L.A. Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention Photos

Above, lots of comic books for sale.

We (my roomie and I) had a great time at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention at the Shrine Auditorium Expo Center. Rain was predicted but none fell (I am sure exhibitors were grateful for that).

I managed to get away from my table where I was selling The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan to look around.

I did see some Godzilla goods there. In my last post on the convention, I mentioned seeing kaiju fan Raven White there. I also bought a subtitled DVD of Space Battleship Yamato from him.

Here's a few photos of the convention:

Above, mannequins that one doesn't often see everyday.

Above, the Superboy panel group. Producer Ilya Salkind is at the far left and Superboy John Haymes Newton is second from right.

Above, the L.A. Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention, a collectors' paradise!

L.A. Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention: A Success!

The Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention was an enjoyable and successful event.

I was able to catch up with kaiju fan Raven White for a bit and sold many copies of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. I sold more than enough to cover the table cost!

The day went so well that we went out for sushi.

AOL News Posts Monster Japan Travel Guide Release

Above, Miki Hayashi with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

AOL News carried the news release on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan at today's Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention.

To view it (cached), go here.

L.A. Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention Is Today!

Today's the day!

The Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention opens its doors at 10:00 this morning at the Shrine Auditorium Expo Center.

We're all packed up with The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan and will be heading out to set-up our table.

C'mon down! It will be a fun show!

For more information, go here.

Dark Shadows Movie Photo

A new photo from the upcoming Dark Shadows movie, starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins, has surfaced:



The movie is set to be released this coming May and will feature cameos by original Dark Shadows cast members, including the original Barnabas, Jonathan Frid.

Standard & Poor’s cuts credit ratings for France and eight other European nations

More evidence that European socialism (something that Barack Obama is trying to impose here) doesn't work and is breaking the economies of several European countries, Standard & Poor downgraded the credit ratings of several.

From the Washington Post:

Standard & Poor’s imposed a sweeping cut to the credit standing of major European nations including France on Friday in an action that could further weaken the region’s finances and make life more expensive for governments as they fight to control a chronic crisis over public debt.

The action robs France and Austria of their prized AAA ratings, something the French government in particular had vowed to protect through recent measures to cut spending and raise taxes.

The fact that President Nicolas Sarkozy lost that battle could bode ill for the entire 17-nation euro-region — as well as for his own chances in an upcoming election. The effort to rescue countries like Greece and keep Italy from needing international help rests on the capacity of France, Germany and a cluster of smaller, economically successful countries to keep their economies on track and be able to borrow money at low rates.

The S&P action left the AAA rating of Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg intact.

Read more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/france-loses-aaa-in-euro-downgrade/2012/01/13/gIQAxALzwP_story.html

A Year and A Half Later...

A year and a half after it went to press, I finally got around to ordering a copy of Mad Scientist #21 (Spring, 2010) that contains a review of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan (go here to read an excerpt of the review).




Martin Arlt of Ann Arbor, Michigan puts out Mad Scientist which covers the world of science-fiction and horror movies (issue 21 has articles ranging from Godzilla to Island of Lost Souls to comic books).

Mad Scientist #21 features a great cover illustration of The Alligator People by Don Marquez (at right).

It is well-written and sports eye-pleasing layouts.




To order Mad Scientist go to the official website at http://www.madscientistzine.com/.

Give Mad Scientist a read. I think you'll enjoy it!

Smarter Travel.com: 13 Thrilling Real-Life Horror Locations

Regular readers of this blog know that I specialize in Japanese science-fiction and fantasy movie locations and landmarks which resulted in the world's first and only travel guide to those places, The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.


Right, the Shibuya 109 building in Tokyo, Japan that was demolished by Gamera and Megaguirus in two different movies.

I received a notice about an article on 13 horror movie locations from Smarter Travel.com.

They start their article with:

Happy Friday the 13th! Bored with the usual slasher movie marathon routine? Experience the terror first-hand by visiting a real-life horror movie location. Just make sure to bring along a friend who's a slower runner than you.

