Third Annual INKCARCERATION Music and Tattoo Festival Announces Daily Lineups

Ohio’s Rock Event of The Summer is Back July 10-12, 2020 at the Historic Ohio State Reformatory

Headliners Include Limp Bizkit, Weezer and Blink-182

The third annual INKCARCERATION Music and Tattoo Festival has revealed the daily lineups for its three-day event, scheduled for July 10, 11 and 12 at the famous Ohio State Reformatory, a.k.a. Shawshank prison, in Mansfield, OH.

As previously announced, Limp Bizkit, Weezer and Blink-182 will headline a diverse lineup featuring over 40 bands on two outdoor stages. In addition to music, INKCARCERATION Festival will host 60 tattoo artists, reformatory tours, gourmet food trucks, the best drinks, camping and the return of the popular haunted house attraction Escape from Blood Prison.

INDIVIDUAL DAILY LINE-UPS: 

Friday July 10:

Limp Bizkit

Papa Roach

Steel Panther

Candlebox

Atreyu

All That Remains

We Came As Romans

Escape the Fate

The Aquadolls

Stitched Up Heart

Paralandra

MissYou

Saving Escape

Saturday July 11:

Weezer

Haelstorm

Underoath

Badflower

Static-X

Puddle of Mudd

New Politics

Emmure

Stick to Your Guns

New Years Day

September Mourning

Along Came a Spider

Dead Engine

Mollo Rilla

Sunday July 12: 

Blink-182

Mastodon

Hollywood Undead

Falling in Reverse

The Devil Wears Prada

Attila

Cold

Carnifex

Band-Maid

Damn Nation

A Killer’s Confessions

Sink the Ship

Single day tickets are now available, starting at just $65, and two-day tickets are available for $139. Weekend Field Passes, which include three-day General Admission, Field Passes to the concert for the entire weekend and self-guided reformatory tours, start at just $220. See below for additional ticket information.

Ohio State Reformatory’s historic building and grounds provide a perfectly eerie setting for the INKCARCERATION Festival. The massive, awe-inspiring locale is recognized as not only one of the most haunted reformatories in the country, but also as the filming location for multiple Hollywood films. The most famous of these films is the 1994 cinematic classic and IMDB highest rated movie of all time, The Shawshank Redemption, starring Hollywood legends Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. 

Once again, it will be Halloween in July at the INKCARCERATION Festival as Escape from Blood Prison makes an early appearance. The annual Halloween haunted house attraction typically runs from the end of September through early November at the Ohio State Reformatory, but this spooky experience will be open all weekend long for festival goers. Once Blood Prison takes over the reformatory, it is filled with bloodthirsty inmates waiting for victims to enter and try to make it through the facility alive.

The Ohio State Reformatory is centrally located, about an hour away from Cleveland, Columbus and Canton/Akron, and within a three-hour driving radius of Toledo, Dayton, Cincinnati, Youngstown, parts of West Virginia and Michigan, making it the perfect destination festival! Tent and RV camping packages are available on the grounds. Nearby hotel and ticket combo packages are also available.

TICKETS:Single day tickets start at just $65. Two day General Admission tickets are just $139. Weekend Field Passes include three-day General Admission, Field Passes to the concert for the entire weekend and self-guided reformatory tours that start at just $189.

Attendees can further accent their experience with a Weekend VIP Pass, which starts at just $369. This pass includes: VIP wristband, Field Passes for the entire weekend, self-guided reformatory tours, air conditioned VIP lounge with seating and tables, free lunch and dinner catering each day, access to locker storage and cell phone charging, private bar and game area and outdoor lounge, an elevated covered grandstand, and dedicated Hydration Station, flushable restrooms and portable restrooms, entrance to the event and the Reformatory.

Tickets are available at https://inkcarceration.frontgatetickets.com/. 

CAMPING:Weekend Camping Packages are available for both tents and RVs. General Weekend Tent Camping starts at $199 and includes 1,000 square feet of space for up to four people, access to the A/C Camping Lounge, optional breakfast, lunch and drinks available for purchase, dedicated shuttles to and from the festival, re-entry during the festival via the camping shuttles, live entertainment after the festival, access to Camping Hydration Station, and access to showers and restrooms. There are five different lots available within the grounds. General Weekend RV Camping starts at $299 and includes the same amenities as Tent Camping plus hookups for electric and water. Admission to the festival is not included in Weekend Camping Packages and must be purchased separately.

