Movies to See: Duplicity

“Duplicity” is the movie equivalent of the little engine that could.

Not Even a Bad Imitation of Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Not Even a Bad Imitation of Mr. and Mrs. Smith

That is if the little engine tried to be a whole bunch of different things but kept failing.

“Duplicity” tries to be “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” but is nowhere near as sexy or exciting.

“Duplicity” tries to be “Oceans 11″ but is nowhere near as inventive.

“Duplicity” tries to be “Wall Street” but is nowhere near as greedy.

“Duplicity” features Clive Owen and Julia Roberts as government agents turned corporate spies and would-be thieves. (more…)

Published in: on March 26, 2009 at 17:20  Comments (1)  
Tags: , , , , , ,

Places to Be: Spencer’z South

It’s not just the owners who can get me to come visit their favorite place to be. Anyone can e-mail me and ask me to come on down. For example, last week Phil from the Inlyn Gruve band e-mailed me to come down to Spencer’z South to see them play. This gave me the perfect excuse to head down to Murrells Inlet and check out Spencer’z South.
At the intersection of Pendergrass Ave. and Highway 17, Spencer’z South is a huge place with great character from the moment you walk up the steps to the front door. Inside, the place is virtually split into two separate areas. Immediately upon entering, there is a comfy bright barroom with several tables, a digital jukebox, dart games and TVs. If you keep going, you come to the short flight of stairs leading down to a huge room with high ceilings and plenty of space for tables. On a raised platform, there is more seating on the “backside” of the bar from the other room. What a great design effect. I fell in love with the place immediately.
On the lower level, there was a second bar against one wall, and on the opposite end of the room was a stage and a spot for a couple of pool tables. The back of the room had an extension that looked like it could be partitioned off as a private banquet room if needed.

Inlyn Gruve is in the House!

Inlyn Gruve is in the House!

The stage was big enough to fit all of the members of Inlyn Gruve and their guest members. They played a great mix of classic rhythm and blues and rock ‘n’ roll. There was enough room in front of the stage for some couples to dance. (more…)

Published in: on March 26, 2009 at 17:14  Comments (1)  
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Movies to See: Race to Witch Mountain

race_to_witch_mountainYou come to expect some things in the world Hollywood remakes.

Old TV shows like “Charlie’s Angels,” “SWAT,” and “Dukes of Hazzard” play upon nostalgia. “Friday the 13th” and other horror remakes come from a perverse need to see if they can make those old campy horror movies scarier.

Nevertheless, nowhere did I see a remake of “Escape to Witch Mountain. Was there a nostalgic need for it? I don’t know. I remember the movies (There were at least a couple sequels) from when I was young. They would show up at night on ABC’s perennial Sunday standard “The Wonderful World of Disney.” What else do I remember? A couple of kids with magical powers being chased by police heading for some scary mountain in the desert. I think it might have been the same mountain, but most everything else has changed, or maybe only the actors and the special effects have changed.

This time, the kids (AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig) are older, teenagers as opposed to the preteens I recall from the original, and they shanghai an ex-con-turned-cabbie (Dwayne Johnson) into helping them track down a science experiment that could stop a full scale invasion of Earth. Fortunately, there is a UFO convention in town (Las Vegas), and one of the leading experts on the theory of extraterrestrial life is in town, and she (Carla Gugino) is cute and willing to help them (and be Johnson’s romantic interest for the film). Trying to stop them is the Disney version of the Terminator along with a cadre of evil government agents (led by Ciarán Hinds).

The assassin is from the kid’s home planet’s military, which wants to force the invasion. The government agents, of course, want to capture and dissect the alien kids. Like I said, other than the faces and the FX, not much has changed. It is still just as exciting as you would remember a 70s Sunday Disney fill as being. (more…)

