I know the dust bunnies have been building around Culture Lust.  I've been mad busy coordinating the coverage for our Comic-Con blog. Check it out - I'm so proud of the work we've done so far, with few resources and a lot of enthusiasm.  We'll be covering all four days of the convention with video, photography, blogging, and tweeting.  Our team includes smart people tasked with finding out the latest in video games, tv, film, collectibles, graphic novels and comics. 

I'm trying to get an interview with Michael C. Hall, aka Dexter, and I'll be going to the Dexter panel.  I'm also planning on going to the HBO panel for Alan Ball's new drama True Blood, The Black Panel, and the steampunk gathering (fascinated!).  Jeff Soto will be signing copies of his latest Murphy designed art book on Saturday so I hope to see him as well.  I love his work.  Of course, I plan to take a lot of photos of the costumes and crowd - always a treat.  So, the dust bunnies may accumulate as I spend time working on the Comic-Con blog.  Follow me over there - you'll have a blast.

My friend Ed (thanks!) sent me this the other day... "in the spirit of Comic-Con."  It's a real Craigs List ad... hilarious!  I assume I have some proper nemeses in my readership who could use $350.

Nemesis required. 6-month project with possibilty to extend

Date: 2008-05-07, 2:49PM PDT

I've been trying to think of ways to spice up my life. I'm 35 years old, happily married with two kids and I have a good job in insurance. But somethings missing. I feel like I'm old before my time. I need to inject some excitement into my daily routine through my arm before its too late. I need a challenge, something to get the adrenaline pumping again. An addiction would be nice, but, in short, I need a nemesis. I'm willing to pay $350 up front for you services as an arch enemy over the next six months. Nothing crazy. Steal my parking space, knock my coffee over, trip me when Im running to catch the BART and occasionaly whisper in my ear, "Ahha, we meet again". That kind of thing. Just keep me on my toes. Complacency will be the death of me. You need to have an evil streak and be blessed with innate guile and cunning. You should also be adept at inconsicuous pursuit. Evil laugh preferred. Send me a photo and a brief explanation why you would be a good nemesis.

British accent preferred.

it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Compensation: $350 up front

I'm a film lover, but there's this weird thing that happens to me when the lights go down in a theater.  First there are the trailers -- which I love.  Most of them are bad, but the good ones stay with me.  Mostly, I love trailers because they represent possibility.  They are neat little packages of seduction.  After those 10 minutes of possibility, I get the thing I actually paid for... the thing that could let me down... the movie I've actually come to see.  Which gets me to the weird thing that happens:  I'm always slightly disappointed when the movie starts.  These are not the words of a film lover, I know.   But because I've built up expectations and hopes, I'm uneasy. 

One of the things that eases the disappointment of a film's beginning is a good title sequence.  A title sequence is an art form in itself, like the book jacket cover or album art.  Title sequences have become a showcase for design, illustration and music.  Years ago, a friend turned me on to the beauty of the title sequence for To Kill a Mockingbird.  And I still remember seeing the David Fincher's thriller Se7en , with its stunningly dark but gorgeous beginning set to a Coil remix of Nine Inch Nails' Closer. 

I just learned about a great site that has been compiliing title sequences called Art of the Title.  It's captivating!  You can watch the title sequence for Showtime's Dexter (which I've been watching On Demand and getting totally creeped out).  It's clearly influenced by the Se7en design - just as macabre,  but with more pop and zip.  It makes the morning rituals of coffee, shaving and breakfast into a twisted ritual.  The camerawork is something to behold.

My other favorites are the title sequences for American Splendor, Donnie Brasco and the amazing Delicatessen.