Happy 4th of July weekend to all of you. I’m a little late getting this week’s entry up, but I’ve got a very good reason as you’ll see.

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me even a little bit, that I’m a movie fanatic. I’ve been since my dad dragged me to Saturday matinees with him from the time I was seven years old. I quickly became addicted to that big silver screen and the amazing stories it revealed to me. I thought movies were magic back then, and I still do. Well, this week two movies that will soon be released to the world at large were the focus of most of my imagination and have me really excited. One is a major special effects blockbuster due out in Dec. and the other is an unknown, little independent horror flick made entirely by a new friend.

The 1933 KING KONG is my all time favorite movie. Nothing has ever come close to doing to me what this film did when I first saw it at the age of 9. Now, all these years later, and after that ridiculously awful remake in the70s, Peter Jackson (he of the LORD OF THE RINGS miracle) is doing his own retelling of that classic yarn and this past week his studio released their first official trailer. It lasted only a few minutes but that was enough. Way enough..to see a real 1930s New York City…to see Naomi Watts wearing the exact same style clothes, down to the hat, that Fay Wray wore in the original when we first see her as Ann Darrow, starving on the cold city streets…enough to see Jack Black’s take on
movie showman, Carl Denham is near perfect…with none of over-the-top-rock & roll antics he’s known for..enough to show Skull Island as it meant to be…the dinosaurs that are REAL…and finally..the baddest, meanest, toughest..greatest giant ape of them all..KING KONG in all his magnificent primal might. My prediciton is this will not only be the movie of the year, it will ultimately be the movie of the decade. Thing is, I’m going to go ape myself waiting for Dec. to get here.

The other movie I’m thrilled about is GOD OF VAMPIRES and it was written, produced and directed by Derry, N.H. native, Rob Fitz. I met Rob last year at Atlanta’s Dragon Con and we hit it off. He’s been working of GoV for the past five years and has poured his blood, sweat, and tears into it. Two weeks ago he called to tell me he had a rough cut ready and would I like to see it? Like asking me if I like to breathe..ha. Valerie and I then invited JOHNNY RAYGUN comics creators, Matt Talbot & Rich Woodall (and their respective mates) to join us last night in viewing this amazing, bloody over-the-top indy. We had pizza and soda, socialized a bit, and then all came down to the Batcave and watched Rob’s amazing movie on my big-screen TV. When it was over, we were cheering, hooting and applauding soundly. GOD OF VAMPIRES is going to do to the horror genre what EL MARIACHI did to the actions scene years ago. Rob is of that same professional, genius caliber as Quentin Tarrentino and Robert Rodriguez. Folks, you are in for a treat. He hopes to have the film shown at Dragon Con this year (Labor Day weekend) and later, hopefully, at the Halloween Two day Comic Con in Nashua, NH. It may not even be done by then, but Rob loves the feedback from true fans of the genre. It was quite a night.

So there you have it, two very different movies, but both with same quality and heart made by people of vision, integrity and courage.
Big and small, the size never matters, it’s all about the dreams, folks, and the stuff of dreams.

Have a great holiday, Ron, over and out.