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Now in our eighth calendar year
PCR #378  (Vol. 8, No. 25)  This edition is for the week of June 18--24, 2007.

MOVIE REVIEW
"Evan Almighty"  by Mike Smith
ODDSERVATIONS
RaxiP 4000 Commands You to See Ratatouille  by Andy Lalino
CREATURE'S CORNER
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer....Comics News  by John Lewis
MIKE'S RANT
Amity Road....You're Fired....Blucher!....Directors' Notes....Whatever Happened To--? Chapter 22: Warren Beatty (Cont'd from last week)  by Mike Smith
LETTERS
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Creature's Corner

Hello and greetings from the embattled "Castle".
It sure is a hot time in the old town tonight. I just sent Gorbly for dogs and marshmallows.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Last weekend, everyone within these hallowed grounds have been working so hard that they demanded a break from all this lunacy so I had Doc bring out the hearse and we loaded it up. Our destination... the movie theater to see Fantastic Four: The Rise Of The Silver Surfer. You know what ? I think it was a great movie. I really enjoyed it on several levels. First off I enjoyed how they built up the suspence of showing that some kind of "bogey" (no, not Humphrey, Gorbly, go sit down) is coming into the Earth"s atmosphere and causing lots of strange weirdness in it's wake. I know, I know, most of us here know all about Norin Radd and the story of how he got all wrapped up in saran wrap (Honest Doc, that's what they said in "Not Brand ECHH"). Boy, who said a comic book had to be good? NOT BRAND ECHH!!!

Anyway, I digress (my apologies to all). Okay, there are those who saw the movie who had no clue as to what was causing the phenomenon (hello, suspension of disbelief). Luckily it didn't take long for the Surfer to reveal himself to an astonished audience. He acted just the way I had always pictured him from all those early sixties stories (I pulled out the original books to look at the late, great Jack "King" Kirby's art). Who says "You Can't Go Back." I was enthralled by the Surfer. He was very well done. His "Coolness" factor was up there.

Then there was the "good old Doctor..." DOOM that is. Ah, the minute Latveria popped up on the screen I knew this was gonna be good. They must have got (not good english, received) quite a bit of backlash from the first movie over their portayal of "DOOM" because they made him more sinister and manipulating for this outing. His futuristic descendent, Darth Vader, would have been proud.

Then there was the Fantastic Four themselves. The cast seemed to enjoy working together and played off each other quite well. I enjoyed their story in the first movie and it seemed to just pick up right where it left off. Their acting was good and their light-hearted antics left everyone in the theater laughing. I feel the performances in the movie were good.

Then there was that little surprise at the end for the "Die-Hard" fans that made the movie that much better. ( <--     --> ) That much!

I don't want to reveal anything about the plot because the movie just came out but if you've ever read "The World's Greatest Comic Book" then you need to hop on down to your local movie house and see it. You'll be glad you did. And for those who know nothing about them, rent the first movie, watch it, and then rush out to see the second one. You're gonna like it.

I give Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer a full three-and-a-half screams on the Creature Scale!!!

Comics News
Okay now for some comic news................."Tales From The Crypt" is back and Papercutz has got it. Some of you may remember from back in the cobwebbed recesses of the archives that I mentioned this company once before in conjunction with their release of "The Hardy Boys" in comic form. They also publish regular Nancy Drew graphic novels. Well now they are rereleasing the Crypt Keeper on the world in the tradition of the EC comics of the fifties. I guarantee you I snatched one off the stands as soon as I saw it. Each issue will contain two twenty page stories which gives the writers plenty of space to build the characters up. All stories will be forwarded by the Crypt Keeper himself along with his cohorts The Old Witch and The Vault Keeper. Horror just keeps gettin' better everyday. Run out to your local comics shop and pick one up today "Boils" and "Ghouls." "Ahahahaha!!!"

Not to be outdone that mighty Horror GIANT Fangoria has begun releasing it's own line of comics; Fangoria Comics! Starting in June they will release six/four issue miniseries printed in full color. I just picked up issue number one of "Bump." It's got a great coverfeaturing a dried up Zombie reaching out to you with bloodied fingers. Ah... more wholesome goodness from your friends at Fangoria.

Well everyone, once again this has been fun and I hope you all have a frightfully wonderful week. Til next week, C-Ya!!!

The "Creature"  The Creature from Clearwater


"Creature's Corner" is ©2007 by John Lewis.  Webpage design and all graphics herein are creations of Nolan B. Canova.  All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2007 by Nolan B. Canova.