Friday, March 27, 2020
Friday, January 29, 2016
hello Blog
good afternoon Blog
http://fcpa-law.com/cow.php?cross=d11xa9xbb4qhh4
Joe Slepski
freelanceslepski@yahoo.com
http://fcpa-law.com/cow.php?cross=d11xa9xbb4qhh4
Joe Slepski
freelanceslepski@yahoo.com
Friday, June 18, 2010
Jonah Hex Filmmakers Attacked
Jonah Hex director Jimmy Hayward was found tied up and horsewhipped earlier today, just hours after his movie opened across America. Police were summoned after neighbors overheard the sound of horses and spurs jangling, amid gunshots.
Witnesses report a tall man, riding a horse, dragged the director around in circles before eventually using Hayward for target practice. The mystery man was described as rakishly handsome by witnesses on the West side of the property. Oddly, the witnesess on the East side described him as horribly scarred.
A police sketch was done, pictured here, and distributed throughout the Hollywood Hills.
Later in the aftenoon, Jonah Hex co-star Megan Fox was the victim of vehicular violence. Fox was driving down Sunset Boulevard as an unseen assailant fired shots at her car, puncturing only the tires, resulting in her car careening onto the sidewalk.
No one was injured, however Fox was overheard asking onlookers "Why didn't my car just transform into something else and stop this? What's happenening here?"
There were no witnesses to the shooter, but police found spent shell casings on a nearby rooftop. Strangely, the casings seem to be for antique Smith & Wesson six shooters from the 1860's.
A third Jonah Hex related incident occurred a later at Grumman's Chinese Theater, which was showing the film. Midway through the movie, an unknown prankster released dozens of Rattlesnakes into the theater.
The entire theater was evacuated, 3 people were taken to the hospital with snakebites, none of them life threatening.
All these Jonah Hex relate crimes seem to indicate a larger plan, possibly a publiciy stunt for the film. Jonah Hex comic book author, Jimmy Palmiotti, commented on the possibility.
"All I'm saying is Hex has a history of living hard and dying harder. He's also been known to time travel. So, and I'm just speculating here, I wouldn't be surprised if he was a little pissed about how his movie turned out and wanted to do something about it. Just saying is all I'm saying." Palmiotti said.
MotD: Magic
I thought this would be a creepier film, about a man and his demented puppet, terrorizing New York. What we got is a nice performance from Anthony Hopkins, Burgess Meredith playing Mickey for a magician, and Ann Margret married to a complete mismatched husband. Maybe I missed somthing, but I never really understood how Hopkins did what he did. I thought there was some kind of mystical stuff going on, but reading the boards it appears he simply schizophrenic. Glad I watched it, but overall not worth a rewatch.
Witnesses report a tall man, riding a horse, dragged the director around in circles before eventually using Hayward for target practice. The mystery man was described as rakishly handsome by witnesses on the West side of the property. Oddly, the witnesess on the East side described him as horribly scarred.
A police sketch was done, pictured here, and distributed throughout the Hollywood Hills.
Later in the aftenoon, Jonah Hex co-star Megan Fox was the victim of vehicular violence. Fox was driving down Sunset Boulevard as an unseen assailant fired shots at her car, puncturing only the tires, resulting in her car careening onto the sidewalk.
No one was injured, however Fox was overheard asking onlookers "Why didn't my car just transform into something else and stop this? What's happenening here?"
There were no witnesses to the shooter, but police found spent shell casings on a nearby rooftop. Strangely, the casings seem to be for antique Smith & Wesson six shooters from the 1860's.
A third Jonah Hex related incident occurred a later at Grumman's Chinese Theater, which was showing the film. Midway through the movie, an unknown prankster released dozens of Rattlesnakes into the theater.
The entire theater was evacuated, 3 people were taken to the hospital with snakebites, none of them life threatening.
All these Jonah Hex relate crimes seem to indicate a larger plan, possibly a publiciy stunt for the film. Jonah Hex comic book author, Jimmy Palmiotti, commented on the possibility.
"All I'm saying is Hex has a history of living hard and dying harder. He's also been known to time travel. So, and I'm just speculating here, I wouldn't be surprised if he was a little pissed about how his movie turned out and wanted to do something about it. Just saying is all I'm saying." Palmiotti said.
MotD: Magic
I thought this would be a creepier film, about a man and his demented puppet, terrorizing New York. What we got is a nice performance from Anthony Hopkins, Burgess Meredith playing Mickey for a magician, and Ann Margret married to a complete mismatched husband. Maybe I missed somthing, but I never really understood how Hopkins did what he did. I thought there was some kind of mystical stuff going on, but reading the boards it appears he simply schizophrenic. Glad I watched it, but overall not worth a rewatch.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Fresh Air, Fresh Start, Fresh Breath
"We decided to just cut to the chase." Quesada said. "The good news for retailers is that we're maintaing the cost under $10, which is very important to us."
"We care about the retailers and consider them partners in our operation which is why we made this move." Quesada continued. "If we didn't support them, we'd have gone past the Ten Dollar mark, easily.
Industry pundits have claimed this is the death knell for direct market comic book shops. The higher price point will drive readers away from the printed product and towards the digital offerings.
"Digital? Oh, Digital will remain $1.99 an issue." Quesada said. "That's a price point that online readers have come to expect and we don't see an upheaval in that anytime soon."
"Print readers have been complacently putting up with escalating prices for years with little actual repurcussions to sales, so why not do it, right?" Quesada said. "I overheard an 8 year old on the subway telling his buddy that he remembered when comics were $1.50. An 8 year old! I know, right! You're thinking what I'm thinking! What's an 8 year old doing on a train alone? What can I say, parenting these days, sheesh. What's that? What were we talking about?"
In related news, local comic shops were sadly looking up the words "irrelevance" and "dinosaur" on Wikipedia.
MotD: American Werewolf in Paris
Not good. Not funny, slow to get started, horrid acting and dumb, just dumb.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Holy Crap, Batman.
Jesus, it's been a month since I blogged. Been an exciting month for sure. We're booked into and start rehearsals on Sunday for...
Half in the Bag and Bored!
Which is going to be a sketch comedy revue put on during the upcoming C2E2 comic book convention here in Chicago, at McCormick Place.
Sat. 4/17 at 2:45
So, me and my writing partner, the uber talented Joe Goltz (Shout out Wisconsin!) were writing our asses off this last month. Script is final, still some last minute tweaking but we planned for that.
Hired a great director, Jason Chin, with deep comic knowledge and 15 years of directing sketch~!
Cast a FANTASTIC group of performers, now known as Mid Grade Comics!, Ana, Alex, Rammel, Jeff, Siobhan, Kelsey, Mark, Joe and Myself to put it on. More on them as we near the show.
Truthfully, I really hope it's funny, and moreso that my team feels it's worth their effort. They're going to be putting in a lot of work, we all are, and I hope it lives up to it. That's my fear, that the group would feel it's not at least palatable material.
We will be putting on a Tech Rehearsal at Gorilla Tango theater the week prior. More on that as it nears...
So great stuff. Movies have been about 80%, but I'm trying to keep up one a day~!
MotD: The House that Dripped Blood
Hammer Horror has a nice big soft spot on my neck. It bit me as a kid, just a couple of them, and I've loved everything I've seen of theirs, which admittedly isn't much. I've got a ton of Hammer in my queue and this is the start of them. This was an anthology of a house that brings doom to all who live in it. Steals a bit from House of Wax, but that was what Hammer did best, take the cool aspects of other horror movies and put Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in it and make it more awesome! No let down here. Really fun.
Half in the Bag and Bored!
Which is going to be a sketch comedy revue put on during the upcoming C2E2 comic book convention here in Chicago, at McCormick Place.
Sat. 4/17 at 2:45
So, me and my writing partner, the uber talented Joe Goltz (Shout out Wisconsin!) were writing our asses off this last month. Script is final, still some last minute tweaking but we planned for that.
Hired a great director, Jason Chin, with deep comic knowledge and 15 years of directing sketch~!
Cast a FANTASTIC group of performers, now known as Mid Grade Comics!, Ana, Alex, Rammel, Jeff, Siobhan, Kelsey, Mark, Joe and Myself to put it on. More on them as we near the show.
Truthfully, I really hope it's funny, and moreso that my team feels it's worth their effort. They're going to be putting in a lot of work, we all are, and I hope it lives up to it. That's my fear, that the group would feel it's not at least palatable material.
We will be putting on a Tech Rehearsal at Gorilla Tango theater the week prior. More on that as it nears...
So great stuff. Movies have been about 80%, but I'm trying to keep up one a day~!
MotD: The House that Dripped Blood
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Oil and Water
Busy week! Put down some cocktails in NOLA for the Superbowl, passed out through the game, but rallied for the afterparty. What can I say, I got issues. ;-) Biggest news is we're putting on a show. That's right, I and some friends will be writing/directing/producing/starring in a sketch comedy show for the upcoming C2E2 convention. Details to be forthcoming, but needless to say excitement is high and creativity is popping!
Reading Son of Ambush Bug this week. LOVE me some Ambush Bug!
For those uninitiated out there, AB is a creation of Keith Giffen and scripted by Robert Loren Fleming. He first showed up in Superman books as kind of a villian. He possessed a 4th wall breaking sense of self and his comic series were always a mish mash of wacky, metatextual gags on the comics industry.
