Here's the deal folks. I started a new (temp) job today and am just beat tired from all the new learning and thinking and such. The reason for the lack of entries here of late has been related to this new (temp) position as I had a lot of paperwork to print, scan, and email as well as just being busy these past few days. They got filled up. When days get filled up, you need a piece of something to relax you, let you ease back on track a piece. The Man in Black poking fun at his friend the King seems pretty perfect for that to me.
Enjoy. We'll get back to 'normal' soon enough.
10 May 2010
04 May 2010
Doctor Who - 'Flesh and Stone' review
Synopsis:
The Angels are coming. Amy Pond has something in her eye. There is a crack in the wall and it's getting wider...
Thoughts:
The story keeps motoring along, moving forward not only in location, but also in explanations. We get to find out more about River Song. We get to find out more about the cracks in reality. The Doctor thinks aloud through most of the episode, feeding us information as he goes along.
The fate of Octavian and his men is quite sad indeed. There are a couple of great sequences surrounding Amy's affliction. The ending comes to us logically with the pieces fitting together nicely as you suddenly realize that you'd forgotten all about one of those pieces for the bulk of the episode despite it being right there. At least I forgot.
The post story wrap-up or coda or whatever you want to call it gets very interesting indeed. It was one of those things I should have suspected but had seen reason to not think that way but yes. If that helps because it won't. The Doctor gets to be very Doctorly and lies about his age yet again. Unless something's happened there, which it might have done.
This was an exciting episode and the feeling that we're building to something big is strong. I rather like that.
A spoiler-less review is difficult but there you go. Good stuff.
The Angels are coming. Amy Pond has something in her eye. There is a crack in the wall and it's getting wider...
Thoughts:
The story keeps motoring along, moving forward not only in location, but also in explanations. We get to find out more about River Song. We get to find out more about the cracks in reality. The Doctor thinks aloud through most of the episode, feeding us information as he goes along.
The fate of Octavian and his men is quite sad indeed. There are a couple of great sequences surrounding Amy's affliction. The ending comes to us logically with the pieces fitting together nicely as you suddenly realize that you'd forgotten all about one of those pieces for the bulk of the episode despite it being right there. At least I forgot.
The post story wrap-up or coda or whatever you want to call it gets very interesting indeed. It was one of those things I should have suspected but had seen reason to not think that way but yes. If that helps because it won't. The Doctor gets to be very Doctorly and lies about his age yet again. Unless something's happened there, which it might have done.
This was an exciting episode and the feeling that we're building to something big is strong. I rather like that.
A spoiler-less review is difficult but there you go. Good stuff.
03 May 2010
Music Monday - Social Distortion
I forget what came first. Was it the print ad that showed the album cover, featuring a jumping guitarist? Was it the description of the band's sound, that they were like good ol' straightforward rock n' roll? Was it the WARP?
I bet it was the WARP. The AM radio version of Laser 103, broadcasting a string of 'alternative' radio. 'Cold Feelings' got played a lot.
As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I saw them open for the Ramones. I believe this was after I already owned the album with the jumping guitarist on it ('Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell') as I knew many of their songs. What I remember most about their performance was lead singer Mike Ness yelling at us to get out of our seats and mosh a bit, within the incredibly limited parameters that the Riverside security allowed us.
Years later the following song became popular again. Something about being in a video game? Please note: if this is the only song you know by Social D, expand your knowledge! They are too awesome to be ignored.
There was a cover song then did during that concert. I couldn't say that I'd ever hear a cover of that performer before, not done that well anyway. I wonder what had ever happened to him...
Social Distortion
Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell
Greatest Hits
I bet it was the WARP. The AM radio version of Laser 103, broadcasting a string of 'alternative' radio. 'Cold Feelings' got played a lot.
As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I saw them open for the Ramones. I believe this was after I already owned the album with the jumping guitarist on it ('Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell') as I knew many of their songs. What I remember most about their performance was lead singer Mike Ness yelling at us to get out of our seats and mosh a bit, within the incredibly limited parameters that the Riverside security allowed us.
Years later the following song became popular again. Something about being in a video game? Please note: if this is the only song you know by Social D, expand your knowledge! They are too awesome to be ignored.
There was a cover song then did during that concert. I couldn't say that I'd ever hear a cover of that performer before, not done that well anyway. I wonder what had ever happened to him...
Social Distortion
Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell Greatest Hits
02 May 2010
'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (2010) review
Synopsis:
A bunch of 'kids' are stalked in their dreams by a mysterious burned figure in a red and green sweater.
Thoughts:
Remakes are just going to happen. They've been around since the early days of cinema. They happen. Sometimes they work out well, providing a different perspective on a familiar story. Sometimes they're a waste of time.
This movie was the latter.
Now, I'm not trying to argue that the original Nightmare from 1984 was the Best Movie Ever. I don't have it memorized or anything like that. I do enjoy Robert Englund's performance as Freddy in general and going into the film, that was my biggest concern regarding it. As it happens, Jackie Earle Haley's spin on Fred Krueger is a solid one. He's a little too quiet and a little too sane for my tastes, but he works well as the type of Freddy he's playing.
It's the rest of the movie that's the problem.
Now, I understand the concept of the formula. Certain types of movies tend to follow a pattern because the pattern works. This remake starts out acceptably, following the standard horror pattern, and then it just gets in a rut. It fails from the beginning by both following the standard pattern too closely, trying to be itself, and trying to reflect the original source material too strongly. It doesn't get the mix correct. It doesn't seem to know if it should be a movie that stands on its own or something that will only be watched by existing Freddy fans that will want to cut to the chase, so to speak.
As the original, the movie starts with a dream attack but the remake goes further. Instead of establishing the weird world we're getting into, it goes right for the throat, literally. It blunts the impact of the moment because it happens to a character we don't know and, therefore, don't care about.
This process continues for most of the film. We have characters that are just there, ever so loosely sketched in, and their eventual demises lack impact. While we meet the main characters in the first scene of the film, they rarely appear on screen until about halfway through the film. As a result, it's difficult to like them. The characters aren't built up together, giving the film a certain 'Psycho' reference point as well. It feels like two stories slightly connected instead of one arc.
The casting is poor as well. One of the main characters is supposed to be 17 but looks over 30. Most of the characters are that 'I'm 25 playing a teenager' look and that's fine. None of them fit together. Even the adults are a rough bunch. No one's too awful but no one really clicks. Our two main characters do a little by the end of the film but it's too little too late.
Being unable to care about the characters made the story that much more obviously muddled. There's an attempt to add more backstory to Freddy but that just made it more complicated. The premise is that Freddy was a groundskeeper (like Willie, who played him in that Simpsons Treehouse of Horror?) at a pre-school. He was accused of being a child molester and the parents hunted him down and burned him alive.
So, why does Freddy wait 12 years or so to get his revenge on these people? Just because the adults all stopped talking about Freddy, how does that mean that 20 or so kids in the class forgot all about this as well? Not only that, but it turns out that all the main characters forgot they went to pre-school together. I understand that they wouldn't all remember, I mean who remembers everyone they hung out with at age 5, but one of them doesn't? Why is the preschool still standing all these years later? If the adults were that bothered by the events and wanted to blot Freddy out, wouldn't they have the building torn down? In Milwaukee, we had a situation with an individual that killed a bunch of people and the apartment building he lived in was torn down within a year. The kids spoke about Fred's 'secret cave' but the adults couldn't find it. Once the main characters visit the pre-school basement, they find it in two minutes. In their defense, they've been there before, not that they remember it, but it's not exactly well hidden. Did the adults just not look? If they've tried to blot these memories out, then why did Nancy's mom keep a copy of their pre-school class picture? It's hidden but looks brand-new. It also conveniently has a list of everyone's names on the back. In typewritter. It looks like it's from the 1970s, not the 1990s.
One of the dream sequences explains much of Freddy's backstory. It starts as a dream attack sequence but then the character being attacked disappears. In theory he's supposed to be watching all this happen but he's not around to see anything. We see him briefly, the flashback starts, and he disappears. It looks like it was supposed to be just a flashback sequence and they tried to edit it into a dream sequence.
To wrap up, the movie is a mess.
There are bright spots. One attack in a pharmacy works well, being both stylish and creepy. There's another excellent effect near the end involving a hallway that works well. There's a haunting moment involving floating and a white dress as well. There's a neat moment when Freddy's voice floats around the speakers like the Ghost Host in the Haunted Mansion. These moments are too far and few between. The remake does try to reflect the original but the original version of those references are generally scarier and more solidly performed. In fact, after seeing the remake, we returned to my buddy's house and watched the original. It was better all around. The characters are developed. The attacks are creepier. The story fits together a bit better.
Honestly, skip this in the theatre. If you're really curious, wait until you can see it cheap. That way you're wasting more time than money.
Recommendation to avoid.
A bunch of 'kids' are stalked in their dreams by a mysterious burned figure in a red and green sweater.
Thoughts:
Remakes are just going to happen. They've been around since the early days of cinema. They happen. Sometimes they work out well, providing a different perspective on a familiar story. Sometimes they're a waste of time.
This movie was the latter.
Now, I'm not trying to argue that the original Nightmare from 1984 was the Best Movie Ever. I don't have it memorized or anything like that. I do enjoy Robert Englund's performance as Freddy in general and going into the film, that was my biggest concern regarding it. As it happens, Jackie Earle Haley's spin on Fred Krueger is a solid one. He's a little too quiet and a little too sane for my tastes, but he works well as the type of Freddy he's playing.
It's the rest of the movie that's the problem.
Now, I understand the concept of the formula. Certain types of movies tend to follow a pattern because the pattern works. This remake starts out acceptably, following the standard horror pattern, and then it just gets in a rut. It fails from the beginning by both following the standard pattern too closely, trying to be itself, and trying to reflect the original source material too strongly. It doesn't get the mix correct. It doesn't seem to know if it should be a movie that stands on its own or something that will only be watched by existing Freddy fans that will want to cut to the chase, so to speak.
As the original, the movie starts with a dream attack but the remake goes further. Instead of establishing the weird world we're getting into, it goes right for the throat, literally. It blunts the impact of the moment because it happens to a character we don't know and, therefore, don't care about.
This process continues for most of the film. We have characters that are just there, ever so loosely sketched in, and their eventual demises lack impact. While we meet the main characters in the first scene of the film, they rarely appear on screen until about halfway through the film. As a result, it's difficult to like them. The characters aren't built up together, giving the film a certain 'Psycho' reference point as well. It feels like two stories slightly connected instead of one arc.
The casting is poor as well. One of the main characters is supposed to be 17 but looks over 30. Most of the characters are that 'I'm 25 playing a teenager' look and that's fine. None of them fit together. Even the adults are a rough bunch. No one's too awful but no one really clicks. Our two main characters do a little by the end of the film but it's too little too late.
Being unable to care about the characters made the story that much more obviously muddled. There's an attempt to add more backstory to Freddy but that just made it more complicated. The premise is that Freddy was a groundskeeper (like Willie, who played him in that Simpsons Treehouse of Horror?) at a pre-school. He was accused of being a child molester and the parents hunted him down and burned him alive.
So, why does Freddy wait 12 years or so to get his revenge on these people? Just because the adults all stopped talking about Freddy, how does that mean that 20 or so kids in the class forgot all about this as well? Not only that, but it turns out that all the main characters forgot they went to pre-school together. I understand that they wouldn't all remember, I mean who remembers everyone they hung out with at age 5, but one of them doesn't? Why is the preschool still standing all these years later? If the adults were that bothered by the events and wanted to blot Freddy out, wouldn't they have the building torn down? In Milwaukee, we had a situation with an individual that killed a bunch of people and the apartment building he lived in was torn down within a year. The kids spoke about Fred's 'secret cave' but the adults couldn't find it. Once the main characters visit the pre-school basement, they find it in two minutes. In their defense, they've been there before, not that they remember it, but it's not exactly well hidden. Did the adults just not look? If they've tried to blot these memories out, then why did Nancy's mom keep a copy of their pre-school class picture? It's hidden but looks brand-new. It also conveniently has a list of everyone's names on the back. In typewritter. It looks like it's from the 1970s, not the 1990s.
One of the dream sequences explains much of Freddy's backstory. It starts as a dream attack sequence but then the character being attacked disappears. In theory he's supposed to be watching all this happen but he's not around to see anything. We see him briefly, the flashback starts, and he disappears. It looks like it was supposed to be just a flashback sequence and they tried to edit it into a dream sequence.
To wrap up, the movie is a mess.
There are bright spots. One attack in a pharmacy works well, being both stylish and creepy. There's another excellent effect near the end involving a hallway that works well. There's a haunting moment involving floating and a white dress as well. There's a neat moment when Freddy's voice floats around the speakers like the Ghost Host in the Haunted Mansion. These moments are too far and few between. The remake does try to reflect the original but the original version of those references are generally scarier and more solidly performed. In fact, after seeing the remake, we returned to my buddy's house and watched the original. It was better all around. The characters are developed. The attacks are creepier. The story fits together a bit better.
Honestly, skip this in the theatre. If you're really curious, wait until you can see it cheap. That way you're wasting more time than money.
Recommendation to avoid.
29 April 2010
A Few Thoughts on Comics from This Week
This was a rather sizable week for books so I'll be focusing my attention on a few rather than trying to touch on everything. The 'everything' way is fun though. Well, we'll see.
I believe the book of the week for me was Invincible Iron Man #25. One of a number of books to feature at least a scene set after the events of 'Siege' (which is awkward as that series is not yet complete), this issue seeks to set up Tony Stark's post-Siege status. He admits to some stupid mistakes (just because he's one of the world's smartest men doesn't mean he's perfect), works to restore his company, and starts restoring some of his good-will amongst his older friends that haven't trusted him in awhile. The book also features a new suit of Iron Man armor as well as a tie-in of sorts to the upcoming 'Iron Man 2' movie. I found it to be an excellent starting point for the upcoming future, one part remembrance, one part starting anew, without flushing away the stories we'd been reading of late. Very excellent.
Transformers #6 features a Combiner that can't quite get it's head together and Optimus Prime stomping some tail. The overall situation of the Autobots changes but things still aren't rosy and happy. This is good stuff. Every issue makes that live-action Transformers movie more of a distant memory.
Secret Warriors #15 pushes things forward on a number of different fronts. One of the early complains of the book was that the shock ending of issue #1 changing everything we knew about certain spy agencies that had existed in the MU for years. As the book has gone on, the details (the 'true' details if you will) have been fed out so that the 'shock ending' seems more and more fleshed out and reasonable. The change may still be annoying (like the erasing of Peter and Mary Jane's wedding in Spider-Man) to some but the stories we've gotten from the change have been solid and entertaining. I'll admit I'm surprised that i'm still enjoying this and that the book has managed to survive this long.
Hack/Slash #32 is the end of the 'superhero' storyline. The twists are good and the ending is, well, not bad, not impossible given the story, but just kinda 'whoa'. I think part of my increasing ambivalence towards the title is the main character's attitude. She's dark and brooding and has every right to be so but her 'tough-gal' style is getting a little old.
The Mighty Avengers ends with issue #36. The Ultron storyline is wrapped up in a clever manner, different from earlier encounters with the robot consciousness. There are some additional 'wow!' ideas to be explained and it still feels full of concepts. A scene near the end of the book seems to give away a twist from Siege #4. Boo to that. Otherwise very enjoyable.
