Friday, December 27, 2013

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: THE MIDNIGHT SHOW!

BACK!!! Back once again to bring you, dear blog readers, into the orbit of the ever elusive PLANET GRIFFIN! As your absent host, THE INFAMOUS
RODBUDDAH, I can NOW, at long last, open my 
mouth fully about WHY I have been so absent and WHY I have spoken so roundabout on this topic for months on end...

PLANET GRIFFIN, in cooperation with INK WESTLAKE, has been producing a new podcast show.

Yes, the man who's been ranting and raving on this 
very page will have an actual voice, and soon you too can say to yourself, "This guy?!" LOL!

I am very excited and proud to introduce, for the first time, the coming of THE MIDNIGHT SHOW
Now, of course, some people say 
"Is it a music show?" or 
"Is it an interview show like CHARLIE ROSE?"
"WHAT ACTUALLY IS IT?!"
I promise you that THE MIDNIGHT SHOW will be like nothing you've heard on a podcast show. Period.
This is one of several produced teaser trailers for the new madness debuting in 2014. As the trailers continue, more information will appear informing you of where the new episodes will appear... Much like a rave that everybody asks for the location for... When the final PREVIEW APOCALYPSE NOW debuts, you will have ALL the information needed to partycrash the new show... And for all the love you have shown PLANET GRIFFIN over the years in site traffic and emails, YOU ARE ALL INDEED WELCOME!

2014 will BE the new insanity, and (strait)jackets will be available at the door. I look forward to all who attend when the new show appears.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

FIERCE CREATURES STRIKES



PLANET GRIFFIN, that pirate blogspot stepchild many of you have come to love, is now proud to announce the OFFICIAL coming soon advert of my long awaited book, FIERCE CREATURES, a title that seemed to have endured more mishaps during its production than TERRY GILLIAM'S MAN OF LA MANCHA... And even THAT received a documentary...

WWW.INKWESTLAKE.COM/FC is where you'll find the current sign-up. It will not read like the above pic, as this pic description was done for dramatic effect... All who sign up will receive the advance word on final sales date and other surprise goodies in store. 

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Lions, Tigers, & Bears; Oh My


Good Morning Housekeeping!
Yours truly, the INFAMOUS RODBUDDAH, has been deep in the bowels of PLANET GRIFFIN LABS, working on a number of projects for the last couple of months. A tidbit of that work is shown here, for those who are interested in comics... FIERCE CREATURES, my self created crime/ sci-fi fantasy series; once self jokingly referred to as 'the longest running coming soon of all time' (not actually true, considering that most of America is resigned to the fact that Dr. Dre's TOXIC CD will never be released...)... At long last, the wait on this project is almost over.

Stay tuned to the orbiting pirate blogspot for the details of the upcoming book and where to find it!!!!

Monday, October 7, 2013

The Story So Far: Prepping A Better Shovel

Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Evening.
PLANET GRIFFIN's back... And the hits just keep on coming... For those of you tuning in, yours truly, THE INFAMOUS RODBUDDAH, has been on the road a bit... Bouncing back and forth between two coasts, carrying the banner of my various designworks... I've been jetlagged and hashtagged, caught between connecting flights and long nights, and the parties only just beginning!

Stay tuned to the site (Thank you Diehards, who've kept the faith while I've been setting up franchises like Tyler Durden and Fight Club) for more details and the NEW DIRT to follow!

Sunday, August 11, 2013

A Moment From The Management

After a brief intermission, and a moment of MANternity leave, the mighty orbiting blogcast known as PLANET GRIFFIN has returned to post pardem stardom! Thank you for hanging in there as yours truly, THE INFAMOUS RODBUDDAH, dealt with major reconstruction of many things... Life, living quarter, and the long run... Yes, I have encountered all these issues and then some; no different than any of you, floating around this self aggrandizing beast known as Pop Culture...

I'm taking a moment to say to those who have regularly checked here for the latest in whatever I bring to this site the biggest thank you I can muster. From the bottom of my heart, I say thank you... Thank you for your patience, your willingness to hang in there, and your patronage. PLANET GRIFFIN would not be where it is without you.

With these things said, I resume coverage of the blogosphere, and to let you know that PLANET GRIFFIN will soon transform into something else--- something I'm highly excited to introduce in the very near future.
In this world of heard it all/seen it all; I look forward to your future reactions and thoughts... Because as a creator, when I want to see something new--- I have to make it myself.

To all creators out there, NEXT 100 or no, I urge you to hold to that mantra. Now lets go get it!


-The INFAMOUS RODBUDDAH 

Monday, July 22, 2013

The Tough Guy From Chicago. In Memorium: Dennis Farina



It was learned earlier this evening that the once quoted 'King of the Second Act', the legendary DENNIS FARINA, died earlier tonight. He was 69 years old.