Giff and Fleming use a Borscht Belt style humor which is just note perfect. Corny at times, there's such a sense of fun in all his books that the groaners are easily overlooked.
Cheeks, The Toy Wonder, might be my favorite cast member, after AB himself of course. He's just a doll, but gets into misadventures. Kinda like Peter Sellers in Being There.
AB's archenemy is Argh'yle, Doctor Doom reimagined as a sock.
This is funny comics. In a way, it's a precursor to the JLI books that everyone loves so much. Seek these out for a good time.
Now for something completely different...
MotD: United 93 and World Trade Center
This is what happens when Netflix recommends movies. Your queue becomes a rolling account of your interests, flowing with styles and actors. At times it becomes like a six degrees of Kevin Bacon game, where you can see how the movies in your queue are connected to one another. So, when you select one movie, it recommends another one like it. You then get a double whammy of United 93 and WTC in back to back days. I'm very glad I watched these, both are very well done and I recommend them to everyone. Just not back to back and just be ready for it. Not feel good, it stirs a lot of memories, as it should.
Reading Son of Ambush Bug this week. LOVE me some Ambush Bug!
For those uninitiated out there, AB is a creation of Keith Giffen and scripted by Robert Loren Fleming. He first showed up in Superman books as kind of a villian. He possessed a 4th wall breaking sense of self and his comic series were always a mish mash of wacky, metatextual gags on the comics industry.
Cheeks, The Toy Wonder, might be my favorite cast member, after AB himself of course. He's just a doll, but gets into misadventures. Kinda like Peter Sellers in Being There.
Now for something completely different...
MotD: United 93 and World Trade Center
This is what happens when Netflix recommends movies. Your queue becomes a rolling account of your interests, flowing with styles and actors. At times it becomes like a six degrees of Kevin Bacon game, where you can see how the movies in your queue are connected to one another. So, when you select one movie, it recommends another one like it. You then get a double whammy of United 93 and WTC in back to back days. I'm very glad I watched these, both are very well done and I recommend them to everyone. Just not back to back and just be ready for it. Not feel good, it stirs a lot of memories, as it should.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Video killed the televison too
My goddamned tv broke yesterday. Grrr.... Google searches are telling me it's a blown capacitor, even my tv has more fun than me. I think I'm gonna crack it open and see if I can replace it myself, get a buddy of mine to do the work, I don't know shit about motherboards. Probably not going to do the repair route, because spending $500, which seems to be the average, on a product that will probably break again seems crazy.
That said, I don't know if I want to get a new one either. I'm at a crossroads here where I do NOT want to continue to encumber myself with "stuff". At least not now. Who am I fooling, I like some bullshit, but for now, I'm interested in getting leaner and meaner, more mobile if you will. Dropping $1k on an electronic albatross is not that.
The flip side of that is sad too. This TV was the thematic icon for my journeys. I put myself in some crazy debt after college (who didn't) and in 2000 I made some dramatic turnarounds, financially and personally. I dug myself out and when I made the choice to buy a condo 4 years ago, I paid proud cash for that tv. It was the first thing I bought for this place. It's a symbol of my independence and yet it does that by keeping me shackled to the couch. Yes, I see the conflict there.
So, as someone who looks for signs, sees portents in events, this is telling me something. I think it's telling me to get off my ass and go places.
MotD: Up
No fooling, this was the movie I was watching when the TV crapped out (see above soul searching). If you've not seen it, it's the Pixar brilliance of a man whos life flew by and he never realized the one dream he had since a boy, live in Paradise Falls in South America. So, he ties balloons to his house and floats the house to South America, like anyone sane would do. He has a stowaway in the form of a young wilderness scout and hijinx ensue. It's the things we collect that weigh us down and I think there's a reason why this is the dvd that broke the TV's back.
That said, I don't know if I want to get a new one either. I'm at a crossroads here where I do NOT want to continue to encumber myself with "stuff". At least not now. Who am I fooling, I like some bullshit, but for now, I'm interested in getting leaner and meaner, more mobile if you will. Dropping $1k on an electronic albatross is not that.
The flip side of that is sad too. This TV was the thematic icon for my journeys. I put myself in some crazy debt after college (who didn't) and in 2000 I made some dramatic turnarounds, financially and personally. I dug myself out and when I made the choice to buy a condo 4 years ago, I paid proud cash for that tv. It was the first thing I bought for this place. It's a symbol of my independence and yet it does that by keeping me shackled to the couch. Yes, I see the conflict there.
So, as someone who looks for signs, sees portents in events, this is telling me something. I think it's telling me to get off my ass and go places.
MotD: Up
No fooling, this was the movie I was watching when the TV crapped out (see above soul searching). If you've not seen it, it's the Pixar brilliance of a man whos life flew by and he never realized the one dream he had since a boy, live in Paradise Falls in South America. So, he ties balloons to his house and floats the house to South America, like anyone sane would do. He has a stowaway in the form of a young wilderness scout and hijinx ensue. It's the things we collect that weigh us down and I think there's a reason why this is the dvd that broke the TV's back.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Late to the Party Disassembled!
Busy week over here. Knocked out multiple sketches and dug my heels deeply into an Ushers rewrite. Keep reminding myself that the original exists and I shouldn't be afraid to change things. That's my new mantra. Kinda clunky, but whatever.
I gotta cut down on my monthly selection of new comics. I will try to list all the books I'm reading.
Marvel Comics
(Ongoing)
New Avengers
Mighty Avengers
Avengers: The Initiative
Dark Avengers
X-Men: Legacy
Uncanny X-Men
Wolverine: Origins
Dark Wolverine
Wolverine: Weapon X
Thor
Hulk
Incredible Hulk
Captain America
Daredevil
Fantastic Four
Punisher: Max
Secret Warriors
Ultimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Avengers
(limited)
Ultimate Comics Enemy
Siege
Siege Embedded
Fall of the Hulks
Marvelous Land of Oz
DC Comics
(Ongoing)
Action Comics
Adventure Comics
Superman
Superman: World of New Krypton
Supergirl
Batman & Robin
Justice League of America
Justice Society of America
Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps
The Flash
Doom Patrol
(Limited)
Darkest Night & spinoffs
Independents
Die Hard: Year One
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe Origins
I guarantee I'm missing something here. It's gotten to the point where I look forward to hearing that one of my books has been cancelled, because that means I don't have to buy it or feel guilty for not buying it.
I got issues. That should be the name of my blog. I Got Issues. Holy Shit. I think we got it.
Done, rebranded.
MotD: District 9
The minute I saw the trailer for this movie I was super excited to see it. Sure enough, I screwed up and missed it in the theater then had to sit here and listen for everyone to rave how good it was while I waited for Netflix to send it to me. Waitings over fools, this movie was cool. I love the concept and the ease with which they presented it. The nonchalance commonplace that the humans treated the Prawns was what sold it for me. No spoilers here, but recommended with the highest rating. Fantastic Sci Fi.
I gotta cut down on my monthly selection of new comics. I will try to list all the books I'm reading.
Marvel Comics
(Ongoing)
New Avengers
Mighty Avengers
Avengers: The Initiative
Dark Avengers
X-Men: Legacy
Uncanny X-Men
Wolverine: Origins
Dark Wolverine
Wolverine: Weapon X
Thor
Hulk
Incredible Hulk
Captain America
Daredevil
Fantastic Four
Punisher: Max
Secret Warriors
Ultimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Avengers
(limited)
Ultimate Comics Enemy
Siege
Siege Embedded
Fall of the Hulks
Marvelous Land of Oz
DC Comics
(Ongoing)
Action Comics
Adventure Comics
Superman
Superman: World of New Krypton
Supergirl
Batman & Robin
Justice League of America
Justice Society of America
Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps
The Flash
Doom Patrol
(Limited)
Darkest Night & spinoffs
Independents
Die Hard: Year One
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe Origins
I guarantee I'm missing something here. It's gotten to the point where I look forward to hearing that one of my books has been cancelled, because that means I don't have to buy it or feel guilty for not buying it.
I got issues. That should be the name of my blog. I Got Issues. Holy Shit. I think we got it.
Done, rebranded.
MotD: District 9
The minute I saw the trailer for this movie I was super excited to see it. Sure enough, I screwed up and missed it in the theater then had to sit here and listen for everyone to rave how good it was while I waited for Netflix to send it to me. Waitings over fools, this movie was cool. I love the concept and the ease with which they presented it. The nonchalance commonplace that the humans treated the Prawns was what sold it for me. No spoilers here, but recommended with the highest rating. Fantastic Sci Fi.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Back Scratching
South Side hijinx this weekend. Putting in quality home time watching the dog. Gives me time to catch up on reading!
I can't recommend enough the comic magazine Back Issue put out by TwoMorrows publishing. I've been reading this book since about issue 9 or so, it comes out bimonthly (That's every two months to you nimrods). It's on around #37 or so and while some issues are hit or miss, the overall concept is tops.
It's a Black and White pub devoted to comic books of the 1970's and 80's. That's my wheelhouse right there. Funny because I didn't really start getting into comics until 87 or so, but immediately, my collection looked backwards to the past. In fact, that's the best part about collecting comics, the history.
