There's a lot of press out there about Dark Knight Rises. Entertainment Weekly arrived in the mail with, seriously, a horrendously designed cover.
 |
| Gah. |
Film. Comics. Sci-Fi. Superheroes. Pulp. Noir. History. Superman. 20th Century Archaeology.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Dark Knight Rises Prep: Pre-Movie-Experience Management
So, something I've been doing of late is just basically not bothering to learn much about a movie before I go see it.
There's a lot of press out there about Dark Knight Rises. Entertainment Weekly arrived in the mail with, seriously, a horrendously designed cover.
I'm not going to read the articles on the movie because, well, at some point I'd like to just sit back, watch a movie and tear it apart on it's own merits. I don't need to read what Christopher Nolan was thinking until after the movie. If I care at that point.
There's a lot of press out there about Dark Knight Rises. Entertainment Weekly arrived in the mail with, seriously, a horrendously designed cover.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Why can't I do a Kickstarter or Indie-Go-Go to fund my home repairs?
I walked into work around 12:00 today, slouch shouldered and bummed.
"How's it going?" asked CoworkerKristi.
"@#$% my life," I replied.
You see, Austin has not experienced much weather other than Arrakis-like heat and the occasional Degobah-like humidity for about, oh, two years.
Not so long ago, in May, the sky tried this thing called "raining" again, and at first we were overjoyed. And then one night I was about to go to bed when I noticed a large puddle had formed on our dining room floor. I immediately blamed Lucy, but even her mighty bladder wouldn't have held that much, and besides, she hasn't had an accident in years. So I looked up and a chunk of plaster was missing from the ceiling where we had a drip.
"How's it going?" asked CoworkerKristi.
"@#$% my life," I replied.
You see, Austin has not experienced much weather other than Arrakis-like heat and the occasional Degobah-like humidity for about, oh, two years.
Not so long ago, in May, the sky tried this thing called "raining" again, and at first we were overjoyed. And then one night I was about to go to bed when I noticed a large puddle had formed on our dining room floor. I immediately blamed Lucy, but even her mighty bladder wouldn't have held that much, and besides, she hasn't had an accident in years. So I looked up and a chunk of plaster was missing from the ceiling where we had a drip.
Dark Knight Rises Prep: Bat Bat and The Bug Wonder
For reasons unknown to science, in the late 1980's someone let Ralph Bakshi and John Kricfalusi (of Ren and Stimpy fame) make a Mighty Mouse cartoon. It's run was brief, and it went down in a hail of PMRC bullets when some killjoy thought Mighty Mouse smelling a handful of flower petals was him snorting Scarface piles of cocaine. Which it was not, but this was Nancy Reagan and Tipper Gore's America, airing in the same time when people really believed in hidden messages in metal albums, and so the show disappeared.
If Mighty Mouse is a Superman analog (and he is), then he needs a crime-fighting pal. Bakshi and his crew obviously had their eye on Batman comics at the time, giving us a pretty well post-Miller Bat Bat, but with more than a hint of Burt Ward in The Bug Wonder (the red, tick-like fellow atop Bat Bat's shoulder).
This was all during an era where Bart Simpson was still considered terribly edgy and bad for children, when cartoons were mostly considered strictly juvenile entertainment. The goofy satire and riffing on old serials and whatnot was surely lost on the kids who were supposed to be watching the show. But with a soft spot in my heart for Mighty Mouse, I'd tuned in - and I thought the show (when I could catch it) was pretty great.
You at least need to skip to 0:49 to see Mighty Mouse calling upon Bat Bat for assistance.
You also have to like how he drives the "Manmobile".
In my possession I still have the Wendy's Kid's Meal collectible Bat Bat.
 |
| World's Finest? |
If Mighty Mouse is a Superman analog (and he is), then he needs a crime-fighting pal. Bakshi and his crew obviously had their eye on Batman comics at the time, giving us a pretty well post-Miller Bat Bat, but with more than a hint of Burt Ward in The Bug Wonder (the red, tick-like fellow atop Bat Bat's shoulder).
This was all during an era where Bart Simpson was still considered terribly edgy and bad for children, when cartoons were mostly considered strictly juvenile entertainment. The goofy satire and riffing on old serials and whatnot was surely lost on the kids who were supposed to be watching the show. But with a soft spot in my heart for Mighty Mouse, I'd tuned in - and I thought the show (when I could catch it) was pretty great.
You at least need to skip to 0:49 to see Mighty Mouse calling upon Bat Bat for assistance.
