I Am Swing

10/30/2014

I Am Swing
Galaxy of GuardiansLicense to Loot

I'm starting to think these t-shirt sites don't care that I have to work. They premiere the best shirts on my busiest days. I used to think it was coincidence. Now I think someone is spying on me, testing my resolve. They will not break me. I will continue to talk about my favorite movies, shows, and shirts...even if it drives me insane trying to do everything at once.

Guardians of the Galaxy is coming out on Blu-ray in a month! Since I walked out of the theater the first time with my sides still splitting, I've been debating whether to snap it up immediately or put it as #1 on my Christmas list alongside the first seasons of The Blacklist and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. But fans don't have to wait for wearable Guardians merchandise, because these great shirts are available today. Seriously, how adorable is I Am Swing by Obvian (a.k.a. Nathan Davis)? License to Loot by TeeKetch is very 007 cool. And come on, Drax as Yoshi and Rocket as a mushroom-like Toad in Galaxy of Guardians by Doodle Head Dee? That could just cause tears of laughter.

[UPDATE, 8/12/15]  Links now direct to RedBubble and TeePublic rather than RiptApparel. Prices may change without notice. TeePublic often has $14 sales, which last a few days, then they go back up to $20. I got to updating this late and there are only 15 hours left for that $14 sale, but don't worry because it will come around again soon enough.





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Doctor Who Meets
THE WALKING DEAD
T-Shirts

10/27/2014

 photo TheWalkingAngels50_zps1f495066.jpg
TL Shipping & LogisticsGrand Walking Dead

Oh crap, I thought this sale was on Tuesday! I have to scramble to come up with something to say about this right now? I knew the weekend went too smoothly. Everything I needed to get done I did, and with little frustration. That is just unheard of. I even finally got a chance to start watching the season of Supernatural, a favorite show for the last decade that is suddenly lowest on the priority list, because God forbid my family misses any of the new shows, most of which are highly unimpressive. I was also three episodes behind on Castle last week for the same reason. I am not the Wielder of the Remote. I am unhappy about that.

But there is no way that I will let Saturday night parties that people forgot to tell me about until last minute or time slot conflicts ruin my enjoyment of Doctor Who or The Walking Dead. I refuse to be behind for even an hour. Last night I had to stay up late because the DVR wasn't set for TWD and I didn't want to get spoiled by my Twitter timeline today. "Four Walls and a Roof" was one of those more tense than usual episodes (which is saying a lot) with revenge, tears, and hopefully temporary goodbyes. And this week's Doctor Who, "In the Forest of the Night," while not the best in execution or story, was interesting in the Doctor-Clara dynamic, as always, and sad with Clara resigned to Earth's fate. Like anyone else, I've been wondering all season if and how Clara was going to leave. I thought her path was set when she walked out in anger...only to return because she realized that she loved the adventure too much and that the Doctor may be gruff and seem uncaring at first, but that's how he works through life-threatening situations. Peter Capaldi has been wonderful in the role. And I'll be sorry to see Jenna Coleman go when it eventually does happen. She's been essential as the Impossible Girl, saving the Doctor his whole life, and has been quite a fun companion.

Now onto the t-shirts. I love these. TL Shipping & Logistics by Bomdesignz is one of those types of shirts you see a lot depicting the subject in an ordinary business: shipping, alcohol...cereal. This one is very nicely done. Grand Walking Dead by theduc is a cross with Grand Theft Auto V, a game I loved and spent dozens of hours on just perfecting my helicopter piloting skills. (I should put that shirt up on ConsoleLife.com.) And The Walking Angels by foureyedesign, with one of the Doctor's most dangerous enemies locked behind the doors of the first episode of The Walking Dead, is an unexpected and welcome bridge between the universes of two of my favorite and couldn't be more different shows, without either of which the weekend doesn't feel right. These tees are on sale today for $10 each and tomorrow for $15. After that, the artists may decide to put their work up for sale elsewhere, but it's not guaranteed.

[UPDATE, 8/13/15]  Links now point to RedBubble and TeePublic.




