Justin Freer is performing stage magic. No, he's not pulling rabbits from his hat or sawing women into two pieces. It's much more enchanting than that.

Freer is a conductor and producer of film music, as well as the founder and president of CineConcerts, a company dedicated to the preservation and concert presentation of film, TV and media performances live with film. His current project, HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, is currently playing at the St. Louis Symphony as part of a mind-blowing concept that blends film with live music.

Tell our readers what sets what you're doing apart from your standard afternoon at the symphony.

It seems that Republican Don Kasich was in a bookstore in New Hampshire recently, campaigning for Chris Sununu. Apparently Sununu must be running against Daniel Radcliffe -- odd, since Radcliffe is (a) British and (b) too young to hold office -- because Kasich took the opportunity to seemingly campaign against the actor based on his (rather old) declaration of atheism.

The statement came seemingly from nowhere (or did a library patron whisper a hushed Confundo?), and led into a post hoc ergo propter hoc argument that it might be behind Radcliffe "not taking off" in the movie industry -- you know, after 8 megablockbusters. See the video below and experience the discomfort of the patrons around him as he babbled.

In KANGAROO KISSES, an adorable new picture book written by Nandana Dev Sen and illustrated by Pippa Curnick, a mother struggles to get her daughter ready for bed - when all the little girl wants to do is daydream about her favorite animals. 

Told in a familiar whimsical rhyming style that was always my favorite as a child, Kangaroo Kisses is a short and fun tale perfect for bedtime.

"It's late, darling, hush! 
Let's find your toothbrush. 

Not yet! 

Elephant must floss, 
To make his tusk gloss."

Curnick brings colorful and friendly animals to life on the page, from bears to giraffes to geese to kangaroos, and the illustrations are beautiful. Sometimes I find picture books to be too verbose - especially for sleepy children at bedtime - but this one manages a great balance of minimal words and full-page illustrations. 

I highly recommend this one! Super cute, and definitely an author/illustrator duo to watch. 

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR was, as we put in our review, Marvel’s biggest blockbuster yet. But even with the bulk of the MCU’s character arsenal all on one screen again, Tom Holland stole the show as the new Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Holland had a great deal of fun with limited screen time, and the result is that rather than feeling fatigued with a third iteration of this character, fans are excited to see more.

Critic’s Log 2476.5…I was six when Star Trek: The Motion Picture came out. Talk about old, nobody calls a film based on a television show a “motion picture” anymore, and rightly so—who would pay $40 for a ticket, a bucket o’ popcorn and a bladder-buster sized Mr. Pibb to sit for two-plus hours to watch a picture that doesn’t move? You whippersnappers with your Technicolor and your special effects…ahem! I digress…My father took me to the Cross Keys Theatre in North St. Louis at that impressionable young age. I lasted about 10 minutes before I wanted nothing more to do with it. Not long afterwards Star Wars was re-released ahead of The Empire Strikes Back, and what a difference another six months to a year made! I was a fiend for anything to do with space stuff. Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and this goofy old show my grandpa used to make me watch sometimes with this pointy eared dude with a lame haircut.

As I sat down to write this piece, I should say that I am much more of a Star Wars guy than a Star Trek guy.  Don't get me wrong, I don't think you have to be one or the other, but gun to my head, I would pick Star Wars every time.  So it might seem strange that I would want to honor Star Trek on it's 50th anniversary.   But, Star Trek still holds a very special place in my heart...

When I was a kid, I had a huge obsession with comic book writer Peter David (still do).  A friend of mine had given me a random issue of X-Factor as a birthday gift, and I was immediately hooked.  

Afterlife with Archie #10

Written by: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Art by: Francesco Francavilla
Lettered by: Jack Morelli

​Published by: Archie
Cover Price:  $3.99

Saw some exciting news from BBC America this morning!  If you are a Doctor Who fan, you know that many of the earliest episodes of the show from 1963 to 1970 were lost to history.  BBC had a policy of deleting their tapes (remember this was long before home VCR's or DVD players), and many of the older episodes only aired once.  Soundtracks and production stills of every episode exist but there are still 97 episodes missing.   