You also have to like how he drives the "Manmobile".
In my possession I still have the Wendy's Kid's Meal collectible Bat Bat.
The Weekend in Signal Watch (and the week ahead)
If I didn't do all that much this weekend, give me a break. It's been a long six weeks or so, and Sunday night my air conditioner quit. Again.
Me and the service company are going to have words.
The big news out of San Diego as I saw it:
Me and the service company are going to have words.
- I read Grant Morrison's SuperGods
- Jamie and I trekked to see Moonrise Kingdom
- I continue to watch Crank movies
- And I tried to prep you guys a bit for the release of Dark Knight Rises
The big news out of San Diego as I saw it:
Odd Moment of Realization of How Badly DC is Handling Themselves At the Moment - courtesy, Randy
So, Randy IM's me:
Then, about three minutes later I realized:
Rocket Raccoon will get a feature film before Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, or any of DC's other staple players.
Rocket Raccoon.
Look, I LOVE Rocket Raccoon as a concept, and I loved his early appearances. I read all that mid-00's Marvel cosmic stuff til I got bored at some point during some cross-over or other and noticed I wasn't really missing the series. That, and having your cast just standing around glowering isn't characterization. Just saying.*
But, man... Despite Marvel's fairly well mapped ability to turn themselves into a brand and studio, DC just simply cannot get their act together enough to simply copy Marvel. Even the comments at Comic-Con from WB employees read basically as "if Superman fails, we're done". Now, they didn't say that exactly, but there's no bold plan on the table at DCE or WB. It's all conservative number crunching - and the problem with that is that there's no magic formula for making a blockbuster. Instead, you wind up with a paint-by-the-numbers movie like Green Lantern that's greatest weakness was the utter predictability and 90's checkbox storytelling mentality of the movie. Every decision was a "safe" one, from casting the supposedly bankable Ryan Reynolds to the pat telling of the origin to casting Angela Bassett as Amanda Waller.
In the end, the movie arrived as a lifeless husk.
And the hiring of Zack "I did comic movies before!" Snyder for Superman? WB wears their risk aversion on their sleeve.
The fact is, Marvel has put out more duds than big wins, but the big wins help build the brand so you'll at least give their flicks a chance. And they've been willing to do some interesting hiring, from Sam Raimi to the Crank guys on the latest Ghost Rider (wait, Ghost Rider has had two movies and Shazam has had none?), and all that means they're constantly mixing up the formula to get new blood and excited talent in there.
Anyway, if you told 14-year-old-me that I'd be looking at a Rocket Raccoon movie in 2014, I would have burned you for a witch.
*I went to high school in North Houston. I associate standing around glowering with drunk red necks sizing me up to see if I'm some uppity city folk they might need to learn a few things
Hey, did you hear they're making a Guardians of the Galaxy movie? With Rocket Raccoon?And I wrote back about how I was excited, even though I hadn't loved the comic, but the movie might give the neat idea a second lease on life.
Then, about three minutes later I realized:
Rocket Raccoon will get a feature film before Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, or any of DC's other staple players.
Rocket Raccoon.
Look, I LOVE Rocket Raccoon as a concept, and I loved his early appearances. I read all that mid-00's Marvel cosmic stuff til I got bored at some point during some cross-over or other and noticed I wasn't really missing the series. That, and having your cast just standing around glowering isn't characterization. Just saying.*
 |
| Batman ain't got nothin' on Rocket Raccoon |
But, man... Despite Marvel's fairly well mapped ability to turn themselves into a brand and studio, DC just simply cannot get their act together enough to simply copy Marvel. Even the comments at Comic-Con from WB employees read basically as "if Superman fails, we're done". Now, they didn't say that exactly, but there's no bold plan on the table at DCE or WB. It's all conservative number crunching - and the problem with that is that there's no magic formula for making a blockbuster. Instead, you wind up with a paint-by-the-numbers movie like Green Lantern that's greatest weakness was the utter predictability and 90's checkbox storytelling mentality of the movie. Every decision was a "safe" one, from casting the supposedly bankable Ryan Reynolds to the pat telling of the origin to casting Angela Bassett as Amanda Waller.
In the end, the movie arrived as a lifeless husk.
And the hiring of Zack "I did comic movies before!" Snyder for Superman? WB wears their risk aversion on their sleeve.