Fantastic Four #578 does a few things. It explains the text endings of late. It re-introduces another classic concept, fleshing it out for future use. It also starts to move forward some of the concepts from recent issues, moving them towards the 'epic' mode I've been expecting. Love it.
I believe the book of the week for me was Invincible Iron Man #25. One of a number of books to feature at least a scene set after the events of 'Siege' (which is awkward as that series is not yet complete), this issue seeks to set up Tony Stark's post-Siege status. He admits to some stupid mistakes (just because he's one of the world's smartest men doesn't mean he's perfect), works to restore his company, and starts restoring some of his good-will amongst his older friends that haven't trusted him in awhile. The book also features a new suit of Iron Man armor as well as a tie-in of sorts to the upcoming 'Iron Man 2' movie. I found it to be an excellent starting point for the upcoming future, one part remembrance, one part starting anew, without flushing away the stories we'd been reading of late. Very excellent.
Transformers #6 features a Combiner that can't quite get it's head together and Optimus Prime stomping some tail. The overall situation of the Autobots changes but things still aren't rosy and happy. This is good stuff. Every issue makes that live-action Transformers movie more of a distant memory.
Secret Warriors #15 pushes things forward on a number of different fronts. One of the early complains of the book was that the shock ending of issue #1 changing everything we knew about certain spy agencies that had existed in the MU for years. As the book has gone on, the details (the 'true' details if you will) have been fed out so that the 'shock ending' seems more and more fleshed out and reasonable. The change may still be annoying (like the erasing of Peter and Mary Jane's wedding in Spider-Man) to some but the stories we've gotten from the change have been solid and entertaining. I'll admit I'm surprised that i'm still enjoying this and that the book has managed to survive this long.
Hack/Slash #32 is the end of the 'superhero' storyline. The twists are good and the ending is, well, not bad, not impossible given the story, but just kinda 'whoa'. I think part of my increasing ambivalence towards the title is the main character's attitude. She's dark and brooding and has every right to be so but her 'tough-gal' style is getting a little old.
The Mighty Avengers ends with issue #36. The Ultron storyline is wrapped up in a clever manner, different from earlier encounters with the robot consciousness. There are some additional 'wow!' ideas to be explained and it still feels full of concepts. A scene near the end of the book seems to give away a twist from Siege #4. Boo to that. Otherwise very enjoyable.
Fantastic Four #578 does a few things. It explains the text endings of late. It re-introduces another classic concept, fleshing it out for future use. It also starts to move forward some of the concepts from recent issues, moving them towards the 'epic' mode I've been expecting. Love it.
27 April 2010
Encouraged
Over the past few months, one of the things that's been a source of irritation for me as been the amount of time I spent writing on a daily basis. I'd read articles about other writers, most of which I admire to some degree, talking about setting aside this period of time or that period of time during the day or night to write. Eight hours a day. I'd compare it to the time I snagged for it and worry. Was I not working hard enough? Was I not capable of more? Maybe I can't do this?
Then I read another interview with one of the writers that I'd seen multiple interviews with before. He talked about days where he got nothing done or had a hard time getting work done. It wasn't just eight hours of putting words on paper; it was work.
I thought about myself again. I can sit down most days and write for an hour, maybe two, with limited interruptions. The time I spend typing up those handwritten pages counts as writing. For that matter, so does my writing here, on this blog. I wasn't counting that.
Maybe I wasn't sitting down for eight hours a day but the time I was spending was fruitful. Maybe I was using my time efficiently, that was good, right?
My perception of myself changed. There was still work I could do to improve but perhaps I'm not as far off as I thought.
For that, as much as anything else, thank you Steven Moffat!
Then I read another interview with one of the writers that I'd seen multiple interviews with before. He talked about days where he got nothing done or had a hard time getting work done. It wasn't just eight hours of putting words on paper; it was work.
I thought about myself again. I can sit down most days and write for an hour, maybe two, with limited interruptions. The time I spend typing up those handwritten pages counts as writing. For that matter, so does my writing here, on this blog. I wasn't counting that.
Maybe I wasn't sitting down for eight hours a day but the time I was spending was fruitful. Maybe I was using my time efficiently, that was good, right?
My perception of myself changed. There was still work I could do to improve but perhaps I'm not as far off as I thought.
For that, as much as anything else, thank you Steven Moffat!
26 April 2010
Music Monday - The Misfits
Some time ago, I threw up a Misfits video and called that a day for Music Monday. I don't remember why I did that so today let's do it properly.
The Misfits start as part of the punk rock boom in the late 1970s. Taking their name from Marilyn Monroe's last film, the band's core was singer Glenn Danzig and bassist Jerry Only. Taking the style of 1950s and 60s rock as punk had, as well as the speed and energy of punk, Danzig fused in the imagery of monster movies. While not seen as such at the time, Horror Rock was largely born out of the efforts of the Misfits.
The band falls apart in the early 1980s. Danzig would continue on in Samhein as well as the band named after him with an even dark style of lyrics and an increasingly metal sound. By the 1990s, Jerry Only was ready to try again. With his brother Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, he got permission from Danzig to restart the Misfits and did. Just like the vampires and wolfmen of old, you just couldn't keep these monsters in the grave. With imagery 'borrowed' from movie serial 'The Crimson Ghost', they were back!
After a few years and a couple of albums (as well as some time appearing on WCW was that ever weird), that fell apart as well. Doyle got hurt, the new drummer and singer left, and there was only Jerry. Currently Jerry's lead singing with drummers and guitarists that will hang out with him for months or years at a crack. There's talk of a new album. I give him credit for hanging in there and doing what he loves but I'm not all that fond of Jerry's singing voice. To the point where I say, why put a video of that up when I can post another song I like?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGUWla4OVrY
Perhaps there will always be a place in the world for punk rockers that dress up as old school monsters. There may not be a place for this however...
The Misfits Box Set
Famous Monsters
Project 1950
The Misfits start as part of the punk rock boom in the late 1970s. Taking their name from Marilyn Monroe's last film, the band's core was singer Glenn Danzig and bassist Jerry Only. Taking the style of 1950s and 60s rock as punk had, as well as the speed and energy of punk, Danzig fused in the imagery of monster movies. While not seen as such at the time, Horror Rock was largely born out of the efforts of the Misfits.
The band falls apart in the early 1980s. Danzig would continue on in Samhein as well as the band named after him with an even dark style of lyrics and an increasingly metal sound. By the 1990s, Jerry Only was ready to try again. With his brother Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, he got permission from Danzig to restart the Misfits and did. Just like the vampires and wolfmen of old, you just couldn't keep these monsters in the grave. With imagery 'borrowed' from movie serial 'The Crimson Ghost', they were back!
After a few years and a couple of albums (as well as some time appearing on WCW was that ever weird), that fell apart as well. Doyle got hurt, the new drummer and singer left, and there was only Jerry. Currently Jerry's lead singing with drummers and guitarists that will hang out with him for months or years at a crack. There's talk of a new album. I give him credit for hanging in there and doing what he loves but I'm not all that fond of Jerry's singing voice. To the point where I say, why put a video of that up when I can post another song I like?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGUWla4OVrY
Perhaps there will always be a place in the world for punk rockers that dress up as old school monsters. There may not be a place for this however...
The Misfits Box Set
Famous Monsters Project 1950
25 April 2010
Doctor Who - 'The Time of Angels' review
Synopsis:
After saving River Song, the Doctor and Amy find themselves wrapped up in her adventure, exploring a crashed spaceship that held in its hold... a Weeping Angel. They seek to shut it down but are stuck in the dark, underground, with more danger around them.
Thoughts:
It's fun to watch how irritated the Doctor becomes when River's around. She's fun, flirty, and forceful. It's unclear as to why she gets on his nerves. Is it her knowledge of his future? Is it his knowledge of hers? Is it just that he feels 'forced' into dealing with her because their timelines aren't synced up? It doesn't seem personal, apart from her ordering him about and calling him 'sweetie'.
The Angels were creepy in 'Blink' and that doesn't change here. We barely see them and that makes them all the more frightening. The dark doesn't help. The cave they find themselves exploring would be creepy without the Angel in it.
Amy gets to sulk, be playful, and be very, very clever. She seems amused by the concept that River and the Doctor may be husband and wife at some point. Perhaps she's confused. She doesn't seem offended, as if she was claiming him, which is good. Amy also gets to be very afraid, which is good against the Angels.
The Doctor continues to be the sort of guy that speaks, realizes what he's said and who to, and then apologizes. A bit. This is entertaining when the apology isn't accepted.
This episode gets really creepy as it goes along. This is a good thing.
No crack in reality this episode but the trailer for next week does show one as well as the Doctor noticing it. Good! That thread won't be ignored by our favorite Time Lord for the bulk of the Series and wrapped up in two episodes. At least that's what I'm guessing, I don't know.
If some of the earlier episodes in the season felt breezy to you, then halfway through this episode things get Very Serious Indeed.
Excellent stuff.
(Post 700)
After saving River Song, the Doctor and Amy find themselves wrapped up in her adventure, exploring a crashed spaceship that held in its hold... a Weeping Angel. They seek to shut it down but are stuck in the dark, underground, with more danger around them.
Thoughts:
It's fun to watch how irritated the Doctor becomes when River's around. She's fun, flirty, and forceful. It's unclear as to why she gets on his nerves. Is it her knowledge of his future? Is it his knowledge of hers? Is it just that he feels 'forced' into dealing with her because their timelines aren't synced up? It doesn't seem personal, apart from her ordering him about and calling him 'sweetie'.
The Angels were creepy in 'Blink' and that doesn't change here. We barely see them and that makes them all the more frightening. The dark doesn't help. The cave they find themselves exploring would be creepy without the Angel in it.
Amy gets to sulk, be playful, and be very, very clever. She seems amused by the concept that River and the Doctor may be husband and wife at some point. Perhaps she's confused. She doesn't seem offended, as if she was claiming him, which is good. Amy also gets to be very afraid, which is good against the Angels.
The Doctor continues to be the sort of guy that speaks, realizes what he's said and who to, and then apologizes. A bit. This is entertaining when the apology isn't accepted.
This episode gets really creepy as it goes along. This is a good thing.
No crack in reality this episode but the trailer for next week does show one as well as the Doctor noticing it. Good! That thread won't be ignored by our favorite Time Lord for the bulk of the Series and wrapped up in two episodes. At least that's what I'm guessing, I don't know.
If some of the earlier episodes in the season felt breezy to you, then halfway through this episode things get Very Serious Indeed.
Excellent stuff.
(Post 700)
24 April 2010
Hero to Drunk Girls in Parking Lots
The game had not been a good one. The Brewers had faced their fierce division rivals the Cubs. The Brewer pitcher had never kept the team in the game. We had people in our assigned seats and we ended up just wandering around the ball park, watching the game from different angles around the field. Certainly we COULD have made those people move or just sat in available seats but our pre-game entertainment hadn't put us in that kind of mood. By the time the game was over and we headed back to the car, it was drizzling on and off. Things were wet but not soaked. We got Saxophone guy to play a different song, tipped him, and laughed back to the car.
Since it was not actually raining, it had been decided it was not yet time to depart. The trunk was opened and then my buddy went to start up the radio. I intended to start extracting the chairs from the trunk but I was suddenly approached by a stranger. "Do you have an extra beer or two?" She'd appeared as if from nowhere. While I'm not good with determining age, she did look to be of the legal drinking age and was rather attractive with her dark hair and blue eyes. I popped open the cooler enough so that I could see inside and do some math. "Wait, you are a Brewers fan, right?" She checked my shirt and saw that I was here to cheer for the home team before making her request again with sad but hopeful eyes.
Whatever. I still had a few beverages remaining and handed over two. "Wow, PBR!" I'm not sure if she was being sarcastic or not. I'm going with not. She gave me a warm hug, thanked me a few times, and they wandered off. I shrugged my shoulders and returned to getting the chairs set-up.
Later, after we were comfortable, some of our pre-game entertainers returned. A large group of college aged girls had parked near us and we semi-watched the Worst Game of Beer Pong Ever. I don't know that there was a successful completion in the game as the ping pong ball seemed to always be bouncing on the ground, headed our way. Now, I know what you might be thinking, maybe this was their clumsy way of being able to come say hi to us? I'm going with no. They would have stayed and chatted rather than apologize and run back to their game.
We did interact with two of them more than the others. One was a gal of rather slender frame that my buddy recognized from a former workplace and made the mistake of telling her so. This made her visit us more frequently. Due to her limited stature, she had gone from zero to drunk in the words of her friend that apologized for her. This friend was not drunk, friendly, and an attractive blond from Minnesota that nearly attacked me with violence when I stated that the Twins should-a put-a roof on their new stadium.
They returned to depart and had some packing up to accomplish before they could do so. They greeted us as they went past and then there was some fumbling. A lot of fumbling. Finally we got up to see what was going on.
The vehicle belonged to the drunk thin girl. She had no plans to drive it as that task had already been handed off to Minnesota. However, they needed to get the trunk open to store the grill. There was some trick to the trunk handle that the drunk girl could articulate but not accomplish. After they fumbled with it again, I stepped it. She unlocked the trunk, I rolled the hidden part of the latch forward and then popped open the trunk. Success on the first try! We received thanks but no hugs this time. They packed up, we sat down. They drove past, we waved to each other.
That's how I played the Hero to Drunk Girls last night.
Since it was not actually raining, it had been decided it was not yet time to depart. The trunk was opened and then my buddy went to start up the radio. I intended to start extracting the chairs from the trunk but I was suddenly approached by a stranger. "Do you have an extra beer or two?" She'd appeared as if from nowhere. While I'm not good with determining age, she did look to be of the legal drinking age and was rather attractive with her dark hair and blue eyes. I popped open the cooler enough so that I could see inside and do some math. "Wait, you are a Brewers fan, right?" She checked my shirt and saw that I was here to cheer for the home team before making her request again with sad but hopeful eyes.
Whatever. I still had a few beverages remaining and handed over two. "Wow, PBR!" I'm not sure if she was being sarcastic or not. I'm going with not. She gave me a warm hug, thanked me a few times, and they wandered off. I shrugged my shoulders and returned to getting the chairs set-up.
Later, after we were comfortable, some of our pre-game entertainers returned. A large group of college aged girls had parked near us and we semi-watched the Worst Game of Beer Pong Ever. I don't know that there was a successful completion in the game as the ping pong ball seemed to always be bouncing on the ground, headed our way. Now, I know what you might be thinking, maybe this was their clumsy way of being able to come say hi to us? I'm going with no. They would have stayed and chatted rather than apologize and run back to their game.
We did interact with two of them more than the others. One was a gal of rather slender frame that my buddy recognized from a former workplace and made the mistake of telling her so. This made her visit us more frequently. Due to her limited stature, she had gone from zero to drunk in the words of her friend that apologized for her. This friend was not drunk, friendly, and an attractive blond from Minnesota that nearly attacked me with violence when I stated that the Twins should-a put-a roof on their new stadium.
They returned to depart and had some packing up to accomplish before they could do so. They greeted us as they went past and then there was some fumbling. A lot of fumbling. Finally we got up to see what was going on.
The vehicle belonged to the drunk thin girl. She had no plans to drive it as that task had already been handed off to Minnesota. However, they needed to get the trunk open to store the grill. There was some trick to the trunk handle that the drunk girl could articulate but not accomplish. After they fumbled with it again, I stepped it. She unlocked the trunk, I rolled the hidden part of the latch forward and then popped open the trunk. Success on the first try! We received thanks but no hugs this time. They packed up, we sat down. They drove past, we waved to each other.
