Icon vs. Icon

You are cordially invited to celebrate the launch of this year’s holiday season with the rambunctious crew from the Satellite of Love, as Joel, Mike and their robot pals Gypsy, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot embark on a painfully joyful (and joyfully painful) voyage through the magnificent madness of  the Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XIX limited-edition 4-DVD box set (featuring the highly collectible Gypsy figurine) from Shout! Factory, in association with Best Brains, Inc. on November 9, 2010!

This side-splitting collection of MST3K features the show’s never-before-released episodes Robot Monster, Bride of the Monster, Devil Doll and Devil Fish.  Those entrees come with a side of extras, including a new introduction by J. Elvis Weinstein, cult filmmaker Larry Blamire’s full-fledged geek-out on Robot Monster, new featurettes on Bride of the Monsterand Devil Doll, MST3K: Origins and Beyond from CONvergence 2009, original movie trailers, and four exclusive MST3Kmini-posters by artist Steve Vance. There might even be an Easter Egg…we’re just sayin’.  This limited-edition 4-DVD box set also includes a figurine of Gypsy, the perfect companion to the Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo figurines included in previous year-end Mystery Science Theater 3000 DVD box sets, all of which have become collector’s items.  A must-have for loyal fans and collectors, Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XIX 4-DVD box set is priced to own at $69.97.

MST3K: ROBOT MONSTER

The sinister alien Ro-Man has decimated the Earth’s population, leaving only eight survivors, including a professor and the family of young space enthusiast Johnny.

Its status as “one of the worst films ever made” easily makes Robot Monster an instant hit with the crew of the Satellite of Love! Join Joel, Servo and Crow as they explore their own fears of Ro-Man — errr … Ro-Tom – surrealism and, of course, the awful greatness (and the great awfulness) that is Robot Monster!

Also includes the shorts Radar Men From The Moon: Chapters 4 & 5!

Bonus Features

• Brand-new introduction by J. Elvis Weinstein
• Larry Blamire Geeks Out
• Original Robot Monster trailer

MST3K: BRIDE OF THE MONSTER

Horror cinema icons Bela Lugosi and Tor Johnson star in this unforgettable Ed Wood classic as the crazed Dr. Vornoff and his beastly assistant Lobo, who conduct heinous experiments on human victims in an effort to create a race of atomic super-beings that will conquer the world.

The film raises some intriguing questions: Do robots made of scrap parts aboard an orbiting satellite dream of electric sheep? Can Joel and the ’bots carry a tune? Who doesn’t love cold Tater Tots^® and olive loaf? These and other, equally imperative, questions will be answered — and more — in this “very special episode” of Mystery Science Theater 3000 that pays tribute to one of Ed Wood’s best bad movies ever! After all, no Ed Wood film would truly be complete without the biting yet loving riffs of your faithful Satellite of Love crew!

Also includes the short Hired!, Part 1!

Bonus Features

• Citizen Wood: Making ‘The Bride,’ Unmaking ‘The Legend.’
• Inventing the “Invention Exchange”
• Original Bride of The Monster trailer

MST3K: DEVIL DOLL

Well … hello Dolly!

Before a sold-out audience in London, “The Great Vorelli” performs with his ventriloquist dummy, Hugo. The doll walks on his own. It talks on his own. It even threatens the audience on his own. But is Hugo the real villain? Or could it be that his ventriloquist owner has lost his marbles?

While Pearl and Brain Guy show the Romans how to have a good time at the Lesser God Day celebration, Mike, Crow and Servo invite you to their own open-window frat party! Party it up with the S.O.L. crew, complete with special guests, devil dolls and their own British pub!

Bonus Features

• The Puppet Master: Richard Gordon on Devil Doll
• Original Devil Doll trailer

MST3K: DEVIL FISH

When Dr. Stella Dickens concludes the recent string of grisly deaths and demolished boats can’t be the result of any known marine creature, she sets out to capture the beast, a genetically created bio-weapon that must be kept secret . . . at any cost. One thing’s for sure, however: The fish are biting!

Beware the dolphins, after Mike and the crew of the Satellite of Love decide to mock their intelligence! Meanwhile, Pearl is forced to convince unexpected visitors that the castle’s actually a luxurious cruise liner! No one’s safe — least of all, Devil Fish – in this episode from Mystery Science Theater 3000’s ninth hysterical season!