The locations covered include Friday The 13th, Jaws, and The Exorcist.

To see the article, go here.

Debt Ceiling: Another Capitulation In The Works?

Question of the day:

Will House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell bend over and spread their cheeks and give into Obama's demand for another trillion dollars?

"Gamera The Brave" Blu-ray Coming

Above, yours truly perusing the souvenir table at the 2006 "Gamera The Brave" Tokyo premiere from the Region 2 DVD.

Media Blasters announced on their Facebook page that they will be putting out a Blu-ray edition of the 2006 feature, Gamera The Brave.

I already have the Kadokawa Japanese Region 2 and the Media Blasters U.S. DVDs, so unless Media Blasters includes extras that their DVD doesn't include, I may pass.

If Media Blasters includes the April 2006 Tokyo premiere, I'll definitely get it.

Universal Centennial - Restoring the Classics - A Lifetime of Memories

Universal Pictures is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and to celebrate, they are doing some great things.

Here's what Universal Pictures posted:

Universal will mark its 100th anniversary in 2012, and will commemorate its centennial with a yearlong celebration honoring the studio's rich film history and cultural legacy. The campaign draws its inspiration from Universal's extraordinary and diverse library of films, many of which will be highlighted throughout the year, and is designed to engage fans of all ages in the art of moviemaking.

A significant element of the centennial includes the extensive restoration of 13 of the studio's most beloved titles such as To Kill a Mockingbird, All Quiet on the Western Front, Jaws, The Sting, Out of Africa, Frankenstein and Schindler's List.

Also included in the centennial restoration project is the 1931 Dracula starring Bela Lugosi and the 1931 Spanish version. Besides Frankenstein, Universal is restoring Bride of Frankenstein (1935) starring Boris Karloff.

Here is a 9-minute YouTube video Universal posted on the restoration:

Perfectpeople.net Picks Up Monster Japan Travel Guide News

Above, Yuu Asakura with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Perfectpeople.net's Yancy Butler Gossip and News page picked up the press release on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention on January 15.

Ms. Butler (Witchblade television series) is one of the special guests of the convention.



To view the site, go here.

L.A. Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention

The Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention at the Shrine Auditorium Expo Center is four days away (specifically, Sunday, January 15).

I'll have plenty of copies of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan available along with some table signs printed up, so I'd be easier to find.

Additionally, the travel guide will be available at a special 20% discount for convention attendees. That means $3.00 in savings! So you can get it for $12.00 at the convention.

The Shrine Auditorium Expo Center is located at 700 West 32nd St. in Los Angeles. It is near the University of Southern California (USC) and Exposition Park. Doors open at 10:00 AM.

For more information on the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention, go here.

Mitt Romney's New Hampshire Victory Speech

The Good Ol' Days

Above, Ronald Reagan at the 1976 Republican National Convention. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This year's GOP primary season is different for me.

In past election cycles, I've always had a clear favorite candidate. This year I don't, although all of the Republican contenders would be light years better than the Marxist incumbent in the White House.

This year also brings me back to days of yesteryear when Ronald Reagan was running and I was heavily into political activism.

At the "ripe old age" of 22, I was a California area chairman in my congressional distict (the Hawthorne-Lawndale-Gardena area of Los Angeles County) for Reagan when he ran against President Gerald Ford. I was also a Reagan delegate to the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

Although Reagan lost the nomination to Ford, I still wouldn't trade that experience for anything. After the convention, as we were being bused to the airport for our flight home, we passed a business that had a sign that read, "Goodbye, Republicans. You blew it!" Sure enough, Ford lost to Jimmy Carter in the general election.


Right, actor Michael Landon with Ronald Reagan at the 1980 California Primary Victory Party at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In 1980, I again was the area chairman for Reagan as well as a delegate to the 1980 Republican National Convention in Detroit, Michigan. That year, it was plainly obvious that Carter was an incompetent president (much like Obama this year) and that he should be defeated.

Thankfully, Reagan won the GOP nomination and general election.