That's how I played the Hero to Drunk Girls last night.
23 April 2010
A Few Thoughts on Comics from The Past Couple Weeks
Walt Disney Comics #705 explains the premise of the 'World to Come' storyline now that we're in the third part. Much of the mystery is peeled aside. The story is so gloriously Disney sci-fi that it's beautiful. Well meaning scientists. Giant computers. Fixing the world. Too much power for any one person. This is great!
Hack/Slash #31 continues the super-hero godbox storyline. It's great and dreary at the same time. I'm not sure why I'm not enjoying this more. The characters are well defined. It's a traditional slasher set-up. There's a twist in the end of the episode. It's just not clicking for me for some reason.
Hercules - Fall of an Avenger #2 does a number of things. It features a team selection sequence straight from the schoolyard. It takes a big time villain and dismisses him in seconds. It sets up the next stage of these characters and hints that Hercules is still alive. Should have been better, could have been worse.
The Tick #3 explains that the Tick is not good at plumbing. He also fights feral mimes in a sewer. That's how bad at plumbing he is; he ends up in a sewer. Funny!
Transformers - Last Stand of the Wreckers #4 features explanations, trouble, and things getting very, very deep. Still engrossing.
Simpsons Comics #165 gets points for having an ad for the new series of Doctor Who inside its front cover. The story is standard Homer and Marge have a tiff. Not bad but nothing special.
The Muppet Show Comic Book #4 features a character that goes nameless. She referred to as a lot of things but, apparently due to some licensing issues, never gets named. She's Scooter's twin sister and is clearly meant to be an older version of Skeeter from Muppet Babies! Wow! The art is by the lady that drew the Muppet Peter Pan series that was so awesome. Great issue!
Hack/Slash #31 continues the super-hero godbox storyline. It's great and dreary at the same time. I'm not sure why I'm not enjoying this more. The characters are well defined. It's a traditional slasher set-up. There's a twist in the end of the episode. It's just not clicking for me for some reason.
Hercules - Fall of an Avenger #2 does a number of things. It features a team selection sequence straight from the schoolyard. It takes a big time villain and dismisses him in seconds. It sets up the next stage of these characters and hints that Hercules is still alive. Should have been better, could have been worse.
The Tick #3 explains that the Tick is not good at plumbing. He also fights feral mimes in a sewer. That's how bad at plumbing he is; he ends up in a sewer. Funny!
Transformers - Last Stand of the Wreckers #4 features explanations, trouble, and things getting very, very deep. Still engrossing.
Simpsons Comics #165 gets points for having an ad for the new series of Doctor Who inside its front cover. The story is standard Homer and Marge have a tiff. Not bad but nothing special.
The Muppet Show Comic Book #4 features a character that goes nameless. She referred to as a lot of things but, apparently due to some licensing issues, never gets named. She's Scooter's twin sister and is clearly meant to be an older version of Skeeter from Muppet Babies! Wow! The art is by the lady that drew the Muppet Peter Pan series that was so awesome. Great issue!
21 April 2010
Doctor Who - 'Victory of the Daleks' review
Synopsis:
World War II! Churchill needs all the help he can get and seems to have gotten it in the secret weapon they call 'Ironsides'. The Doctor knows them by another name: Daleks...
Thoughts:
One story on contemporary Earth, the next on a spaceship related to a damaged Earth, and the third set in Earth's past with an historical figure. The first two stories are written by the showrunner and the third by Mark Gatiss. Is it 2005 or 2010? It's not that these new stories really resemble the first three stories of the revived series but it is interesting how this 'pattern' repeated itself.
Much like 'The Beast Below', the basic story doesn't feel all that complicated. The Daleks are doing something weird as part of a devious plot to protect their future. It's 'Power of the Daleks' only half as long and without Patrick Troughton. While the story can be boiled down to a few words, the story never feels simple. Churchill is grand. The Doctor has to walk a line between encouraging him and avoiding telling him that things will work out in the end.
Traditionally, the Daleks have been short, squat little things, about five foot tall, not unlike Tom Cruise. In 2005 they were 'upsized' a bit in order to go eye to eyestalk with Billie Piper. Karen Gillian doesn't look all that tall until she leans over a Dalek and suddenly she's a giant. What happens? They redesign the Daleks to make them taller again. The Daleks will not be denied!
It's a rattling adventure that flies by at top speed. The Doctor makes a tough decision and believes that, in victory, he has still lost.
We have one trend for the series now: the cracks. The one in the first episode was part of the story but both episodes since have shown a crack in existence after the TARDIS departs. This has to be leading to something. It's probably tied to Amy's inability to remember the Daleks. The Earth was stolen! She remembers none of it. What happened? Is it just her or has something happened? Or will something have happened? I'm blaming the Daleks. They are so mean.
More good stuff. Three episodes in and things are going well.
World War II! Churchill needs all the help he can get and seems to have gotten it in the secret weapon they call 'Ironsides'. The Doctor knows them by another name: Daleks...
Thoughts:
One story on contemporary Earth, the next on a spaceship related to a damaged Earth, and the third set in Earth's past with an historical figure. The first two stories are written by the showrunner and the third by Mark Gatiss. Is it 2005 or 2010? It's not that these new stories really resemble the first three stories of the revived series but it is interesting how this 'pattern' repeated itself.
Much like 'The Beast Below', the basic story doesn't feel all that complicated. The Daleks are doing something weird as part of a devious plot to protect their future. It's 'Power of the Daleks' only half as long and without Patrick Troughton. While the story can be boiled down to a few words, the story never feels simple. Churchill is grand. The Doctor has to walk a line between encouraging him and avoiding telling him that things will work out in the end.
Traditionally, the Daleks have been short, squat little things, about five foot tall, not unlike Tom Cruise. In 2005 they were 'upsized' a bit in order to go eye to eyestalk with Billie Piper. Karen Gillian doesn't look all that tall until she leans over a Dalek and suddenly she's a giant. What happens? They redesign the Daleks to make them taller again. The Daleks will not be denied!
It's a rattling adventure that flies by at top speed. The Doctor makes a tough decision and believes that, in victory, he has still lost.
We have one trend for the series now: the cracks. The one in the first episode was part of the story but both episodes since have shown a crack in existence after the TARDIS departs. This has to be leading to something. It's probably tied to Amy's inability to remember the Daleks. The Earth was stolen! She remembers none of it. What happened? Is it just her or has something happened? Or will something have happened? I'm blaming the Daleks. They are so mean.
More good stuff. Three episodes in and things are going well.
20 April 2010
Doctor Who - 'The Beast Below' review
Synopsis:
Starship UK. The remnants of the mighty empire fly through space while the Earth burns. Yet there is something no one talks about, no one mentions the Beast Below.
Thoughts:
From the first moment that we see Starship UK, I was reminded of Mega City One and 2000AD comics in general. It just screamed of that type of sci-fi to me. For the most part, I was right. It's exciting Doctor Who, moving quickly and slowly at the same time, full of high concepts and crazy crazy events that mean Very Serious Things for the people involved.
It also may take place around the same time as the Fourth Doctor adventures 'The Ark in Space' and 'The Sontaran Experiment'. It's a continuity reference that you don't need to understand for the episode but adds detail for the long time fan, which is how this should work.
I must have slipped a spoiler into my head at some point recently because I figured out too much of the story too quickly. I'm pretty sure this was me and not the story being too basic. Normally I can read spoilers so long as they are months in advance as I will forget them. For this episode, I felt I knew too much. That said, there was a thing or two I figured out quickly but that was mostly because we were given information before it reached the Doctor and Amy.
How about that Amy? This is her first 'proper' adventure and she goes at it like she's been practicing since she was young. Perhaps she has been. The Doctor gives her some advice early in the episode and it proves key to resolving the situation. That twist I hadn't expected and rather enjoyed.
Matt Smith continues to shine as the Doctor. He feels like the Doctor to me. He has moments where he seems to look like Peter Davison. Not like twins or anything like that, but like they could be related, as if he 'took after' that incarnation of himself.
I'm not so sure about the Smilers. The name comes out of nowhere. I may have missed something but it seems like the Doctor just starts calling them that. I don't recall a scene where that name is established. Again, could just be me but it jarred. I also have no real understanding how they work. They just are there and do stuff. Not that I want a list of rules but it's not clear what their parameters are or what they are or anything.
Big crazy concept that works. The small stories are cute. The Doctor only interferes when children are crying? Sure, whatever.
Pleasantly enjoyable.
Starship UK. The remnants of the mighty empire fly through space while the Earth burns. Yet there is something no one talks about, no one mentions the Beast Below.
Thoughts:
From the first moment that we see Starship UK, I was reminded of Mega City One and 2000AD comics in general. It just screamed of that type of sci-fi to me. For the most part, I was right. It's exciting Doctor Who, moving quickly and slowly at the same time, full of high concepts and crazy crazy events that mean Very Serious Things for the people involved.
It also may take place around the same time as the Fourth Doctor adventures 'The Ark in Space' and 'The Sontaran Experiment'. It's a continuity reference that you don't need to understand for the episode but adds detail for the long time fan, which is how this should work.
I must have slipped a spoiler into my head at some point recently because I figured out too much of the story too quickly. I'm pretty sure this was me and not the story being too basic. Normally I can read spoilers so long as they are months in advance as I will forget them. For this episode, I felt I knew too much. That said, there was a thing or two I figured out quickly but that was mostly because we were given information before it reached the Doctor and Amy.
How about that Amy? This is her first 'proper' adventure and she goes at it like she's been practicing since she was young. Perhaps she has been. The Doctor gives her some advice early in the episode and it proves key to resolving the situation. That twist I hadn't expected and rather enjoyed.
Matt Smith continues to shine as the Doctor. He feels like the Doctor to me. He has moments where he seems to look like Peter Davison. Not like twins or anything like that, but like they could be related, as if he 'took after' that incarnation of himself.
I'm not so sure about the Smilers. The name comes out of nowhere. I may have missed something but it seems like the Doctor just starts calling them that. I don't recall a scene where that name is established. Again, could just be me but it jarred. I also have no real understanding how they work. They just are there and do stuff. Not that I want a list of rules but it's not clear what their parameters are or what they are or anything.
Big crazy concept that works. The small stories are cute. The Doctor only interferes when children are crying? Sure, whatever.
Pleasantly enjoyable.
19 April 2010
Music Monday - The Ramones
The first concert I ever went to was on October 30th, 1992. Overwhelming Colorfast was the opening band (feel free to ask 'Who?'). Then came Social Distortion, great band. The main event was the sonic attack of the RAMONES!
I'd found them a couple years before while in high school. They were funny looking. They had played for ages. The music was simple at first listen. The lead singer's style was unique, to say the least. The lyrics were either very direct or confusing. There was a sense of humor to the band, as if they knew exactly what they were and wanted to let you know it would be okay for you to join them. It sounded like 50's rock played twice as fast. I quickly fell in love with them.
How can you not love a song that expresses the need for sedation?
You see, in high school, my geekdom was not considered to be as awesome as it might be now. I didn't care to be seen as cool and the majority of the people around be were willing to go along with that assessment of the situation. The Ramones were also outcasts, freaks, geeks. 'Gabba Gabba, we accept you, one of us' is the line they cribbed from the movie 'Freaks'. It was one of their credos: all are welcome here. They were geeks too. Who else would write a theme song for a Steven King movie?
During its existence, the band never really got the recognition (or money) it truly deserved. Bands during the 1990s identified the Ramones as their inspiration but it was too late for the group. They had toured hard and worked hard. The albums still weren't selling. In 1996 they called it quits.
Since then, the band was voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Founding members Joey, Johnny, and Dee Dee Ramone have all died. The band is gone, but wherever someone starts a song with the cadence of '1 2 3 4', they will always be remembered.
I'd found them a couple years before while in high school. They were funny looking. They had played for ages. The music was simple at first listen. The lead singer's style was unique, to say the least. The lyrics were either very direct or confusing. There was a sense of humor to the band, as if they knew exactly what they were and wanted to let you know it would be okay for you to join them. It sounded like 50's rock played twice as fast. I quickly fell in love with them.
How can you not love a song that expresses the need for sedation?
You see, in high school, my geekdom was not considered to be as awesome as it might be now. I didn't care to be seen as cool and the majority of the people around be were willing to go along with that assessment of the situation. The Ramones were also outcasts, freaks, geeks. 'Gabba Gabba, we accept you, one of us' is the line they cribbed from the movie 'Freaks'. It was one of their credos: all are welcome here. They were geeks too. Who else would write a theme song for a Steven King movie?
During its existence, the band never really got the recognition (or money) it truly deserved. Bands during the 1990s identified the Ramones as their inspiration but it was too late for the group. They had toured hard and worked hard. The albums still weren't selling. In 1996 they called it quits.
Since then, the band was voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Founding members Joey, Johnny, and Dee Dee Ramone have all died. The band is gone, but wherever someone starts a song with the cadence of '1 2 3 4', they will always be remembered.
18 April 2010
GLCW - 'Hell Froze Over' Review
Last night was the next event in our local federation's calendar. Actually, they snuck in a card on Friday night as well, in Racine rather than Waukesha. The back-to-back shows seemed to impact the attendance at our show. There were people but the place wasn't as packed as we were used to seeing it.
Our pre-show promo involved local radio personality (apparently, I had never heard of him and I suspect that was the situation for most of the crowd) Mike Richter (spelling?) and 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper. The Scot had been on Mike's show and Mike had threatened to beat him up. Roddy got a little excitable and all was made well. Roddy told a story or two to the crowd's delight and the crowd sang Happy Birthday to him.
As was well until Dakota Darsow came out to confront Piper. Dakota was essentially explaining why he attacked his Dad at Blizzard Brawl 5: he was always on the road as a wrestler, out there more for the fans than his own son. Now it was Dakota's time. A young man came out to defend Roddy (I think it was Colt Toombs, Roddy's son, but that was never made clear and we didn't see him again that night) and got beat up a bit on his behalf. Roddy talks about refereeing the main event.
To drag things out a bit, Roddy was brought back to the ring for a formal singing of 'Happy Birthday' and a cake. This was poorly timed after Roddy leaving the ring and considering the crowd already sang to him. The gal who sang the National Anthem also sang to Roddy now, in a Marilyn Monroe to JFK style. It was creepy. This would have fit better right before the Intermission as Roddy spent that in the ring taking pictures. The crowd was getting a bit hot for the wrestling to start at this point.
Match One: Bobby V/El Vato (faces) vs Justin James/Dysfunction (heels)
Hot tag match to open. Local guys getting the crowd worked up. Exciting match, a few double teams, a couple of crazy bumps. Eventually a heel double-team backfired, Bobby V hit a splash from the top, and the faces got a double pin for the win. Good match.
Match Two: Electric Eric Freedom (face) vs Ryan Rogue (heel)
Really? The dirty Froot Loop throwing hippie is a face now? How? We had no issue cheering for the heel on this one. Rogue is a better wrestler all around and gave the hippie a good beating. Eric Freedom busted out a couple of armbreaker and I mockingly expressed my shock as I thought that Freedom knew no moves. A top rope reversal followed by a flying elbow drop from the top rope gave Ryan Rogue a clean win. Which was odd for a heel. Unless I missed something. Good finish but unexpected.
