Say what you will about James Cameron, whenever the man is involved with anything involving undersea exploration… it is amazing. From the Abyss to his undersea documentaries, the man knows how to present the mysteries of the deep in a way that really resonates with audiences.

That’s why when I heard about Sanctum, which opens nationwide Friday, February 4th, I was very interested. Shot in 3-D, the film’s synopsis goes something like this:

The 3-D action-thriller Sanctum, from executive producer James Cameron, follows a team of underwater cave divers on a treacherous expedition to the largest, most beautiful and least accessible cave system on Earth.  When a tropical storm forces them deep into the caverns, they must fight raging water, deadly terrain and creeping panic as they search for an unknown escape route to the sea.

Master diver Frank McGuire has explored the South Pacific’s Esa-ala Caves for months.  But when his exit is cut off in a flash flood, Frank’s team—including 17-year-old son Josh and financier Carl Hurley—are forced to radically alter plans.  With dwindling supplies, the crew must navigate an underwater labyrinth to make it out.  Soon, they are confronted with the unavoidable question: Can they survive, or will they be trapped forever?

We have 30 passes for 2 for to a screening Tuesday, February 1st. Interested? Simply comment with your favorite James Cameron film by January 30th, and the top comments will be checking out Sanctum in 3-D for free. Good Luck!

Guest Column by Eric Bresler

It’s 2011 and the comic book retail industry is rapidly changing. Digital comics are on the rise while the prices of their printed counterparts fluctuate as publishers scramble to adapt to advances in technology. The brick and mortar comic book shop remains commonplace, but for how long? Is it just a matter of time before our beloved Wednesday meet-up spots go the way of the video rental store?

As collectors know, the direct market comic shop is much more than a retail outlet. Its a place to converse, to share ideas and opinions, to hunt for treasures and fill holes in collections. The Delaware/Pennsylvania/New Jersey area features the highest concentration of comic book shops on the East Coast, all of varying sizes and qualities.

In this new weekly column I’ll be documenting the histories of these shops as well as providing my two cents as to whether or not they’re worth a visit. Regardless of my humble opinions, I encourage you to explore and support all of our area’s comic book shops while you still can.

Welcome to the Delaware Valley of Comics.

The Delaware Valley’s hidden haven for comic book treasure hunting is located in an otherwise abandoned plaza on Route 45 in Woodbury, NJ. Frankenstein Comics is small, ideally suited for only two or three customers at a time, but the store’s sheer volume and quality of back issues is overwhelming. About forty-five long boxes are constantly refreshed with $1, $2, $5, and $10 books all priced far below guide values. “It’s a reader’s store,” explains owner Bill Bead. “No one’s going in the hole except me selling this stuff.”

Bill of Frankenstein Comics

Bill, a veteran of Diamond Comic Distributor’s original warehouse in Baltimore, opened Frankenstein Comics, formerly J & J Cards, Comics, and Collectibles, back in 1993. He is a staple at area comic book conventions and is also the organizer of C.H.U.D., an annual one-day convention in Cherry Hill where all books are sold for $1 or less. “Everyone has stuff in their closets that wasn’t worth a second read. There’s an ocean of Malibu Comics, an ocean of Dark Horse Comics… books have no value unless you move them, you have to bring them to market. Your collection has no monetary worth if it’s in the basement and you never show it to anybody.”

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When I first fired up my Playstation Portable and loaded Angry Birds, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I do not have a smart phone so I was completely unfamiliar with the Angry Birds craze that has swept through the iPhone community. I mean, firing birds with a slingshot at pigs in a fortress? The first thing that came to mind was “What the hell were these programmers smoking?”

After spending three days with the game I can now see what all the buzz was about. Angry Birds is easily one of the most addictive games I have ever experienced. The first time I played, I figured I would play for a few minutes, give it a try and that would be it. Before I knew it, I had played through all 21 levels of the first section and an hour had flown by. The next day, the same thing happened. I have found that I need to get to the next level and I don’t want to put it down until I do. The last time I felt like this I was in the throws of the original Super Mario Brothers on the NES.

The PSP version has 3 worlds, each with three sections and each section includes 21 levels. It is a dizzying amount of content for PSP Mini game. All that for $3.99 is quite the bargain.

I only had two issues with the game. First, there was an occasion slow down of the graphics on the screen, which can become annoying. And second, the later levels can be infuriatingly hard. Like throw your PSP across the room hard. But other than that, Angry Birds is a steal for $4 and a great way to kill time between classes or while riding on the bus. Anyone with a PSP who doesn’t have an iPhone should give it a try.

That being said, we’ve got a promo code (PSPMini code) to giveaway to you fine Geekadelphia readers. Just leave a comment about your favorite Angry Bird, and we’ll select one of you at random at the end of the week. Good luck!

Summer Wars is the new Studio Madhouse Anime film directed by Mamoru Hosoda, who you might remember from his first film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.  I absolutely loved The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and this looks to be another solid effort by the director in a film billed as a “Science Fiction Romantic Comedy”.