In 1984, I served as the area chairman for Reagan's re-election campaign and served as an alternate delegate to the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas.


Above, a "welcome home" rally was held for Ronald and Nancy Reagan at Los Angeles International Airport following the 1980 GOP National Convention. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After that year, I ended up getting married and had a daughter (now age 25). That pretty much ended my years of hardcore political activism. But I remain somewhat involved here and there. Once it gets into your blood, it's hard to completely quit.

It will be interesting to see how this year's campaign turns out. This country is at the crossroads. Will it return to being the country that we grew up with or will it be permanently transformed into a socialist mess if Obama wins re-election?

Romney Wins New Hampshire GOP Primary

The voters of New Hampshire have made their presidential primary decision.

From the Associated Press:

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- Mitt Romney cruised to a solid victory in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday night, picking up steam from his first-place finish in the lead-off Iowa caucuses and firmly establishing himself as the man to beat for the Republican presidential nomination.

Returns from 52 percent of New Hampshire precincts showed Romney with 37 percent of the vote, followed by Texas Rep Paul with 23 percent, former Utah Gov. Huntsman with 17 percent and former House Speaker Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Santorum with 10 percent each.

To read the full article go here.

NOTE: While there is an active (and heated) primary season, I am refraining from endorsing any candidate. In 2008, each candidate during the primaries fell by the wayside when I did. Call me superstitious.

Event Monsters Picks Up Monster Japan Travel Guide News

Above, Yuu Asakura with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Event Monsters.com picked up the news release on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan at the January 15 (this coming Sunday) Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention at the Shrine Auditorium Expo Center.

About Event Monsters:

Have you ever thought to yourself, "Hmmm...I'm really bored. I really want to do something different but I keep doing the same old thing." Well,of course you have. The concept behind EventMonsters is to solve this very problem. If you're trying to find something new to do in your home city or on travel, then EventMonsters is the perfect site for you.

The passion behind EventMonsters is to build a community-based format to help you explore a city like never before. So take a stroll around our web pages, make sure to join our newsletter to get up-to-date listings of events and give us feedback on how to make this site better. Most of all, we want you to enjoy yourself.

To view the site, go here.

Monster Japan Travel Guide News In 7Life7

Above, Miki Hayashi with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

7Life7.com picked up the news release on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan at the January 15 (this coming Sunday) Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention at the Shrine Auditorium Expo Center.

7Life7.com is a search engine for all kinds of subjects.

To view the site, go here.

Obama's Arrogant Authoritarianism

Source: The Heritage Foundation

Last week, President Barack Obama took the latest step on his road toward an arrogant, new authoritarianism with four illegal appointments that entirely trampled on the Constitution's requirements. More troubling still, the President chose to shred the Constitution all in the name of serving his Big Labor agenda while killing jobs in the process.

The President's actions once again gave voice to his animating view of governing: doing so is much easier when one isn't constrained by the Constitution and its checks and balances. "We can't wait," the President exclaimed after unilaterally appointing Richard Cordray as director of the newly inaugurated Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). He also appointed three officials to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), two of whom had been nominated less than a month before.

The policy implications of the President's appointments? The CFPB will now have unmitigated authority to issue regulation upon regulation, contributing to the already-crippling red tape that is strangling business in America. And the NLRB will have the power to advance the President's agenda to bolster unions across the country at the expense of job growth in a smarting economy.

For what, exactly, can't the President wait, exactly? Quite simply, constitutional republicanism -- the system of checks and balances integral to American government and political freedom. He grew impatient with the delays that inevitably accompany any legislative action an acted outside the Constitution's mandated process. But the American people should ask, "Is such action really preferable to a deliberative, if slower-moving, constitutional republic?"

