My new favorite toy

Available here.

Paul Rudd

When I left work today, I spotted Paul Rudd shooting a scene (for the "Untitled James L. Brooks Project") in front of City Hall...




There wasn't much to it - He took a few steps, answered his phone, looked up at a nearby building, hung up, and walked away looking dejected - but it was fun to see. They ran through the scene a few times, and that was that.

Haunted Tales

A couple shots from "Atlantic City's Newest Attraction", Haunted Tales...


The front of the place (where these pics were taken), is basically a spooky gift shop.


But once inside, if you pay a few bucks, they'll take you to the back room, where you're treated to two scary stories - one about the Jersey Devil, the other a pirate-themed ghost story - told in a fully animated theater. It's about 15 minutes worth of entertainment, during which the entire creepy room actually comes alive. Lightning strikes, objects move, ghosts appear, and so on. Oh, and you actually feel the rainstorm.

Overall, the scares are fairly tame (after all, this is an all-ages attraction), but it was definitely a fun way to spend a portion of the night we were there.

If you're going, coupons are available here.

Tonight in Philly: Exhumed Films

Exhumed Films presents an Italian Flesh Eaters Double Feature...

Cannibal Apocalypse
(aka Invasion of the Flesh Hunters):



and Terror-Creatures from the Grave
(aka Cinque tombe per un medium):


Tonight, I-House, Philly, 8pm, $10. Details here.

Cranes

These lighting rigs have been hanging out near City Hall all week...


...with film crew people, massive power cords, and trailers lining Chestnut Street.

I had assumed it was part of the "Best and Brightest" shoot with Neil Patrick Harris, but apparently these rigs are for a totally different movie, starring Jack-freaking-Nicholson & Paul-freaking-Rudd.

orange

This is what the Anthropologie storefront at 18th & Walnut in Philadelphia looks like right now. I'm not entirely sure what's going on here (that is, I don't know who did it, what it's called, etc.), but I like it.

Ruffles have ridges!

I made a snack for one of my coworkers the other day...


...but he said they tasted like cardboard.

Picture Pages

Okay - One last Wizard World post, then I'm moving on to other things.

The original cover art for all 12 issues of Watchmen:


Unfortunately I couldn't get any closer than that. They actually had a guard standing watch over these, and velvet ropes to keep fans at a distance.


A Joe Orlando page from Tales From The Crypt #28 (and yes, I'm well aware that it says "The Vault of Horror" - but trust me, it's a Crypt page):


And saving the best for last... Ghastly Graham Ingels' cover for The Haunt of Fear #27:

Max Brooks

One of the highlights of Wizard World this year was not only meeting World War Z and Zombie Survival Guide author Max Brooks (who was a helluva nice guy, by the way), but also being able to attend all of his panel discussions. He signed my copy of WWZ (he scribbled a compliment to my shaved head, saying it was a good choice, as zombies wouldn't be able to grab me by the hair), and I convinced him to record a quick promo for what is currently my favorite podcast on the planet, Mail Order Zombie. It kicks off the current episode (number 74), which can be found right here.



Max was a part of 3 different panels - a Q&A with Avatar Press' William Christensen, focused on Brooks' upcoming Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks; "Writing The Undead" with Fred Van Lente (writer of Marvel Zombies 3 & 4) and John Russo (co-screenwriter of Night of the Living Dead); and Max's own "What's Your Zombie Plan". Of course, all three events ultimately turned into Q&A sessions about all things zombie, and I ended up hearing some of the same info several times, but they were all highly entertaining. Big fun.



Among other things, he talked about the WWZ movie, and the fact that production was recently delayed. In essence, he told the audience that we, the fans, have more more power over what's going to happen with the film than he does - since they've already paid him for the book, and now they're after our money. So he urged anyone with the interest and drive to do so, to contact the people involved in making the film.

My buddy Dan over at Geekadelphia scored a quick interview with Max, which you can check out here. Toward the end of it, you'll find all the info you need to contact the film folks.

Wizard World pics, part 3: The Zombies