The Last Son of Krypton

Just caught the trailer for the Superman Returns video game based on the movie of the same name. In it he is fighting a giant mechanized version of metallo, a la Power Rangers. The action is pretty fast-paced, and it is just visually enthralling to see Superman flying again. If Bryan Singer can deliver a film with this much action and awe-inspiring visuals, then we're in for a cinematic event. You can check out the trailer at Superhero Hype.

Catch Me If You Can!

The Amazing Race 9 started tonight, and I already have chosen my horse. Did I pick the most athletic? Nope. Did I pick the most attractive? Nuh-uh. How about the most strategic? As if! No, I decided to back the team of self-professed nerds, Dave and Lori. And when I say nerds, I mean nerds too. Book-smarts, test-taking, goofy-laughing, glasses-wearing, secret-handshaking, lovey-dovey nerds. I guess they are my team because I can identify most with them (unfortunately), even though my girlfriend admitted that she finds them annoying. (She's rooting for the older couple). This time around there also seems to be a larger number of gay couples, or if they aren't gay, they sure could've fooled me. But Dave and Lori are the ones I'm backing, for sheer comedic and sentimental value. Go Nerds!

Moron of the Day!

This one goes out to Pinoy Boy (you know who you are!)...What kind of moron removes the UMD disk from its casing, then tries to play it on the PSP, and STILL wonder why it doesn't work??? DUUUHHHH...Click on the Daily Word link to find out!

Nano Nano!

So, I finally decided to part ways with my iPod Mini and embrace the modern technology that is the iPod Nano. I opted for the same capacity, 4GB, that my Mini had, but I just wanted the color screen and the sleek black look of the thing. I'd prefer the blue of my Mini on the Nano, but I'm happy with the black. The pictures of the album covers while the songs are playing is a nice feature. $237.00 for an iPod Nano at Circuit City.com, which was $12.00 less than anywhere else. Pretty good deal.I also got the itrip FM transmitter for the Nano. It looks pretty sleek and compact when attached to the Nano, and it uses the Nano's screen for setting stations and other itrip settings, which is a lot more convenient and practical than the itrip for the Mini. All in all I am happy with my upgrade to the Nano from the Mini, although the colorful blue Mini will always hold a special place in my heart. I've got to the think of the Nano as the new baby in the family, and the Mini as the bratty toddler that wants all the attention, but the Nano is new and curious, and the Mini has to just come to terms with that. I'm sure it will soon learn to love its new home in the hands of my girlfriend.

