THE DEAD MATTER can Now be Rented at Redbox

http://www.redbox.com/movies/the-dead-matter

So hop to it!

SpecMusicMuse Review: Cinema of Shadows—Michael West

Forget haunted houses, try a haunted theater! Michael West delivers a ghost story that both holds true to the traditional tropes but simultaneously provides his own unique spin, and delivers a plot twist leaves that your heart pounding.

Professor Geoffrey Burke and his team of Parapsychology students search for evidence to irrefutably prove that the Woodfield Theater is haunted. But they discover more than just ghosts as an ancient demon take notice of one of the professor’s students, Kim. Not only can she see and hear spirits, she also has a special ability that threatens the demon’s power over the souls in the theater.

West breathes depth and life into every character: living, dead, and demonic. You care for what happens to them, unlike in, oh say, the Saw films where you could care less if the heartless morons get torn into itsy bitsy pieces. In Cinema of Shadows, you even feel for some of the antagonists (well, except for the demon, obviously). But more importantly, the ending wasn’t predictable, and characters that I expected would die didn’t.

If you like ghost stories or even just horror stories in general, you’ll love Cinema of Shadows.

Best to read while listening to: anything from Midnight Syndicate, Rob Zombie, Slayer, Tiamat, or Marilyn Manson.

Brand Spankin’ New Column From Yours Truly

The Elements of Storytelling

Pssst! You’ll find it here: http://fandomfestblog.com/blogs/scott-sandridge

Superheroes are Insane

Today my thoughts drifted to a silly little movie called Kickass. I recalled how some folk didn’t like the movie, claiming they were disturbed by how psychotic such young “superhero” kids were. Today I thought, aren’t all superheroes nuts? After all, let’s face it: nobody sane would ever be a superhero.

Yes. Superheroes are insane. Very insane.

Wolverine and the Hulk are classic examples of two individuals with very severe anger management problems. Wolverine has a bad habit of going berserk, and has even attacked his own friends before. And the Hulk, well….

If a person without superpowers acted like that, they’d be in prison. But what would a cop do to Wolverine or the Hulk? Stand in their way and shout stop or I’ll shoot? Hardly.

And what about Daredevil? A blind man fighting crime, how insane is that? And it’s worse. Daredevil is so convinced that everyone he tries to prosecute is guilty that even if he loses the case (and when has he ever won a case? He must be the worst lawyer in all of human history), he will hunt that “criminal” down and beat the shit out of him. Now what do you suppose Daredevil would do if he lost a prosecution case against an 84-year-old woman in a wheelchair? Go beat her up, of course! “She’s not what she seems! It’s all a disguise! And I can prove it! look at all the blood! How can Grandma bleed that much??!!”

And yes, even Spider-man is a loony tune. He goes on and on and on about how with great power comes great responsibility, and yet he’s constantly complaining about having to drop what he’s doing to go save some damsel in distres. ‘Cause gosh darn it! Now he’s late for his date with a girl whose name is synonymous with weed! Narcissist? Closet pot-smoker?

Thor. Talk about a man with a god complex….

And let’s not forget Reed Richards. All his condemning of Dr. Doom is like the pot calling the kettle black. What’s so different about them, really (other than Dr. Doom looks a whole lot cooler)? They’re both mad scientists. They’re both obsessed with their research to the point where they often neglect everyone else around them. Okay, okay, Dr. Doom is a tyrant dictator ruling over a country and probably drowns cute little kittens for fun. But let’s face it, the only reason Richards isn’t drowning those kittens along with him is because the bad PR would hurt his company’s bottom line. And so, he gets his rocks off by beating up on Dr. Doom instead, ’cause being a hero is profitable!

And you know who else profits off beating up poor defenseless “villains”? Batman, that’s who! This guy is obsessed with hunting down mentally deranged people, beating the crap out of them, and dragging them to Arkam Asylum. Why always Arkam Asylum? Surely there’s other asylums in the city, possibly some that are much closer to where he beat the poor crazy guy in the jester costume up, but yet he always takes them to Arkum. It ain’t no coincidence he’s a billionaire “philanthropist” who just so happens to dress up in a bat costume to beat up other crazies in costumes and always, always, drags them kicking and screaming to the exact same asylum. He’s getting kickbacks for it! Duh! Why else do all those insane costumed “criminals” keep breaking out of the place so easily!

And this is why I always root for the supervillains. They might be insane megalomaniacs, and evil to the core, but at least they’re honest about it!

Toodledoo!

Six Random Thingies

Got tagged by Frank Creed!
http://blog.frankcreed.com

Here are the rules for those I’m tagging. Check the list after my 6 GROOVY HIFALUTIN THINGS to see if you’ve been tagged.
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six-ish people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know he or she has been tagged.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

The 6 Random Thingsies (Hehe, that rhymes with Ramses, my new black kitty )

1. My new kitty, Ramses, is now sleeping on my lap. He looks just like Loki did, only he’s male.
2. I woke up one day last week to find three kittens sleeping on me. Go figure.
3. I LOOOOOOVE CAFFFFFFEEEEIIIINNNNNEEEEE!!!!!! WWWWHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
4. A gun was once fired directly over me while I was sleeping. I didn’t even stir in my sleep. What can I say? I sleep like the dead.
5. I once woke up with a Furby in my head saying, “Write me, write me.” He became Gor in “Galaxy Store.” (Ray Gun Revival, Issue 2, wink wink)
6. I…love…guns. MWAHAHAHA!