Farina a stage name (Originally Donaldo Gugliermo), the Chicago native used his 18 year experience with the Chicago Police Department to land a consultant job with Director MICHAEL MANN for the JAMES CAAN thriller THIEF. It was this job that his love for film acting began, inspiring his reemergence from badge to bad guy and the beginning of his 2nd career. The legendary MIAMI VICE followup show CRIME STORY led to other film roles--- MIDNIGHT RUN, OUT OF SIGHT, GET SHORTY, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, SNATCH, YOU KILL ME, and BOTTLE SHOCK.

PLANET GRIFFIN honors the memory of the tough guy from Chicago.



Wednesday, July 17, 2013

First Look: The Fifth Estate

Good Evening. Are we back on the air..?
Welcome back to PLANET GRIFFIN, your orbiting pirate blogcast that continues its rants and raves like Howard Beale being mad as hell at the UBS Network! As such, it's no secret in this day and age that information is power--- and no one wielded better than info hacker and WikiLeaks founder, JULIAN ASSANGE, who still resides (or hiding) in London's Ecuadorian Embassy to avoid various charges, from sex with a minor (Polanski would be proud) to espionage against the United States... Well, despite the ongoing affairs, none of this is stopping Hollywood from it's appointed rounds!
 
THE FIFTH ESTATE, directed by BILL CONDON to be released January 1, 2014, seeks to lift the shroud of the elusive Queensland pirate, with BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH in the title role, as well as his strained relationship with close friend DANIEL DOMSCHEIT-BERG (played by DANIEL BRUHL). Throw in ANTHONY MACKIE, DAVID THEWLIS, and LAURA LINNEY, as the White House press staff determined to stop them, and we may be looking at a new version of ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN--- in reverse!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Reading Is Fundamental... Among Other Things



PLANET GRIFFIN has arrived back to orbit to deliver more in our series of the strange and unusual thunderdome we call pop culture! Tonight, we turn our attention to something you don't normally see here... But damn if it's not entertaining!

Back in April of this year, Photographer CLAYTON CUBITT embarked on a rather ambitious video series that went viral almost overnight... The video series has scored a whopping 18 million views in over 200 countries! Cubitt's theme?  Orgasm As Art.

Yes, I said orgasm as an artform.

Now, with that said, most people would expect porn or some lurid performance that can't be shown in public theater. Cubitt quickly found a way around that, setting the stage for a deviously tasteful, though still controversial project... It was here that HYSTERICAL LITERATURE was born.


Model subjects of various ethnic backgrounds are asked to table read passages from different forms of literature; be it Toni Morrison or William Shakespeare. Underneath the table, however, is a production assistant using a Hitachi vibrator on the subject while they read! The subject is asked to read until she/he reaches a climax; creating the most honest reactions possible while being videotaped. The approach of the subject matter is what's most intriguing, as seeing how the only reactions you experience are from the reader and the simulating deed is never shown, this arthouse project has become one of the most underrated, yet talked about video series out there!

In a current series of 7 sessions, the project has recently expanded to include a recent star reading in comedienne MARGARET CHO, whose performance is hilarious and must be seen to be believed!

Not for the faint of heart or close minded... As if that would stop anyone. One thing is definitely certain: After viewing this series, you'll find that reading IS fundamental... Among other things...

Thursday, July 11, 2013

It May Be Remade, But It Never Gets Old



After a short break, the orbiting blogcast of PLANET GRIFFIN has returned to deliver the news on the return of director SPIKE LEE and his surprising remake chores on the Americanized version of OLDBOY, the 2003 manga masterpiece by NOBUAKI MINEGISHI/GARON TSUCHIYA, the film adaptation made famous by Korean director PARK CHAN-WOOK and fiercely championed by the likes of QUENTIN TARANTINO and the COHEN BROTHERS; bringing a fresh spin on the Payback genre.  JOSH BROLIN (No Country...) will take over the original lead role as an Advertising Executive kidnapped and forced into a 15 year incarceration in a non-descript room; only to be mysteriously released with no explanation. The next 5 days become a race against time to find out why he was held and exact the most brutal revenge imaginable as he also seeks out the people who murdered his wife and holds his daughter captive.
Spike, no stranger to controversy, is venturing into new grounds with remaking an Asian thriller; much like MARTIN SCORSESE did with his Oscar winning INFERNAL AFFAIRS remake, THE DEPARTED. This October, a decade since the release of the original film, audiences will find out whether this adaptation will be able to hold its ground and fight, because no matter how many times it may be remade, the payback just never gets old!



Thursday, July 4, 2013

To The Man Who Was Too Busy Looking Good. In Memorium: Jim Kelly

“I broke down the color barrier---I was the first black martial artist to become a movie star.”


In the wake of the 'Rocket's red glare', there is yet another saddening loss in the annals of Hollywood. To PLANET GRIFFIN and many other web outlets, the loss of Martial Arts Actor, JIM KELLY, was a sobering kick to the face and a huge loss for an industry that many feel should've been recognized a lot more than he was.

The first commercially recognized Black Martial Artist, Jim's afro-flash swagger made heads turn upon his first appearance in ENTER THE DRAGON; shortly after winning the Middleweight Division Title in Long Beach, Cali.  Kelly's role, though second only to Bruce Lee, made a lasting impact on the film, even upstaging the legend himself with quotable dialogue that's lasted almost 40 years later. It was obvious that Kelly was 'too busy looking good' on film, and it showed... Thus setting the stage for his next biggest hit.

