Gordon McAlpin's Blog: Updates from Multiplex: Deleted Scenes, page 16

Multiplex: Book 2 begins here! The Chapter 6 eBook is now available.

The Multiplex: Chapter 6 eBook, is now available for in the Multiplex Store! This 34 page PDF format eBook is perfect for reading on an iPad or any other tablet. (A PDF reader is required.)

Chapter 6 collects strips #103–121 from the Multiplex archives, plus six bonus comics (a few of which first appeared at the Deleted Scenes blog) and two extended scenes — all for only $1.49! Highlights include the Blogger becoming the Multiplex 10′s new Santa and the introduction of our gang's archenemies: the staff of Flickhead Video.

As I've mentioned before, if you're one of those Multiplex fans eager to see the Book 2 print collection come out sooner or later, you can speed up the production of Book 2 by getting the Multiplex eBooks — and you won't be spoiling the printed book completely, since — like Multiplex: Enjoy Your Show (Book 1) — there will be even more bonus comics exclusive to the printed collection. (Unlike Book 1, however, the exclusive comics in Book 2 won't be a single story, but several regular-length strips spread throughout the collection.)

Think of each eBook as a mini-Kickstarter for the creation of Multiplex: Book 2.

It's the Content Providers, Silly. (link)

The Angry Drunk reminds up who is really to blame with the Netflix/Qwikster clusterfuck, as well as iTunes's DRM, the terrible movie selection in non-US (and, let's face it, US) iTunes Stores, and more.

Apple and Netflix are happy to sell whatever they can, however you want it. Apple is a store, for God's sake. Netflix is a service; they want people to use it. They get it. The content providers don't.

A counterpoint from Outside the Beltway points the fingers through the content providers, at our copyright laws:

For DVDs, Netflix's rights are unlimited and its costs are constrained. For digital, its rights are constrained and its costs are unlimited. …Netflix must negotiate each and every title, and the price of the right to stream that digital title is up to the whim of the content owner.

(both links via Daring Fireball)

The Sad, Beautiful Fact That We're All Going to Miss Almost Everything (link)

This post by Linda Holmes over at NPR from a few days back, "The Sad, Beautiful Fact That We're All Going To Miss Almost Everything," beautifully encapsulates why I don't consider myself a movie expert, despite the fact that a few of you seem to consider me one for no reason other than that I draw a comic strip about a movie theater.

I, like everybody, have massive gaps in my experience of film history and modern film. I know very little about horror. I have seen only a handful of French New Wave. I have seen maybe three African movies in my life. It's simply numbers, as Holmes points out. There isn't enough time in the world to see all of the great movies that have ever been made.

Some things just aren't available to me, of course, but thankfully, I live in a time where that's becoming less and less of a problem, thanks to Netflix and things like that. Also, I prioritize — sometimes consciously (Michael Bay? uggh), sometimes practically (gotta pay the bills), sometimes lazily (don't feel like leaving the house)… but I prioritize.

Whatever the film buff term for "well-read" is, I'm not it. I might have seen more movies than the next guy, but shit. I've never even seen Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (and I probably never will, because I didn't really like Oldboy that much). I haven't seen The Birds. I haven't seen Gone with the Wind. And so on.

But hey, the point is to explore. To get out of your comfort zone and watch those things that maybe don't immediately interest you. That might teach you something about yourself, because they're showing you something you've never seen, generating thoughts in you you've never had. And maybe, also, they're really, really good. That's what I love most about movies: each one is a world unto itself. And, yeah, a lot of them are kind of boring or stupid or even nauseating… but those little, beautiful, heart-wrenching gems you find mean so much more because of it.

 

Thanks to Dave Malki! for linking to it on Twitter and bringing the article to my attention.

Trailer Watch: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo full trailer

The teaser trailer was pretty great, but this… this is amazing. My interest in this film has just shot up through the roof.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo — the first in Columbia Pictures' planned adaptation of the Stieg Larsson "Millennium Trilogy" — stars Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright, Yorick van Wageningen and Joely Richardson.

The film hits theaters nationwide on December 21. You can check out this trailer in high def over at Apple, too.

(via Coming Soon)

The Chapter 6 eBook is now available for pre-order!

I spoke a little too soon yesterday. Last night, I got a bug up my hind end and cranked out the rest of the revised Chapter eBooks, so the revised edition of Chapters 1–5 are now available through the Multiplex Store at their new price of $1.49 apiece (or $5.95 for the set). As I mentioned yesterday, if you've already purchased the Chapter 1–5 set (and yes, this includes people who got them for "free" by backing the Multiplex: Enjoy Your Show Kickstarter project!), you can simply re-download them from your Multiplex Store's Accounts / Downloads page to get the revised editions. While there's no new content, there is a new introduction to the Chapter 1 eBook (explaining why I made the revised edition), and there are some corrections — mostly typos and small artistic/continuity errors that snuck into the previous editions and even the print book.