More Than Meets the Eye

If you've kept up with my blog, and there are probably one or two of you who have, then you know that I am a big fan of Transformers. The classic television series, the 1986 animated movie, and even Beast Wars have been my favorite incarnations, but the toys top everything else. They make up a large part of my collection, aside from the Star Wars figures, and they also have the distinct honor of being the only toys that I open without exception. (I mean, what's the point of buying Transformers toys if NOT to transform them?) So you can imagine my excitement when I heard that Director Michael Bay was interested in making a live action Transformers movie, with a little help from some relatively unknown producer named Steven Spielberg! The image above was taken at Comic-Con in San Diego last year, meant to be a bit of a tease for all the geeks. The truck itself was never revealed, but that was enough to get my ol' heart pumpin' a mile a minute. (And also caused a few over-zealous fans to steal the infamous PRIME-1 license plate, not once, but twice!) The movie is scheduled for a July 4th, 2007 release date, which co-incidently is also the same day that the Fantastic 4 sequel is supposed to open, but it has already been causing an uproar among the fandom of Cybertron. First of all, there is some disappointment at the fact that the makers of the film seem unwilling to use the original voice actors from the television series in the movie. Second of all, the central core group of Transformers is supposedly limited to 5 chatacters on either side (Autobot or Decepticon), which would mean that a great deal of the characters we've grown to love will not be making their big screen debut this time around. (Just as long as I see Jazz, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Optimus, Megatron, Starscream, and Soundwave, I'll be a happy camper!) And lastly, the alternate vehicle forms for most of the Transformers might be altered. I can see where you would update them to make them fit better into our contemporary world, but it's gonna hurt not to be able to see Megatron in his classic gun mode while Starscream uses him to frag some Autobots. This is a massive undertaking, so it is understood that some corners need to be cut, and some sacrifices must be made, but these are also characters that are beloved by a large group of people, so every little cut made hurts us as well. One good thing that I know will come of this is the brand new line of merchandise that will undoubtedly be released in conjunction with the film. Hopefully they will be able to merge the timelessness of the characters we grew up with, and the streamlined style of the more modern vehicles. (Much like Meister (Jazz) was fused with my favorite, a Mazda RX-8 as part of the Alternators line!) So far I have not heard much on the vehicle modes, but I hear that preliminary designs are awesome. Let's just see how much of that finds its way onto the big screen.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Just wanted to share this cool picture that I saw today up at Superhero Hype. Supposedly it is one of the first official images released for Spiderman 3, which is due out next year. And no, there is nothing wrong with your monitors. According to the site, Spidey will don the infamous black costume. Whether or not this is the finalized version remains to be seen. Either way, it's a pretty cool picture. (It gave me goosebumps!) Now I can officially unleash the Spidey 3 excitement that has been bottled up inside since Spidey 2. I'm itchin' for some Webslingin'. (Yes, I will get a doctor to take a look at it!)

Omar's Collection Spotlight #2: Celebration III Darth Vader

Continuing my feature showcasing various items in my collection, this edition focuses on my Celebration III Darth Vader. Released as an exclusive only available at Star Wars Celebration III in Indianapolis, Indiana to mark the upcoming release of the final installment in the Star Wars saga, I was fortunate to come across one at a fairly reasonable price on eBay. (Which is also where I purchased some of my harder to find figures!) The packaging somewhat follows the standard packaging for the Episode III: Revenge of the Sith figures, with a few variations. It is a bigger shell, to accomidate for the figures bulkier size. Vader himself is set in a classic pose from Episode IV: A New Hope during his duel with Obi Wan Kenobi. But the real draw of this figures, the reason why it is so sought after, is the fact that it talks. The figures base, which contains the classic Imperial symbol, the Star Wars logo, and the words "Celebration III" at Vader's feet, contains a chip and speaker which, when activated by the button on the bottom front of the base, plays one of 5 different Vader clips, newly recorded by Mr. James Earl Jones himself: 1). Classic Vader breathing, 2). "The Dark Side of the Force is Strong with You", 3). "Welcome to Star Wars Celebration III. Never Will You Find a More Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy", 4). "Your Journey Towards the Dark Side is Now Complete", 5). "Prepare to Experience the Revenge of the Sith. It is Your Destiny". Limited to only 50,000 pieces, this item is truly a collectible, and a very welcome addition to my Star Wars collection. Any real Star Wars fan would do well in investing in one. I give this one an 8 of 10. Up Next: Black Man's Purple Love Stick...Gay Porno, or part of my "private collection"? (Or perhaps both! You decide!) Stay Tuned...