Match Three: Tony Scarpoini (heel wearing Cubs jacket) vs The Skullcrusher (face with taped ribs that were 'broken' last night)
Oddly slow match. Both are big men that I know can move. The 'taped ribs' gave the heel the advantage but some of Tony's punches to the ribs looked so light it made me wonder if Skullcrusher was injured to some degree. Another top rope reversal led to Skullcrusher hitting a massive frog splash from the top rope for the win.
Intermission:
Ring announcer has spent the entire show telling us that Road Warrior Animal and Piper will be in the ring together for pictures during Intermission. Animal gets nowhere near the ring. Did no one tell him? Fail.
We've seen Demolition 3 or 4 times now. Every time Brad gets at least one signed picture from them as they are his favorite. Before the show he bought three. At Intermission, he asked them if he could get a picture taken with them using my camera. 'Sure. You buy enough stuff from us, just come behind the table.' Awesome.
Piper was in the ring getting his picture taken with people and the line faded quickly. The batteries in my camera were running low but we should be okay for four pictures: one with each of us individually and a fourth with us altogether. We explained things, handed over the money, and got in the ring. Love being in the ring. Walked up, shook hands with Piper, got my picture taken, got out of the way for my buddies. I retired to the corner and leaned back on the turnbuckle, my arms stretched over the ropes. It felt so natural. Soon enough, it was time for the group picture and we got together.
Of course the batteries in the camera then went dead.
I had back up batteries and fumbled to load them into the camera. Of course they were dead too. Crap! Thankfully, the lady offered to take the picture with their camera, the one they were printing pictures from, at no additional charge. Nice lady! All ended well.
Match Four: Ladies Championship: Traci Brooks (face, Champ) vs Melanie Cruz (heel)
The radio announcer claimed to have set this match up and was suddenly playing the heel commissioner. Where did that come from? Cruz was playing the 'giant' which was odd as she wasn't all that tall or big. Muscular? Yes. Tall? Certainly. Attractive? Sort of. But no creepy giant gal. Traci stuck and ran to avoid the 'giant' offense. For a GLCW Ladies match, this was actually really good as opposed to the comedy match that they normally are played as. Traci hits a big DDT for the win. Big crowd reaction.
Radio Announcer 'guest host commissioner' guy claims to have been on the phone backstage with the real heel commissioner. He can set up any match he wants, declares himself number 1 contender to the Ladies Championship, and has them start the match now!
A surprise roll-up gets an easy three count on the confused Traci and this guy is now Ladies Champ. Crowd is PISSED. Seriously. I didn't like it because they had just gotten done with the 'skinny male radio guy is Ladies Champ' story and now they jump back into it. This was even weaker considering that the Ladies match had been solid. I'm going with Bad Decision on this booking, more for the repeat of the storyline than anything else.
Match Five: GLCW Heavyweight Championship: Al Snow (face Champ) vs Road Dogg vs Xpac
Crowd relaxes a bit as they can at least cheer for Al Snow. Crowd tries to encourage the beating of ring announcer. I agree. Ring announcer is in sweatpants and sweatshirt. Very tacky. We can tell Road Dogg is heeling it up as he won't go through his normal entrance chatter. Xpac gets a moment of reaction and then nothing. Which is normal. He's a heat vacuum.
Good three way match follows but the crowd is a bit quiet for most of it. The ending sequence I loved! Xpac gets a sleeper on Al Snow but Road Dogg walks up and slaps a sleeper on Xpac. Triple decker. The ref comes by to check on Al and the Snowman grabs the ref and buts him in a sleeper. After some applause and laughter, Al drops the groggy ref, Xpac drops the groggy Snow, and hits Road Dogg with a jawbreaker. All four men in the ring are out on the mat. More applause.
The wrestlers all come to at once, dive out of the ring to collect a chair, and return. (Road Dogg: 'We ALL had the same idea?') The ref starts to wake up. All three wrestlers slam their chairs into the mat and fall down as if hit. The ref wakes up and has NO idea what happened. He collects the chairs and starts pushing them out of the ring, making a mess of it. Road Dogg sneaks over to the timekeepers table, grabs the Championship belt and slugs Xpac with it. Meanwhile, Al Snow collects Head and waffles Road Dogg with the mannequin. Three count. Al Snow retains. Good stuff.
Match Six: Demolition (Ax and Smash)/Road Warrior Animal vs McCoy/Longtime/Blaze/Darsow (Dakota)
The story here is that Dakota is sore at his Dad (Demolition Smash aka Barry Darsow) for not being around enough when he was a kid. Reasonable idea. He spends the match playing the chicken heel, only entering the match when he has a clear advantage, cheating, and running his mouth while avoiding his Dad. Good solid match, Ax has face in peril, crowd was into it. In the end, Smash chases his son to the back (setting up a singles match in the future?) as the ring gets cleared. Ax and Animal hit the Hart Attack style clothesline on Chase McCoy for the victory.
Roddy didn't ref the main, despite it being set up. There were a number of little things that may normally have not meant much but built up during the show to irritate. It was by no means a bad show but it didn't quite click like earlier shows have for us. We walked out a bit disappointed despite having a good time. Something was missing.
Next show is Blizzard Brawl 6 on Dec 4th. There is another show they were advertising in June that is scheduled to have Baron Von Raschke at it. That would be cool.
Our pre-show promo involved local radio personality (apparently, I had never heard of him and I suspect that was the situation for most of the crowd) Mike Richter (spelling?) and 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper. The Scot had been on Mike's show and Mike had threatened to beat him up. Roddy got a little excitable and all was made well. Roddy told a story or two to the crowd's delight and the crowd sang Happy Birthday to him.
As was well until Dakota Darsow came out to confront Piper. Dakota was essentially explaining why he attacked his Dad at Blizzard Brawl 5: he was always on the road as a wrestler, out there more for the fans than his own son. Now it was Dakota's time. A young man came out to defend Roddy (I think it was Colt Toombs, Roddy's son, but that was never made clear and we didn't see him again that night) and got beat up a bit on his behalf. Roddy talks about refereeing the main event.
To drag things out a bit, Roddy was brought back to the ring for a formal singing of 'Happy Birthday' and a cake. This was poorly timed after Roddy leaving the ring and considering the crowd already sang to him. The gal who sang the National Anthem also sang to Roddy now, in a Marilyn Monroe to JFK style. It was creepy. This would have fit better right before the Intermission as Roddy spent that in the ring taking pictures. The crowd was getting a bit hot for the wrestling to start at this point.
Match One: Bobby V/El Vato (faces) vs Justin James/Dysfunction (heels)
Hot tag match to open. Local guys getting the crowd worked up. Exciting match, a few double teams, a couple of crazy bumps. Eventually a heel double-team backfired, Bobby V hit a splash from the top, and the faces got a double pin for the win. Good match.
Match Two: Electric Eric Freedom (face) vs Ryan Rogue (heel)
Really? The dirty Froot Loop throwing hippie is a face now? How? We had no issue cheering for the heel on this one. Rogue is a better wrestler all around and gave the hippie a good beating. Eric Freedom busted out a couple of armbreaker and I mockingly expressed my shock as I thought that Freedom knew no moves. A top rope reversal followed by a flying elbow drop from the top rope gave Ryan Rogue a clean win. Which was odd for a heel. Unless I missed something. Good finish but unexpected.
Match Three: Tony Scarpoini (heel wearing Cubs jacket) vs The Skullcrusher (face with taped ribs that were 'broken' last night)
Oddly slow match. Both are big men that I know can move. The 'taped ribs' gave the heel the advantage but some of Tony's punches to the ribs looked so light it made me wonder if Skullcrusher was injured to some degree. Another top rope reversal led to Skullcrusher hitting a massive frog splash from the top rope for the win.
Intermission:
Ring announcer has spent the entire show telling us that Road Warrior Animal and Piper will be in the ring together for pictures during Intermission. Animal gets nowhere near the ring. Did no one tell him? Fail.
We've seen Demolition 3 or 4 times now. Every time Brad gets at least one signed picture from them as they are his favorite. Before the show he bought three. At Intermission, he asked them if he could get a picture taken with them using my camera. 'Sure. You buy enough stuff from us, just come behind the table.' Awesome.
Piper was in the ring getting his picture taken with people and the line faded quickly. The batteries in my camera were running low but we should be okay for four pictures: one with each of us individually and a fourth with us altogether. We explained things, handed over the money, and got in the ring. Love being in the ring. Walked up, shook hands with Piper, got my picture taken, got out of the way for my buddies. I retired to the corner and leaned back on the turnbuckle, my arms stretched over the ropes. It felt so natural. Soon enough, it was time for the group picture and we got together.
Of course the batteries in the camera then went dead.
I had back up batteries and fumbled to load them into the camera. Of course they were dead too. Crap! Thankfully, the lady offered to take the picture with their camera, the one they were printing pictures from, at no additional charge. Nice lady! All ended well.
Match Four: Ladies Championship: Traci Brooks (face, Champ) vs Melanie Cruz (heel)
The radio announcer claimed to have set this match up and was suddenly playing the heel commissioner. Where did that come from? Cruz was playing the 'giant' which was odd as she wasn't all that tall or big. Muscular? Yes. Tall? Certainly. Attractive? Sort of. But no creepy giant gal. Traci stuck and ran to avoid the 'giant' offense. For a GLCW Ladies match, this was actually really good as opposed to the comedy match that they normally are played as. Traci hits a big DDT for the win. Big crowd reaction.
Radio Announcer 'guest host commissioner' guy claims to have been on the phone backstage with the real heel commissioner. He can set up any match he wants, declares himself number 1 contender to the Ladies Championship, and has them start the match now!
A surprise roll-up gets an easy three count on the confused Traci and this guy is now Ladies Champ. Crowd is PISSED. Seriously. I didn't like it because they had just gotten done with the 'skinny male radio guy is Ladies Champ' story and now they jump back into it. This was even weaker considering that the Ladies match had been solid. I'm going with Bad Decision on this booking, more for the repeat of the storyline than anything else.
Match Five: GLCW Heavyweight Championship: Al Snow (face Champ) vs Road Dogg vs Xpac
Crowd relaxes a bit as they can at least cheer for Al Snow. Crowd tries to encourage the beating of ring announcer. I agree. Ring announcer is in sweatpants and sweatshirt. Very tacky. We can tell Road Dogg is heeling it up as he won't go through his normal entrance chatter. Xpac gets a moment of reaction and then nothing. Which is normal. He's a heat vacuum.
Good three way match follows but the crowd is a bit quiet for most of it. The ending sequence I loved! Xpac gets a sleeper on Al Snow but Road Dogg walks up and slaps a sleeper on Xpac. Triple decker. The ref comes by to check on Al and the Snowman grabs the ref and buts him in a sleeper. After some applause and laughter, Al drops the groggy ref, Xpac drops the groggy Snow, and hits Road Dogg with a jawbreaker. All four men in the ring are out on the mat. More applause.
The wrestlers all come to at once, dive out of the ring to collect a chair, and return. (Road Dogg: 'We ALL had the same idea?') The ref starts to wake up. All three wrestlers slam their chairs into the mat and fall down as if hit. The ref wakes up and has NO idea what happened. He collects the chairs and starts pushing them out of the ring, making a mess of it. Road Dogg sneaks over to the timekeepers table, grabs the Championship belt and slugs Xpac with it. Meanwhile, Al Snow collects Head and waffles Road Dogg with the mannequin. Three count. Al Snow retains. Good stuff.
Match Six: Demolition (Ax and Smash)/Road Warrior Animal vs McCoy/Longtime/Blaze/Darsow (Dakota)
The story here is that Dakota is sore at his Dad (Demolition Smash aka Barry Darsow) for not being around enough when he was a kid. Reasonable idea. He spends the match playing the chicken heel, only entering the match when he has a clear advantage, cheating, and running his mouth while avoiding his Dad. Good solid match, Ax has face in peril, crowd was into it. In the end, Smash chases his son to the back (setting up a singles match in the future?) as the ring gets cleared. Ax and Animal hit the Hart Attack style clothesline on Chase McCoy for the victory.
Roddy didn't ref the main, despite it being set up. There were a number of little things that may normally have not meant much but built up during the show to irritate. It was by no means a bad show but it didn't quite click like earlier shows have for us. We walked out a bit disappointed despite having a good time. Something was missing.
Next show is Blizzard Brawl 6 on Dec 4th. There is another show they were advertising in June that is scheduled to have Baron Von Raschke at it. That would be cool.
17 April 2010
'Kick-Ass' Review
Synopsis:
Dave is your ordinary 'nothing' high school student that has an interest in comics. After getting casually mugged one too many times, he decides something needs to change. He orders a scuba suit, designs a costume, and decides to fight crime. He has no powers, no abilities, nothing more than good intentions. He is Kick-Ass!
Review:
It's not often that I walk into a 'comic book' movie and not know the complete story. I've only got half of the 8 issues of the book so much of what was to happen was new to me. I had no real 'that's not how the book goes' moments. It was relaxing to just watch the movie.
Let's get this out of the way immediately. There are no super powered people in this movie. There are masked vigilantes. The movie is violent. Limbs are removed, blood spurts, people die. There is harsh language. It is not for children.
It's clever. It calls for personal responsibility but also makes it clear that being a vigilante is not cool in 'real life'. At the same time it is an over the top action movie that will make you cheer. It's funny at times, gut bustingly so. It's a good ride.
I liked the casting. Our main character Dave looks like a good natured geek schmo. Even as Kick-Ass he often looks lost and over-whelmed by the circumstances he finds himself in. His good intentions rarely get him beyond trying but he does keep trying. His friends look and act right. Everybody 'fits', even Nicholas Cage as Big Daddy.
I was actually impressed by Nic Cage as he essentially plays three roles while being the same character. As the father of 'Hit Girl', he's almost like a weapons fascinated Ned Flanders or Mr. Rogers. As himself, he's cold and determined. As 'Big Daddy' the superhero... he's the Adam West Batman, except when he's fighting. It's hilarious.
The direction was stylish. There's a great action sequence in the dark that's illuminated by flashes. Another sequence looks exactly like the standard comic-book panel where all the lights are out apart from a spotlight and the camera is pulled far back. There are comic book panels to direct us through the timeline of the story and an animated comic book drawn by John Romita Jr, artist of the original book. Yet I never felt this was too heavy, too distracting into the 'reality' of the film.
I enjoyed it. It was serious but not too serious. It was funny but not too funny. It references 'real' comic-books without getting lost in anything too much.
Recommended.
Dave is your ordinary 'nothing' high school student that has an interest in comics. After getting casually mugged one too many times, he decides something needs to change. He orders a scuba suit, designs a costume, and decides to fight crime. He has no powers, no abilities, nothing more than good intentions. He is Kick-Ass!
Review:
It's not often that I walk into a 'comic book' movie and not know the complete story. I've only got half of the 8 issues of the book so much of what was to happen was new to me. I had no real 'that's not how the book goes' moments. It was relaxing to just watch the movie.
Let's get this out of the way immediately. There are no super powered people in this movie. There are masked vigilantes. The movie is violent. Limbs are removed, blood spurts, people die. There is harsh language. It is not for children.
It's clever. It calls for personal responsibility but also makes it clear that being a vigilante is not cool in 'real life'. At the same time it is an over the top action movie that will make you cheer. It's funny at times, gut bustingly so. It's a good ride.
