Monster Mania Day 14: Jan Svankmajer's "Down To The Cellar" (1983)

Written by Stu Cooper

Growing up I was always a fan of stop motion animation. Whether it was Pee-Wee's Playhouse, Wallace and Gromit, or Gumby. I loved that kind of stuff. Even as an adult I watch Robot Chicken frequently and love the work there do there. Who can forget Nightmare Before Christmas? That is a stop motion masterpiece. But before any of those existed and before computers were even used in the industry, there was Jan Svankmajer. Svankmajer was a surrealist filmmaker who started making short films in the late 60's. I was unfamiliar with his work until I saw a film he did called "Dimensions of Dialogue" and I was blown away. It's anarchy through stop motion. That's the only way I can think to put it. It's made clear by the end of that film that Svankmajer is a very talented artist and film maker. After that one I viewed a short called "Down to the Cellar" which is about a little girl going down to the cellar of a creepy old building and witnessing some...unusual things. Check it out for yourself. It has a nice subtle horror vibe to it, so that's why I chose it for one of the Monster Mania entries. Enjoy!

Dallas Comic-Con presents The Sci-fi Expo 2013

Written by Stu Cooper

This past weekend I was able to attend the Sci-fi Expo in Dallas,Texas. The show was presented by the same group that does the Dallas Comic-Con and Dallas Fan Days conventions every year. I had a bad taste in my mouth regarding these cons due to a less than thrilling visit with the Dallas Comic-con last year, but a lot of the issues I had with the con last year had actually been resolved. There wasn't overcrowding or ridiculous 3 hour entry lines. Everything ran rather smoothly. It was a pleasant surprise and enabled me to really enjoy the convention.

I must say after attending 14 or so conventions I thought I may start to become jaded but I've found that coming to the conventions in costume, and meeting other costumed attendees is really where the fun lies. I enjoy the autographs but after tons of celebs, you become numb to the guest announcements. I just recently started dressing up at conventions this past October. It is an entirely different experience! It's quite fun being approached by people for pictures and it is a great conversation starter. I've made several friends this way. Unfortunately I was only able to attend one day but in that one day I was able to meet several interesting people, talented cosplayers, artists, and Avery Brooks , known most famously for his role as Benjamin Sisko on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Another show under my belt and another adventure to remember.