The second season of CW's breakout superhero show (and two-time winner of Critical Blast's Best Television Show of the Year) THE FLASH is now available on for home video on Blu-ray and DVD, including the crossover with ARROW (but not the crossover with SUPERGIRL). Maybe next year.

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week.   Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that.  Let's get to it!

Comics shipping this week

The CW's ARROW and THE FLASH have provided an embarrassment of riches, when it comes to talented actors portraying lesser known characters. So what happens when you have characters, that nobody cared about, suddenly become fan favorites?

You give them their own show!

WrestlePro Sept 10, 2016 Preview

​Saturday, September 10 - Rahway, NJ WrestlePro will have it's biggest card yet! 

Nearly every musical artist has something to say. Otherwise, why bother with the art?

Indie Music Channel's 2016 Best New Female Artist, Dede Wedekind, has several things to say about several things, but more recently she's garnering attention for her latest number, a patriotic piece called "America United" that contains a lyric that ought to ring familiar with anyone who has come into contact with a working television set for the past year. We spoke with Dede about the inspiration for "America United," her experiences growing up in music, and her own vision to "Make America Great Again."

How has your history of making music led up to what you put into “America United?”

Captain America: Steve Rogers #4 by Nick Spencer, Javier Pine, and Miguel Sepulveda

Summary: Last issue, in 1926 (well, the false one in Steve Roger’s mind implanted by Red Skull), we find out that HYDRA killed Steve’s abusive father.  His mother realizes that HYDRA can’t be trusted, and has Steve hide.  HYDRA arrives and ends up killing his mother too.  They take Rogers as their own.

At Critical Blast, we get it. We get that people are going to see the term "Bombshell" and expect busty babes in barely-there costumes. If you really want that, there's this thing called The Internet where you can find more than you can handle of that sort of thing.

But we're looking for a different kind of bombshell. We're looking for cosplayers who make an impact, who are bursting onto the scene, breaking down barriers of stereotype and expectations in new, explosive ways.

(Think we made enough "Blast" and "Bombshell" allusions there?)

That's why we're glad to introduce our September Critical Blast Bombshell, Kirk Disla. That's right, this month's Bombshell...is a dude!

Kirk comes to us from the Philadelphia Avengers, and personifies the pure joy of costuming and roleplaying, with a development that is taking him from conventions to other applications for his passion.

by Dave Marinaccio

The 50^th anniversary of the launch of Star Trek is this September. Fifty years after William Shatner made his first “captain’s log,” the power of Star Trek is felt across generations. Just this summer, the thirteenth Star Trek movie was released and has grossed over 231 million dollars to date. It’s pretty clear: Star Trek is here to stay.

So what is it about Star Trek that captures the hearts of millions of people, decade after decade?

Shane Black's THE NICE GUYS is a retro-cool foray into the seedy seventies. And nowhere were the seventies more seedy than in smog-choked, porn-brimming Los Angeles, where our two not-exactly-heroes, Jackson Healy (RUSSELL CROWE) and Holland March (RYAN GOSLING) meet up.

Celebrate the series that stole America’s heart when Little House on the Prairie: Legacy Movie Collection arrives on DVD (plus Digital) and Digital HD September 13 from Lionsgate. Say farewell to this legendary western drama with three movie adventures: Look Back to Yesterday, Bless All the Dear Children, and The Last Farewell. These restored and remastered movies will be available individually on Digital HD and the Little House on the Prairie: Legacy Movie Collection DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $14.98.

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week.   Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that.  Let's get to it!

Comics shipping this week

Congrats to Chris Payne!

Mike Maillaro:  Woke up on Friday morning to see this picture posted on Facebook...