Published in: on March 26, 2009 at 17:11  Comments Off  
Tags: , , , , , ,

Places to Be: Capt. Dave’s Dockside

Capt. Dave's Dockside

Capt. Dave's Dockside

It was just about as perfect a day as you could get — bright and sunny. I was riding my motorcycle in the general direction of Murrells Inlet, taking back roads and old highways. While this was a fun ride, I did have a destination in mind.
Earlier in the week, I got a call from David Owens, the owner of Captain Dave’s Dockside, inviting me to come down and have dinner. I had to postpone until the weekend, but David was more than accommodating, and made sure that I got top notch service when I was finally able to make it. Of course, from the moment I got there in the late afternoon until I left, the service I received was par for the course.
Captain Dave’s is a beautiful place, right on the waterway in Murrells Inlet. From the outside, it looks like a fine house.
Inside is a beautifully decorated dining room with hardwood floors and a stately array of art. A short bar goes to one side of the room, fronting for the kitchen.
The back wall is made of sliding doors, giving diners a beautiful view of the inlet and a small island that is home for several peacocks. There is a small deck in the back, as well as, to be expected, docks.
I knew I was in for something special right from the start.  (more…)

Published in: on March 26, 2009 at 17:01  Comments Off  
Tags: , , , , , , ,

What is in the Box?

I am not usually one to get into these viral video things. I don’t hunt youtube for embarrassing videos or “Ultra-Reality” TV. I think I subscribe to some random guy’s videos but that is about it. However, this one caught my attention (via Gizmodo). The quality is amazing and the “plot” is intriguing. It is obviously a hype builder for a upcoming product. The box and the red ring logo obviously doesn’t fit with the rest of the video’s level of technology. Personally, I am betting on something that will have a European release and never bee seen in the US.

Published in: on March 23, 2009 at 09:53  Comments Off  

An Excerpt from my Forthcoming Novel – Part 1: It Takes Two to Tango with a Tengu

So…Here is are sample chapters from my work in progress…Chapter C is a little hot and heavy, so I have password protected it. Serious, Adult readers may request the password for access.

Chapter A -

Kate landed hard on her back, her butt leaving a furrow in the sand. She shook her head, jaw numb from the blow. What was this thing? If it weren’t for the spirit of the Bear, her head would probably be in another state by now. Considering the bruise that would be there tomorrow, that might not be such a bad thing. Arching her back, she kicked herself up. It had been a long time since she practiced Te Kwon Do, and it felt good that she could still pull off the maneuver.

“You are going to have to do better than that,” she said to the bird-headed creature. The demon stared back at her with cold black eyes. It cocked its head and chirped. Kate got the distinct impression that it was a derisive remark. The Bear did not take it well. Blinded with rage, she charged at the monstrosity with a roar. She tucked in her chin and leveled her shoulder at the beast’s midsection. The bird-headed demon let out a trilling laugh and spread its arms wide, welcoming her. Had Kate been thinking clearly, or had chose a different fetish to evoke, she might have slowed her charge. The Bear was not concerned.

She ducked lower, planning to hit it below the waist, and then flip him over his back. It was a nice plan. Then she hit a solid wall of muscle, leather and feathers. The bird creature slid back a step in the sand spreading its wings in counter-balance. There was no flipping going on here. A little voice reminded Kate that no plan survives contact with the enemy.

The demon slammed both of its fists down on Kate’s back. Pain sparked down her spine. Even with the power of the Bear, numbness spread and her knees began to buckle. Black spots and little stars flashed clouded her vision. Her left knee hit the sand. One hand grabbed on to the leather strap securing the demon’s breastplate trying to keep her off the ground. Her other hand reached insider her jacket, fumbling for something in her pocket. Without thinking, she found her knife but struggled to get it out of the leather sheath with one hand. Her thumb slipped off the snap. She had to hurry. Another blow would put her down. Then who would help Raquel?

(more…)

Published in: on March 19, 2009 at 14:08  Comments (2)  
Tags: , , , ,

Healling and Hanging with Kokopelli – Part 2 of sample

Kate took the steps up to her apartment two at a time, despite the pain.

Her back, jaw and everything in between felt like they had been stitched together with barbwire and then pulled taunt. But it was her dog’s pain that was important now. One way, she was the most important companion Kate had in her life and she had to do everything she could to save her. Raquel was only a dog and did not ask to get involved in this mess. She was hurt because of Kate. It briefly crossed Kate’s mind that she hadn’t asked to be involved in this either, but it was too late for nitpicking. She bashed in the door and rushed to the table. Without a thought, she cleared the table with a great sweep of her arms, pushing everything onto the kitchen floor. Jewelry, mail, hats and pens landed with a cacophony of fluttering and chings. A coffee mug broke into several pieces splashing the remains of this morning’s vanilla-hazelnut coffee across the refrigerator door.

