The Sexy Armpit - A Whiff of Pop Culture from New Jersey

Guide For a Geeked Out Summer in New Jersey by The Sexy Armpit

2013-05-20T23:14:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I find myself taking for granted the amount of cool events that happen here in New Jersey. I remember times when I used to wish that I lived in a place where more cool shit happens, but I really have nothing to complain about. Of course, it's not like there's celebrities walking down the street like in Hollywood, and it's not like we have a night life like in Vegas or Miami, but if you're a geek, we've sure as hell got you covered! What follows is a list of cool events and things to do in the Garden State from now until the end of the summer. Trust me, you won't have a cruel summer if you let The Sexy Armpit show you how to sand the deck.

6/1, 6/2, 6/8, 6/9 New Jersey Renaissance Faire
I need not explain what a Renaissance Faire is, this is New Jersey's version takes place in Borden town. http://www.njrenfaire.com/Home.html

6/2 Rocky Horror Picture Show
Live production at Asbury Lanes. http://www.asburylanes.com/schedule.htm

6/6 Roxy's Gong Wild - Talent & Game Show
Have some cocktails and show off your talent in front of the judges to win big prizes. Roxy & Duke's Roadhouse, Dunellen. http://www.roxyanddukes.com

6/6 An Evening with Actor Joey Pantoliano
If the line "Let's kill each other over the pepperoni" is commonly bandied around on pizza night at your house, then you may want to attend an evening with Joey Pants at The Count Basie theater in Red Bank. http://www.countbasietheatre.org/calendar/show/show.asp?id=43248426

6/8, 6/9 Pirates Weekend
In case you didn't get your fill of puffy sleeved shirts, or if you dig those shirts and you just like to grab some booty in them, head to the Pirates and Privateers Weekend in Berkley Township June 8th and 9th. http://www.bloodyhistorical.us/festival/

6/8 Billy Idol
It's a nice day to see a Billy Idol concert. House of Blues in Atlantic City. http://www.houseofblues.com/venues/clubvenues/atlanticcity/

6/8 Legends of the Ring 16
A host of wrestling stars from past and present gather to meet fans for the longest running wrestling convention in the Northeast at the Crown Plaza in Monroe. Scheduled to appear: Sting, Edge, Dusty Rhodes and about 50 others! http://www.legendsofthering.com

6/11 Steve Schirippa
Soprano's star signs his new book Big Daddy's Rules at Bookends in Ridgewood. http://www.book-ends.com/

6/15 Zombie Bikini Carwash
"Get your car washed by the hottest bikini zombies you will ever see." The Rail, Richland, NJ.

6/15 The Burlesquepades
Ice Capades + Burlesque at Asbury Lanes. http://www.asburylanes.com/schedule.htm

Delsea Drive-In Theatre
The Man of Steel and The Long Ranger are characters that have been around for quite a long time. They deserve some respect, so do it up old school for 'em. See these summer blockbusters in an actual original drive-in theatre. NJ's only drive-in theatre was built in 1949, and since 2004, after a long hiatus, it's been showing first run movies. http://www.delseadrive-in.com/nowplaying.php

6/18 Kings of the Mic Tour
The fact that L.L Cool J, Ice Cube, Public Enemy, De Le Soul are on a package tour makes me feel kinda weird...I mean OLD. These are rap and hip-hop legends so this is an easy way to check out all of them at once. Coming to NJPac in Newark. http://www.njpac.org/events/detail/authentic-hip-hop

6/19 George The Animal Steele
Steele signs his new book, Animal at Bookends in Ridgewood. http://www.book-ends.com/

6/21 Short Film Festival and Networking Reception
Submit your film or just come to watch and meet the filmmakers at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway. Live Music, free food, and independent short films. http://www.rahwayfilmfest.com

7/5 WWE Live
The way things are going right now in the WWE, your cousin Ned's backyard fireworks display might be just as fun as seeing WWE Live in Wildwood. http://www.wwe.com/events/all/all/all/all/all/3000/mi/page-6

7/14 Jersey Shore Comic Book Show
Comics. Buy some. Free admission. Guest Artists. Forked River, NJ. https://www.facebook.com/JerseyShoreComicBookShow

7/20 Alice Cooper
Uncle Alice haunts the House of Blues in A.C. http://www.houseofblues.com/venues/clubvenues/atlanticcity/

7/20 11th Annual NJ State Ice Cream Festival
Ice cream tastings, contests, vendors, games, rides, food, and entertainment. Downtown Toms River. http://www.downtowntomsriver.com/icecream/festival.htm

7/26 - 7/28 4th Annual Visionary Tattoo Arts Festival, Asbury Park
Tattoos, artists, vendors, etc. for more info and tickets go here: http://visionarytattoofest.com

8/16 - 8/18 Monster Mania Horror Con
With the latest news that the creators of the Monster Mania Convention will be opening a store in New Jersey, it's taking away from the announcements of guests at the next Monster Mania Convention in Cherry Hill. At the con you'll be able to meet Carrie Fisher, Malcolm McDowell, and the cast of SyFy's Being Human to name a few. Check out their official site for more guest announcements. http://www.monstermania.net/MMC25_GUESTS.html

8/18 - 8/25 JAWS on the Beach
Shore Flicks will be screening my favorite film to watch in the summer, JAWS, at multiple locations for FREE! The film will be projected on a huge screen on the beach or at waterfronts all along the Jersey Shore. That's how they roll. It's like a drive-in, but without the cars. I saw Batman on the beach in Asbury a few summers ago and it was awesome, but the only problem is when it's really windy the screen starts to flap around. Either way, nothing beats watching Jaws on the beach at night. It's the Jersey Shore equivalent of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, expect Jaws isn't wearing lingerie...or singing. Go here for the full listing of films Shore Flicks will be presenting this summer: https://www.facebook.com/ShoreFlicks

8/18 NJ Collector's Convention
Pretend you are the Toy Hunter and buy some stuff to sell or find some giant sized action figure you can buy and hold onto until you die like I do, or simply check out the costume contest, vendor tables with comics, video games, and all kinds of other collectibles. Holiday Inn, Cherry Hill. http://www.newjerseycollectorscon.com

Arcades and Nerf Battle Arenas
Get out of the heat and into an arcade. Spots like Yestercades, The Break, and the Silver Ball Museum offer a retro video gaming experience the way you remember it. Get into some adult style Nerf wars at the Airsoft Factory.

*If you would like me to list your event, or you think I should add one of interest, please contact me via twitter @sexyarmpit or e-mail sexyarmpit@comcast.net.

GREAT GEEK GORGE #8: Eating Katy Perry, Chiller Theatre, and 12" Action Dolls!

2013-05-08T09:16:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the long winded 8th edition of Great Geek Gorge. This where I spew about some of the crap I bought or consumed recently and throw it all into one very random post. Today we'll look at a new snack, some giant action figures, and some hot zombie mermaids.

Katy Perry's Kettle Corn Pop Chips

The thought of eating Katy Perry's...chips...appeals to me. Like many of you, I also easily fall prey to product tie-ins. If Katy Perry was on the carton of Eggland's Best, or growing her own line of organic watermelons (Katy's watermelon's...), or even a Campbell's soup tie-in (Katy's Clam Chowder), I'd be on line at the store as soon as they are released. You can see how it makes food more appealing. When I was a kid and went grocery shopping with my mom, anytime I saw Batman or Superman on the label of a peanut butter container, I nearly went into convulsions. Had to have it. Not much has changed.