Each book builds on the other, whether you like it or not. The fans demand that this is so. You can get an entirely new creative staff on a book, taking it in a totally new direction, and your fans will absolutely hold you to a throw away line, 3 issues before the writer came onboard, where Nightcrawler said he hated anchovies. In your book you have him eating anchovies. BUSTED. You fucked up. And the awesome thing is, the reader is right. It certainly isn't important in the story, but they're right. Any time a creator dismisses continuity, they immediately sound sour grapes, because they didn't do the homework, or didn't have the talent to use the past continuity to work their story around.
This is really, in my opinion, the strength of the 70's and 80's creators. These were the first generation of fans graduating to creators and they respected the shit out of continuity. They made a point of not contradicting things, and if they did, they included an explanation in it somewhere in the script. I admire that. That feels like they're respecting the medium and the readers.
So, this veered off into a discussion why that era is awesome. I'll talk more about Back Issue tomorrow, but read it, it's a great mag!
MotD: Ace In The Hole
Kirk Douglas is a pimp! I had heard about this movie when the Criterion disc came out last year and it didn't disappoint. He plays a newspaper reporter, looking for a big story. When he comes across a man trapped in a cave in, he seizes upon the opportunity to milk it for all it's worth. A true visionary film into what the media would become 50 years after the film. The circus that develops just ruins him, after elevating him first and deluding him into thinking he's getting exactly what he wants. I recommend this movie very strongly. It's really, really a good film.
I can't recommend enough the comic magazine Back Issue put out by TwoMorrows publishing. I've been reading this book since about issue 9 or so, it comes out bimonthly (That's every two months to you nimrods). It's on around #37 or so and while some issues are hit or miss, the overall concept is tops.
It's a Black and White pub devoted to comic books of the 1970's and 80's. That's my wheelhouse right there. Funny because I didn't really start getting into comics until 87 or so, but immediately, my collection looked backwards to the past. In fact, that's the best part about collecting comics, the history.
Each book builds on the other, whether you like it or not. The fans demand that this is so. You can get an entirely new creative staff on a book, taking it in a totally new direction, and your fans will absolutely hold you to a throw away line, 3 issues before the writer came onboard, where Nightcrawler said he hated anchovies. In your book you have him eating anchovies. BUSTED. You fucked up. And the awesome thing is, the reader is right. It certainly isn't important in the story, but they're right. Any time a creator dismisses continuity, they immediately sound sour grapes, because they didn't do the homework, or didn't have the talent to use the past continuity to work their story around.
This is really, in my opinion, the strength of the 70's and 80's creators. These were the first generation of fans graduating to creators and they respected the shit out of continuity. They made a point of not contradicting things, and if they did, they included an explanation in it somewhere in the script. I admire that. That feels like they're respecting the medium and the readers.
So, this veered off into a discussion why that era is awesome. I'll talk more about Back Issue tomorrow, but read it, it's a great mag!
MotD: Ace In The Hole
Kirk Douglas is a pimp! I had heard about this movie when the Criterion disc came out last year and it didn't disappoint. He plays a newspaper reporter, looking for a big story. When he comes across a man trapped in a cave in, he seizes upon the opportunity to milk it for all it's worth. A true visionary film into what the media would become 50 years after the film. The circus that develops just ruins him, after elevating him first and deluding him into thinking he's getting exactly what he wants. I recommend this movie very strongly. It's really, really a good film.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Does whatever another director can
Been busy this week with a quick trip to Beantown and some late night debauchery with my 2nd City friends. Good stuff!
So, this week Sony announced that they are rebooting the Spider-Man movie franchise. New director, actors, everything. The early lead is they're putting Peter back in high school.
If there is any franchise that doesn't need a reboot, it's this one. Sure, SM3 had some issues, but if all the major players were willing to come back, how can you not let them? Spidey is a concept in rarified air. Like Batman, it can survive some shitty incarnations. Bat-nipples and dayglo camp couldn't kill Batman and a change of direction won't kill Spider-Man. But why?
Time is so short, there is such a limited window to get stuff like this done, why not go for it if the stars want to? Did Sean Connery quit Bond or did they force him out? I don't feel like doing research on that right now, but if they forced him out, fools, the lot of them!
So, I've been reading early 80's Spidey this week and just enjoyed the shit out of them. Peter is just a perfect character. His standard cookie cutter tale is just so enjoyable. Pete gets in money trouble, someone near him flirts with being a villian, Aunt May has some guilt over Pete, Pete thinks about giving up, he remembers Uncle Ben's lesson and kicks someone's ass, add in some wisecracks and you're set.
That's not a dis either, that's sincerely a complement. Just that scenario alone would be enough to keep any reader entertained. It's a lot like Batman, where a whacky criminal commits a crime, Gordon gets involved, Batman stops a small robbery that leads to a bigger crime, you get the drift.
Not many characters have that archetype built into them. Honestly, not even Superman. Captain America doesn't, nor Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, etc. I think that's what makes them bulletproof, their stories write themselves, regardless of the authors.
MotD:The Jacket
I remember seeing the trailer for this and being interested in seeing it. I was wrong. Wasn't the first time, just the most recent. ugh.
So, this week Sony announced that they are rebooting the Spider-Man movie franchise. New director, actors, everything. The early lead is they're putting Peter back in high school.
If there is any franchise that doesn't need a reboot, it's this one. Sure, SM3 had some issues, but if all the major players were willing to come back, how can you not let them? Spidey is a concept in rarified air. Like Batman, it can survive some shitty incarnations. Bat-nipples and dayglo camp couldn't kill Batman and a change of direction won't kill Spider-Man. But why?
Time is so short, there is such a limited window to get stuff like this done, why not go for it if the stars want to? Did Sean Connery quit Bond or did they force him out? I don't feel like doing research on that right now, but if they forced him out, fools, the lot of them!
So, I've been reading early 80's Spidey this week and just enjoyed the shit out of them. Peter is just a perfect character. His standard cookie cutter tale is just so enjoyable. Pete gets in money trouble, someone near him flirts with being a villian, Aunt May has some guilt over Pete, Pete thinks about giving up, he remembers Uncle Ben's lesson and kicks someone's ass, add in some wisecracks and you're set.
That's not a dis either, that's sincerely a complement. Just that scenario alone would be enough to keep any reader entertained. It's a lot like Batman, where a whacky criminal commits a crime, Gordon gets involved, Batman stops a small robbery that leads to a bigger crime, you get the drift.
Not many characters have that archetype built into them. Honestly, not even Superman. Captain America doesn't, nor Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, etc. I think that's what makes them bulletproof, their stories write themselves, regardless of the authors.
MotD:The Jacket
I remember seeing the trailer for this and being interested in seeing it. I was wrong. Wasn't the first time, just the most recent. ugh.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Where the hell was Gargamel and Azrael?
Just returned from Avatar, see MotD below. Crazy good, engrossing, very Cameron-ey. I just don't want to bury the lead. Go see Avatar.
I was gonna comment of the one off issues of Marvel's War of the Kings I read this afternoon, but happened to be at Barnes & Noble and read through the first collection of Boom! Studios' Irredeemable. Dammit. They won me over.
It was a quick read, so for that, I'm not sure if I'm gonna make this a pull list or pick up trades. Most comics these days are pretty quick reads. Decompression will do that. Topic for another post. This collected the first 5 issues of the comic, I put it away in about 20 minutes.
Nothing groundbreaking, but a solid look at the hero archetypes and inversions on the theme. By now, we've seen this before, going back to Squadron Supreme, through Authority and Astro City. We're about to get Mark Millar's Nemesis introduced to the genre as well. All the stereotypes are there. A Batman kinda guy, a Tony Stark kinda guy, etc. The premise is what if Superman turned bad. For real. No mind control, at least no hints at this point, no torn emotions, simply bad.
And it's good. What I liked so much about it was Mark Waid, who I'm a MAJOR fan of, really gave him personal, psychological reasons for turning bad. Waid is playing his cards close to the vest, at least as far as I've read here, but the clues he's given for the transformation are great. He puts you, the reader, into the shoes of Superman and makes you ask "What would I do?"
Plutonian, the Superman analogue, saves a stadium full of people. With his super hearing he hears every comment, including one dude, just one, saying (paraphrasing) "That guys a showoff asshole". Think about your own experiences, when you've done something pretty good or accomplished, you hand it in to your boss, and because he can't be fully appreciative because recognizing your ability somehow diminishes him, he makes a point to nitpick one thing wrong with it. As I typed this, I flashed to a performance review I had once, where my boss was a complete fucktard and ignored the hard work I did, to focus on some bullshit that had he mentioned to me throughout the year, I could have addressed.
See? And that's just a stupid, pointless performance review for a job I don't even have any longer. Imagine if you're Superman and apply whatever insecurity character trait that is to your super life.
You see my point.
There's more examples, each issue Waid shows another way to demonstrate this principle of human flaws within an inhuman body. Good stuff. Recommended!
