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This is the video that we had just watched:
And don't forget to pick up Paul's book, The L.A. Division, y'all!
Comic Books, Art, Illustration, Writing, Video Games. Creative from Detroit.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
The Honeycomb Hideout Episode 38: John Cena vs The World!
Alright, 'Combies! The boys are back and just hanging out. This time around the discussion is focused very locally and then it spirals out to include economy, Rick and Morty referencess, travel, worst places, conventions and more. It ain't quite a "melee" but it comes pretty damn close... ;) So come on down and hang out with the guys as even they get their internet-mandated injection of JOHN CENA!!! That came out way dirtier than expected. And that was dirty as hell too. Oh well!
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Friday, October 7, 2016
31 Days of Horror
I remember a moment as a young adult in suburban Michigan when I stepped outside in the falling dusk and felt the summer end. Growing up as a kid, summer was my favorite time of year because it meant long and languorous days with no school, and at least one lengthy adventure with my family. It meant that wonderful and excruciating boredom of being young and having your whole life ahead of you. It was the sound of lawn mowers and the feeling of dirty, calloused feet at the end of the day. The possibilities were infinite.
Fast-forward to adulthood and stepping outside at the end of the day and feeling suddenly a gust of wind that didn't belong to the summer. I remember feeling distinctly that I had just felt the first air of autumn, and I felt very privileged to have been there for that moment. It made me feel the deep kind of happiness that brings sadness along with it. Now, fall is my favorite season. The weather is cool and gusty, the trees blaze with color, and the season doesn't overstay its welcome. You have a brief time to drink cider and pumpkin beer, to murder an innocent pumpkin and, if you're like me, bask in the macabre.
For the last three years including this one, I've made a strangely satisfying personal tradition out of watching as many horror movies as I can pack into the season. In my head I've been calling it "31 days of horror," and the tradition is for me its own reward. This year I'm going to do a short write-up on everything I watch, partly for my own sake, but also in the hope that it provides you with some brief entertainment or edification. Perhaps you will get an idea for what to watch (or what not to) in the chilly nights ahead.
They are in no particular order or theme (not this year, at least) and I'm sure they will vary drastically in quality. So here goes.
The Invitation (2015)
The Setup: A group of old friends are invited to a dinner party. As the night goes on it becomes clear that the hosts have some insidious and ulterior motives.
The strength of The Invitation is the same thing that might turn some viewers off: patience. Some might find the slow boil nearly interminable, and it probably depends on how much you buy into the sinister implications that are communicated through the mounting clues and effectively unnerving original score by Theodore Shapiro. The ultimate payoff happens with satisfying suddenness, even if it doesn't quite live up to the horrors of my own imagination. Overall it is an impressively cohesive thriller by director Karyn Kusama (Girlfight, Jennifer's Body), an unsettling journey for the patient viewer.
Availability: Netflix Streaming, Digital Rental on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and YouTube
We Are What We Are (2013)
The Setup: The Parkers are a small-town family that keeps mostly to themselves, until Mrs. Parker dies suddenly and mysteriously, leaving her two daughters and young son under the care of their stern patriarch. As torrential rain and flooding washes over the town, the disturbing truth about this reclusive family comes to light.
We Are What We Are is well shot and decently acted, and to its credit not over-eager to spill the beans on the thinly-veiled mystery surrounding its central family. This is a well-received effort from director Jim Mickle (he helmed the gory and satisfying vampire thriller Stake Land), but I'm having trouble getting on board. I was brought out of it by some fairly significant flaws in the script and, more importantly, I just didn't feel as horrified by the premise as the film clearly wanted me to be. It does finally lead to a climax that is equal parts grisly and absurd, which helped up the gore factor but made me groan and even laugh out loud (which I don't think was the point).
Availability: Netflix Streaming, Digital Rental on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and YouTube
Martyrs (2015)
The Setup: A girl traumatized by a childhood kidnapping and subsequent abuse seeks vengeance years later, bringing her best friend into the fold. What they discover while seeking to settle old scores is larger and more insidious than they could have imagined.
I'm not going to lie, I watched this movie by accident. I was looking for the 2008 French original and didn't pay enough attention to the details when I was "shopping" on the, uh...internet store. Oblivious boob that I am, I watched the entire movie curiously underwhelmed before heading to IMDB to find out my mistake. Remember when Spike Lee remade Chan-wook Park's Oldboy to the disappointment of audiences everywhere? This is the French-to-American version of that, though I can't directly compare the remakes since I steered clear of Lee's Oldboy adaptation. I will say that Martyrs is not entirely hapless; it has moments of narrative intrigue and unsettling violence, but ultimately it somehow amounts to less than the sum of its parts. Stay tuned for notes on the (higher-regarded) original!
