GeekWeek

BIOSHOCK INFINITE Flies High In This E3 Demo Footage

Couldn't make it to E3 earlier this month to preview the hotly anticipated BIOSHOCK INFINITE for yourself? Well, in addition to joining the club of self-pitying gamers, check out two minutes of demo footage from the game in the video above. It's about a close as you'll get to this...

THOR 2 Confirmed; Branagh Will Not Return

Disney has confirmed that the sequel to this summer's comic book movie hit, THOR, will strike theaters in July 26, 2013. While stars Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman are contracted to return for THOR 2, Variety reports that Kenneth Branagh will not helm the next film. No word yet on...

Review: THE HEAVY HAND

Review: THE HEAVY HAND

A faceless guy in a lab coat turns away from his work on a circuit board to make some coffee. He adds a pill to his cup that he plucks out of a little bag with tweezers. He then pulls out his penis and pees all over the circuit board. He catches the drips of urine into his fresh cup of coffee. Yikes! So begins Chris C. Cilla’s little masterpiece in twisted comics, “THE HEAVY HAND.” Like any good comic with an underground vibe, this one definitely takes you on a trip. Cilla has been doing comics his way, the self-published way, for a number of years. Recently, he made his way into the prestigious anthology, “Kramer’s Ergot.” Now, with this new book, published by Sparkplug Comic Books, he can extend his vision further.

A little of everything happens in this book along with a whole lot of profound nothingness. Our main character is a cipher of a man, Alvin Crabshack, a sad sack with a bulbous nose. He announces to his lover, Heather, that he’s off to a new town and a new job, something about assisting a famous scientist, a Professor Berigan. He mentions a book about the inventor of cheap but absorbent towels that inspires him. And then he stumbles out the door. This is a relief to Heather who is only half interested in what happens to him next. Alvin then stops by to see his other girlfriend, Lily, a duck-billed woman, who has just as little patience for him. The next day, Alvin hops a ride with Walter, an old pal, with a ski slope nose and baggy eyes. The first chance Walter gets, he abandons Alvin at a ramshackle of a gas station, that doesn’t sell gas, in the middle of nowhere. Nice, huh?

A number of oddball scenes later, Alvin finally arrives at his destination, Honeypot Caverns, where Professor Berigan is alone against a rival set of scientists, resentful that he stole equipment from them. What keeps them there is the study of some very strange creatures: ones that look like huge lima beans that swim in the cave pools; and ones that look like reptiles, as big as humans, that reside inside eggs. Once Alvin has made contact with the professor, there is no doubt that Alvin is more of a dopey stalker than someone Berigan wants to spend much of any time with. Given the chance, Berigan would also abandon Alvin at the nearest gas station. But fate has other plans. As befitting such an existential romp, the two of them become inseparable. They proceed on a psychedelic journey that would have made Carlos Castaneda and Hunter S. Thompson proud. Given all the relentlessly inane observations and dialogue, Andy Kaufman, among those outside comics, would get the biggest kick out of this surreal sideshow. Within comics, R. Crumb might indulge a few chuckles, maybe a genuine guffaw.

A number of books have been called, “a pure comics experience,” and it’s nice to know that the label often does apply. Cilla masterfully moves his way through his comics. He has a keen sense of what will work when making art. “The Heavy Hand” is a meandering anti-story that, at the same time, embraces storytelling. The classic story of human weakness is retold in a variety of ways. And, each time, creatures await to provide humanity with its comeuppance. While there is all manner of casual activity, the pacing is not random. The story is lightly sectioned off by titles that gently float above, with goofy names, but that anchor things into place. Each section is a story within a story, within another story. Instead of a free fall into nihilism, there is a healthy tension between the art and the art wanting to call attention to itself and say it’s all a sham. It is no sham. What it is, is comics.

“The Heavy Hand” is 108 pages, a 6”x9” trade paperback, $14, available at bookstores and comics shops or directly through Sparkplug Comic Books.

JACK THE GIANT KILLER Writer To Pen BEASTS OF BURDEN Adaptation

JACK THE GIANT KILLER screenwriter Darren Lemke has been tapped to adapt the Eisner Award-winning BEASTS OF BURDEN for Reel FX and Andrew Adamson. Adamson is producing a CG-animated feature with his Strange Weather Films partner Aron Warner and Mike Richardson of Dark Horse Entertainment. Dark Horse's Keith Goldberg will...

Legendary Comics Launches With Frank Miller's HOLY TERROR

Legendary Pictures' comic book publishing offshoot, Legendary Comics, will release Frank Miller's HOLY TERROR as its first publication, Heat Vision reports. Miller initially conceived HOLY TERROR as a Batman story about the Dark Knight taking on the terrorists responsible for the 9/11 attacks, but DC rejected the idea. Miller has...

I Went To Respawn Entertainment's Website And All I Got Was This Blurry Image

Want to know what is forthcoming from Respawn Entertainment? Get in line, buddy. If you head on over to Respawn's new website, you will be greeted with this not-so-teasing image of some sort of blurred-out structure. At this point in time, it's the most you're going to get from the...

These FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 Screens Are Gorgeous

While these screens don't really tell us whether or not Square-Enix is fixing the many problems that plagued FINAL FANTASY XIII, namely its excessive linearity, at least we know that the sequel going to be yet another visually stunning game. Get ready to break out the HDMI cables, folks. [via...

These Character Posters Sure Are A FRIGHT

Empire has posted four character posters from the upcoming FRIGHT NIGHT remake. Check them out below (and marvel at the badassedness that is David Tennant).

Watch The Third Trailer For 11-11-11

A third trailer for Darren Lynn Bousman's 11-11-11 has hit the web. Here's the official synopsis for the film: "After the tragic death of his wife and child, famed American author Joseph Crone travels from the United States to Barcelona, Spain to reunite with his estranged brother Samuel and dying...

XERXES Renamed; Two Directors Now In Contention

The 300 spinoff known until recently as XERXES has been renamed 300: BATTLE OF ARTEMISIA, Deadline reports. The producers of the film have also narrowed down the pool of directors to two names: Noam Murro (SMART PEOPLE) and Jaume Collett-Serra (UNKNOWN). Although 300 director Zack Snyder will not helm this...

Watch The First Trailer For MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL

TrailerAddict has our first look at polished footage from MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL, directed by Brad Bird and starring Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, and Paula Patton. Read the synopsis below: Director Brad Bird and Producer J.J. Abrams bring us the action packed, entertainment event of the holiday season with...

WAR HORSE Trailer Hits The Web

The trailer for Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Michael Morpugo's World War I novel, WAR HORSE, has been released online. Based on this footage alone, it looks to be a beautifully shot epic. Here is the official synopsis: From director Steven Spielberg comes “War Horse,” an epic adventure for audiences of...

Watch The Full Trailer For THE THREE MUSKETEERS

With over-the-top action and eye-popping costumes, Paul W.S. Anderson's 3D version of THE THREE MUSKETEERS should have no problem catching the attention of audiences when it debuts in theaters on October 14. [via First Showing]

Jake's Never The One To Go Crazy 04

In today's episode Jake has to make a choice. He makes the sensible choice. For more check out Blastosaurus.com

Review: THE HOMELAND DIRECTIVE

There once was a surveillance system set up by the United States, in the time after the Cold War and before 9/11, that went by the name, ThinThread, and had the ability to spy on anyone on Earth using emails and phones. But it had a safeguard which encrypted any...