Normally, I enjoy Pop Chips. They are a lighter alternative to other types of chips, but I can't say I buy them often though because they seem pricey for a bag filled with air and just a few chips at the bottom. Hands down my favorite flavor is Barbecue - I could polish off a regular sized bag in no time. So when I saw a display of Katy Perry in Quick Check advertising her new Pop Chips flavor, it was obvious I went into my usual "buy two" mode. After tasting them I was disappointed that the Kettle Corn flavor wasn't prominent enough. I don't know if that means they weren't sweet enough or what, but I will tell you that I don't think it was necessary to make chips in the flavor of kettle corn when you can just buy a bag of actual kettle corn and bypass any possible disappointment. It's like ordering steak-flavored chicken at a steakhouse. Katy should've just created her own candy line instead.

Chiller Theater Expo - April 26th, 2013

Usually I find a few cool things at the Chiller Theater Expo here in N.J to share with you and the Spring 2013 installment yielded a couple of worthy items. A few weeks back, the pop culture and toy convention took over the castle themed Sheraton in Parsippany, NJ. Sure, the guest signings are great, but my favorite part is always the dealer rooms. Even though the rooms get a bit cramped, they are chock full of stuff that you can't find anywhere else.

First I ran into my buddy Jessica Rajs from Gorgeous and Gory. Each year, Jess and her crew create a fantastic calendar featuring zombified pinup models. This year's theme is mermaids. The photography and effects are incredible and the makeup is superb, so head over to Gorgeous and Gory to get one for yourself!

Cookie's art. kicks. ass. Cookie's own brand of art is inspired by punk rock and horror and is aptly named Rock and Roll Art School. I wasn't familiar with Cookie before the last Chiller, but that's the beauty of the event. I was walking around the dealer room and anytime I see neon colors or Lily Munster I stop right in my tracks. I'm easily distracted so this brightly colored painting of Lily was screaming for me to buy it, and I replied out loud immediately, "You don't have to scream at me neaon Lily, you had me at "Ohhh Herman." Check out Cookie's collection of vibrant monster and tattoo art for sale at his Etsy shop! http://www.etsy.com/shop/RockNRollArtSchool

WB Store 12" DC Super Heroes Batman Figure - now with BONUS extraneous backstory!

Lately I've been on a kick of larger sized action figures - which are actually more like dolls. Obviously many male collectors don't want to admit that they own dolls, and I will only admit it if it seriously reminds me of a freaking doll. If it's 6" inches tall or smaller and is made of plastic, it's an action figure. Any bigger than that then the figure/doll war rages on.

Growing up, I had no use for any figure larger than my Kenner Super Powers or Star Wars figures. They were perfectly sized and very easy to collect. I came to the party a little late for the '70s Mego phase, so the larger sized action-doll type figures (satisfying everyone, see?) with changeable clothes never appealed to me, and they really still don't. I'm talking about these 12"-14" monstrous sized plastic and vinyl figures. I always used to wonder why these giant collectibles were even getting made and I also wondered who was actually buying them since they seemed to sit on the shelves forever when I was a kid. For some reason though, within the past year or so, I've been having these urges to own several key figures of this size. If you ask me what my inspiration is, I can't even tell you because I have absolutely no clue what brought this on. I only recently found out about the re-release of the 12" Star Wars figures, but I am not going to let myself fall into that Sarlaac Pit of collecting. Maybe the culprit was when I picked up those 10" Dark Knight Rises Batman and Bane figures? Now just stop it Jay. We can't keep this going or I'm going to have to buy another place just for my toys.

Let me take you back to when I could care less about figures of this size. When the mall was the place to be, before eBay and Amazon became one of my favorite past times, I actually used to go to the mall with my friends. Yes, we physically ventured out of the house and into a place where you could put one foot in front of the other and transport yourself from store to store. Novel idea right? Many times we walked to the two nearby malls, (ahh we used to have so much ambition, right?) other times we got dropped off by our parents. Much like Shannon in Mallrats, I too used to have a shopping agenda, and much like Brody in Mallrats, I was there for comics.

The two malls in my vicinity no longer even have comic book shops, but back in the day there were a couple that I frequented like Heroes World and Comic Attitudes, among others. In addition to the comic shops, I always had to stop at music stores like Record Town and Sam Goody, and eventually I'd start browsing videos at Suncoast Motion Picture Company. There was also the Warner Brothers Studio Store which usually came through with some cool DC Super Hero swag that you couldn't find anywhere else.

That was a long journey just to tell you that I found a badass black 12" Batman figure at Chiller. This particular figure/doll is one I hadn't seen since my days of actually walking around the mall. I was able to knock the price down enough and brought it home. I felt like this was a good score since this specific line is pretty scarce, even on eBay. And now I find myself on a quest for a few of his peeps so he has someone to hang out with. The funny part about this line of DC Superheroes is that when they were on the shelves it was like they didn't exist to me. I hated every aspect of oversized figures. Now, I'm obsessed with the idea. Funny how things change in some respects, but I'm still such an easy target for slapping Katy Perry on a bag of chips as if I was a 7 year old girl.

NJ T-Shirt Tuesday 106: KILL Tour T-Shirt from Fright Rags

2013-05-07T07:45:00.000-04:00

Fright Rags limited edition "KILL" baseball style tee

Often, when something "limited edition" comes down the pike I just have to own it. A prime example is the KILL tour t-shirt that was released as a special edition by Fright Rags recently. Fright Rags is known for printing up genius, one of a kind horror tees, and this may be one of the best they ever conceived. Check it out and you can be the judge of that.

The KILL Tour T-shirt is inspired by the Destroyer album cover art from my favorite band, KISS. Anytime the world of horror combines with KISS, it's a win-win. The t-shirt art includes Freddy, Chucky, Jason Voorhees, and Leatherface taking the place of KISS. What knocks this baseball style tee right out of the old Roosevelt Stadium is KILL's tour stops are listed on the back just like an old vintage concert t-shirt! On KILL's Decades of Destruction Tour, in honor of the release of the original Friday the 13th film, the band's May 9th, 1980 tour stop was at Crystal Lake...in NEW JERSAAAY!

Previous releases that I also HAD TO HAVE included G.I Jason (the GI Joe/Jason Voorhees mashup) and one of their beautiful Friday the 13th The Final Chapter tees. Artist Jason Edmiston was responsible for the artwork on both the GI Jason tee as well as this KILL tour shirt, but the new one may take the cake. It's a dead heat for me. What do you think? If you own the regular black t-shirt version of "KILL," it's slightly more accurate to the Destroyer cover, but I opted for the larger KILL logo on the baseball tee.

You can now see why I felt so compelled to make this shirt part of my wardrobe. But surprisingly, this shirt wasn't released without criticism since it's hard to please everyone. The flack on this shirt was that Michael Myers should've been in the artwork instead of Chucky. I'm not sure why that happened, but if Myers was on the shirt instead it would indeed be perfect. I'm not complaining one bit though, I think it was an awesome idea and I'd like to see more cool ideas like this from Fright Rags.

Back From Hiatus!