Hollywood in the 70's, during the rise of the Grindhouse era, made quick use of Kelly in 1974 with the release of BLACK BELT JONES--- a film that stradled the line between Kung Fu flick and Blaxploitation--- and became as big a success as ETD; as well as THREE THE HARD WAY and BLACK SAMURAI.

 Kelly was only 67 when he succumbed to cancer. Even decades later and among the  countless public appearances, Kelly's legion of fans would most likely tell you that he was STILL looking too good to notice the end.  

PLANET GRIFFIN fully agrees with that assessment. He will be greatly, and we do mean GREATLY, missed.


      
 
      
   

For Those On The 4th Of July


For those who served.
For those who remembered why.
For those who holds the matches and the charcoal.
PLANET GRIFFIN wishes all a safe Independence Day!











Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Return Of The Tough Guys





Since PROMETHEUS, the movie world has been through it's fair share of up's and down's; wondering when the legendary RIDLEY SCOTT would rear his head again...
Well, imagine the surprise when he reappeared with CORMAC McCARTHY (NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN) and an adaptive script for Cormac's THE COUNSELOR, a tale the Pulitzer Prize winning writer himself terms as "No Country For Old Men on steroids"... Have we managed to get your attention now..?

The story--- about a respectable lawyer getting in deep with the drug world, is considered one of McCarthy's 'most powerful and disturbing' works yet--- which says alot considering he gave us one of the most monstrous hitman characters in print; later personified by Javier Bardem. This film could very well be the return of the tough guys!


The cinematography reeks of old school 80's style, along with a moment or two, if you look carefully, of a style mastered by Ridley's own brother, the late master TONY SCOTT.  With an all star cast: BRAD PITT, JAVIER BARDEM, CAMERON DIAZ, ROSIE PEREZ, PENELOPE CRUZ, JOHN LEGUIZAMO, and MICHAEL FASSBENDER in the title role, this little firecracker is scheduled to appear this NOVEMBER, and PLANET GRIFFIN is geeking like no one's business!


Sunday, June 23, 2013

SHOTGUN MESSENGER: We, The Jury


Hello again, Housekeeping.
PLANET GRIFFIN calling... And yes, we're keeping the keys to the minibar.

Easy like Sunday Morning (we're uneasy weekly the rest of the time), PLANET GRIFFIN returns to orbit again with another wild anecdote on the ever changing face of pop culture and the new remaking of reality so profound, H.P. Lovecraft himself would almost take pride in his own insanity...

Is it just me, or are multiplexes beginning to feel more like courtrooms, and movies are turning into hard fought cases to win or lose in the court of public opinion..? From a 'Man of Steel', despite its booming box office numbers, still trying to defend its attributes (Christopher Nolan producing a Zak Snyder film is as much of a clash as Ridley Scott trying to technically advise Michael Bay--- it's gonna have issues) in one courtroom (or theater, if you prefer), and Brad Pitt vs. the CGI Undead In PG13 3D in the courtroom next door (if you were to take STARSHIP TROOPERS; removing the socialist commentary, the fun, AND PAUL VERHOEVEN, would you STILL like to know more..? Don't answer folks, the almost greenlit sequel has answered for us.)...

Style over substance. Substance abuse. So far.
 Not to fear, of course, it's small mishaps like this that'll drive the public to comedies like the upcoming THIS IS THE END to let off steam... Or back to review movies like THE PURGE to build it back up. We still get to look forward to big budgeters like the upcoming WOLVERINE and PACIFIC RIM. It's still pretty early in the game, so anything is possible in this summer film season. The PLANET is merely one judgment out of many--- if you enjoy it, great! Call it a guilty pleasure. If not, you live with the guilt until the next case is made to feel great again. The caselog is endless right now, and you are, after all, the ultimate judge...

... EXCEPT ONE! As any horror fan may tell you, a PG13 Zombie Apocalypse is no apocalypse at all...

Until next time, court is adjourned.

The Return Of Otomo



Good Afternoon Housekeeping.
PLANET GRIFFIN calling.

It's been 9 years since the world has seen a feature from KATSUHIRO OTOMO. Long since the animated gamechanger that was AKIRA and it's technically brilliant follow-up, STEAMBOY, Otomo has been quietly toiling away on another animated project now known as SHORT PEACE, a 4 part short story omnibus, debuting in Japan this July, Otomo, along with fellow creators Shuhei Morita, Hiroaki Ando, Hajime Katoki, and Kouji Morimoto, appear to be out to recapture the magic of a past Otomo classic, MEMORIES.  The international sub and dub versions are expected to appear shortly after it's Japanese debut.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Long Live The Don: James Gandolfini



The last 24 hours has been a tremendously sad one in Hollywood circles as the sudden death of actor JAMES JOSEPH GANDOLFINI is only now beginning to set into the hearts and minds of the acting community, as well as the countless fans who loved the body of work the Westwood, New Jersy Native left behind.