The fact is, Marvel has put out more duds than big wins, but the big wins help build the brand so you'll at least give their flicks a chance. And they've been willing to do some interesting hiring, from Sam Raimi to the Crank guys on the latest Ghost Rider (wait, Ghost Rider has had two movies and Shazam has had none?), and all that means they're constantly mixing up the formula to get new blood and excited talent in there.
Anyway, if you told 14-year-old-me that I'd be looking at a Rocket Raccoon movie in 2014, I would have burned you for a witch.
*I went to high school in North Houston. I associate standing around glowering with drunk red necks sizing me up to see if I'm some uppity city folk they might need to learn a few things
Happy Birthday, Ms. Barbara Stanwyck
Ms. Barbara Stanwyck would have been 105 today.
She played all sorts of rolls, and had an amazing career, from Ziegfield Girl to film and eventually to television. But we'll always love her best for Double Indemnity.
She played all sorts of rolls, and had an amazing career, from Ziegfield Girl to film and eventually to television. But we'll always love her best for Double Indemnity.
 |
| Playing it cool in the grocery aisle |
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Prep for Dark Knight Rises: The Danceable Batman
As we head toward Wednesday and the release of the much-anticipated Dark Knight Rises, I cannot help but reminded of a simpler time when the average person on the street did not associate inverted semi-trailers and Christopher Nolan with The Dark Knight Detective.
The comics are, of course, silent. We imagine the lonely street sounds of Gotham, and we can believe the sound effects splattered across the page in beautifully rendered and colored lettering. But never do comics cross over with music, not unless they're brought to the screen.
I was at basketball camp in the week before the release of Tim Burton's highly anticipated Batman. In fact, I had read the novelization of the movie during my downtime at camp that year. The session ended mid-day on Friday, the day Batman hit theaters and it was a whole thing making sure I got to the movie that night (which I did. Thanks, Peabo's Mom!).
It's hard to explain exactly how Bat-Crazy I was (very publicly) in 1988, and what a big deal the film felt like at the time. I'd been following Batman's production via magazines, newspaper articles, notes in the comics and other places, had taped the trailer and watched it over and over...
The camp took place at the University of Texas and we stayed in the dorms at The Dobie, and I still very much remember everyone stopping in the cafeteria line to watch the video for "Bat Dance" (there was a TV on MTV for some reason near the door). The video was appreciated, but not as much as in 1987, when the video had been for George Michael's "I Want Your Sex".
Like anyone else born in the 1970's, I had a warm spot in my heart for Prince, but found him an odd fit for Batman. It's only in cold hindsight that I have to assume this was neither Tim Burton nor Prince's doing so much as that of WB executives. But who knows? (Probably Prince, I guess.).
The comics are, of course, silent. We imagine the lonely street sounds of Gotham, and we can believe the sound effects splattered across the page in beautifully rendered and colored lettering. But never do comics cross over with music, not unless they're brought to the screen.
I was at basketball camp in the week before the release of Tim Burton's highly anticipated Batman. In fact, I had read the novelization of the movie during my downtime at camp that year. The session ended mid-day on Friday, the day Batman hit theaters and it was a whole thing making sure I got to the movie that night (which I did. Thanks, Peabo's Mom!).
It's hard to explain exactly how Bat-Crazy I was (very publicly) in 1988, and what a big deal the film felt like at the time. I'd been following Batman's production via magazines, newspaper articles, notes in the comics and other places, had taped the trailer and watched it over and over...
The camp took place at the University of Texas and we stayed in the dorms at The Dobie, and I still very much remember everyone stopping in the cafeteria line to watch the video for "Bat Dance" (there was a TV on MTV for some reason near the door). The video was appreciated, but not as much as in 1987, when the video had been for George Michael's "I Want Your Sex".
Like anyone else born in the 1970's, I had a warm spot in my heart for Prince, but found him an odd fit for Batman. It's only in cold hindsight that I have to assume this was neither Tim Burton nor Prince's doing so much as that of WB executives. But who knows? (Probably Prince, I guess.).
Happy 70th Birthday to Mr. Harrison Ford
Happy B-Day to my imaginary friend from at least three movie franchises, Mr. Harrison Ford. On Friday the 13th he turned 70.
Far be it from us at The Signal Watch to ignore the birthday of the Greatest Living American.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Movie Watch 2012: Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
"Well," as Jamie said as we pulled away from the theater, "That was most definitely a Wes Anderson movie."
I have a hard time criticizing directors or musicians for continuing to employ some of their trademarks in their work. Anderson's barely-there dialog direction, the same four or five shots he uses over and over in a rhythmic pattern (usually punctuated with a particularly lovely and well framed surprising shot: think the kid in the pool in Rushmore).