2013-05-06T10:12:00.000-04:00

As a long time blogger, I've always tried to take short breaks so I don't get burned out. I've seen so many blogs come and go through the years because their real life responsibilities take priority, and for me that's definitely the most important thing to keep in mind. It's hard to fathom that there's a bunch of people who actually like to come here and read this stuff. I'm programmed to do this for my own creative outlet and I often forget I have readers.

If you're wondering where I've been, I haven't gone anywhere, although I was distracted from blogging temporarily. I am back now though. During the short hiatus I did some writing for New Jersey's most famous news outlet The Star Ledger/NJ.com. I covered one of my favorite things, WWE's Wrestlemania - right here in New Jersey, and it was quite an awesome moment in my life. To top it off, the live broadcast of WWE Monday Night Raw from Izod Center (which was said to have the greatest crowd in recent history) the day after 'Mania, showed a screen shot of one of my live reports during a montage. Being a small part of that show felt phenomenal.

A few other major events have been going on in personal life as well. Two of my close friends are getting married within the same week this month and I'm in both wedding parties. One of the guys is Mike @idiotatplay who co-stars in The Sexy Armpit show on our YouTube channel. Mind you, getting all dressed up is not something that I truly enjoy, but for these guys I don't mind at all, and Mike's letting us wear Chuck Taylor's with the tuxedo's, so it's all good!

Yes, blogging is a hobby, but it's still a lot of work. I have an actual job like most of you reading this, and I write that because many people arrive at blogs and websites thinking that the owners live in some fantasy world where blogging is a solid $100,000/a year full-time job, and obviously that's not true.

Sometimes what life hands us down is a lot to process and blogging winds up falling down the priorities list. When that happens my online activity dwindles, but I always know that I will be back as soon as possible. Just like when a TV station is having technical difficulties, I always return shortly.

Wrestlemania Week Begins!

2013-03-31T22:58:00.000-04:00

I came up with the ad for how a New Jersey Wrestlemania should look!

We've been waiting a whole year since the announcement that Wrestlemania 29 would emanate from Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. Finally, the time is upon us! LIVE from the home of the Giants and the Jets, Wrestlemania 29 all goes down on Sunday April 7th, 2013 live on Pay-Per-View.

It's been a long standing battle as to why the Giants and the Jets are referred to as New York teams when they actually play in New Jersey. The same thing is happening with Wrestlemania 29. All of the official logos and advertisements feature a NY/NJ combo rather than just NJ where the venue clearly is. I can understand the fact that the venue and the teams that play in it are shared by NY and NJ, but in wrestling terms there should be no debate.

I took it upon myself to bury this nonsense by fixing the official Wrestlemania ad. Rather than show The Rock, Brock Lesnar, and John Cena, like the original, I replaced them all with wrestlers from New Jersey. Featured in The Sexy Armpit version of the Wrestlemania ad is the late Bam Bam Bigelow, the walking condominium King Kong Bundy, Diamond Dallas Page, one of my favorite indie wrestlers Jay Lethal, and present WWE Superstar A.J Lee. Notice A.J is proudly wearing her Sexy Armpit C.M Punk style t-shirt.

It doesn't stop there for the Jersey-fied ad. Not only is the Jersey City skyline pictured in the distance, but there's also a special attraction match!

This grudge match will settle the score for who is more Jersey. Jersey Shore inspired wrestler Robbie E. of TNA Wrestling facing off against Randy "The Ram" Robinson who lives in New Jersey in one of my favorite films, The Wrestler. Considering Robbie E. was mentioned in the movie, this would be a cool match to see. Randy "The Ram" feels that Robbie E. is making a mockery of his home state and Robbie E. feels that The Ram is all washed up. *We've confirmed that Randy survived his last match against the Ayatollah and he has clearance from his doctor to wrestle.

NJ T-Shirt Tuesday 105: My Chemical Romance

2013-03-26T11:00:00.002-04:00

Some cool MCR T-Shirt designs

Wow, it's been a while since I posted a T-Shirt Tuesday, so here we go! If you're into the rock music scene you've probably heard by now that New Jersey's My Chemical Romance announced their break-up last week to the dismay of their legion of passionate fans.

Often mislabeled and passed off as merely "emo punks," MCR were more than just a rock band. Each member of the band became a larger than life comic book character in the same vein of The Beatles and KISS. They also created a vast mythology to go along with their music, storytelling like a goth-glam Springsteen times five. Perhaps they'll go the way of Green Day and formulate a Welcome to the Black Parade Broadway show? I'd go see it.

Most recently in the world of MCR, and prior to releasing single tracks from an incomplete album, the band unleashed the under appreciated Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, a poppy, upbeat spectacle of rock, one which I admire and rotate on my iPod Classic often.

After 12 years the band has called it quits, yet I feel that they still have more to accomplish music-wise. I'm hoping we'll see a HUGE reunion tour in about 5 years. I can definitely see them rising to new heights and selling out stadiums in the future. After all, we need a band to be "thee band," since there's a major void in rock music nowadays. Rock in general has languished in the past several years so this split comes at a bad time. The world needs another revolutionary rock album and unfortunately MCR was on the short list of bands who could've created the next one.

As far as band t-shirts go, My Chem has always had some of the coolest looking tees. Their shirts are usually wearable in any context (i.e fashionable), meaning that some people may not realize it's even a band shirt because they just look cool. Keep in mind, there are zillions of MCR shirts floating around, but today I bring you some pics of my favorites and a few that I own as well. Many of the designs of their badass t-shirts incorporate their logos, symbols, and characters from their songs. Here is a link to their official online store which is still open for business: http://store.mychemicalromance.com/?q=shop/featured

Garden State of Alderney: Grand Theft Auto IV

2013-03-21T20:34:00.002-04:00

Grand Theft Auto in NJ

Gamer is not a word anyone would use to describe me unless they were talking about Words With Friends or Trivial Pursuit. Don't get me wrong, I was much more of a video gamer in the '80s and '90s, when it didn't take a master's degree in engineering to advance to merely the 3rd level of a game. Even the open ended games where the player is free to explore his or her surroundings were lost me. In games like Grand Theft Auto, players can shoot at anything they want to, pick things up from the ground, or talk trash to a person passing them on the street. I prefer to have more of an agenda in my game playing.

Although I've heard nothing but great feedback from friends about the Grand Theft Auto series, it never enticed me at all. It must be pretty awesome since several sequels have been churned out consistently since it's debut in 1997. With GTA V slated for September 2013, let's look back at GTA IV. One of the coolest aspects of the game is that it features an independent state adjacent to Liberty City called Alderney, a.k.a New Jersey which you can read more about at these links:

Grand Theft Wiki - Alderney

GTA WIKI - Alderney

Weinermobile at FDU in Teaneck, NJ

2013-03-20T21:29:00.000-04:00

If you've been following along this week, I've been trying to stick with a car theme. Today's post combines cars, pop culture, and of course...New Jersey! It's hard to ignore a giant car shaped like a hot dog and aptly named THE WEINERMOBILE! The Oscar Meyer Weinermobile is legendary and I always wanted to see it driving around but I always miss it. This video posted above is the next best thing. It's the iconic vehicle's appearance at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ from 2010. Great video! Give it a thumbs up! Thanks to YouTube user WFDU891.