I liked the casting. Our main character Dave looks like a good natured geek schmo. Even as Kick-Ass he often looks lost and over-whelmed by the circumstances he finds himself in. His good intentions rarely get him beyond trying but he does keep trying. His friends look and act right. Everybody 'fits', even Nicholas Cage as Big Daddy.
I was actually impressed by Nic Cage as he essentially plays three roles while being the same character. As the father of 'Hit Girl', he's almost like a weapons fascinated Ned Flanders or Mr. Rogers. As himself, he's cold and determined. As 'Big Daddy' the superhero... he's the Adam West Batman, except when he's fighting. It's hilarious.
The direction was stylish. There's a great action sequence in the dark that's illuminated by flashes. Another sequence looks exactly like the standard comic-book panel where all the lights are out apart from a spotlight and the camera is pulled far back. There are comic book panels to direct us through the timeline of the story and an animated comic book drawn by John Romita Jr, artist of the original book. Yet I never felt this was too heavy, too distracting into the 'reality' of the film.
I enjoyed it. It was serious but not too serious. It was funny but not too funny. It references 'real' comic-books without getting lost in anything too much.
Recommended.
It's been weird
This has been one of those weeks where nothing quite went to plan. You set up events, put them in an order, and then things do whatever they want to you. I do feel that I got things done but not really the things I want or not in the amount I had hoped for. Friday rescheduled itself about a half dozen times in the course of 12 hours. Fun fun.
Anyway. Let's talk about something else, hmm?
Anyway. Let's talk about something else, hmm?
13 April 2010
A Few Thoughts on Comics from This Week
After a couple weeks of a lot of comics, last week was a smaller haul. It was three comics. There were a couple magazines and a collection, but only three comics.
Uncanny X-Men #523 continues the 'Second Coming' storyline. I'm not familiar enough with what Cable's been up to or how the newer character of Hope is supposed to act to know if they make sense. I believe they've been hiding out in another point in time and Hope's been trained to constantly be on the run. How does she have a yearning to do her hair? Has she been taught about our period of time? Or am I supposed to believe that a character taught to be a soldier all her life has young girl instincts? It's nice and confusing at the same time. The book manages to explain away some of the problems I had with the first part of the story. It's a step in the right direction but I'm still not too excited about this crossover. Not for another two months.
The Weird World of Jack Staff #2 continues this British type comic. The storylines weave around each other in couple page sections. I've been reading this book for awhile, mostly because the characters are all familiar and yet different from things I've read before. The art is stylish, cartoony but not at the same time. I don't know that you can just jump into this book because of the way the storylines run. I like it but try a trade first.
The Lone Ranger #21 features some Very Bad Things. I've been reading the book since the beginning and these events were just a matter of time. The question is only how bad it will be. I'm guessing it'll be ugly.
Uncanny X-Men #523 continues the 'Second Coming' storyline. I'm not familiar enough with what Cable's been up to or how the newer character of Hope is supposed to act to know if they make sense. I believe they've been hiding out in another point in time and Hope's been trained to constantly be on the run. How does she have a yearning to do her hair? Has she been taught about our period of time? Or am I supposed to believe that a character taught to be a soldier all her life has young girl instincts? It's nice and confusing at the same time. The book manages to explain away some of the problems I had with the first part of the story. It's a step in the right direction but I'm still not too excited about this crossover. Not for another two months.
The Weird World of Jack Staff #2 continues this British type comic. The storylines weave around each other in couple page sections. I've been reading this book for awhile, mostly because the characters are all familiar and yet different from things I've read before. The art is stylish, cartoony but not at the same time. I don't know that you can just jump into this book because of the way the storylines run. I like it but try a trade first.
The Lone Ranger #21 features some Very Bad Things. I've been reading the book since the beginning and these events were just a matter of time. The question is only how bad it will be. I'm guessing it'll be ugly.
12 April 2010
Music Monday -
I don't know what the weather is like by you but in Milwaukee, it's been mostly Spring! Warmer weather! Baseball! Barbecue! I ate probably far too many meals cooked over an open fire last week. Let's not even get into the beer.
Spring leads to lighter things: lighter clothing, lighter meals, lighter drinks. A spot of sunlight, in a backyard, grill working, lemonade and vodka, ah... So for today, I thought I'd pick out some 'lighter' songs. Songs that made me think of warmer weather for some reason. Not necessarily items lacking substance, but things that might go down light and sweet.
First we have the snow, then there is no snow, then there is. That's a Wisconsin Spring, maybe even Summer, if I ever saw one. The idea of just calmly sitting around, dreaming all day, just screams of vacation time spent relaxing in a sunbeam, having a think but not about much of anything. Perfect.
I said lighter clothes, didn't I? Lum's almost always in a bikini, so she counts. I'm not into manga/anime as much as I once was but I am still irritated that the official translation of the Urusei Yatsura manga was never completed. That's good stuff that is!
And then there's baseball!
Spring leads to lighter things: lighter clothing, lighter meals, lighter drinks. A spot of sunlight, in a backyard, grill working, lemonade and vodka, ah... So for today, I thought I'd pick out some 'lighter' songs. Songs that made me think of warmer weather for some reason. Not necessarily items lacking substance, but things that might go down light and sweet.
First we have the snow, then there is no snow, then there is. That's a Wisconsin Spring, maybe even Summer, if I ever saw one. The idea of just calmly sitting around, dreaming all day, just screams of vacation time spent relaxing in a sunbeam, having a think but not about much of anything. Perfect.
I said lighter clothes, didn't I? Lum's almost always in a bikini, so she counts. I'm not into manga/anime as much as I once was but I am still irritated that the official translation of the Urusei Yatsura manga was never completed. That's good stuff that is!
And then there's baseball!
08 April 2010
What Kind of Audience Are You?
What kind of audience are you? Do you listen? Do you pay attention? Do you cheer for the people on stage, wanting them to do their best?
I was reading an interview with an actress that was once in Doctor Who. I suddenly flashed back to a convention I attended years ago where she was one of the guests. During a panel where the guests got to get up and do something silly or just say a few words, she did a routine that she'd normally do at the cabaret evening but couldn't as she had to leave early. It was funny and I remember trying to focus on her, willing her to know that I was paying attention and that it was working. It's not that the room was empty or that no one else was laughing, I just wanted her to succeed for some reason.
I've been to concerts where people ignored the opening band. In all fairness, opening bands can be a mixed bag. Sometimes you just don't click with them. Sometimes they're not very good yet. To just ignore them because they're not the band you want to see just seems mean. Sure sometimes there are things that need to be done, conversations to have, beers to get, but I try to pay them some attention, give them some feedback so they know it'll be okay.
Public speaking is hard. Sometimes listening to a public speaker is hard. They are probably nervous. They may stumble. The subject matter may not interest you. You may be tired and bored and trapped at this meeting. I'll admit this can be rough going. I try and don't always succeed. I do try.
When you're having a conversation, do you listen? Or are you just talking, not really listening to the other person?
What kind of audience are you?
What kind of audience would you want?
I was reading an interview with an actress that was once in Doctor Who. I suddenly flashed back to a convention I attended years ago where she was one of the guests. During a panel where the guests got to get up and do something silly or just say a few words, she did a routine that she'd normally do at the cabaret evening but couldn't as she had to leave early. It was funny and I remember trying to focus on her, willing her to know that I was paying attention and that it was working. It's not that the room was empty or that no one else was laughing, I just wanted her to succeed for some reason.
I've been to concerts where people ignored the opening band. In all fairness, opening bands can be a mixed bag. Sometimes you just don't click with them. Sometimes they're not very good yet. To just ignore them because they're not the band you want to see just seems mean. Sure sometimes there are things that need to be done, conversations to have, beers to get, but I try to pay them some attention, give them some feedback so they know it'll be okay.
Public speaking is hard. Sometimes listening to a public speaker is hard. They are probably nervous. They may stumble. The subject matter may not interest you. You may be tired and bored and trapped at this meeting. I'll admit this can be rough going. I try and don't always succeed. I do try.
When you're having a conversation, do you listen? Or are you just talking, not really listening to the other person?
What kind of audience are you?
What kind of audience would you want?
07 April 2010
A Few Thoughts on Comics from The Past Couple Weeks
It's Wednesday. New Comic Day! I suppose before I get more books, I should finish reviewing the books I got last week, huh?
X-Men Second Coming #1 - Have you read an X-Men comic in the last, oh, 25 years or so? This is a lot like that, with nice art and an attempt to make this 'serious' and 'foreboding'. It's not bad, just too familiar. It doesn't feel like there's anything new here.
Punisher #15 - this continues to wallow in Universal Monsters imagery. The letters page is balanced enough to print 'what the heck did you do to Frank Castle?' notes. It remains crazy over the top fun, even when there's an acceptable fill-in artist. I guess they're actually going to change the name of the book to Franken-Castle. Wow. Trust me, I understand how this could be hated, I'm just enjoying the ride.
PvP #45 - collects more of the online strips. Funny geek jokes.
Hack/Slash #30 - as much as I enjoy this book about a girl and her ghoul that fights slashers, it has been looking for a direction of late. This starts a storyline about Public Domain superheroes from the 1940s and their sidekicks, tying their powers into the same energy that powers the slashers. Interesting idea. We'll see how this goes. Not a bad start.
Vincent Price Presents #16 - I always expect these to have a supernatural aspect to the story and they don't always. This one didn't. Not a bad story just kind of an 'oh, that's it?' story. Interesting Euro-manga type art. Acceptable but a bit flat. Actually needed a twist ending.
She-Hulk Sensational - This one-shot was supposed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first appearance of the character. There's a funny story, sort of, a story that feels like an inventory issue that they had laying around that they wanted to burn off, and a random reprint. Not actively bad but, meh. Nothing really to see. Get it for a quarter in a couple years.
Tales of the TMNT #68 - a cancer survivor (in real-life) writes a story where the Turtles get shrunk down and injected into April's sister's body in order to fight off alien cancer. They actually call it alien cancer. I won't mock it because it was clearly something important to the writer. Perfectly Acceptable Comic.
Amazing Spider-Man #627 - I'm never sure if it's a good thing or not when the story starts with a page or two of Peter remembering things from his history. With footnotes. To stories from the 80s. The twist ending works for me but a reader that just started picking this up recently would probably be lost. Instead of my 'oh wow' reaction they'd probably go 'huh?'. Enjoyable to me but might be too continuity bound.
Transformers #5 - Optimus gets a great speech that will probably turn the tide, Rodimus is the idiot we thought he was, and things get Worse. Good stuff.
Fantastic Four #577 - these single story issues feel like they have just an epic scope to them. This one actually feels like it's building to something bigger. Interesting.
Usagi Yojimbo #127 - Usagi gets into more trouble just walking around Japan. You feel bad for him sometimes. He's just walking to the next town, minding his own business, sees a swordsman outnumbered 20 to 1, is suddenly mistaken for a friend of that guy and is forced into fighting to protect himself. It always gets more complicated than that but it works.
And there we go. Caught up for a half-hour or so.
X-Men Second Coming #1 - Have you read an X-Men comic in the last, oh, 25 years or so? This is a lot like that, with nice art and an attempt to make this 'serious' and 'foreboding'. It's not bad, just too familiar. It doesn't feel like there's anything new here.
Punisher #15 - this continues to wallow in Universal Monsters imagery. The letters page is balanced enough to print 'what the heck did you do to Frank Castle?' notes. It remains crazy over the top fun, even when there's an acceptable fill-in artist. I guess they're actually going to change the name of the book to Franken-Castle. Wow. Trust me, I understand how this could be hated, I'm just enjoying the ride.
PvP #45 - collects more of the online strips. Funny geek jokes.
Hack/Slash #30 - as much as I enjoy this book about a girl and her ghoul that fights slashers, it has been looking for a direction of late. This starts a storyline about Public Domain superheroes from the 1940s and their sidekicks, tying their powers into the same energy that powers the slashers. Interesting idea. We'll see how this goes. Not a bad start.
Vincent Price Presents #16 - I always expect these to have a supernatural aspect to the story and they don't always. This one didn't. Not a bad story just kind of an 'oh, that's it?' story. Interesting Euro-manga type art. Acceptable but a bit flat. Actually needed a twist ending.
She-Hulk Sensational - This one-shot was supposed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first appearance of the character. There's a funny story, sort of, a story that feels like an inventory issue that they had laying around that they wanted to burn off, and a random reprint. Not actively bad but, meh. Nothing really to see. Get it for a quarter in a couple years.
Tales of the TMNT #68 - a cancer survivor (in real-life) writes a story where the Turtles get shrunk down and injected into April's sister's body in order to fight off alien cancer. They actually call it alien cancer. I won't mock it because it was clearly something important to the writer. Perfectly Acceptable Comic.
Amazing Spider-Man #627 - I'm never sure if it's a good thing or not when the story starts with a page or two of Peter remembering things from his history. With footnotes. To stories from the 80s. The twist ending works for me but a reader that just started picking this up recently would probably be lost. Instead of my 'oh wow' reaction they'd probably go 'huh?'. Enjoyable to me but might be too continuity bound.
Transformers #5 - Optimus gets a great speech that will probably turn the tide, Rodimus is the idiot we thought he was, and things get Worse. Good stuff.
Fantastic Four #577 - these single story issues feel like they have just an epic scope to them. This one actually feels like it's building to something bigger. Interesting.
Usagi Yojimbo #127 - Usagi gets into more trouble just walking around Japan. You feel bad for him sometimes. He's just walking to the next town, minding his own business, sees a swordsman outnumbered 20 to 1, is suddenly mistaken for a friend of that guy and is forced into fighting to protect himself. It always gets more complicated than that but it works.
And there we go. Caught up for a half-hour or so.
06 April 2010
A Few Thoughts on Comics from The Past Couple Weeks
Yesterday was Opening Day for the new baseball season and is therefore an unofficial holiday in Milwaukee. There's drinking involved so it's very serious in its unserious way. That's besides the point as I'm here to catch up on comic reviews. I've got quite a pile from the past couple weeks and I'm going to try doing brief reviews of each. Slightly different than the normal pattern. Let's see if this works.
New Avengers #63 - fight scenes and flashbacks. Some of the characters that primarily only appear in this book have a 'status update' to take them into Siege and prepare them for what lays ahead. Solid.
Mighty Avengers #35 - the team has mostly fallen apart, a massive Avengers villain makes his presence known, and Hank Pym acts weird. Big 'oh wow' moment at the end. The book seems to be building to a punchline of sorts. It's almost a pity that the Avengers as a whole are getting rebooted as it feels like this book just got settled and now is having to cycle through ideas before they could wear out their welcome.
Thunderbolts #141 - the team is sent to steal something from Asgard as part of Siege. They do the bad things you'd expect and then the Mighty Avengers show up. That might give away some of what happens in the other book but maybe not. Acceptable.
Uncanny X-Men #522 - the entire issue involves the rescue of Kitty Pryde. Rough art, some unclear storytelling pages, and no real action makes me wonder if this was dramatic or boring. Leaning towards boring. The X-Men have largely become a joke and that's rather sad.
The Marvels Project #7 - The early days of Captain America is World War II. Win!
Army of Darkness #26 - Ash has been taken over by Hell's Prophet. I'm not sure if this storyline is an interesting way to provide some epic quality to Ash's story or if it's a boring addition of other 'powered' people into this universe. Debating dropping the book.
Thor #608 - considering Thor's barely in this, maybe this should be Tales of Asgard. Interesting 'fill in the gaps' issue surrounding Siege but not really a Thor issue as such.
