From featheredItalianFilms.com

Citizens of the small town of Devilin hide a deadly secret. A secret locked deep with-in HELL HOUSE! Enter if you dare. Survive if they let you!

Within the city limits of Devilin lies a home the towns folk call Hell House. A house that was once the home of a family accused of mass murder. A family known a the Reapers! Now Hell House has been renovated and re-opened as a new haunted attraction despite the towns obejctions. A group of young fear seekers enter the attraction and are soon to be in for the fright of their lives! Is the horror around them real? Have the Reaper’s come back to re-claim their home or is this a part of the show? One thing is for sure, you will think twice before you enter your next haunted house!

HELL HOUSE! stars such hardcore wrestling legend Al Snow, Stacey Dixon (Old Habits Die Hard), female wrestling superstars Roni Jonah and Cyndi “Bobcat” Snow, Jim O’Rear (The Deepining), Daniel Emrey Taylor (Return of The Swamp Thing) and five time MMA cage fighting champion Dale Miller, Jason Crowe (Dead Moon Rising), TJ Moreschi (Bottle Rockets), Nathan Day (Stash) and Leslie Rogers (Monstrosity) Plus many many more!

Stacey Dixon

Best Selling Amazon DVD's

Prepare yourselves for this level of awesomeness.

You really shouldn't have stolen his last doughnut.

Once again my dear readers, I apologize for my increasing rise of inactivity, it’s not you, really. It’s me. But I’m gradually getting better from the H1N1 virus and thus should be posting more frequently.

So, from the creator of ‘Conan‘, I bring you Solomon Kane, based upon the novel of the same name. I know what you’re thinking, or rather… Hoping, wishing, is dreaming too strong a word? Unfortunately the guy in the poster is not Hugh Jackman. Ah I can hear the sighs of disappointment already. But I can understand why you thought/wished/dreamed that nonetheless, he does look awfully familiar… Can anyone say Van Helsing. Again, no. It’s Solomon Kane and is played by James Purefoy (A Knight’s Tale, Resident Evil, Rome). Now whilst Mr. Purefoy… hasn’t particularly had the starring role in any blockbuster hits, for lack of a better phrase, judging from the trailer, he does seem to be promising. I’m not guaranteeing anything though, I’ve been surprised by many an actor or actress in the past, and not for the better. Other notable stars are Rachel Hurd-Wood (Peter Pan, An American Haunting, Dorian Gray),  Mackenzie Crook (The Office (UK), Pirates Of The Caribbean, Sex Lives Of The Potato Men) and Pete Postlethwaite (The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Dragonheart, Alien 3, Aeon Flux)

So guess what the film is about? No really, go on. How about Solomon Kane being a mercenary for Queen Elizabeth I, and during a mission he encounters The Reaper, his soul is from there forth at stake, he either seeks redemption or is damned to hell… Oh, what’s that? You were close? Fair enough. Seriously though, it sounds pretty good and that was just the beginning. The film is set to be the first in a trilogy, and mysteriously… The release date has yet to be decided. So now I’ll shut up and let you watch the trailer.

Bay area mma fans be sure to check out ” my jkd fight” a mma , boxing , kickboxing , and kali stick match exhibtion going down on aug 1st 2009 in petaluma ca. If you are a fan of mma or boxing youll love this event thoroughly thumped productions always put on a great show filled with exciting fights and a great enviroment. Tix are $15 pre sale and $20 at the door. For a sample of the kind of action you can expect at this event check out this clip of Andre “The Reaper” Holmes , who will be headlining the event on Aug 1st , in action at the last event.

The computers here at work block most websites other than basic email access or mapping sites (somehow WordPress is still available – YAY!), and sound is locked in OFF mode … so YouTube is a no-go. But Vimeo is still viewable (if not audible), and I think I found a video for the song that has been captured in my mind for the past week – Blue Oyster Cult’s The Reaper. Let me know if I’m right or wrong, and I can change out the video later, if needed:

PS: I have limited internet access now, as we don’t have it in our new home … email access during breaks at work, and occasional access to other sites from the library once a week. Forgive me if I don’t update as much as I used to …

Here’s what’s on TV tonight on this Tuesday night!

• NCIS
• The Mentalist
• Without a Trace
• *American Idol
• Fringe
• Biggest Loser: Couples
• Law & Order: SVU
• *Scrubs
• Better Off Ted – Season Finale
• Dancing with the Stars
• Cupid
• The Reaper
• 90210
• Rescue Me

*American Idol (FOX and CTV): The final four battle it out to Rock & Roll songs. This week’s mentor is  former Guns N’ Roses lead guitarist Slash.

*Scrubs (ABC): Tonight’s episode will be the one that was bumped last week due to the Presidential Address. The Season (Series?) Finale will be airing on Wednesday.

For a recap of yesterday’s NBC Upfront Event, Click Here.

So Redztk recorded some footage of one of our Crypts runs and put together a montage of the mini-boss and boss fights and asked me to write up a guide for the bosses.  Instead of just doing the Boss/mini-boss information, I’m tossing in some general dungeon strategy as well.

So here’s Gaar’s Guide to Sigmar Crypts.  Please keep in mind, I like boring, dull dungeon runs where the tanks take damage and no one else does, so this is written from that perspective.  It also tends to be good if you don’t have full wards yet.  Enjoy!  ~Gaar

General Information

Required Level – 40

Required Wards – Lesser Wards (Annihilator/Bloodlord)  The more warded pieces you have, the more damage you will do and the less damage you will take.

Location – The Crypts are located inside The Temple of Sigmar which is at 7355, 24340 in Altdorf.  To access the Crypts, go through the main doors then go left into the side room and through the closed door directly in front of you.  At the bottom of the stairs is the portal that will take you and your group to your instance.

Recommended (but not required) Group Make-up: 2 Tanks, 2 DPS, 2 Healers.  This is mainly due to the final bosses, whose debuffs should be working by the time this gets posted which means it may no longer be possible to solo-tank them both.  We’ll see.

