Alt 98.7 Presents Big Adventure — a brand-new music, comedy, cosplay, gaming, sci-fi, fantasy, and comic con festival, coming to the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, CA on Saturday, November 3 and Sunday, November 4. Serving as a celebration of pop culture and fandom of all sorts, Alt 98.7 Presents Big Adventure is a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience, set to immerse attendees in a world where comics, sci-fi, fantasy, and gaming collide with music and comedy.
Alt 98.7 Presents Big Adventure flyer with performance lineup and venue details
During the day, attendees will have the opportunity to see some of their favorite cast members and special guests during the TV, Film, Gaming, and Comic Book panels, participate in interactive fan experiences, VR, laser tag, table top and video gaming, and tech demos, and visit the artist alley where some of the comic book industry’s top artists and creators will be speaking about their craft, selling artwork, meeting fans and signing autographs. In the evening, the focus will shift to live performances, when fans will witness sets from acclaimed comedians including Patton Oswalt and Jim Jefferies, along with some of today’s top alternative and dance music artists including Empire Of The Sun, Modest Mouse, Phantogram, Cold War Kids, What So Not, Rusko, and many more, spread across three entertainment stages.
Produced by Synergy Global Entertainment (SGE), Alt 98.7 Presents Big Adventure will also boast a massive comic con exhibitor village, a marketplace with a variety of handmade and exclusive items, carnival rides and games, and wandering cosplay performers.
“More than just a comic con, more than just a festival, Big Adventure really is a one-of-a-kind celebration of pop culture and fandom in all forms,” says Big Adventure co-producer Rob Tweedie. “I’ve waited in my fair share of comic con lines over the years, sometimes even overnight. I love the tangible, face-to-face fan experience and the freedom to be yourself that the cons offer. Our goal is to combine that great sense of wonder and community with the excitement and energy of an outdoor festival to create an authentic entertainment event that is truly unique and out-of-this-world. Big Adventure has been a passion project for us at SGE for a while and we’re buzzing with excitement to see it come to life with all of you.”
The performance lineup for Alt 98.7 Presents Big Adventure is as follows (subject to change):
Live Stage:
Empire Of The Sun, Modest Mouse, Phantogram, Cold War Kids, Echos, Nvdes, Allie X, and Party Nails
Comedy Stage:
Patton Oswalt, Jim Jefferies, Baron Vaughn, Emo Philips, Hari Kondabolu, Kristen Schaal, Maria Bamford, Natasha Leggero, Rhys Darby, and Ron Funches, hosted by April Richardson and Marcella Arguello
Dance Stage:
What So Not, Rusko, Bro Safari, Feed Me, Bonnie X Clyde, Luca Lush, Party Thieves, Ducky, Nitti Gritti, and Chime
A preliminary list of participating comic companies include Skybound, Kodansha Comics, Boom! Studios, and Top Cow Productions. Comic artists will include Andrew Robinson, Andy Belanger, Chris Burnham, Ivan Brandon, Matt Hawkins, Nick Dragotta, Andy Kuhn, Robert Wilson IV, Ande Parks, Brent Schoonover, Farel Dalrymple, Jai Nitz, Justin Greenwood, Matt Horak, Matt Wilson, Matthew Southworth, Morgan Breem, Ramon Villalobos, Brian Level, Tess Stone, Tim Doyle, and many more to be announced.
A limited number of Alt 98.7 pre-sale tickets for Alt 98.7 Presents Big Adventure will be available on Thursday, July 12 at 10:00 a.m. PT. Visit www.ALT987.com for more information and how to obtain presale passwords.
General tickets for Alt 98.7 Presents Big Adventure go on sale Friday, July 13 at 10:00 a.m. PT at www.BigAdventureFest.com, with Early Bird Single Day tickets starting at $39.50 (plus fees) and Early Bird Weekend tickets starting at $69.50 (plus fees), while supplies last. A limited number of Single Day and Weekend VIP packages will also be available for purchase:
VIP Lounge + Festival Admission Starting at $99.50
One VIP festival admission ticket (Saturday or Sunday)
Dedicated VIP entry lane into Big Adventure festival
Big Adventure VIP laminate
Limited edition poster
Priority access to comedy show seated ticket raffle, located inside the VIP area
*VIP Lounge package does not guarantee seating within the comedy shows, however it does give you a better chance to grab a ticket to the show from the comedy show tickets area by entering the comedy show seated ticket raffle, located inside the VIP area.