The President's appointments last week, troubling as they are, are but the next steps on the road to a despotic form of governance that has come to characterize his Administration -- and all of liberalism in America today -- what authors Fred Siegel and Joel Kotkin termed in City Journal this week Obama's "New Authoritarianism." Frustrated by the unwillingness of the people's representatives to enact his agenda wholesale, Obama has, from early in his Administration, sought to enact a series of proposals through administrative fiat, not the legislative process:

The Democrat-controlled Senate rejected his cap-and-trade plan, so Obama's Environmental Protection Agency classified carbon dioxide, the compound that sustains vegetative life, as a pollutant so that it could regulate it under the Clean Air Act.

After Congress defeated his stealth-amnesty immigration proposal, the DREAM Act, the Department of Homeland Security instructed Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to "adopt enforcement parameters that bring about the same ends as the DREAM Act," as Heritage's Mike Brownfield explained.

When the woefully misnamed Employee Free Choice Act--explicitly designed to bolster labor unions' dwindling membership rolls--was defeated by Congress, the NLRB announced a rule that would implement "snap elections" for union representation, limiting employers' abilities to make their case to workers and virtually guaranteeing a higher rate of unionization at the expense of workplace democracy.

After an innovation-killing Internet regulation proposal failed to make it through Congress, the Federal Communications Commission announced -- on Christmas Eve, no less -- that it would regulate the Web anyway, despite even a federal court's ruling that it had no authority to do so.

In its push for national education standards, the Education Department decided to tie waivers for the No Child Left Behind law to requirements that states adopt those standards, shutting Congress out of the effort.

Rather than push Congress to repeal federal laws against marijuana use, the Department of Justice (DOJ) simply decided it would no longer enforce those laws.

DOJ made a similar move with respect to the Defense of Marriage Act: rather than seeking legislative recourse, DOJ announced it would stop enforcing the law.

While these efforts are all aimed at circumventing the legislative process, none was so brazen as his four illegal appointments. Last week, Obama went one step further: He violated not just the spirit of the Constitution, which vests in Congress the power to make laws, but the letter of the law as well.

The move is "a breathtaking violation of the separation of powers," explain former U.S. Attorney General Ed Meese and Heritage colleague Todd Gaziano, a former attorney in DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel, in a Washington Post column. "[N]ever before has a president purported to make a 'recess' appointment when the Senate is demonstrably not in recess," they note. "That is a constitutional abuse of a high order."

Dr. Matthew Spalding, vice president of American Studies and director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics at The Heritage Foundation, explains that this "new despotism" -- a government where regulations and unilateral actions replace republican governance -- runs entirely counter to the Founders' vision of America:

The greatest political revolution since the American Founding has been the shift of power away from the institutions of constitutional government to an oligarchy of unelected experts. They rule over virtually every aspect of our daily lives, ostensibly in the name of the American people but in actuality by the claimed authority of science, policy expertise, and administrative efficiency.

If this regime becomes the undisputed norm -- accepted not only among the intellectual and political elites, but also by the American people, as the defining characteristic of the modern state -- it could well mark the end of our great experiment in self-government.

President Obama's actions are exactly the kind that the Founders feared and sought to guard against. His illegal appointments usurp power from the American people's duly elected representatives, and the regulations they will promulgate will, undoubtedly, contribute to the unabated growth of the undemocratic administrative state.

Now that the President has crossed the threshold of constitutionality, there really is no telling where he may stop. There is a clear trend here, however, and it leads further and further from the constitutional order. With these illegal appointments, the President has taken to new heights his disdain for the separation of powers. Whether it will stop here depends on Congress -- Will lawmakers of both parties reassert the legislature's constitutional authority and take a stand against Obama's arrogant new authoritarianism?

Airbus A380 Should Be Grounded, Say Engineers

A news item caught my attention while perusing Drudgereport.com.

It concerns the (relatively) new Airbus A380 super-jumbo jet. The first A380 went into service in October 2007 with Singapore Airlines. The maximum seating capacity of the A380 is 853 passengers.

According to the United Kingdom's Daily Mail:

Australian aircraft engineers have called for Airbus A380 - the world's biggest passenger aircraft - to be grounded, after Singapore Airlines and Qantas found cracks in the wings of their super-jumbos.
'We can't continue to gamble with people's lives and allow those aircraft to fly around and hope that they make it until their four-yearly inspection,' said Steve Purvinas, secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association.