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Redrum Vs. Kubrick Still Life

10/24/2014

 photo Redrum300px_zps6a178590.jpg photo KubrickStillLife3300px_zps39f701a4.jpg

You know it's not possible to go a single October without watching The Shining. I've never before thought to put into words what I love about it, but I'll give it a shot. Jack Nicholson's performance as Jack Torrance, an on-the-wagon family man who just wants some peace to write his novel, but who instead turns rather cuckoo bananas, is giddily terrifying. Over the years, I've grown to appreciate Shelley Duvall as the meek mother, Wendy, concerned for both of her boys' mental states, emotionally drained as she watches her husband devolve, then convincingly shaken and panicked as she realizes nearly too late that she needs to get her son Danny far away. Even though I know he outruns his father and outsmarts him in the hedge maze, I'm still always on edge for Danny. And The Overlook is a character itself, revealing something unnatural around any random corner.

Of course, this was a change in direction from the original novel, and Stephen King hates what Kubrick did. He has every right to since it was his story. Jack Torrance was a better man in the novel, eventually released from the hold the hotel had over him and allowing his family to escape. But I saw the movie long before I read the book. I was a kid when I started reading Stephen King novels, but the first book I got from the library was actually Firestarter. It wasn't until years later that I read The Shining and by then I already loved the film. And I always will.

Both Redrum Kubrick Still Life #3 are available today at TeeFury for $11. Tomorrow they'll be a bit more expensive and after that they will be gone.

[UPDATE, 8/24/15]  Neither of these designs are yet available on other sites on t-shirts. So why am I updating? Because I did find Redrum and Kubrick Still Life #3 available as prints from Etsy and Society6, respectively. Sizes differ on each site, but range from 8" x 8" to 27" x 40".

Redrum

Price: $20 to $50
Shipping: $6
Color: White, Brown, Orange, Red
Artist: Adam Rabalais
Besides t-shirts, Rabalais has created beautiful posters for movies such as Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Inception, Blade Runner, Alien and more.
Artist Website(s): AdamRabalais.com, Deviant Art, Etsy, HCGArt, TeeFury

Kubrick Still Life 3

Price: $17.95 to $54.95
Shipping: $5 to $10
Color: Brown, Orange, Red
Artist: John Tibbett (qbfox)
I am particularly fond of his Displate posters for "The Sound of Silence" and "Prelude to a Storm."
Artist Website(s): Quick Brown Fox, Displate, Design by Humans, Redbubble, Society6, Threadless


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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Agents of K.R.I.S.P.I.E.S.
T-Shirt from TeeFury

10/22/2014

 photo PhilsAgentsofKRISPIES600px_zps36cc132e.jpg

It's shaping up to be another great season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., perhaps as mind-blowing and emotional as the first. Last night, in "A Hen in the Wolfhouse," (i.e. sweet Simmons working for evil Hydra) there was a comforting hug between Coulson and Skye after she found out who and what she might be and tried to find her father. That's the Coulson I love most. A close second is the ass-kicking Coulson, the quippy Coulson, the hard Coulson, and the scared Coulson. Really, I love the whole package. Clark Gregg has been fantastic. So has everyone else. The team that was hobbled at the finale is coming together again with a number of new and welcome faces. I can't wait to see how the fractured Fitz and Simmons will repair that relationship, and how she will come to terms with what he's been through without her.

Okay, now that I took too much time out of my super busy day (shirts I like only release on super busy days) to talk about one of my favorite shows (and cereals!) and struggle with even signing into nearly broken Photobucket to upload the pic, I should tell you that Phil's Agents of K.R.I.S.P.I.E.S. by Bamboota is available today for $11 at TeeFury. You'll have a second chance to get it tomorrow at a slightly increased price.


Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Face My Enemy
Season 2, Episode 4 Preview

10/13/2014


If you missed the preview last week and don't subscribe to ShieldTV.net, here it is. I wanted to see Coulson dance, flip, or gently weave his way through all those lasers, but May casually walking through them was priceless. I am absolutely loving this season so far, just like the last. I always knew they were heading towards something great then, but there were people who derided and abandoned it because of their need for immediate satisfaction or it wasn't how they envisioned it. The show was setting up the story and introducing characters, making those who stayed fall in love with them through humor and camaraderie, heroism and kick-assery. To me, it was immediately intriguing and enjoyable. It's my favorite type of show in that there are episodes that can stand-alone, but it also has an overarching storyline and things that happen in one episode will have an impact on the characters or matter down the line, which is the best kind of drama.