Family Portraits

Now that I got this camera, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to meet the rest of the family. You've already been introduced to Buffy who, while technically does not belong to me, is considered very much a part of this family.First there is my pet Betta, Gandalf. He's a pretty cool fish, blue with red and green streaks, he's pretty mellow most of the time. He likes spending time inside the cave in his little rock decoration. Somehow, a few weeks back, he managed to escape from his bowl. Yes, a fish jumped out of it's bowl! I was as startled as you are. He'd never done that before, and he hasn't since. But let's just see if it isn't part of some elaborate escape plan, shall we? He's my first pet ever, although he was originally meant to belong to the three of us, my 2 brothers and I that is. But that changed when they got their own pets. Which brings us to number two on the countdown...Buster the bunny. He belongs to my youngest brother, and he came into our family last 4th of July. He was much, much smaller back then, maybe 1/4 the size he is now, and we were fooled on a couple of things with this guy. First of all, we were told he was a dwarf rabbit, and wouldn't grow very big. LIES!! And second of all, Buster started life as Tinkerbell. We were told by the vet herself that it seemed to be a girl, but with rabbits, it is not easy to determine age when they are younger. So for about 3 months we settled on the fact that it was a girl. Then one day a penis emerged, and Buster was born! He's friendly and mischievous. He's already learned how to escape from his cage! And speaking of cages, here comes number three...Boba Fett the Hamster. He's the newest addition to the family, belonging to my middle brother. He's a dwarf hamster, and he spends most of his day sleeping. (Just like my brother!) And he spends most of his night just running around his hamster wheel. He's small and curious, which I fear is what might have lead to a little incident that he had this weekend. Apparently he got caught between his wheel and the side of the cage, and manage to get his upper teeth caught between two of the bars. (I know, beats me how he managed that!) I was afraid he was dead for a second, but then he started moving around. Once I got him dislodged, I noticed one of his eyes was missing. (It had just sunken in, although I feared the worst. He's been opening it more and more as the days go buy). He gave us a big scare, but he's pulling through. He's a resilient little one, just like his namesake. Well, that's everyone. We're just a great big bunch of hairy, scaley creatures, but hey, isn't everybody?

Say Cheese!

Thanks to the United States government, and the tax return that they so graciously sent me, I was finally able to buy a digital camera. Yeah, yeah, I know, I've finally stepped into the 21st Century, and it's about goddamn time. I have been looking for a camera ever since I caught sight of this little blue Olympus one that I totally dug.I tried looking for that camera everywhere, but it looks like Olympus decided to discontinue the line. And it was also a bit pricey, but again, I wanted something I really liked, I didn't want to settle for something just because it was convenient. I spent this weekend on a pilgrimage in search for a digital camera, and I finally found one that I liked.It's a Kodak, so its a name I can trust with taking pictures, and it has a decent sized LCD screen (2in.), which was one of the things I was real particular about. I just wanted something fairly large in size that would be crisp and clear. I still have an entire instruction manual to go through, but it doesn't seem to dificult to work. In case you are interested, the specs on the camera are 5.0 megapixels, 3x optical zoom, 2 in. high resolution LCD display, VGA video, 16MB internal memory, and Kodak EasyShare photo frame dock 2.The dock was an added bonus because not only can you charge your camera with it, not only does it help transfer pictures from your camera to your computer, but it also serves as a frame base where you can have your camera display the saved images as a slideshow. ($249.00 MSRP). Hopefully, there will be a lot more personal images to put on my blog. Only time will tell.

Happy Birthday Buffy!

Happy 2nd Birthday to our baby, Buffy! Now, for as long as I can remember I've had an irrational fear of dogs. My cousins used to have dogs, and I would often dread going to visit them because of that fact. Once, one of their dobermans jumped on me (in what they assured me was a playful gesture), and tore the sweater I was wearing. Alright, I'll admit I cried a little, I was about 9 or 10 and the dog was a little larger than I was. My girlfriend has had Buffy here since she was a puppy, and boy was she cute (as you can see by the photos above!) And she's always been a bit mischievous as well. Very playful and very friendly. My girlfriend had another dog, Canela (R.I.P.) when I first met her, and since she was older, she wasn't as aggressive, but I was still a little scared of her. (The little boy in me wouldn't quite get over that). Then they got Buffy as a puppy, and I think she's grown attached to me, and I've grown attached to her, so much so that I consider her my dog as well.Now it is 2 years later and look how much she has grown. She's still playful and mischievous but now she is bigger than I am when she stand up on her hind legs. (And if you know me, then you know THAT's pretty big! hehehe). We had a scare with her a few months back where she got her collar caught on the fence. (She almost died!) But luckily my girlfriend and her parents saw her in time to save her. We took her to the vet, and they were amazed that she pulled through. They say that the majority of dogs that that happens to don't make it. (She's a little miracle!).
So, today we celebrate the only dog that I have ever truly loved as my own, Buffy. Big, soft, furry, and lovable. (Very much like myself!)

