South Carolina’s premier movie critic joins News.SC
Huff
Writing for Myrtle Beach publications for over 5 years, entertainment writer Christopher Huff is now teaming up with News.SC to bring his unique take on films, television and other entertainment media to South Carolina’s online news source.
“I wanted to be a movie critic since I was 7 years old,” Huff said. “That might sound young, but when I saw Siskel & Ebert give two thumbs down to ‘Star Wars,’ I knew there was something wrong with the ‘professionals.’”
Several years later, Huff finally got the chance. After dozens of years in the journalism industry, with press awards for both his business coverage and op/ed writing, he became the movie critic for the Myrtle Beach Herald.
“When I started this about 5 years ago, I was the only professional movie critic on the East Coast between New York and Orlando,” Huff said. “I was way on the outside. I am nowhere near any city that host early premiers or sneak previews. In addition, I am nowhere near popular enough to get any of the freebies or promo perks sent out to influence the big names. But that is a good thing.”
“Without the need to be buddy-buddy with the big-wigs, insiders and Hollywood culture, I can give an honest, real-person view on movies,” Huff explained. “Not every movie is a ‘Casablanca’ or ‘The Departed.’ That doesn’t mean they are not good. ‘Star Wars’ may not have been a deep, politically correct, artistic statement, but it was a great, fun movie that millions of people loved and changed the movie industry forever. It is that tempered view that I try to get out there.”
In addition to reviews of current movies, Huff also plans to broaden the scope of his writing for News.SC’s entertainment section to include DVD releases, television and other commentary on what entertains us.
Mel Gibson returns to big screen with Edge of Darkness
It has been a long time since we have seen Mel Gibson on the big screen.
Edge of Darkness, staring Mel Gibson
Nevertheless, seeing the promos for “Edge of Darkness” didn’t inspire much excitement. From the trailers, the movie seemed to be a knock-off of last year’s “Taken,” where Liam Neeson tears up Europe looking for his daughter’s kidnappers. In “Edge of Darkness,” Gibson plays Boston Detective Thomas Craven, tearing up Massachusetts looking for his daughter’s killers. However, despite the vague similarities highlighted in the trailer, “Edge of Darkness” stands firmly on its own as a great thriller and gives Mel Gibson an excellent vehicle to drive back to the box office.
The worlds of fantasy and paintball collide as Adventure Beach Paintball presents the “Road to No Ends” on Feb. 5-7.
Paintball is usually played in one of two ways: in the speedball arena with inflated barricades or in the field with bunkers and simulated urban environments.
The latter is called scenario paintball, with events usually based on historic battles or action/adventure movie plots. Throughout the event, two sides square off in various military-style missions: search and rescue, recon, and other attack and defend operations.
“We wanted to do something different,” explained Kevin Shimwell, owner of Adventure Beach Paintball. “We sat down to write a unique storyline and came up with an epic fantasy battle between The Knowing and The Hidden.”
Shimwell credits his son, McCullin, age 14, for leading the creative process.
“McCullin was the brainchild of the concept,” Shimwell said. “He started all and we took it by the reigns and helped make it come alive.”
In the mysterious world that is home to the “Road to No Ends,” an ancient legend of the Oracle promises the power to rule the world. Lost for ages, the mysterious artifact has returned and two opposing sides must vie for this powerful magic.
The civilized people, The Knowing, led by Chris Nienow of the Port City Militia paintball team, must gather their forces and travel the Road to No Ends in search of the Oracle.
However, it is not a safe journey, for hidden in the surrounding wilderness are the Hidden. Led by Billy Ford of the ODX paintball team, the Hidden are a savage barbaric people, hunting any thing that enters their territory, often just for the pleasure of the hunt.
“While there will be a lot of the regular scenario missions in the game, we will be adding some different twists to the game,” Shimwell said. “To find the oracle, the players will have to gather clues and solve riddles that will eventually lead them to the location of the Oracle.”
Shimwell said the paintball community is responding very well to the idea.
“This is shaping up to be one of the most successful events we have run,” Shimwell said. “We have over 130 pre-registrations, and are expecting to top 200 players with the last minute registrations and walk-ons that show up on the day of the event.”