Bonus Features

• MST3K: Origins and Beyond at CONvergence 2009
• Original Devil Fish trailer

The Mystery Science Theater 3000 series was created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Jim Mallon. After a year on KTMA TV in Minneapolis, its national broadcast life began in 1989 on the Comedy Channel (later to become Comedy Central), where it ran for seven seasons. The show’s final three seasons aired on the Sci-Fi Channel.  The premise of the series features a hapless man who is trapped by mad scientists on a satellite in space and forced to watch old B-movies of questionable worth. To keep sane, he’s built two robot sidekicks, and together they do a running commentary on the films, affectionately mocking their flaws with inspired wisecracks and acting as a demented movie theater peanut gallery. Series creator Hodgson originally played the stranded man, Joel Robinson.  When he left in 1993, series head writer Mike Nelson replaced him as the new B-movie victim Mike Nelson, and continued in the role for the rest of the show’s run.  The format proved to be popular and remarkably durable. During its 11-year run and 198 episodes (including one feature film), MST3K attained a loyal fan base and critical acclaim. The series won a Peabody Award in 1993, and was nominated for writing Emmys^® in 1994 and 1995.

Who hasn’t wanted to be a secret agent living a double life? In ‘Killers’, Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl get to do just that and the adventure is headed home on DVD on September 7th!

Synopsis: Trying to recover from a sudden break-up, Jen Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl) believes she’ll never fall in love again. But when she reluctantly joins her parents on a trip to the French Riviera, Jen happens to meet the man of her dreams, the dashing, handsome Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kutcher). Three years later, her seemingly impossible wish has come true: she and Spencer are newlyweds living the ideal suburban life – that is, until the morning after Spencer’s 30th birthday when bullets start flying. Literally.

It turns out Spencer never bothered to tell Jen he’s also an international super-spy, and now Jen’s perfect world has been turned upside down. Faced with the fact that her husband is a hit man, Jen is determined to discover what other secrets Spencer might be keeping – all the while trying to dodge bullets, keep up neighborly appearances, manage the in-laws…and work out some major trust issues.

And you thought suburban life was easy!

Blu-Ray & DVD Special Features:
• “Killer Chemistry: Behind the Scenes with the Killers’ Cast” featurette
• Gag reel
• Deleted / Alternate / Extended Scenes

THE PRIZE:
• (1) ‘Copy of ‘Killers’ on DVD

HOW TO ENTER – Tell us why you want to be secret agent!
To enter send an email to contest@iconvsicon.com with “KILLERS!” in the subject line. Be sure to include your name, age, address, telephone number.

You must tell us why you want to be a secret agent! The adventure, the perks, the non-stop action… be creative!

It’s that easy, so get entered today!

DETAILS:
All entries must be received before 12:01 a.m. EST on September 7th, 2010. Limit one (1) entry per username and person and per email address for the duration of the Entry Period. Multiple entries received from any username or person or e-mail address will be void. Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means or which subvert the entry process are void. Entries that do not contain required entry information are void. This contest is open only to residents of The United States and Canada.

HBO has released a brand new teaser poster for Eastbound & Down Season 2.  The hilarious comedy, which stars Danny McBride as washed-up baseball pitcher Kenny Powers, returns with a vengeance this September. The second season will focus on Danny McBride’s character, Kenny Powers, moving from North Carolina to Mexico. Michael Pena and Ana de la Reguera have recently joined the cast.

Season Two premiers on Sunday, September 26 at 10:30PM on HBO!

In the first season finale, former professional baseball pitcher Kenny Powers (McBride) quit his physical ed teaching job for an offer to join the Tampa Bay Rays but, after the offer fell through, he dumped his girlfriend and was last seen driving away with a worried look on his face. In Season 2, hiding from his problems, Kenny finds himself in Mexico where he joins a local baseball team. Crash co-star Pena will play Kenny’s friend and owner of the baseball team he joins. De la Reguera will play Kenny’s love interest in Mexico.

Be sure to follow Kenny Powers on Twitter at twitter.com/kfuckingp!

