WonderCon April 3-5 and Star Wars Celebration April 16-19

Get ready your lightsabers and superhero outfits! Wondercon and the Stars War Celebration will be coming this April to Anaheim! Just a week apart, the conventions will be filled with foot traffic of fans in costumes from Star Wars and huge variety of films and TV shows.


WonderCon
April 3-5
Anaheim Convention Center
800 W Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA 92802Starts at $16, three-day and Saturday badges sold out

Get the details here, think of it as an easier going Comic-Con...near Disneyland.


I love the idea of the Star Wars Celebration, but right now it sounds like it's only saving grace will be the likely huge amount of cosplay at the event. Even /Film's The 25 Coolest Things To Do at the event should be more like the only 25 Things To Do at the event.

A friend wrote to me on his thoughts of the first event, "Wondercon is an event that gives the socially awkward a chance to socialize, if they weren't so awkward around each other in the first place." I couldn't disagree more as an attendee whose gone to WonderCon for years now. Fellow fans strike conversations and have a place to get deep into conversations about their favorite series. Many from LA come to find others to help with their own series in mind. Others come for the special guests. Here are just a few of them:

Felicia Day, Jessica Chobot; the cast of iZOMBIE with Rose McIver (Masters of Sex), Malcolm Goodwin (Breakout Kings), Rahul Kohli (newcomer from the UK), Robert Buckley (One Tree Hill) and David Anders (Once Upon a Time); The Last Man on Earth team with Will Forte (Nebraska, Saturday Night Live), and directors/producers Chris Miller and Phil Lord (The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street).

There's more panels for television with Gotham, The Flash and Cartoon Network's Teen Titan's Go! . TNT’s The Last Ship, The Messengers, American Dad and Orphan Black will also have their cast and crews telling you what you can look forward to this season.

For comic fans Image Comics will be having panels with comic greats on Saturday and Sunday. The Saturday panel, Image Comics: Where Creators Own Everything, has Ed Brubaker (The Fade Out), and  Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead), in attendance. Marvel television and film won't be attending, but the comics division will be out in force. Writers will be telling you some early info on Secret Wars, setting up the Marvel Universe for big action starting in May.

Big exhibitors include Nintendo and Capcom for gaming. These game companies pull of some amazing booths worthy of taking photos at. This year Capcom will have For comics you Image, Boom and IDW. Look out for the returning We Love Fine, they'll be offering an exclusive Lumber Janes Holy Kitten, and Nerdist booths. The Warner Bros booth will be taking up some decent floor space too.

Saturday sees the world premiere of Batman Vs. Robin, the brand new straight to VOD film from Warner Bros Animation featuring Batman fighting his own son, Robin!

Be sure to find everything and schedule it with the MySchedule app provided free. You can see what events and guests you wanna go after.

Warner Bros Television is coming with it's top shows from all over TV.  Gotham's Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Robin Lord Taylor and executive producer John Stephens will be in for a Q&A session and special video presentation; Saturday April 4, 3:45pm. The Flash streaks in with Danielle Panabaker, Candice Patton, Carlos Valdes, along with executive producers Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg for their own panel; Sunday April 5, 1:30pm. Join the cast of iZOMBIE with Rose McIver (Masters of Sex), Malcolm Goodwin (Breakout Kings), Rahul Kohli (newcomer from the UK), Robert Buckley (One Tree Hill) and David Anders (Once Upon a Time), and executive producers Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) and Diane Ruggiero-Wright. The show has Rose play Olivia “Liv” Moore, a young women who becomes a zombie who has to maintain some sort of life at the morgue. When she munches on brains, she also gets visions from the memory of the person she's eating; Saturday April 4, 2:30–3:30pm. For little fans, Teen Titans Go! will have a panel with Greg Cipes (voice of Beast Boy) and Scott Menville (voice of Robin) along with producers Michael Jelenic (Batman: The Brave and The Bold) and Aaron Horvath (MAD). All of the panels will have special video presentations.

The Warner Bros booth will be taking up some decent floor space too.

Marvel television and film won't be attending, but the comics division will be out in force. Join Editor Wil Moss, Sam Humphries (Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex), Greg Weisman (Star Wars: Kanan—The Last Padawan), Rick Remender (Avengers: Rage of Ultron), and other secret guests on the “Marvel: Next Big Thing” panel; Saturday, April 4, 4pm-5pm. The panel will take questions all the big events and crossovers happening in Marvel over the next year. “Marvel: Breaking Into Comics the Marvel Way” has Wil Moss, Sam Humphries (Black Vortex), Cullen Bunn (Magneto), and other Marvel writers and artists explain how to break into comics, the Marvel way. Sunday, April 5 11am-12pm.