Pieces Obtained – Sentinel Gloves, Shoulders, Body, Belt.  Mobs in here also have a chance to drop “Warden” gear as well which can be nice in certain cases and is Bind on Equip so can be traded/sold.

Lockout Timer – 2 days, 20 hours.  Goes into effect after killing the first mini-boss.

Walkthrough

Crypts is composed of three “wings” (right, left, middle) with the left opening up only after defeating the right and the middle opening only after defeating the left.  There is no skipping ahead here and nothing is optional.  Healers should slot hate-reduction tactics, DPS likewise if available.  Tanks should slot hate-building tactics as well as strong defensive tactics.  The Tome Undead tactics are good here as well if you have them.  Your Main Tank should be the tank with the most wards/best gear, or if it is equal, the one with the most defensive mastery build.

Right Wing

To start, you have three pulls of Skeletons.  The first pull is three, the second is four and the final is three again.  The easiest way to do this is to stay in the entry room with the healers and DPS back by the portal.  The Main Tank (MT) should open the gate, taunt the first Skeleton and move to the left away from the rest of the group.  The mobs will move thru the door and turn to face him at which point, the MT should Challenge them all.  After this, the Off Tank (OT) can Taunt one mob off the MT to reduce damage.  The group should then kill one mob off the MT and then the OT and then the last mob off the MT again.  This first pull will show you how well your MT can take damage, how well your OT can take damage and who is the biggest aggro producer in the group.  If your MT can handle the damage, you can even let them hold all the mobs while the OT guards them or simply kills mobs.  Guard from the MT should now be placed on the biggest aggro producer.  If everything went well, repeat with the next set and the next until all is clear.  If not, well, figure out what went wrong.  Dungeons are where you learn how to balance groups and group responsibilities.  Welcome to the learning curve.

After you have cleared the skeletons, you will see stairs going down with Giant Spiders at the bottom.  Have your group stay at the top on the side nearest where you came in, have the MT taunt a spider and back up to the far side forcing the spiders to come up and face away from the group again.  (This should be habit for tanks at this point, if it isn’t, make it one.  Many mobs in dungeons from this point on have frontal cones of various types and you do not want them facing your group at any time.  Practice on all the trash mobs so you can be perfect on the bosses.)  The spiders can disable, so have the OT be ready to grab them if necessary.  After the first three, go down the stairs and finish off the last three.  As soon as the last one dies, you get your first Mini-Boss instantly.

Cryptweb Queen

Always keep the Queen facing away from your group.  She will disable and root your MT so have the OT ready to Taunt her off your group just in case.  As long as she never faces your group, you should be fine.  When you finally defeat her, she has a chance of dropping a Sentinel Belt.  All Sentinel Belts are Bind on Equip (BoE) and can be traded, sold or salvaged as you see fit.

Once past the Queen, you will face four groups of three Banshees.  Stay in the Queen’s room and have your MT taunt them down the stairs and face them away from your group.  These are casters so you need to break Line of Sight (LoS) to get them to move.  You can pull the second set down the stairs as well to make it easy to control them.  For the third set, move up and have your MT Challenge them where they stand, then rush past them to face them away from the group as you kill them.  Do the same for the fourth group.  Once you have cleared them, you are at your second Mini-Boss.

The Reaper

Don’t fear The Reaper.  (I had to, I’m sorry. :p  )  You will need your graphics at least Balanced for this encounter.  The Reaper likes to spawn purple clouds on the ground that do damage to anyone foolish enough to stand in them.  He will also summon forth spirits to assist him a few times during the encounter.  Simply have your MT Taunt him and face him away from the group to start.  As he drops clouds, the MT will move him around the room while the group stays behind the boss.  As spirits spawn, have the OT Taunt them and hold them while you kill them.  Repeat until The Reaper dies.  The Reaper also has a chance at dropping a Sentinel Belt.

You now face four sets of undead.  These like to silence, so be ready and don’t pull two groups at once until you’ve got more experience with them.  The easy method of clearing the first room past The Reaper is to have your group wait in the room to one side of the doorway.  The MT goes into the room, taunts the Priest and runs back to the other side of the door from your group.  The three undead should come into the room and face the MT at which point they should Challenge the group.  Kill them all and repeat with the second pull in that room then move in and set up for the next two sets.  One of the next sets is a roaming group.  Wait in the doorway for them to show up and then taunt them and kill them like the last two sets.  Repeat on the fourth set and move in to the next room.

You are now in the right wing Boss’ room.  There are multiple groups of mobs in here to clear out before you take on the Boss.  Pull the first group up to the room you just cleared to give yourself room to fight.  As always, keep them faced away from your group.  Once they’re down, move into the bottom area of the room and pull the next group following the same tactics.  Once the room is clear, you’re ready to fight the first main Boss.

Necromancer Malcidious

This Boss is an interesting fight, especially if it’s your first time.  He awaits you at the end of the long room.  Make sure your group is fully prepared before engaging.  When ready, have everyone wait at the far end of the room while the MT runs up and Taunts him.  The MT should race back to the group, wait for the Boss to reach the far end and then turn him quickly away from the group.  At this point, you just have to keep the MT up while working him down to 50% health.  During this fight, the Boss will at times summon spirit-clones of your group.  The OT should Taunt these and kill them as they shouldn’t do much damage to a tank.

Once the Boss reaches 50% health, he summons his guards.  Do not let these touch you.  They start where he was at the beginning of the fight and slowly move towards your group.  At this point, this becomes a damage race.  You want to kill the Boss before his guard reach you.  If it doesn’t look like that will happen, you have to become mobile.  The group must stick close together while the MT moves the Boss to the outside of the pillars and starts walking him back to his spawn point.  As long as you stay behind the Boss and the MT moves quickly, you can avoid the guards and have more time.  Before the Boss dies, make sure to hit his guards with a ranged attack or AOE from someone.  This will give you loot rights on them as they die when the Boss dies.  Once he is dead, your first priority is to rez anyone that died before looting anything.  Once everyone is alive, loot the Boss and his two guards.  The guards tend to drop Sentinel Belts while the Boss drops up to two pairs of Sentinel Gloves, a blue Warden armor piece and a rare dye.