HBO has released a brand new teaser poster for Eastbound & Down Season 2.  The hilarious comedy, which stars Danny McBride as washed-up baseball pitcher Kenny Powers, returns with a vengeance this September. The second season will focus on Danny McBride’s character, Kenny Powers, moving from North Carolina to Mexico. Michael Pena and Ana de la Reguera have recently joined the cast.

In the first season finale, former professional baseball pitcher Kenny Powers (McBride) quit his physical ed teaching job for an offer to join the Tampa Bay Rays but, after the offer fell through, he dumped his girlfriend and was last seen driving away with a worried look on his face. In Season 2, hiding from his problems, Kenny finds himself in Mexico where he joins a local baseball team. Crash co-star Pena will play Kenny’s friend and owner of the baseball team he joins. De la Reguera will play Kenny’s love interest in Mexico.

Be sure to follow Kenny Powers on Twitter at twitter.com/kfuckingp!

Don’t let the lip gloss fool you! Whitney Cummings is tough, sharp and doesn’t cover up the blemishes of being a single girl in the World Television Premiere of “Whitney Cummings: Money Shot,” a one-hour stand-up special, premiering on COMEDY CENTRAL on Saturday, August 21 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Taped at Washington D.C.’s Sidney Harmon Hall, “Whitney Cummings: Money Shot” features Cummings commenting on male strippers, fake boobs and getting spanked in the bedroom, among other things, in this hilarious performance. It’s not every day a funny lady reveals the best way to punish a boyfriend, what it’s really like to date a vampire, the similarities between The Food Network and porn and the “emotional ninja” tactics all women have at their disposal!

Cummings will return to the roast stage with her cutting-edge humor in the “COMEDY CENTRAL Roast of David Hasselhoff,” airing August 15 as a follow up to her performance on “The COMEDY CENTRAL Roast of Joan Rivers.” She was named “Comedy Star of Tomorrow” by Entertainment Weekly, one of the “Top Ten Comics to Watch” by Daily Variety and is this year’s “Comedian of the Year” at the Young Hollywood Awards. Cummings is a regular on Chelsea Handler’s “Chelsea Lately” and performed in “The Comedians of Chelsea Lately” stand-up special on E! She’s made appearances on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien,” HBO’s “Down and Dirty with Jim Norton” and had roles in “Punk’d” and the film “Made of Honor.” Cummings is also the co-executive Producer of her series, “Live, Nude, Comedy” on Showtime. More information about Whitney including stand up videos can be found at WhitneyCummings.com.

HBO has released a brand new teaser trailer for Eastbound & Down Season 2.  The hilarious comedy, which stars Danny McBride as washed-up baseball pitcher Kenny Powers, returns with a vengeance this September. The second season will focus on Danny McBride’s character, Kenny Powers, moving from North Carolina to Mexico. Michael Pena and Ana de la Reguera have recently joined the cast.

In the first season finale, former professional baseball pitcher Kenny Powers (McBride) quit his physical ed teaching job for an offer to join the Tampa Bay Rays but, after the offer fell through, he dumped his girlfriend and was last seen driving away with a worried look on his face. In Season 2, hiding from his problems, Kenny finds himself in Mexico where he joins a local baseball team. Crash co-star Pena will play Kenny’s friend and owner of the baseball team he joins. De la Reguera will play Kenny’s love interest in Mexico.

Be sure to follow Kenny Powers on Twitter at twitter.com/kfuckingp!

Inciting curious smirks, and even causing some to blush, California Sports Company K-SWISS is pushing the envelope this season with its irreverent new TUBES™ training footwear ad campaign featuring Kenny Powers, the fictional character played by Danny McBride in HBO’S hit series Eastbound & Down. The campaign will break nationally on August 2, 2010 with national television spots, in-theatre spots, print media, digital/interactive campaigns and outdoor (OOH) and will lead in to the return of the critically-acclaimed series, which will debut on Sunday, September 26th.

Check out the pitch meeting video below!

The campaign pits Powers, a slightly delusional ex-professional baseball player who still summons personal illusions of grandeur, against renowned athletes including Jeremy Shockey of the New Orleans Saints, Patrick Willis of the San Francisco49ers, and Urijah Faber, the MMA Fighter and WEC Champion known as The California Kid.  In small acts of comic genius in which Powers demonstrates glaring bravado, each iteration of the campaign touts the shoes’ virtues in an effective, but playful way.