NJ Formula 1 Race in Coming in 2014: Red Bull Racing Promo

2013-03-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

A Formula 1 race was slated to hit the streets of North Jersey this year, but it was postponed until 2014. According to the official statement from F-1, it's on track for next year. The 3.2 mile race will pass through Weehawken and West New York, NJ along the Hudson River. After the initial announcement of the race hit, my excitement was too soon doused with the news of the cancellation. But watching this promo video made by the Red Bull Racing team brings all that excitement back. Grand Prix racing through the streets of New Jersey is just a lot cooler than driving around an oval track for 200 laps. Sorry Nascar!

Vera Farmiga Is March's Garden State Playmate!

2013-03-18T20:23:00.001-04:00

Ukranian-American beauty and Oscar nominated actress Vera Farmiga is our Garden State Playmate for March 2013! She was born in Passaic County, NJ and graduated from Hunterdon Central Regional High School. If by chance you aren't familiar with this talented actress, you will be soon since there's sure to be a buzz about her upcoming role on A&E's Bates Motel.

It was brilliant casting her as Norma (Norman's mother) in the Psycho prequel series set in the modern day. The premiere episode was outstanding, mostly due to Farmiga's ability to easily sink into a role so perverse and brutal. She was a perfect choice for such an iconic role. After I viewed the first episode I have a feeling she's going to give Olivia Hussey (Norman in Psycho IV) a run for her money!

Before Bates Motel you may have seen Farmiga in movies like Autum in New York, 15 Minutes, Orphan, Up in the Air (in which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress), and Safe House.

A few interesting facts about Vera:

- Farmiga's parents are Ukranian immigrants and according to IMDB she is the second of seven children.
- She didn't speak English until she was 6 years old

- She plays the piano

- She owns pet angora goats.

- Had her first child at age 35 and her second at 37

New Jersey's Great Pop Culture Moments 74: The Cannonball Run

2013-03-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Check out the old NJ State Police Cruiser from The Cannonball Run (1981) !!

You may not remember this quick scene, but the cross country car race depicted in the 1981 comedy The Cannonball Run made a stop in New Jersey. In a humorous scene, incognito racer J.J McClure (Burt Reynolds) and mechanic Victor Prinzim (Dom DeLuise) are caught speeding at 120 miles in their ambulance when they are stopped by two New Jersey State Troopers.

Dr. Nikolas Van Helsing (Jack Elam) and the young photographer Pamela (Farrah Fawcett) are in the back of the ambulance. We assume that Dr. Van Helsing administered some sort of drug to Pam since she's babbling and giggling as he formulates a tall tale to the police about her having cysts on her lungs that require urgent care in L.A, but only via a cross country drive, not a flight.

J.J:

"Let me explain something to you, we have to get the senator's wife to California in 72 hours,

do you understand what I'm saying?...We have to get the senator's wife to California in 72 hours."

VICTOR:

"We're very close"

NJ STATE TROOPER:

"As long as you're in New Jersey, I want you fellas to take it easy...you got that?"

VICTOR

"We sure do, thanks a lot"

NJ STATE TROOPER:

"I'm glad there's no cupcakes like that in New Jersey"

NJ STATE TROOPER 2:

"You haven't met my brother in law Ralph"

GREAT GEEK GORGE #7

2013-03-13T09:31:00.000-04:00

OZ The Great and Powerful

I can't claim that I've read every single OZ book like our friend Pax at Cavalcade of Awesome, but I've been a huge fan of the OZ films since I was a little kid. The Wizard of OZ and Return to OZ have always been a couple of my favorite films of all time. I was also fortunate enough to see Return to OZ at Radio City Music Hall when it first came out for a Disney Summer Magic Spectacular which was an incredible day at Radio City in New York. So, I was pumped when I heard a prequel was coming out. I fought the wintry weather in Jersey and headed to theater with great anticipation.

I was looking forward to seeing if this talented cast could pull of some magic of their own. They did indeed. With the directorial efforts of Sam Raimi, they did what I never thought was possible by bringing an awesome OZ film to the big screen.The key aspect that was a major element for me is if they could make me feel like I was watching a movie that was presented on a grand scale. During the film I was truly sucked into the world of OZ, albeit one that was fully fleshed out with CGI and not made up of painted backdrops. The effects were fantastic and they weren't overdone to the point where everything looked fake. There was fantasy, scares, and a lot of jokes. There was also many nods to the original film, most importantly for me was to see how the movie would transition from B&W to color. They didn't go for the sepia tone that is used early on in The Wizard of Oz, but the B&W contrasted even better with the vibrant world of OZ.

The cast was strong and each actor brought an authentic performance. *Spoiler* I wanted to love Mila Kunis in the role of the Wicked Witch, but I had a hard time buying her as a demonic looking evil witch since we are used to seeing her as a sweetheart as in movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and even when she's a materialistic airhead like Jackie in That '70s Show. I felt like her role would've had more impact if she didn't look like a demon. Apparently, from what I've read, they weren't allowed to use the specific green color makeup used on Margaret Hamilton, but if Kunis' makeup was a little more natural looking, it may have worked better, but I'm still satisfied with the result. Also, I'm not sure if Kunis recorded the Witch's cackle or not, but it was pretty dead on.

Aside from the standout performances by James Franco as Oz himself and Michelle Williams as Glinda, the highlights of the film is the Garden Stater Zach Braff as Frank and OZ's sidekick Finley the flying monkey and Joey King as China Girl. Also mentioned prominently is that OTHER Wizard who Oz admired..."The Wizard of Menlo Park, NJ," Thomas Edison! New Jersey was represented well in this film and that was genuinely cool since I didn't expect there to be any NJ love coming from the magical land of OZ. Even better news is that thanks to a strong opening weekend, supposedly a sequel is already being formulated at Disney.

Marvel Alliance Action Figures

In past installments of this sporadic column, I've warned myself not to get into collecting another series of collectibles, but in this case I was powerless. Many of you know me as a DC guy, but I'm not against Marvel in any way. As a kid I was a huge fan of the Secret Wars figure line. Come to think of it, I always use Secret Wars, Star Wars, and Super Powers as the measuring stick for all other action figures.

I haven't been collecting toys and figures as much as I used to since it's all getting too expensive. But on a recent trip to Target for my niece's birthday I ran into a sweet Punisher figure from the Marvel Alliance series. Also, for my birthday Miss Sexy Armpit got me Black Widow and Ghost Rider from this line.

These 3.75 inch figures are way overpriced at around $9.99, but the whole series is sculpted with much detail and they are meticulously painted, so they didn't give me much of choice. We've come a long way from the Secret Wars line in terms of detail, but there was a sleekness and simplicity in those Mattel figures. Considering the size of these it feels like they were reaching out to me telepathically claiming "We're the modern day equivalent to Secret Wars...COME PLAY WITH US!"

Cracker Jack'd "Snacks With Impact"

Has anyone ever told you that you have a serious impulse control problem? Why yes Riddler, I've been told that many times. In fact, I told myself that at Hess Express on Saturday when I bought two bags of new Cracker Jack'd snacks. I must say, the branding is what made me curious enough to take the shot at buying them. If I didn't have fond memories as a kid of eating Cracker Jacks that my Dad bought me I don't think I would've give these new Jacks a second thought.