The plot of the film reads almost like a mash up of Hackers and The Wedding Date goes something like this:

Kenji Koiso  is a young high school student with a gift in mathematics, working as a part-time moderator in the massive computer-simulated virtual reality world OZ along with his friend Takashi Sakuma. When Kenji’s friend Natsuki Shinohara offers him to participate in celebrating the 90th birthday of her great-grandmother, Sakae Jinnouchi, Natsuki takes him to Sakae’s estate in Ueda, Nagano Prefecture. Much to Kenji’s surprise, he is introduced at the Jinnouchi family house as Natsuki’s fiancé.

While Kenji is stuck in a Japanese Rom-Com Love Machine, an artificial intelligence running in the OZ mainframe, uses Kenji’s account and avatar to hack into the mainframe, causing Kenji to become the primary suspect. Kenji, along with Natsuki’s cousin Kazuma Ikezawa and Sakuma, tries to stop Love Machine who continues to steal accounts, and hack into car navigation systems and other computer mainframes wreaking havoc throughout the world.

Starting January 21^st through the 27^th the film, which is under consideration for a Best Animated Feature nomination for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards, will be playing at our very own Ritz Bourse. I suggest you check it out. I know opportunities to see Anime on the big screen are pretty few and far between, so I am definitely looking forward to this.

This week we look at the first issue of the new Dark Sun limited series, the milestone 200th issue of Spawn and we enter the world of Weapon Brown. All in The Comic Roundup!

Spawn #200
By Todd McFarlane & Others

The 200th issue of Spawn is important for a number of reasons. It is now one of the longest running independent titles on the stands. Spawn and McFarlane has come to represent what Image and creator owned works are capable of. I would argue that without Spawn, we wouldn’t have books like The Walking Dead or Kick-Ass. I just wish the actual comic was a bit better.

While the issue is enjoyable and will please any Spawn fan, it has problems. There are long sections of dialogue that are incredibly wordy but don’t actually say much. And unless you have read the recent Endgame arc, prepare to be a bit confused even with all the explanatory word balloons. The art has that classic McFarlane feel, but looks rushed and unfinished in places. Everyone is aware of the deadline problems the book had, so this isn’t a big surprise. But you would think you would put forth your best work for a 200th issue celebration.

Whether you have been reading Spawn from the beginning or are just checking in to see what’s going on, Spawn #200 is worth your money in the same way Batman #700 was worth your money. They are both important comics that deserve a place in your collection, even if the comic itself is a bit lacking.

Final Grade: B-

More After the Jump!

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We were thrilled when the Academy of Natural Sciences screened Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus last year, delivering a hilarious evening of Mystery Science Theater 3000-esque cinema, complete with running commentary from the Academy’s scientists. The price was a bit much ($40?) but the Academy has learned from that mistake… and is back with another Mega Bad Movie Night.

On Thursday, February 3rd, the Academy of Natural Sciences will be screening Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus. The Academy’s experts will once again take the stage to provide running “commentary on scientific absurdities and questionable generally poor filming.” The film is the successor to the cult hit Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (the shark survived!), and stars Jaleel White.

Yes. That’s right. Urkel.

The Academy will host a reception from 6:30pm to 8pm, dishing out movie-themed snacks and drinks. You can explore the museum (including the brand new Bizarre Beasts Past and Present exhibit) before the film, which kicks off at 8pm.

Oh. And the price. The Academy has dropped admission to $15 for non-members, $10 for members of the museum. To purchase tickets, visit the Academy’s official Eventbrite page.

Geekadelphia has also partnered up with the museum to run some fun contests leading up to the event. We’ll be giving away free passes to the screening, as well two dozen tickets to the museum. Stay tuned for the first giveaway, and we’ll see you at the Academy!

Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus
Thursday, February 3, 2011, 6:30–10 pm
$10/member, $15/nonmembers
anspmegabadmovienightmsvc.eventbrite.com

You know, usually living in the US and being an anime or manga fan, you have to wait months sometimes even years for stuff to get licensed and released over here. Lately though, the trend has been the sooner the release, the better, to curb things like rampant online piracy and scanlations, and quite honestly it has been a really good thing.

I bring this up because we are probably seeing the best case scenario of this with Gantz, one of my all time favorite Seinen Manga (青年漫画) and anime series which is actually premiering its live-action adaptation in the US January 20^th @ 8pm… 9 days before it hits Japanese screens. Thanks to Dark Horse Comics and Fathom Events, for one night only you can see Gantz (presumably subtitled) in theaters for a mere $10. Click here for a list of participating theaters.

Gantz for the uninitiated is a series about a group of people that, before they die, are beamed into room, where a large black orb (the namesake Gantz) gives them weapons and charges them with fighting aliens for a chance to win their lost lives back. The series is known for its interesting look at ordinary people put in an extraordinary situation, and for its hyper-violence and beautiful women. Check out the trailer below.

Being a fan, it looks like they got quite a bit right with the adaptation and the film which like the Death Note films will be broken into two parts and cover the first 3 games or missions. I simply can not wait!

