Odds and Ends

It's been a while since I did a catch-all blog post, so here we go! Expect randomness!

• An interesting quote: "A mainstream film is one 10,000 people have seen 10 times. A cult film is one that 10 people have seen 10,000 times." Agree? Disagree? Pizza?
• Netflix (my DVD subscription of choice) now has a "Watch Now" feature on their site, allowing you to instantly stream one of hundreds of titles to your computer to view, in addition to your monthly rentals. There's an hour-per-month limit based on the amount of your subscription, but this is a cool bonus to get more bang for my buck!
• Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer now have a chance to raise money for charity by singing from the musical episode "Once More With Feeling".
• Lord of the Rings Online starts their Open Beta program April 6 (or March 30, if you're a preorder). Play a month for free!
• The Comics Curmudgeon won "blogger of the year" from The Week's magazine Opinion Awards. More zippers, mule!

As we turn into the fourth month of 2007, summer movie season is right around the corner (I swear that this year I will fulfill my desire to spend an entire day, start to close, in a movie theater) and it seems like we've already seen quite a few surprising hits so far. 300 stormed the gates of our hearts, TMNT got bad reviews but decent audiences, and four movies have topped the $100 "blockbuster" marker (300, Ghost Rider, Wild Hogs and Night at the Museum).

So what am I looking forward to in April? A quick rundown:

1. Grindhouse (April 6) - This "double feature" "b-movie" gimmick seems to be in capable hands, with Tarantino and Rodriguez at the helm. Few if any of the younger -- or middling -- generations even know what a double feature felt like, and these look sufficiently interesting (if trashy) to arrest attention. Question: is the girl with an assault rifle for a leg a perfect match for Evil Dead's Ash?

2. The Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters (April 13) - One of the most bizarre (and sometimes hilarious) cartoons of all-time... can they pull off a feature-length movie? I'm betting "no", but I'll still see it anyway.

3. Hot Fuzz (April 20) - To be honest, the trailer from the Shaun of the Dead team didn't leave me laughing much, but this could be a terrifically funny movie nonetheless. Plus? Awesome name.

4. Kickin' It Old Skool (April 27) - First I heard of this: a breakdancer from the 80's falls into a coma and awakes 20 years later to reform his dance posse and win back his girl, or somesuch. Jamie Kennedy stars, and the boy needs a good, solid hit.

5. Next (April 27) - Nicolas Cage in a Philip K. Dick tale about a man who can see into the future (all possibilities of it), and must try to prevent a horrible accident. The trailer seemed pretty nifty.