After tearing into the Chocolate Mocha bites first, I really enjoyed the flavor. These are little chocolate covered nuggets of what almost has the interior texture of chocolate crunchies from an ice cream cake or some wafer-like cookie, but with a flavor of strong coffee, like an espresso. These little bites also contain real coffee beans and are caffeinated. The problem with them is that due to the chocolate they are pretty high in fat. If you don't care about that then I recommend these because they are tasty. I actually did feel the effects from the caffeine whereas a few other reviewers around the Internet claimed they didn't get even a minor caffeine buzz. There's also a vanilla mocha flavor which I didn't see at the store or else I would've picked it up.

As for the other bag, the Spicy Pizzeria flavor (Intense Mix) were pretty mundane. There's a bunch of pretzel type bits in the bag along with a bunch of other random and nondescript pieces of other snacks or nuts dusted with Pizza flavoring. The flavoring is questionable. It's definitely not reminiscent of pizza flavoring from Combos or Keebler Pizzarias unfortunately. Pass on this one.

Doritos Jacked Ranch Dipped Hot Wings

Skip these. Just skip them as furiously as possible. If I had the time traveling means of Bill & Ted I would've had my past self to visit me in the present day at the local Target to warn me NOT to buy these silly things. They "Jacked" Doritos are masquerading as real Doritos when in fact they are a completely different and extremely less enjoyable tortilla chip. The flavor varieties are great, but they don't pull them off well. I didn't find the ranch dipped hot wings to taste authentic at all. The hot wings OR ranch flavor didn't really hit me. As I stated in my last post about these, they are too large. I always find myself having to break them into pieces to actually eat them. In addition, they are too hard and too crunchy. If you're the type of person who loves snacks that have the potential to break your teeth, then get these, but they should not exist as Doritos. You can never go wrong with the regular line of Doritos. The Jacked should cease to exist.

HOLD THE JELLO!! STILES IS FROM JERSEY!

2013-03-05T22:35:00.001-05:00

Look, are you gonna tell me you're from Jersey? Cause if you're gonna tell me you're from Jersey, I don't think I can handle it. But if you're gonna tell me that Stiles from 1985's Teen Wolf is from New Jersey, now that's more like it! Yes, it's true! Jerry Levine hails from New Brunswick, NJ! HEY LEMONADE GIVE ME FIVE MAN!

I should've known all along. The outlandish friend. That guy who brings the party everywhere he goes. You know him. He has an endless array of witty comments, an infinite collection of quippy t-shirts, and he's a legendary urban surfer. A guy with that description must be from New Jersey. Reason being - if he was from California he wouldn't have to surf on top of his best friend's father's hardware store delivery van. We all need a Larry Dallas type in our life. He's the type of friend who pushes the limits. He helps us live life to the fullest. And he never has any money. Same with Stiles. In fact, we may think he was even an honorary Goonie at some point: "Never Say Die!"

Stiles was a character who we might never have been acquainted with if not for Damone and Spicoli from Fast Times. More modern, a bit more refined, Stiles was a hero amongst many of us kids when Teen Wolf came out. Sure Scott Howard was cool, but Stiles had that natural charisma. He had the cool shades, the funny story about the shop teacher, and the always chic "What Are You Looking At Dicknose" t-shirt.

Scott needed the wolf to be cool, while Stiles just acted whatever way he wanted to at any given moment. He didn't care if people hated his red pants or if the whole basketball team viewed him as an annoyance and wondered why he was hanging out in their locker rooms after the games, even if he was supposedly just trying to score some cash. At parties, Stiles was the master of ceremonies. Or if Dana Barrett ran into him she might say "You don't act like a zany best friend, more like a game show host..."

Stiles is the type of friend who goes to great lengths to bring you a keg...of beer. And these. He will also dump jello down a former Playboy Playmate's shirt and make Chubby eat it all out. That sounds like bowls of fun. Who wouldn't want to be friends with Stiles? In fact, we all probably have a friend like Stiles already. If you do, go right now and see if he needs help sniffing out his stash in the garage.

*Jerry Levine graduated Highland Park High School in Highland Park, NJ

*Thank MTV for making me specify "1985's Teen Wolf." Ridiculous! Cancel that shit.

Nerd Lunch Episode 73: It's A Real Swashbuckler!

2013-02-19T15:38:00.000-05:00

Click HERE to go to Nerd Lunch

In this installment of the Nerd Lunch Podcast, CT, Pax, and Rob from To The Escape Hatch talk about all aspects of The Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. We get into what we loved and hated, which installments were the best, and what we'd like to see in the 5th film. It was a fun time and if you're a fan of the franchise or the genre overall, head to iTunes and download it for FREE!

Yo-ho, Yo-ho a Pirate's Life For Me! Read more piratey goodness from The Sexy Armpit:

Buried Treasure? X Marks The Spot In New Jersey

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Jersey Tides

Judith Light is February's Garden State Playmate

2013-02-12T21:48:00.000-05:00

"ANGELA!" In my head I can hear Tony Danza's rough voice ascend into a higher register as he replies to his boss with some mildly comedic response. I grew up watching Who's The Boss and Judith Light played the uptight, '80s yuppie Angela Bower to perfection. There were times when I lost a dream or two, but I found the trail and at the end was February's Garden State Playmate, Judith Light!

Born in Trenton, NJ, Judith Light was starring in TV shows well before she broke out with Who's the Boss. In fact, all throughout the late '70s and '80s you could catch her on TV pretty much any day of the week. She appeared on One Life to Live, St. Elsewhere, Remington Steele, Kojak, and Family Ties.

One of her most well received performances was in the 1989 made-for-TV movie The Ryan White Story, about a 13 year old hemophiliac who contracted AIDS. In 1999, Light bravely took on the role in the off-Broadway show Wit where she shaved her head completely as she played a "literary academic dying of ovarian cancer" according to IMDB.

More recently, Light has appeared on Law and Order SVU, Ugly Betty, Nurse Jackie, and now you can catch her on one of my favorites...DALLAS! In the TNT reboot of the long running show, she plays Judith Ryland, the rotten and controlling mother (mother? really?) of the 2nd season's villain.

*She attended St. Mary's Hall in Burlington, NJ. (IMDB)

New Jersey's Great Pop Culture Moments 73: The Bounty Hunter

2013-02-11T07:50:00.000-05:00

What I loved about the movie Hitch was Kevin James' dance practice sequence. Unfortunately none of Kevin James comic relief was present in director Andy Tenant's 2010 feature, The Bounty Hunter. With the supporting cast including the likes of comic actors such as Jason Sudeikis, Jeff Garlin, and Christine Baranski, it didn't really make me laugh much. But luckily, it wasn't as bad as Tenant's 2008 movie, Fool's Gold. But, since today is her birthday, I figured I'd post about a film starring Jennifer Aniston...and New Jersey!!!

Butler and Aniston in front of the Taj Mahal's main escalators

There's wacky hijinks galore as the former Friend plays Nicole Hurley, a reporter who is targeted by her ex-husband and bounty hunter Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler.) Hurley jumped bail and Milo is pursuing her in order to gain a big pay day. In the mean time we're supposed to be on the edge of our seats to see if all this hot and heavy action will cause them to rekindle their romance.

