Posts filed under Discussion Threads

Robin Williams: 1951 - 2014

Sad news developing today, Robin Williams has passed away at age 63.

Watch the man do what he did best back in 1977 on HBO... one of my favorite bits of his, and one that I first watched with my dad who would always comment about his hyperactivity.

Updating with some of the most touching statements and tributes to Williams on Twitter below. Currently Williams and his related films are trending worldwide on the social networking service, a true testament to how much people loved him. If only he'd seen these...

(As mentioned by Kumail Nanjiani) - Robin Williams performs an improvised stand-up routine on topics provided to him on the spot.

Posted on August 11, 2014 and filed under TV, Movies, Discussion Threads.

San Diego Comic-Con 2014... From Afar This Year

Today marks the first "preview" day of the annual San Diego Comic-Con, which runs through this weekend. And it also marks the first time in a long while that I won't be down in the midst of it all. Over the past few years, the convention has exploded to ridiculous proportions. Wall-to-wall people jockey for position on roads and sidewalks, stand in lines that make Disneyland look like a fast food drive-thru, and literally scratch and claw each other for in-demand exclusives that are near impossible to get because of the sheer amount of people.

On top of all that, SDCC has become the go-to venue for film, television, and other mainstream media to flaunt their latest wares. It's not entirely clear what a movie like Let's Be Cops has to do with comic books or any of the genres that are indigenous to conventions, but someone somewhere decided, "Hey - 13-year old and college-aged boys like comics and stuff. We've gotta get them aware of this movie!"

Which is what a lot of SDCC boils down to now: that screaming and shouting in a crowd of thousands to be noticed, to be heard, to get someone's attention just long enough to sell them a ticket and hope that they'll tell twenty or thirty of their friends. But that doesn't explain why Variety is touting Fifty Shades of Grey as a potential surprise for Comic-Con. The audience down there isn't exactly your target demographic, but hey -- hordes of people! Quick, scream and try to get everyone's attention!

The San Diego Comic-Con is about as much about comics, sci-fi and pop culture as Sundance is about independent films being screened for a niche audience. It's all become this giant-sized circus that amounts to a lot of chaos rather than the personal individualized feel that it used to have. Nothing makes introverted, socially awkward nerds more comfortable than being surrounded by masses of people that are all demanding your attention and putting you on the spot every five seconds. It's the equivalent of walking through the school halls in junior high on an inflated scale now. Surely the bubble will burst soon?

At any rate, I'm actually looking forward to observing this SDCC from a distance. In terms of the Con experience, it seems like all of the big reveals and breaks are immediately (if not before-hand) on the internet. I'm able to interact with my favorite artists and writers on Twitter and purchase prints from them online now, which gives me the same experience as meeting them at their booth in Artist's Alley and gives me the time to admire their work in detail without being jostled by those damn giant WB bags every fifteen seconds. I'm also not really one for parties unless it involves getting to go into a replica of Flynn's Arcade and getting to play classic arcade games (again... see earlier comments about social anxieties). Though I enjoyed the couple that I've been to over the years, it's not high up on the priority list.

Despite the cynicism and grimness of the above (sorry about that), I'll be covering the things that excite me coming out of San Diego this year here on SPT. All you have to do is check back here frequently or hit up the tag SDCC on SPT down at the bottom of this page to travel through the rabbit hole of SDCC goodness as it progresses.

The Bacon-Wrapped "Danger" Dog (aka the Tijuana Dog) - Yay or Nay?

They mostly come out at night... mostly. (Courtesy of / Gregory Bojorquez)

There's an interesting phenomenon in Los Angeles: any time a crowd of ten or more people is gathered on a sidewalk near downtown, near a bar, near a club, near a sporting event they appear...

...street-cart vendors selling delicious smelling bacon-wrapped hot dogs.

For a couple bucks, (usually open for haggle depending on how much pocket change you have left on you at the end of an evening) a fully-loaded dog, wrapped in bacon and topped with ketchup, mustard, mayo, peppers and onions is yours for the taking. And usually incredibly welcome depending on what type of debauchery you were partaking in prior to coming across this street cart oasis.

I used to eat the delicious and completely unnecessary treats more often, until the practice of eating a hot dog made from a small street cart was frowned upon by my significant other. Her concern (other than always calling them "gross") is that there's no telling what the dogs contain. Rats? Small kittens? Yoga mats?

Apparently they're also illegal. 

LA Weekly has a great article on the phenomenon and how they're illegal (and how many are calling for them to be legalized and sanctioned, which might help assuage any fears of what exactly it is that you're eating). According to the article, most of the vendors have been cited or even jailed for selling the late-night snacks. 

Where do you stand in the consumption, legality and/or overall deliciousness of the street bacon-wrapped hot dog? Sound off and let us know!

Orphan Black "Governed by Sound Reason and True Religion" Recap and Discussion

Alison and Donnie (Tatiana Masiany and Kristian Bruun) attend Aynsley's funeral. (Courtesy BBC America)

Orphan Black really is coming out swinging on the second episode of its second season. Lots of revelations in the mouthful of a titled "Governed by Sound Reason and True Religion", Helena is still alive, saved by a mysterious group calling themselves the Prolethians. The mysterious zealot group apparently also has Sarah's daughter though through some keen detective work between Sarah and Art a very different scenario reveals itself involving Mrs. S. Alison comes clean about Aynsley to Felix and believes her husband to be her monitor. The two have an incredible scene together that makes you wish that an Alison/Felix Dynasty-type spin-off was on the horizon.

In the episode it's revealed Mrs. S knows about the mysterious Project LEDA. What's her involvement in the project? And while we're asking questions, just what's Art's partner's deal? 

Join us in the discussion after the jump, won't you?

Also for those interested, Visual Effects giant Cinefex has posted an excellent blog on the history of "Twinning" in the movies and how the effect is achieved in Orphan Black. Check it out here.