The six-ish people I tag:

1. Jordan Lapp: http://www.jordanlapp.com/blog
2. Michael Ehart: http://mehart.blogspot.com
3. Taylor Kent: http://thesnarkyavenger.com
4. Chief Squatting Duck: http://twotexaseggs.blogspot.com
5. Alexa Chipman: http://silivren.net/wordpress
6. Merodi: http://merodi.wordpress.com

See, unlike Frank, I CAN to six. ;p

Casting Call for Silverblade Prophecy Podiobook

Casting Call for The Silverblade Prophecy Podiobook

I need some talented volunteers to play some characters for my upcoming podiobook, The Silverblade Prophecy. It’s non-paying, but credit will be given, and I can also offer an interview on my podcast show, A Work in Progress. I’ll need voices for the following major characters:

Yavar Thain: a Vangaardian assassin cursed to never feel emotions except through the hearts of others (literally, she has to remove someone’s heart and have it in contact with her just to feel anything). She also has a bad habit of getting her brother into trouble that only she can get him out of. Her quest to break her curse drives parts of the storyline.

Sample lines: “What are you doing here, Varash?”
“You’ll what? Get your fool self killed trying to attack me?”

Martin Thain: Yavar’s twin brother. He operates as Yavar’s conscience…when she isn’t getting him into trouble. He’s also a thief and caravan raider (among other things), which goes to prove that even a self-proclaimed “conscience” isn’t always perfect.

Sample lines: “The wages of sin. It’s good to know that if every other business goes under, we’ll still make a profit with the brothels.”
“You should hire better guards. All these would be dead if I hadn’t decided to come willingly.”

Note: for those interested in auditioning for Yavar and Martin, (and also Varash, Vrang, Argazihm, and Thressa), email me before doing the lines so I can send a sample of the Vangaardian accent.

I will also need voices for many minor characters. Those who audition for the major characters but don’t quite make it may be picked for one of the minor characters. Below are some of the more prominent minor characters if you wish to choose to audition for a minor role instead of a major one. Also, I may point out a character and send a character sketch and sample line to you if I think you’ll be perfect for a specific character. Plus, some minor characters in this podiobook may have a bigger role in the second or third one.

Minor characters (these are only a few):

High Priest Varash: The head priest of the cult of Okareon and one of Emperor Argazihm’s advisors. Aristocratic and cunning to a fault.

Sample lines: “I’ve always thought of the two of you as the children I never had.”
“My motive is the same as it has always been: I want him dead.”

Warlord Vrang: Yavar’s husband and mentor. Also the one who curses her on his death. Ambitious and ruthless, what he wants he gets no matter who perishes in the process.

Sample lines: “The weak perish so that the strong survive. It is the Vangaardian way.”
“Slay him, my love, and I promise you–your brother will be freed.”

Thressa: A Vangaardian of the Servant’s Caste in service to Warlord Vrang. She also acts as a spy for High Priest Varash.

Sample line: (about to die) “I have heard that the light is always brightest in the dark.”

Emperor Argazihm (minor for this book, will be a major character in the second): also titled The Dragon of Vangaard. A sorcerer and warlord over 500 years old, legends claim that he is the son of the god, Okareon.

Sample line: “I have honored your request. Is it not just to ask the same in return?”

Note: for those interested in auditioning for Yavar and Martin, (and also Varash, Vrang, Argazihm, and Thressa), email me before doing the lines so I can send a sample of the Vangaardian accent.

Justin, Priest of Soreace: A priest of the sun god. Virtuous and caring, but don’t make him angry.

Sample line: “Barbarous! Most barbarous!”
“And if I refuse?”

Bryant: A little orphan boy

Sample line: “My dad died in the war. Mother…she….”

Audition deadline: May 17, 2008
Attach samples in .wav or .mp3 (example file name: real name_character name.mp3) to: scottmsandridge@gmail.com

Thank you for your time, and here’s to a fun project that everyone will enjoy!

Best,
Scott M. Sandridge

All Hail Scott Sigler! The New King of Shameless Plugs!

This has been a long time coming. I delayed it for a year now, knowing that eventually I would have to after learning that Scott Sigler’s book, Ancestor, had hit #1 on the Amazon.com bestseller list. I had the pleasue of interviewing him on my SpecMusicMuse blog about a month before that infamous April 1st event when I finally realized that my precious kingship was under threat.

I’ll admit, secretly my evil twin had hoped he would remain the “other Scott,” but even my Phenomenal Cosmic Ego eventually became humble enough to admit that, perhaps, it was I who was the “other Scott” after all. And now that the Sigster’s awesome novel, Infected, which debuted this April 1st, has proven him to be a success rather than the fluke of nature he so rightfull–ahem!–some may have claimed.

Hold on a sec while I send my evil twin back into the closet he lives in….

Okay, sorry for the delay, had to put his chains back on and set the guard dog. Where was I?

Oh yeah. I wish to give a big congratulations to Scott Sigler for his well-deserved success, and to pass my crown to him. Therefore:

“All Hail Scott Sigler! The King of Shameless Plugs!”

I shall henceforth be known as the Former King of Shameless Plugs until such time I manage to regain my crown.

Considering that Infected got published by Crown Publishing, it’s kinda prophetic that he would eventually get a crown (an imaginary crown, not a real one, so don’t be expecting a shiny gold, bejeweled band to arrive in the mail or something).

Signed this April 7 of 2008,
Your former Majesty,
Scott M. Sandridge

Whew!

Most of the basics are now done. Neat little categories to find my stuff with. I’ll be working on blogroll links, etc., next. But for now, I’m taking a break.

By the way: welcome to the official (and hopefully, for once, final) Scott M. Sandridge “Blogsite.” Come one, come all, leave comments, and above all have fun!

Flying Blind

Not exactly sure what I plan to do with this yet.