That’s it for the Right Wing.  The gates to the Left Wing are now open.  Your group has to run back to where you spawned in and through the gates to start.

Left Wing

While the Right Wing checks your ability to deal with mainly melee mobs in dungeons, the Left Wing checks how you fare against casters/ranged.  Before you get anywhere near the mini-bosses here, there are four groups of casters, a group of two roaming casters and a roaming Giant Bat.  Good times.  Have your group stay right by the gates in and have your MT peak around the corner, Taunt the closest NPC and then move back out of Line of Sight.  All three NPCs should come charging around the corner.  Once they do, the tank should Challenge and then turn them away from the group.  After they’re dead, it’s easiest to wait for the roaming set to come to where the first group was and pull them the same way.  Kill them and move closer to the next hallway and wait for the Bat.  When it comes by, Taunt, turn it and kill it.  It can silence those in front of it so, again, make sure it never faces your healers.

The next group in the hallway is a bit tricky.  Two are to the right and one is in plain sight in front of you.  Have the OT Taunt the one in sight and have the MT Challenge the other two as they run around the corner.  Turn them away from the group and clear them out.   Move your group back around the corner and have the MT LoS the next trio before moving on to the last three.  For the last three, have the MT Taunt one and duck to the right into the hallway near where they stand.  When they come around the corner, Challenge and kill them off.  You are now ready to start clearing the mini-boss rooms.

Standing with your back to the hallway you came down, there are three paths.  Left, forward, right.  We’re going right first.  These are Undead Templars.  They like to silence, a lot.  Luckily, there aren’t many of them.  Don’t all rush forward at once, stand just inside that hallway and let the MT move up to the stairwell on the left and Taunt the first one out.  The OT should move to the right stairwell as there is another one there.  Taunt it as well.  Both tanks can meet in the middle as they back up and turn the NPCs away from the group.  Once you clear these two, it’s time to move down into the lower chamber.  In here are two sets of three Templars.  The main group can wait in the entry while the MT moves to the back of front of the room and Taunts them.  Once the MT has Challenged them all, move in behind them and clear them out.  Repeat with the second group while staying away from the back hallway.  Once done, it’s time for the mini-boss.

Tobias the Fallen

This guy is fun.  He likes to silence, disable and group knockback and he can take a lot of damage.  Have the main group wait to one side of his hallway while the MT Taunts him into the main room.  The MT should move to put his back to the wall away from the group and start focusing on defensive buffs while rotating Taunt and Challenge.  Everyone else should move in behind him and work on Tobias.  When he does his group knockback, be wary of an aggro switch.  If the MT has Taunt up, he can pull him back.  If not, the OT needs to do it until the MT can pick him back up again.  Keep this up until Tobias is dead.  This is pure tank and spank here, as they say.

One he is dead, move back to the junction and take a right again.  The next chamber is full of Giant Bats in sets of three and the mini-boss is in the middle.  There’s a hard way to do this and an easy way to do this.  Because of all the bugs in this dungeon, we do the easy way because we feel it makes up for the glitches.  If they ever fix it, I’ll update this section to explain the hard way to do it.  I’ve done both.

Sister Eudocia

That’s right, you can skip right to the main event.  Move into the top part of the stairwell on the left and have the group stay on the stairs.  The MT can sneak down to the bottom and Taunt the mini-boss off her perch.  They then run up to the first landing and start their ranged toss on the mini-boss until she moves all the way up to the top step.  Make sure no one attacks until she is on the top step.  Once she is there, the melee DPS and OT can move down behind her on the stairs while the rest stay where they are.  This way is pure tank and spank again.  If for some reason you didn’t move her to the right spot, you will get Giant Bat adds coming up the stairs.  If this happens, they must die quickly as they will silence your healers.

Once she is dead, move back to the junction and take another right.  This part is a bit harder as the next mobs are all ranged.  Squishies without enough Wards can easily be 2-shot here if you do not take your time and be careful handling these mobs.  This part is very glitchy so it’s better to be safe than wipe.  Again, set up at the entry to this junction and only have the MT move forward along the left wall.  Have them Taunt the archer and turn them quickly away from the group by moving past the hallway.  Kill them and repeat with the NPC on the right side.  The MT should then move down the left stairwell and pull the single NPC around the corner there back up to the hallway using LoS.  Do the same on the right and then set up to clear the bottom room.

If the mobs are working correctly, they will come in sets of three.  There are two sets that need to be pulled back up to the hallway to kill.  The MT should move down the stairwell on the right and stay on the left side of it.  There will be one NPC in front of them they can Taunt.  Once done, run back up the stairs to the group and wait for them to show up.  This could take a while and if they don’t show up, you’ll have to do it again.  These mobs like to get stuck in walls or in reset loops.  Be patient.  Once this first set of three is done, the MT will move down to the entrance and look left to see the next set at the front of the room.  Taunt them and move back to the hallway just like the first set.  Under no circumstances should you Taunt the NPCs by the mini-boss.  These are linked to her and will pull her.  Once you clear both sets of three, move down to the entry and get ready for the final mini-boss.