MotD: Avatar
I'm one of those guys that was turned off by the hype on this, which was telling me that my life was going to change because of this movie. See, I have a rule that anyone who says their favorite movie is something, ANYTHING, that was released in the last 5 years, maybe even 10 years, is a complete film idiot. I totally ignore their opinions from that statement on. If that makes me a film snob then fine, but a good story needs to breathe, it needs to ruminate in your mind and expand in the social conciousness. This doesn't just apply to movies. There's a reason so many artists, painters, writers, etc. are unappreciated "in their time". It's because the really good ones must stand the test of time. You may love a new movie, you can put it in your top ten of a genre for the impact of it, but when you get to that hallowed discussion of "WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME?", these things need to breathe.
Having said that, Avatar is the greatest movie of all time and it fucked my eye sockets with a big blue cock.
Seriously, it looked beautiful, the story was solid, the 3D was amazing, and performances right on. Go see this, don't be a hater like I was. Get off your couch and spend 3 hours with your ass in a theater chair.
I was gonna comment of the one off issues of Marvel's War of the Kings I read this afternoon, but happened to be at Barnes & Noble and read through the first collection of Boom! Studios' Irredeemable. Dammit. They won me over.
It was a quick read, so for that, I'm not sure if I'm gonna make this a pull list or pick up trades. Most comics these days are pretty quick reads. Decompression will do that. Topic for another post. This collected the first 5 issues of the comic, I put it away in about 20 minutes.
Nothing groundbreaking, but a solid look at the hero archetypes and inversions on the theme. By now, we've seen this before, going back to Squadron Supreme, through Authority and Astro City. We're about to get Mark Millar's Nemesis introduced to the genre as well. All the stereotypes are there. A Batman kinda guy, a Tony Stark kinda guy, etc. The premise is what if Superman turned bad. For real. No mind control, at least no hints at this point, no torn emotions, simply bad.
And it's good. What I liked so much about it was Mark Waid, who I'm a MAJOR fan of, really gave him personal, psychological reasons for turning bad. Waid is playing his cards close to the vest, at least as far as I've read here, but the clues he's given for the transformation are great. He puts you, the reader, into the shoes of Superman and makes you ask "What would I do?"
Plutonian, the Superman analogue, saves a stadium full of people. With his super hearing he hears every comment, including one dude, just one, saying (paraphrasing) "That guys a showoff asshole". Think about your own experiences, when you've done something pretty good or accomplished, you hand it in to your boss, and because he can't be fully appreciative because recognizing your ability somehow diminishes him, he makes a point to nitpick one thing wrong with it. As I typed this, I flashed to a performance review I had once, where my boss was a complete fucktard and ignored the hard work I did, to focus on some bullshit that had he mentioned to me throughout the year, I could have addressed.
See? And that's just a stupid, pointless performance review for a job I don't even have any longer. Imagine if you're Superman and apply whatever insecurity character trait that is to your super life.
You see my point.
There's more examples, each issue Waid shows another way to demonstrate this principle of human flaws within an inhuman body. Good stuff. Recommended!
MotD: Avatar
I'm one of those guys that was turned off by the hype on this, which was telling me that my life was going to change because of this movie. See, I have a rule that anyone who says their favorite movie is something, ANYTHING, that was released in the last 5 years, maybe even 10 years, is a complete film idiot. I totally ignore their opinions from that statement on. If that makes me a film snob then fine, but a good story needs to breathe, it needs to ruminate in your mind and expand in the social conciousness. This doesn't just apply to movies. There's a reason so many artists, painters, writers, etc. are unappreciated "in their time". It's because the really good ones must stand the test of time. You may love a new movie, you can put it in your top ten of a genre for the impact of it, but when you get to that hallowed discussion of "WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME?", these things need to breathe.
Having said that, Avatar is the greatest movie of all time and it fucked my eye sockets with a big blue cock.
Seriously, it looked beautiful, the story was solid, the 3D was amazing, and performances right on. Go see this, don't be a hater like I was. Get off your couch and spend 3 hours with your ass in a theater chair.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Busting the 2010 cherry
Man, first blog of the year and it's already the 9th. December ended up being a battery recharge month for me, which is cool and often necessary. I still haven't found the time/energy/wherewithal to "redesign" the blog for a comic centric purpose, so I'll do what I did in the first place. I'm just going to start talking comics and I'm sure the rest will catch up.
I'll try to keep up a daily schedule on this, but we'll see. If I don't, I won't beat myself up, if I do, you don't beat me up for boring you, ok?
Just read the last two issues of the most recent New Warriors series. This was the series after the Civil War Stamford incident and the reality show version. It lasted 20 or so issues (they're not in front of me so I forget specifics). Apparently, it was made up of all depowered mutants. It hit a couple hot buttons for me, in no particular order....
1. Depowered mutants: I liked M-Day, I like to see the aftermath of that. For noobs out there, basically all but 200 of Marvels mutants (X-Men) had their powers taken from them, and they ain't coming back. So, I was 1/2 way into the last issue before I realized one of the characters I was reading about was Jubilee, former X-Man. I looked back and realized also included was Jono, formerly Chamber, now Apocalypsed up and looking pretty stupid.
My issue here is the old mantra, every comic is someone's first comic. Now, I know, this LITERALLY was the last issue of the series, so I'll forgive them to a point, but in an age where we do have a recap page, can't we do a better job of identifying characters?
2. Time Travel - Man, I loves me some times travels stories. LOVES EM. Alternate worlds, all that shit. I liked the way they did this, using the Sphinx Ka Stone, which is a throwback to the very first NW series. I missed the first couple chapters of it, so story wise I had to come up to speed, but it was easy to follow.
The thing is they all have that hollow, What If? problem. Any change inevitably leads to the worst possible future ever. EVERY one. Someone dies today? They never end up being the Hitler of tomorrow, nope. They're the Gahndi of tomorrow and with his abscence, we're all fucked. I'm sure there are TT stories where the future is better off and the heroes have to go back and have to reverse something they did, because it is against their ethics, leading to a shitty future. I just can't think of one offhand. I'd like to see that.
3. Final Issues - I LOVE FINAL ISSUES. I have an odd, sadist streak in me that for a long time, when I wasn't super completist and only had a few issues of various books, I immediately grabbed the final issue of the comic. I remember I had the last issue of Dazzler, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Nova, and the list goes on. There's something appealing to me about seeing the end of the story. It's like a huge spoiler, and this was pre-internet mind you. I just wanted to know how it ended.
Anyone have their favorite final issues?
MotD: 15 Minutes
I don't know how I missed this movie. I knew it existed, but hadn't heard great things about it. I know why too. It's 2 hours long, and should have been 1 1/2. The climax was the DeNiro story (I won't spoil it here) and then it runs on for about 25 minutes or so which just feels like it's dragging out a not subtle point. I can't imagine how the director/producers didn't realize this. I'm sure they did, perhaps they wanted to give Ed Burns more of a focus, as he was a big up and comer at the time. And he's good in this, I liked it a lot actually, but that last 30 minutes just KILLS the rest of it. KILLS it entirely. Lots of names in the movie, they're all good, but damn, missed opportunity.
I'll try to keep up a daily schedule on this, but we'll see. If I don't, I won't beat myself up, if I do, you don't beat me up for boring you, ok?
Just read the last two issues of the most recent New Warriors series. This was the series after the Civil War Stamford incident and the reality show version. It lasted 20 or so issues (they're not in front of me so I forget specifics). Apparently, it was made up of all depowered mutants. It hit a couple hot buttons for me, in no particular order....
1. Depowered mutants: I liked M-Day, I like to see the aftermath of that. For noobs out there, basically all but 200 of Marvels mutants (X-Men) had their powers taken from them, and they ain't coming back. So, I was 1/2 way into the last issue before I realized one of the characters I was reading about was Jubilee, former X-Man. I looked back and realized also included was Jono, formerly Chamber, now Apocalypsed up and looking pretty stupid.
My issue here is the old mantra, every comic is someone's first comic. Now, I know, this LITERALLY was the last issue of the series, so I'll forgive them to a point, but in an age where we do have a recap page, can't we do a better job of identifying characters?
2. Time Travel - Man, I loves me some times travels stories. LOVES EM. Alternate worlds, all that shit. I liked the way they did this, using the Sphinx Ka Stone, which is a throwback to the very first NW series. I missed the first couple chapters of it, so story wise I had to come up to speed, but it was easy to follow.
The thing is they all have that hollow, What If? problem. Any change inevitably leads to the worst possible future ever. EVERY one. Someone dies today? They never end up being the Hitler of tomorrow, nope. They're the Gahndi of tomorrow and with his abscence, we're all fucked. I'm sure there are TT stories where the future is better off and the heroes have to go back and have to reverse something they did, because it is against their ethics, leading to a shitty future. I just can't think of one offhand. I'd like to see that.
3. Final Issues - I LOVE FINAL ISSUES. I have an odd, sadist streak in me that for a long time, when I wasn't super completist and only had a few issues of various books, I immediately grabbed the final issue of the comic. I remember I had the last issue of Dazzler, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Nova, and the list goes on. There's something appealing to me about seeing the end of the story. It's like a huge spoiler, and this was pre-internet mind you. I just wanted to know how it ended.
Anyone have their favorite final issues?