With its tumultuous production and January release, I was worried about The Green Hornet. And I’ve never been a fan of Seth Rogen. One thing I did know from the trailer, I was expecting something fun… but we all know how trustworthy trailers can be.

In the world of comic book movies, The Green Hornet is no Dark Knight… but it is a lot of fun and that’s really the only way I could have seen this working as a feature film. If you’re not familiar with this iteration of The Green Hornet, the film is about Brett Reid, the buffoonish son of a wealthy newspaper publisher. His father dies, essentially leaving him the keys to the kingdom. With his father gone he also comes face to face with Kato, the mechanic/master barista who he discovers making some really strange modifications to his father’s cars due to some unknown paranoia.

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Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary; over indeed a quaint and melancholy literary I adore… Edgar Allan Poe’s macabre works are adored by a special kind of literary geek. And by special, we mean emo. Philadelphia has claimed a stake in Edgar Allan Poe’s tragic history, so why not celebrate his birthday at Fergie’s Pub?

Well, pop up those floorboards to grab the still beating heart of your annoying dead roommate and head on down to 12th and Sansom. The Raven Society will be celebrating the 202nd birthday of Edgar Allan Poe (he hasn’t changed a bit) and you know you want to celebrate!

Join the fun on the 2nd floor of Fergie’s Pub. This happy hour will include drink specials, complimentary appetizers, some birthday cake, and a special guest. My guess– is some dude with a creepy mask.

All are welcome! To RSVP all you need to do is email raven@freelibrary.org. Make sure you check out the Facebook event page too.

But don’t drink too much, we wouldn’t want you to mistakenly enclose yourself in a concrete tomb that you intended for someone– that you didn’t like.

Fergie’s Pub
1214 Sansom Street (19107)
(215) 928-8118
www.fergies.com

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sunbelt Software. All opinions are 100% mine.

Recently, the folks at VIPRE were kind enough to hook us up with their new VIPRE Antivirus software, a new brand of defense that blends both antivirus and antispyware together into one, single powerful tool.

As a loyal Mac user, I seldom find myself needing any kind of antivirus/spyware protection. However, on my beloved little netbook PC… well, that’s an entirely different story.

I read a lot of blogs, watch a lot of online content, and as a result, I’m constantly besieged by malware seeking to wreck havoc on my system. A lot of it is my fault, sure. I could stock reading Encyclopedia Dramatica or visiting Newgrounds… but this is America, dammit. And I’m going to browse what I want, when I want.

And thanks to VIPRE, this is possible, without getting nailed by viruses or bots. And unlike other software, it doesn’t slow down your system. Gone are the days of loading up an anti-spyware program while playing on KaZaa. Now you can browse without lock ups. And this is coming from using a netbook, a generally slower machine.

All in all, I definitely recommend the VIPRE Antivirus software. Give it a go, you’ll be pleased.

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Foodspotting. It’s a community, it’s a website, it’s an app. But unlike many other communities based on rating and reviewing restaurants, Foodspotting is all about the dishes. Instead of reading and writing reviews, you can share photos of specific foods you can recommend and see what’s around you, where ever you go.

On January 15th, the San Francisco-based startup is turning one! To celebrate, they’ve dubbed that day World Foodspotting Day! To celebrate, they’re working with Meetup.com to encourage Foodspotters (and just lovers of food in general) to gather, mingle, and take photos of their food together.

Here in Philadelphia, Chef Levin of Adsum Restaurant is helping Foodspotters celebrate with a few Foodspotting brunch specials on Saturday, January 15th. We’ll be treated to chicken and waffles, a fig sorbet-based cocktail and a fried egg dish (curious as to the yet-unknown details of this one). Regretfully, I don’t think he caught my request to have some inspiration drawn from his Four Loko Dinner.

Thanks go out to Alexis of Teaspoons & Petals for rallying us together!
For more info, check out the Meetup.com page.

Foodspotting Day @ Adsum: January 15th
700 S. 5th Street (at Bainbridge)
Philadelphia, PA 19147

David Bowen’s Data Sweep

Philadelphia’s Esther Klein Gallery opens their newest exhibit, Data Sweep: David Bowen, this Friday, January 14th… and they are inviting all of you geeks to attend. Why? Well, Art in America’s review of Bowen described his artistic process as an “absurdist approach to the translation of scientific technology into art.”

Scientific technology into art? That’s right. You heard me. This exhibit is for you, kids.

In a release from the Esther Klein Gallery, the curator explains that “Bowen’s work creates a strange symbiosis between technology and the natural world.” In exhibit, “Mircocontrollers translate the activity of natural agents, like a swarm of flies or live data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data buoy stations around the globe, into mechanical motion that animates his art.”

The exhibit will be on view at EKG from January 14th through March 20th, with a grand opening reception this Friday. For more information, visit the Esther Klein Gallery’s official website.

Esther Klein Gallery
3600 Market Street (19104)
(215) 966-6188
www.kleinartgallery.org