 

I've also created Chapter pages for the new eBooks — as well as the upcoming Chapter 6 eBook, which is now available for pre-order! It should arrive in early October (if not sooner). I have one last bonus comic to create for it, and a few finishing touches to one of the "extended scenes," so it won't be long now.

The Chapter 6 eBook collects strips #103–121 from the Multiplex archives, plus six bonus comics (a few of which first appeared at the Deleted Scenes blog) — all for only $1.49. Meet the Flickhead video gang for the first time all over again, and watch Jason make an ass out of himself… oh, wait. That's pretty much all the time, isn't it?

Anyway. If you're one of those Multiplex fans eager to see the Book 2 print collection come out sooner or later, please get the Chapter eBooks. The revenue from the eBooks enables me to get the bonus material for the print collections done — so even if you're not all that interest in the eBook format, they're a great way to help speed up the production of the print collections!

And, you won't be spoiling the printed book completely, since — like Multiplex: Enjoy Your Show (Book 1) — there will be even more bonus comics exclusive to the print book. Unlike Book 1, however, the exclusive comics in Book 2 won't be a single story, but several strips spread throughout the book. I feel like the arc in Book 2 is a lot stronger than Book 1′s, since it centers around Becky & Jay and that period where Jason quit the Multiplex 10, so there wasn't really a need to include a new, longer story, like there was in Book 1, and will be in Books 3 and 4 (which I think will revolve around Brian and James, respectively).

The revised Chapter 1 and 2 eBooks are here…

As some of you know, I'm updating the format of the Chapter 1–5 eBooks, leading up to the release of the very, very late Chapter 6 eBook.

Chapters 1 and 2 have now been updated, and while the first one is free, if you purchased the Chapter 2 eBook (or the full set of Chapters 1–5), I wanted to let you know that you can "upgrade" to the revised edition FREE by simply re-downloading the PDF from your Account / Downloads page at the Multiplex Store. (If you've forgotten your password, just click the "Forgot Password?" link on the login page to get a new one sent to you.)

I hope to get Chapters 3 and 4 updated in the next week or two, and then have Chapter 5 and the new Chapter 6 eBook ready shortly after that.

Please note that there is no new content in the revised Ch 1–5 eBooks except for a new introduction to the revised Chapter 1 eBook, explaining why I revised them, so if you're perfectly happy with the existing ones. I have, however, corrected some typos and minor art mistakes that snuck into the earlier eBooks (and even the print book). So there's that.

If you don't already have the Chapter 1 and 2 eBooks, buy the set today! As with Chapter 2, you'll be able to upgrade to the revised versions as they're completed.

As always, thank you for reading — and thank you for supporting Multiplex!

Trailer Watch: The Thing red band trailer

Thanks to IGN, we've got a red band trailer for the upcoming prequel to The Thing, from director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton (Animal Kingdom, Warrior), Eric Christian Olsen, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Killer Elite) and Ulrich Thomsen star in the film that will hopefully put an end to the Paranormal Activity franchise this October. (It comes out in the US on October 14.)

One… uh… thing is for certain: the special effects are going to rock. While I absolutely love the original and its practical special effects, there is some visual potential to the idea behind the creature that I really think CGI effects will be able to cut loose with. Although the creature bursting out of that block of ice so suddenly is really kind of dumb. Come on.

You can also see the earlier, more coherent, and less spoilery trailer here.

Trailer Watch: Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Premium Rush

This one has kind of a goofy premise and the fact that David Koepp wrote it doesn't carry a lot of weight with me, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon have pretty good taste in scripts lately, and the direction by John Kamps looks solid enough to keep things interesting, so who knows?

Premium Rush co-stars Dania Ramirez and Jamie Chung (Sucker Punch). It hits theaters in the former No Man's Land of January — now the home of minor box office hits like Cloverfield and… uh… Paul Blart: Mall Cop, specifically on the 13th.

Trailer Watch: Matt Damon and Scarlett Johannson in We Bought a Zoo

The use of Sigur Rós in movie trailers is fast becoming a cliché… and yet, it works on my dumb ass every single time. Somebody tell me if this movie actually looks good, or if it's just the music?

Cameron Crowe's We Bought a Zoo hits theaters on December 23rd — optimistically banking on the Christmas family movie/Oscarbait season crowd — and stars Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Patrick Fugit and JB Smoove. Plus an adorable little girl.

Trailer Watch: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy theatrical trailer

This is my most anticipated, must-see movie of 2011′s Oscarbait season:

If you haven't been keeping track of this movie, be sure to watch the earlier international and (domestic) teaser trailers I've posed before.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is based on the John LeCarré novel. Adapted for the screen by Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan, and directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In), this $30 million film version boasts an incredible cast, including Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Ciarán Hinds, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones, and John Hurt.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy hits theaters (in the US) on December 9th. It opens in the UK next weekend, on September 16th.