Availability: Digital Rental on iTunes, Google Play and YouTube
Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead (2014)
The Setup: A mysterious outbreak causes the vast majority of the population to become zombies overnight, and the few (un)lucky immune need to go to desperate lengths to survive.
Australia has produced some noteworthy horror films in the recent past (The Babadook, The Snowtown Murders, Lake Mungo to name a few) and Wyrmwood will definitely appeal to a certain blood-thirsty audience. It largely pushes aside exposition and characterization in its eagerness to show off its love for gore and visual style. While this seriously inhibits our ability to care deeply about any of the characters, there are a handful of genuine chuckles and memorable scenes to be found in what is essentially a high-functioning B-movie. For fans of zombie movies and dark humor, you could probably do a lot worse.
Availability: Netflix Streaming, Digital Rental on iTunes, Google Play and YouTube
- Jonathan Ross
Fast-forward to adulthood and stepping outside at the end of the day and feeling suddenly a gust of wind that didn't belong to the summer. I remember feeling distinctly that I had just felt the first air of autumn, and I felt very privileged to have been there for that moment. It made me feel the deep kind of happiness that brings sadness along with it. Now, fall is my favorite season. The weather is cool and gusty, the trees blaze with color, and the season doesn't overstay its welcome. You have a brief time to drink cider and pumpkin beer, to murder an innocent pumpkin and, if you're like me, bask in the macabre.
For the last three years including this one, I've made a strangely satisfying personal tradition out of watching as many horror movies as I can pack into the season. In my head I've been calling it "31 days of horror," and the tradition is for me its own reward. This year I'm going to do a short write-up on everything I watch, partly for my own sake, but also in the hope that it provides you with some brief entertainment or edification. Perhaps you will get an idea for what to watch (or what not to) in the chilly nights ahead.
They are in no particular order or theme (not this year, at least) and I'm sure they will vary drastically in quality. So here goes.
The Invitation (2015)
 |
| Director: Karyn Kusama |
The Setup: A group of old friends are invited to a dinner party. As the night goes on it becomes clear that the hosts have some insidious and ulterior motives.
The strength of The Invitation is the same thing that might turn some viewers off: patience. Some might find the slow boil nearly interminable, and it probably depends on how much you buy into the sinister implications that are communicated through the mounting clues and effectively unnerving original score by Theodore Shapiro. The ultimate payoff happens with satisfying suddenness, even if it doesn't quite live up to the horrors of my own imagination. Overall it is an impressively cohesive thriller by director Karyn Kusama (Girlfight, Jennifer's Body), an unsettling journey for the patient viewer.
Availability: Netflix Streaming, Digital Rental on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and YouTube
We Are What We Are (2013)
 |
| Director: Jim Mickle |
The Setup: The Parkers are a small-town family that keeps mostly to themselves, until Mrs. Parker dies suddenly and mysteriously, leaving her two daughters and young son under the care of their stern patriarch. As torrential rain and flooding washes over the town, the disturbing truth about this reclusive family comes to light.
We Are What We Are is well shot and decently acted, and to its credit not over-eager to spill the beans on the thinly-veiled mystery surrounding its central family. This is a well-received effort from director Jim Mickle (he helmed the gory and satisfying vampire thriller Stake Land), but I'm having trouble getting on board. I was brought out of it by some fairly significant flaws in the script and, more importantly, I just didn't feel as horrified by the premise as the film clearly wanted me to be. It does finally lead to a climax that is equal parts grisly and absurd, which helped up the gore factor but made me groan and even laugh out loud (which I don't think was the point).
Availability: Netflix Streaming, Digital Rental on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and YouTube
Martyrs (2015)
 |
| Directors: Kevin and Michael Goetz |
The Setup: A girl traumatized by a childhood kidnapping and subsequent abuse seeks vengeance years later, bringing her best friend into the fold. What they discover while seeking to settle old scores is larger and more insidious than they could have imagined.