Oddly enough, even though Gandolfini made his bid for superstardom as Mafia kingpin Tony Soprano in HBO's THE SOPRANOS, as well as current films like ZERO DARK THIRTY and KILLING THEM SOFTLY, a large majority of film fans remembers his brief, yet scene stealing turn as the hitman 'Virgil' from TRUE ROMANCE (not too hard of a stretch considering the all star casting not seen since Abel Ferrerra's KING OF NEW YORK, but I digress...); a sure fire sign that a new talent was emerging... And now, at the age of 51, taken from us all too soon.

LONG LIVE THE DON.




Sunday, June 16, 2013

Planet Griffin PSA: Happy Father's Day



Your host, The Infamous RodBuddah, of the irreverent rant machine known as PLANET GRIFFIN, would like to take a moment to wish a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the dad's out there!

Dad's be Dad's... Don't act like Mother's unless you absolutely have to! Ha Haaa! This has been a PLANET GRIFFIN Public Service Announcement...

Friday, June 14, 2013

Tokyo Always Rebuilds

"It's not the end of society... Just critical thinking."
Like a slingshot casting the first stone, PLANET GRIFFIN returns to orbit, keeping a vigilant eye on the self aggrandizing monster that is Pop Culture. Speaking of unexpected monsters, tonight's beast was born only 24 short hours ago...
 
Various internet sites have been abuzz over the recent speech given by Steven Spielberg & George Lucas during the opening of a new media center at the University of Southern California ... What was to be considered a standard speech to the students, the two titans of the film industry gave their predictions on the 'massive implosion' of the business and it's relation to the blockbuster formula... Keep in mind, this is coming from the very two men who built the business model.
 
"...The enormous amount of available content has pushed movie studios to be more conservative, banking on the power of event films to break through the white noise of a crowded marketplace. You're at the point right now where a studio would rather invest $250 million in one film for a real shot at the brass ring than make a whole bunch of really interesting, deeply personal — and even maybe historical — projects that may get lost in the shuffle..." stated Spielberg to the standing room only crowd.
"There's going to be an implosion where three or four or maybe even half a dozen of these mega-budgeted movies are going to go crashing into the ground, and that's going to change the paradigm again."
 
The subject of cable television becoming internet TV, movies turning into overpriced events, and the number of cinemas that will die off as a likely result peppered the conversation, until George Lucas spoke up.
 
"It's a mess. It's total chaos," Lucas said. "But out of that chaos will come some really amazing things. And right now there are amazing opportunities for young people coming into the industry to say, ‘Hey, I think I'm going to do this and there's nobody to stop me.'" Lucas was quick to encourage the students to take advantage of the new opportunities that the current disruption provides.
 
Now, the arguments to their statements have been waged all day, from 'the laughable hypocrisy' to outright 'bullshit'... So rather than argue either side, PLANET GRIFFIN will speak on the one thing that no other blogsite has spoken on throughout all of this, which is the point of this post... The point to all of this isn't just the current malaise of the blockbuster formula or whether theaters will become event centers  or whether Internet TV is the next big thing...
 
 It's content.
 
Now that the PLANET has your attention, we can explain...
 
 
It's no secret that the blockbuster model has devolved. Before the advent of interactive technologies such as videogames, Studios could experiment with genre and storytelling to variable degrees of success. Using said successes of the last 40 years as a gauge, it's no wonder we as a people continuously see the same familiar remakes and regurgitations, only edited down to move faster and packed with enough CGI to hold you enthralled until the house lights reappear... Knowing that it's far easier to draw people to a moving object rather than an inanimate one; the industry seems willing to lose core content in favor of big returns...
 
It's also no secret that Spielberg and Lucas have created some of the biggest blockbusters in the history of film and television, but they have also created blockbusters with more story content and heart than most. You can't blame films like RAIDERS, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, or STAR WARS and AMERICAN GRAFFITTI to the downfall of society... By extracting the content, you easily get what's Now Playing...
 
Like a raging Godzilla, mercilessly crushing Tokyo beneath it's heel, the blockbuster theorum has taken a monstrous life of it's own. Thinking thoughts such as 'hypocritical' or 'bullshit' are more than entitled, but it could also be taken completely different... Especially once you take the time to realise that Tokyo can also be substituted for content itself...  But fear not... Tokyo always rebuilds.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Hollywood's New Catering Service

 "I can tell you that I turned down two Chinese publishing deals because they wanted to censor the book. The first time they said, 'Let's change the name of China to some fictional country'. And it was a very Chinese Communist argument, a sort of, 'Look, everyone knows it's going to be China; you're not hiding anything. All we want you to do is just change the name'. And I said, 'No, China's China, I'm sorry.' Then the second time they said to me, 'You can keep the China name, but we want to take those chapters out of the book and put them online.' I said, 'No, I'm sorry. I know there's a billion of you and if you all gave me a dollar that would be awesome, but China's China and I have to be true to my book."
                                                                     - Max Brooks when first approached
                                                                       by the studios to make changes
                                                                       to the novelization of World War Z 

Hello Boys & Girls.
PLANET GRIFFIN is back on the air.
 