Hotel and ticket combination packages are also available. All tickets, including Field, VIP, Hotel Packages and Camping, may be purchased at www.inkcarceration.com/tickets.

In its second year, INKCARCERATION Festival nearly tripled the inaugural year’s attendance numbers, drawing 45,000 fans from nearly all 50 states, and worldwide as far as New Zealand. INKCARCERATION Festival has been awarded Mansfield’s prestigious Tourism Award of Excellence, and has been recognized by the United States House of Representatives, Ohio Senate, State of Ohio Representatives and Congressional Proclamation.

For more information, visit www.inkcarceration.com.

Follow INKCARCERATION online at:

www.facebook.com/Inkcarcerationfestival

https://twitter.com/InkcarFestival

www.instagram.com/inkcarcerationfestivalInkc

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Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: announces, annual, daily, festival, inkcarceration, lineups, ...

Inaugural INKCARCERATION Music and Tattoo Festival Set For July 13-15, 2018 in Mansfield, Ohio @ The World-Famous Historic Ohio State Reformatory

The Inaugural INKCARCERATION Music and Tattoo Festival Announces Event Details
July 13-15, 2018 in Mansfield, Ohio
@ The World-Famous Historic Ohio State Reformatory,
Home of the “Shawshank Prison”

Featuring Performances from Today’s Most Electrifying Rock Bands:
Rise Against, A Day To Remember, Bush,
Black Label Society, Clutch
and Many More Scheduled to Perform

+ 70 Tattoo Artist Booths, Reformatory Tours, Rock N’ Roll Circus Sideshows,
Food Trucks, Vendors & Much More

WEEKEND TICKETS + VIP ON SALE NOW @ WWW.INKCARCERATION.COM

Now is the time to “lock up” your summer concert plans! Introducing the INKCARCERATION Music and Tattoo Festival, a one-of-a-kind destination event that presents attendees with the experience of a lifetime: non-stop live music from 30+ bands on two stages and a tattoo festival inside of one of the country’s most infamous abandoned locations, plus so much more. The inaugural INKCARCERATION Music and Tattoo Festival will take place on July 13, 14 and 15 in Mansfield, Ohio at the eerie, enormous Historic Ohio State Reformatory (100 Reformatory Rd.). This massive, awe-inspiring locale is recognized primarily as not only one of the most haunted buildings in the country, but also as the filming location for the 1994 cinematic classic, The Shawshank Redemption, starring Hollywood legends Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins.

Weekend tickets, VIP, RV and camping packages are on sale NOW at www.inkcarceration.com! Mansfield is conveniently located directly between two major cities in Ohio, Columbus and Cleveland, and is under a five-hour drive from major cities such as Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Detroit, Louisville, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh. Road trip!

Summer is always over in a flash – why not get the most bang for your buck and experience multiple huge events in one? At INKCARCERATION, not only will attendees rock out to three days of live music from their favorite rock bands, they can also be tattooed by acclaimed local and regional artists, tour one of the most famous reformatories of all time, enjoy tasty treats and refreshments from 15+ food trucks onsite, browse goods from a number of vendors, experience a full rock n’ roll circus sideshow (brought to you by Hellzapoppin), and more!

OVER 30 BANDS ON TWO STAGES:
The concert portion of INKCARCERATION will feature performances from a vast array of rock artists from yesterday and today! Scheduled to perform are Rise Against, A Day to Remember, Bush, Black Label Society, Clutch, Our Lady Peace, Suicidal Tendencies, Fuel, Hatebreed, Sevendust, Living Colour, Of Mice and Men, Corrosion of Conformity, Lit, Life of Agony, Alien Ant Farm, ’68, Soil, Adelitas Way, JennCity, Bad Omens, Fear The Fallen, Akadia, Through Fire, All About A Bubble and more TBD. Individual performance times and stages will be announced leading up to INKCARCERATION.

TATTOO FESTIVAL:
More information on the tattoo festival portion of INKCARCERATION – which will include over 70 booths featuring local and regional tattoo artists – will be announced soon. Interested in tattooing at INKCARCERATION? Applications are still open. Email contact@inkcarceration.com for more information and details, and please provide your name, company name, website and phone number in the email.

REFORMATORY TOURS:
Of course, the most one-of-a-kind attraction at the inaugural INKCARCERATION Music and Tattoo Festival is none other than the venue itself – the one and only Historic Ohio State Reformatory, home of the “Shawshank Prison”. Attendees can take part in self-guided reformatory tours, exploring the prison independently at their own pace while learning about the history of the facility and the many unique Hollywood and paranormal connections. To be fully immersive, each tour experience should take about 1.5 hours.

