The CCD Podcast: Episode #50!!! -The CCD Film Club Presents Our "Predator" Commentary Track (With Video !!!)

Five long years ago I started Cultural Compulsive Disorder, and I had a vision. I wanted my blog to be HUGE right away. I wanted to be Topless Robot, Cal's Cave of Cool, Freddy In Space or Super Punch... but without all the hard work that the guys that put those sites together had put in. I wanted it THEN... and I WANTED IT QUICK. But that is not how it works. So I busted my ass trying to load up this blog with content. 5-7 posts a day, 25-35 posts a week. Covering NY Comic Con, throwing events, making connects.... reaching out to a bunch of the guys that ran the sites above (whattup Cal & Johnny!) so that I can get some pointers. I tried to surround myself with a kick ass team of co-contributors who all believed in our brand and making it huge. And then I wrote this on Facebook:

Yup... I had a feeling we can achieve big things. Guess I was right! (more after the jump)

Then one day one of my CCD Co-Conspirators Rob Martin told me he had an idea for a podcast. I told him I was down, and met up with another CCD contributor Jeff Bond to record our first show. We went into Rob's basement, and what I saw was AMAZING!!! Rob had set up a mini studio with top notch equipment, and there were retro toys and collectibles EVERYWHERE! We IMMEDIATELY dubbed it the CCD NERD CAVE, and recorded our first two shows. That was a little over a year ago. Now here we are.... 50 FULL EPISODES LATER (with a bunch of mini .5 episodes as well) and the blog is BLOWING UP! Not to mention we have launched The CCD Art & Supply Co., an art collective that sells prints online and throws live art shows all over NYC (click here and buy some art!) . And the blog is still getting over 5,000 hits a day! We are not where we want to be yet... but we sure are getting close! 

So with this special 50TH EPISODE we decided to do something a bit different and we recorded our first ever DVD commentary as "The CCD Film Club" (it was actually a VHS commentary... like an Izod Bucket hat, we so old school!). We chose the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic film "Predator". So check us out below, we have both an audio commentary track for you to sink up with a DVD/Blu Ray/VHS and play alongside... and we also have a video account of the whole experience, capturing Rob, the lovely Alicia Gomes, and I watching and commenting on the film. Rob truly outdid himself with this one! There is even a "picture in picture" to see the film in the corner as you see our mugs on the couch... CRAZY! This is so cool, and we hope to do more in the future. CCD... getting bigger and better with each step we take!

So enjoy this little experiment and let us know what you think.... should we do more? What should we do next? Holla at us! Thanks for making this past 5 years so dope... and here is to another 500 more! You down with CCD? Yeah, you know me!!!!

Your Fearless Leader,

MIKE D
Founder, Cultural Compulsive Disorder  

PS- THANKS TO ROB MARTIN FOR MAKING THE CCD PODCAST POSSIBLE... There is no podcast without you my man!  I LOVE YA BROTHER!!!!

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Movie Characters Get The Manga Makeover Courtesy Of Matsuda Yuusuke

Manga is not exactly my cup of tea... I don't particularly enjoy the style of art that is often employed in Manga books. But I do like the looks of some of that stuff... especially when the characters that are being drawn are to familiar to me. Japanese artist Matsuda Yuusuke does a great job converting some of my most favorite classic movie characters into Manga versions of themselves, and it makes a world of difference in garnering my interest. Hellboy, Hellraiser, Predator, Robocop, Alien, & Terminator all get the makeover, and some of them are really cool (especially the Alien one). You can see more of his work on his webpage (the art is great, but all the text is in Japanese!) by clicking here. Check out the results after the jump....

Thanks to Griffin Hartter for sharing on Facebook...  

Super Power Beat Down: Wolverine vs Predator... And A Added Bonus Feature Too!!!!

As usual I was watching something else on You Tube and this clip appeared and I just had to see what it was about. It's part of a series called 'Super Power Beat Down' that takes two characters and sees who would win a battle between the two. This is just the kind of arguments fans of the comics and movies have all the time. It was fun to see someone take the concept one step further and actually stage the battles with special effects and great sets and costumes. Check out more after the jump...