MotD: 15 Minutes
I don't know how I missed this movie. I knew it existed, but hadn't heard great things about it. I know why too. It's 2 hours long, and should have been 1 1/2. The climax was the DeNiro story (I won't spoil it here) and then it runs on for about 25 minutes or so which just feels like it's dragging out a not subtle point. I can't imagine how the director/producers didn't realize this. I'm sure they did, perhaps they wanted to give Ed Burns more of a focus, as he was a big up and comer at the time. And he's good in this, I liked it a lot actually, but that last 30 minutes just KILLS the rest of it. KILLS it entirely. Lots of names in the movie, they're all good, but damn, missed opportunity.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Who run Bartertown?
Mad Max is so freaking awesome. Thunderdome has some problems with it, but for the most part, this movie is so badass fun. Watching it on Netflix as I type.
Spent 6 hours in all out at the Bears game last night in 17 degree weather. Holy shit I haven't really been that cold in a long time. I was bundled up, but that only lasts for so long. Wow. I even woke up this morning and still had the chills. It kinda killed my day today, just felt completely wasted.
It reinforces my question that I've asked for years now. If you're homeless, why the FUCK do you stay in Chicago or any cold weather climate? I know the real answer is mental illness, I get that. But even our ancient ancestors migrated when the colds came in and moved south. Animals move south for the winter.
Southwestern USA should be Shangri-La for the homeless, right? Yet, Chicago has a ton of them. I don't understand it. Hopefully I'll never have to understand it, but it just makes no sense. Not that being homeless in the most prosperous nation on the planet makes sense, but you know what I'm saying here. This isn't a civics debate.
It's fucking cold in Chicago, if you have to live outside, just go South, it's warmer.
Anywhoo... Was very happy with our decision to make some Dee-Fence signs for the game. I'm not a sign guy, they're kinda obnoxious, but taking inspiration from the Adam Corolla Podcast, we fashioned our own Dee-Fence signs.
Dee Snyder
Dee Brown
Sweet Dee
and my personal favorite, Dee Thomas
Something must have been right because the Bears beat a team they should have gotten their ass kicked by. Great game, really fun time with my good friends. A night well spent.
MotD: The Basketball Diaries
I'd heard this was such an amazing movie and performance by DiCaprio. He is very good in this. The movie itself SCREAMS 1990's low budget. The seedy drug world he found himself in just feels a bit too sanitized, the sets seem just too much like sets. It's a true story and a worthwhile one to watch. The one thing I didn't really understand, or at least get from the movie, was his redemption. All of a sudden he's clean when he gets out. (Hey, this is a 15 year old movie, spoilers are over.) I wish we'd have seen more of his spiritual conversion, what made him want to change. I know he saw his buddy still playing ball at a high level, and maybe that was it. Dunno. Good flick though, if you can get past the afterschool special feel of it at times.
Spent 6 hours in all out at the Bears game last night in 17 degree weather. Holy shit I haven't really been that cold in a long time. I was bundled up, but that only lasts for so long. Wow. I even woke up this morning and still had the chills. It kinda killed my day today, just felt completely wasted.
It reinforces my question that I've asked for years now. If you're homeless, why the FUCK do you stay in Chicago or any cold weather climate? I know the real answer is mental illness, I get that. But even our ancient ancestors migrated when the colds came in and moved south. Animals move south for the winter.
Southwestern USA should be Shangri-La for the homeless, right? Yet, Chicago has a ton of them. I don't understand it. Hopefully I'll never have to understand it, but it just makes no sense. Not that being homeless in the most prosperous nation on the planet makes sense, but you know what I'm saying here. This isn't a civics debate.
It's fucking cold in Chicago, if you have to live outside, just go South, it's warmer.
Anywhoo... Was very happy with our decision to make some Dee-Fence signs for the game. I'm not a sign guy, they're kinda obnoxious, but taking inspiration from the Adam Corolla Podcast, we fashioned our own Dee-Fence signs.
Dee Snyder
MotD: The Basketball Diaries
Saturday, December 26, 2009
So this is Christmas....
Successful Christmas Day. Nieces were happy with their presents. Cliche, I know, but they're really growing up so fast. It seems the older they get, the more their personalities emerge, that's a neat thing to watch.
Ate too much, drank too much, all that comes with Christmas. Got some great stuff from my family, all good.
Nothing to complain about today!
Well, except the movie I watched in the am....
MotD: Run Simon Run
A 1970 tv movie starring Burt Reynolds as an Indian out for vengeance. Don't watch this movie. After co-starring in this, Inger Stevens committed suicide. Not to be crass, but I don't blame her.
Ate too much, drank too much, all that comes with Christmas. Got some great stuff from my family, all good.
Nothing to complain about today!
Well, except the movie I watched in the am....
MotD: Run Simon Run
A 1970 tv movie starring Burt Reynolds as an Indian out for vengeance. Don't watch this movie. After co-starring in this, Inger Stevens committed suicide. Not to be crass, but I don't blame her.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
'Twas the Night Before Ditka
Southside blogging here. Night in The Ridge, old school. I'll rehash a Christmas sonnet I reworked a few years back. Bears-centric, god we're awful this year.
T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house,
The creatures were drinking and Malone was soused.
The Old Style sat in the Fridge with care,
With hopes that Saint Ditka soon would be there.
Malone was all nestled, passed out in his bed,
When out of the pool hall there arose such a clatter,
Malone leapt, ok rolled, from his bed to see what's the matter!
Away to the window, he ripped open the sash,
Unfortunate because he had on no pants.
And what to his nearsighted eyes would appear,
But a Minature Ditka and Eight Tiny BEARS!
With skin so orange and a moustache so quick,
He knew in a moment, it must be St. DIT - ka.
Hungry and lean, his Bears they did shuffle,
And he whistled and shouted and broke up a scuffle,
Now Otis, now Hampton, now Mongo and Willie
On Fencik, on Payton, on Colonel and Suhey
To the line of the goal, to the mark of the down,
Dash away, Blitz away, Sack away all!
And then in a twinkling, Malone heard on the roof,
The slurred speech pattern of Da Coach fleet of foot.
As Malone tripped on his books and twisted around,
In through the door Ditka came with a bound,
He was dressed in his sweater, looking his best,
Sunglasses, Chewing Gum, and BEARS across his chest.
A Shiny Silver ball, he had hung at his side,
Like a wonderful omen, he smiled with pride,
His eyes, they were squinty, his dimples how merry!
His skin was like orange, his nose like a cherry!
His mouth had a cigar, chomping away,
His hair was slicked back, like it was every day.
He had a thick moustache and a bit of a belly,
That shook when he cursed, like a bowl full of Jelly.
Loud and obnoxious, the perfect coach for Da Bears,
Malone laughed when he saw him, in spite of his tears.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to the liquor,
Grabbed some ice, then said with a snicker,
"You laugh at me again, and I'll kick your ass!",
Then took a swig from the Scotch in his glass.
He sprang to his ride, not leaving a present,
Just drank the booze and left a stale cigar scent
Malone heard him exclaim as Da Bears flew out of sight,
"We became a team today, and to all a good night!"
MotD: The People vs. Larry Flynt
I like Woody Harrelson, so I think that went a long way towards me enjoying this. The story just struck me as a super sugarcoated version of Larry Flynt's life. He's presented as a saint who's fighting for the freedom of Americans and not just someone who likes money and beaver shots. Now, that may be the case, I genuinely don't know much about the man, but the movie just smelt of sugar coating. It's genuinely CRAZY that they never caught the guy that shot him. That's nuts. Never knew that. I do remember Courtney Love getting accolades when this came out for her performance. Honestly, she was "eh" until her role called for her to be a coked out whore with AIDS. Then she was most convincing. Shocker, I know. Good movie, kept a nice pace with solid performanes.
T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house,
The creatures were drinking and Malone was soused.
The Old Style sat in the Fridge with care,
With hopes that Saint Ditka soon would be there.
Visions of Comic Books danced in his head.
Boba Fett in his kerchief, Yoda in his cap,
He'd just settled down for an alcoholic nap.
Malone leapt, ok rolled, from his bed to see what's the matter!
Away to the window, he ripped open the sash,
Unfortunate because he had on no pants.
And what to his nearsighted eyes would appear,
But a Minature Ditka and Eight Tiny BEARS!
With skin so orange and a moustache so quick,
He knew in a moment, it must be St. DIT - ka.
Hungry and lean, his Bears they did shuffle,
And he whistled and shouted and broke up a scuffle,
Now Otis, now Hampton, now Mongo and Willie
On Fencik, on Payton, on Colonel and Suhey
To the line of the goal, to the mark of the down,
Dash away, Blitz away, Sack away all!
And then in a twinkling, Malone heard on the roof,
The slurred speech pattern of Da Coach fleet of foot.
As Malone tripped on his books and twisted around,
In through the door Ditka came with a bound,
He was dressed in his sweater, looking his best,
Sunglasses, Chewing Gum, and BEARS across his chest.
A Shiny Silver ball, he had hung at his side,
Like a wonderful omen, he smiled with pride,
His eyes, they were squinty, his dimples how merry!
His skin was like orange, his nose like a cherry!
His mouth had a cigar, chomping away,
His hair was slicked back, like it was every day.
He had a thick moustache and a bit of a belly,
That shook when he cursed, like a bowl full of Jelly.
Loud and obnoxious, the perfect coach for Da Bears,
Malone laughed when he saw him, in spite of his tears.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to the liquor,
Grabbed some ice, then said with a snicker,
"You laugh at me again, and I'll kick your ass!",
Then took a swig from the Scotch in his glass.
