the blizzog @ jamiegaines.com

Are there no other movies coming out for the rest of the year besides "Van Helsing"? It seems like they have been showing commercials for this thing since the Super Bowl. The 2003 Super Bowl. It would be one thing if this movie looked cool. I might be halfway excited about it. Too bad it doesn't.

I was reading the other day how Universal is using the movie as a vehicle to revive interest in the three horror characters that formed the foundation of the studio back in the day: Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolf Man. I'm all for that, but wouldn't it have been a better idea to release three separate movies that delve into the mythology of each character? That way they could've connected with hardcore fans of each franchise while bringing new people in.

Instead, they plan to remind us of the golden age of Hollywood by beating us into submission with the Happy Meal age of Hollywood? Good plan. Nothing will get people excited about Frankenstein like a "Van Helsing" lunch box and a crappy-ass Playstation game that will come out 8 months after the film releases. Great thinking, Universal.

Maybe I'm wrong and this move will actually rock. But early indications are that I'm right.

Universal might be smelling a hit, but all I smell is a Godzilla-sized turd coming our way this summer. Watch your step.