As moviegoers begin to crowd into multiplexes for the start of the summer season; anxious to catch a glimpse of the latest CGI loaded blockbuster (or at least the local bootlegger recording it for them), Joe Q. Multiplex may not be aware of the subtle shift Hollywood is undertaking. Beneath the veneer of Hollywood gloss, lies a new power base in the world of entertainment: Chinese Hollywood.

China is the second largest film industry in the world, and, thanks to Hollywood deal-making, it may well be the single largest film consortium by the end of the decade.
 Highly authoritarian and well known for it's propaganda and heavy censorship campaigns, China seems to be influencing Hollywood to do the same with their own films... Especially if Hollywood plans to open any of their films in Chinese Territories.
(Iron Man 3? Who remembers Dr. Wu? If you watch the American cut of the film, probably not much. The longer Chinese cut? Dr. Wu is a substantial character in the film; along with the heavily themed chinese elements and a much longer cut of the film. Bootleggers take note)

Disney saw the writing on the wall in advance, already
 utilizing Iron Man 3 as it's first (successful) test subject... By filming enough Chinese themed elements into the film and catering the Chinese Government for territorial release, Disney can claim the superhero franchise as a 'Co-Production', thereby pocketing 43% of the overall gross instead of the usual 25%. In these unenlightened times, it makes sense that Hollywood's inflated budgets for these films are actually going into filming more Chinese themed material (to the Chinese Governments standards, of course), creating longer cuts of the same film in question, and releasing two very different versions of the same movie to cater to 2 very different audiences!
AND WHY NOT?! China allows 34 foreign films annually into their territories--- but those 34 films also have access to 1.3 BILLION moviegoers, averaging out at about 60% of their Box Office (2012 alone was 1.7 Billion) Iron Man 3 secures it's name among Top Ten Grossing Films Of All Time, topping over a billion.

The old adage of 'You can't please everybody with the same thing' seems to remain quite intact. As depicted by the opening quote, here's another example of how to 'go along to get along', reported from the British World News Service-



Bad enough that WORLD WAR Z:The Movie shook off many of the literary trappings that author MAX BROOKS made famous with the book, but the simple changes suggested by the Chinese government made the adaptation process all the more transparent. In the novel, Patient Zero was noted to be a small Chinese boy who was bitten by something underwater. . In the film, Patient Zero originates from Taiwan, creating the worldwide horde.
 The significance of this fact is that Taiwan, being a historic enemy of China, makes the very thought of the possible end of the world originating from China almost unthinkable. It seems Paramount Studios agreed. With many other films currently slated to go this same route (including a certain Star Spanlged Hero & Friends) within the next 2 years, it's quite safe to say that Hollywood's New Catering Service is well underway!

Of course, it's not all one sided... Right..? I mean, every country or colony loves to view itself as a champion to its people or worldview--- especially the United States; home of the Superhero Mythology/Supervillain Mentality. It's a matter of catering to the pleasure of others at the cost of originality, honesty, or even personal creative liberty, because money is still the great persuader... Right..?
 Propaganda is a key component of marketing; worth billions of advertising dollars worldwide... So whether it's 'made in America', 'made in China', or 'made in Taiwan', we should all enjoy the end product and know that it was made with pure pride, no matter by whose standards... Right..?

Saturday, June 8, 2013

HERCULES: A Tale Of Two Wars (In Hollywood)



PLANET GRIFFIN, your favorite pirate blogcast, returns with a weekend tidbit in that desolate teenage wasteland known as Pop Culture. Within the next couple of days, DWAYNE 'THE ROCK' JOHNSON, will begin his crushing 14 week workout prep for the live adaptation of HERCULES: THE THRACIAN WARS, based on the comic of the same name by RADICAL PUBLISHING.

Directed by BRET RATNER with a whopping $110 million pricetag, the film is reported to be as 'a dark representation of the comic in tone and style' and more fitting to the comic, as well as another hit series recently concluded: SPARTACUS.

The irony of this last bit is not only is there a second HERCULES 3D feature filming at the same time of the above production, marking the grand return of director RENNY HARLIN, but the inclusion of Spartacus himself, LIAM McINTYRE, alongside KELLAN LUTZ, to add more kick to the cast!

 Both films will collide Summer 2014; creating another 'who's better' scenario, much like OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN and WHITE HOUSE DOWN of this year's pre-summer season.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Kicked Before Starting..? The New Middleman



It has gone by many names: Crowdsourcing, Crowdfunding, 'Angel Financing', and Group Backing. Since KICKSTARTER opened it's doors in 2009, the digital middleman company has changed the landscape in regards to how independent projects are financed without the need for large corporations; bringing many a great idea to fruitition. The initial design of the network was aimed towards those artists, filmmakers, and creators who needed help to realize their projected goals, with Kickstarter acting as the middleman...  It seems to still be the case, though it's with the arrival of more noted professionals and other legal hurdles flooding the Kickstarter network that has given cause for concern for those who are still campaigning to make said dreams real... Welcome to PLANET GRIFFIN.
 
