Midnight Eagle (2007)
Directed by Izuru Narushima
Screenplay by Yasuo Hasegawa and Kenzaburo Iida
Adapted From The Novel By Tetsuo Takashima
Starring Takao Osawa, Yuko Takeuchi, Hiroshi Tamaki, Eisaku Yoshida, Yoshihiko Hakamada, Nao Omori, Tatsuya Fuji

When a U.S. Bomber carrying a nuclear bomb crashes shortly after taking off from a military base in Japanese Alps at the northern tip of the country, the Japanese Prime Minister orders two sets of rangers to scale the mountain from different sides, hoping to reach the fallen aircraft as soon as possible, and without any leaks of information. The trip will take at the minimum two and half days.

Meanwhile, an ex-war photographer named Yuji, who was taking pictures of the night sky, captures a faint blip in the sky in one of his photos, unaware that it is the bomber falling out of the sky. He is hired by his long-time friend and recently fired journalist Ochiai to scale the mountain with him to discover just what fell. As the pair begin their accent through the blizzard conditions, it is only a matter of time before their paths cross with the Japanese rangers. And it is only a matter of time before they all cross paths with the enemy agents that are just as quickly making their way toward the bomb, with every intention of setting it off!

Based on the novel by acclaimed author Tetsuo Takashima, this action thriller from director Izuru Narushima is a staunchly anti-war and anti-nuclear weapons film that comes directly from the heart of a nation that knows all too well the horrors of such devastation. While American cinemas and DVD shelves have seen their fair share of films over the past few years dedicated to the perils of war from our own filmmakers, this is one of the first external movies in recent memory to make an international statement. And while films from our own shores definitely take a political slant on the matter to rally the base voters, Midnight Eagle strives to push past party lines in its message about the ravages of war (the opening scene takes place on a bombed out street “somewhere in the Middle East”) and as it makes a case in broad strokes for a call for worldwide nuclear disarming.

The Architect TPB
By Mike Baron & Andie Tong
Big Head Press
Cover Price: $9.95; Available Now

I’ve never been a big fan of horror in comics, preferring to get my terror fix from novels and movies. But a recent appreciation for horror comics from the EC library, along with a long-time love of architecture, made me jump at the chance to review the The Architect. This graphic novel collects the online comic by scribe Mike Baron and artist Andie Tong, and is advertised as being a horror story loosely based on the life of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Roark Dexter Smith is man whose talents far exceed his Frank-Lloyd-Wright-esque gift for architectural design. He’s also an black arts devotee who belongs to a cult of druids who worship mushrooms. Everything comes together when Roark begins building his crowning achievement, The Bluff House, in the wilds of Wisconsin. But things go terribly wrong when a fire devastates the project and Roarke, his wife, and his assistant end up mysteriously missing.

Preview: Left on Mission #5
(On-sale: 11/21/07) — Coming to you from BOOM! Studios, we get the final issue of this remarkably good spy story. Although I guess with this issue, I’d have to describe it as half spy story, half noir. Things come to a messy end and not everyone comes out alive as series lead Eric has a reunion with his femme fatal Emma, as she explains what she’s done. Writer Chip Mosher does a good job making the reader understand what the characters are going though, and paces the story perfectly. The ending becomes very emotional without being melodramatic. Artist Fancesco Francavilla‘s work reminds one of Michael Lark or Alex Maleev, with very realistic renditions of the locales, and a good handle on the characters. This has been a very enjoyable story, and if you missed the first four issues, definitely be on the look out for the trade when it comes out. —4 out of 5

PULL LIST 11-14-07 Preview: Left on Mission #5 Scott Pilgrim Vol. 4: Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together World War Hulk #5 All Star Superman #9 DMZ #25 JLA Classified #46 Marvel Comics Presents #3

Scott Pilgrim Vol. 4: Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together
The title is a good description of the plot of this volume, as Scott is forced to make some grown up decisions. Scott’s relationship is going well, but friends from the past of both Scott and Ramona threaten to split them up. Meanwhile, Scott is forced to find a job, and a new apartment while dealing with a silent samurai and a half ninja who is trying to kill him. There’s a bit of a darker tone to the book, as the characters deal with things they might not want to, but are forced to do because of the circumstances. That’s not to say that it doesn’t follow in the tradition of the first three volumes, as there’s still plenty of comedy, video game references, and a light hearted sweetness the permeates the whole book. Creator Bryan Lee O’Malley maintains the manga feel of the art, while bringing his own personality. If you’re a fan of this series, you’ve probably already read this at least once. If you’ve never experienced this series before, find all four volumes right now and enjoy. This is one of the best series being published, and may be the model for comics in a few years. Now, I just have to wait for the next one. —5 out of 5

Here at Geeks of Doom we’re holding a prize giveaway for The Universe, the 13-episode History Channel series now available on DVD.

ABOUT ‘THE UNIVERSE’: From the planets to the stars and out to the edge of the unknown, history, and science collide in this epic exploration of the Universe and its mysteries. It’s a very old universe. Yet just 50 years since man first ventured into outer space, the heavens are yielding their greatest secrets. Robotic rovers give us eyes on the red rock of Mars”¦.NASA probes slam into comets at hyperspeed”¦. deep-space telescopes capture violent images of the birth of stars and their collapse into black holes. All have significantly changed the way we see ourselves. We wonder, Is there anywhere else out there that that can support life? Using cutting-edge computer graphics, this series brings the universe down to earth to show what life would be like on other planets, and to imagine what kind of life forms might evolve in alien atmospheres. Episodes examine how discoveries were made and the scientists and explorers who dared to venture into the uncharted territory of the universe.

TO ENTER: Fill out the form below and include the correct answer to the following question:

Mars has two small moons. What are their names?

RULES: One entry per person. All entries must be in by Saturday, December 1, 2007 at 11:58 PM EST. This contest is only open to residents of the United States. No international entries will be accepted. Void where prohibited. Winners will be chosen randomly from entries and will be notified by email.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Universal sent us the trailer for their upcoming DVD release Battlestar Galactica: Razor, on sale December 4, 2008.

The BSG: Razor DVD will be an Unrated Extended Edition version of the SCI FI Channel’s world premiere broadcast of the 2-hour show on November 24, 2007.

The 2-hour show introduces all-new characters to the BSG universe and provides a backdrop to events to come in the fourth season of the popular series. The DVD includes bonus features like deleted scenes and interviews with the series’ creators and much more.

Watch the trailer here or here; official synopsis and DVD information are here after the jump.