Paranormal Activity 4
Directed by Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Written by Christopher Landon, Chad Feehan
Starring Katie Featherston, Kathryn Newton, Matt Shively, Brady Allen, and Aiden Lovekamp
Paramount Pictures
Rated R | 88 Minutes
Release Date: October 19, 2012

Things that go bump in the night. The primal unknown that can make anyone lose sleep. It’s a simple concept that we can all relate to, which is why the original Paranormal Activity struck such a nerve. Audiences loved it, and it made over 12,500 times its budget in profit. So it’s not surprising Paramount has been churning out sequels every year since.

As with the previous films, Paranormal Activity 4 features “found footage” captured by the characters themselves. Each film as found put a unique spin on how the footage is captured, but the result is the same. This time, the audience is shown an amalgamation of footage captured from web cams, digital cameras, and, in a less-than-subtle piece of product placement, feedback from an XBOX Kinect setup. Unlike the previous films, however, this one offers no explanation for when or how the footage was found and put back together. This was the first sign that storytelling was not a high priority this time around.

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret Series One
DVD | Instant Video
Starring David Cross, Will Arnett, Sharon Horgan, Blake Harrison
MPI Home Video
Release Date: December 27, 2011

Todd Margaret (David Cross) is not a smart man, and his desire to succeed and impress those around him constantly gets the better of him. A compulsive liar who is completely unable to admit his mistakes, he ends up way over his head when a sudden job promotion lands in his lap by accident.

When his new, extremely aggressive boss Brett (Will Arnett) promotes the incompetent Margaret to head of UK sales for a North Korean energy drink called Thunder Muscle. The problem, well, the first problem, is Margaret knows nothing about sales or the United Kingdom, but that doesn’t stop him from taking the job and heading across the pond.

Kill List
Blu-ray | DVD
Directed by Ben Wheatley
Starring Neil Maskell, MyAnna Burning, Michael Smiley
Rook Films, X Warp, IFC Films, MPI Media Group
Release Date (US): August 14, 2012

Kill List came to the states with a lot hype behind it. The sophomore feature film outing for British director Ben Wheatley is inaccurately described as a horror movie, but it is really a crime movie with a bit of the occult thrown in for flavor.

I had to wait for the home video release of Kill List to see what all the hype was about, but unfortunately, I was still left wondering as the closing credit appeared. Kill List is by no means a bad movie, but there is nothing special about it either.

The Motor City Comic Con is not a newcomer on the convention scene, but I can’t help but feel it’s a late-bloomer still unsure how things are meant to run.

The 2012 convention was held in Detroit, Michigan, last month and turnout this year appeared much higher than the rain-plagued 2011 event. Walking through the comics side of the Suburban Collection Showplace proved difficult as crowds clamored around the various comic and collectible vendors. Big name artists like Ethan Van Sciver and Talent Caldwell were almost always seen talking with fans or busy working on sketches.

But conventions like this are also a good place for smaller, local talents to find a wider audience. I Love Lightning Bugs, a band heralding from Royal Oak, Michigan, had a booth showcasing both their music and a new comic book illustrated by local artist Mindy McPeak featuring the band members adventures into the paranormal. First looks suggest a Gorillaz-esque alternative reality but with protagonists based on real people.

One of the big attractions for convention-goers of all ages is the chance to dress up like their favorite characters from comics, anime, movies, cartoons, and video games. So it was not surprising that a number of dedicated cosplayers showed up at Motor City Comic Con last weekend wearing intricately detailed outfits. While many competed in the costume contest, others were just there to have fun, posing for pictures with others guests and interacting with each other in moments of cross-genre roleplaying.

Here are some of the outfits that really stood out at the 2012 Motor City Comic Con.