Access to Big Adventure VIP Lounge which includes:
Comfortable areas to hang out and relax
Giant games and photo op areas
Viewing area of The Hangar Music Stage
Access to Baja Blues Beach Club with bar and food available for purchase
VIP restrooms
Weekend VIP Lounge + Festival Admission Starting at $198.50
One VIP festival admission ticket to both Saturday and Sunday
Dedicated VIP entry lane into Big Adventure festival
Big Adventure VIP laminate
Limited edition poster
Priority access to comedy show seated ticket raffle, locate inside the VIP area
*VIP Lounge package does not guarantee seating within the comedy shows, however it does give you a better chance to grab a ticket to the show from the comedy show tickets area by entering the comedy show seated ticket raffle, locate inside the VIP area.
Access to Big Adventure VIP Lounge which includes:
Comfortable areas to hang out and relax
Giant games and photo op areas
Viewing area of The Hangar Music Stage
Access to Baja Blues Beach Club with bar and food available for purchase
VIP restrooms
Ultimate VIP
Comedy & Panel Preferred Seating + VIP Lounge + Festival Admission Starting at $249.50
One VIP festival admission ticket (Saturday or Sunday)
Dedicated VIP entry lane into Big Adventure festival
Big Adventure VIP laminate
Limited edition poster
Big Adventure sponsor swag bag with cool stuff
Priority line for entry into daily panels with VIP seating within rows 1-2
Priority line for entry into comedy show with VIP seating within rows 1-2
*Seating is available on a first come, first served basis. Ultimate VIP seating closes 5 minutes prior to show start time. Don’t be late!
Access to Big Adventure VIP Lounge which includes:
Comfortable areas to hang out and relax
Giant games and photo op areas
Viewing area of The Hangar Music Stage
Access to Baja Blues Beach Club with bar and food available for purchase
VIP restrooms
Alt 98.7 Presents Big Adventure is proud to partner with the following sponsors in its inaugural year: Angel City Brewing, Corona, Kraken Rum, Cosmic Fog, Rockstar Energy Drink, Musicians Institute, Mike’s HARDER, and D-Link.
For more information on Alt 98.7 Presents Big Adventure, visit:
http://www.BigAdventureFest.com
http://www.facebook.com/bigadventurefest
http://www.instagram.com/bigadventurefest
Tweets by BigAdvFest
#BigAdventureFest

Movie
Review of “Good Bad Ugly”

Director: Adhik Ravichandran
Starring: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Das, Trisha, Simran
Genre: Action / Crime Drama
Rating: 4.5/5
“Good Bad Ugly” centers on Red Dragon (Ajith Kumar), a notorious gangster who chooses to surrender himself in the hopes of turning over a new leaf and reuniting with his estranged son. However, when unforeseen threats emerge, Red Dragon is forced to step back into the dangerous underworld to protect the only family he has left.
“Good Bad Ugly” plays to the strengths of Ajith Kumar, delivering a fan-pleasing portrayal of both his vintage villainy and his matured emotional depth. Ajith’s powerful screen presence, coupled with his iconic voice, shines against Arjun Das’s brooding and intense new-age antagonist, creating an electric old-school versus new-school dynamic. The nostalgic return of Simran is a clever nod to longtime fans, bringing heart and familiarity. Trisha brings a strong, grounded performance as the moral compass in Red Dragon’s life, helping move the emotional threads of the story. The film smartly balances action, comedy, and sentimental fan-service moments.
While the film delivers on fan expectations, its narrative could have benefited from tighter pacing and deeper character development for its supporting cast. Some plot conveniences and an overreliance on nostalgia may limit broader audience appeal beyond the fanbase. Certain dramatic beats felt rushed, leaving little time for emotional resonance to fully land.
The ambition to blend high-octane action with heavy emotional stakes sometimes leads to tonal inconsistencies. At moments, the shift from gritty underworld drama to lighter fan moments feels abrupt. Additionally, though Ajith Kumar’s effort to showcase his dancing skills is commendable and welcomed by fans, it slightly disrupts the otherwise darker tone the film establishes.
“Good Bad Ugly” is a tribute to Ajith Kumar’s enduring legacy, offering vintage thrills while teasing new dimensions to his craft. It’s a solid entertainer that successfully taps into fan nostalgia while hinting at an exciting evolution for AK. While not without its flaws, the film’s heart, energy, and performances make it a must-watch for fans and a compelling action-drama for broader audiences.
Streaming
Presence: A Horror Movie For People That Don’t Like Horror Movies

In these uncertain times, you can’t beat a good old-fashioned horror movie. Unfortunately, Presence is not an old-fashioned horror movie. Yet, as I discovered, this is a good thing!
When I heard about the premise of this movie, I was intrigued. The stylishly subtle trailer was, appropriately, haunting. And was that Lucy Liu? A haunted house movie from the perspective of the ghost? As a seasoned horror movie buff, I was all in!
