Comic Con 2012, according to tradition, was expected to be fun and exhausting.  It did not disappoint.  The endless list of celebrities that attended the convention was a "Who's who" of television, movie, gaming, animae, toys, contemporary artists, and on, and on.  Comic Con is no longer a fan convention. This beloved fan event has become a ginormous trade show. Patience, the ability to stand in extremely long lines, and focusing on specific goals can be rewarded with fantastic and amazing surprises. Take for example the dedicated fans who were surprised in an extremely long line in order to get into an extremely popular panel. They were surprised, in the middle of the night, by a visit from Ian McKellen who wanted to show his appreciation for the fans’ dedication. How amazing is that?!

I have a firm rule about Comic Con, that being “If it ain’t Ben, I ain’t in”. I knew ahead of time that Ben was not expected to attend the convention due to a previous commitment. However, getting a chance to see Ben Browder, on a HUGE screen, and in a good movie is worth a trip to San Diego! But before we got to see the movie there was a sea of humanity known as Comic Con.

Zombie cops, zombie doctors, I even saw a zombie Abby Schuto (as in NCIS). I think she’d have gotten a kick out of seeing that costume! The amount of time and effort that some people put into their costumes is amazing. It’s good to know there are some who know how to deal with zombies!

I took these costumed pictures (And to those readers who know me I say, “Yes I did!”) But to see gorgeous pictures taken through the eyes of truly talented photographers, I encourage you to check out these two Facebook pages. I saw the same things that Raven and Kilna saw but the difference is in perspective and talent.  My goodness, is there a difference!

Cult

I was very pleased to get a seat in the panel room for Cult. This new television show was written by Rockne O’Bannon. It's a show about a cult TV series, which is also called Cult, with an intensely dedicated fan base. Some of whom are far too obsessed and people start dying in “real” life. How much of Cult is real life? How much is fiction? And who is the mysterious writer of the series that no one is allowed to see?

Personally, I am really looking forward to seeing Cult on the CW network.  Intelligent and suspenseful television is something I like to encourage.

Bad Kids Go To Hell Movie Review

This is NOT a remake of the Breakfast Club.  Bad Kids Go To Hell is a sexy, dark comedy thriller.  Yes, there is the fleeting nod to the classic movie with the casting of Judd Nelson as the always angry school principal. And yes, the plot starts with a few kids with behavioral problems being locked in a school library for detention. But thats as far as the similarities go. It might be better to think of Bad Kids Go To Hell as Breakfast Club meets Ten Little Indians.

Clearly meant for a young audience (over 17 please) Bad Kids is smart and fast paced. There's just a bit of gore, cool music, politically incorrect humor, sexy young and entitled rich brats, an over the top principal, an entirely too invasive school counselor, and a janitor who is just a little bit odd.

I enjoyed watching Bad Kids Go To Hell because it's fun to watch these spoiled brats get killed off one by one. No lie.  Plot twists that actually surprise you. Add a supernatural twist, some disgusting roaches, and lots of attitude!

If you have read the comics, be warned, some really cool changes have been made to the story so surprises are in store for you too.

Ben Browder plays the role of Max the janitor.  Max is mysterious and frankly there is something just a bit off about this person.   He doesn't have much to say, sometimes seems to be a little slow, other times you're sure he's not, and he's always around.   Ben Browder fans know of his ability to say a lot with his eyes and without saying a word.  They won't be disappointed in this movie.

Judd Nelson

Speaking with Judd Nelson (resisting the temptation to ask any and all fan girl questions) I wanted to first find out about his current projects. "A film called Nurse 3D with Katrina Bowers and Paz De Muerta. And one called “Just 45 minutes till Broadway” that Henry Jagman directed along with Tanner Fredrick. I think that one comes out in October and I don’t know when Nurse3D comes out."

You worked with Ben Browder in this film. How was that experience? “Great! He is a very interesting guy. He’s smart and very thoughtful. We didn’t really get a chance to work together which is too bad but I’d definitely like to work with him again because he has a lot of gravitas, he’s a serious dude and I like him.”

Roger Edwards

Roger Edwards, one of the hot young stars in the movie, plays the basketball jock. He has a couple of projects going at this time. “I’ve got a couple of things going. One is a movie that is being directed by Edwardo Sanchez (who also did Blair Witch Project). It’s a Big Foot movie. And you know, with Big Foot movies it could go either way. It’s either going to go really good or really bad. I’m telling you this movie is really scary! I saw a little teaser trailer and all I could think was run. Run!! I’m in the movie and I want to run!”

Roger, did you get a chance to work with Ben Browder directly in Bad Kids Go to Hell? “I actually did. I actually learned a lot from him. This was my first theater movie so I learned a lot on Bad Kids Go To Hell and meeting Ben Browder, you know he’s a seasoned professional. Every day you learn more and more. And he’s just one of those guys that guides the newer actors to let them know that it’s not just acting. There are a lot of technical things that go on. When, you know, a director sometimes is trying to convey a certain message and the director doesn’t know how to put it into perspective for the actor to understand. And that’s when you want to have to veterans on set because they’re the ones that can connect those dots sometimes. I’m referring to a specific moment when Mathew wanted something and I didn’t really understand and Ben was like ‘You mean do it like this’ and it all works out.

Soon we hopefully hear news about the film’s distribution. And I am looking forward to seeing it again. It'll be fun!

Kaaren Perry -- Photographer
Patti Huber -- Photographer
Kim Carl --  Writer and Webmaster
Arlo Williams -- Photographer