In addition to players, several big names in the paintball industry have signed on to sponsor the event, including Pro Caps Direct, Tippman, Planet Eclipse, Deadbox Paintball and Hammerhead Paintball. National publications, including Paintball Uprising, Action Pursuit Games and Paintball 3X magazines will be also covering the event.
The event begins on Friday night for a special night mission beginning at 9 p.m. The field will be open all day for early registration and camping arrivals. On Saturday, registration opens at 7:30 a.m. with the mandatory safety meeting at 9 a.m. Game-on is at 11 a.m. Sunday’s play runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with winners and awards presentation beginning at 1:30 p.m.
“Players of all skill levels are welcome,” Kevin said. “We will have players who have played for years, and new kids who are coming to their first event. That is one of the great things about paintball. Newcomers and experiences paint-slingers all have a chance to be the hero and have some fun. Skill level might have its benefits, but it really comes down to the willingness to get out there and get the job done.”
For more information, go to www.abpaintball.com or call 843-222-9081.
Leading the Revolution, Again
As you read this, Apple has already changed the world.
As I write this, we are still a day away from that monumental shift in the computer/communications world.
Okay, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration, and in the pre-event world in which I am writing from, many of the tech blogs have begun to mock the mind-numbing hype that has preceded Apple’s newest product. Jokes about letting users walk on water or access the Internet through demonic powers have become more prevalent than speculation over built-in cameras and size.
This is not to say that those mocking the hype are completely in the wrong. There has been a deluge of rumors, fake spy pictures and boding on Apple’s tablet computer. I think I even read a story linking it to one of Nostradamus’ prophecies.
However, there is some good reason for this excitement. Apple has repeatedly revolutionized the computer and gadget industry over the last few decades.
Turning the way-back machine to the 80s, Apple brought the first “personal computer” into our homes. My 16th birthday gift was an Apple IIc. That was in 86, and the home pc revolution was already kicking with IBM PC Jrs and Commodore 64s, but it was Apple that spearheaded that moment.
With the spread of beige-boxed IBM clones, Apple near faded away, but in 1998, they did it again. Introducing the iMac in 5 brilliant colors, with screen and computer built in one unit, Apple changed the rules on what a computer looked like. They also killed off the floppy disc, when they went CD only with the iMac.
Now, at this time, I wasn’t a Mac fan. The Apple IIc was a nice toy, but lack of support, software and the fact that my high school was all IBM had left me with little love for the rainbow apple. In college, I had to work with both Mac’s OS and Windows, and firmly determined that Macs were just as crappy as Windows, but Windows had more games. I didn’t buy another Mac again until I picked up a PowerPC at a garage sale for $200 that included a HP laser printer and monitor. I was more interested in the laser printer, and the Mac became just another toy, albeit with less games than my IIc had.
Burning Desire – Fired up by the Kindle
The Kindle 2 is as thin as a pencil, but can hold thousands of books, blogs and several other document types.
As a geek, and particularly a sci-fi/fantasy geek, there are two things that I really love: gadgets and reading.
I am a voracious reader. Back in high school, I was known to go through two to three novels a day. Sadly, I have to admit that I have slowed down on my novel consumption since then, but I still have a stack of reading materials on my nightstand and at my desk, jumping from one subject to another as the mood takes me. Read more »
Despite losing their home, the glow of the HDTV still warmed their hearts…and allowed them to keep up with the latest in local news and weather.
While working on my novel, I had turned on some stupid sitcom for background noise. It was on a local affiliate station (I won’t Name anyBody speCifically), and I almost spilled diet Coke all over my keyboard when I heard the local news promo for the evening newscast.
(I paraphrase because I might not have the exact wording here, but it is 90 percent close to exact)
“It’s cold out there tonight. If you don’t have a place to go, tune in for our 11 p.m. broadcast and we’ll tell you what shelters are open.”