"With A LIttle Help From My Friends..."

Okay, so what is the official turnaround on TV shows coming to DVD, huh? I mean, come on, one of the main reasons that I got satellite television was for good ol' Boomerang, the one stop fix for all my retro cartoon needs. Then I come to find out that 1). If I want Boomerang, I have to pay extra for it (wassup' wid dat?) and 2). goddamn mother-f-ing Boomerang doesn't show Tiny Toons, or Animaniacs, or Freakazoid! And worse still is that there are no DVD boxed sets of any of these shows that can be purchased by the nostalgic fan, such as myself. Okay, I know that maybe cartoons don't tend to be released as boxed sets, but that is slowly changing with the wave of successful shows on Cartoon Networks [adult swim]. But did you know that the freakin' Wonder Years is STILL not out on DVD? (I know you all remember what a great show that was!) Kevin Arnold and Winnie Cooper were my generation's Ross and Rachel. That show is timeless. (Or more specifically, taking place in the 70's). WAAAAAYYYYNNNEEEE!!! Classic! Or how about (and this one is for you Ralph Garman, wherever you are!) the original Batman TV series? Where's my Batusi?? Where's my Joker with painted-over mustache? Where's Aunt Harriet? Or my Bat-Shark Repellant Spray? Is there anything that utility belt can't hold? Tune in next time...same bat time...same bat channel! Ah, yes there would be nothing that I would love more than to be able to own the shows that made my youth so memorable. But until then, I guess I must be content with simply re-visiting my memories of these great shows as I sit at my desk and browse the fansites and forums. (And by that I mean look at porn, lots and lots of porn! But of course, you already knew that didn't you??)

One Good Turn Deserves Another

In the same vain as Marvel's Figure Factory, and Gentle Giant's Bust Ups, here is the DC Universe's entry into the build-your-own-diorama figure sets. Basically the same gimick as the previous two, approximately the same size as well, except with two slight differences. Wherein the Marvel series includes some mystery figures, the DC's Who's Who in the DC Universe Mystery Box (Yes, that really is the name of the figure line!) consists of all mystery figures. Basically, this means that you won't be able to pick and choose which ones you want, you'll have to buy until you stumble upon the one you want by sheer luck. Also, each figure comes with a different extra bonus piece that, when all 6 are collected, can be put together to form a retro-looking mini batmobile. Look for this series in stores sometime in June.

Two Great Tastes That Taste Great Together!

Well, it was about time that someone had the brilliant idea to fuse two totally awesome franchises, (Star Wars and Transformers) into a single line of figures that capture the essence of both. The Star Wars Transformers toy line from Hasbro recreates the forms of our favorites Star Wars Vehicles (eg. X-Wing Fighter, Slave 1, Tie Fighters, etc.) and gives them the capability to be transformed into mech versions of their pilots (eg. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, etc.) Being a fan of both lines, of course I was anxious for their release. I'll admit, I'm still not totally convinced by the robotic modes, I think the Boba Fett is a little stiff, but as the new waves are released, I believe that the robotic modes are improving slightly. I think the Darth Maul robot modes is the best one so far.The vehicles modes, on the other hand, are completely spot-on! I'm actually excited to see my personal favorite Star Wars vehicle see its incarnation in this line. (The Lambda Class Imperial Shuttle/Emperor Palpatine). And although it is my favorite vehicle in the Star Wars saga, it is still not the best. That honor lies with the one, the only...The Millennium Falcon. So far this is the first deluxe Star Wars Transformers set that will be available. Of the two figures, I personally prefer the Chewbacca robot, but you can't dispute how great the vehicle mode looks. If you are a fan of both franchises, then these figures should be part of your collection. Look for them in stores now.