Both airlines, and Airbus, admitted that they had discovered cracks, but maintained that the aircraft were safe. In total, 67 Airbus A380s are in use worldwide, on seven airlines. The aircraft are in use by Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Air France, Lufthansa, Korean Airlines and China Southern.

I can't say I'm surprised. The A380 is huge. I saw one fly-by while I was en route to Narita Airport last year. When it first came out, a friend who used to work for Boeing said at the time, "I wouldn't fly in one of those things!"

I wouldn't either.

I've always felt that there will come a time when the threshold is reached where an aircraft's size, weight and in-flight aerodynamic pressures will render it unsafe to use. I suspect that the A380 reached that threshold.

I agree with the Australian engineers. It should be grounded before one breaks apart in-flight with 853 people on board.

To read the full article, go here.

007 Discussion

Since posting about the 50th anniversary of the James Bond movie franchise the other day, some friends have been discussing the best and worst of the movies via email.

I received this one this evening:

We need to look at the Bond franchise from the perspective of the Top 5 and the Bottom 5:

Top 5:



1. From Russia With Love – most realistic spy film. Great fight on the train.

2. Goldfinger – the laser scene is unbeatable.

3. Thunderball - Fiona Volpe – the bad girl

4. Dr. No – the original has to be in the top tier

5. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – might have been #1 if Sean Connery starred. Nevertheless, a great film



Bottom 5:



1. Moonraker – bullshit in space

2. A View to a Kill – total crap

3. Octopussy – great title, but no substance

4. Any Timothy Dalton film – so that takes #4 and #5 spot

I don't particularly disagree with the Top 5, except I'd place Goldfinger No. 1.

Likewise, I generally agree with his Bottom 5, except when it comes to the Timothy Dalton movies. I liked Dalton's Bond and while the stories could've been better, I would put "Any Pierce Brosnan film" in the #4 and #5 spots. The screenplays were horrible and I never really warmed to Brosnan as Bond.

What do you think?

By the way, Roger Moore is planning to release a new book this year in keeping with the Bond anniversary, "Bond On Bond."

"Piss Poor"

The following was received from a friend tonight. I can't vouch for its accuracy:

Where did "piss poor" come from?

We older people need to learn something
new every day -- just to keep the
grey matter tuned up.

Where did "Piss Poor" come from?

Interesting History.
They used to use urine to tan animal skins,
so families used to all pee in a pot and
then once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery.
If you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor."

But worse than that were the really poor
folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot --
they "didn't have a pot to piss in," and were
the lowest of the low. The next time you are washing
your hands and complain because the water
temperature isn't just how you like it, think
about how things used to be.

Here are some facts about the 1500s:

Most people got married in June because they
took their yearly bath in May, and they
still smelled pretty good by June. However,
since they were starting to smell,
brides carried a "bouquet of flowers" to
hide the body odor. Hence the custom today
of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water.
The man of the house had the privilege of the
nice clean water, then all the other sons and
men, then the women and finally the children.
Last of all the babies. By then the water
was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.
Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby
out with the bath water!"

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high,
with no wood underneath. It was the only
place for animals to get warm, so all the
cats and other small animals (mice, bugs)
lived in the roof. When it rained it
became slippery and sometimes the
animals would slip and fall off the roof.
Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling
into the house. This posed a real
problem in the bedroom where bugs and
other droppings could mess up your nice
clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts
and a sheet hung over the top afforded
some protection. That's how
"canopy beds" came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had
something other than dirt. Hence
the saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy
had slate floors that would get slippery
in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh
(straw) on floor to help keep their footing.
As the winter wore on, they added more thresh
until, when you opened the door,
it would all start slipping outside. A piece
of wood was placed in the entrance-way.
Hence: a "thresh hold."