Now in this clash, of course Wolverine would beat the Predator. The healing factor alone is the game changer, not to mention Wolvie's Adamantium skeleton and claws. He's practically one of the Predators already.




That being said, I was impressed with this Wolverine vs Predator film. It's a great concept done very well. I haven't watched any of the other films in the series but I will and share them here. You gotta love these digital times we live in. It's pretty cool what people can do on a low budget these days. All you need is some enthusiasm and creativity and we are off to the races.

Oh and that amazing looking girl who hosts the whole thing is Marisha Ray. Wow.

https://www.facebook.com/MarishaRayHuber/photos

Aside from being a spokesperson for all things geek, the beautiful Marisha also found time to be in a little Batgirl movie called 'Spoiled'. Again I am amazed at what people with a love for these characters can do with a some cosplay outfits and a digital video recorder.

'Get To The Chopper'... We Got Toys To Buy!!!!

NECA, or National Entertainment Collectibles Association, have no problem bringing the heat when they release a new wave of action figures. They are known to produce the most articulate and realistic recreations of your favorite movies, TV shows, and cartoons for years. So when they revealed the upcoming 25th Anniversary 'Predators' toy line, I expected nothing but amazing figures. When the toys premiered at Toy Fare 2013 a few weeks back, NECA proved that they are the best of the best. There are 6 figures in the line, including four Dutch figures and two Predator figures that are amazing. You gotta love Jungle Encounter Dutch, covered in mud from head to toe. And the Water Emergence Predator has to be one of the most amazing figures I have ever seen. The electric lightning detailing around the body of the figure is just amazing, and I can't remember another toy that has shown such detail and depth in comparison to the source material. The toys should be rolling into stores soon, so make sure you are on the lookout for these if you are as big of a Predator fan as I am. I know my man Joe Fletch will be contemplating a purchase!!! Check out the pics after the jump...  

The Anatomy Of Your Favorite Movie Monsters by Bradwick J McGinty III

Artist Bradwick J McGinty III is a lot more than just a snazzy name. He is a very talented artist who is using his creative powers for good... and by good I mean creating really cool geek shit for us to enjoy. He has created these "Anatomy of..." prints of some of our favorite geek movie monsters in order to show you how these guys tick and what their weak points are. The coolest part? The directions are in Japanese!!!! You can order these plus much more over at BM's website by clicking here, and check out the "Anatomy of..." collection after the jump....

Notebook Nerd: Ball Point Pen Drawings by Jim Rugg

When I was a kid in school I often doodled in my notebook. I drew on the cover of my binder, the dividers inside it, any pretty much anything else I could. Artist Jim Rugg seems to have had the same habit... but fortunately for all of us Jim Rugg is far better at it than I was. In fact Jim's notebook sketches are so good that he is having his own art show featuring his notebook drawings. Wow. All of these pieces  are created in ball point pen and loose leaf paper. You can get more information on the show (which opens on May 25th)  by clicking here, but after the jump you will see some of my personal faves...

Bad Liutenant

Drive

Jason & Predator

Pee Wee's Big Adventure

Total Recall

Predator Hunts Everything...

Check out this awesome Predator sculpture from artist MangaGrasshopper that illustrates the fact that a Predator doesn't back down from any foe,even if it is a T-Rex!!! This sculp is just insane... It's 17 inches tall, and comes from a Joe Simon mold. This is so bad ass it hurts. Check out a ton of other sculptures out the artists website here, and click after the jump for the full size pic...

50 Pop Culture Valentines To Share With That Special Someone In Your Life...

So today is Valentines Day, or as some people like to describe it, The Hallmark Holiday. It's just a mad up day in order to sell loads of candy, flowers and greeting cards in order for people to conform and fit the mold they have been told to fit. Well here at CCD we say fuck the norm. Instead of going to your local card shoppe and spending 5 bucks on a card filled with bullshit words and typical heart drawings, we have found 50 great pop culture themed Valentines Day Cards from around the web to share with the person you love and put a smile on their face. Hope these do the trick. So instead of buying a store bought card, print one of these puppies out and you will score some major points with the Pop Culture junkie in your life...