Seraphine ‘Pale Eye’

She and her two guards are ranged and she likes to randomly turn and fire on everyone.  It hurts, be prepared.  Everyone should set up at the entrance to the chamber.  The MT will move in and to the right along the wall and Taunt her before moving to the middle of the room, keeping her faced away from the group.  The OT should Challenge both of her guards once she has moved out of its path.  The guards should be killed first and quickly.  Once they are down, focus on her.  You do not have to completely kill her, only get her to 15%.  Because of her random turn-and-fire, the MT and OT should stay on the same side of her and rotate their Challenge to reduce the damage from her to the rest of the group.  Once she goes unattackable at 15%, you will get one or two adds from the back of the room.  Have the MT turn around and grab aggro, then kill them both.  Time for your reward.  Talk to Seraphine.  Her script can be slow, but eventually she will start it and then run out of the room.  Follow her to the gates to the Middle Wing where she will open the gates and spawn a chest of loot.  Once spawned, someone must attack it once to unlock it, then right-click to loot.  The chest gives up to two sets of Sentinel Shoulders, a blue Warden armor piece and a rare dye.  You are now ready for the final chamber.

Middle Wing

If you’ve gotten this far, the NPCs in this room will pose no problem to you.  Have your group move through the gates and stand just inside them on the left of the stairwell.  The MT should pull the first set of NPCs up to that room for easy dispatch.  There will be four and they are all casters.  Once they are down, move into the chamber.  Healers and ranged can stand up on the ledge while the Tanks and Melee DPS move down below.  The easiest way to clear this room is to be patient and LoS the groups so they stay in small clumps for easy AOE damage.  Have the MT move behind the left pillar while the other melee stay near the right.  The MT should then hop out, Taunt a mob and move behind the pillar.  The casters will be a little jerky and slow due to pathing issues, but will eventually group up on the MT behind the pillar where he can then Challenge and make sure they’re facing away from the melee DPS.  Finish them all off and repeat with all the groupings by moving up row after row and using the pillar LoS.  You should then only have the twins left standing on their rocks and now aggressive at the end of the chamber.

Twin Lectors

I’m a big fan of this fight.  I’ve actually had my full Sentinel set for months now and yet I still run people through here just to play around with the nuances of their script.  I’ve even solo-tanked it with only four others before and finished it solo when we lost the OT partway through.  I can’t stress enough how important it is to learn a Boss’ script, whether in a Dungeon, a Fortress, or the City Sieges.  That knowledge can make any one of those a walk in the park.

I always forget their names and honestly, it doesn’t matter.  hehe.  All that matters is the Left and the Right.  You want your MT on the Right one and the OT on the Left one.  I like my groups to set up the healers and ranged inbetween the first and second pillars to keep sufficient distance for the Taunts used during the fight.  Melee DPS will need to move between the two Bosses as needed.

Important:  During this fight, you MUST keep their health between 10% of each other at all times.  If you break that 10% mark, the lowest one will heal up to where his Twin is.  That’s a huge waste of your time and could lead to a wipe.  Ranged DPS can switch back and forth between the two as needed.  Melee DPS will have to switch targets, or at times even stop DPSing.  I know, sounds weird, but this isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.

Ok, so you’re set up and ready to go.  The MT will lead the charge in and run right up to the rock where the Right Twin is and Taunt him to hold him while the OT runs up to the Left Twin and Taunts and holds him.  Keep them about as far apart as their rocks, even if they move off a bit, that’s fine.  You just don’t want them close to each other.  At the start of the fight, just DPS away while keeping their health close.  I prefer no more than a 5% spread at all times but your group will get the hang of it.  If you’re not properly warded, these guys can hit hard so tanks should go defensive while cycling Taunt but not Challenge.  Once you get them down a bit, their script will kick in and it’s time for fun.

The second their script kicks in, one drops a huge purple Disable circle on the ground while the other goes into melee mode.  The tank with the circle must immediately back out of it until they’re no longer disabled.  I usually back towards the outer wall and the front door, thus moving behind the pillar but jumping into LoS for my healers.  Once that tank is out of the circle, they need to immediately Challenge their Twin which should be in caster mode.  If you do this quickly, Challenge will work as a timer for when the circle goes away as it is roughly 35-40 seconds the initial time.  Once you have Challenged, toss your axe/knife/whatever at them repeatedly and toss a Taunt in once.  Keep this up until Challenge is back up and hit it again and immediately run back up to the Twin and start spamming your disabled Taunt button.  The second the Disable circle drops, you’ll Taunt them and pull them back to you.  This is important as they clear their aggro and will rush a squishie and sucker-punch them otherwise.

While one tank is dealing with the caster/disable situation, the other tank is being beat upon mercilessly by the other Twin.  That tank needs to go full defensive while occasionally Taunting to maintain aggro.  This is the tank that should be getting the majority of the heals as the other one shouldn’t be taking much damage from the caster.  Your experience may vary based on wards/gear/spec.  DPS should of course be watching the health of both Twins.  If you do not have a ranged DPS with you, you must have your melee DPS back off during this phase so as not to break the 10% barrier.  A ranged DPS can switch targets and try to keep the caster within the 10% mark while the melee works the other Twin.

Once the Disable circle drops off the first Twin, it immediately appears on the other Twin.  The other tank must now do what the first was doing.  This process will repeat a couple times but the Disable circle will disappear faster each time so your tanks have to be ready to Taunt on a moment’s notice.  Healing and Damage Absorb morales should be saved and used appropriately.  Shield Wall is a MUST for tanks as their Rank 2 morale in any dungeon.  As an IB, I slot that at 2, Gromril at 3 and Immaculate Defense at 4.  I prefer to wait until 3 to help the whole group, but if I have to, I use 2 to keep me up if I’m the only one taking damage.

If you do not beat them fast enough, either due to low DPS or due to resetting their health, they will adjust their script.  All of a sudden, you will have both of them free with no Disable circles beating on both tanks.  Then they’ll switch again and both will have Disable circles.  Ideally, you want them dead before any of this happens.  However, with a patient, focused group, you can make it through all of it if need be.

Once both are at 10% health or below, pick one and demolish it.  DO NOT LOOT IT!  His Twin will get mad and rush right to whomever got the killing blow and suicide on them, killing them instantly.  He slowly disappears and once he’s gone completely you can revive your group member.  Only once ALL group members are alive should you loot the Twin you killed.  He will drop up to two Body pieces, one blue Warden item and one rare dye.