Like the majority of people I missed the films brief theatrical release. Luckily I was able to catch it on streaming. Visually the film is easy to enjoy from your own home, as it’s rather cosy looking. I never thought I’d be describing a horror movie as ‘cosy’ looking but it’s true! This is not a James Wan type creepy, dusty, decrepit house harbouring a haunting. No, this is a 100 year old jewel toned, oak finished colonial style home.
Despite this the story follows the beats we are all familiar with: troubled family of four move into a new house. The big deviation from the trope is we, the audience, are seeing events unfold from the POV of the ghost or presence.
Director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s Eleven) chose to film the entire piece using a small (14mm) hand-held digital camera. Soderbergh himself acted as the ‘presence’ following the actors around. From the audiences perspective it is like watching the family through a barrier or pane of glass. Cleverly, windows and mirrors are hugely prominent and integral throughout.
The presence mainly follows and tries to interact with the daughter of the family, Chloe (Callina Liang), who has recently suffered the trauma of her best friend dying suddenly. Through Soderbergh’s experimental filming, we feel the dysphoria and frustration the ‘ghost’ is feeling at trying to affect the world around it, particularly during the anxiety-inducing final scene!
However, in what could be yet another mismarketing of a film, the trailer promised to be the ‘scariest movie you will see this year’ and ‘terrifying’; instead, they delivered this subversive, character-driven, family drama. If you are expecting jump scares and dramatic music stings, this is not your movie. I could understand if someone was disappointed that the only seemingly scary thing is the mother’s and son’s relationship, right up until the gut-punch of the final scene.
Presence is definitely a slow burn, tension building until the final scene, and the unveiling of the ‘presence’ giving us a new understanding of the whole story. The ending is disturbing and stays with you as you re-analyse earlier scenes.
My one complaint is that the character Ryan (West Mulholland) with his Chesney Hawkes hair, perhaps needed more subtlety. The rest of the cast was completely solid and believable as a family with so many unspoken issues.
I wouldn’t recommend this film for everybody but maybe be as so bold to say it’s a horror movie for people that don’t like horror movies. It’s well-lit and cerebral with realistically flawed characters.
Presence is available to stream.
Three and a half stars.
Streaming
Anime Review: Fog Hill of the Five Elements (Wu Shan Wu Xing)

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Historical
Runtime: Each episode runs approximately 20-30 minutes
Director: Lin Hun (also the Creator)
Studio: Samsara Animation Studio
Main Voice Actors (Chinese Cast):Liu Zhi Shi as Wen Ren Yu Xuan Zhou Qi as Shen Nong Fang Yuan as Xuan
Overview
Fog Hill of the Five Elements is a breathtaking Chinese anime (donghua) that merges traditional Chinese ink-painting aesthetics with high-intensity martial arts action. Created and directed by Lin Hun, this series delivers a spellbinding visual experience that rivals, and in many ways surpasses, mainstream Japanese anime. Produced by Samsara Animation Studio, the anime is a labor of love, known for its hand-drawn animation and meticulous detail.
Set in a mythological world where elemental beasts roam free, the series follows the Five Elemental Envoys tasked with protecting humanity. The story focuses on Wen Ren Yu Xuan, the Fire Envoy, whose actions set off a chain of events threatening the delicate balance between humans and beasts. The tale is steeped in Chinese folklore and myth, weaving a complex narrative of duty, power, and sacrifice.
Without question, Fog Hill of the Five Elements is one of the most visually stunning animated series in recent memory. The blend of traditional Chinese ink wash painting with modern dynamic action scenes is masterful. Every frame looks like a moving scroll painting, with fluid character movements and kinetic fight choreography that puts many mainstream series to shame.
The characters are deeply tied to traditional archetypes found in Chinese legends but are fleshed out with emotional depth and conflict. Voice acting by Liu Zhi Shi, Zhou Qi, and Fang Yuan brings authenticity and gravitas to their respective roles. The dialogue is steeped in poetic language, enhancing the mythic feel of the story.
The soundtrack complements the epic visuals with traditional Chinese instrumentation mixed with modern elements. The sound design heightens the impact of every battle and emotional moment.
Rating: 9/10
Fog Hill of the Five Elements earns a 9 out of 10 for its groundbreaking animation style, deep mythological storytelling, and heart-pounding action. The only downside is its limited number of episodes and slow release schedule, which leaves fans craving more.
Pros
- Unparalleled hand-drawn animation
- Unique art direction inspired by traditional Chinese painting
- Rich mythological lore
- Epic fight choreography
Cons
- Sparse episode release
- Story pacing can be uneven at times
Final Verdict 9/10
If you’re an anime enthusiast or a fan of animation artistry, Fog Hill of the Five Elements is a must-watch. Its fusion of stunning visuals, martial arts action, and mythological storytelling makes it one of the standout titles in modern animation. Whether you’re into Japanese anime or Chinese donghua, this series deserves a spot on your watchlist.