#video vortex

Here in Ausin, TX, there is a local theatre (it’s become a nationwide chain as of late) called the Alamo Drafthouse.  They have a program called Video Vortex that shows movies only ever released to home video without a theatrical run.  Next month’s screening (March 26 to be exact) is a Toei V-Cinema Tokusatsu film called Lady Battle Cop!

This was totally unexpected for me as usually Video Vortex covers US and European trash horror with the occasional sci-fi oddity.  This is the first Tokusatsu film they will be doing and I couldn’t be more stoked for it! This is also from a really awesome period in the history of Toei tokusatsu being at the height of the police Metal Heroes shows like Special Rescue Police Winspector and Super Rescue Solbrain. They knew how to make cool-looking suits, had awesome suit actors and great special effects guys.

@kilbaro Nice! Did you go the whole time, see any cool panels or swag?

The full-time Ultimate Comics crew from Durham go every year, but I was only able to make it out Saturday afternoon through Sunday to do networking and future Con-building stuff. Heroes was a little less packed and guest-stacked than I remember, but still good stuff, and lots of great artists. (Drop me a message if you want to hit up future NC Comicon shows in Greensboro, Raleigh, or Durham, btw -- I’ll hook you up)

I came in late Saturday because we were doing a joint event with the Drafthouse for the release of The Incredibles 2. It was this super cute family event where kids came in before the movie and got to design their own superhero masks and logos, and do crafts and coloring books and puzzle-solving games. Glue sticks and sparkle stickers everywhere. 

Raleigh just got an Alamo Drafthouse theater btw, and it’s in a dankass stripmall and cool as hell. The latest releases, plus screenings of everything from Hard Ticket To Hawaii to Coming To America parties. And because they’re also the pilot/test site for Video Vortex. 

DUDE. They have giant VHS coffee tables that have screens playing movies in the middle, shelves of cult films that are dressed as giant cult film tapes, a full bar in the back, free rentals of classic movies, VHS and DVD rentals of weird genre, cult, and international films of every category. It’s sooo goood:

From Kino Glaz to Google Glass