Rumor has it, if you kill both Twins at EXACTLY the same time, you will get twice as much loot.  Once you get this run down, I encourage you to try it.  It’s fun working them down equally and going for a dual-killing blow.  Personally, I’ve never achieved it although we’ve had both at 0% health when one died.  Maybe one of these days it will happen.

Anyway, you have now successfully cleared the Sigmar Crypts.  You will be doing this a lot, so be patient with it.  Learn the ropes and learn what your group is able to do and you can push yourself a bit each time to move faster, kill faster, wipe less, whatever you wish to challenge yourself with to keep it fun.  I do recommend static groups mainly because you get into a groove of knowing instinctively how those people will react in any given situation.  However, PUGging it is perfectly acceptable as you meet tons of new people, which can be great…and horrible.  hehe.  But since this is a game where we all end up fighting together on the battlefield, it’s nice to be able to recognize lots of names and know they’re capable of getting your back when things get tough.

Again, this is just how I like to do Crypts.  There are as many different ways to do it as there are options for your class, so experiment away.  I’ve actually done this with five people and me being the only tank before.  Twins are WAY fun that way, hehe.  I’ve also taken people with 2-3 wards through the entire thing using this exact methodology, so fewer wards are viable if you have a solid tank to help soak up damage.  Keep experimenting, challenging yourself and looking for new ways to do things.  And above all, keep having fun!  This is a game after all.

~Gaar

In my case, I have Verizon downloading to Outlook 2003. Sometimes I use their terrible netmail to access my email remotely. I also have my phone set up to download new mail. Annoyances abound but the key limitations are: …[More..]


netmail.verizon.net (1) ». http://netmail.verizon.net/webmail/driver?nimlet=deggetemail

I woke up Friday morning to some tragic news. Joseph McGee, 23 years old, author of Snow Hill and The Reaper and a score of wonderful short stories, was found dead in his apartment Thursday morning. His death was due to complications from diabetes.

Joe was a good friend of mine. We communicated regularly through email, several times on the phone, and he was kind enough to show me early versions of his manuscripts for The Reaper and Snow Hill. I was honored that he listed me in the acknowledgements section of his beautifully haunting tale The Reaper.

For me, Joe embodied all that is so very right about the writing community. He was young, enthusiastic, smart, and generous with his time. I wish I could say I saw a lot of myself in him, but the truth is my head wasn’t on nearly as straight as his when I was that age. Joe was always looking for a way to improve the world around him. He had a charitable spirit, and a genuine interest in helping those in need, a tradition that his family is carrying on in his honor.

I’ll miss you, Joe. There is so much tragedy in the world, but it gives me hope that the same world we see on the news each night could also produce a heart as kind as yours.

-Señora jueza, si me permite cantar una estrofa de “no temas a la parca”…

-Conozco la discografía del grupo, señor Simpson!

Blue Öyster Cult – (Don’t Fear) The Reaper

All our times have come
Here but now they’re gone
Seasons don’t fear the reaper
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain..we can be like they are
Come on baby…don’t fear the reaper
Baby take my hand…don’t fear the reaper
We’ll be able to fly…don’t fear the reaper
Baby I’m your man…

Valentine is done
Here but now they’re gone
Romeo and Juliet
Are together in eternity…Romeo and Juliet
40,000 men and women everyday…Like Romeo and Juliet
40,000 men and women everyday…Redefine happiness
Another 40,000 coming everyday…We can be like they are
Come on baby…don’t fear the reaper
Baby take my hand…don’t fear the reaper
We’ll be able to fly…don’t fear the reaper
Baby I’m your man…

Love of two is one
Here but now they’re gone
Came the last night of sadness
And it was clear she couldn’t go on
Then the door was open and the wind appeared
The candles blew then disappeared
The curtains flew then he appeared…saying don’t be afraid
Come on baby…and she had no fear
And she ran to him…then they started to fly
They looked backward and said goodby…she had become like they are
She had taken his hand…she had become like they are
Come on baby…don’t fear the reaper

Evelyn waited on the ridge, as she’d been told to do.  The wind howled and whistled along the bones of the mountain, biting at the exposed flesh of her neck and wrists.  In the distance she could see the valley, her village, smoke rising from the small collection of homes clustered together in the stark landscape.  She was cold.  The rage and fear and sadness had subsided for now and all she could feel were the teeth of the wind.  She turned her eyes to the dark grey ranges around her and before she saw him, she heard the harsh cry of the eagle. 

The huge, golden bird soared up from behind the black peaks and swooped down to the ridge in wide, keen circles, to land on the open rock.  The bird was the size of man.  Dark eyed, intelligent, he looked at Evelyn curiously.  Cocked his head to one side as if examining her.  She raised herself up to her full height and stared back without fear.  The bird nodded, unfolded his tawny wings, rose into the air and gently picked her up in his black claws.

The air grew colder as the eagle flew higher. Despite her resolve to be fearless, Evelyn closed her eyes against the vertigo the threatened to overwhelm her and clenched her hands in fists.  The eagle flew.  Over the endless mountains of the hard lands.  Over the crags and peaks and valleys.  Over bitter lakes and hard rivers. Over the flats of scrubland and the dry earth of winter.  And still the eagle flew.  On and on he flew, the pulse of his wings the only measure of how far they’d come.  Evelyn forgot time, forgot distance, forgot all in the rushing of the air and clasp of the eagle’s claws. Fighting back the fear, she forced herself to open her eyes and saw a monstrous black peak, rising up to devour the horizon.  And felt the first quickening of despair as she realized she would never find her way home.

The bird slowed and began to circle down towards a narrow path etched into the face of the rock.  He set her down before hopping on the ledge and ruffling his feathers in the wind.  She thanked him and he looked her over again with his dark, serious eyes and inclined his head up the path.