A vibrant shot of The Atlantic City Expressway

Considering the abundance of New Jersey appearances, I still couldn't bring myself to love this film. I definitely didn't hate it either. It had some real potential to be a fun time, but it's ulterior motive to be a rom-com is what keeps it from getting to the next level. It's no surprise that I dozed off toward the end of the film, but I saw enough of it to make the assessment that it was steaming with mediocrity.

Butler does shine as Milo though. His snarky attitude and arrogant overtones work as a scoundrel, a Han Solo-type of guy. Butler brought Milo to life in a realistic way, but all gets weird when we see his macho bravado is all a front and he's still actually in love with his ex-wife played by Jennifer Aniston. As Hurley, Aniston seems like she'd rather be sunbathing on some exotic beach getting photographed by hidden TMZ photographers. Even with that said, it's hard not to like her...or LOVE her. Especially when she's handcuffed to the bed. YUUUUP! That's in the movie!

The film would like the viewer to believe that Monmouth Park Racetrack is in Atlantic City

If you're familiar with Jersey and you've seen the film, you probably noticed that the horse racing scene took place at Monmouth Park. The sequence pulled me out of the film because it was made to seem as if the race track was actually in Atlantic City and a line in the film confirms it. It makes more sense to the viewer, after all, but the filmmakers probably assumed most viewers had no idea that the Monmouth Park race track is over 80 miles away from Atlantic City. That's easily overlooked.

Making up for any of the negatives here are some gorgeous shots of A.C. In fact, The Bounty Hunter contains probably the best modern-day footage of the Atlantic City shoreline in movies. Most of the films I've covered here at The Sexy Armpit that have depicted A.C are much older and America's playground was clearly nowhere near as impressive as it is now. If only Jersey had nicer weather year-round, A.C would be as big of a travel destination as Las Vegas. Look out for scenes in the Taj Mahal, the White House Sub Shop, the boardwalk, the A.C Expressway, and numerous mentions of The Borgata.

To Live and Train In New Jersey: Pure Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness by Nick "NJ" Holden

2013-02-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

Whether you're a lover or a fighter you'll enjoy Nick "N.J" Holden's
blow by blow tale of his mixed martial arts training in the Garden State by, Andy Main,
a former competitor on UFC's Ultimate Fighter

With the burgeoning of the fitness craze sweeping the nation, people are partaking in all forms of fitness beyond lifting things up and putting them down in a gym populated by sweat, B.O., and the hit parade playing on Pandora. More and more people are turning to a more intense fitness regiment offered by martial arts schools. Mixed martial arts is slowly becoming one of the top sports in the country, no thanks in part to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC, and other various promotions. Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is different from other traditional sports in that it encompasses multiple disciplines, from wrestling and boxing to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, and judo. Martial arts have always intrigued me, ever since Daniel La Russo won the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament in California, and inspired me to train in Okinawan karate under Sensei John Porta of Porta’s Karate-Do and Kobudo Academy in Pompton Lakes for ten years. But with my hormones and high school kicking ass in my teen years, I abandoned karate in pursuit of cross country, video games, and college. But after much debate, I decided to reenter the world of martial arts when I enrolled at AMA Fight Club in Whippany, NJ through a chance encounter with Andy Main, who at the time was a competitor on the UFC reality series The Ultimate Fighter. I became friends with Andy and Mikey, his younger brother, two instructors at AMA who have branched out and started their own martial arts school, PURE Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness. But Andy is quick to point out that PURE is not just your typical martial arts school.

“For mixed martial arts, whether it’s boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, etc., it’s important for the people coming in that they know they are learning from someone who’s done it, and for us, we have a following because of the experience.” Despite their youth, the Main brothers have extensive experience in the MMA field. Both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belts, their lineage can be traced back to the world famous Gracie family in Brazil. Andy is a professional fighter holding a 6-1-1 (as of this writing) record. He has trained in boxing under Teddy Lucio and Hall of Famer Louis Esa as well as Muay Thai under numerous coaches such as Mike Constantino and Kemail Verhoeven. Before he was old enough to drive, Mikey has been competing and winning championship belts and gold medals in grappling tournaments such as the No-Gi Pan Americans, the Abu Dhabi Regionals, and the Renzo Gracie Invitational. He also scored the fastest submission victory in his second MMA fight in December of last year and plans to make fighting more of a priority in the years to come. Mikey’s road hasn’t been easy, despite having an accomplished brother in the sport, but he feels that starting at an early age gave him an advantage over other competitors.
“I started competing when I was just 15 years old. Back then teen divisions were very rare, so I was often forced into adult divisions. Being 15 years old and fighting grown up men required me to evolve at a very fast pace which is why I believe I've had as much success as I've had thus far.” PURE, located in Denville, prides itself on not being a mere learning center, but instilling a lifestyle on its students. Mikey said, “My philosophy on BJJ is that it is not just a hobby, it is a way of life. BJJ changes a person’s physical appearance which reflects in all other areas in a person's life. An improvement in a person’s physique makes them more confident in work, school, etc. Also the ability to defend yourself brings a person more confidence in their everyday life.”

PURE’s class schedule takes place six days a week, from Monday to Saturday, usually during the evening when people fight through the Garden State’s various gridlocks. The class schedule offers Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (both gi and no gi, a gi being available to purchase at the school; additional gear can also be purchased there, such as hand wraps, gloves, etc.), fitness kickboxing, and striking/sparring; all classes are under the careful eye of the Main brothers, as explained by Mikey. “It is very rare to have two instructors teaching on the mat at all times. Basically our members are getting two for the price of one. Also, Andy and I are still active competitors and will be competing right alongside our students. Most instructors these days have retired from their competition career, but in my eyes, ours are just beginning. Also, we pay extremely close attention to our students’ progression. We do our best to be sure everyone is at the rank they rightfully should be.”

Andy’s take on PURE is this: “Right now, even though there are a lot of martial arts gyms in the area, there are zero gyms in the area that have a professional fighter as the head instructor…We are such strong believers in what we do, in the martial arts.” But both brothers have an equal hand in the day to day operations and are geared toward not capitalizing on a business opportunity, but to enlighten people on what Andy explains is more than just a school. “The goal is really to get people to really fall in love with the art and develop goals of their own, whether it’s to compete once, whether it’s to be a champion, whether it’s to fight once, to become an MMA fighter, whatever they want to do, it’s to be able to facilitate a career or just facilitate whatever the student needs in terms of good technique, good training, and the right mindset to reach those goals. And I think, and I believed this for a long time, that every single person is an individual. There are techniques that you learn that are universal, but everybody is going to do it a bit differently based on their body type, size, whatever. There’s going to be differences in every person that need to be catered to.” Both brothers have slightly different styles in terms of fighting and grappling, and both use that to better communicate with their students, a defining factor in their teaching philosophies. But one cannot deny that to train under both of these fighters is quite an experience, actually training with professional fighters who are interested in helping out their fellow man and woman. From personal experience, I have grown as both a student and as a person and have utilized as much as I have learned in my training in addition to adhering to some of their philosophies, something that I believe every person can use in his or her everyday life.

Since opening in October, PURE’s class enrollment has steadily grown thanks in part to the infectious and positive attitude that both brothers display to their students. They are courteous, friendly, and are always ready to share their knowledge of techniques and strategies to whoever is willing to learn. So, with that in mind, keep an eye out for PURE Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness located at 100 Ford Rd. in Denville, New Jersey and check out their website at www.puremixedmartialarts.com. This is Nick NJ reminding everyone that life is not just a journey, but a goddamn adventure!