Let's look at the statistics:

  • MARC SILVESTRI, creator of the much lauded CYBER FORCE comic, which helped change the comics game in the 1990's with IMAGE comics, successfully campaigned it's resurrection in 2012 by raising $117,135 for the series (exceeding goal by an additional $42,000).
  • ROB LIEFELD, another IMAGE comics founder, is currently campaigning the return of the BRIGADE comic; raising over $6,775 in less than 24 hours, hoping to secure a pledge goal of $17,500. Liefeld's aim is to release the first issue for free.
  • ROB THOMAS successfully campaigned the return of former TV series VERONICA MARS, raising a whopping $5.7 million dollars, exceeding it's original goal by $3.7 million.
  • Actor ZACH BRAFF's latest in-production WISH I WAS HERE just closed at $3.1 million.
  • MAC BISHOP, 24 yr. old entreperneur, raised over $300,000 for wearing what he claimed to be a wool shirt that needed no wash/dry cleaning for 150 wears. (His father is the CEO giant of Pendleton Woolen Mills.)
  • Singer/Songwriter AMANDA PALMER recently completed a Kickstarter campaign; consisting of an album, art book, and tour. A $100,000 goal ballooned into $1.1 million.(Palmer is also the wife of legendary comics writer Neil Gaiman.)
  • ERIC MIGICOVSKY, creator of the smartphone-connected Pebble, closed out his campaign with an astounding $10.2 million for a customizable digital watch.

The internet has been abuzz over the last 2 months, debating the fairness of famous people using Kickstarter to fund their projects. Some people believe headline names act as 'rainmakers' for crowdfunding in general, helping draw more attention to projects. Others believe it's a drawback for those newcomers who have incredible project pitches, but fall short due to lack of marketing, whether through press coverage or other social media outlets. There are countless statistics online that suggests those aforementioned famous people actually help smaller projects with their notoriety.
 
Now, of course there will be plenty of statistics that support the idea of famous people pitching projects to Kickstarter--- and why not?!  Kickstarter collects 5% automatically from each successful campaign. (Imagine 5% from each of the notable stats mentioned above, atop the thousands of campaign pitches that arrive weekly into the Kickstarter offices! With the exception of Silvestri, the other campaigns shown are within the last 3 months ALONE). Also, the very fact that this same famous collective already has access to resources to suit their project needs as opposed to minor upstarts who go through Kickstarter to create the given resources needed is unsettling.

It's no different than begging on the street for gas money to a Ferrari at home that you barely drive! The people pay to have the product made and, in the majority of the campaigns, pay again to obtain the very product they seek. Twice bitten, twice shy.

Now, given that the crowdsourcing giant, with it's loose wording of 'taxable income', the IRS has now instituted new tax codes regarding funding rewarded from successful Kickstarter campaigns as fully taxable income (As of April 1st of this year--- who's the fool?). Tread very carefully when offering startup rewards. Kickstarter fees, minus expenses, could easily turn into tax audits.

Now, none of this is to discourage anyone from launching campaigns on Kickstarter, as the projects that have come from these campaigns have been great... This is merely an opportunity to better introduce you to the new middleman you will face when you prepare your next great idea. Hurry. The masses are waiting...

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Returning To The Daze Of Venture...

*Ladies and Gentlemen, PLANET GRIFFIN takes a moment out for time travel--- y'know, that near impossible temporal event that we only know in reality as hindsight *ahem*--- let's take a short hop back to February of 2003, where a little cable station in Atlanta would change the game forever...



Created by JACKSON PUBLIK (aka CHRISTOPHER McCULLOCH) and DOC HAMMER, the whacked out adventures of the Venture Family has been one of longest, and strongest, running shows on the Cartoon Network (only just shy of the current animated zeitgeist, ADVENTURE TIME), as well as one of the cornerstones of the Network's ADULT SWIM mature viewer block... Not bad for a show COMEDY CENTRAL turned down... (Hence the phrase 'Corporations CREATE their competition', but I digress...)

As a wild parody of the old JOHNNY QUEST show, the program captured the attentions of young and old alike; spawning a legion of fans and taking no prisoners with it's hilariously scathing riffs on other shows and popular characters. After 3 years of waiting, TONIGHT at MIDNIGHT will see the return of one the funniest shows on the network as SEASON 5 begins! Rather than explain the twisted tale here, we'll leave that to famed former henchman,  HENCHMAN 21! 

Friday, May 31, 2013

A Dark Knight On 42nd Street. WOW!



From the mind of creator Francisco Francavilla, comes one of those design ideas that DC Comics could've used a long time ago--- a 70's Exploitation/Grindhouse version of the iconic Batman! Initially nothing more than a filler for Francavilla's PULP SUNDAY blogsite, has blossomed into a growing fanfare of curiousity... Yours truly, THE INFAMOUS RODBUDDAH, included. Francavilla's story pitch for the character is an Elseworld-style take on the character, as filmed by iconic exploitation giant, Amercian International Pictures. It even comes with a 'Pam Grier styled Selina Kyle' and a wild handlebar mostauched Lt. Gordon! If DC green lights, we could possibly see the Graphic Novel format by year's end.