 

The Historic Ohio State Reformatory

Abandoned cell blocks inside of the Ohio State Reformatory

 

Paul Smith, Executive Director of the Historic Ohio State Reformatory says, “We are very excited to host the 2018 INKCARCERATION Music and Tattoo Festival. They plan to bring next level entertainment to our venue and we hope to have a long and prosperous relationship with them that helps benefit and secure the future of our organization, the Historic site itself, and the community.”

Susan Fisher, marketing lead for INKCARCERATION adds, “INKCARCERATION brings a powerhouse line-up to the Historic Ohio State Reformatory – home of the Shawshank Prison – for a summer weekend festival that’s sure to be an amazing experience for the fans and our partner brands.”

HELLZAPOPPIN ROCK N’ ROLL CIRCUS SIDESHOW:
The Hellzapoppin circus sideshow is an event included in the price of an INKCARCERATION ticket and is fun for all ages! Named after one of the most successful Broadway musicals and movies from the late 30’s & 40’s, Hellzapoppin is a world-renowned theatrical rock n’ roll circus stunt-show where some of the most death-defying stunts in live entertainment are performed to a live audience along with emphatic rock music. Spectators will experience one of the world’s last authentic circus sideshows with performances including fire eating, fire breathing, the razor-sharp machete walk, acrobatic stunts, sword swallowing, knife-throwing, and archery using human targets, as well as illusions like the Chinese blade box of death, and human oddities and curiosities. Hellzapoppin has been featured on the Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, in the Guinness Books of World Records and beyond. Learn more at www.hellzapoppin.com.

TICKETS:
Weekend tickets – which include the concert portion, self-guided prison tours, tattoo festival, circus sideshow, and more – are a steal at a starting price of just $89 per person. Attendees can further accent their experience with a Weekend VIP or Premium VIP ticket! Weekend VIP tickets start at $321 per person (single day ticket and VIP options coming soon) and include all of the above plus access to the air-conditioned VIP lounge offering lunch, dinner, and a private bar. Premium VIP includes all of the above plus side stage access for premium viewing of the concert portion, a t-shirt and an exclusive festival laminate. Premium VIP begins at $1210.50 per person.

CAMPING:
Festival campers and RVer’s, INKCARCERATION is the place for you! RV Weekend Camping packages are available for just $1053.50 for four people, and include four weekend tickets to the event and available hookups for water and electric. Tent campers can also buy a Weekend Tent Camping package at $803.50 for four people, which includes four weekend tickets to the event and a 20×20 camping space. All RV and tent camping will be located under five miles from the festival at Richland Fairgrounds. Shuttle service to and from the venue will be available.

Additional ticket prices, parking prices/details, event hours, and other important FAQ’s can be found at www.inkcarceration.com.

Stay tuned for more information coming soon about the tattoo portion of INKCARCERATION and much more leading up to the main event!

INKCARCERATION Music and Tattoo Festival online:
www.inkcarceration.com

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Travis Barker Presents: MUSINK a Three-Day Tattoo Convention, Car Show & Concert