Follow Nick on Twitter @exiledinNJ

TRANSFORMERS: Robots in New Jersey! Part 2 - The Meadowlands

2013-01-27T15:49:00.001-05:00

When you think of Transfomers, New Jersey more than likely DOESN'T pop into your head. But on the contrary, as I've detailed here at The Sexy Armpit in the past, there's more reasons why it wouldn't be totally crazy to mention Transformers and New Jersey in the same sentence. When I come across obscure NJ references, obviously it excites me, but when I find them in toys and comics that I loved as a kid in the '80s, well that's just even more awesome. Read about some more Transformers/NJ goodness.

a mysterious storm, an incredible creature, and it all begins in the swamps of Jersey

I really struck gold when reading the pages of Transformers #54 from July 1989. The story KING CON (clearly a King Kong ripoff) opens "somewhere in the swamps of New Jersey." There's some guys on the hunt for a "creature" that they claim the cops were too afraid to come check out. Keep in mind that we aren't about to read a Jersey Devil story because he hangs out in the Pine Barrens and the Transformers visited the Pines before. You can read about that via this post.

You know how much those bears in the Ramapo Mountains like to

travel down to the Meadowlands and bathe in the sludge.

After several "creature" sightings at the Meadowlands, Cecilia Santiago, a reporter and host of New York Talks, decides to take matters into her own hands and investigate. There's a bad lightning storm on the horizon and it's intensity is increasing.

Meanwhile, in the Meadowlands, the Decepticons have constructed a new base under a garbage dump. Naturally, whenever building a villainous secret underground base in NJ, it MUST be under a garbage dump. Where else would it be? Their plan is to use a "storm maker" that they created to convert the energy that they harness from the storm and then by using a giant converter they will turn it into Energon cubes - the source of energy for all Transformers. Getting all this so far? And Megan Fox is nowhere to be found :(

While Cecilia the newswoman is nosing around with her camera crew in the Meadowlands swamps looking for the creature, she winds up getting taken hostage by the Decepticon Pretenders.

For those who aren't up on their Transformers terms, this issue introduces the Micro Masters (smaller and more fuel efficient Transformers) and also features the Decepticon Pretenders. On the Transfomers Wiki, the Pretenders are defined as "Transformers fitted with special external armor shells that can disguise their very nature as robots."

Iguanas, a big purple lizard looking Decepticon Pretender, is put in charge of running the cables from their equipment in the NJ swamp across the bottom of the Hudson River and connecting the final piece to the lightning rod at the top of the Empire State Building.

After escaping the clutches of the Decepticons, Cecilia hitches a ride with the Autobots (the good guys) and has to head into the Lincoln Tunnel to make it into Midtown Manhattan before the Decepticons destroy half of New York City. Notice that this was ages ago, back when the toll for the Lincoln Tunnel only cost $3 dollars. Today it's $13 freaking dollars during peak times!

Other Transformers Links from The Sexy Armpit:

Transformers: Robots in New Jersey (Part 1 - Pine Barrens)

Why I traded Optimus Prime for Megan Fox

New Jersey's Great Pop Culture Moments Vol.56: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Read More about this issue of Transformers via the Transformers Wiki:

http://transformers.wikia.com/wiki/King_Con!

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Iguanus_(G1)

Not Fade Away...Not Playing In A Theater Near You

2013-01-23T21:57:00.000-05:00

David Chase's new film about a suburban New Jersey rock band in the 1960's is currently in a limited release. It would seem that the chances of such a film rooted in the Garden State would be easy to catch at a local theater in Jersey, right? Nah. Why make it that easy for us? The film is already available for pre-order on Amazon so it looks like I'll be waiting it out for a bit.

Something tells me HBO will eventually get a hold of this one and never let go. I'll have it memorized by the end of the summer. But seriously, David Chase AND James Gandolfini together again? It's a no brainer! Of course, a story of an aspiring rock band is far from The Sopranos. Despite a pretty shitty review on IMDB from reviewer, Clayton Davis, who claims it "doesn't hold a candle to Cameron Crowe's homage to music..." referring to Almost Famous, I'm still highly interested in seeing this.

*Although the film is set in New Jersey, much of it was filmed in Pearl River, NY.

Nerd Lunch Podcast: Artist Des Taylor!

2013-01-22T21:05:00.005-05:00

Click on the picture above to start listening to Episode 69 of The Nerd Lunch Podcast!

http://nerdlunch.blogspot.com/2013/01/nerd-lunch-podcast-69-des-taylor.html

I joined host C.T on his Nerd Lunch Podcast once again. I love being on the show because it's a chance to geek out with my friends and talk about pop culture minutia that you won't get to hear anywhere else. In Episode...wait for it...69 dude! we had the chance to interview one of our favorite artists, Des Taylor.

Stop by and admire Des Taylor's blog and Online Gallery

If you aren't familiar with Des' work, he's got a retro '40s style that blends so well with all kinds of superheros and hot pinup girls that he loves to draw. It was extremely hard not letting it turn into The Chris Farley Show, but I think I did nervously say "That was awesome" at least twice during the show.

We talked about how he made it to where he is today as an artist, which was mighty interesting, especially in comparison to other artists who "just started drawing." We also went back and forth on our favorite superhero costumes and also came to some solid conclusions on Star Wars and the Batman franchise. It was a fun conversation, so download it! IT'S FREE on iTunes and it will provide you with a fun diversion on your way to work. Or just click the Nerd Lunch logo and listen NOWWWW!!!

KISS Slot Machines Now In Atlantic City, NJ!

2013-01-21T23:04:00.000-05:00

For a while Miss Sexy Armpit and I thought that we'd have to go back to Vegas to play the new KISS slot machines, but this weekend we were proven wrong! It was a big surprise to see them at Harrah's resort which was awesome.

Visually the machines look badass. The game play itself isn't anything out of the ordinary, but naturally, it's KISS-ified. There are a few different bonus games, but after playing 2 different machines, none of them popped up! BOO! One of the neighboring machines had a few bonuses so we were able to check them out. They were pretty cool and showed some concert footage and had you choose from various album covers to unlock more credits or another bonus game. The game plays a few KISS songs. The ones we heard included "Detroit Rock City," and "I Was Made For Loving You."

I'm happy that KISS is finally represented in Atlantic City. So far we've got Batman, Ghostbusters, The Phantom, Playboy, and now KISS. Not too many more left - I'm pretty happy with the selection!

The New Jersey Oscar Contender that Could Have Been…by N.J Holden

2013-01-15T21:35:00.001-05:00

Always on top of his game, our featured writer N.J Holden (@exiledinNJ) uncovers something you may not have known about Silver Linings Playbook.

When Matthew Quick’s debut novel Silver Linings Playbook was published in 2008, I’m sure few envisioned the multi-nominated film that would follow it in 2012. With a dynamite cast (Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro) and a proven director (David O. Russell), it should have been a celebration of the Garden State since the book takes place there. But the film, like so many adaptations, deviated from the source material, most notably moving the characters and plot from New Jersey to Philadelphia. While audiences and the folks at the Academy Awards have applauded and nominated the film for five Oscars (including Best Picture of the Year), I think we should look at the book, a celebration of family, football, mental illness, and New Jersey.

