Canister X – A.P. Fuchs: Zombie, Paranormal Romance and Superhero Novelist, Blogger, Artist, Publisher

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5 out of 5

In the year 200X, the whole world is connected to the Cyber Network. People jack in to the Net using handheld PCs called PETs, and each person has their own artificially intelligent avatar called a NetNavi.

Lan Hikari’s is MegaMan, a truly sophisticated and powerful NetNavi programmed by his father.

Like any fifth grader in DenTech City, Lan passes the time by having NetBattles with his fellow classmates, pitting MegaMan up against any who would challenge him. The problem is, NetBattling is illegal unless you have a special license. But that’s only part of the Lan’s and MegaMan’s problem. An evil organization called World Three is infecting computers with sinister viruses with the hope of one day taking over the world.

Lan jacks in and sends MegaMan to stop these viruses before it’s too late.

This manga, which is similar to the anime of the same name, was a blast to read. Ryo Takamisaki’s storytelling is topnotch—quick, exciting and a whirlwind of adventure from beginning to end. His art is your classic manga but with a cartoon flare, and the dialogue is perfect, conveying to us everything we need to know about the story, without it coming off as long-winded explanations for “what’s happening.”

The banter between Lan and MegaMan is priceless, even better than in the anime.

This volume also contains a very intriguing cliffhanger ending and a fun bonus story.

Recommended.

. . . is in Zombie Fight Night: Battles of the Dead.

Will he win or lose because this ain’t your average fight?

Get ready.

Good morning.

If you haven’t yet had your caffeine today, this will most certainly wake you up.

I have a secret.

A while back I started a blog under a different name and began writing a free online serial novel.

Well, I’ve decided to abandon the pseudonym and just post it here, one installment a week.

The book is called Zomtropolis: A Record of Life in a Dead City.

The question now is what day of the week. I’m thinking Fridays.

I’ll create a tab for it above and make a chapter-by-chapter index for easy navigation though new installments will show up here on the main page.

Cool?

Mondays suck because there’s lots to do thanks to the work that piles up after taking Sundays off. (I work 6 days a week, for those who care.)

So today I was rather productive, got caught up on some things, made a list of things yet to do.

Here’s part of that list:

- edit for the last time Zombie Fight Night (which is now formatted in book form minus headers and footers and a few graphics)

- see if I can restyle this blog a bit as I’m bored yet again with the design

- tell you about a new serial project hitting this blog very soon

- update the Coscom Entertainment website with some stuff

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4.5 out of 5

Four friends, all failures. Adam’s (John Cusack) wife just left him. His nephew, Jacob (Clark Duke), is a stay-in-the-basement nerd. Nick (Craig Robinson) works at a pet spa and Lou (Rob Corddry) is suicidal.

And it’s Lou that gets them into trouble because when a suicide attempt lands him in the hospital, the four friends decide to return to a small town, the glory place of their youth, and try and cheer him up.

Greeted by a bellhop named Phil (Crispin Glover), who lost his arm long ago, the four friends try and party like they used to in a town that is no longer the cool place they remember.

After one drunken night in the hot tub, they suddenly find themselves back in 1986, and what’s even weirder is they also look like their younger selves. (Though onscreen we see their present-day selves but in mirrors it’s their younger versions and that’s what everybody else sees. Nice touch on a time travel story.) Once coming to grips of their predicament and while trying to figure out a way “back to the future,” they vow to maintain the space-time continuum and repeat what they did back in 1986 so as to not accidentally execute the butterfly effect and destroy the timeline. They swear to do things as they did it and how they did it back in 1986. Except little do they realize it’s much easier said than done because no one wants to go through that horrific break up all over again (great white buffalo), or get their face bashed in, or sleep with a hot blonde though you’re married to someone else in the future. (Actually, this last scene was done quite well.)

Guided by the aloof and cryptic hot tub repairman (Chevy Chase), these four misfits either accept the misfortunes of their past or, if they’re daring enough, try and right what went wrong in the past in the hopes for a better future.

Being a time travel nut, I had to see this movie. I went opening night. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it.

This flick was an ode to time travel movies, especially Back to the Future (and having Crispin Glover in it, who played George McFly in BttF only added to it). The 80s fashions, gadgets, phrases, music all amounted to a true trip through time and really convinced you that you were along for this crazy ride via hot tub time travel.

This movie is so tongue-in-cheek yet at the same time wasn’t just stupid slapstick comedy, but instead opted to take itself seriously enough to sell you on the concept.

Now, I’m not sure if you’re like me or not, but I really appreciate buddy-buddy humor–you know, the teasing, the kicks between the legs, the sarcasm–and the time-traveling quartet were just loaded with it, so much so you wished you were a part of their little group. And, really, the way the tale was presented in this flick, yeah, you were.

So many jokes, so much sarcasm, so much fun. This movie was just amazing and I’m counting the days till I can grab the Blu-ray for my collection and watch it over and over.

My only gripe was the coarse language. A handful of times in a movie–though, for me, a bit jarring–I can live with, but when it’s every second word then it becomes too much and it pulls you out of the flick during those little blurts of profanity.

Now I just need a hot tub time machine of my own to go back in time and check this flick out in the theatre again without having to spend the $10.25 (Canadian) all over for it.

Recommended.

Received the edits back on Zombie Fight Night much sooner than anticipated as my editor found himself with some unexpected free time.

That said, and assuming all goes swimmingly, Zombie Fight Night could very well be off to press sometime between next Wed-Fri, which in turn would make it available around April 8 or 9th.

Cool.

This song is pretty much my anthem right now.

Hits me on a lot of levels.

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5 out of 5

Raizo (played by Rain), an orphan, was taken to a secret ninja training camp run by the Ozunu Clan when he was just a boy. After years of harsh, even deadly, training, Raizo was brought up to be the greatest ninja of the clan, even one who would one day take it over as leader.

While a child and through his growing-up years, he befriends Kiriko (Anna Sawai) and she is just as strong-willed as he is except where he lacks feeling, she has a heart and doesn’t agree with all the clan teaches. When Kiriko tries to escape, Raizo sees what it truly means to be a member of the Ozunu Clan and from then on follows his own path to take the clan down.

Enlisting the help of a Europol agent, Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris), together they try and bring the clan to justice. However, not is all what it seems and the Ozunu Clan has plans of their own. Led by Raizo’s brother, Takeshi (Rick Yune), the two are hunted, and only after the swords stop slicing and the blood cools will a victor be decided.

This movie is hardcore, man. There’s really no other word for it. Total and utter blood-soaked craziness that reminded me of Mortal Kombat (the game). I was just waiting for a low, ominous voice to say “Fatality.” Awesome.

The kung fu in this flick is intense, especially the swordplay. Those bladed fights were among some of the best I’ve seen, right up there with the stuff in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Rain looked brilliant, his body and demeanor as hard as steel. More than once was I reminded of Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon with the way he moved. The flashback sequences also worked well and really added to Raizo’s back story and firmly cemented us in his psyche so we know why he fights the way he does, why he’s on the path he’s on, and what motivates him as a ninja. Well done.

What I especially liked in this movie was the ninjas’ mystique and their power, namely the part about them being one with the shadows and the paranoia those being hunted had with the dark. The idea of always keeping the lights on and bright was a great way to play this up. The ninja-morphing with the shadows was also cool, giving the impression that these guys, after all that training, have become something more than human.

This is just one crazy bloodbath of a movie. Non-stop action. Amazing sword battles. Cool enough story to string one fight scene to the next.

Ninja Assassin is the definition of a martial arts flick.

Yeah, go check it out. Definitely.