TRAVIS BARKER PRESENTS: MUSINK

THREE-DAY TATTOO CONVENTION, CAR SHOW & CONCERT
MARCH 17, 18, 19 AT OC FAIR & EVENTS CENTER IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
WITH PERFORMANCES BY NOFX, THE USED, BAD RELIGION, PENNYWISE & MORE
TICKETS GO ON SALE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7 AT 10:00 AM PT
WITH SPECIAL $35 SINGLE DAY TICKETS, WHILE SUPPLIES LAST
The 10th annual MUSINK, presented by Travis Barker, is set for March 17, 18, and 19, 2017 at the OC Fair & Events Center in Costa Mesa, CA. The three-day tattoo convention, car show and concert is America’s largest tattoo and music festival, featuring hundreds of world-renowned tattoo artists, Famous Stars and Straps presents the Low and Slow Car Show, a vendor village and music from headliners NOFX, The Used, Bad Religion, Pennywise, and more.
A limited number of discounted early bird tickets for MUSINK will be on sale this Wednesday, December 7 at 10:00 AM PT, while supplies last. Single-day, full weekend 3-day passes, and a selection of VIP ticketing options will also be available for purchase. Tickets can be purchased and additional ticketing information can be found at http://www.MusinkFest.com.
MUSINK producer Travis Barker says, “Stoked to be bringing in the 10th year of music, tattoos and cars with such legendary bands as NOFX, Pennywise, Bad Religion and The Vandals.”
NOFX’s Fat Mike explains, “When I have a cold I like to listen to Muse and take lots of Zinc. So when I heard of the MUSINK festival I got stoked! “We gotta play it!” Unless of course, I get sick.”
Fletcher Dragge of Pennywise says, “Couldn’t be more stoked to be back playing MUSINK, one of the best festivals in Southern California, if not the best! Tattoos, music, cars, bikes, and never ending booze? How can it get any better? Always an insanely great party with good friends, awesome tattoo artists, and some of the best bands on the planet. It’s a no brainer! See you in the pit, fools!”
Dan Whitesides of The Used comments, “Hey everyone! We’re so excited to be playing MUSINK in 2017! Travis Barker and company have been so kind as to ask us to play and we couldn’t be more pumped! MUSINK is our first show back from being in the studio where we will be recording our new album. We love Orange County, LA and the surrounding areas so much, so please join us and get yourself a USED tattoo on your forehead while you’re at it. See you soon! Love, Dan”
The current music lineup for MUSINK is as follows:
Friday, March 17: NOFX, The Vandals, Lagwagon, A Wilhelm Scream
Saturday, March 18: The Used, Glassjaw, Goldfinger, Story of the Year, Hell or Highwater
Sunday, March 19: Bad Religion, Pennywise, Swingin’ Utters
The MUSINK tattoo convention will feature hundreds of world-renowned tattoo artists. Specific tattoo artists that will be inking are viewable at http://www.MusinkFest.com. In addition, the MUSINK vendor midway will include dozens of vendors.
MUSINK attendees are invited to check out Famous Stars and Straps presents the Low and Slow Car Show, which will display some of the best American classics and lowriders in Southern California, including some from Travis Barker’s own collection. Daily tattoo contests will take place during the car show as well.
Ticket prices are as follows:
Early Bird Single Day: $35
Early Bird Weekend Pass (3-Day): $99
General Admission Single Day: Starting at $45
General Admission Weekend Pass (3-Day): Starting at $120
VIP Front Of Stage & VIP Lounge:
$129 (per day, only sold as a single day option)
– 1 VIP Admission Ticket to day of choice, which includes access to: Music Concert, Tattoo Convention, Car Show, and Vendor Midway
– Access to Premier VIP area near the front of the stage
– Access to the Exclusive MUSINK VIP Lounge (21 & over only), which includes: complimentary beer & signature cocktails (while supplies last), several shaded areas to sit and relax, additional food & drinks available for purchase
Travis Barker Ultimate VIP Meet & Greet:
$299 (per day, only sold as a single day option)
– 1 VIP Admission Ticket to day of choice, which includes access to: Travis Barker Meet & Greet, Music Concert, Tattoo Convention, Car Show, and Vendor Midway
– 1 VIP Travis Barker Meet & Greet Laminate
– Access to Premier VIP area near the front of the stage
– Access to the Exclusive MUSINK VIP Lounge (21 & over only), which includes: complimentary beer & signature cocktails (while supplies last), several shaded areas to sit and relax, additional food & drinks available for purchase
– Travis Barker Meet & Greet Includes: Group Meet & Greet with Travis Barker, one on one photo, and one signed item (at designated time), limited edition MUSINK poster, one pair of exclusive Travis Barker Drum Sticks
All ages are welcome, and kids 7 years old and under get in free.
MUSINK hours are 3:00 PM – 10:00 PM on Friday, March 17, 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM on Saturday, March 18, and 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM on Sunday, March 19.
MUSINK 2017 is produced by Bill Hardie, Travis Barker, John Reese of Synergy Global Entertainment (SGE), and Sean Akhavan.
The OC Fair & Event Center is centrally located in Southern California, just off the 405 and 55 freeways at 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa. The venue is convenient to all in Orange County, as well as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. John Wayne Airport in Irvine, CA is also easily accessible for those traveling from other parts of the U.S. and the world.
For more information on MUSINK, please visit:

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Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: barker, car, concert, convention, musink, presents, ...

DVD Review "30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with the Devil Inside the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"

Actors: Kathryn Fiore, Flip Schultz, Olivia Alexander, Arturo del Puerto, Danny Woodburn, French Stewart
Directed By: Craig Moss
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Release Date: January 15, 2013
Run Time: 80 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

When it comes to parody spoof films, it is usually hit or miss (mostly miss).  With a title like “30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with the Devil Inside the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” how can they go wrong! I have to admit this one delivers. Nothing is safe here! Besides the film’s in the very long title, many other non-horror including “The Dark Knight Rises”, “The Hunger Games”, “The Artist” and “Black Swan” are ranked on, even TV shows like “The Bachelor”, “The Apprentice” and “Ghost Hunters”. The primary spoof is “Paranormal Activity” and with all the found footage films taken over Hollywood it is nice to see some fun poked at them. Not every joke is a score but there is enough here to make it worth a least one viewing.