I'm not going to lie, I watched this movie by accident. I was looking for the 2008 French original and didn't pay enough attention to the details when I was "shopping" on the, uh...internet store. Oblivious boob that I am, I watched the entire movie curiously underwhelmed before heading to IMDB to find out my mistake. Remember when Spike Lee remade Chan-wook Park's Oldboy to the disappointment of audiences everywhere? This is the French-to-American version of that, though I can't directly compare the remakes since I steered clear of Lee's Oldboy adaptation. I will say that Martyrs is not entirely hapless; it has moments of narrative intrigue and unsettling violence, but ultimately it somehow amounts to less than the sum of its parts. Stay tuned for notes on the (higher-regarded) original!
Availability: Digital Rental on iTunes, Google Play and YouTube
Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead (2014)
 |
| Director: Kiah Roache-Turner |
The Setup: A mysterious outbreak causes the vast majority of the population to become zombies overnight, and the few (un)lucky immune need to go to desperate lengths to survive.
Australia has produced some noteworthy horror films in the recent past (The Babadook, The Snowtown Murders, Lake Mungo to name a few) and Wyrmwood will definitely appeal to a certain blood-thirsty audience. It largely pushes aside exposition and characterization in its eagerness to show off its love for gore and visual style. While this seriously inhibits our ability to care deeply about any of the characters, there are a handful of genuine chuckles and memorable scenes to be found in what is essentially a high-functioning B-movie. For fans of zombie movies and dark humor, you could probably do a lot worse.
Availability: Netflix Streaming, Digital Rental on iTunes, Google Play and YouTube
- Jonathan Ross
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Better Pontiac Comic Book Workshop
For the last few years I have been teaching comic book illustration and writing under the auspices of the Metro Detroit artists group Detroit Trade Craft. I trained many artists under that group who have gone on to do some outstanding work. However it was decided that Detroit Tradecraft wasn't in the business of training any longer, so I had a dilemma...
If I wanted to keep training artists I would need some support. It just so happens that my long-time buddies Sean Kammer and Chris Gratten had started a not-for-profit organization dedicated to making my hometown of Pontiac, Michigan a better place. So ultimately I thought maybe I could do some things together with their non profit Better Pontiac. So I took the workshop to them to help me facilitate.
It has worked out wonderfully so far. Last year's class put out an anthology comic showcasing the writing and drawing skills of the group. This year our goal is to do the same. I teach a Wednesday night workshop at our local university. I teach 3 Saturday classes (1 in Pontiac, 1 in Downtown Detroit and a late night Skype Class). I have met some outstanding people teaching this class and many of the students self-publish.
Sean, his wife Megan, and Chris, along with our liaison and fellow board member Alexa are outstanding people. Their belief in the program makes me want to work even harder to produce an outstanding crop of creators.
For More Information go to
https://www.facebook.com/pontiaccomics/
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Equality: It's Up To Us
On the heels of National Women's Equality Day in August, I found myself debating with my partner the feminist qualities of 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road, which garnered a lot of attention not just for its stunning visuals and practical effects, but for its perceived feminist plot and characterization. As evidenced by our conversation, and the ongoing conversation of the internet, not everyone agreed with the "fempositive" perception. I don't think I'm being naive in believing that most educated and open-minded people today believe in the value of gender equality, yet women in the workplace still make 80¢ on the dollar, and the "damsel in distress" trope is still alive and well in Hollywood.
Intention does not equal action, and as an advantaged white male in America, I realize with discomfort that despite my feminist beliefs, I am still embedded in a long-standing privileged patriarchy, and coded sexism sneaks into my thoughts and syntax on a daily basis.
Imaginos Workshop was created because a group of people agreed that art and stories are important, and that shared creativity is an endeavor worth pursuing. We are a multi-ethnic, multi-gender group of strange and unique people, an oddball microcosm of society at large. We are both creators and consumers, telling stories and crafting characters, while also voraciously taking in the wealth of entertainment available to us in so many forms. So how can we be sure that we aren't falling victim to the systemic prejudices that plague our society? How can we avoid unwittingly perpetuating inequalities of race and gender?
I don't have the answers to all of these complex problems (and my baked-in pessimism regarding human nature whispers to me that we'll never conquer them completely), but I can say that I think positive change starts with thinking critically and interacting with more (different!) people. We should strive for empathy, which in my experience happens when we dissolve that feeling of otherness that comes from ignorance of another group. As consumers of media, we should do so actively, which is to say that we should be critical and questioning of even the most seemingly benign tidbits of popular media, from commercials and billboards to multi-million dollar budget summer blockbusters. Like I said, I don't have all the answers. But I'm trying, and I've come up with a few questions to ask the next time you're sitting down to watch a movie, whether it's an action epic or a romantic comedy (even the term "chick flick" figures into this conversation. See? It's everywhere).
