An essential companion for Hunger Games fans, this book will take you deeper into the dystopic world of Panem and into the minds and motivations of those who occupy it.

read more

Starring Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins and Mark Strong, Walt Disney Pictures's upcoming adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs's classic mythology is directed by Academy Award winner Andrew Stanton and scheduled to hit theaters this March.

read more

May 4th is getting closer. We've already had a couple trailers. It's hard to say whether or not we'll get another before the movie opens. Most likely we could see some new footage in TV spots leading up to opening day. For now, we'll take what we can get

Disney and Marvel have released two new images. Do they reveal anything new about the movie? Nope. Are they cool? Pretty much. Check them out.

They aren't Earth-shattering but are still pretty cool. Just a reminder that the movie is getting closer.

The "offensive" cover art for the CD

Online auction über-haus, eBay, in a nutshell, has really stepped in it this time. By banning the sale of the soundtrack to I Was a Teenage Werebear (Tim Sullivan’s contribution to last year’s cult hit Chillerama), eBay called into question not only its often vague “adult [...]

The "offensive" cover art for the CD

Online auction über-haus, eBay, in a nutshell, has really stepped in it this time. By banning the sale of the soundtrack to I Was a Teenage Werebear (Tim Sullivan’s contribution to last year’s cult hit Chillerama), eBay called into question not only its often vague “adult content” policies, but whether or not, as a corporation, it discriminates against gay people. The move is particularly puzzling, as eBay not only pulled down the listing, but cancelled all existing orders, prior to its being pulled down. In other words, people who willfully and knowingly purchased the CD were denied their purchase because at least one individual in eBay’s Safety & Trust division deemed the work “morally offensive.” Does this indicate homophobia on eBay’s part? The filmmaker  thinks so. And the evidence is on his side.

Perhaps, “banning,” is too strong of a word. The listing was taken down as “miscategorized.” Sullivan can still sell his wares in their forum. However, now he just has to lump them in with pornography. Having seen the (R-rated) film – the work as a whole, and Sullivan’s Werebear in particular, may be raunchy, but horror fans and smut aficionados would both agree that it’s about as “pornographic” as, say, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. That is, not at all. In fact, of the four segments that comprise Chillerama, Sullivan’s ode to Frankie and Annette movies by way of Brokeback Mountain is the tamest.

The 'Chillerama' poster

Far be it from me to defend eBay, but my initial reaction to the question of whether or not eBay discriminated against Sullivan because of homophobic knee-jerking was: no – eBay myopically believes that anything sexual is “porno.” From personal experience, a couple years back, having purchased the compendium of Peter Bagge’s Hate comics, Buddy Does Seattle, I attempted to sell my random single issues via eBay. A day after listing them, not only were they taken down, but I was issued a stern warning about my attempt to list “pornography” under false pretenses.

For those who aren’t familiar with the seminal slacker 90’s comic, Hate is a slice of life story about a group of twenty-something friends living in Seattle. Kind of like Friends, but truer to life and, you know, funny. Despite what the title of the collection implies, the “questionable” content amounts to what you’d see in an R-rated movie – a lot of cursing, and a couple panels of nudity. The latter was in the context of comedy scenes, and Bagge’s artistic style leans more toward the cartoony than the realistic.

To make a long story short, after much debate with a Customer Service representative (in the Phillipines), the decision stood. I was attempting to peddle “smut.” And as strange as it is that thousands of R-rated DVD’s, with much more objectionable content, sell on eBay, every day, the bottom line is that, even if I had the money to litigate, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Or so I thought.

From left to right: Joe Lynch, Adam Green, Adam Rifkin, and "smut peddler," Tim Sullivan

However, while it is possible to make a good(ish) argument for cartoon, comedic, un-sexy nudity still being “pornographic,” (puritanical as it may be) the question remains: what is it about the I Was a Teenage Werebear soundtrack that eBay found so offensive? The bone of contention (pun 100% intended), at least on the surface, appears to be the signed 8×10 photo that comes with the disc which apparently shows Werebear star Brent Corrigan and his “engorged genetalia” [alleged quote from eBay] stuffed into tight, red underwear. Not, I reapeat, NOT nude.

