The Cosplayer Nation Documentary Premiere

On a warm sunny November afternoon, I was fortunate enough to attend the premiere of the Cosplayer Nation Documentary. The documentary was part of a film festival that was held at the Brattle Theater in Harvard Square featuring local film makers and musicians. Amongst these artists is of course our friends, Cosplayer Nation. The CEO and Founder, Joshua Adams and the President and Co-Founder, Uke Li were in attendance. During the first intermission, I got a chance to talk to them and gave them my opinion of the Cosplayer Nation Documentary premiere. They're very nice people and never too busy to say "hello" and chat. So, if you ever see Cosplayer Nation at a convention, don't be shy, just say go up and "Hi!" What did I think of the documentary? Oh... "But wait," you exclaim! "What is Cosplayer Nation?" The short of it, Cosplayer Nation is a project of love started by local New Englanders whom are fans of cosplay. This project later became a legit Organization. Cosplayer Nation travels the world attending conventions seeking out cosplayers and documenting their love and devotion to the art of cosplaying. Basically, cosplaying is dressing up as your favorite character from but, not limited to anime, comic books, movies, pop culture, etc. There's a much deeper level to it but I'll let the real documentarians tackle that. It's literally, "COStume PLAY." A tribute to ANY character or any THING that you're a fan of. You like Einstein? Go ahead, dress up as the wacky atom splitting physicist. Your favorite is a German from the 40's? Sure? BUT! Make sure you don't unintentionally turn that into a hate crime. I'll save the skin and Nazi part of cosplaying for another post. Now, how did I like the Cosplayer Nation Documentary? I enjoyed it a lot. Uke Li was nice enough to show me a trailer of the documentary a couple of years ago and asked me to give an opinion. I ungraciously forgot (sorry Uke. I hope this post makes up for it). My reaction to that initial trailer was very positive. When Cosplayer Nation announced the premiere of the Cosplayer Nation Documentary, I immediately made plans to go and check it out. The film opens with a news reporter interviewing a cosplayer. The reporter was wondering why the cosplayer was dressed up since it wasn't Halloween. Then the film cuts to the news room and you can definitely see the confusion in the news correspondents' weirded out faces. It provoked laughs in the audience but more importantly it sets the tone of the film on answering the question, "what is cosplay?" From the intro, the film rolls into a segment with people dressing up as their favorite characters. Cosplayer Nation definitely took the time and effort to go through hundreds of hours of footage to cut together a very impressive looking group of cosplayers. The music Cosplayer Nation chose to accompany the colorful characters on screen was a very interesting (good interesting) cover of the Legend of Zelda theme with a melodic beat. I have to say, it's pretty Cool! There were people in the audience bopping their heads to the beat. The documentary is not a just a drawn out showcase of people in costumes. It's an unbiased look into the world of cosplaying and goes deeper into the psyche of the culture. It included interviews on the whys and the whats of these devoted artists. Why the many painstaking hours of work in making the costumes? What inspired these people to work so hard to risk being ridiculed? Some of these costumes are much better than what the professionals in Hollywood with a huge budget can create. Actually, I'd always felt that simply calling these incredible works of art "costumes" and "cosplays" does them injustice. But for a lack of my limited vocabulary, I'll stick to what I know. The love for this art also shines through the making of the documentary. The Cosplayer Nation Documentary took us back in time to WorldCon with The First documented costume. It even educated us on the etymology of the word "Cosplay." Diving deeper into the meaning of this art form, the film makers interviewed Danny Choo, the Dancing Stormtrooper of Tokyo, who gave us his take on the culture over in Asia. Another well known cosplayer interviewed was Holly Conrad. She's a Mass Effect cosplayer who got noticed by the movie and videogame industries. Now she's a professional costume designer. Holly Conrad was also featured in Morgan Spurlock's Comic-Con movie, Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope. A segment in the documentary that I really liked was the counterpoint of cosplaying. You know, that person who just doesn't get the art: "Why are you dressed up?" "Are you trying to get attention?" "What's the difference between this and a cry for help?" Later on, the film appropriately cuts to professionals such as system administrators, accountants and lawyers who participates in cosplay as an art form and self-expression. It included a well known Mr. T cosplayer in the New England area telling us what it's all about. He sounded rough but very articulate which is a lot like the documentary itself. The documentary is a bit rough on the edges. I had trouble hearing some of the interviews because the audio was a bit low. But the message it was getting across was legible. During my talk with the film makers (Joshua Adams and Uke Li), they assured me that the sound mixing will be better in the final cut. Yes, final cut. The version of the Cosplayer Nation Documentary shown at the Brattle Theater was only 15min long. This was not because of the film makers short sight. It was because of the time constraint set by the Film Festival. The film makers went on saying that the finished documentary will be much more focused and it'll touch upon the different cultures of cosplaying in other countries. I can not wait. I'd seen documentaries on Pop Culture Conventions such as Trekkies and Morgan Spurlock's Comic-Con movie but, none of them focused on just cosplaying. Cosplaying has became a phenomenon. You've probably seen someone walking down the street as some sort of character when it wasn't Halloween and wondered if the person was crazy. Maybe? But this art form definitely needs a movie if not, a series of movies to tell its story and to clear up misconceptions. It's been months since I did any real writing on this blog let alone, a review. I am glad that the Cosplayer Nation Documentary gave me the inspiration. There is a preview version of the documentary that is longer than 15min and it might show up in a theater, college or convention near you. I highly recommend checking it out if you get a chance. Whether you understand this type of art form/culture or not, the film is highly enjoyable and you'll definitely come out knowing much more about cosplaying. The Cosplayer Nation Documentary was both captivating and fun and as a cosplaying friend of mine would simply put it, "EPIC!" Below is a link to the Cosplayer Nation youtube channel and Facebook. There are hours of cosplay footages and interviews from all around the world. I highly recommend subscribing: Cosplayer Nation's Youtube Channel Cosplayer Nation on Facebook I also linked the trailers of the Cosplayer Nation Documentary. Enjoy! You Know My Name - Cosplayer Nation "CMV" - Cosplay Music Video Cosplayer Nation Cosplayer Nation (2011 Trailer) - Documenting American Cosplayers across the U.S. Cosplayer Nation One of the highlights of the premiere was Cobra Commander shown at 0:47 of this trailer getting a huge applause. RATING: 4/5