Project Superpowers Chapter Two #7 - Public domain World War II heroes return. I'm not sure I understand what's going on here. Should have cut this ages ago.
Transformers Last Stand of the Wreckers #3 - action packed, lots of twists and turns, I still enjoy this story.
Zorro #20 - lots of issues of this title have been told in flashback. This is no different. Zorro continues to play cat and mouse with the government yet it's not getting old because there's a feeling of progression, that things are changing in reaction to his actions. Good stuff.
Avengers The Initiative #34 - pretty much all Siege related fight scenes and revelations. Not bad for the middle of a story.
Secret Warriors #14 - Death and explanations. Are all spies double agents or are some triple agents?
Captain America #604 - feels appropriately gritty. At the same time it has the scale of a movie. Good deal.
Doctor Who #9 - beware what the trees are hiding.
Amazing Spider-Man #626 - bad things happen but at least Pete finally gets to explain some things to some people and that gets better for him. It's something anyway.
Futurama Comics #48 - just plain silly in the best possible way.
I still have about another dozen or so. We'll pick this up again later.
New Avengers #63 - fight scenes and flashbacks. Some of the characters that primarily only appear in this book have a 'status update' to take them into Siege and prepare them for what lays ahead. Solid.
Mighty Avengers #35 - the team has mostly fallen apart, a massive Avengers villain makes his presence known, and Hank Pym acts weird. Big 'oh wow' moment at the end. The book seems to be building to a punchline of sorts. It's almost a pity that the Avengers as a whole are getting rebooted as it feels like this book just got settled and now is having to cycle through ideas before they could wear out their welcome.
Thunderbolts #141 - the team is sent to steal something from Asgard as part of Siege. They do the bad things you'd expect and then the Mighty Avengers show up. That might give away some of what happens in the other book but maybe not. Acceptable.
Uncanny X-Men #522 - the entire issue involves the rescue of Kitty Pryde. Rough art, some unclear storytelling pages, and no real action makes me wonder if this was dramatic or boring. Leaning towards boring. The X-Men have largely become a joke and that's rather sad.
The Marvels Project #7 - The early days of Captain America is World War II. Win!
Army of Darkness #26 - Ash has been taken over by Hell's Prophet. I'm not sure if this storyline is an interesting way to provide some epic quality to Ash's story or if it's a boring addition of other 'powered' people into this universe. Debating dropping the book.
Thor #608 - considering Thor's barely in this, maybe this should be Tales of Asgard. Interesting 'fill in the gaps' issue surrounding Siege but not really a Thor issue as such.
Project Superpowers Chapter Two #7 - Public domain World War II heroes return. I'm not sure I understand what's going on here. Should have cut this ages ago.
Transformers Last Stand of the Wreckers #3 - action packed, lots of twists and turns, I still enjoy this story.
Zorro #20 - lots of issues of this title have been told in flashback. This is no different. Zorro continues to play cat and mouse with the government yet it's not getting old because there's a feeling of progression, that things are changing in reaction to his actions. Good stuff.
Avengers The Initiative #34 - pretty much all Siege related fight scenes and revelations. Not bad for the middle of a story.
Secret Warriors #14 - Death and explanations. Are all spies double agents or are some triple agents?
Captain America #604 - feels appropriately gritty. At the same time it has the scale of a movie. Good deal.
Doctor Who #9 - beware what the trees are hiding.
Amazing Spider-Man #626 - bad things happen but at least Pete finally gets to explain some things to some people and that gets better for him. It's something anyway.
Futurama Comics #48 - just plain silly in the best possible way.
I still have about another dozen or so. We'll pick this up again later.
04 April 2010
Doctor Who - 'The Eleventh Hour' Review
Synopsis:
Little Amelia Pond has a problem. She hears voices by the crack in her bedroom wall. Thankfully when she asks for help it arrives, in the form of a strange man in a blue box that crashes into her garden shed. He hears the voice as well: 'Prisoner Zero has escaped'. It turns out that his blue box is broken and it's a time machine. He'll be back in five minutes to help. Well, have you hear the one about the Time Lord that couldn't tell time?
Thoughts:
I really wanted this episode to work. It's the beginning of a new Doctor as well as a new production team. If the episode did well, then it was a sign that the show would stay strong after these changes and wasn't a cult of personality around any of the former staff.
Thankfully, I loved it.
The early sequence as I summarized it above, is just darling. Little Amelia is a cutie and sweet and the whole thing could easily be rewritten as a children's book without issue. That's meant as a compliment. Moffat continues in his overall writing theme of the innocent childlike fears being real (the bedroom crack in the wall here, but he's used simple things as shadows, statues, and lost children before) and it roots the weirdness in a reality.
We see the story's timeline from the Doctor's perspective, with even a throwaway line to cover over a possible plot hole. Therefore we learn of the consequences of the delay in his return as he does and sees what affect it has on the 'Raggedy Doctor'. The main story is a relatively simple plot that's there to establish our new characters and new Doctor. It holds together and works.
It's hard to tell how much of Matt Smith's Doctor is on display here. He admits to the fact that the regeneration isn't quite complete ('I'm still cooking' he notes at one point) so some of his actions could be down to post-regenerative mania. If this is a sign of things to come, his Doctor seems energetic, a bit goofy, and a touch distracted. He's trying to focus on a hundred things at once as well as talk to you. He's a bit like one of those kids that does four things while doing their homework only he can actually concentrate on them all at once. Admittedly I've been through the new Doctor process a few times now but as I watched I never doubted he fit in. He locks onto the role immediately. From some angles, his face looks very mature. I think he'll do nicely.
I also found it easy to warm to Amy Pond but admittedly her being a pretty red haired Scottish lass probably had something to do with that. Her life continues to get turned upside down by this man in the blue box and she seems fascinated with it and angry at the same time. It's not all been happiness and joy. She's willing to let him know that and I like that. She also doesn't seem to fancy him like some recent companions have done, although there is a scene that might point otherwise.
The TARDIS, for reasons unexplained, took some damage of late and needs some time to regenerate herself. We don't get to see the new interior until it's done and it looks nice. For whatever people want to say about the 1996 Fox TV movie, it has had a lasting impact on the show in the design of the interior. It's been dark and brown ever since as opposed to the bright and white we had for decades. I want to explore it further but it looks more 1996 TV movie than the coral we've had of late, although the console does retain some of the goofier controls that we've had since 2005.
I'm not sure about the remixed title music but the visual sequence is nice, a bit old school without looking exactly like anything else.
Good start. Can't wait until next week!
Little Amelia Pond has a problem. She hears voices by the crack in her bedroom wall. Thankfully when she asks for help it arrives, in the form of a strange man in a blue box that crashes into her garden shed. He hears the voice as well: 'Prisoner Zero has escaped'. It turns out that his blue box is broken and it's a time machine. He'll be back in five minutes to help. Well, have you hear the one about the Time Lord that couldn't tell time?
Thoughts:
I really wanted this episode to work. It's the beginning of a new Doctor as well as a new production team. If the episode did well, then it was a sign that the show would stay strong after these changes and wasn't a cult of personality around any of the former staff.
Thankfully, I loved it.
The early sequence as I summarized it above, is just darling. Little Amelia is a cutie and sweet and the whole thing could easily be rewritten as a children's book without issue. That's meant as a compliment. Moffat continues in his overall writing theme of the innocent childlike fears being real (the bedroom crack in the wall here, but he's used simple things as shadows, statues, and lost children before) and it roots the weirdness in a reality.
We see the story's timeline from the Doctor's perspective, with even a throwaway line to cover over a possible plot hole. Therefore we learn of the consequences of the delay in his return as he does and sees what affect it has on the 'Raggedy Doctor'. The main story is a relatively simple plot that's there to establish our new characters and new Doctor. It holds together and works.
It's hard to tell how much of Matt Smith's Doctor is on display here. He admits to the fact that the regeneration isn't quite complete ('I'm still cooking' he notes at one point) so some of his actions could be down to post-regenerative mania. If this is a sign of things to come, his Doctor seems energetic, a bit goofy, and a touch distracted. He's trying to focus on a hundred things at once as well as talk to you. He's a bit like one of those kids that does four things while doing their homework only he can actually concentrate on them all at once. Admittedly I've been through the new Doctor process a few times now but as I watched I never doubted he fit in. He locks onto the role immediately. From some angles, his face looks very mature. I think he'll do nicely.
I also found it easy to warm to Amy Pond but admittedly her being a pretty red haired Scottish lass probably had something to do with that. Her life continues to get turned upside down by this man in the blue box and she seems fascinated with it and angry at the same time. It's not all been happiness and joy. She's willing to let him know that and I like that. She also doesn't seem to fancy him like some recent companions have done, although there is a scene that might point otherwise.
The TARDIS, for reasons unexplained, took some damage of late and needs some time to regenerate herself. We don't get to see the new interior until it's done and it looks nice. For whatever people want to say about the 1996 Fox TV movie, it has had a lasting impact on the show in the design of the interior. It's been dark and brown ever since as opposed to the bright and white we had for decades. I want to explore it further but it looks more 1996 TV movie than the coral we've had of late, although the console does retain some of the goofier controls that we've had since 2005.
I'm not sure about the remixed title music but the visual sequence is nice, a bit old school without looking exactly like anything else.
Good start. Can't wait until next week!
03 April 2010
Tidying
One of my ongoing projects has been to tidy up my audio archive. Lots of items get imported into it and 'disappear' from sight because the information in the file is inaccurate or incomplete. As I have over 250GB of audio files, adding one or two that aren't tagged correctly means that they hide easily. This also leads to duplication as I can't remember or tell that the files have been imported.
It was a slow process until earlier this week when I realized that there was a different edit function available, one that let me update a number of fields and go from entry to entry without leaving the update field. Suddenly a tedious laborious process was made more simple. I started having some fun cleaning up the database as it didn't feel as much like work.
That's why this has been a bit quiet of late. I've become addicted to tinkering in the audio archive. Sorry about that. Will be catching up on comics soon. There's also new Doctor Who to talk about. Hooray for that!
It was a slow process until earlier this week when I realized that there was a different edit function available, one that let me update a number of fields and go from entry to entry without leaving the update field. Suddenly a tedious laborious process was made more simple. I started having some fun cleaning up the database as it didn't feel as much like work.
That's why this has been a bit quiet of late. I've become addicted to tinkering in the audio archive. Sorry about that. Will be catching up on comics soon. There's also new Doctor Who to talk about. Hooray for that!
30 March 2010
Great Mileage from a Gift
One of the problems with things that are always there is that they are always there. They become comfortable. It can be hard to acknowledge them. We expect things to be 'right' and 'functioning correctly' so we don't praise them for doing what they're supposed to do, only become upset when they fail.
Anyway, I was looking over some of the decorations in my room today and actually looked at some of them. One thing that occurred to me is that I don't redecorate often. One of the other things I thought was that I'd gotten very good mileage out of a decoration that was given to me ages ago as a silly gift.
So an additional thank you is necessary to those friends of mine that, at some point in the distant past, gave me that box of socks that featured Kathy Ireland on the box. It is still a source of amusement and such.
Anyway, I was looking over some of the decorations in my room today and actually looked at some of them. One thing that occurred to me is that I don't redecorate often. One of the other things I thought was that I'd gotten very good mileage out of a decoration that was given to me ages ago as a silly gift.
So an additional thank you is necessary to those friends of mine that, at some point in the distant past, gave me that box of socks that featured Kathy Ireland on the box. It is still a source of amusement and such.
29 March 2010
Music Monday - The Cardigans
Frighteningly enough, I'm still a bit stuck in this 'pop' world. It's okay, I'm getting better.
Perhaps you saw the band name above and remembered their 'One Hit Wonder' song 'Lovefool'. Now you probably hate me for reminding you of it. When that song was first appearing, I was volunteering at a local college radio station on my buddy's show. They had received the album. We looked at it and saw 'Iron Man' on the track listing. Could it be the Black Sabbath song? We played it on the air and fell about the studio laughing with joy at their bizarre cover. They had a sense of humor. I was hooked. That lead singer Nina was mad hot didn't hurt any.
The other song I knew by them was from an earlier album with a slightly different style.
The song always felt like it should have been on the soundtrack to some 1960s spy movie, or an episode of 'The Man From UNCLE' perhaps. It's got a jangly, catchy Sergio Mendes style to it. From this song you can see where 'Lovefool' came from. It's not a style they stayed in for long.
It's not exactly subtle but it is a more complex narrative in the lyrics. At the very least, it's not mindlessly repetitive. It does remain catchy. I love the way the song soars around the chorus, as if the wind of the storm was picking up.
Another not-so-subtle concept delivered in an amusing way. And there's cowbell! Can't go wrong with cowbell.
Look, I'm not trying to say they're the best band in the world and had one song that entertained and annoyed the nation. I'm trying to say that you shouldn't hold that song against them. Try some of their other music as well.
Iron Man
I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer
You're The Storm
Perhaps you saw the band name above and remembered their 'One Hit Wonder' song 'Lovefool'. Now you probably hate me for reminding you of it. When that song was first appearing, I was volunteering at a local college radio station on my buddy's show. They had received the album. We looked at it and saw 'Iron Man' on the track listing. Could it be the Black Sabbath song? We played it on the air and fell about the studio laughing with joy at their bizarre cover. They had a sense of humor. I was hooked. That lead singer Nina was mad hot didn't hurt any.
The other song I knew by them was from an earlier album with a slightly different style.
The song always felt like it should have been on the soundtrack to some 1960s spy movie, or an episode of 'The Man From UNCLE' perhaps. It's got a jangly, catchy Sergio Mendes style to it. From this song you can see where 'Lovefool' came from. It's not a style they stayed in for long.
It's not exactly subtle but it is a more complex narrative in the lyrics. At the very least, it's not mindlessly repetitive. It does remain catchy. I love the way the song soars around the chorus, as if the wind of the storm was picking up.
Another not-so-subtle concept delivered in an amusing way. And there's cowbell! Can't go wrong with cowbell.
Look, I'm not trying to say they're the best band in the world and had one song that entertained and annoyed the nation. I'm trying to say that you shouldn't hold that song against them. Try some of their other music as well.
Iron Man
I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer You're The Storm
25 March 2010
'K-9 : Regeneration' review
Did you know that K-9 was getting his own show? Yep, that's why he's not on the Sarah Jane Adventures. It's an Australian show made for Disney XD or whatever that channel is called.
At a non-specific time in the future, London is filled with robot police and young men willing to 'rebel against the system'. A young hacker gentleman and young lady trying to join him sneak into a house to avoid the cops after some cyber graffiti. There they accidentally interrupt a professor's experiment into time. He's trying to bring his family back and the young man interrupts the flow by tripping over the massive power plug for the machinery and pulling it from the wall. Plugging it back in doesn't get the professor's family but does get some weird hulking aliens as well as a robot dog, K-9. In the process of fighting off the aliens, K-9 self-destructs but then rebuilds himself as K-9 mark two. There's some conflict with the professor's young assistant, the company funding the professor's experiments, and the robot cops. It ends on a 'joke'.
It's really bad. It's not even 'I don't care for it but I can see how kids might like it', it's just bad. To be fair, it's only the first episode and it might get better, but this episode was just a bunch of things happening. I go no understanding of how the characters know each other or why the ones apparently just meeting each other bother to put up with each other. Is the cyber graffiti kid just rebelling as kids do or is the 'system' really sinister? I know you can't develop everything in one half-hour episode but this really felt like a lack of trying.