Marvel, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancheroen know what they're doing and the cast is perfect and believable as a group that feels like a found family more than just some people who work together. Anyone who gave Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. a second chance (or who never left in the first place) were rewarded and will see that there are threads from the first season that will be followed in this one. I wonder if it can make me fear for everyone's fate the same way as the final episodes of the first. Can there possibly be another sucker punch like in "Turn, Turn, Turn" and everything that happened after? It was very high stakes, certainly emotionally. I'm so happy that Fitz made it, and Iain De Caestecker has had so much to play with already portraying a man who nearly died, especially in "Making Friends and Influencing People," where he discovered that Ward was being kept at the base. It's a beautifully acted, heartbreaking scene due to their characters' friendship and betrayal. Just another reason to love this show to pieces.

Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. merchandise at RedBubble

SUPERNATURAL
13-Tee Limited Collection
T-Shirts

10/11/2014

Edit: As of 11/1/14, all links are updated and direct to RedBubble rather than TeeFury.

A few days ago I celebrated the start of the epic season 10 of Supernatural with three shirts from RiptApparel. What a milestone. Today we all can continue that celebration with TeeFury's Gallery curated by WinchesterBros.com. These designs are all available until October 14 for $15 a piece. There are also four great posters that are $11: The Demon Within, The Tortured Soul, Hunter's Guide and Hunter's Guide 2. I particularly love The Demon Within, because that's Dean's journey this year. Edit: Wow, they actually resolved the demon thing quite quickly rather than taking the entire season. Good. I like Dean with a soul much better. I'm sure there will still be a struggle with the mark of Cain, though, especially since the show mentioned it. ;)

Turducken Slammer is not available, but periodically check Tom Kurzanski's store at RedBubble. It may be for sale again in the future. Dean's Drive-Thru Diner and Castiel's Holy Honeybee Honey are at Etsy, which I am not affiliated with, so I have no photos. They're being retired and may not be available when you click the links, but these designs are also on pillow covers (Dean/Cas) in Unicorn Empire's Etsy store.


Supernutural
Angel of the Lord







 

SUPERNATURAL
Mystery Spots, Guns, and Ale
T-Shirts

10/07/2014

 photo DarkAle300px_zpsecfc362f.jpg photo WinchesterColts300px_zps8ffc1855.jpg

Supernatural season 10 starts tonight. Are you kidding me? 10 years already?! To celebrate, TeeFury has not one, not two, but three SPN shirts today. Sam and Dean have been through so much. They lost their mother. They lost their father. They lost Bobby. They lost Castiel, the angel who started off far less than human but became family, and then got him back. Dean died over and over again in The Mystery Spot a la Groundhog Day. They both went to Hell along the way. Sam was taken over by Lucifer. Crowley, simple crossroads demon turned King of Hell, has been an amusing and dangerous thorn in their side for the longest time. More evil than evil Leviathans got out. At the end of last season Dean became a demon. And so much more. Through all the tears and the fear, there have been a lot of laughs and it's been a lot of fun. That's all I have to say about that since I have to run off to work. But wow, a decade. Even though I love it dearly, I never would have imagined that a little show that started on a little network would gain such a following that it would last this long.

The World Famous Mystery Spot by fanboy30, Dark Ale by tee_rex, and Winchester Colts by MitchLudwig are now on sale. I particularly like the one for Mystery Spot, out of all probably my favorite episode. These designs are also available on hoodies, onesies, posters, and coasters. The t-shirts start at $10 today and tomorrow they'll be $15. After that you'll have to wait for the artist to put them up on another site, like RedBubble, TeePublic, or Neato.



 

The Last Strigoi for a While

10/05/2014

Photobucket Pictures, Images and PhotosImage belongs to FX Networks.

Spoilers up to episode 12 of The Strain.

The Strain finale is tonight and I am going to miss it. This is one of those rare instances where I was completely enamored with a series when I initially had little interest. I started the first book in the trilogy a couple of weeks ago, after letting it languish on my shelf for the last three years in favor of things like Game of Thrones, which I'd had for far longer, re-reading Jurassic Park and The Lost World for the first time, Justin Cronin's perfectly-realized vampire apocalypse The Passage and The Twelve, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and a number of Stephen King books. (I think my greatest fear is I'll never catch up and that King will outlive me and keep cranking them out.) I made it through only half of The Strain before suddenly developing a need to start bingeing on the series. I watched a number of them last weekend. I then consumed as many print and video interviews as I could, finished the book, and I marathoned the last five episodes on Tuesday afternoon before I allowed myself to get back to work. Yeah, so I think I like this show, and by that I mean I absolutely love it.