Okay, fine. So is the problem that all beefcake shots, even clothed ones, are as suggestive as outright pornography? Hardly. Try typing “David Beckham Underwear”into an eBay search and…

Did you get a “restricted content” warning? Did you have to verify your age?

Then tell me, please: how is it all that different from the picture of Corrigan?

All of this should be a moot argument when you consider, per eBay‘s User Agreement, the minimum age to buy and sell is 18. Further, eBay’s return policy automatically rules in favor of the buyer. So in other words, even if an eBuyer accidentally happened on the Wearbear soundtrack package using a vague keyword search like “horror parody music”; and somehow neglected to look at the picture(s)that accompany 99% of all eBay ads; and for some reason, still ordered it for their impressionable, underage crotch-dumpling, they’d have more than ample opportunity to return the offending material to the sender before it ever sullies the ears and eyes of innocent children. Meanwhile, if your kid — girl or boy — wants to see “Becks” in his $20 underoos, all they have to do is order a back issue of Redbook.

The truth, however, is that whether its out of actual ignorance or turning a blind eye to regulations in the name of profit, there are holes in eBay’s ordering system. First off, like part of the Pirate’s Code from the movies, the minimum age of 18 is more of a guideline than a rule. People as young as 16 (perhaps younger) can get an account, provided they have a bank account they can tie to a credit card, or checking account of some kind, preferably through their adjunct payment service, Paypal. According to at least one source, there is no actual verification process for a user’s age. And plenty of parents grant their kids access to their eBay accounts. Regardless, Tim Sullivan is hardly responsible lackadaisical parenting, or a bug in the system.

How will this work out? It’s hard to say. The main thing right now is that eBay, in the immortal words of Ricky Ricardo, has some serious “’splainin’ to do.”

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Louis Love Here…

Check out this epic CGI extended trailer for  ‘Mass Effect 3′ Take Earth Back video game.

I WANT THIS NOW!!!!

Mass Effect 3 Take Earth Back

Developer: Bioware Release: 3/9/2012 Genre: RPG Platform: X360 Publisher: Bioware Website: http://masseffect.com

Game Synopsis.

In Mass Effect 3, an ancient alien race [...]

Louis Love Here…

Check out this epic CGI extended trailer for  ‘Mass Effect 3′ Take Earth Back video game.

I WANT THIS NOW!!!!

Mass Effect 3 Take Earth Back

Developer: Bioware
Release: 3/9/2012
Genre: RPG
Platform: X360
Publisher: Bioware
Website: http://masseffect.com

Game Synopsis.

In Mass Effect 3, an ancient alien race known only as “Reapers”, has launched an all-out invasion of the galaxy, leaving nothing but a trail of destruction in their wake. Earth has been taken, the galaxy is on the verge of total annihilation, and you are the only one who can stop them. The price of failure is extinction. You, as Commander Shepard, must lead the counter assault to take it back. Only you can determine how events will play out, which planets you will save from annihilation and which alliances you will form or abandon as you rally the forces of the galaxy to eliminate the Reaper threat once and for all.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

The upcoming ensemble superhero film scheduled to hit theaters in May 2012 will feature Robert Downey, Jr. (Iron Man, Iron Man 2) returning as Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Captain America and the rest of Marvel's famous team.

read more

Legendary Academy Award®-winning motion picture director/producer Steven Spielberg presents the critically acclaimed and multi Academy Award®-nominated epic adventure "War Horse" on Blu-ray™, DVD, Digital and On-Demand, April 3.

read more

A legendary smuggler who long ago abandoned his life of crime to become a law-abiding family man is dragged back into the cutthroat, underground world of international crime in the suspenseful thriller Contraband, coming to Blu-ray™ Combo Pack with UltraViolet™, as well as DVD, Digital Download and On Demand on April 24, 2012 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

read more