As much as I rant on the BIG 2 (among other funny people and places), I'm a sucker for great Grindhouse (the last vestage of wildly creative entertainment from a bygone era), and coupled with the Dark Knight is a NO-BRAINER indeed!

 
*This Message has been brought to you by PLANET GRIFFIN and the theater management. One or more missing reels may be involved, so please excuse. If you can't accept it, piss off. Thank you.
-The Management

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

What Does New Look Like..?

“It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them… That doesn’t mean we don’t listen to customers, but it’s hard for them to tell you what they want when they’ve never seen anything remotely like it.”
- Steve Jobs

For those of you just tuning in, welcome back to PLANET GRIFFIN, the pirate blogcast that holds orbit over that grand dumpsite known as pop culture. For those of you who never left, thank you for sticking around! (Hopefully, you didn't drink all the beer while I was away...)

Okay, to the Up and coming Creator's out there, I ask you--- what does new look like?

The above Jobs quote is something you can apply to virtually any medium at any given time. In this new age of technological interconnectivity and derivative concepts, the idea of creating something original is not the easiest thing in the world to do. Meanwhile, while an exceedingly small group of people are pondering that very question, the larger multimedia corporations are doing the thinking for you...

Don't believe me? Let's take Hollywood, for example... Here is a massive entertainment consortium that believes it KNOWS what you want, simply because you wanted it before. (This made X, therefore it'll make X again...)  Notice how many remakes, revisions, reinterpretations, and reimaginings (my personal fav) that have come down the pipe in the last 5 years? It seems as if the Industry views us as an ADHD audience, in constant need of cinematic adirol or we'll lose interest and begin eating our feet... Realize that the need for 'formulas' exist only because no one's bringing a better equation to the table... What does new look like?

Comics are another example... How many times will we be sold on the 'Next Big Thing' only to find out it's the 'Same Old Thing' in flashier dress. Keep in mind, this is coming from the 'Mainstream Majors' like Marvel, who are white hot with so many film projects (Marvel, as of this week, became the FIFTH most powerful film production house in Hollywood), they're coasting and slacking on what made them what they were to begin with: A House of Ideas.
The Comics Industry KNOWS what you want, simply because you wanted it before... Creator's, again I ask you, what does new look like?

Flashy gimmicks, bright lights, and nil-meets-non-attention span boom-bap is what currently holds many enthralled, but the drawback to all of these things is that none of it is built to last. People are still waiting for something new. Something different. Something they can hold fast to... Which is a feat in and of itself because that timeless new material is still out there somewhere... Awaiting release from the mind of a creator out there with the moxie and the will to make it real.

ORIGINAL CREATIVITY STILL EXISTS. It has to... Because we're still waiting to see what it looks like.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Planet Griffin PSA For Memorial Day

 
It's MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND on PLANET GRIFFIN
 As such, we're sending HUGE shouts to all the Heartbreakers Risktakers and Freedommakers wearing a uniform to defend this country, as well as those who EVER wore this country on their backs at great personal risk to allow us to stay wild and free!
THANK YOU!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

To All The Pretty Girls Who Play Dress Up... We THANK YOU


Hello Boys and Girls! Welcome to PLANET GRIFFIN!
In the world of comics, Cosplay, or Costumed Players, has carved a rather unique niche into an industry of Mass Marketed Superhero glory, along with the multi-million dollar tie-ins and every dream a fanboy/girl could have of meeting a real life equivalent of their 4 color fantasy world on paper... In fact, cosplay has transformed into an overnight smash, despite the fact that it's been around for over a decade.

K MIYUKO, (above) is among the hottest of South Korea's blossoming cosplay stars. Her mix of bad girl mystique and schoolgirl innocence is spot on for the Comic Con set!



Japanese cosplay star SEIYUU has scored huge with her portrayal of the REIKA SHIMOHIRA character from the violent and bloody hit manga series, GANTZ! Check out more of her work on Deviant Art under the moniker of 'Vamp Beauty'



YA YA HAN is one of the longest running Cosplay models out there, (10 years!) and one of the few women to actually turn Cosplay into big business as well as become the first female cosplayer to be recognized by Convention Promoters as a Guest of Honor in their shows! Han's most recognizable alter ego on the Con scene, DC's Catwoman, is a hit on every stage she lands on!

IVY DOOMKITTY.
The Latin beauty hailing from Southern California has quickly become THE hottest Cosplayer on the American scene! A belly dancer and model for the incredible works of Frank Cho, Ivy began in August of last year and virtually changing the game overnight! An avid gamer with stunning good looks and an even fiercer wit as a Game Column writer; Ivy has begun drawing non-comic reading crowds, just to see what all the hype is about, only to quickly discover that Doomkitty is not only the real deal--- but just getting started! Check her out on Facebook!