Why the sudden interest? Well, every time I would start a new book, I would consider The Strain and then always go with something else. I just never seemed to be in the mood. But finally I was curious enough since it had made it to TV and I'd read on Twitter shortly after it started that Sean Astin was it. I was completely sold when I caught a glimpse of David Bradley in a commercial that before then I had barely payed attention to. Seeing him brought up a feeling I didn't realize I had for him. It shouldn't have surprised me, though. After all, he's popped up in some of my favorite things for quite a while now. If he looks familiar to you, you may have seen him this past decade plus as cat-loving Argus Filch in the Harry Potter series, as a thick-accented farmer with a ridiculous amount of weapons in Hot Fuzz and the hilarious Basil in The World's End, as the irretrievably evil Walder Frey in Game of Thrones, as the deteriorating William Hartnell in An Adventure in Space and Time, or as the tragic Jack Mashall in Broadchurch.

Of course, Bradley's body of work stretches back further, but I haven't seen it all. He just happened to start appearing in great projects in which I was interested, but now I have sought out something almost exclusively for him. I wanted to know if he would be playing a significant part in The Strain that would last more than a few episodes or if he would quickly succumb to circumstances. I was immediately hooked by his character, Abraham Setrakian, and I read the first book with both excitement and trepidation. It turned out that Setrakian, who at a glance looked to be the standard frail but wise older man, is more Hershel Green tough and resolute than I imagined. There have been a number of changes in adapting it so that the series keeps those who read the books from becoming too comfortable, but Setrakian continues to be defiant and determined. David Bradley is a perfect match for the role and has imbued him with a wounded but beating heart.

Why is Bradley so great? He's playing a person rather than a collection of words on a page. An example of that is when Setrakian breathes heavier in the presence of the vampires, best shown when facing Eichorst, his Nazi captor in World War II. It's seemingly a small thing, but it's important to show the anger and fear that he won't succeed. It wouldn't work without that kind of detail and the emotion behind it, and that's what a superb actor brings. Setrakian's fear is justified in having failed before. He is a lonely man with sad eyes and a well of anger, a man who keeps his wife's vampirized heart in a jar as a daily reminder of what he's up against and because he could not let go and face being truly alone. I've seen some comments not understanding it, saying that was a creepy thing to do, completely missing the point. In both mediums, it was apparent from the first that this had been someone very close to him, kept as a reminder and a motivator. That's when I fell in love with Setrakian in the book, because he's living for her, and Bradley showing affection for corrupted beauty was very telling. It was sad, not revolting (well, slightly).

So I know his story and want to just wrap him up in my arms, but others know only what he's told them about hunting. His main drive is vengeance, leading to callousness toward others and impetuousness when faced with an enemy who so hurt him. He sees things now as black and white because that's how he survived. He can be selfish; he gathered a ragtag group together to help him save the world, but he's going to do what needs to be done no matter the consequences, including running headlong into danger without regard for his life. Setrakian is the one with the most knowledge about the looming threat, but he is just as human and fallible as anyone, and that's why I love him. Maybe this makeshift family will wake him up to the fact that after decades alone he has new people to care about, who may come to mean as much as the mission.

Since the first season ends tonight and I only very recently got into the show, I don't have time to say much about Ephraim and Nora, the CDC doctors reluctantly becoming killers as they realize they can't save the infected; Zach, Eph's courageous young son; Vasiliy, the exterminator who found where the vampires were hiding; or Dutch, the hacker who screwed up communications for a pay day. But I will respond to something I read elsewhere. I glaced at a review of one of the episodes that asked if Eph had a heart. I didn't bother reading more. I wasn't in the mood to argue with someone who missed something that significant. So it's inevitable they missed more, like Vasiliy being unsentimental as a way to protect himself, or Setrakian's anger toward Nora for asking about his special specimen because it was a touchy subject he wasn't ready to talk about, yet which he was obviously conflicted by, seeing as he uncovered it when others were around. Like everyone, Eph is doing his best caught in the middle of a vampire apocalypse. His friend, Jim, betrayed them and the world, unknowingly, but he tried to save him. He later admitted that it was one the worst moments of his life when he realized there was no way he could. And in another episode he discovered that his ex-wife had been turned and had a breakdown. The reviewer must have difficulty reading people and gets easily confused by emotion.

