Dragon Con 2024 - Aug. 29th - Sept. 2nd

It’s Labor Day Weekend, which means it’s time for Dragon Con! Located in 5 downtown hotels at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Sheraton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree Plaza, and AmericasMart. Plus, there are special events at the Center for Puppetry Arts and Landmark Midtown Arts Theatre. Dragon Con brings together actors, writers, comic book artists, singers, dancers, and cosplayers to celebrate all things pop-culture-related.

There is a fantastic lineup of creators, writers, artists, and actors at this year’s Dragon Con, including writers Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files) and Kim Harrison (The Hollows), voice actors Neil Newborn (Baldur’s Gate 3) and Townsend Coleman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), comic artists Kevin Maguire (Justice League) and Antonio Fuso (G.I. Joe).

Dragon Con this year will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons with the son of the late creator Gary Gygax, with Luke Gygax headlining a weekend of tournaments and panels with designers and writers of the legendary tabletop game.

The stars will be out at Dragon Con with a lineup that includes Jared Padalecki (Supernatural), Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who), Nathan Fillion (Firefly), Gates McFadden (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Kristin Kreuk (Smallville), Eddie McClintock (Warehouse 13), Cobie Smulders (Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D.) Mike Colter (Luke Cage), Ming Chen (Comic Book Men), Adrian Pasdar (Heroes), Alan Tudyk (Resident Alien), and Patrick Warburton (The Tick).

While you need a pass to get into Dragon Con, you can watch the famous Dragon Con parade on Saturday morning for free. You will see just about every cartoon, anime, and superhero character, along with a variety of other delightful cosplayers in the procession. The parade’s highlight is the legion of “Star Wars” Stormtroopers that finish the parade. The Parade is a fan favorite, with the festivities starting at 10 am. Check the Dragon Con website for details of the parade route. Be sure to get to the parade site early, as the sidewalks along the parade route fill up quickly, and taking Marta to the parade is highly suggested. If you can’t make it to the parade, stay home and watch it on Atlanta 69 starting at 10 am. You will beat the crowds and still have all the fun of watching the fantastic costumes and floats in a uniquely Atlanta parade.

The cool thing about Dragon Con is that no matter what your interest is in, there is probably a panel or even a track (panels and events that fall under one subject like Star Wars, Star Trek, or even just Space) that will peak your knowledge of your favorite Sci-Fi subjects.

The Dragon Con Dealers Hall, located in AmericasMart, is where you can buy just about anything your geeky heart desires–from Steampunk clothing to comic books and rare collectible artwork.

Cosplay is an integral part of Dragon Con, and costumes will always be out and about. There are many Costume Contests during Dragon Con, including the Bunny Hutch Costume Contest, the Cults of Dragon Con Contest, the Animation/Anime Costume Contest, and the ever-popular Masquerade Costume Contest.

There are a ton of panels throughout the weekend. Some are located in enormous halls, while others occupy smaller conference rooms. You can find panels on almost everything you can imagine covering the gambit of fandom, from your favorite current and past Sci-Fi shows. Featured panels this year are on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Roswell, Doctor Who and Baldur’s Gate III.

Gaming runs throughout the con, with some gaming contests going on 24 hours a day. No matter what kind of gaming you are into, Dragon Con has it, including Board Games, Collectible Card Games, LAN Gaming, Live Action Role Playing, Table Top Gaming, and of course, all types of Video Gaming.

Dragon Con Dealers Hall, located in AmericasMart, is where you can buy just about anything your geeky heart desires–from Steampunk clothing to comic books and rare collectible artwork.

If art is your thing, you will want to go to the Comic and Pop Art Alley. You can talk to and buy work from comic book writers, artists, and publishers. Panels and how-to-workshops on comics are held throughout the con. There are also a bunch of live performances by bands of just about every genre, including jazz, punk, rock, and folk.

In the spirit of the Dragon and with infinite admiration, Dragon Con has created The Dragon Award as a vessel to recognize excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy. These awards will be by the fans, for the fans, and are a chance to reward those who have made real contributions to SF, books, games, comics, and movies.

And, of course, the Walk of Fame will be ongoing throughout Dragon Con, where you can get an autograph of your favorite personality.

Dragon Con is in downtown Atlanta, GA, from Thursday, Aug. 29th, through Monday, Sept. 2nd.