Bob Ross Remixed

Before I attended any art classes, I learned to paint from Bob Ross. Now I can learn to sing from an autotuned Bob Ross! Straight out of PBS we get the Joy of Painting remixed! The combination of Bob Ross' voice and the way he paints somehow makes the video hypnotic. PBS also did a Reading Rainbow remix with an autotuned Levar "Geordi" Burton! So, sit back, relax and let's learn about the joy of painting and the wonders of reading from the videos below... PBS Style! Bob Ross Remixed | Happy Little Clouds | PBS Digital Studios PBS digital studios Reading Rainbow Remixed | In Your Imagination | PBS Digital Studios PBS digital studios

Doctor Who and the TARDIS: When World's Collide

When is Doctor Who Series 7 coming? WHEN?! I can't take it any longer! Actually, there was a special viewing of the first episode "Asylum of the Daleks" at the BFI Southbank in the U.K. earlier today or was it yesterday? Damn time difference! In any case, on August 14th, 2012. But when is it going to premier in the U.S.A.?! WHEN?! Wikipedia says that Series 7 will premier in the U.K. in September. But will it premier on BBCA on the same day?! And this year is the 50th Anniversary!!! Stephen Moffat has something really special planned. Actually, the point of this post was to share the fantastic Doctor Mew artwork done by Jenny Parks and an awesome fan edited video: Doctor Who and the TARDIS: When World's Collide. I met the Doctor Mew artist, Jenny Parks, at Wizard World Chicago over the weekend and practically purchased everything from her booth. Please check out the super nice and talented Jenny Park's website: Jenny Parks Now, here is the awesome video. It was created to celebrate 100,000 likes on The.Doctor.Who.Tardis Facebook site: Doctor Who and the TARDIS: When World's Collide - 100,000 likes Celebration DrWhoandtheTardis

Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope

Wow! It's been a while since I wrote a review? I was referencing one my movie review templates and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol was the last one? In any case, I had been super busy transitioning to a new job along with a few other things in my personal life. I apologize for not being able to find time to update GroggyBot. A lot has been happening for me. Going to conventions and watching movies has been part of that. Oh, also the NBA Playoffs are on! This year I'm rooting for the Boston Celtics. If they'll get eliminated, which they won't but, if they do, I'm going with the Oklahoma Thunder! Oh right, movie review... here goes... Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope is a documentary on the convention scene directed by Morgan Spurlock. You might not recognize his name but most likely you'd recognize his work. He's the guy who directed Super Size Me. That's the movie with the guy (Morgan Spurlock) eating nothing but fast food for 30 days from one of the well known burger places; the one with the giant yellow arches. He also directed Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden and a very interesting TV show called 30 Days. 30 Days is similar to Super Size Me but, instead of Spurlock being the "test" subject, it features different people whom are willing to live outside their comfort zone for 30 days; to walk in other people's shoes. I highly recommend checking the show out. As for Morgan Spurlock's latest documentary, Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope... I went to a special screening at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, MA where the director himself made an appearance. Morgan Spurlock gave us a brief introduction before the start of the movie and he stayed after for a Q&A session. In the introduction Spurlock gave us an interesting story about Comic-Con Episode IV's conception. Stan Lee (of Marvel Comics) is in the same movie agency as Spurlock. On a fateful day in 2010, Morgoan Spurlock met Stan Lee through their agents. During the impromptu meeting Stan the Man said to Spurlock, "we should do a movie." Spurlock told Stan Lee that he's trying to film a Comic-Con movie. Shortly after their meeting they both met with Joss Whedon and that was when Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope started to take shape. The idea was to get separate camera crews to follow the different type of convention goers at the 2011 San Deigo Comic-Con. Auditions were held and the final cut of the documentary features: The Comic Book Vendor: the owner of Mile High Comics, Chuck Rozanski trying to sell a rare Marvel comic, Red Raven #1 The Toy Collector: Camping out in line long before the convention opens its doors in order to get the Con Exclusive Galactus Figure The Attendees: a couple who are seemingly attending San Diego Comic-Con but, the boy friend of this couple plans to propose to his girl friend at Kevin Smith's panel. The Cosplayers: Holly Conrad and her team of cosplayers signing up for the Con's Masquerade and hoping to win first prize. While in the contest, they have a chance to be noticed by effects team and costume departments in the movie and gaming industries. The Aspiring Artists: Skip Harvey and Eric Hanson treats the Con as a job fair. Showing off their portfolios to different comic book companies, hoping they can land a job as professional artists. The documentary does a great job jumping from one story arc to the next eventually culminating with resolutions. Inter-cut between the stories are talking heads made up of convention goers and guests such as artists and celebrities. Stan Lee, Kevin Smith, Seth Green, Eli Roth, Joss Whedon, Paul Dini and Grant Morrison were some of the more well known people who showed up as the talking heads in Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope. There were a few who got cut out because of time constraints; like Felicia Day and Nathan Fillion. What I like most about Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope is that it doesn't poke fun at the convention scene or the people who attend. In documentaries such as this, they tend to point out certain people as the "freaks" of society. Spectacles to ridicule and to be laughed at. Sure there are stereotypes at Comic Book Conventions or, at any conventions for that matter. It could be a Car Show, a Garden Show, a Work "Forum" (come on we all know it's a convention), even at Sporting Events. Yes, ESPECIALLY Sporting Events! Why is the "fat drunken guy who painted his body and face in his favorite team's color" different form the "fat comic book geek dressed up as Wolverine?" Why are the fanatics at Sporting Events more accepted? There are always the stereotypes and the super fanatics everywhere you go. We tend to forget about the passion, the devotion and love for the subject and just laugh at what we don't understand. Morgan Spurlock did a great job with this understanding in Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope and my hope as a fan is that the documentary is able to convey the fun side of conventions and that it's more than just a barrel of geeky fish for people like "Men's Fitness Magazine" to shoot down with their derogatory gun. I highly recommend Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope. Not just to people who are into comic books but to everyone. The documentary follows real life people whom we can all relate to and this makes it easy to follow without any inside comic book knowledge. It also impressively explains the different aspects of comic book fandom in under 90 minutes. Again, highly recommended! I'm not sure if the theaters are still showing Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope. It was released in theaters on April 6, 2012. There is no video release date yet. But there will be a DVD full of extras. That was one of the Q&A questions and Morgan Spurlock confirmed it! Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope Official Trailer #1 movieclipsTRAILERS RATING: 5/5

R.I.P. Ralph McQuarrie

Looking onward to the far horizon with a sense of romance and adventure... "My destiny is out there." R.I.P. Ralph McQuarrie Ralph McQuarrie Remembered Ralph McQuarrie was best known for his Star Wars concept designs. That's only a part of this amazing artist's vision. You can check out his fantastic gallery here: ralphmcquarrie.com I am at the age where most of my childhood heroes are at their twilight years or braving towards that season. When I was young, they'd shown me the magic and adventures that awaited for me in life but, it always come with some sort of price. Some times these trade offs are harsh and unjustifiably cruel. Thus, lessons of consequences and responsibilities are learned. As I got older it seems as though these lessons gets tougher but, I wear their bravery as armor and I wield their inspiration as artillery. Ralph McQuarrie, my school notes are full of doodles because of you. I can't stop sketching and painting because of you. Without you, the world would never be able to experience dreams turned into reality: John Williams – Binary Sunset kbmf0580