What!?! What the heck were they thinking? That the homeless are all standing around in front of a TV and some burning barrels in post-apocalyptic cityscape; A tangled web of wires jury-rigging the box to a lamppost? Or there was a family of 10 crammed into a Honda, burning gas so they could watch Friends repeats on their mini-TV that plugs into the cigarette lighter? Has their demographics collapse to the point where only the homeless are tuning in (somehow)?
And while their logic skills were a systemic failure, this was obviously a failure of the people involved, too. Where where the editors and producers who were to think about this? Where were the over-the-top PC executives that worry about the American Flag or “Merry Christmas” might offend someone?
SyFy Moron Update: Outer Space Astronauts Season Finale
My SyFy e-mail tells me that Outer Space Astronauts will have their “season finale” this Tuesday. What is that? Like 3 episodes? More likely, Syfy has come to their senses and are canceling the crappiest show ever to appear on TV (Heck, it made reality TV look good in comparison), but are too embarrassed to admit it.
So, remember not to tune in to Syfy on Tuesday, because you still might accidentally give yourself brain damage by catching a glimpse of this moronic production. (or wrestling–same difference).
The Funny Pages – Online
A long time ago, the most relevant source of news was the daily newspaper. It was the only place to fill you in on what happened yesterday.
However, as the Internet changed the way you got your news, dailies were relegated to local news. If you wanted more than a 30 second recap of last night’s city council meeting, you turned to your local Times or Herald.
However, now that the power of the World Wide Web has trickled down to the backyard level, even the daily rag is irrelevant by the time it comes out.
However, until recently, one thing kept the daily useful to many people: The Funny Pages (or page or half-page as many of them have become).
For the most part, there was no other way to get you dose of Garfield, Dilbert or Foxtrot. With all the rules and fees involved in syndication, getting comics on the Web lacked feasibility.
Of course, that was then, this is now. And now has several options for getting your daily laughs—customized to your taste—delivered to your e-mail or web browser without the 75-cent hassle of buying a print copy for a few comics that you might like.
Candorville by by Darrin Bell, available on Comics.com, combines political satire, current events and a cast of regular characters to create a unique view.
The first service I discovered is Comics.com and it opened up a new world of daily comics. With Comics.com, you can customize a home page to show you whatever comics you choose. You can also choose to have those comics, both regular strips as well as editorial cartoons, delivered to your e-mail. You can also set up an RSS feed for your chosen comics.
Eventually, I found a strong competitor to Comics.com that offered me the opportunity to expand my personal funny page to a whole new variety of comics. Gocomics.com offers a similar set up to Comics.com, although their e-mail and RSS services are not as robust. It is better to go through their site and flip through your favorites list.
The advantage to both of these sites is the wide variety of titles offered. Instead of a few “family-safe” or “edgy-but-still-safe” strips selected by an editor restricted by budget and the antediluvian attitudes of its key demographics, you get a chance to see up-and-coming stars in the comic strip world, strips that might one day find their way into the local daily’s funny page. If they still exist.
Garfield Minus Garfield by Paws Inc. takes a fresh look at the classic feline comic…by erasing the title character. This strip is available at gocomics.com
Christopher Huff is a self-confessed and unrepentant geek who as been living, writing and playing on the Grand Strand for several years. You can learn more about him and his writing at www.piratejournalism.com. Comments can be sent to chris@alternatives.sc
Imagine Dumber: SyFy’s Outer Space Astronauts — BLOCKED
I am not a parent.
I do not have kids coming into my house.
However, I am turning on the parental controls on my cable box to block SyFy’s new “Outer Space Astronauts.” I can find no other recourse.
I know that SyFy programming outside Friday night shows is…well…targeted at the mentally impaired (Wrestling? Ghost Hunter Academy? Scare Tactics? Imagine Greater, my ass!), but this…show…To be honest, it is so bad that I don’t even want the chance to accidently see it while I am flipping channels. If I accidentally hit SyFy during Ghost Hunters or even WWE, I’ll go, “Damn,” and turn channels. But, I don’t even want to come close to having waste of programing and development dollars entering my consciousness.
I just wish it would block the commercials, too.
Slinging Paint for Toys For Tots
This ain't your grampa's charity event! Charge over to Adventure Beach's Toys for Tot's Shoot Out on Saturday, Dec. 5
Charity Events.