Evelyn wrapped her cloak more firmly around her.  On the exposed slope, the wind felt crueler.  More intent than before. Dangerous with the vicious abyss to her right.  As the bird took flight, she watched him ride the wind into the sky and then turned up towards the path.  Stepping carefully along the narrow, roughly carved trail, she inched her way up the mountain.  For hours she walked, numb to everything but the next step she had to take. As night fell, she huddled against the unforgiving stone, eating the last of her bread and apples, unable to sleep, but too afraid to continue on in the dark.  

As dawn crept along the skyline, she rubbed feeling back into her arms and legs began to climb again.  As she approached the summit, the path narrowed, until she was forced to lean into the granite face of the mountain to keep a precarious balance against the drop and the wind. Tears of frustration and exhaustion welled in her eyes.  She cursed the bag of stones that thrust the garnet in her hand.  She cursed her father.  She cursed the eagle.  And just as she was about to give up, sink to the ground with the rage and the pain to keep her warm, she stumbled round a corner and found a level open space leading back into a shadowed cave.  She cried out in relief, allowing the tears to come, bowing her head into her hands and sobbing.

A shadow in the entrance moved and a voice said; “You’ve done well, Evelyn.  Welcome.  Come in, my child.  I am the one you call the Reaper.”

______________________________

Chapter 1: The Choosing

Tonight’s episode proved that Reaper deserves the sophomore season it was just awarded.  Since its return from hiatus, the show has turned up the heat on the plot culminating in a big revelation which will come to a head in next week’s finale.

****The following could contain spoilers****

In the last few weeks, the plot has thickened on this supernatural comedy.  An unwilling bounty hunter for Hell, Sam has been a part of a demon rebellion, helped discovered a mole in the Devil’s ranks and finally told one of his girlfriends about his second job.

But even Sam has no clue about the news revealed in the final moments of “The Leak” episode.  When Andi convinced Tony to use his demon contacts to check Sam’s contract with the Devil for a loophole, she had no idea what they’d discover. 

But what Tony and his friends find is missing pages that suggest that Sam is the son of Satan – a fact that I speculated about three weeks ago.

Now that I’ve finished patting myself on the back for my foresight I can to begin to speculate what will be in store for next week’s finale when it appears that Sam finally learns about his genealogy.

What do you think the ramifications of Sam’s parentage are going to be?  Can he then chose to no longer be a reaper?  And who will die in the finale?  Any guesses?

Last night the CW freshman series Reaper returned with its first of five post-strike episodes to close out the season.  But the fate of the show still hangs in the balance.  But it’s the status of Sam’s soul that I’m curious about – or actually more specifically, his lineage of his soul.

The premise of the show is that run-the-mill slacker Sam Oliver (Brett Harrison) has his life turned upside down when he turns 21.  On his birthday he finds out that his parents (Andrew Airlie and Allison Hossack) sold his soul to the Devil (Ray Wise).  The Devil decides instead of taking Sam’s soul to Hell, he’d rather employ him as a bounty hunter for escaped souls, telling Sam:

“That’s a problem we’ve been having lately, what with overcrowding and so forth.  Honestly, we were underprepared for the influx.  I blame myself.  But that’s not your problem.  All you have to do is track down fugitives and haul their asses over to a portal to Hell.  Easy.”

The story sounds pretty simple and straight forward; and as you can imagine hilarity ensue when Sam tries to take down souls mean enough and bad enough to escape from Hell with nothing more than the help of his two best slacker pals – Ben (Rick Gonzalez) and Sock (Tyler Labine) – and a vessel given to him by the Devil:

“This will help.  A vessel.  Handcrafted in the bowels of Perdition, by the iniquitous and the vile.”  (Sam looks blank)  ”Oh, I forgot, you got 600 on the SATs, didn’t you?”

And while on the surface the story sounds simple, the episodes are littered with clues that suggest there’s more to the tale.

First there’s the parents reluctance to tell Sam about the deal.  He’s dad stumbled through:

“There’s something I… I have to tell you. I, uh, I probably should have told you this a long time ago. I, uh… Before you were born, your Mom and I… sold your soul to the Devil.”

The parents tell Sam that his father was dying so they bartered the soul of their first child (because they didn’t they could have any) for the return of his health.

Then there’s the contract.  When Sam ask his parents to see it, they stall, coming up with vague places it might be before admitting they don’t have it.  An outraged Sam replied:

“You put the contract for my soul with my third grade report card, and Mr Huggles?”

And when he asks the Devil for a copy of it, the Devil claims inefficiencies in his administration:

“You know who works for me in my central office? White collar criminals. They hate me. They hate their jobs. I’m lucky if I get coffee in the morning.”

Eventually Sam gets it, but it’s so thick (think War & Peace) and written in legalese that Sam doesn’t understand it.

And finally, there is the unusual relationship between the Devil and Sam.  The Devil has taken Sam under his wing – acting like a mentor – helping him to succeed with his reaper duties and “interfering” with the rest of his life.  An example of the Devil’s guidance:

“Get the girl. Get the soul. I don’t care which, man, just pull that trigger. I’m tired of coddling you.”

It might not sound like much, but it’s clear that the Devil doesn’t dote on all his employees like this.  In fact, Sam’s demon neighbors – Steve (Michael Ian Black) and Tony (Ken Marino) – mention how rare it is for the Devil to talk to one of his charges, let alone confide in them in this latest episode, “Rebellion” in which the Devil invited Sam out for ice cream.

These clues make me believe that Sam could actually be the Devil’s son.

Think about it.  The Devil fears his enemies might harm his infant son (or worse, corrupt him into challenging his father), so he sends him to be raised in secret by humans.  Maybe the Devil traded his son’s safety for Mr. Oliver’s health or for the Olivers to have a child of their own (Sam has a little brother that we haven’t seen since the pilot). 

This explanation could clarify why the Olivers were so uncomfortable with revealing the deal and why nobody wanted Sam to see the contract.

