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I guess, seeing as how some high profile blockbuster material is headed to cinemas, that "summer" is officially upon us. Don't mind the weather. Just look at your movie showtimes.

With "Watchmen" we get our first high profile movie release of the year. But, alas, this review is not of the actual film. Rather, it is of the source material and it's companion DVD, "Watchmen: The Motion Comic."

Now, I am a comic geek, but i had never picked up and read the "Watchmen" graphic novel. It didn't intrigue me. Not as much as Batman, Spiderman, or Wolverine do anyway. So when I first HEARD about the film, I said "cool" and pushed it to the back of my mind.

Then "The Dark Knight" came out and had a mind blowing trailer for "Watchmen." Color me intrigued at this point. I still didn't have the nerve to walk into Great Escape to pick up a copy though. Comic Book fans are a ruthless bunch.

Then about a week ago, I noticed Walden Books had a Watchmen table set up. I could pick up a copy and not be judged. So i did.

I had also purchased the "Watchmen: The Motion Comic" DVD at my friendly local Wal-Mart. But now, I saw it as a reading companion.

Let me just say first, the book is better. Even at 5 and a half hours, the DVD cuts out alot of dialouge and set pieces. That's not to say the DVD isn't good, it just doesn't offer the same experience the "Greatest Graphic Novel Of All Time" does. Plus, it's narrated and voiced over by one man. Meaning every character sounds EXACTLY ALIKE.

The story goes something like this: A former masked hero called The Comedian is brutally murdered. Another masked hero by the name of Rorscach is convinced something is out to kill all the other masked heroes. This gives him a new reason to bust skulls... wait... What?

Watchmen is almost grotesquely violent, especially later in the story when the action picks up. It's not your grandfather's superhero book. Turns out, in fact, they aren't really superheroes. Just vigilantes with a knack for playing dress-up.

And there is something wrong with each character. Dan Drieberg, or Nite Owl, is impotent OUTSIDE OF HIS COSTUME! What a "power." Silk Spectre, or Janie Juspeczyk, doesn't even want to be a superhero. She was forced into it by her mother. Adrian Viedt, or Ozymandias, is the smartest man on the planet... and he knows it. Edward Blake, better known as the Comedian, was a famous hero in the forties, the was employed by the government. He also attempted to rape the Silk Spectre's mother.

Then there's Rorscach. The man with the Ink-blot mask. Turns out, he's clinically insane. Or is he?

Several unexpected twists make Watchmen an interesting ride. I just wish it didn't feel so dated. It takes place in an alternate 1985, so references are geared toward that era.

Also, it's incredibly mysoginistic. One minute, you're looking at an attempted rape, the next, you're watching a naked blue man called Dr. Manhattan walk around.

Alan Moore is a genius. But this book, as good as it was, didn't appeal to me the way i had hoped it would. I really wanted to enjoy this story so much more than i actually did. And i did like it. Just not to the standards i had anticipated. Maybe i missed something. Maybe on a second reading?

3 and a half out of 5

You hear that? It's the outrage being expressed by your typical conservative American over a sweet little love story.

Well, maybe not sweet, but definitely well-intentioned.

Zack and Miri Make A Porno (that's the full title, not just Zack and Miri) is the latest film from my personal favorite director Kevin Smith. For those of you familiar with Smith's work, you know what you're in for: Blue language, jokes about the male anatomy, and a revolving cast of familiar faces.

The story starts off as Zack, played to perfection by Seth Rogen, and Miri, portrayed be Elizabeth Banks, attend their 10-year high school reunion. A chance meeting with a gay pornstar, Justin Long in a hysterical if tragically underused role, leads Zack to believe that all his and Miri's money troubles could be solved if they just shot an adult movie.

What follows is some of the most vile, disgusting, and hillarious sex scenes ever laid to film. The story is framed by Zack and Miri's unknown love for each other, and surely, the third act does follow typical romantic comedy formulas.

This is NOT Clerks. It's not even Mallrats. But it's better than the preachy Dogma, and the overly cute Jersey Girl. Kevin Smith fans could do so much worse than seeing Jason Mewes in his finest role, or Jeff Anderson in perhaps the most revolting scene ever filmed.

Clever dialogue, smart blocking, wonderful improve, and amazing performances help to make ZaMMaP a success. If only Justin Long's character could get a spin-off movie....

5 out of 5.

On top of the standard movie reviews you will see from me, I will also write the occasional DVD review.

I am a huge fan of Cartoon Network's light night block of "Adult-themed" cartoons, such as, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Harvey Birdman, and Metalocalypse. All are irreverant stories of extraordinary personalities doing ordinary things.

In Metalocalypse, the story revolves around heavy metal band Dethklok. The five members of the band are less than intelligent, but have enough business savvy to be the richest performers in the world. In between arguing about phallic sandwiches and recording the follow-up to the multi-platinum selling "Mermaider", these guys are just your regular Joe Public.

However, they have a knack for causing death and destruction everywhere they go. But, being as dumb as they are, Dethklok doesn't realize how much havoc they cause.

Let me start by saying that, before seeing this movie, I had only heard about Twilight in conversations with my girlfriend. That being said, Twilight is the epitome of a "Chick Flick". It has all the cliches of said genre: overly good looking, overly sensitive guy, the slightly homely girl that, in real life, the guy would never give the light of day, and a complication filled relationship.

 But this film throws in a twist: Dude's a vampire. Commence the groaning from the majority of the male population.