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.

Kung Fu Grip Christmas!

Here's some live action recommendations for the comic fans on your Christmas list!

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.

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!

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.

We could be Heroes, just for one day

I'm watching Heroes, catching up on Netflix the mess that was last season, and I just got to where Matt Parkman started drawing the future.  This is the plot device they used to great effect in the first season, where a bonafide comic book artist was drawing visions, which led the characters down their respective paths.  They made the mistake of killing him, so they've had to shoehorn in plot contrivances to keep illustrations alive.

The only problem is they're all done by the mega talented Tim Sale.  If you don't know his name, it's a shame, because his work is truly amazing.  Primarily known for his Batman work, he pairs up with writer Jeph Loeb for most of his projects.  "Batman: The Long Halloween" is an absolute must read and see.  His style is chunky, yet fluid, and minimalist in the details.  He can convey mood with very few brush/penstrokes. 

So why is using Sale a problem?  Because EVERY person that has had this premonition power draws in the exact same style as Sale!  Obviously, because Sale does all the actual artwork, but for this comic fan, at least, it's disconcerting.  Comics all look different.  Superheroes don't really have a specific look, like cartoons or most animation, because the characters are interpreted differently by every artist.  The costumes stay the same, logos, etc, but the majesty of the art form is one person's Superman will look vastly different from another artists.

Superman by Tim Sale

Superman by Jim Lee

Superman by John Byrne

Seeing the same style come through at least 4 different Heroes characters becomes problematic because it ties them all together.  Is this the exact same power?  If so, how did the Aborigine and the NY artist have it at the same time?  Peter was given it from the NY artist, and Parkman got it from the Aborigine, so I can see that.  But what's the connection between the NY and Aborigine?  These are the questions that a nitpick comic fan will come up with when you don't use different art styles for the visions.  I LOVE TIM SALE!  Don't get me wrong, it just would have been cool to see another style crop up as the vision power transferred to others.

MotD: Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III

New Line's attempt to revitalize an icon isn't an entirely horrible affair.  In retrospect, it didn't work, and the dialogue is clunky, the actors stiff and wooden, but the suspense is decent enough in places and Viggo Mortenson is awesome as should be expected.  The iconization of Leatherface feels a bit forced here.  He gets a chrome plated chainsaw, you learn more about his life away from the mass murdering, etc.  Kinda the opposite of what he was, which is just a force of nautre, unleashed to hack meat.  This movie definitely corporatized the franchise in a way that the recent remake dehumanized it.  Like both films went for opposite directions.

Is that a Pez in your pants or do you have another kind of candy sticking out phallicly?

I love Halloween, always have.  I know you're shocked if you've read the last week or so.  I'm going to devote this week to Halloween memories, or just times when I shook down strangers for candy.

My Mom used to do the best costumes for us as kids.  Nothing too crazy or overproduced, although she certainly could sew with the best of them, but just really inventive and fun.  My two older sisters and I were, in our youth, a variety of themes that won multiple contests at the neighborhood grocery store.  I do not have pictures of these, tho they exist, they're all at my family's house.  The ones that stand out were when I was still an infant, the three of us were a Grocery Checkout lady, a Shopper and I was the Butcher in my stroller.  Obviously, I only know of this from pictures, I don't have memories of that time, that would be frightening.  Another was a dental theme, I think someone was a Tooth, Toothpaste and Toothbrush.

The one that I'm most fond of was we all went as Pez dispensers one year.  She made cardboard rectangles for each of our bodies, covered in cloth with big PEZ on the sides.  We each got a different color cloth to match our mask.  We then chose whatever kind of mask at the store.  I was a Batman Pez Dispenser.  I wasn't Batman, I was a BATMAN PEZ, how sweet is that.  I'm pretty sure that's where my desire to be off center costumes began, now that I think about it.  I prefer not to be "Superman", but to be Clark Kent, with a S t-shirt underneath. 

Or, as you can see in today's Halloween pic, I was Bruce Banner, JUST as he's changing back to from being The Hulk.  I wasn't the Hulk, and I wasn't Bruce Banner.  I was that mid change look, with green shading, torn clothes, etc.  Mat made me a badass professional looking nametag from Gamma Base, which I still have hanging from my fridge.

As you can see, I've been blessed enough to be surrounded by some fabulous friends, who also partake in the Halloween foolishness.  Doug as the Dago Stereotype, Suzanne as some kind of Skank, me as Banner, Kerri as Pimp, her husband Steve as her Bottom Bitch, Saskia as a Cat and finally Derek, as an Overworked Proctologist.  You might recognize Steve as Axl Rose from a few years ago.  He actually tries to use that same wig in every costume.  It's downright amazing.

MotD: Creepshow 2

File this in the completely unnecessary films of all time list.  This movie brought nothing to the table.  It wasn't scary.  It wasn't thought provoking.  It wasn't exciting.  And worst of all, it wasn't good.  What a piece of crap.  Shame on everyone involved.  Shame!