It's a dark show, but there is also a bit of levity with Vasiliy's personality, which is how I like it. Not every line has to be doom and gloom. It's okay to smile during the end of the world. That's how some people cope. I don't know if it was the same review that said it was B-movie type shock and gore rather than building psychological tension, which pointlessly denigrates it. Why must everything be stuffed into categories they don't quite fit into? There's gore, yes, and it can make you jump at times (which is fun!), but that's not much different than any of the more disturbing crime shows or The Walking Dead. There is a lot of tension that builds because of concern for these characters. If it was all about shock value then I certainly wouldn't care. What we have here is a story served by the characters. These people feel like people. If you see nothing good, poignant, or creepy fun then we have nothing to talk about on this subject.

It's not perfect, though, and I don't expect anything to be. A few times I've thought some dialogue could have been better, acting from some people a little more natural. I'm not sure about the addition of Dutch. I don't know yet if she was in the later books. But I like that she and Vasiliy are getting along, because his intense edges could do with a bit of smoothing. (I'm reminded of a Collider interview with Corey Stoll where he said Kevin Durand's heart is as big as his chest. Cue big awwwwww). I was also hoping that Nora's mother's role wouldn't end so abruptly, that she wasn't going to meet a simlar fate to a certain someone in Shaun of the Dead, giving a great deal of grief to a main character. At least it allowed for a flashback for Setrakian that was quite naturally set up as we finally got to see his wife and how he was tricked into leaving her alone. The reveal at the end was not surprising, but it was done with a sort of elegance, being the right time for it in the story. Now he has something terrible in common with Nora and may open up to her to try to comfort her in his way, which has up until then been direct and harsh. Also, I think the Master himself was less frightening when his face was revealed. He was very disturbing when he attacked his first victim off the plane, his face hidden, his presence imposing. Now he looks more like he belongs in Hellboy, a Del Toro movie I really liked, but the style seems out of place here and less realistic than this inhuman entity should be. I think it's mainly the Joker mouth that doesn't work for me.

But a few faults don't matter that much. If I love a show, then I love it and I get caught up in the story and the acting. This series is more interesting and emotional than I expected before I started reading. It's been worth every moment. Suddenly I have a new favorite series and book trilogy, depending how the others turn out. I'll know soon because I ordered them two nights ago. Most of the time, if I have a book that I don't get to before it's made into a series, I don't allow myself to read it because it's much more enjoyable to not know what's about to happen. But I need to know how Setrakian goes down so I can prepare for that inevitability when the series returns, possibly for another four seasons. I sure hope he'll be there until the end.

 

My Favorite Print Interview // The Strain Gives David Bradley a Rare Chance to Battle Evil

I love the doubts that make him human when he's talking to the heart and saying I don't know if I can do it again.

My Favorite Video Interview // Richard Sammel & David Bradley Interview - The Strain (FX)

Anybody seeing him on the street would have no idea what was in his heart or what he was planning.

If you read through this whole post and haven't caught up with the show yet, you probably shouldn't have ignored my spoiler warning. But if you're curious, the season is available on Amazon Instant Video, for pre-order on Blu-ray, or you could start with the trilogy.

We Are vs Saturday Night Dance-Off

10/05/2014

Photobucket Pictures, Images and PhotosPhotobucket Pictures, Images and Photos

If you know me, you know I loved this summer's biggest blockbuster and for good reason. Guardians of the Galaxy was hilarious, sweet, and action-packed. I would add at least We Are... by Bamboota to my collection if I had any room left in my drawers, because if you've seen it you know why "We are Groot" made me cry. And Saturday Night Dance-Off by Zerobriant is a funny one. Peter danced by himself to music in the beginning, and he danced to save a world in the end. Doesn't sound like that makes any sense if you skipped this movie, but it was a distraction that had me in stitches.

You can get these shirts until the end of the day for $11 each, not including shipping which starts around $3. Tomorrow the price increases to $14. After that, you'll have to wait for the artists to post them at RedBubble, TeePublic, Neato, et cetera, but there's no guarantee. I will find the shirts again later and update this post. If I forget to do that, just ask me to do so in the comment section below.