Image Comics will be having panels with comic greats on Saturday and Sunday. The panel Image Comics: Where Creators Own Everything has Ed Brubaker (The Fade Out), Eric Stephenson (They're Not Like Us), Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead), Becky Cloonan (Southern Cross), David Lapham (Stray Bullets), and Rick Remender (Black Science) in attendance and telling you how precious owning your own work is; Saturday April 4, 3:00pm. Image continues with criminal acts in the Image Comics: Where Creators Own Crime panel. Talents like Ed Brubaker (Criminal), David Lapham (Stray Bullets), James Robinson (The Saviors, Heaven), and Darwyn Cooke (Revengeance), will discuss how they tell their grim tales; Saturday April 4, 6pm.

TV Guide magazine returns to WonderCon Anaheim with an all-star panel of TV's hottest showrunners. Moderated by TV Guide magazine executive editor Michael Schneider, the session brings together top producers for a look behind the scenes of your favorite shows. Panelists (subject to change) include: Natalie Chaidez (12 Monkeys), Kerry Ehrin (Bates Motel), Adam Goldberg (The Goldbergs), Dan Harmon (Community), Alex Hirsch (Gravity Falls), Peter Horton (American Odyssey) and Graeme Manson (Orphan Black). Saturday

Saturday sees the world premiere of Batman Vs. Robin, the brand new straight to VOD film from Warner Bros Animation featuring Batman fighting his own son, Robin!

Big exhibitors include Nintendo and Capcom for gaming. For comics you Image, Boom and IDW. Look out for the returning We Love Fine, they'll be offering an exclusive Lumber Janes Holy Kitten, and Nerdist booths.

Sunday we see some fun with the Honest Trailers and ScreenJunkies crew panel for some laughs you can get in person instead of on the internet.

Moving on to Star Wars, well you do have some fun guests.

The Force comes to SoCal with The Star Wars Celebration a weekend later. This event brings together the Star Wars community with special and gues you'll find no where else in the galaxy. JJ Abrams, the writer/director and Producer Kathleen Kennedyof Star Wars Force Awakens will be making a special appearance to kick off the event. Mark Hamil, ya' know Luke Skywalker is in attendance. So is Princess Leia, Carrie Fisher; Lando Calrissian aka Billy Dee Williams and C-3PO whose Anthony Daniels inside.

Star Wars fans will be treated to the world premiere of Star Wars: Rebels Season 2 Premiere with cast and crew in attendance.

You'll be able see the props and costumes of Star Wars in featured panels and around the convention.

Sneak peaks into what will be happening to Disney Parks with the future of Star Wars into 2016 at the Disney Parks & Star Wars Merchandise – This is Where the Magic Begins panel.

A huge exhibition hall will have everything and I mean everything Star Wars from kitchenware to customizable phones.

If your a fan and want to get the latest little bit of news on the upcoming film, you'll want to be here. Or if you want to see babies dressed as Yoda.

sources: Official WonderCon, Star Wars Celebration

Fear the Walking Dead Set In LA

Check out the new Walking Dead series set in LA coming out this Summer. I hope, just hope they'll go with local references and we get some local reporters dying in the first few days of the zombie epidemic.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Stop Making Straight To DVD Cartoons

Years back, Disney promised to stop making straight to DVD sequels to its beloved animated films. We have yet to see Frozen 2: Let It Go More. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment never made that promise and has churned out bizarre films based on old properties for no reason. The upcoming Tom and Jerry: Spy Quest sees the return of Johnny Quest, which many might wonder as to why? The Flintstones just teamed up with the WWE in The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown for no good reason other to try and make the tackiest film ever.

I know Warner Bros. Animation isn't allowed to create new characters, a stupid premise to being with, but wouldn't it be better to spend money making cartoons worth while than complete garbage? Someone there must being saying this is a ludicrous waste of time. They should be going for series that would be profitable and have a strong fanbase. We just don't need anymore of these random setting with old character cartoons.

Sadly, the new film  really captures the feel of the old Jonny Quest cartoon. But a cat and mouse with British talking cats ruin it.

Monster Hunter @ Six Flags

Some more pics already online of Monster Hunter @ Six Flags this weekend, send us yours if you're going this weekend. Maybe, we should have had a get together there. I'll be at WonderCon scoping the convention and checking out the Monster Hunter Caravan there as well.

All It Follows Posters

some via

Backlog Reviews: White God, It Follows and Backcountry

So many good films to watch and than you have that lousy Dead Rising: Watchtower, but were not reviewing that yet. Were reviewing some films that just came out that you can see here in LA or streaming online.