Pat Peoples is a former history teacher who returns from an extended stay at a Baltimore mental hospital to his childhood home in Collingswood, New Jersey. With his wife, job, and home all gone, Pat is a broken man who believes in “silver linings”, or a series of positive beliefs that he holds true to in hopes of winning back his old life. Following a strenuous exercise regiment and reading his wife’s school reading list, Pat tries to rebuild his life while under the care of his emotionally drained mother and emotionally distant, Philadelphia Eagles-obsessed father. In addition, Pat forms an odd relationship with Tiffany, a disturbed person in her own right who blackmails Pat into a dance competition with the hopes of reuniting him with his wife. Pat must also endure his precarious mental state which is always on the verge of snapping, especially by that wicked musician who haunts doctor and dental offices all over…Kenny G! The novel alternates between drama and comedy, with Pat’s humorous attempts at adjusting to life outside the hospital and his dark, growing obsession with finding out why he lost it all, something that he blocked from his mind.

While the movie dealt with all of these issues in a more lighthearted, comedic way, Quick kept the focus on Pat and his quest for the happy ending that eluded him. In addition, the setting would make any native to NJ happy and proud, with its beautiful descriptions of towns and places that people south of Exit 130 on the GSP would recall. The book stays true to the spirit of the Garden State, embracing its quirkiness and tough attitude and love of food. Some have criticized the handling of mental illness; with Pat and Tiffany’s relationship being contrived since both of them are the only ones capable of understanding one another since they are disturbed. But the relationship is only a little bit of the novel, with a majority of it focused on Pat and his journey to a better life, however ludicrous or unrealistic it may seem. So before that day in February when we get to see who will take home a gold statue, be sure to give this book a read and remember that it could have been a celebrated New Jersey film…only if.

- N.J Holden

New Jersey's Great Pop Culture Moments Vol.72: Gremlins 2

2013-01-13T19:37:00.001-05:00

Clamp Corner would make a great replacement for Xanadu at the Meadowlands

CLAMP: "...This is what I've been looking for."
BILLY PELTZER: "You want to buy it?"
CLAMP: "No I want to build it...for my next project over in Jersey. This is terrific! This is what people want now, the traditional community thing..."

Since we're in the new year, I bring you a moment from The New Batch. It just makes sense.

It seemed like a bit of a stretch for Warner Brothers and Amblin to pull another Gremlin out of their hat 6 years after the original was in theaters. According to the entry on Wikipedia, they held out until Joe Dante agreed to helm the sequel for them. To me, Dante rules - and not just because he's a Jersey guy, but mainly because the majority of his work incorporates a few of my favorite things: horror, monsters, and comedy. 1990's Gremlins 2: The New Batch wasn't as incredible as the original, but it still had it's strong points.

One of other reasons why I enjoy Dante's films is because he usually makes it abundantly clear that you're watching a Joe Dante picture. His style oozes out of every frame and his go-to actors always show up (i.e Dick Miller.) Some of his other notable films include Piranha, The Explorers, and one of my all-time favorites The Burbs. The bulk of his films include elements of fantasy and the supernatural as well as throwbacks to old b grade monster movies.

As much as I want to sing Gremlins 2's praises, there's a few things that keep me from completely adoring it. I love that it's probably the most prototypical Joe Dante film ever, but I felt that he went slightly too self indulgent with it. It was really more of a straight up comedy, or cartoon come to life, rather than a horror film. That's one thing the original Gremlins offered - aside from some dark humor, it was creepy and maintained a tense atmosphere once the Gremlins started showing up. With the Mogwai being such a mysterious and likable little character, it lent a bit of fantasy to the film as well. Once the sequel rolled around it became "how ridiculous could we make these little creatures?" The sequel brought an array of different Gremlins, too many actually. Brain Gremlin is possibly the best thing about the film. I wouldn't have fallen asleep if he was giving a lecture when I was in college.

Dante was given full creative control on the project. For a big studio film that's usually unheard of. In this instance it hindered the film from being the best it could be. The plot wasn't so bad and I think if it built up more of an eerie atmosphere and dropped a few of the gags, the film would have become a classic. Nowadays (even today in fact) you can pick up a DVD copy of Gremlins 2 for $5 bucks on Amazon.

Other aspects of the sequel really stand out. The cast was fantastic, including the often overlooked, Marla, played by future Garden State Playmate Haviland Morris. The film's score is slightly different than it's predecessor, but just as cool and creepy. The opening credits include a sweeping shot of New York City with the Twin Towers in all of their glory. According to IMDB, this happens to be stock footage from the opening of Superman IV.

Even with my minor complaints, Gremlins 2 is an absolute riot and simply a fun film to watch in a very cartoony way. To hit that concept home, Gizmo dances to Fats Domino and the movie even begins with an animated intro with Bugs and Daffy. The original is more serious and offered less slapstick and in-jokes, and I still hold that as my favorite of the two. The big difference is that we get a New Jersey reference in Gremlins 2: The New Batch, courtesy of the billionaire owner of Clamp Enterprises, Daniel Clamp himself.

*Joe Dante was born in Morristown and grew up in Parsippany, NJ.

NJ T-Shirt Tuesday 104: Fatman on Batman

2013-01-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Today Only at ShirtPunch - FATMAN on BATMAN!

What's the difference between a Podcast and a Smodcast? There's one big difference - a Smodcast is featured on NJ icon Kevin Smith's network of podcasts available on iTunes. One of them happens to be about one of my favorite subjects in the whole world.

You can hear Smith and a Batman related guest discuss all things Caped Crusader on Fatman on Batman. It's incredibly satisfying to be able to listen to a podcast all about the nuances of my favorite hero hosted by a reputable source such as Jersey's own Kevin Smith.

Adam West, Arleen Sorkin, and Kevin Conroy have all been guests on the show. I've listened to all the episodes so far and the best guest was Mark Hamill. Hamill has been the voice of the Joker since Batman: The Animated Series, and there's no one more associated with the character than Hamill. This 2-parter was fascinating and if you're interested in sampling this podcast - I suggest downloading this episode! Smith delves into all kinds of bat-details, so it's perfect for Batman and Kevin Smith fans alike.

5 Things I'm Looking Forward to in 2013

2013-01-03T21:57:00.000-05:00

5. Scarlett Johansson on Broadway in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Cats? Hot tin roof? Not so much. Scarlett. Johansson. Yes. Please. http://www.catonahottinroofbroadway.com

4. Miss Sexy Armpit and I missed American Idiot during it's Broadway run so we're going to check it out at The State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ.

American Idiot
January 29th - 30th
The State Theatre
New Brunswick, NJ

3. MOVIES!!! - Hipsters will have shit to say about this, but I'm looking forward to Oz the Great and Powerful, Man of Steel, This is the End, and yes...The Lone Ranger. Hopefully I'll be seeing a couple of these in IMAX!!!

2. Wrestlemania 29 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The entire week leading up to April 7th will be filled with festivities such as the WWE Hall of Fame, WWE Fan Axxess, AND Monday Night Raw...all taking place in NJ and NY!

1. As far as I know there's no official date other than "Late 2013," but...CASTLE GRAYSKULL! If you pre-ordered the most ambitious release from Matty Collector EVER, then you're in for a treat toward the end of the year! I personally cannot wait.