“We wanted to deliver unfiltered straight talk about how awesome TUBES are. Who better to do that than Kenny Powers?” saidDavid Nichols, executive vice-president of K-SWISS. “This approach is attention grabbing – progressive, creative and playful, which is our marketing mantra.”

K-SWISS TUBES™ training collection has caught fire as one of the brand’s most successful styles.  The lightweight training shoe features the patented TUBES™ cushioning technology.  Each execution of the campaign reinforces TUBES performance story; lightweight, cushioning, stability, and flexibility.

Designed in partnership with Los Angeles-based 72andSunny, the campaign will target the younger male demographic in a broad variety of media touch points.  The campaign roll out includes: billboards in Times Square and Venice Beach; a campaign micro-site with exclusive content; and NYC subway posters and bi-coastal wild postings with some featuring a 1-888 number where callers can phone-in and hear an inspirational message from Powers.  Spots will also appear on ESPN and Comedy Central as well as in movie theaters nationwide. Additional touch points include a focused print media buy including ESPN Magazine, rich banners as well as Facebook Reach Block and a Facebook App called ‘Workout Wingman’ where Powers will take over your Facebook page while you’re at the gym training.

Check out some of the ads below and swing by the official YouTube channel of K-Swiss for all the latest developments!

Carla Collins

I’m going to start this review like an AA meeting. Hi. My name is Kate and I am biased. When I picked up Carla Collins’ book, “Angels, Vampires and Douche Bags,” I took one look at her mug on the cover and thought, “What does some chick who looks like Tori Spelling if she’d eat a couple Big Macs know about anything?”

I was wrong.

Collins is more than fake breasts and a blonde dye job. She is a witty 40-something actress and stand-up comedian who shares wise and worldly advice in a funny, sincere, and somewhat rambling format.

In her comedic motivational, the former model is an enigma, morphing from the wise Dalai Lama, “we shouldn’t stay engaged in negative thought or behavior, but we should step out and attempt to see our life objectively,” to harsh comedian Lisa Lampanelli, “white women don’t recognize a red flag until it’s dunked in chloroform, shoved in their mouths and secured with duct tape,” to porn star, “we consummated our relationship with the most incredible, passionate jungle sex imaginable,” to the girl next door, she was born and raised in a small town in Canada.

From Canada to L.A. and around the globe, she presents a candid look at her life and private experiences (the good, the bad and the ugly), intermixed with other, larger issues, including pop culture and societal problems.

“(Cowardly douches) cling desperately to the past where they can safely remain bathing in ignorance.”

The 135-page book is organized in three parts: Angels, Vampires and Douche Bags, hence the title, which are each defined and explained. She starts each part, and within it chapters and subchapters, with a famous quotation that relates to her discussion, and ends each part with a summary entitled “Care and Treatment,” that includes such advice as “Do not build a Berlin Wall around you to stay protected. Sure it will keep the douche bags out, but it will also prevent you from letting the angel in.”

Within these sections, she puts her experiences, both embarrassing and heroic, out there and had me laughing out loud and also nodding in agreement at sound advice about serious topics neatly camouflaged between humorous observations.

“Look for some good in everything. There is an upside to every situation, even divorce. I don’t know about you, but when my first husband and I ended our marriage, I became more desirable to him than a skanky ho at a Poison reunion concert.”

She also created terms for everyday people and happenings, including various douche bags, from cowardly to negative to haters, the diagnosis of douchebagitis for the citizens of Doucheland, and killer vampires, which includes addictions.

Throughout the book, she promotes healthy conclusions to difficult situations, including laughter, confidence, forgiveness, getting over grudges and fear, and humiliation. Her advice is seasoned and delivered in a very approachable manor.

“It’s really just a matter of feeding your angel so that it will grow stronger, controlling your vampire so it doesn’t control you, and kicking your douche right in the bag until you knock it out cold.”

I went from never having heard of her to wanting to be her friend. Whether you’re an angel, vampire or douche bag, or a hybrid, check out her book, available through Amazon, visit carlacollins.com to see where she’s performing or check out her new documentary series, “Carlawood,” a huge hit in Canada.

She is currently working on the movie, “The Hack,” a comedy/horror film where she stars as a comedian who kills performers for their material. — Kate Vendetta

Visit Carla Collin’s official website at www.carlacollins.com.