White God: All Dogs Go Take Over A City

Directed by Kornél Mundruczó, White God will simply be called the "Hungarian Cujo" by the average viewer. Not the worst insult and with some stunning shots, none of which are CGI, of dogs taking over a city, it will be remembered more as a touching movie, a touching movie of dogs taking over a city.

We don't get dogs riding horses and growing thumbs shooting machine guns right away or ever. It's a slow burn to have our "Cujo", Hagan, transform into the leader of the dogs and their uprising against mankind.

The real story focuses on Hagen's master Lili, played by Zsófia Psotta, growing up. Lili growing up and her down-on-his-luck-Dad, Daniel (Sandor Zsoter), whose divorced and hasn't seen his daughter for a while are the focus.

Getting in trouble for just having Hagen over at his apartment isn't helping Daniel, Lili's father, be friends with the mutt. In fact, since he is a mutt (mixed-breed), he's going to be taxed.  Hagen is just a problem for Daniel dealing with a daughter maturing before him. A daughter getting into more trouble with her music teacher.

Orchestral music plays a role in the film playing over dramatic scenes and connects directly to Lili as she is in a orchestra band. She rebels against playing in it over the problems of dealing with her father and missing Hagan.

Tensions flare and eventually Hagen is released into the wild of the big city. This causes Lili to lash out and become even more dysfunctional.

Hagen  transforming is a very slow process of abuse and cruelty. It feels like it's on the back-burner or cooking slowly while the rest of the movie moves forward as though Hagen is gone, but still in Lili's heart.The Hagen Lili knew becomes more of animal and only towards the end of the film do we get the dog riots. Slowly Hagen has all those who hurt him dealt with. Will Lili be his final revenge for abandoning him?

Dogs pouring through city streets, beating cops- by simply coming from another direction- other small attacks attract you from just seeingthe trailer. The level of violence is low compared to other films. Some great work to be admired with so many animal actors. The final scene is an amazing shot if believed that all the dogs are not CGI or no special CGI was used to have them follow a command.

No, the dog Hagan does not talk at the end.

The film is really a coming of age story for Lili with Hagen's ordeal in the background.

Zsófia Psotta does an amazing job acting with so many canines is scary situations and Sandor Zsoter pulls off a great Dad to hate figure so common in films. Don't go into this waiting for a climatic battle, those scenes are short and only towards the end.

It Follows: Creeping Up To Top Horror Film This Year

It Follows is an instant new horror classic, unlike the terrible marketing of that other film that will remain nameless that's trying to be scary with a social media monster-what's posting these, it isn't me-which is just bad and easy writing. It Follows is a new urban legend set out of time, as the director David Robert Mitchell intended. It could be taking place now or decades ago, he gives it a dream like air. It's a nightmare though as something that looks like anyone is always coming after you. It's always walking towards you.

Director David Robert Mitchell has us following Maika Monroe playing the young college student Jay. After a very awkward date that ends with Jay being tied to a wheelchair and being told that she's been given a ghostly STD. Something is always going to be after her now, it can look like anyone, and it will always becoming after her. If it ever gets to her, it's over. Sort of a like a chain letter curse in reverse, if she is killed the mysterious thing goes back after whomever gave it to her. We follow Jay and her friends trying to stop whatever "it" is from getting to her and trying to figure out what "it" is.

Jay's mysterious creature takes on many forms, always having a look of being dead inside. It can only be scene by her or those who have, let's say tempted fate. Shocking moments of her and other characters running away and fighting nothing are masterfully shot for an indie film.

For those curious,  the "it" can't phase through walls, it needs an opening and it makes it if it reaches you. A set of rules rings true to other urban legends and superstitions.

If you're thinking, how can a slow moving creature that looks like a regular person be scary, just think about how it will never give up. No matter how far you go, no matter where you go it will follow you and it can look like anyone. Sometimes it's not looking that pretty, sometimes it's naked.

Jay's friends, Paul (Keir Gilchrist) especially, play their roles as simple teenagers believably with simple dialogue and between Jay and Paul and teenage love. We follow Jay and her friends trying to escape and figure out the mystery and cliche as it sounds ending up at a beach party. The beach party does not go well.

Throughout the film we get the chip tune soundtrack's of Disasterpeace and the use of technology from different eras. No HDTV's are ever shown, only older box models. One of Jay's friends doesn't exactly use a cell phone, she uses a shell-phone, a claim with text screens that only seems to be used for reading books. This mix of technology adds to you wondering when this happened or if it did happen, making it all that more surreal.