New Skin

Just thought that I would give props to DecalGirl for a high quality product. A couple of buddies and I order a few skins for our Nintendo DS's, iPods, or PSP, and we just got them in today. I got to admit I was a bit hesitant at first, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a quick and affordable way to give my DS a make-over. I got the silver DS for my birthday last year, and I've been itching to trade it in for the electric blue one, but with this new skin, I think I can hold on to this one a little bit longer (until the DS lite is released, that is!). Thanks www.decalgirl.com.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to all the special ladies in my life. (You all know who you are!) I hope you had a good one with your significant others. BFF!

Feminist Propaganda?

Gentlemen, it is once again that time of year when chocolate makers, flower growers, and greeting card writers gouge us for the un-romantic sapless suckers that we are. Yep, I'm talking Valentine's Day, people! Personally, I believe that it falls far too close to Christmas to ever make a full recovery from the holiday grind, but it's not like I can do anything about that. Anyways, my girlfriend says to me, she says, "Just do something romantic". Hmmm...way to narrow it down! We ended up celebrating it this past Saturday due to work and school schedules for Tuesday (yeah, Tuesday night out...very romantic! At least make it on a Friday or something!) Valentine's Day is very plainly a female holiday, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I mean, when she asked me what I wanted for Valentine's all I asked for was that she pay for dinner, that's enough for me! Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy being able to lavish gifts upon her, let's face it, that is one of the reasons I love having a girlfriend in the first place. But how about our day, huh? When do guys have their turn? If you're not a father, then you're pretty much screwed. Valentine is all about the reds, the pinks, the soft, and the cuddlys. Where's the buffed, smelly, hairy, sweaty, green, black, and blue holiday? The best we have to look forward to is getting drunk on St. Paddys, but really is that such a departure from every other weekend? (Especially for those of us who don't drink?) We need a grassroots movement to create the man's holiday. The one day a year where instead of a dozen roses, the little lady brings a 12-pack. Instead of a box a chocolates, perhaps a box of condoms (or porn depending on how the night is expected to progress). How about spending a little money on us, huh? I'm just sayin'.

Worldwide Suckage!!

I received my Nintendo Wi-Fi USB connector for my DS. Now, if you guys thought that I sucked at Mario Kart DS on a local level, imagine how much suckage there will be on the world stage. Not since Monica Lewinski has there been suckage of such monumental proportions! Yes, Omar is the new last place!

Don't Trust the Yellow Man!!

God Damn asian backed into my car!! No damage, even though it felt like a pretty hard hit, but my girlfriend sprained her back. And we were celebrating Valentine's Day early too! It turns out that that particular stereotype may indeed be true. A word to the wise...remember Pearl Harbor!