(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen
with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.
Every day they lit the fire and added things to
the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did
not get much meat. They would eat the stew
for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot
to get cold overnight and then start over the
next day. Sometimes stew had
food in it that had been there for quite
a while. Hence the rhyme:
"Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold,
peas porridge in the pot nine days old."

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which
made them feel quite special. When
visitors came over, they would hang up
their bacon to show off. It was a sign
of wealth that a man could, "bring home
the bacon." They would cut off a little
to share with guests and would all
sit around and "chew the fat."

Those with money had plates made of
pewter. Food with high acid content caused
some of the lead to leach onto the food,
causing lead poisoning death. This happened
most often with tomatoes, so for the next
400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status.
Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf,
the family got the middle, and guests
got the top, or the "upper crust."

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky.
The combination would sometimes knock the
imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone
walking along the road would take them for
dead and prepare them for burial. They
were laid out on the kitchen table for a
couple of days and the family would
gather around and eat and drink and wait
and see if they would wake up.
Hence the custom of "holding a wake."

England is old and small and the local folks
started running out of places to bury people.
So they would dig up coffins and would take the
bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave..
When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25
coffins were found to have scratch marks
on the inside and they realized they had
been burying people alive. So they
would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse,
lead it through the coffin and up through
the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone
would have to sit out in the graveyard all
night ("the graveyard shift") to listen
for the bell; thus, someone could be,
"saved by the bell,” or was considered
"a dead ringer."

And that's the truth.
Now, whoever said
History was boring!!!?

So get out there and educate someone!
Share these facts with a friend.

Big Hollywood's "Every Which Way But Loose"

Above, Geoffrey Lewis and Clint Eastwood.

Big Hollywood's has a new article on Clint Eastwood's Every Which Way But Loose.

Thank goodness they put an article up on it or I probably would. Since I agree with their review, I won't have to.

I did post a write-up on the movie's sequel, Any Which Way You Can last June. You can read it by going here.

To read Big Hollywood's article on Every Which Way But Loose, go here.

R.I.P. Tony Blankley

Sad news.

Conservative columnist and commentator Tony Blankley died yesterday at age 63. He was formerly The Washington Times editorial page editor and Newt Gingrich's press spokesman.

It was reported that Blankley passed away from stomach cancer.

I enjoyed his comments on The McLaughlin Group.

R.I.P. Tony Blankley.

Monster Japan Travel Guide In California Travel Guide

Above, Yuu Asakura with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

California Travel Guide.net posted the news release on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan at the January 15 Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention.

The website focuses on news and features of California tourist attractions and places of interest to Californians such as the state's national parks, Disneyland, resorts, skiing, wineries and the Mother Lode country.

To view the site go here.

The James Bond Films: 50th Anniversary

There's one thing that movie fans or, specifically, James Bond fans, can look forward to this year is the 50th anniversary of Eon Productions' James Bond franchise.

Above, Ursula Andress.

It was in 1962 that the franchise was launched by the first movie based on Ian Fleming's British Secret Service agent 007, Doctor No. The film was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli. That movie made Sean Connery an international star and it featured Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder, Jack Lord as CIA agent (and Bond pal) Felix Leiter, Joseph Wiseman as Doctor No, Bernard Lee as "M" and Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny. Desmond Llewelyn did not join the regulars as "Q" until the next movie, From Russia With Love.



Doctor No introduced the iconic "James Bond Theme" and the Maurice Binder "gun barrel" Bond opening sequence. It had a budget of one million dollars (low-budget by today's standards) and was released on October 5, 1962.

It will be fun to see what may be in store this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the James Bond films.



Left, Sean Connery in his first James Bond outing.

Sen. Marco Rubio's Letter To Obama

Senator Marco Rubio's (R-FL) letter to President Obama (click image to view larger):

Monster Japan Travel Guide News In Movies n More.com

Above, Yuu Asakura with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention news on January 15 (a week from this coming Sunday) has been picked up by Movies n More.com.

The site carries news and information on the movie industry, movie memorabilia, VHS, home theater systems, etc.

To view the site, go here.