Today, BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM debuts on xBox 360, PS3, and PC. Even if you are not a gamer, there is much to be feared and admired in the game’s presentation and storytelling. It’s an extraordinarily well-crafted tribute to Arkham Asylum, the decaying repository for Gotham City’s fiercest foes.

Two key influences seem to be 1.) Batman’s 3D graphic user interface during the climactic sonar scene in last year’s THE DARK KNIGHT, and 2.) more interestingly, ARKHAM ASYLUM: A SERIOUS HOUSE ON SERIOUS EARTH.

AA: ASHOSE is a hugely unsettling 1989 graphic novel written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Dave McKean, who is most famous for CORALINE, THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, SANDMAN, and other ghastly collaborations with Neil Gaiman. In AA:ASHOSE, Mr. McKean brings the haunted hospital to life by combining his stylized sketches and paintings with old & eerie found objects (a dissected stopwatch here, a piece of string there). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Meanwhile, the place itself seems to take its name from Arkham, Massachusetts, which happens to not exist in real life. Rather, it’s a town created by famed horror author H. P. Lovecraft.

25-08-2009 11:34 am by Joshua Gee

49

Witness below the trailer for THE WOLFMAN!

Judging by the trailer, some will surely find the movie to be unoriginal, or “derivative” as snooty movie critics often say. But clearly it’s deriving itself from some excellent source material (namely, SLEEPY HOLLOW and AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, not to mention the 1941 Universal classic, THE WOLF MAN).

So to snooty movie critics we say: Relax, scream, and enjoy.

22-08-2009 11:42 am by Joshua Gee

20

To follow up on Saturday’s post about recent crow experiments, below is further proof of what the crafty little creatures can do, courtesy of YouTube. Astounded yet?

THE CROW 2: Yet another clever crow.

10-08-2009 10:00 am by Joshua Gee

18

A British scientist named Dr. Bird (no joke, not a typo) recently performed successful experiments revealing the ingenious nature of the rook, a type of crow.

To perform the experiment at home, all you need is a glass jar, water, rocks, a worm, and a crow. Better yet, why not read the full story and let Dr. Bird do all the work for you?

Another clever crow.

08-08-2009 1:17 pm by Joshua Gee

12