He sprang to his ride, not leaving a present,
Just drank the booze and left a stale cigar scent
Malone heard him exclaim as Da Bears flew out of sight,
"We became a team today, and to all a good night!"
MotD: The People vs. Larry Flynt
I like Woody Harrelson, so I think that went a long way towards me enjoying this. The story just struck me as a super sugarcoated version of Larry Flynt's life. He's presented as a saint who's fighting for the freedom of Americans and not just someone who likes money and beaver shots. Now, that may be the case, I genuinely don't know much about the man, but the movie just smelt of sugar coating. It's genuinely CRAZY that they never caught the guy that shot him. That's nuts. Never knew that. I do remember Courtney Love getting accolades when this came out for her performance. Honestly, she was "eh" until her role called for her to be a coked out whore with AIDS. Then she was most convincing. Shocker, I know. Good movie, kept a nice pace with solid performanes.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Wrap it up, I'll take it.
Been Christmas busy lately, good and bad. Realized that the disruption of my schedule, due to classes ending and holiday *stuff* throws me off. You get used to a schedule, like everyone who goes in 9-5 can attest to, and it becomes comfortable. It really takes a specific frame of mind to roll with changes to a daily schedule and continue to be productive and feel accomplished. Eh, life's a learning process right?
Had the first actual "table read" the other day, which was amazing. Big thank you to all my friends who were able to participate. Even had a long distance connection from Mat's place in DC! Fantastic. As much as I hope the work was good, more than that my hope was that my friends would feel comfortable enough to critique it intelligently and in a helpful way. They totally hit it out of the park. I got great comments from them and I think it was successful simply because they all felt comfortable in critiqueing.
I thrive on critical assessment of my work. Whether it's actual office work or creative stuff, I'm a bit of a bad self critic. Knowing that I can trust someone's opinions of my work is HUGE for me, and so the results were perfect.
The cool thing was a lot of the commentary was things that I had knocking around in my head too. That tells me I'm onto something and at least can identify some issues on my own. Of course the next and only SLIGHTLY important part is solving those problems, but identification is the first step. There were plenty of things that I hadn't seen, which was great, so all of it was rewarding for me.
Kudos to all my friends who stepped up and sacrificed their Sunday night to help me out. You all performed fantastically!
Oh, and I haven't abandoned the redesign, at this point, I'm thinking of targeting the new year for that.
And the Bears fucking suck.
MotD: The Pink Panther & The Pink Panther Returns
I enjoy Peter Sellers, he's marvelously talented, but I'd never sat down to watch any of the Panther movies. my dad used to watch these a lot and a friend of mine was recently talking them up so I got the itch. Eh, could have done without the scratch. I thought I was waching the first two of the movies, but as I was writing this, I realized there were EIGHT Panther movies? 2 or 3 don't even have Sellers, one of them made with him using posthumous footage? Blake Edwards milked this like a teat, apparently. Oh, and that 8 doesn't include the two new Steve Martin versions.
These have their moments, fun characters, witty dialogue and the requisite slapstick. But overall I wasn't in love with them. I think I'll watch at least two more of the sequels, just to feel like I got it out of the way, but overall I was nonplussed here. Nothing makes me want to watch the Martin ones. NOTHING.
Had the first actual "table read" the other day, which was amazing. Big thank you to all my friends who were able to participate. Even had a long distance connection from Mat's place in DC! Fantastic. As much as I hope the work was good, more than that my hope was that my friends would feel comfortable enough to critique it intelligently and in a helpful way. They totally hit it out of the park. I got great comments from them and I think it was successful simply because they all felt comfortable in critiqueing.
I thrive on critical assessment of my work. Whether it's actual office work or creative stuff, I'm a bit of a bad self critic. Knowing that I can trust someone's opinions of my work is HUGE for me, and so the results were perfect.
The cool thing was a lot of the commentary was things that I had knocking around in my head too. That tells me I'm onto something and at least can identify some issues on my own. Of course the next and only SLIGHTLY important part is solving those problems, but identification is the first step. There were plenty of things that I hadn't seen, which was great, so all of it was rewarding for me.
Kudos to all my friends who stepped up and sacrificed their Sunday night to help me out. You all performed fantastically!
Oh, and I haven't abandoned the redesign, at this point, I'm thinking of targeting the new year for that.
And the Bears fucking suck.
MotD: The Pink Panther & The Pink Panther Returns
I enjoy Peter Sellers, he's marvelously talented, but I'd never sat down to watch any of the Panther movies. my dad used to watch these a lot and a friend of mine was recently talking them up so I got the itch. Eh, could have done without the scratch. I thought I was waching the first two of the movies, but as I was writing this, I realized there were EIGHT Panther movies? 2 or 3 don't even have Sellers, one of them made with him using posthumous footage? Blake Edwards milked this like a teat, apparently. Oh, and that 8 doesn't include the two new Steve Martin versions.
These have their moments, fun characters, witty dialogue and the requisite slapstick. But overall I wasn't in love with them. I think I'll watch at least two more of the sequels, just to feel like I got it out of the way, but overall I was nonplussed here. Nothing makes me want to watch the Martin ones. NOTHING.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Kung Fu Grip Christmas!
Here's some live action recommendations for the comic fans on your Christmas list!
This is the version you want to watch. Not because it's the tightest or "best" version of the controversial movie, but because it's the most like the comic. You've either seen Watchmen or not and if you've seen it, and want to have it, you might as well go all out and get this. I enjoyed this quite a bit in the theaters, although there were certainly issues with it. Snyder did as bang up a job as could be expected of the "unfilmable" graphic novel. But this brings up a point, Watchmen is NOT a Graphic Novel. Watchmen, as you buy it today, is a Trade Paperback collection of a 12 issue mini series. It's serialized fiction. People ashamed to say they read comics call them graphic novels. This is a 12 issue paced series. It's not a cohesive story told in long form. It's 12 chapters of a whole. I wish people called them comics again... *sigh*
I don't need to tell yout that Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are must owns. Just make sure everyone in your life has seen these.
If you're not familiar with it, Richard Donner was fired during filming of Superman II. The producers then hired Richard Lester, director of Beatles comedies, to finish the film. The result was a movie that had two different attitudes. They finally got around to paying Donner to put together "his" version of what Superman II would have been like. Some major differences, some scenes in this DVD are actually screen tests and the ending is a repeat of the first movie, which Donner wanted to use here instead. It's a really cool insight into the decisions behind a project.
A fun sidenote here, in the years prior to this edition being legitimately released, there was a bootleg "International" version that was sold at comic conventions. This was a fan made edition, trying to emulate what Donner actually did. I have a copy of that, purchased from Margot Kidder herself!
Two things to recommend here, first is the original and always awesome complete series from the 80's. This footlocker collection is amazingly comprehensive, they have all the PSA Knowing Half the Battle stuff and a slew of interviews. If you grew up on this series, as I did, this is the collection to get. Plus the packaging is tops.
This is a new, update of the 80's concept. Not a reimagining, ala the subpar movie this summer, but a real spiritual successor. I watched it online in 12 minute segments and this edition is all of them put together. I think Warren Ellis had a hand in writing this too. It's exciting, there are actual deaths and the animation looks smooth. Highly recommended.
Just like the Joe Footlocker above, this one is comprehensive and cool as shit. Lots of interviews and extras on these discs. All the original episodes. The thing that Transformers did that Joe didn't, was establish a tiny bit of continuity and change as the series progressed. The last year really dealt with Optimus' death and there was some changes from ep to ep that wasn't widespread back then. Good stuff.
Notice that I had to avoid the Transformers and G.I. Joe movies. They're not the worst, but I couldn't in good concience recommend them to you good people.
Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut
This is the version you want to watch. Not because it's the tightest or "best" version of the controversial movie, but because it's the most like the comic. You've either seen Watchmen or not and if you've seen it, and want to have it, you might as well go all out and get this. I enjoyed this quite a bit in the theaters, although there were certainly issues with it. Snyder did as bang up a job as could be expected of the "unfilmable" graphic novel. But this brings up a point, Watchmen is NOT a Graphic Novel. Watchmen, as you buy it today, is a Trade Paperback collection of a 12 issue mini series. It's serialized fiction. People ashamed to say they read comics call them graphic novels. This is a 12 issue paced series. It's not a cohesive story told in long form. It's 12 chapters of a whole. I wish people called them comics again... *sigh*
Batman Stuff
I don't need to tell yout that Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are must owns. Just make sure everyone in your life has seen these.
Superman II: The Donner Cut
If you're not familiar with it, Richard Donner was fired during filming of Superman II. The producers then hired Richard Lester, director of Beatles comedies, to finish the film. The result was a movie that had two different attitudes. They finally got around to paying Donner to put together "his" version of what Superman II would have been like. Some major differences, some scenes in this DVD are actually screen tests and the ending is a repeat of the first movie, which Donner wanted to use here instead. It's a really cool insight into the decisions behind a project.
A fun sidenote here, in the years prior to this edition being legitimately released, there was a bootleg "International" version that was sold at comic conventions. This was a fan made edition, trying to emulate what Donner actually did. I have a copy of that, purchased from Margot Kidder herself!