 


 
 
 

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Chasing Reality Disguised As A Dream: The New Education Of Suli Breaks



There are many things you can find in London on any given day: Trafalgar Square (love the fountain/beware the birds), Rain, Saville Row (my favorite clothing haunt), More rain, and SULI BREAKS, who has taken the Spoken Poetry World the same way as Usain Bolt in the 200m.  Not too much is known about the 'twenty something' spoken word prodigy (other than his recent YouTube success 'I Will Not Let An Exam Grade Decide My Fate', which went viral, garnering 2 million views and gaining speed) aside from his works becoming the voice of new reason in a world where students are measured by grade and not by talent. The video has prompting a response from the Government as it sheds an interesting light on the European Educational System.
Suli's emphasizes the need to 'inspire people's thinking towards education', saying '...people should understand that just because you're not good at a subject doesn't mean you won't succeed, just as if you're good at something, it doesn't mean you should pursue it if it is NOT what you truly want...'


 As a follow-up, he released another video known as 'The American'T Dream' is a sobering view on people who survive the Rat Race yet never take the time to truly live in it.


 "...If you don't build your dreams, someone else will always hire you to build theirs..." 

 Not one to rest, Suli is currently in the process of releasing an EP in the UK known as THE DORMROOM due out at the end of this month, so check it out!

Tell'em PLANET GRIFFIN sent you...

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Two Women Enter. One Woman Leaves: RAZE


 
Those who remember actress/stuntwoman extraordinaire, ZOE BELL, from movies like DEATH PROOF and the web indie film ANGEL OF DEATH, know her for her death defying stunts and fight scenes. Now, in the upcoming indie fight film RAZE, Zoe will have the opportunity to not only hold her own in the acting arena, but her stuntwork as well as fight choreography!
Directed by JOSH C. WALLER, Zoe, along with 50 other women are abducted and forced into a 'two women enter/one woman leaves' arena where they fight to the death!
Despite it's humble low budget origins, RAZE recently went on to Cannes, where it sparked a fierce bidding war for the rights (IFC Films won the American rights).
Release date is still withheld, but judging from the rave reviews the film has acquired, it seems to be just the kind of film that Hollywood needs that doesn't come tied with a Happy Meal!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

NEXT 100 Spotlight: Lost On 42nd Street



Once again, the pirate blogspot known as PLANET GRIFFIN orbits the blogosphere, bringing you the rants, the raves, and those cool things that lie in the recesses of pop culture. Tonight is actually a spotlight of sorts... The NEXT 100 Spotlight!  Now, it's no secret that yours truly, the Infamous RodBuddah, is a diehard movie fanatic. My knowledge of film is equatable to that reporter from the Incredible Hulk, but I digress...

One of my favorite genres is rooted in the Grindhouse Era of the 70's & early 80's... Seeing as how almost all movies are cyclical in nature, many of the elements of the times can be found within Hollywood movies today--- especially if you're a Tarantino fan! Grindhouse, with it's chopped and crappy film stock, bad editing, and it's double and triple features playing in some of the worse roadhouse theaters across America; is, in a word, a true piece of history... And like all history, for better or worse, must be preserved.

Take LOST ON 42ND STREET for example. Named after what was once the most dangerous strip in New York City, as well as one of the birthplaces of the Grindhouse Experience, this site of the same name is dedicated to preserving those hard-to-find films and soundtracks that the entertainment industry loves to emulate, yet can't reproduce nearly as well anymore. Keep in mind that this site is for fans from a fan who appreciates every aspect of a bygone era when we could jump a Big Wheel off a hilltop and not be considered crazy and when the technology that mattered most was your imagination when you sat in an old theater along with the human interaction of a crowd who felt the same way.

(Well, almost all... You still had to watch out for the pimp near the bathroom doors or the Hustlers trying to sell watches while stealing yours)

Pure escapism is what Lost On 42nd St. provides. Give it a try. When you get there, tell'em PLANET GRIFFIN sent ya!

(Hey! Click LOST or Soundtracks to get somewhere, will ya!)

Friday, May 10, 2013

The Purge: New American Nightmare


PLANET GRIFFIN RETURNS WITH A NEW VISION FOR AMERICA!




In 2022, America has become the new dream. Unemployment exists at a staggering 1%, malaise and despair in the country is a bygone product of the past, and all seems right with the world... Because for one day a year, all emergency services are suspended. For one day, all crimes committed, murderous or otherwise, is legal. Welcome to the annual PURGE.

James DeMonaco writes and directs this multigenre sci-fi/horror tale (that appears to be a cross between DESPERATE HOURS and THE STRANGERS) centering around one family grappling with the morality of the event just prior to it beginning. The fateful decision to allow a stranger into their home after the event begins sets off a chain of events that leads to the family fighting for their lives while trying to preserve their own sanity by the morning. What appears to be a simplistic premise could very well be a horrifying glimpse into our future, as the division between private life and public domain is withering away to almost nothing, the erosion of society and sanity reaching critical levels, and the fears of our society slowly realizing that preservation may lie in taking more aggressive and radicalized steps, oh yes, the question of such an event gives alot of weight to what was originally conceived to be a simple home invasion gone wrong. Welcome to a brave new world. Hope you survive the experience...