Offical Premise: Scream with laughter in this found footage parody- Dana’s father was sent to a psychiatric hospital after he killed the entire cast of The Artist while an exorcism was being performed on him. She continues on with her life -gets married, has kids and moves into the same (haunted) house she grew up in. But now she must battle the demons which haunted her father before her.

Kathryn Fiore is hilarious and steals the show (Here is our interview with her from earlier this year). Writer/director Craig Moss knows how to work parodies and film’s with long titles after their last “The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It”. The only special features included on the DVD is “Behind the Scenes of 30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with the Devil Inside the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, but it is a nice showcase on the production.  I would have loved to seen a gag reel included.  This film is not perfect but it is worth it for a few good laughs.  If you want more parodies, keep an eye out for “A Haunted House” and “Scary Movie 5” both coming this year.

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Win a DVD copy of "30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with The Devil Inside The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" [ENDED]

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL. PLEASE CHECK BACK EACH WEEK FOR NEW GIVEAWAYS!

Scare yourself silly and scream with laughter at this hilarious spoof of Hollywood’s hottest horror movies. When a young family, who can’t seem to stop filming themselves, moves into a house that turns out to be haunted, they meet up with a host of creepy characters — including a horny vampire-hunting president who wants to emancipate their dragon-tattooed daughter. With help from the hysterically high-energy “Ghost Brothers” the family sets out to solve the mystery of the haunted house.

Written and directed by Craig Moss, 30 Nights… stars Kathryn Fiore, Flip Schultz, Olivia Alexander, Danny Woodburn and French Stewart.

For your chance of winning a DVD copy of 30 Nights…, simply answer the following question and submit your answer by clicking here:

30 Nights’ French Stewart starred in which ‘90s sitcom?
• Friends
• 3rd Rock from the Sun
• That 70s Show

This giveaway will remain open until January 11th. One entry per person, per household. All other entries will be considered invalid. Media Mikes will randomly select TWO winners. Winners will be alerted via email.

Follow @FoxHomeEnt for more updates from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

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DVD Review “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)”

Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: March 20, 2012
Running Time: 158 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

Stieg Larsson’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is one of the best novels released in the recent years. The series has spanned two sequels, both which have Swedish films already made. This film is a US remake of the Swedish film based on the novel…get all that. I am sure I don’t have to explain though because of America’s wide awareness of this film. Rooney Mara really does an amazing job taking the role of Lisbeth Salander from Noomi Rapace. Although Noomi’s portrayal just feels a little more rigid and brutal. Daniel Craig just a match up job with his role of Mikael Blomkvist. Very impressive job overall from both. The aspect of this film that I loved the most was easily the cinematography, some shots are just downright breathtaking. You really get Fincher’s vision coming through with the film and it adds a lot to the film itself.

My only issue with the film is that it felt a little too much like the Swedish films. I enjoyed them both equally in fact with this film. I really can’t compare the two because they are so a like. In fact, after viewing this film, I spent a lot of time comparing the two and I was able to pick out bits and pieces of each from each film that I really enjoyed. The score is by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (known for the Oscar-winning “The Social Network” score) is so stunning, haunting and really intense. “The Immigrant Song” cover by Trent Reznor and Karen O is truly an instant classic and will be used for many years following. It really drives this film and adds a lot of direction. The film is also 158 minutes but easily feels like it is only 90 minutes.

The only special feature available on the DVD is a commentary with David Fischer. It is a great feature in fact but I assume that the Blu-ray will have tons more features covering the film’s production more in depth. Also as I said that the film’s has such amazing shots, which would also looks much better on Blu-ray than DVD. Overall though this film is worth the purchase easily no matter what format you are able to view it on. I really hope that Fincher is able to make the other two books in the series because I would like to see how his vision is portrayed in them as well.

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Film Review “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”

Starring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara and Christopher Plummer
Directed by: David Fincher
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hours 38 minutes
Sony Pictures

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Swedish magazine publisher Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) is having a bad day. He’s just been found guilty of libel after publishing a very damning article about one of the country’s largest businessmen. Four hours away a phone conversation is being held. “No note,” is heard before the phone is hung up. Thus begins a tale to rival “The Silence of the Lambs.”