And now that Sam has come of age, the Devil is teaching him the family business and getting to know Sam, thereby explaining the Devil’s particular interest in Sam.

Furthermore, in “Unseen” when Sam candidly asks the Devil if Cady (Jessica Stroup) is his daughter.  The Devil openly admits that she is not.  But it’s the way the Devil says it that makes you think that Cady might not be his offspring, but someone Sam knows (like maybe himself) is.

Either way, the addition of the demon neighbors has added a new dimension to an already great show.  I know some people might not have given Reaper a chance because it’s on the CW or because they fear it’s some dark sci fi show dealing with the supernatural like Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the CW hit Supernatural. 

In reality, Reaper is a comedy that relies on witty dialogue, pop cultural references and comical storylines for the slacker in all of us.  I particularly like the dialogue as you can tell from the many quotes I used above.  Unfortunately, reading them in print is not the same as when Ray Wise delivers them.  The Devil has the best lines in the show.

Reaper airs on the CW at 9 p.m. on Tuesdays.  You can watch full episodes on cwtv.com.

Δεν ξέρω πως μου ήρθε ,ίσως η έλλειψη Prison Break  ίσως το χαντάκωμα του Lost,είπα να ξεκινήσω καμιά καινούρια σειρά.Κάτι που σπάνια πια επιχειρώ μιας και βρίσκομαι να ξεκινάω μια σειρά να τη περιμένω με τη βδομάδα και να κόβεται στη μέση της σεζόν(πχ.The black donnellys).Οπότε περιμένω να βεβαιωθώ για την ποιότητα αλλά κυρίως για το μέλλον της σειράς πριν κάτσω να τη δω.Στις επιλογές μου ήταν το Chuck(2007) και το The Reaper(2007).

Τα δύο shows διαδραματίζονται σε παρόμοιο περιβάλλον ένα μεγάλο multistore όπου οι υπάλληλοι του είναι και οι πρωταγωνιστές.Στο The Reaper ο Sam ανακαλύπτει ότι οι γονείς πούλησαν την ψυχή του στο διάβολο και τώρα πρέπει να δουλεύει ως κυνηγός επικηριγμένων για αυτόν μέχρι να πεθάνει.Μπόλικη δόση τρέλας και χιούμορ.Ο Tyler Labine που κάνει τον Sock είναι απίστευτος χαρακτήρας!!! Γενικώς παρά τις επιφυλάξεις που είχα λόγο του σεναρίου μέχρι στιγμής δένει υπέροχα με τους ηθοποιούς.Η Missy Peregrym σίγουρα είναι ένα bonus.

Το Chuck από την άλλη ενώ το αρχικό σενάριο και το Pilot ήταν εξαιρετικά δεν φαίνεται να προχωράει.Κάθε επεισόδιο κινείται περίπου στο ίδιο μοτίβο χωρίς πολλές εκπλήξεις.Ο Chuck λαμβάνει ένα mail με όλες τις απορρήτες πληροφορίες της κυβέρνησης οι οποίες αποτυπώνονται στο μυαλό του.Έτσι στρατολογείται από τις μυστικές υπηρεσίες και δουλεύει πωλητής το πρωί και κατάσκοπος το βράδυ.Το θετικο είναι ότι δημιουργήθηκε από τον Josh Schwartz(The.OC,Gossip Girl)οπότε ακόμα ελπίζω σε κάποιο θαύμα.Παρόλαυτα γέλιο υπάρχει και θα σου εξασφαλίσει 40 λεπτά διασκέδασης,τίποτα παραπάνω όμως.

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The Fall TV Season is well under way and November sweeps are just around the corner.  But how did all the new offerings this season fair up?  Here’s my look at the best new shows.

A friend of mine commented that nothing really wowed him this season like Heroes did last year and Lost a few years before.  I disagreed with him.  However, I found that the shows that did wow me were a different kind of show than either Heroes or Lost.  In fact, humor is what impressed me this year. 

Without further ado, here are my Top 5 new shows:

1.  Reaper
In this show, the devil once said, “Life’s too short to drink domestic.”  I say life’s to short not to watch Reaper.  My favorite show of the season, Reaper, has some of the best one liners on TV and they are delivered by none other than the devil himself.  Ray Wise steals every scene he’s in as the boss that won’t let Sam out of his contract, but wants to help him be successful in his role as the devil’s bounty hunter.  While Wise might not be a kinder, gentler devil, he’s definitely a friendlier, funnier devil.

But Wise isn’t the only star of the show.  Sam and his two slacker friends — Socks and Ben — will keep you rolling with their attempts to catch escaped souls using vessels given to them by the devil that include a dirt devil hand vac, a remote control car and a Christmas sweater among other things.  There’s also Sam’s super caring parents — you know the ones that sold his soul to the devil when his dad was dying (or at least that’s what they are telling Sam, but what aren’t they telling him?). 

Of course, there are also girls involved.  Missy Peregrym (Candice from Heroes) stars as Andi, Sam’s dream girl that he can’t quite pair up with.  Valerie Rae Miller (Original Cindy from Dark Angel) rounds out the cast as Socks’ ex and the only one of the friends with real career aspirations.

Maybe this show holds as special place in my heart because Sam’s antics at The Workbench (minus his devil duties) remind me of stories my husband has told me about his days in college working at a home improvement store with his pals. 

Reaper airs on CW on Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

2.  Chuck
Brought to us by O.C. creator Josh Schwartz, this comedy is for the geek in all of us and a perfect lead in to the more serious Heroes.  Lowly Nerd Herd employee Chuck is sent an encrypted file containing all the NSA and CSI secrets by his nemesis and former college roommate, Bryce Larkin.  A rogue spy, Bryce destroyed the computer containing the secrets, leaving the information in Chuck’s head the sole source of these government secrets.  Enter Sarah and Casey (Adam Baldwin), CIA and NSA agents respectively sent to keep Chuck, or rather the information in Chuck’s head, safe until a new computer can be brought online.