The redesigned K-9 is fine but he switches between an actual prop and a clearly CGI version. Not cool. At least the weird aliens appeared to be suits but nothing was made of their weird shimmer. I decided it had something to do with being in the time stream. I don't think they were even given names.
I was not impressed. At all.
At a non-specific time in the future, London is filled with robot police and young men willing to 'rebel against the system'. A young hacker gentleman and young lady trying to join him sneak into a house to avoid the cops after some cyber graffiti. There they accidentally interrupt a professor's experiment into time. He's trying to bring his family back and the young man interrupts the flow by tripping over the massive power plug for the machinery and pulling it from the wall. Plugging it back in doesn't get the professor's family but does get some weird hulking aliens as well as a robot dog, K-9. In the process of fighting off the aliens, K-9 self-destructs but then rebuilds himself as K-9 mark two. There's some conflict with the professor's young assistant, the company funding the professor's experiments, and the robot cops. It ends on a 'joke'.
It's really bad. It's not even 'I don't care for it but I can see how kids might like it', it's just bad. To be fair, it's only the first episode and it might get better, but this episode was just a bunch of things happening. I go no understanding of how the characters know each other or why the ones apparently just meeting each other bother to put up with each other. Is the cyber graffiti kid just rebelling as kids do or is the 'system' really sinister? I know you can't develop everything in one half-hour episode but this really felt like a lack of trying.
The redesigned K-9 is fine but he switches between an actual prop and a clearly CGI version. Not cool. At least the weird aliens appeared to be suits but nothing was made of their weird shimmer. I decided it had something to do with being in the time stream. I don't think they were even given names.
I was not impressed. At all.
24 March 2010
Feeling Rewarded
I belong to a number of 'reward' type programs for different companies or stores. There's the grocery one, the toy store one, the Best Buy one, all programs that say 'spend more money here and we'll cut you a slightly better deal'. At least that's the incentive to sign up. Rack up some sort of points from spending money and it'll work out for you. Or buy ten cans of soup instead of the two you wanted and it'll be slightly cheaper in the long run. That sort of thing.
I've joked about the love that Best Buy had for me in the past. How I spent so much money there at one point in time that they just gave me a Rewards Zone card back when there used to be an annual fee to have one. It was nice and I appreciated it but someone else has done better.
Last year in the haze of reuniting with the now-less-evil Disney, I realized that I was going to be engaging my Film History Geek mode more often as regards their movies. Disney has their own rewards program where you rack up points via the purchase of Blu-Rays and DVDs and movie tickets that can be turned into prizes at different levels of achievement. There are a number of movies that are only available on DVD via this rewards club. I realized that I had a number of codes in my collection from previous Muppet purchases and soon racked up a number of points just by looking around what I already owned.
For the past couple months I've been very close to a reward, a two pack of DVDs that I had an interest in moreso that the rest: the 'Donald in Mathmagic Land' short that I remembered watching in school and the 'Ducktales' movie. The club is active on Facebook and sends emails with bonus codes so I was whittling away at the gap, ten points here, fifteen there, while waiting to get a deal on a disk that would put my into reward completion land.
Earlier this month was my birthday. Still tired, I checked my email right away in the morning as I always do and here was a note from the rewards club: Congrats on getting old, want a free Blu-Ray? I followed the link to the club website and was offered one of five Blu-Rays for 'free', apart from paying for shipping and handling, a whole $3.17. Sure, what the heck! It might take 6-8 weeks to arrive.
Four days later, I had the disk as it came all the way from the Reward Club headquarters in Neenah, Wisconsin. I've never been that interested in moving up north before finding that out (they were hiring for awhile too!). The best part is that this almost free disk came with a code that gave me enough points to earn my reward!
I ordered the two disk pack, expecting to have to pay for shipping and handling again. Nope. When they say 'free reward', they mean it! No cost, here you go, they arrived yesterday.
I felt the love. The old opening for the Wonderful World of Disney show, packed full of old park footage, that played before the Donald short didn't hurt any either.
Thumbs up! Thank you!
http://www.disneymovierewards.com
I've joked about the love that Best Buy had for me in the past. How I spent so much money there at one point in time that they just gave me a Rewards Zone card back when there used to be an annual fee to have one. It was nice and I appreciated it but someone else has done better.
Last year in the haze of reuniting with the now-less-evil Disney, I realized that I was going to be engaging my Film History Geek mode more often as regards their movies. Disney has their own rewards program where you rack up points via the purchase of Blu-Rays and DVDs and movie tickets that can be turned into prizes at different levels of achievement. There are a number of movies that are only available on DVD via this rewards club. I realized that I had a number of codes in my collection from previous Muppet purchases and soon racked up a number of points just by looking around what I already owned.
For the past couple months I've been very close to a reward, a two pack of DVDs that I had an interest in moreso that the rest: the 'Donald in Mathmagic Land' short that I remembered watching in school and the 'Ducktales' movie. The club is active on Facebook and sends emails with bonus codes so I was whittling away at the gap, ten points here, fifteen there, while waiting to get a deal on a disk that would put my into reward completion land.
Earlier this month was my birthday. Still tired, I checked my email right away in the morning as I always do and here was a note from the rewards club: Congrats on getting old, want a free Blu-Ray? I followed the link to the club website and was offered one of five Blu-Rays for 'free', apart from paying for shipping and handling, a whole $3.17. Sure, what the heck! It might take 6-8 weeks to arrive.
Four days later, I had the disk as it came all the way from the Reward Club headquarters in Neenah, Wisconsin. I've never been that interested in moving up north before finding that out (they were hiring for awhile too!). The best part is that this almost free disk came with a code that gave me enough points to earn my reward!
I ordered the two disk pack, expecting to have to pay for shipping and handling again. Nope. When they say 'free reward', they mean it! No cost, here you go, they arrived yesterday.
I felt the love. The old opening for the Wonderful World of Disney show, packed full of old park footage, that played before the Donald short didn't hurt any either.
Thumbs up! Thank you!
http://www.disneymovierewards.com
23 March 2010
Yes I understand that talking about this gag will not be as fun as watching it
Today I watched the new episode of the Simpsons that aired this past Sunday. On the whole, not a bad episode, with some entertaining parts.
Early on there was a moment (I'll try to not spoil the whole thing) when Principal Skinner had reason to pretend to be Bart. He's on the auditorium stage acting as Bart but Homer's not buying it. Then Skinner snaps at him, calling him fat and such. Without hesitation, Homer cried out 'why you little!' and starts choking Skinner as if he were Bart.
I don't laugh out loud much when I watch TV by myself but this broke me up. The comedy of Homer becoming invested enough in that moment where Skinner became Bart to him was great. The gag built up perfectly. It was a logical event for the character that still had a comedic impact.
Off the wall wacky is all fun for awhile but character based buffoonery will win out in the end.
Early on there was a moment (I'll try to not spoil the whole thing) when Principal Skinner had reason to pretend to be Bart. He's on the auditorium stage acting as Bart but Homer's not buying it. Then Skinner snaps at him, calling him fat and such. Without hesitation, Homer cried out 'why you little!' and starts choking Skinner as if he were Bart.
I don't laugh out loud much when I watch TV by myself but this broke me up. The comedy of Homer becoming invested enough in that moment where Skinner became Bart to him was great. The gag built up perfectly. It was a logical event for the character that still had a comedic impact.
Off the wall wacky is all fun for awhile but character based buffoonery will win out in the end.
22 March 2010
Music Monday - Material Issue
Last week's talk of 'pop' music made me think of a more recent band that followed in the footsteps of the Hollies in that regard. In the late 1980s and early 1990s there was a band that worked a catchy, guitar driven style with harmonies and were considered 'alternative'. Ah, useless, useless labels. They were Material Issue!
Valerie Loves Me
'Valerie Loves Me' is the video/song that I first remember hearing from the band and it was perfect for getting my attention. It sounded like music I already liked without specifically referencing a band's style. The story of the song, a young man in love with a woman who pays him no mind until it's too late, fit well into my still adolescent mindset. It was something I felt I had lived, apart perhaps from the 'now that you want me you can't have me' phase. I was hooked. The band also gave me hope that they could help me figure out 'What Girls Want'.
This video annoyed me. Show those cars more! Still, this song has a much happier ending, it's not all gloom and doom for our pop heroes! Except, of course, when it is.
The band ceases to exist in 1996 when lead singer Jim Ellison is sadly found dead in his garage of carbon monoxide poisoning at his own hand. While gone, this music is not forgotten. It's just too good for that to happen.
Valerie Loves Me
'Valerie Loves Me' is the video/song that I first remember hearing from the band and it was perfect for getting my attention. It sounded like music I already liked without specifically referencing a band's style. The story of the song, a young man in love with a woman who pays him no mind until it's too late, fit well into my still adolescent mindset. It was something I felt I had lived, apart perhaps from the 'now that you want me you can't have me' phase. I was hooked. The band also gave me hope that they could help me figure out 'What Girls Want'.
This video annoyed me. Show those cars more! Still, this song has a much happier ending, it's not all gloom and doom for our pop heroes! Except, of course, when it is.
The band ceases to exist in 1996 when lead singer Jim Ellison is sadly found dead in his garage of carbon monoxide poisoning at his own hand. While gone, this music is not forgotten. It's just too good for that to happen.
18 March 2010
A Few Thoughts on Comics from This Week
Brian Bendis often talks in interviews about having different styles of writing when approaching comics but he's known for, stereotyped as, being the guy that takes six issues to tell two issues worth of story while filling the rest of the time with somewhat realistic dialogue that reminds one of Kevin Smith without the sexual and bodily function references. Going into issue #3, Siege has not been like that. The story has been focused on the key elements of the tale with tie-in books filling in some of the details that aren't necessary to know in order to enjoy the main book. Siege #3 moves along at a fast paced, action packed clip, that manages to take enough time to provide detail so that the story continues to make sense. Combined with the detailed art and the Big Moments that are paying off as truly game changing makes this a book to get. I am very impressed with this mini-series. I mean, I did really enjoy Secret Invasion but the last few issues just felt like one big fight scene that was drawn in a 'lets get everyone in there somewhere'. While a lot of that is happening here, the art works with the story, so that the battle 'feels' right, not just like a two page splash panel with a bunch of characters on it. Just... Wow.
Groo - The Hogs of Horder #4 completes this mini-series where the story has surrounded some familiar sounding economic troubles. You wouldn't think it would be funny but it is. It manages to sound like newspaper headlines without being depressing. Uplifting even. The moral of the story is a good one if a bit 'easier said than done' - the best person to work for is yourself.
Hercules - Fall of an Avenger #1 of 2 features Herc's funeral. Friends get together to tell stories of the fallen. Amusing but not essential.
Dark Avengers #15 builds into Siege. It exists for really one moment, one event that clearly has an impact on what will later happen in Siege. Beyond that moment, there's nothing really to see here.
Muppet King Arthur #3 still doesn't feel... right. It's amusing, the art is decent, the story is acceptable, there's a Monty Python reference, but it still doesn't have the impact that Muppet Peter Pan had, or even Muppet Robin Hood. Perfectly acceptable Muppetry but nothing exciting.
Nova #35 completes the Sphinx story with a twist at the end. I continue to enjoy Nova but this feels more like Perfectly Acceptable 1990s Comics more than the 'Wow!' I expect from Nova. Next issue begins the tie-in with the next big cosmic storyline so maybe that'll kickstart things again. It's not that there's anything wrong with this issue or this storyline, it's just B instead of A+.
Simpsons Comics #164 is entertaining. The storyline is about 'Cash for Clunkers' and therefore feels like it should have come out last year. That's a problem the show seems to have of late as well, topical references that aren't topical by the time the episode airs. Then again, you can be too topical as well and then you're not funny a year later. I should read this again in a year.
Amazing Spider-Man #625 is very sad. It's clear that a happy story from a month or two ago existed solely to have this follow-up story occur and have a greater impact. Bad Things happen to a Spidey villain and he will be worse for it in the future. Depressing in a well written sort of way.
Thankfully I read The Muppet Show Comic Book #3 after Spidey. All better! I had expected the gang to be on the road away from the being repaired Muppet Theatre for another issue or two but they return home at the beginning of this issue. Gonzo takes the 'slow' way home in order to raise money for charity and Fozzie is still missing. The twist around Fozzie's absence is no real twist but everything works out as it should. Statler and Waldorf being lost without Fozzie to heckle is a great insight into the characters. It's as if it's their job in life to push Fozzie onwards. There's a fondness there that doesn't need to be fondness at the same time. There's also a Muppet Labs experiment that leads to multiple Beakers. Ah, Good Stuff.
Groo - The Hogs of Horder #4 completes this mini-series where the story has surrounded some familiar sounding economic troubles. You wouldn't think it would be funny but it is. It manages to sound like newspaper headlines without being depressing. Uplifting even. The moral of the story is a good one if a bit 'easier said than done' - the best person to work for is yourself.
Hercules - Fall of an Avenger #1 of 2 features Herc's funeral. Friends get together to tell stories of the fallen. Amusing but not essential.
Dark Avengers #15 builds into Siege. It exists for really one moment, one event that clearly has an impact on what will later happen in Siege. Beyond that moment, there's nothing really to see here.
Muppet King Arthur #3 still doesn't feel... right. It's amusing, the art is decent, the story is acceptable, there's a Monty Python reference, but it still doesn't have the impact that Muppet Peter Pan had, or even Muppet Robin Hood. Perfectly acceptable Muppetry but nothing exciting.
Nova #35 completes the Sphinx story with a twist at the end. I continue to enjoy Nova but this feels more like Perfectly Acceptable 1990s Comics more than the 'Wow!' I expect from Nova. Next issue begins the tie-in with the next big cosmic storyline so maybe that'll kickstart things again. It's not that there's anything wrong with this issue or this storyline, it's just B instead of A+.
Simpsons Comics #164 is entertaining. The storyline is about 'Cash for Clunkers' and therefore feels like it should have come out last year. That's a problem the show seems to have of late as well, topical references that aren't topical by the time the episode airs. Then again, you can be too topical as well and then you're not funny a year later. I should read this again in a year.
Amazing Spider-Man #625 is very sad. It's clear that a happy story from a month or two ago existed solely to have this follow-up story occur and have a greater impact. Bad Things happen to a Spidey villain and he will be worse for it in the future. Depressing in a well written sort of way.
Thankfully I read The Muppet Show Comic Book #3 after Spidey. All better! I had expected the gang to be on the road away from the being repaired Muppet Theatre for another issue or two but they return home at the beginning of this issue. Gonzo takes the 'slow' way home in order to raise money for charity and Fozzie is still missing. The twist around Fozzie's absence is no real twist but everything works out as it should. Statler and Waldorf being lost without Fozzie to heckle is a great insight into the characters. It's as if it's their job in life to push Fozzie onwards. There's a fondness there that doesn't need to be fondness at the same time. There's also a Muppet Labs experiment that leads to multiple Beakers. Ah, Good Stuff.
16 March 2010
MPM to Shed Free Day?
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/87726152.html
I've had to read this article a few times to get the sense of it. At first glance it seemed like the goal was to remove the traditional free entry on Mondays for Milwaukee County residents. Upon further inspection, Dan Finley seems to be arguing that Monday is not sacred.
Some of this is clearly financial even if it's 'not about the money'. The Museum has a number of volunteer employees to help fill out their ranks. If, say, the free day was moved to Sunday, perhaps they would have more volunteers available to meet the increased visitor volume that the free day generates. There is a financial aspect to the question even if there continues to be a free day of entry.