Based on the popular series of novels by Stieg Larsson (three books, over 27 million copies sold), “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” has already been made into a well received film (as have the other two novels). But this is not a remake. This is director Fincher’s vision of the story. And, as Fincher has shown in films like “Se7en” and “Zodiac,” that vision is often unflinching. The film is really best described as a play. In Act One we meet, separately, both Mikael as well as computer hacker extraordinaire Lisbeth Salander (Mara). Hoping to put the libel case behind him, Mikael accepts an offer from business tycoon Henrik Vanger (Plummer) to help him write his autobiography. But the offer is really a front. Vanger is the man whose telephone conversation we overheard. His granddaughter disappeared forty years ago under mysterious circumstances and he wants Mikael to solve the mystery. In coming to the decision to hire Mikael, Vanger’s attorney, Frode (played perfectly by Steven Berkoff) hired the best to investigate Mikael’s background. The best was Lisbeth. When Mikael asks for permission to hire an assistant he is introduced to Lisbeth. After a brief conversation, Mikael describes the task. “I want you to help me catch a killer of women.”

It’s almost hard to describe a film that features Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” during its opening credits and then ends the film with Enya’s “Sail Away.” I’ll start with brilliant. Following the blueprint created by Larsson and adapted by Oscar winning screenwriter Steven Zaillian (“Schindler’s List”), the film follows both Mikael and Lisbeth and captures them at their most vulnerable. Lisbeth, a slight woman who lives on junk food and McDonalds (she explains that due to her metabolism she can’t put on weight) is a ward of the state. After several unsuccessful placements she seemed to have found a kind guardian. But when he takes ill she is taken advantage of by the attorney who oversees her finances. Mikael, a skilled journalist, is like a fish out of water as he tries to solve a forty year mystery under the guise of literature. As he begins to interview Vangers family members the subject of the missing girl is always brought up. And just as often, it’s dismissed by those who are tired of living in the past. But with Lisbeth’s help the mystery begins to unravel, as piece by piece the puzzle begins to come together.

Though the film is certainly Fincher’s vision, that vision is maintained thanks to a brilliant cast. Craig is solid as Mikael. With an easy tone in his voice he is able to ingratiate himself to anyone he speaks with, gaining their trust and encouraging them to disclose secrets long held. Plummer and Berkoff are equally strong, as is Stellan Skarsgard, who plays Henrik’s brother, Martin. They are brilliantly matched by Mara, who underwent an incredible physical transformation (including having several places on her body pierced) to play the waifish Lisbeth. Her eyes ringed in black and her voice low and deliberate, Lisbeth is only looking for someone to trust. To those who violate that trust, the consequences are severe!

Technically the film is just as powerful. Cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth’s cameras capture both the beauty and isolation of the Swedish countryside while the musical score created by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross helps paint the on-screen pictures. Both musicians worked with Fincher on “The Social Network” (as did Mara, who portrayed the girl who upset Mark Zuckerberg at the beginning of the film) and again they manage to capture the director in their music. The film is not for the faint of heart. Fans of the book know there are some pretty shocking moments and Fincher and cast have not shied away from them. The recently released “Shame” received an NC 17 rating with material not as rough as portrayed here.

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Filed Under: Featured, Film Reviews Tagged With: dragon, film, girl, review, tattoo

DVD Review “Ed Hardy: Tattoo the World”

Director: Emiko Omori
Starring: Ed Hardy
Rated: Unrated
Studio: New Video Group
Run Time: 75 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Having two tattoos myself, I am not against getting inked. In fact, I feel that some tattoos are real works of art. Ed Hardy is known best for his amazing tattoo imagery, especially Japanese inspired artwork. I enjoyed the background on how Ed got started and how he got inspired to create the work he has. The film runs slow, even for a short 75 minutes.

The angle that this documentary takes focuses on Ed Hardy and details his unexpected rise to cult status. The film also shows how he has effected modern tattooing and his phenomenal influence on pop culture. Besides interviews with Hardy himself, there are also interviews from other industry well-knowns and tattoo aficionados.

The extras are decent with deleted scenes, which some are decent to check more. Also there was additional interviews and more tattoos and artwork included. They are worth being checked out but only if you enjoyed the first 75 minutes from this disc. An interesting feature is 2000 Dragon Scroll focuses on Hardy’s scroll painting of 2,000 dragons to commemorate this Millennial Dragon Year.

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