Hilarity ensues when a particular image triggers the decrypting of a secret and sends Chuck and his handlers on a mission.  For me Adam Baldwin (Jayne from Firefly) steals the show as the gung ho NSA agent sent to eliminate Chuck but is now babysitting the geek while keeping a distrustful eye on his CIA counterpart.  And I’m particularly looking forward to Rachel Bilson guest staring later this season as a potential love interest for Chuck.

Chuck airs on NBC on Mondays at 8 p.m.

3.  Torchwood
Since the airing of this British series is a season behind on the Sci Fi Channel, I know that Torchwood has already been picked up for a second season.  But I couldn’t help but include it on this list for two reasons — 1.  I like this show and 2.  I wanted to include a cable show after all the great hits (Burn Notice, Mad Men and Army Wives) we got from cable this summer.

A spin-off from Doctor Who, Torchwood is even better than its parent.  The adventures of the immortal Captain Jack Hartness and his crew as they chase down aliens and alien technology as part of the secret British agency Torchwood are fun, exciting and captivating.

Torchwood airs on BBC America on Saturdays at 9 p.m.

4.  Bionic Woman
Will Bionic Woman be the next Battlestar Galactia, a TV remake bigger than its original?  I don’t know, but I think it definitely fills the gap left in BSG’s absence as BSG prepares for its final season.  In fact, I like Katee Sackhoff better as Sarah Corvus than as Starbuck in BSG.   Michelle Ryan impressed me in BBC’s Jekyll this summer so I’m glad to have her show up in another show this fall. 

It’s nice to have an action show on with a strong female lead.  It kind of reminds me of Dark Angel with bionics instead of bar codes.  I’m looking forward to more of Jamie’s adventures and to learning more about just what Will was up to before his demise. 

Bionic Woman airs on NBC on Wednesdays at 9 p.m.

5.  The Big Bang Theory
This sitcom about two science geeks with lots of book smarts, but not much street smarts and their hot, blonde (insert joke here) neighbor is worth a second look.  It’s a nice pairing with my other favorite sitcom, How I Met Your Mother.  The one liners alone in this half-hour show keep me in stitches.

The Big Bang Theories airs on Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS.

While these five top my list as the best new shows of the fall season, there are a few more that I haven’t quite made up my mind about.  I think I’ll need a few more weeks with these shows to find out if they are keepers.

Pushing Daisies
While this new drama as already won critical acclaim and a request for a full season of scripts, the jury is still out for me, who is exactly 35 years, 9 months, 15 days, 10 hours and 2 minutes old at this moment.  I am charmed by the Dr. Seuss-like narration and the Pleasantville scenes.  The vibrant colors are visually stimulating.  But I’m wondering if all this charm and sweetness is going to keep me (and audiences) interested.  Right now I like the quirkiness, but will I be annoyed by it after 10 or so episodes?

Pushing Daisies airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Dirty Sexy Money
Right now the Darlings are intriguing.  Everyone likes to look into the life of the rich and famous.  And finding out that their lives are just as screwed up is not only a relief, its fun to watch.  Just ask the tabloids, they sell millions on those stories.  But how long before I tire of watching the rich and spoiled overindulge?  I have hope, but only time will tell.

Dirty Sexy Money airs on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC.

Life
Do we really need another cop/detective/crime fighting show?  Probably not.  But the story of Charlie Crews still intrigues me.  A cop wrongly accused of killing his best friend and his family is released from prison after 12 years when the case is overturned.  The Zen-spewing detective with a passion for fruit and ladies goes back to work on the force while secretly working to discover who really killed his friends.  Will the mystery be enough to hold our attention? 

Life airs on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on NBC.

Journeyman
Quantum Leap this show is not.  But the idea that Dan Vassar just suddenly leaving his current life, really at no will of his own, to travel to the past to set some wrong right is intriguing.  Add the fact that the fiancee he thought dead apparently also travels in time and it’s quite a mystery.  But will the audience stick around to find out why?

Journeyman airs on Monday at 10 p.m. on NBC.

Now that you’ve heard my thoughts, tell me what is your favorite new show of the season and why.

I’ve seen a lot of different promotions for TV shows over the years, but CW has a new one I’ve never seen.  In addition to the typical billboards and ads, CW is launching it’s new series Reaper with its very own drink.  Pretty interesting concept.

CW will be promoting The Reaper (the drink and the show) at two bars in each of 10 markets (sorry Broadcasting & Cable doesn’t mention which bars) and 25 bars each in New York and Chicago beginning September 3, complete with promo goodies and television clips.

If you can’t find a bar near you featuring the drink, here’s the recipe for The Reaper so you can mix of your very own at home:

The Reaper

1 oz. sweet vermouth
1/4 oz. dry vermouth
1/2 oz. sloe gin
2 dashes orange bitters

Pour ingredients into an old-fashioned glass two-thirds filled with crushed ice. Stir well, garnish with a slice of orange, and serve.

The show, about a kid who upon his 21st birthday must become the devil’s bounty hunter because his parents sold his soul to the devil, premieres on Tuesday, September 25th at 8 p.m. on CW.

Lots of great stuff to watch today, all comedies…

Our first gut-busting look at THE TEN, the new comedy from the WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER/ THE STATE/ STELLA crew– this one’s gonna be amazing! Adam Brody! Rob Cordry! Jessica Alba even!

Andy Samberg’s first movie, HOT ROD, shows some promise. Here’s the teaser…

YOU KILL ME: Ben Kingsley plays a mob hitman forced to get treatment for his alcoholism. Luke Wilson plays his AA sponsor. Should be great.

And here’s the trailer for the KEVIN SMITH-directed pilot of THE REAPER, a CW comedy about a high schooler whose parents sold his soul to the devil. Now he’s working for Satan on Earth, collecting errant souls.