you would Google:

My tiny pop tchotchke inventory
I have a tin sandwich-board sign that stood outside Sinatra's fave NYC watering hole "Jilly's." It even has a nice graffiti tag on the front.

Pow! Bam! Portzerbie!
The AVC comics focus always skews a bit too heavily towards superhero genre stuff. Superhero tales comprise a small minority of the good books and the really excellent ones are few and far between. That said, the "All Star" stuff is pretty neat but mainstream superhero books as great reads are…

Eternal Green Hornet of the Weird Cardboard.
At first glance, news of a Rogen/Gondry Green Hornet looks like a nice change of pace from overbaked superhero "event" movies. But so did Ang Lee directing the "Incredible Hulk." Gondry is about the only director who might come up with something weirder than the Hulk…