When the... whatever "it" is  finally fought full on and in other scenes using special effects you have to give credit the film for what it pulls off. You already do for the atmosphere that's already been created; looking like a film of just some friends having some fun when not being followed by skin of dead relatives. The simple act of someone walking towards Jay fills you with fear, and that didn't take any special effects.

It Follows is a frightful coming of age story. A perfect new horror film that captures the fears of STD's and creates a new urban legend to frighten teenagers. Same scenes of sex and violence you would get in other slasher movies are brought, finally, to the modern age. Oh, and the actors look like teenagers. The perfect horror film for now that builds off of so many of it's predecessors and becomes what horror needs to be.

Backcountry: Never Got Camping Again

I never want to go camping. A friend says it's fun. This movie proved it's not.

Adam MacDonald's Backcountry has the couple of Jenn (Missy Peregrym) and Alex (Jeff Roop) go on a wilderness trip together in the wilds of Canada. Meeting a spooky nut, Brad (Eric Balfour) and pass a creepy ranger only starts setting the tone of their terrible trip into the woods. A trip that separates the couple both literally and figuratively. Though both Missy and Alex play a believable couple you'll love to hate them mess-up and get lost in the woods.

Backcountry has beautiful moments of hardship, pain and horror, it's nice to see toe nails and skin and bones. Yet, the beast backs down and becomes a survival film. You'll still want to see our couple survive and Jenn has it worse with no experience in the woods, which makes her even more angry at Alex , whose suppose to be good at camping.

Director Adam MacDonald revealed that the creepy scene with a mysterious stranger in the woods, Brad. Where after just joining the couple in the woods tests Alex's manhood over dinner was taken from real life. An ex of Adam's had some random guy start talking to her at their table over dinner when he left to go to the bathroom. When he returned, the random guy stayed for dinner.

The wilderness becomes a scary and dire place to be for Jenn and Alex and worse when the notice they're being stalked by something. Do the woods and predicament reflect their relationship?

This film also enjoys a synth soundtrack as the director stated he enjoyed playing video games as a reason why he chose Frères Lumièresfor their musical accompaniment that and their the DP's high school friends.

For a sixteen day shoot much was accomplished, though this isn't a real horror film. It only plays one at the start. If a fan of Grizzly Man and ever wish it had a proper ending, look no further.

The director also mentioned how he prepped shots with an animal wrangler by sending a video of his cat acting out the scenes of a wild animal with a miniature tent. We need this as an extra on the Blu-ray release.

A fly wrangler also cried out for his flies as they were either dead or put into a vegatitive state by cold weather, leading the director Adam to put in CGI flies in the film and remember the sad, but funny efforts of the fly wrangler who just couldn't fly.

The Exorcist April 17

A chance to see another classic horror movie at the park at night.

The Great Horror Campout Presents:

The Exorcist in Griffith Park's Old Zoo

Brought to you by Ten Thirty One Productions. Join us for a night under the stars at the Griffith Park Old Zoo for a screening of The Exorcist hosted by the Great Horror Campout Headmaster. The screening will also include prizes, merchandise, Great Horror Campout monsters and photo opportunities. Parking is free in Griffith Park upon availability. No overnight parking. Film may not be suitable for all ages. Please read more about movie ratings at www.mpaa.org/film-ratings.

Website: www.GreatHorrorCampout.com

Date and time of event: Friday, April 17th. Gates at 6pm. Film shortly after sunset.

$15

Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions July 11

Tickets go on sale next week, April 4, for Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions. The event won't be until  Saturday, Jul 11, 2015 at 8pm at The (current controversy of running) Greek Theatre. These orchestral versions of your favorite Pokemon songs will be accompanied with imagery from the different games, more info below. We wish that the orchestra had to be in Pokémon costumes while playing, but sadly that's only a dream. Check out the official site.

 All-new orchestral arrangements and carefully timed visuals draw from recent and classic Pokémon video games, including:

• Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue
• Pokémon Yellow
• Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver
• Pokémon Crystal
• Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire
• Pokémon Emerald
• Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl
• Pokémon Platinum
• Pokémon Black and Pokémon White
• Pokémon X and Pokémon Y

Things To Do In Games Episode 5: Dot Arcade Part 1 Mario Party 10 Part 2

Watch the full versions of Things To Do In GamesEpisode 5: Dot Arcade Part 1 Mario Party 10 Part 2 ! Zone out and enjoy us playing games.