The State of the Universe Address

Us comic book fans would like to boast that we have lived through the renaissance of the comic book-based movie, trying desperately to put behind us the humiliating existence of such films as The Punisher starring Dolph Lundgren, Captain America starring Nobody Cares, and Howard the Duck starring Howard the Duck (and Lea Thompson. I'll admit I kinda liked this one as a kid). We are living in a time when Spider-man became the gold standard for comic book superhero movies. 5, maybe 10 years ago, the idea of there being a Spider-man movie was laughable, let alone an X-Men one. (Come one, mutants? Really?) There was an unspeakable longing within the soul of every comic book geek (CBG), one that desperately wanted to see a movie about a man who swings around New York city dressed in red and blue tights, but also deeply feared the injustice and disrespect such a project would garnish or earn. Most of us have grown up with these characters in our lives almost everyday, be it through the page or the small screen. This is our mythology. These are our gods. The past few years have given us two virtually perfect Spider-man films, two X-Men films (which I believe did as well as they did because we all have dealt with discrimination in one form or another at least once in our lives), and the awesome ressurection of the Batman franchise from the desicrated tomb that Joel Schumacher pissed all over. True, they haven't all been gems (Hulk? Elektra? Anyone?), but I have to admit there is a certain awe-inspiring goosebump-raising sensation that grows within the gut of ever CBG when their favorite hero finally gets a theme. (Danny Elfman is a God!) It's also nice to see that lesser known graphic novels are seeing time on the silver screen, and sometimes surpassing preconceived expectations, in some cases even gaining critical acclaim. I'm talking about movies like Hellboy, Constantine, A History of Violence, and American Splendor. This year we have three big budget superhero movies to look forward to: X3 (X-Men 3 for those of you living under a rock), V For Vendetta (starring hottie Natalie Portman), and Superman Returns (starring hottie Brandon Routh). Of the three, I'm most looking forward to Superman Returns. Seeing the awesome job that Brian Singer did with the X-Men franchise, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, although I fear that the X-Men franchise won't survive much longer without him. I was too young to see Superman fly on screen the first time around, so needless to say that the recent trailer for his triumphant return raised not goose, but ostrich bumps. And the future only looks brighter. Next year we will see Spider-Man 3, which from what I hear will feature Sandman and Electro as the villains (only used to usher in the arrival of Venom in the 4th film, according to some), and Ghost Rider starring Nicholas Cage. Other titles that are currently being considered are Iron Man, Namor the Submariner, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Deathlok, Thor, and a better version of Captain America. And with new titles being created every day, the possibilites are endless. So, my fellow CBG's the state of the Universe is good at the moment, but in the hands of the wrong director, even the next Batman Begins can become Oley Sassone's Fantastic Four. (CBG's know what I'm talking about). Until next time True Believers.

Let's Get Animated!

It's funny how when your little, cartoons such as Tiny Toons or Muppet Babies or even Bobby's World were just side-spliting funny. Sure, a pie in the face was a great gag. Squeaky shoes? HIL-ARI-OUS! Not to mention funny words like Mukluk, Walla Walla Washington, or Lake Titicaca (tehehehehe). But now that we are older and wiser (well, definitely older anyway) those skits don't stand the test of time. Sure they're cute, they can even make you nostalgic for afternoon lunches after school sitting in front of the TV before beginning your homework. (Can someone hand me a hankey?) But with age also comes a more refined sensibility, and a greater appreciation for the true art of comedy. Currently, some of the most comedically adult shows are animated. Right of the bat, I can point to Family Guy as a show that consistently pushes the envelope, while still maintaining the funny. Alright, I'll admit, Family Guy isn't the epitome of sophisticated humor (Dick and fart jokes abound!), but I think I can safely say that it has far surpassed the highest level that the Simpson's ever reached in its hayday. For sophisticated adult-oriented humor I'll present (Exhibit A) the Boondocks. Now, I was a little late to the party on this one. I heard about it from some friends of mine, they'd constently talk about how funny and racey it was, and so I finally decided to give it a try. I never read the comic strip, although I knew it existed, so I really didn't have any expectations. I can honestly say that I was blown away. Here's a show that delves into the deep social infrastructure of our society, and exposes the racial prejudices of suburban America. (In other words, its a funny show about Niggas!) It is a strange combination of anime style animation, and hip-hop urban culture. Now, I ain't sayin' she's a Gold Digger, but this show ain't pulling any punches. Perhaps at first glance it comes across as nothing more than 22 minutes of racial stereotypes run amok, and you'd be right, but there is something more that distinguishes this show from all others of this type. At the end of every episode I feel like I've learned something valuable as well as laughing along the way. I think the fact that the show is told through the perspective of two young boys makes it easy to dismiss their racial insensitivity as symptoms of youth and innocence, but it also makes their social commentary that much more powerful. They are not afraid to tell it how it is, and are also not afraid of the consequences. Adults think too much, and their fear leads to inaction, and that is why things go unresolved. Everyone is too busy brown-nosing everyone else, and our world becomes one big lie full of Yes-men. That being said...it's a damn funny show. I highly recommend it. You'll laugh, but maybe you'll also learn something along the way...Nigga!