G.I. Joe: The Complete Series
Two things to recommend here, first is the original and always awesome complete series from the 80's. This footlocker collection is amazingly comprehensive, they have all the PSA Knowing Half the Battle stuff and a slew of interviews. If you grew up on this series, as I did, this is the collection to get. Plus the packaging is tops.
G.I. Joe Resolute
This is a new, update of the 80's concept. Not a reimagining, ala the subpar movie this summer, but a real spiritual successor. I watched it online in 12 minute segments and this edition is all of them put together. I think Warren Ellis had a hand in writing this too. It's exciting, there are actual deaths and the animation looks smooth. Highly recommended.
Transformers: The Complete Series
Just like the Joe Footlocker above, this one is comprehensive and cool as shit. Lots of interviews and extras on these discs. All the original episodes. The thing that Transformers did that Joe didn't, was establish a tiny bit of continuity and change as the series progressed. The last year really dealt with Optimus' death and there was some changes from ep to ep that wasn't widespread back then. Good stuff.
Notice that I had to avoid the Transformers and G.I. Joe movies. They're not the worst, but I couldn't in good concience recommend them to you good people.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
A Very Animated Christmas
Long, productive day today! Knocked off some Christmas shopping, got my car fixed, snuck in some writing work, did a survey downtown and met with The Daily Blank folks for brainstorming. Throw in a trip to the comic shop and that's a full pull!
Comic based DVD gifts for Christmas!
This is the greatest comic book cartoon series ever produced. I cannot see this being topped. No hyperbole there, that's how good this series is. It debuted in prime time, that's how amazing this is. It only got better as it went on. This is the complete collection, they're all available individually too, but this is the definition of in for a penny, in for a pound. Cannot recommend this any higher. AMAZING.
I'm a big fan of this, but it didn't click as well as Batman did. I recommend it primarily because it's a bargain at this price. It's very well made, but something was just off. I loved Dana Delaney as Lois but never warmed up to Tim Daly as Supes/Clark. Very Kirby-centric, which is cool. It leads into our next offering, which is...
Great series that got off to a slow start. It had a lot of the problems Superman had. Something just didn't feel comfortable about the first season. Green Lantern wasn't fully realized and they were very formulaic about the adventures. It actually mirrored the way the early years of the actual JLA comics played out. Pairing up leaguers to go on individual adventures. Second season and when it became JL Unlimited were VERY good years. They got over their fear of dumb viewers and just told fun comic stories.
DC and Marvel have both finally got off their duff and have been producing fantastic direct to DVD movies in the last few years. Some have been better than others. On a whole, I've enjoyed DC's more than Marvel's. I think it's the Bruce Timm influence that most of the DC ones have. The two best are Green Lantern: First Flight and Justice League: The New Frontier. GL is a fun, well done succinct origin story of Hal Jordan. If you read my comic recommendations then you know I love GL.
New Frontier is The Right Stuff mixed with Justice League. Slick animation design based on Darwyn Cooke's amazing series puts the DC Silver Age firmly entrenched in early cold war 1960's space race. Green Lantern takes main stage in this one and it's highly recommended.
Marvel Animation
This is the one you remember the theme song from. Poorly drawn animation and simplistic storylines are the staples here. But still, the charm cannot be denied. There are a lot of episodes here, and they all feel the same, one after the other. But I still love it!
The best Marvel TV animation isn't on DVD, and that's the problem. Their rights are so crazed, I think with the Disney merger some things will get straightened out. Specifically, the 90's Spider-Man series should have been released years ago. Also, where the hell is Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends???? How about 1980's Hulk? Where are the 1960's fumetti ones ripped right from the pages of the comics? Arg!!!
They did release the 90's FF, which sucked balls. They've just recently released the 90's X-Men with no fanfare and I was never a huge fan of it anyway, so I can't recommend here. TV animation has always been Marvel's weak spot and it continues in the DVD market.
The Marvel ones tend to a chunkier animation style. The best of the Marvel bunch, by far, is the Hulk Vs. This pits Hulk against Wolverine in one chapter and Thor in the other. Both are a lot of fun and the animation is slick throughout. I'm very much looking forward to the World War Hulk upcoming one.
This is a good bargain for those of you new to all these direct to DVD's. The quality swings here, but included in this set is...
Dr. Strange - Well done. I'm not a big Strange fan and I enjoyed this.
Iron Man - Not great. Done before the film came out and relied too heavily on his Mandarin foe.
Ultimate Avengers 1 & 2 - Ok animation based on a solid book. The sequel is really Black Panther heavy.
Next Avengers - Did not expect to like this, REALLY enjoyable. Aimed at a younger set, it has heavier future distopia themes that would appeal to the adult here.
Hulk VS. - See above, best in this set.
The biggest drawback that Marvel would appear to have with the direct to DVD's is the big guns are tied up with other companies. Spider-Man and X-Men I'm looking at you. Yes we have Wolverine in the Hulk movie, but it's not a Wolverine movie. Fantastic Four is also guilty here. I long for the day when all the rights are back under the Marvel roof.
MotD: Whatever Works
Woody Allen's latest piece has Larry David being Larry David, which is good enough for me. I love Larry David and while this feels a bit more stilted than I like seeing him on Curb Your Enthusiasm, it's still laughably enjoyable. Pessimism and a sardonic look at life here, typical Woody Allen. If you like Larry, you'll get a kick out of this.
Comic based DVD gifts for Christmas!
Batman: The Animated Series
This is the greatest comic book cartoon series ever produced. I cannot see this being topped. No hyperbole there, that's how good this series is. It debuted in prime time, that's how amazing this is. It only got better as it went on. This is the complete collection, they're all available individually too, but this is the definition of in for a penny, in for a pound. Cannot recommend this any higher. AMAZING.
Superman: The Animated Series
I'm a big fan of this, but it didn't click as well as Batman did. I recommend it primarily because it's a bargain at this price. It's very well made, but something was just off. I loved Dana Delaney as Lois but never warmed up to Tim Daly as Supes/Clark. Very Kirby-centric, which is cool. It leads into our next offering, which is...
Justice League: The Complete Series
Great series that got off to a slow start. It had a lot of the problems Superman had. Something just didn't feel comfortable about the first season. Green Lantern wasn't fully realized and they were very formulaic about the adventures. It actually mirrored the way the early years of the actual JLA comics played out. Pairing up leaguers to go on individual adventures. Second season and when it became JL Unlimited were VERY good years. They got over their fear of dumb viewers and just told fun comic stories.
Green Lantern: First Flight
DC and Marvel have both finally got off their duff and have been producing fantastic direct to DVD movies in the last few years. Some have been better than others. On a whole, I've enjoyed DC's more than Marvel's. I think it's the Bruce Timm influence that most of the DC ones have. The two best are Green Lantern: First Flight and Justice League: The New Frontier. GL is a fun, well done succinct origin story of Hal Jordan. If you read my comic recommendations then you know I love GL.
Justice League: The New Frontier
New Frontier is The Right Stuff mixed with Justice League. Slick animation design based on Darwyn Cooke's amazing series puts the DC Silver Age firmly entrenched in early cold war 1960's space race. Green Lantern takes main stage in this one and it's highly recommended.
Marvel Animation
Spider-Man: The 60's Series
This is the one you remember the theme song from. Poorly drawn animation and simplistic storylines are the staples here. But still, the charm cannot be denied. There are a lot of episodes here, and they all feel the same, one after the other. But I still love it!
The best Marvel TV animation isn't on DVD, and that's the problem. Their rights are so crazed, I think with the Disney merger some things will get straightened out. Specifically, the 90's Spider-Man series should have been released years ago. Also, where the hell is Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends???? How about 1980's Hulk? Where are the 1960's fumetti ones ripped right from the pages of the comics? Arg!!!
They did release the 90's FF, which sucked balls. They've just recently released the 90's X-Men with no fanfare and I was never a huge fan of it anyway, so I can't recommend here. TV animation has always been Marvel's weak spot and it continues in the DVD market.
Hulk Vs.
The Marvel ones tend to a chunkier animation style. The best of the Marvel bunch, by far, is the Hulk Vs. This pits Hulk against Wolverine in one chapter and Thor in the other. Both are a lot of fun and the animation is slick throughout. I'm very much looking forward to the World War Hulk upcoming one.
Marvel Animation Six Pack
This is a good bargain for those of you new to all these direct to DVD's. The quality swings here, but included in this set is...
Dr. Strange - Well done. I'm not a big Strange fan and I enjoyed this.
Iron Man - Not great. Done before the film came out and relied too heavily on his Mandarin foe.
Ultimate Avengers 1 & 2 - Ok animation based on a solid book. The sequel is really Black Panther heavy.
Next Avengers - Did not expect to like this, REALLY enjoyable. Aimed at a younger set, it has heavier future distopia themes that would appeal to the adult here.
Hulk VS. - See above, best in this set.
The biggest drawback that Marvel would appear to have with the direct to DVD's is the big guns are tied up with other companies. Spider-Man and X-Men I'm looking at you. Yes we have Wolverine in the Hulk movie, but it's not a Wolverine movie. Fantastic Four is also guilty here. I long for the day when all the rights are back under the Marvel roof.