1. Does a woman or women drive the plot in a meaningful way?
2. If so, do they do it actively or passively? (This follow-up question is hugely important.) e.g. If a woman is captured, thus forcing a man to rescue her, this is passive action which feeds into old patriarchal plot structures. But if, on the other hand, a woman rebels from the status quo (Furiosa deciding to take the war rig off course in Mad Max: Fury Road) or takes action against a threat (Ripley fighting off the xenomorph in Aliens), this is active influence, and in my opinion indicates a measure of equality and respect towards women and their ability to be as forceful and decisive as men, both in changing their own lives and the lives of others, and also in influencing the landscape and direction of the film plot.
3. To what end do the actions of women in the film lead? If they drive the plot but ultimately only in the service of a male protagonist, this is problematic and may indicate a regressive attitude towards women and their roles as being useful only in regards to how it might benefit a man.
4. Is the sexiness of women a key part of the film, both in terms of aesthetics and narrative? And if so, how is it depicted? Women as sexy is of course not offensive in itself. Women (and men, for that matter) can be sexy while still being powerful and intelligent. But if women are there only to satisfy the male gaze as objects of sex appeal, this is damaging and regressive.
This is not an exhaustive system obviously, but I think if audiences ask themselves these questions in combination with something like the Bechdel test, we can say fairly confidently whether a film is feminist or not, or at least get the discussion started in the right way.
- Jonathan
 |
| Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) |
 |
| Aliens (1986) |
1. Does a woman or women drive the plot in a meaningful way?
2. If so, do they do it actively or passively? (This follow-up question is hugely important.) e.g. If a woman is captured, thus forcing a man to rescue her, this is passive action which feeds into old patriarchal plot structures. But if, on the other hand, a woman rebels from the status quo (Furiosa deciding to take the war rig off course in Mad Max: Fury Road) or takes action against a threat (Ripley fighting off the xenomorph in Aliens), this is active influence, and in my opinion indicates a measure of equality and respect towards women and their ability to be as forceful and decisive as men, both in changing their own lives and the lives of others, and also in influencing the landscape and direction of the film plot.
3. To what end do the actions of women in the film lead? If they drive the plot but ultimately only in the service of a male protagonist, this is problematic and may indicate a regressive attitude towards women and their roles as being useful only in regards to how it might benefit a man.
4. Is the sexiness of women a key part of the film, both in terms of aesthetics and narrative? And if so, how is it depicted? Women as sexy is of course not offensive in itself. Women (and men, for that matter) can be sexy while still being powerful and intelligent. But if women are there only to satisfy the male gaze as objects of sex appeal, this is damaging and regressive.
This is not an exhaustive system obviously, but I think if audiences ask themselves these questions in combination with something like the Bechdel test, we can say fairly confidently whether a film is feminist or not, or at least get the discussion started in the right way.
- Jonathan
Thursday, September 15, 2016
The Honeycomb Hideout Episode 37: Segments and Squad Goals
Alright, 'Combies! The boys are back again with a slew of new segments despite the fact that there was once more no overall point or topic to this show. Drew has beers, Paul talks about Tumblr and Joe just sits back wading through the inevitable jackassery. Sit back and listen to the boys review Suicide Squad, discussing pop/soda, the downsides of recognizing subtext in film and video games, more "Surprise Hydra", a surprising amount of Rick and Morty, and so much more!
And just in case a reminder needs to be reissued, this is an 18+ podcast. We discuss dirty, naughty and offensive things frequently. So yeah, if you've made it this far, come on down and hang out with ya' boys!
Also, feel free to hit up your boys on the social media!
Thursday, July 14, 2016
The Honeycomb Hideout Episode 36: IT'S A WORK OF FICTION! or The Seinfeldian Melee
And as usual, for context...
DBZA - Start at 6:17, Scanners = Mind Blown! and, after the implied context, The Engineer and his feet!
As always, enjoy and make sure the kiddies are out of the room. This is an 18+ podcast. ;)
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Wednesday, June 22, 2016
The Honeycomb Hideout Episode 35: SURPRISE--Zemo?! Part 2
And here we go, 'Combies! Here's part 2 of Joe, Paul, and Drew's analysis and breakdown of Captain America: Civil War! We continue down the spiraling events of the MCU's Civil War and get into the nitty-gritty of the third act and the impact that it has and will continue to have moving forward.
The spoilers continue on in this part so make sure that you see the film first before you listen. So come on down and join the conversation!
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