Nor can you hold the fact that none of his narratives ever really see closure against him. His are not movies that end with a wedding (well, maybe Royal Tenenbaums) but suggest that this is a particularly important juncture in the lives of many people: now let us observe.
If any of Anderson's affectations irritate you, you've been put on notice by his prior work, and this film is not for you.* This is most definitely not the movie where he changes things up and goes for a Dogma 95 verite style. If you're familiar with his work and somehow still keep paying to see it, then this may be a movie for you. I'm fond of Anderson's aesthetic, which may have overwhelmed The Life Aquatic and, to a degree, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, but I appreciate that he's got his own thing going on.
In some ways, much as I wanted to grab 15-year-old me and take him to see Rushmore, I would have loved to have had 12 year old me in tow for this one. It definitely understands the inevitability of a Lord of the Flies scenario when dealing with boys of that age, of how confusing and useless adults can seem (and how they have their own messes) and even the passion you might have applied to reading X-Men comics or scouting skills that you might also turn to a girl who actually pays you heed at that awful stage in life. Imagine were love requited at that age...
The cast is better than I'd heard by word of mouth, and Tilda Swinton was typically amazing even in her small part. But Jason Schwartzman's small role, no doubt written specifically for him, is pure gold. The herd of child actors, especially the two leads, are pretty great. And the moment of decision for the Khaki Scouts in their treehouse was the sort of monumental scene for kids that felt true, even in its ludicrousness.
In short, I enjoyed it. No real surprises, even down to <spoiler> the needless death of a pet </spoiler>. But it was a lovely film, and a nice bit of counter-programming to all the sci-fi and superhero stuff of the past year. This I say with tickets bough to see Dark Knight Rises next Saturday.
*seriously, if I hear any of you tell me you didn't like anything since Royal Tenenbaums but you still went to see this and you're complaining? What are you doing? Also, the people who trapped us so they could watch the credits? Stop it. You're not impressing anyone seeing who 3rd Best Boy was on the movie. I assure you he'd already left the theater before his name rolled.
I have a hard time criticizing directors or musicians for continuing to employ some of their trademarks in their work. Anderson's barely-there dialog direction, the same four or five shots he uses over and over in a rhythmic pattern (usually punctuated with a particularly lovely and well framed surprising shot: think the kid in the pool in Rushmore).
Nor can you hold the fact that none of his narratives ever really see closure against him. His are not movies that end with a wedding (well, maybe Royal Tenenbaums) but suggest that this is a particularly important juncture in the lives of many people: now let us observe.
If any of Anderson's affectations irritate you, you've been put on notice by his prior work, and this film is not for you.* This is most definitely not the movie where he changes things up and goes for a Dogma 95 verite style. If you're familiar with his work and somehow still keep paying to see it, then this may be a movie for you. I'm fond of Anderson's aesthetic, which may have overwhelmed The Life Aquatic and, to a degree, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, but I appreciate that he's got his own thing going on.
In some ways, much as I wanted to grab 15-year-old me and take him to see Rushmore, I would have loved to have had 12 year old me in tow for this one. It definitely understands the inevitability of a Lord of the Flies scenario when dealing with boys of that age, of how confusing and useless adults can seem (and how they have their own messes) and even the passion you might have applied to reading X-Men comics or scouting skills that you might also turn to a girl who actually pays you heed at that awful stage in life. Imagine were love requited at that age...
The cast is better than I'd heard by word of mouth, and Tilda Swinton was typically amazing even in her small part. But Jason Schwartzman's small role, no doubt written specifically for him, is pure gold. The herd of child actors, especially the two leads, are pretty great. And the moment of decision for the Khaki Scouts in their treehouse was the sort of monumental scene for kids that felt true, even in its ludicrousness.
In short, I enjoyed it. No real surprises, even down to <spoiler> the needless death of a pet </spoiler>. But it was a lovely film, and a nice bit of counter-programming to all the sci-fi and superhero stuff of the past year. This I say with tickets bough to see Dark Knight Rises next Saturday.
*seriously, if I hear any of you tell me you didn't like anything since Royal Tenenbaums but you still went to see this and you're complaining? What are you doing? Also, the people who trapped us so they could watch the credits? Stop it. You're not impressing anyone seeing who 3rd Best Boy was on the movie. I assure you he'd already left the theater before his name rolled.
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