MotD: Whatever Works
Woody Allen's latest piece has Larry David being Larry David, which is good enough for me. I love Larry David and while this feels a bit more stilted than I like seeing him on Curb Your Enthusiasm, it's still laughably enjoyable. Pessimism and a sardonic look at life here, typical Woody Allen. If you like Larry, you'll get a kick out of this.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Tree up and DC Christmas ideas!
Put the tree up tonight. Took over 3 hours WITH two people doing it. HOLY CRAP do I have a lot of ornaments. I'll try getting some good pics of it, but usually it just looks like a blur of lights and action figures.
Picture Geoffrey The Giraffe shitting out a Christmas tree, that's what my tree is.
Today, I'll get into some DC Comics books for this holiday season!
This is the big Alex Ross project. If you're on the periphery of comics, you've seen his work. Gorgeous, wonderfully watercolored pieces. I've never been a huge fan of his storytelling or his original character design, and no that isn't me being a hater. I just don't dig his original stuff. His interpretations of the classics however is second to NONE. Because of that, I've listed some of his other fantastic works that are out there. Justice is a good book for a continuity free take on the Justice League. If you loved the Super Friends, then you would eat this book up. It's the JLA vs. The Legion of Doom. Awesome stuff.
Geoff Johns is redefining the DC Universe one year at a time. This was his early days on Superman, which he's now reworking in Superman: Secret Origins. I love this series. Primarily because it gave me back all the Legions that we've loved and lost over the years. But it's also a fun, time spanning, galactically big adventure that doesn't need a whole series of crossovers for you to enjoy. I'm also including his two bookend pieces to this, it's kinda his Legion Trilogy. The Lightning Saga is a bit of a prelude to these books and Legion of 3 Worlds is a bigger tie in to the Final Crisis debacle. Both are good, but just like Empire Strikes Back, S & tLSH is just note perfect and enjoyable for all.
Again, thanks to Geoff Johns Green Lantern is the viable major league player he always should have been! Starting in Rebirth, Hal Jordan was dusted off and brought back. In the ongoing Green Lantern books, he told seriously fun, solid superhero tales. Which led into the surprisingly strong Sinestro Corps war. Right now, we're in the midst of The Blackest Night, the fourth chapter in Hal's rebirth. Just awesome stuff. Sci-Fi supers with amazing depth of emotion. Read all of these right now!
I forgot this movie even existed. Rightfully so, it's interesting at times, but real predictable and implausible at most times. People act crazy when the only reason they do so is because the script needs them to. Willis is good, but I think he's infinitely watchable. No need to see this, but if you do on a lazy Sunday afternoon, eh, even then somewhere Shawshank is on, so watch that.
Picture Geoffrey The Giraffe shitting out a Christmas tree, that's what my tree is.
Today, I'll get into some DC Comics books for this holiday season!
Absolute Justice
This is the big Alex Ross project. If you're on the periphery of comics, you've seen his work. Gorgeous, wonderfully watercolored pieces. I've never been a huge fan of his storytelling or his original character design, and no that isn't me being a hater. I just don't dig his original stuff. His interpretations of the classics however is second to NONE. Because of that, I've listed some of his other fantastic works that are out there. Justice is a good book for a continuity free take on the Justice League. If you loved the Super Friends, then you would eat this book up. It's the JLA vs. The Legion of Doom. Awesome stuff.
Superman and The Legion of Super-Heroes
Geoff Johns is redefining the DC Universe one year at a time. This was his early days on Superman, which he's now reworking in Superman: Secret Origins. I love this series. Primarily because it gave me back all the Legions that we've loved and lost over the years. But it's also a fun, time spanning, galactically big adventure that doesn't need a whole series of crossovers for you to enjoy. I'm also including his two bookend pieces to this, it's kinda his Legion Trilogy. The Lightning Saga is a bit of a prelude to these books and Legion of 3 Worlds is a bigger tie in to the Final Crisis debacle. Both are good, but just like Empire Strikes Back, S & tLSH is just note perfect and enjoyable for all.
Green Lantern... EVERYTHING GREEN LANTERN!!!!
Again, thanks to Geoff Johns Green Lantern is the viable major league player he always should have been! Starting in Rebirth, Hal Jordan was dusted off and brought back. In the ongoing Green Lantern books, he told seriously fun, solid superhero tales. Which led into the surprisingly strong Sinestro Corps war. Right now, we're in the midst of The Blackest Night, the fourth chapter in Hal's rebirth. Just awesome stuff. Sci-Fi supers with amazing depth of emotion. Read all of these right now!
MotD: Hostage
I forgot this movie even existed. Rightfully so, it's interesting at times, but real predictable and implausible at most times. People act crazy when the only reason they do so is because the script needs them to. Willis is good, but I think he's infinitely watchable. No need to see this, but if you do on a lazy Sunday afternoon, eh, even then somewhere Shawshank is on, so watch that.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
It's Christmas time, there's no need to be afraid...
Every day I get people asking me, "Malone, my boy/girlfriend loves comics, but I think they're infantile and for idiots. What should I get him/her for Christmas?"
Typically, my first reaction is "Awesome that you're apparently dating a tranny. Wouldn't it be easier if they just picked one gender pronoun and went for it?"
Then I follow that with some suggestions based on their tranny partners interests. So here we go, with some comic referral gifts for the Holiday Season...
Today we'll cover some Marvel Comics
This series was so good. If you like the X-Men but feel encumbered by the seemingly too complex backstories, this is the collection for you. Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy, Firefly, Dollhouse and other riffs on the scooby gang dynamic) teamed with John Cassady for a straightforward action epic. If you're not familiar with Cassady's art, he has a gorgeous, clean line. His best work was on Planetary, but this stuff is epic and wonderful. This arc reminds us what the X-Men should be. Tight knit family, bicker amongst themselves, high stakes adventure and occasional outer space excursions.
The complete opposite end of the spectrum is Avengers Forever, by Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco. This book is a deep read loaded with continuity for Avengers fans. Not deep as in spiritual, deep as in every single panel is packed with some kind of reference to Avengers past. Kang, Immortus, Space Phantoms all the classics are here. Avengers from the past, present and future are plucked from their time and thrust into an adventure to save reality. I always loved this series for it's slavish devotion to continuity. This one's for the nerds!
If you're not reading Captain America, then you're a card carrying Commie and you should go back to China. This book has been a MUST read for the last 5 years, since Ed Brubaker breathed new life into Steve Rogers.... and then killed him. That they were able to continue the book's momentum, unabated and with even more vigor, while the titular hero was literally dead, is amazing. This omnibus covers the return of Bucky, one of the saints of Marvel, never to be resurrected for real, but Bru pulls it off wonderfully and now they've got a vital, fan favorite new hero on their hands. Also, the art here is amazing. Epting, Perkins, Lark, Weeks and Guice all mesh their styles to one cohesive look for this book that has served it well. Highest Recommendation here!
MotD: Match Point
Woody Allen channels Hitchcock here. I enjoyed this movie much more than I ever thought I would. It's got enough red herring twists in it to keep you guessing and the story moves briskly. Love, betrayal and what it takes to clean up the mess you've made with your life.
Typically, my first reaction is "Awesome that you're apparently dating a tranny. Wouldn't it be easier if they just picked one gender pronoun and went for it?"
Then I follow that with some suggestions based on their tranny partners interests. So here we go, with some comic referral gifts for the Holiday Season...
Today we'll cover some Marvel Comics
Astonishing X-Men Omnibus
This series was so good. If you like the X-Men but feel encumbered by the seemingly too complex backstories, this is the collection for you. Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy, Firefly, Dollhouse and other riffs on the scooby gang dynamic) teamed with John Cassady for a straightforward action epic. If you're not familiar with Cassady's art, he has a gorgeous, clean line. His best work was on Planetary, but this stuff is epic and wonderful. This arc reminds us what the X-Men should be. Tight knit family, bicker amongst themselves, high stakes adventure and occasional outer space excursions.
Avengers Forever
The complete opposite end of the spectrum is Avengers Forever, by Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco. This book is a deep read loaded with continuity for Avengers fans. Not deep as in spiritual, deep as in every single panel is packed with some kind of reference to Avengers past. Kang, Immortus, Space Phantoms all the classics are here. Avengers from the past, present and future are plucked from their time and thrust into an adventure to save reality. I always loved this series for it's slavish devotion to continuity. This one's for the nerds!
Captain America Omnibus
If you're not reading Captain America, then you're a card carrying Commie and you should go back to China. This book has been a MUST read for the last 5 years, since Ed Brubaker breathed new life into Steve Rogers.... and then killed him. That they were able to continue the book's momentum, unabated and with even more vigor, while the titular hero was literally dead, is amazing. This omnibus covers the return of Bucky, one of the saints of Marvel, never to be resurrected for real, but Bru pulls it off wonderfully and now they've got a vital, fan favorite new hero on their hands. Also, the art here is amazing. Epting, Perkins, Lark, Weeks and Guice all mesh their styles to one cohesive look for this book that has served it well. Highest Recommendation here!
MotD: Match Point
Woody Allen channels Hitchcock here. I enjoyed this movie much more than I ever thought I would. It's got enough red herring twists in it to keep you guessing and the story moves briskly. Love, betrayal and what it takes to clean up the mess you've made with your life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