The masked man in black came in behind her, moving quickly as he could while trying not to jar Rachel more than necessary. He got into the apartment just in time to see Kate rush out of the room through a narrow door. He waited, and after a brief clamor of cabinets being opened and slammed, Kate returned with a stack of towels and a first-aid kit. She tossed the kit on a chair and began laying towels out over the table. When she had covered enough of the table, the man in black laid Raquel down on the terry cloth bedding.

Kate unzipped the red first aid kit looked down on her puppy dog. There was so much blood. In the light, Kate could see the white of bone and the flex of muscles and tendons as short shallow breaths and whimpers of pain worked their way through the her canine companion. It was so much. Too much. How could she do anything with this stupid little first aid kit? It was a good kit-gauze, bandages of different sizes, a tube of antibacterial cream, scissors, etc. It even had a surgical needle and thread and a small booklet on how to handle various emergencies. Kate doubted that patching up your dog after being attacked by a Japanese bird demon on the beach wasn’t in the table of contents. A hot tear ran down her cheek.

“Now is not the time,” the man in black said suddenly, handing Kate a glass of water.
(more…)

Published in: on March 19, 2009 at 13:34  Comments Off  
Tags: , , , , ,

Protected: Chapter C – Energy. Rated R

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:


Published in: on March 19, 2009 at 12:38  Comments Off  
Tags: , , , ,

Humans Slaughtered in SKYNET Assault (Part 1)

dscf0084 Adventure Beach played host to what might one day be a future historic battle to save mankind from the termination.

On Feb 7 the first chapter in a three-part battle between the Cyborg Armies and the human resistance played out on the 80 acre Adventure Beach Scenario Paintball facility near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Sponsored by Tippmann, ProCaps Direct and Kee Action Sports, 225 people participated in the first act of the trilogy of scenario events based on “The Terminator” storyline.

In addition to slinging paint, players, volunteers and staff raised $850 for the Buck Creek Church’s Ben Lay Charity Drive. On the field, Wesley Jacobs commanded of the human resistance in the role of Gen. John Conner. Jacobs led dozens of individual players and regional paintball teams, such as the Charlotte Dogs of War, Myrtle Beach Team MBmisfits, Charlotte Chaos Parade and the Roanoke SSK from Virginia. However, despite the valiant efforts of the human warriors, the Cyborg Commander Larry “Ironman” Rivenbark of the Topsail Beach’s Team Rogue Cell and the forces of SKYNET terrorized the humans on every front. When not on the run from “Terminator” units that repeatedly infiltrated the human command structure, cyborg forces, such as Wilmington Port City Militia, Laurinburg Carolina Sabers, Charleston Section 8, Jacksonville Team Rats and others, pushed humanity to the brink of extinction.

The final score for the event was Cyborgs 2900; Humans 900. Myrtle Beach’s Shadow Group hosted event, volunteering as referees and staff for the game. The event was also featured as the lead story in the Sun News’s Sunday local section with an extended photo gallery on their web site.

However, this is not the end of humanity’s last stand. On April 25-26, part two of the SKYNET story will take place.

“This isn’t a stand-alone scenario,” Kevin Shimwell, Adventure Beach owner said. “The events that happened in part one will have a direct effect on where the forces will start and what resources they will have.”

SKYNET Part II will test the paintball teams on several levels. Not only will their tactical and shooting skills be tested. “Part II will be a true 24-hour event,” Shimwell said. “There will be no time for sleep. We will be running missions for 24 hours straight.” For more information, contact Adventure Beach at 843-222-9081 or at www.abpaintball.com.

Published in: on March 17, 2009 at 17:34  Comments (1)  
Tags: , , , , ,

If you thought Pokemon and Yu GI Oh! were bad

If you thought that Collectible Card Games like Pokemon, Yu Gi OH! and Magic the Gathering were bad….don’t look here…It will melt your brain.

Published in: on March 17, 2009 at 17:30  Comments (1)  
Tags: , , , , , ,
« Older Entries
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 403 other followers