Even for the most generous soul, the idea can be daunting. They all seem to blend into blandness. You shell out some big money for tickets; try to find a babysitter; go to a stuffy, crowded ballroom; spend most of your time gossiping; hope the food is better than last; drink too much at the open bar; make a fool of yourself on the dance floor and hope you can find your designated driver at the end of the night.
Admittedly, they are not all as bad as that, but what if it could be different?
What if you could go to a charity event that didn’t cost you an arm and a leg?
What if it was set outside for some high-energy excitement and exercise?
What if you had the chance to shoot at your wife, boyfriend, dad, boss, daughter, friend, coworker, or complete stranger, and not only do you not have to go to jail, but you get to make Christmas a little better for needy kids at the same time?
If that sparks your interest, then the Adventure Beach’s Third Annual Toys for Tots Paintball Shoot-out is the charity event for you.
Adventure Beach Paintball and Airsoft field is located on Highway 905, approximately 5 miles past the Highway 9/905 intersection. The 108-acre field offers a variety of settings for paintball play, including speedball courts, tire mazes, bunkers, forts, woods and even Tippmann Town, a urban setting.
On Dec. 5, Adventure Beach is inviting everyone to come down and experience this growing sport while helping gather toys for the North Myrtle Beach Fire Department’s Toys For Tots drive.
You don’t need to have a paintball marker. You won’t need a mask. You don’t need to pre-register. Just bring a new, unwrapped toy valued at $20, and let Kevin Shimwell, owner of Adventure Beach, take care of the rest.
“We will be providing rental equipment and protective masks for anyone who needs them,” Shimwell said. “We will provide the air, markers and masks, you just have to bring yourself and a $20 toy.”
Shimwell did note that attendees would have to purchase their own ammunition.
“Prices start at $12.50 for a bag of 500 paintballs,” Shimwell said. “Case prices are also available.”
The registration for the event begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5. There is a mandatory safety meeting at 9:30. Games begin at 10 a.m.
“Last year, we had 150 players bringing in over $3,000 in toys,” Shimwell said. “It was a great game with a wide range of players and skill levels.”
The Toys For Tots event brings out players of all levels, from semi-pro teams to people who never played before.
“This is a great opportunity for people to try paintball,” Shimwell said. “You don’t have to have a marker. You don’t have to have a mask. We provide all that.”
Barbara Brittain, manager of Wolf Creek Gallery (one of this year’s sponsors) at Barefoot Landing, experienced her first paintball event at last year’s charity drive.
“I was only going to stay for a couple hours and try it out,” Brittain said. “I ended up spending the whole day. I didn’t know what I was doing or if I shot anyone, but I was having one of the best times in my life.”
Wolf Creek Galley is just one of the many local businesses that have donated prizes for the raffles or other services for the event.
“The list is still growing,” Shimwell said. “Starbucks of North Myrtle Beach is donating free coffee, Mason Tires has donated certificates for free auto lubes. Kroger’s has donated gift cards. It’s just great to see all this support coming from the community.”
Additional raffle tickets will be available for purchase during the event.
Shimwell said that food would be available during the event, with a portion of the proceeds also being donated to charity. 
New to this year’s charity event will be the Sunday Airsoft event.
“Airsoft is a new and growing sport, and we have seen a lot of growth with Airsoft players coming to Adventure Beach.” Shimwell said. “Airsoft is a lot like paintball. The primary difference is the equipment. Airsoft guns are designed to be 1:1 replicas of real firearms, but they shoot 6 mm plastic pellets instead the .68-cal paintballs. Other than that, the style of game play is the same.”
Just as with the Saturday paintball game, the donation of a $20 gets you in the event and qualifies you for the raffles. Unfortunately, rental equipment is not available for the Airsoft event.
For more information, go to www.abpaintball.com or call 843-222-9081.
Christopher Huff is a self-confessed and unrepentant geek who as been living, writing and playing on the Grand Strand for several years. You can learn more about him and his writing at www.piratejournalism.com. Comments can be sent to chris@alternatives.sc