Can You Hear Me Now?? AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

I'm currently in the midsts of another Stephen King-induced nightmare, as I am reading his latest literary work, "Cell", and I began to reminisce about the many memorable moments that Mr. King (as he should respectfully be addressed, and rightly so!) has brought into my life. Now, I'm a great fan of Mr. King's, I think I've read most of what he's ever put to paper, and I was also a long time member of the Stephen King library (you can never have enough skeleton keychains, if you know what I mean!). That being said, I'm not here to say that all that Mr. King craps on turns to gold. There have been some definitive misses. (Dreamcather, I'm looking in your direction!! Why don't you take of the mask, and call yourself what you really are...IT 2!!) But I would like to take this opportunity to list my top 10 Stephen King Novels (Stories) in descending order from lowest to highest:




#10 The Mist: Nothing better than hearing giant man-eating creatures all around you, and not being able to see them coming right at you.








#9 Hearts in Atlantis: I'm not a very big fan of history and/or politics, but this collection of stories puts the Vietnam War, and its aftermath, in terms and perspectives I can understand. Socially poignant, but still within the realm of the supernatural.








#8 Misery: How can one middle-aged, retired nurse be so horrifically terrifying? There is nothing scarier than that which is still within the realm of possibility. One of the greatest villains of all time. (Here's your Caca- Doodie Paper!! Classic!)







#7 The Stand (Unabridged Version): Definetly the longest of Stephen King's works (The Dark Tower Series not withstanding), I found this version at my local swap meet at a great deal. The juxtaposition of Mother Abigail and Randall Flagg is great. Military bio-chemical warfare gone wrong? Nothing wrong with that. (M-O-O-N, that spells great!) Besides, you gotta respect a book that has a character named Trash Can Man.





#6 Rita Hayward and the Shawshank Redemption: One of the first stories where I love both literary and cinematic versions. This one stands as a testament to Mr. King's ability to write works of fiction without vampires, zombies, ghosts, or demons. (Tax Fraud, SCARRRRY!!)










#5 The Green Mile: John Coffey (like the drink, only not spelled the same), is one of THE best Stephen King characters of all time (in my humble opinion). Once again, a great cinematic adaptation of one of Mr. King's finest.








#4 Insomnia: Perhaps one of the lesser known Stephen King gems, this one's protagonist is possibly the oldest in Mr. King's library. (Yet he still managed to get the job done without the help of Viagra). Also the first time I heard of the Crimson King {ominous music}.







#3 The Body (aka Stand By Me): One of my favorite movies of all time, I saw it before I even read the novella. A tender coming-of-age story that a young boy, such as myself, can identify with. (You know, except for the whole corpse thing).







#2 The Dark Tower Series: 7 books, one masterpiece of literary fiction/science fiction/horror/and soon-to-be comic book. The title not only refers to the central focus of the series, but also to the crux of Mr. King's entire literary works. Almost every single Stephen King story ties in to the epic journey of Roland Deschain, the Gunslinger.






#1 IT: Pennywise the Clown. Perhaps the single largest cause of Coulrophobia (I'd like Obscure Phobia's for $500, Alex!) since Bozo. My very first Stephen King book, remains my favorite, as well as the only one that I have read more than once. I felt totally invested in the lives of the characters, and as a teenager in high school, I was able to identify with The Loser's Club because I was one myself. It's a great story about the bonds of friendship, confronting one's fears, and the power of belief and imagination. The made-for-TV mini-series was okay, having the star power of John Ritter, Harry Anderson, Tim Curry, and Annette O'Toole (yep, MILF-y Martha Kent herself!), but it couldn't quiet capture the magic that the novel conveys.

Well, that's it. It's controversial, it's thought-provoking, it'll probably be read by a grand total of 2 people (myself included), but it's mine. Live with it. Until Next Time Constant Reader.