Dot Arcade Review: Get Down N' Dirty With Dots

Dot Arcade
$4.99
Wii U Exclusive

Dammit Dot Arcade! This fun game is as simple as it's is fun. Broken down you have three games -six if you include a secret to unlock old-school looking backgrounds- to enjoy of an 8x8 digital light cabinet. Games include Mr. Snake, a snake like game where you wrap around the screen trying to eat dots (cosmic fruit); Dodge Club, where you're a dancer in a ring of fire dodging death; and Rally Driver, a simple racer. Each game has a very simple look, that's the point, what old-school gamers or just sickos for the hard will want to pull off is racking up the points in these games. They may look simple, cept' for the side art, oh Racer Driver, you're so sexy, that's why the games E-10, but they ain't easy and you can try to master them against friends and family.

I do wish Dot Arcade had even more games, but it was two guys who made the whole thing in a reasonable amount of time and didn't have a Kickstarter for it.

Finding the secret cabinet art isn't so hard and who doesn't like a few secrets in their games that aren't DLC.


Check the game out over at Things To Do In Games. In the latest epsidoe we have one of it's creator's James Montagna, playing it and Mario Party 10.

The Good, Bad and Ugly of LA Arcades

What do you want out of your arcade in LA? Fun and excitement? A place to play and drink? That old-school feeling? I break down the arcades in the LA area for you.

Let’s go through are barcades first.

The Good

For those who have since grown up, but still want to play, Eighty-Two; 707 E 4th Pl; (213) 626-8200 is your best bet. The barcade only features machines from the late 80’s and early 90’s. They just got in a six-player version of X-Men, Terminator with the machine gun attachments and many other old-school titles. A room over from the arcade games they have a huge collection of movie and TV themed pinball machines. DJ’s and a bar to wet your whistle make it the perfect hang out to once again beat someone at Street Fighter II. Lacking its own food service you’ll have to eat up all the surrounding goodies nearby in the arts district.

*X-Lanes; 333 S. Alameda St. #300; (213) 229-8910 is walking distance and has bowling, prize games, pool and some of the latest arcade games.

The Bad

Too many colors, and sketchy arcade cabinets make The One Up; 13625 Ventura Boulevard;(818) 849-5181 put my thumbs down. I might get some slack as those who don’t want to venture out of the Valley flock to this barcade diner on weekend. The place gets passes on the food and drinks, try the Captain Crunch Fried Chicken. The arcade and décor side are in question. Whatever the designer was trying to convey-your first place is your parent’s basement?!!-doesn’t connect with anyone. Arcade lovers can’t stand the bastardized versions of older games with the ugly looking arcade cabinets. They’re free to play, but there’s no question as to why they’re free. Forget seeing titles you remember or loved.

The Ugly

Hello nightmare of being trapped with a serial killer with a Chuck E. Cheese fetish. Blipsy Bar; 369 N Western Ave; (323) 461-7067 has the imagination of taking a crusty old bar and having some old arcade units in it, one being an amazing Punch-Out arcade machine. Blipsy’s is so divey it doesn’t have a sign, just Pac-Man dots on it for you to find. Decorated with stuffed animals and a turned over Cobra Command Center on the ceiling there’s nothing you want to open your eyes for inside. It has a few classic machines, nothing to keep you from leaving.

Good/Bad

For the family or for the office party or just friends, Dave & Buster's,

6081 Center Drive; (310) 846-9950; 6801 Hollywood Blvd; 323-603-2400 has the latest arcade games. Star Wars Battle Pod lets you re-enact your favorite scenes from the original trilogy. Race in the latest arcade version of Mario Kart or save Gotham City in almost every Batmobile that has ever existed. Prize games, shooters and Pac-Man air hockey are ready to play with all the newest titles. Games are paid by using credits on a card. It is a barcade, technically. I’ll never agree that it’s a restaurant, the food has to be some of the worst the many users of Yelp and I have had. I’m not for anything fancy, I eat at BK, but at the high prices and bad service, just forget about eating there.

Good/Ugly

A true arcade, Family Amusement Corporation;876 N Vermont Ave (323) 660-8180 has so many old titles that cost quarters and tokens that it immediately brings you back to the era of arcades. This place fixes and sells machines in back away from you playing. There are rows, real rows of old titles to play cramped under neon lights and mirrors. It feels like you’ve stepped back in time, not in gum. It looks old, like a good arcade with memories should.

Good?

Is the price perfect for Neon Retro Arcade; 28 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena; no phone?

The model of pay for play is an hourly rate of ten buck/per hour to play some classic titles in this newly opened arcade. It’s the newest arcade in the LA area and adjacent to the Pasadena Convention Center. Near many places to catch a bite, I would say it’s in a perfect location. Old titles are the only ones inside, retro all the way.