For more information, go to dragoncon.org

World War Z

My View:  World War Z  (2013)  PG-13   Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) just might be the world’s only hope to stop the zombie apocalypse that is at the brink of destroying all mankind.  Pitt is a former UN investigator who served in some of the world’s worst war-torn areas.  He is given the job to find out where the Zombie outbreak came from and determine if he can find some sort of cure. First, do not pay the extra money to see it in 3-D as the film wasn’t shot in 3-D, and the 3-D aspect gives the film a somewhat muted look.  I did like most of the action sequences with a much different take on the Zombie genre. These zombies are quick, fast moving and if you get bitten by a Zombie, you turn into one in a matter of seconds.  But, the film has quite a few dull moments, mostly where Pitt is trying to get from one location to another, as his character just never connects to anyone in the film, and I just didn’t care about Pitt or his family that he leaves behind on a UN aircraft carrier. Another problem I had with the film, is most of the zombie attacks are shot in long shot, not a lot of close ups, so you never get a feel of what the zombies really look like.  I also felt that the ending of the film was ill-conceived and seemed a little forced.    It's a horror movie that's not scary.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee    World War Z Website

Family Faire:  Monsters University  (2013) G  We get to see how the friendship began with Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) when they meet up at Monsters University. The guys weren’t always best friends.  In fact, when they first met, they couldn’t stand each other.  The sad thing about watching Pixar films now is that the animation shorts they put before their feature films are far more interesting and creative than the full animated story that follows.  With Monsters University, the pattern is repeated again (as was it with Cars 2 and Brave).  There is a brilliant, beautiful short, The Blue Umbrella, that is an awesome and magnificent little film.  Unfortunately, Monsters University doesn’t live up to Pixar standards of artistic and imaginative film making.  It’s a new storyline, but because we already know the characters so well,  it’s like seeing the first Monsters, Inc. all over again.  This isn’t an awful film, in fact, at times it is enjoyable, but I expect higher standards from Disney/Pixar, and this film just doesn’t live up to what we want in an animated family film.  Disney/Pixar needs to go back and look at their classic films like Up!, Cars, WALL-E and Toy Story and get inspired to create something that is more than just a retread. Do stay through all the credits as there is a fun, clever bonus scene at the very end.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee

Indiefest:  Much Ado About Nothing  (2013)  PG-13   A modern retelling of the William Shakespeare comedy by the same name about Beatrice (Amy Acker) and Benedick (Alexis Denisof) who are two life-long single people whom everyone else is determined to get together.  I absolutely loved this magical film that was shot in Black and White at Joss Whedon’s home.  Most of the cast are actors who have worked on Whedon’s other films or TV series, and there is a sense that the actors are very comfortable and secure under his direction.  Amy Acker is delightful as the feisty Beatrice, and there are definitely sparks between her and Alexis Denisof’s Benedick.  But, it’s Nathan Fillion and Tom Leck who steal the film as two bumbling police officers who continually mess up things more than they fix.  The film is fun to watch and has great pacing and energy.   My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again     Much Ado About Nothing Website

Indiefest:  Before Midnight  (2013)  R   It’s been nine years since we have seen Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy). They are now living in Paris with their twin girls. Can love be enough to keep them together? This is the third film in the series about Jesse and Celine but, unlike the first film, Before Sunrise (1995) which was about falling in love with a stranger you have a connection to, or Before Sunset (2004) which was about reconnecting with someone, this film is about the ramifications of a love affair.  In the first part of the film, the couple seems to be happy, but as the story progresses, the conversations between the two get more tense, and the fights get more frequent.  This is probably a more realistic film of these character's relationship, but I missed the superb moments of laughter and discussions that made the first two films so enjoyable.  My hope is that they make another film in nine or ten years with these two characters still together and in a much better place.   My Rating:  Full Price    Before Midnight Website

Forgotten Film:  Let The Right One In  (2008) R  This Swedish horror film is about a 12 year-old boy, Oskar (Kare Hedebrant), who is constantly bullied by his classmates.  His world changes when a mysterious girl named Eli (Lina Leandersson) moves into his neighborhood.  Oskar now has a friend, but this friend has a dark secret, one that could threaten his life.  This is a dark, gritty, grim film that doesn’t celebrate childhood as a happy time but one to just survive.  Lina Leandersson gives an intelligent performance as the cryptic Eli in this film about kids for adults. If you like intelligent horror films, then this one is for you. And, don’t bother seeing the bland U.S. remake called Let Me In (2010).   My Rating:  Full Price    Let The Right One In Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD):  Jack the Giant Slayer  (2013)  PG-13    I did not like this film about a young man named, Jack (Nicholas Hoult), who discovers a long, lost way to the land of the Giants.  I felt the script was clunky, and it took too long to get to the action sequences.   My Rating:  Cable     Jack the Giant Slayer Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Much Ado About Nothing:  Electronic Music Programming

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Unfinished Song  (2012)  PG-13  Terence Stamp plays Arthur, a grumpy old man who is set in his ways.  The lovely Gemma Arterton plays Elizabeth, who runs a local choir and gets Arthur to join the group.  Arthur is in for one bumpy ride.    Unfinished Song Website

Until Next Time!