I honestly can't remember a time when the free day at the Museum wasn't Monday. Since I was a kid it's been one of those 'you know you're from Milwaukee when you know the free day at the Museum is Monday'. With the Museum being a symbol of history and tradition, it doesn't seem right to change that process.
Yet, if it's not working, it should go or be moved. Just because something is a tradition doesn't mean it has to happen that way for always. The Museum is also a symbol of science and understanding. Those things sometimes change.
As I have a membership, I get in for 'free' all the time so, at the moment, this doesn't directly affect me. Yet, somehow, it does. I note all the other changes to the Museum that I notice. This one would be weird.
I've had to read this article a few times to get the sense of it. At first glance it seemed like the goal was to remove the traditional free entry on Mondays for Milwaukee County residents. Upon further inspection, Dan Finley seems to be arguing that Monday is not sacred.
Some of this is clearly financial even if it's 'not about the money'. The Museum has a number of volunteer employees to help fill out their ranks. If, say, the free day was moved to Sunday, perhaps they would have more volunteers available to meet the increased visitor volume that the free day generates. There is a financial aspect to the question even if there continues to be a free day of entry.
I honestly can't remember a time when the free day at the Museum wasn't Monday. Since I was a kid it's been one of those 'you know you're from Milwaukee when you know the free day at the Museum is Monday'. With the Museum being a symbol of history and tradition, it doesn't seem right to change that process.
Yet, if it's not working, it should go or be moved. Just because something is a tradition doesn't mean it has to happen that way for always. The Museum is also a symbol of science and understanding. Those things sometimes change.
As I have a membership, I get in for 'free' all the time so, at the moment, this doesn't directly affect me. Yet, somehow, it does. I note all the other changes to the Museum that I notice. This one would be weird.
15 March 2010
Music Monday - The Hollies
Truth be told, much of the music from the 1950s and 1960s that we consider to be rock and roll was considered pop at the time. Pop music? Heavens no! Pop music conjures up the idea of heavily processed music, pre-fabricated stuff that's lethal to your brain. It's not necessarily supposed to be so. It was 'popular'. It just needs to be catchy, have hooks and lyrics that burn into your brain.
That's exactly what the Hollies have been for years.
Clearly a pop song from the sound of it, catchy and fun. Yet there's a story being told, there's a depth to it, it's a playful depth, but it's depth nonetheless. And the subject matter of a 'dancing' lady might be common for pop music now, but not of the pop music of the 1960s. There is something different here, something that's not pre-programmed to appeal to the populace.
This just rocks too hard to be a simple pop song. Certainly the subject matter is simple enough in it's love song way, but there's a growl to the guitar, an echo that feeds with the harmonies of the singers that becomes more than the sum of its parts.
I need to give you one song that might be familiar and here it is, the 'what is he singing?' classic - Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress.
The Hollies are going into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame today. This is a fine thing, especially as there is no Pop Music Hall of Fame and that building would probably have too much ABBA in it anyway. There's still a version of the band that tours today and they still occasionally record new albums. Outstanding!
Congratulations to the Hollies!
That's exactly what the Hollies have been for years.
Clearly a pop song from the sound of it, catchy and fun. Yet there's a story being told, there's a depth to it, it's a playful depth, but it's depth nonetheless. And the subject matter of a 'dancing' lady might be common for pop music now, but not of the pop music of the 1960s. There is something different here, something that's not pre-programmed to appeal to the populace.
This just rocks too hard to be a simple pop song. Certainly the subject matter is simple enough in it's love song way, but there's a growl to the guitar, an echo that feeds with the harmonies of the singers that becomes more than the sum of its parts.
I need to give you one song that might be familiar and here it is, the 'what is he singing?' classic - Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress.
The Hollies are going into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame today. This is a fine thing, especially as there is no Pop Music Hall of Fame and that building would probably have too much ABBA in it anyway. There's still a version of the band that tours today and they still occasionally record new albums. Outstanding!
Congratulations to the Hollies!
13 March 2010
A Few Thoughts on Comics from This Week
The Twelve : Spearhead is a one-shot 'apology' comic. You see, The Twelve is a twelve part mini-series from Marvel starring some lesser known heroes from the World War Two era. The problem is that issue eight of twelve came out months ago and issue nine is still to come. This issue is a 'please stay interested in the mini-series, we promise to finish it honest' prequel to the mini-series. Chris Weston's art is excellent, detailed without losing a cartoony edge. The story puts the characters in Europe near the end of the war and features visits from the Howling Commandos and Captain America. Good stuff. It did remind me of everything I enjoyed from the mini-series and just makes me more annoyed that it's not done yet.
Savage Dragon #158 is mid way through the 'Dragon War' storyline. What brought us to this point is complicated and I won't try to explain it all. The issue has caused me to reflect on the series a bit. No matter what you may think about writer/artist Erik Larsen's work, I believe it can be agreed that he keeps moving forward. His characters aren't set in stone, resetting themselves every so often like sitcom characters or other comic book stars. Dragon's situation changes every so often and never returns to a 'default' position. Right now, Dragon's personality has changed. In a normal comic, the expectation would be that at the end of the story, this would get fixed, he'd get hit on the head with a coconut or somesuch, but here, there's no reason to believe we'll get Dragon back as we once knew him. It's very interesting and should be saluted.
Web of Spider-Man #6 provides us some insight into the origins of the Lizard as well as the Man-Thing, tying the two characters together. This works better than I expected. Nothing's really changed, just some details added to both beginnings to make them work that much better.
Transformers - Bumblebee ends with issue #4. Bumblebee has more guilt, there's a fight, there's a gamble, ... and is that Goldbug? I enjoyed this book as the 'additional information' it seems to have been intended to be compared to the standard Transformers monthly book. Nice clear art and a simple story with enough twists and turns to make it interesting.
Peter Parker often jokes that he has bad luck. In the Amazing Spider-Man #624 he doesn't have bad luck so much as he makes a mistake, a big mistake, and gets caught. His intentions were good but the action was wrong. The reactions of other characters to this are well within character. All I can say at this point is 'ouch'.
Savage Dragon #158 is mid way through the 'Dragon War' storyline. What brought us to this point is complicated and I won't try to explain it all. The issue has caused me to reflect on the series a bit. No matter what you may think about writer/artist Erik Larsen's work, I believe it can be agreed that he keeps moving forward. His characters aren't set in stone, resetting themselves every so often like sitcom characters or other comic book stars. Dragon's situation changes every so often and never returns to a 'default' position. Right now, Dragon's personality has changed. In a normal comic, the expectation would be that at the end of the story, this would get fixed, he'd get hit on the head with a coconut or somesuch, but here, there's no reason to believe we'll get Dragon back as we once knew him. It's very interesting and should be saluted.
Web of Spider-Man #6 provides us some insight into the origins of the Lizard as well as the Man-Thing, tying the two characters together. This works better than I expected. Nothing's really changed, just some details added to both beginnings to make them work that much better.
Transformers - Bumblebee ends with issue #4. Bumblebee has more guilt, there's a fight, there's a gamble, ... and is that Goldbug? I enjoyed this book as the 'additional information' it seems to have been intended to be compared to the standard Transformers monthly book. Nice clear art and a simple story with enough twists and turns to make it interesting.
Peter Parker often jokes that he has bad luck. In the Amazing Spider-Man #624 he doesn't have bad luck so much as he makes a mistake, a big mistake, and gets caught. His intentions were good but the action was wrong. The reactions of other characters to this are well within character. All I can say at this point is 'ouch'.
11 March 2010
'Why now?'
Last week, while hanging out at the shop, I got a text message from another buddy, commenting on the episode of Doctor Who he'd just watched. As I was talking with a fellow fan, I showed him the text as well. After a moment of being pleased that the texter was watching the show, I was asked 'Why now?'
Lester, for that is his name, had an interesting point. I've been watching Doctor Who for nearly thirty years now. Having grown up in Jamaica when the series first aired there, Lester's been watching it for longer than that, having gotten to see episodes that no longer exist in their visual form. After all our polite support of the series over the years, after all the fan fiction I'd written, after everything else, why do I know so many people giving the show a try and getting so on board with it?
Looking back on the original run of the series, I can see why it might have been difficult to get into for many people. The episodes from the 1960s are in black and white, having a different pace than modern television. The episodes from the 1970s have wonky special effects, often deemed important in the post-Star Wars world. The episodes from the 1980s are a mix of good, completely wonky ('Time Flight' any one?), or so filled with continuity that fans need diagrams to work it all out ('Attack of the Cybermen' springs to mind). Watch the wrong episode and it can be easy to be turned off.
The length that the programme ran could also be intimidating. 26 years, 700 some episodes (even with 108 still visually missing), as well as books and magazines and such can be very overwhelming. I do remember talking to people and them expressing the feeling that they would need to 'know too much' in order to understand it. The style of longer stories over four or six or however many episodes held back some. Testing the show required a time investment that many found insurmountable.
If all that is the case, then why do so many new fans of the show dip into the 'classic' series as well? Why did sales of the 'classic' series on DVD jump once the new series became popular?
The 'Rosetta Stone' effect.
It's happened to me with bands before. I'd hear a song and wouldn't care for it. After it got into rotation, I'd start to hate it. Why did other people like this so much?
Then the band would come out with a new song. I'd hear it and like it. Wow! That was that band I didn't like? Really? I'd listen to the original song and the whatever I didn't like about it, the singer's voice or a hook, suddenly worked for me. I liked it now as well. Now I understood the appeal.
That's what I think is happening here. The traditional aspects of Doctor Who transferred from the classic series to the current one so that older fans can see it's largely the same show (even if there are parts of it they don't care for) and newer fans can look back on older episodes and see some of what they like in there (even if the effects are often rubbish to new eyes). The rest of the current series reflects how television is made today, and the BBC supports it in words and money like they rarely did before. Shorter stories, a faster pace, an emotional core, better effects are all there to draw the modern viewer in to this universe. The format of Doctor Who is flexible enough to survive this 'regeneration' intact.
Much like it has survived in the past when television has changed. When the show started being filmed in colour, started seeing more action sequences, became darker, or became a series of novels to keep the torch alive. Much like it will change in the future as needed, given the chance.
Because that's what the Doctor does best, adapt and survive. Okay, well, what he does best is save the universe with an eraser, a piece of string, a crystal from a far off planet, his Sonic Screwdriver, and a joke, but let's not split hairs, hmm?
Lester, for that is his name, had an interesting point. I've been watching Doctor Who for nearly thirty years now. Having grown up in Jamaica when the series first aired there, Lester's been watching it for longer than that, having gotten to see episodes that no longer exist in their visual form. After all our polite support of the series over the years, after all the fan fiction I'd written, after everything else, why do I know so many people giving the show a try and getting so on board with it?
Looking back on the original run of the series, I can see why it might have been difficult to get into for many people. The episodes from the 1960s are in black and white, having a different pace than modern television. The episodes from the 1970s have wonky special effects, often deemed important in the post-Star Wars world. The episodes from the 1980s are a mix of good, completely wonky ('Time Flight' any one?), or so filled with continuity that fans need diagrams to work it all out ('Attack of the Cybermen' springs to mind). Watch the wrong episode and it can be easy to be turned off.
The length that the programme ran could also be intimidating. 26 years, 700 some episodes (even with 108 still visually missing), as well as books and magazines and such can be very overwhelming. I do remember talking to people and them expressing the feeling that they would need to 'know too much' in order to understand it. The style of longer stories over four or six or however many episodes held back some. Testing the show required a time investment that many found insurmountable.
If all that is the case, then why do so many new fans of the show dip into the 'classic' series as well? Why did sales of the 'classic' series on DVD jump once the new series became popular?
The 'Rosetta Stone' effect.
It's happened to me with bands before. I'd hear a song and wouldn't care for it. After it got into rotation, I'd start to hate it. Why did other people like this so much?
Then the band would come out with a new song. I'd hear it and like it. Wow! That was that band I didn't like? Really? I'd listen to the original song and the whatever I didn't like about it, the singer's voice or a hook, suddenly worked for me. I liked it now as well. Now I understood the appeal.
That's what I think is happening here. The traditional aspects of Doctor Who transferred from the classic series to the current one so that older fans can see it's largely the same show (even if there are parts of it they don't care for) and newer fans can look back on older episodes and see some of what they like in there (even if the effects are often rubbish to new eyes). The rest of the current series reflects how television is made today, and the BBC supports it in words and money like they rarely did before. Shorter stories, a faster pace, an emotional core, better effects are all there to draw the modern viewer in to this universe. The format of Doctor Who is flexible enough to survive this 'regeneration' intact.
Much like it has survived in the past when television has changed. When the show started being filmed in colour, started seeing more action sequences, became darker, or became a series of novels to keep the torch alive. Much like it will change in the future as needed, given the chance.
Because that's what the Doctor does best, adapt and survive. Okay, well, what he does best is save the universe with an eraser, a piece of string, a crystal from a far off planet, his Sonic Screwdriver, and a joke, but let's not split hairs, hmm?
09 March 2010
It's Not All Fun Today
I had something much more fun to talk about today but something else has come up, something pressing. I'm in mourning.
They're closing my Best Buy.
I walked in today to pick up a thing or two and was confused at the crowd in the parking lot. Everything left in the store, well almost, is on clearance. Stuff was flying out of that store. No new stuff unfortunately and the cuts weren't deep enough for me to take advantage of at the moment. Wish I had the $300 to drop on an LCD TV though.
This is the store that many of my friends worked at, that my brother worked at. This is the store that I bought so many CDs and DVDs at, the store where I got to be smarter than the average bear, the store I would wander around, haunt even.
Soon it will be gone. I miss it already.
They're closing my Best Buy.
I walked in today to pick up a thing or two and was confused at the crowd in the parking lot. Everything left in the store, well almost, is on clearance. Stuff was flying out of that store. No new stuff unfortunately and the cuts weren't deep enough for me to take advantage of at the moment. Wish I had the $300 to drop on an LCD TV though.
This is the store that many of my friends worked at, that my brother worked at. This is the store that I bought so many CDs and DVDs at, the store where I got to be smarter than the average bear, the store I would wander around, haunt even.
Soon it will be gone. I miss it already.
08 March 2010
Music Monday - Muppets!
I love it when my interests crash together and make some weird new thing. Much of this must come from my love of the Muppet Show as a child as they brought in some truly odd guest stars and made it work on a weirdly weekly basis. Some guests weren't all that weird but their song choice may have been, like Johnny Cash from the fifth season:
But a weird guest? A truly odd guest? Vincent Price! And he's singing?!?
I still think it's a shame that Tom Baker was never a guest on the Muppet Show. They filmed in England, he's so delightfully unique, it would have been a fun show. This came full circle in the revived Who series when the Doctor expressed a fondness for the Muppets. Somehow that led someone to create this next video. Most fan videos are pretty, well, crummy. This one is actually clever. Which is nice.
But a weird guest? A truly odd guest? Vincent Price! And he's singing?!?
I still think it's a shame that Tom Baker was never a guest on the Muppet Show. They filmed in England, he's so delightfully unique, it would have been a fun show. This came full circle in the revived Who series when the Doctor expressed a fondness for the Muppets. Somehow that led someone to create this next video. Most fan videos are pretty, well, crummy. This one is actually clever. Which is nice.
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