Happy Birthday to Jamie's brother, Doug. He's the Torgo of our family.
Film. Comics. Sci-Fi. Superheroes. Pulp. Noir. History. Superman. 20th Century Archaeology.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Signal Re-Watch: Skyfall (2012)
Not much to say. I met The Admiral at the movies and we watched Skyfall, me for the second time.
I think on this go-round I got to appreciate a little more of Sam Mendes' direction and how taught the movie is as a Bond actioner. I pondered getting up and hitting the men's room, but there was never a place in the movie I thought it'd be all right and I wouldn't miss anything. That might be too much info, but it's a pretty good sign that I didn't want to miss 180 seconds or so of a movie I watched just a couple of weeks ago.
It's not a flawless movie, but, gosh, I still like it. It has a lot of the traditional Bond issues tied up in Bond's misogyny, and I'd like to see that tackled a bit differently just to shake things up a bit in a future installment, without inserting some Mary Sue she's-better-then-him-at-everything-wink-cute character.
I look forward to seeing who shows up as the next villain and what sort of plot/ issues we'll see in the next film. I don't see Daniel Craig's Bond in a Moonraker repeat or fighting dudes with submersible secret bases - but I think Mendes and Craig can put out a compelling Bond without going totally sci-fi.
Anyway, Connery will probably always be Bond in my head, but I am pleased that a new generation can think of Daniel Craig as "their" Bond. I'm a fan.
I think on this go-round I got to appreciate a little more of Sam Mendes' direction and how taught the movie is as a Bond actioner. I pondered getting up and hitting the men's room, but there was never a place in the movie I thought it'd be all right and I wouldn't miss anything. That might be too much info, but it's a pretty good sign that I didn't want to miss 180 seconds or so of a movie I watched just a couple of weeks ago.
It's not a flawless movie, but, gosh, I still like it. It has a lot of the traditional Bond issues tied up in Bond's misogyny, and I'd like to see that tackled a bit differently just to shake things up a bit in a future installment, without inserting some Mary Sue she's-better-then-him-at-everything-wink-cute character.
I look forward to seeing who shows up as the next villain and what sort of plot/ issues we'll see in the next film. I don't see Daniel Craig's Bond in a Moonraker repeat or fighting dudes with submersible secret bases - but I think Mendes and Craig can put out a compelling Bond without going totally sci-fi.
Anyway, Connery will probably always be Bond in my head, but I am pleased that a new generation can think of Daniel Craig as "their" Bond. I'm a fan.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Answering Your Questions - Part A
I'm off to watch Skyfall with The Admiral this evening, and then I've got a thing afterward. I think it's another night of no blog posting.
Rather than leave you with nothing, I thought I'd turn the tables. I have a small but regular readership. I put it to you guys to send me your questions, and I will do my best to answer them when I return to blogging.
Just post questions to the comment section, or email them to me at the contact link above, and I'll answer whatever you got.
The guidelines:
- I'll do questions of a personal nature up to a point, but be good. Don't embarrass yourself.
- Ask the question in a complete sentence.
- I don't read minds, so don't hint around. Ask whatever it is you want to know. (ex: If you want to know what design elements I like about the movie costume for Superman, do not ask "how do you think Cavill looks in the suit?". Ask "how do you feel about the design of the current movie suit for Superman?")
- You can submit as many questions as you want.
- I reserve the right to ignore or fail to respond to your questions. You can take my failure to respond however you like.
- Feel free to express your own opinion as part of a question, so I know where we're starting from (ex: I think sandals and socks are a sexy combination. How do YOU feel about this combo?)
Okay. So. Tell me about your mother.
this summer, Star Trek will take my money
Here's the trailer for the new, action-packed-looking Star Trek.
I'm actually pretty comfortable with the complete distortion of Roddenberry's Star Trek that the new series has become. Well, I'm uncomfortable with it, but what am I going to do? Not watch new Star Trek? Ha ha ha ha.
No.
Anyway, I'm looking at this wondering about the episodes "Charlie X" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before" rather than anything to do with Khan, but we'll see.
Also, is it wrong that I wish they found a home for George Takei in this movie? Yes, probably. But I just like George Takei.
I'm actually pretty comfortable with the complete distortion of Roddenberry's Star Trek that the new series has become. Well, I'm uncomfortable with it, but what am I going to do? Not watch new Star Trek? Ha ha ha ha.
No.
Anyway, I'm looking at this wondering about the episodes "Charlie X" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before" rather than anything to do with Khan, but we'll see.
Also, is it wrong that I wish they found a home for George Takei in this movie? Yes, probably. But I just like George Takei.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Pondering a bit on the poster for "Man of Steel"
If you hadn't seen the latest poster for the upcoming Superman movie, Man of Steel - here you go:
Superman in shackles, surrounded by men in military outfits I'd say look like they might belong to The National Guard. It's not exactly "you will believe a man can fly", but I'm actually quite okay with that.
I know from online pals and some of the Superman community that they would much prefer to first see a majestic Superman or a powerful Superman or a smiling Superman or what we've seen before, and while I'm not trying to support a movie I don't know anything about, from a marketing perspective, I think I get what they're going for.
Donner's Superman: The Movie never really addressed how the world might react to a man in a cape flying around and shrugging off bursting shells like a light, rainy mist with much more than a big "welcome, alien buddy". Donner's version took the common feeling of good-will that 40 years of comics and the George Reeves program had brought to theaters. Christopher Reeve's Superman lived in a world where cops stood slack jawed and dopey as Superman handed over cat-burglars and dropped off boats full of crooks on Metropolis's main thoroughfares.
Whatever Zack Snyder is doing isn't ignoring today's world of cops in armor reacting with SWAT precision to crises the world of 1938 or 1978 didn't take into account in the movies. The poster seems to acknowledge - if a Superman did live today, we know the military and government would have something to say on it, and it wouldn't be "ah, you seem okay. Go ahead about your business, you lovable scamp." Whether it's an adult like myself, or someone in the prime young male movie-going bracket of which I am no longer a key demographic - it's almost impossible to imagine that the appearance of an alien picking up tanks or just flying around not causing some panic at the highest levels. It's the issue of translation when moving the character from a children's fictional character to a character intended for an audience skewing over 13.
Superman in shackles, surrounded by men in military outfits I'd say look like they might belong to The National Guard. It's not exactly "you will believe a man can fly", but I'm actually quite okay with that.
I know from online pals and some of the Superman community that they would much prefer to first see a majestic Superman or a powerful Superman or a smiling Superman or what we've seen before, and while I'm not trying to support a movie I don't know anything about, from a marketing perspective, I think I get what they're going for.
Donner's Superman: The Movie never really addressed how the world might react to a man in a cape flying around and shrugging off bursting shells like a light, rainy mist with much more than a big "welcome, alien buddy". Donner's version took the common feeling of good-will that 40 years of comics and the George Reeves program had brought to theaters. Christopher Reeve's Superman lived in a world where cops stood slack jawed and dopey as Superman handed over cat-burglars and dropped off boats full of crooks on Metropolis's main thoroughfares.
Whatever Zack Snyder is doing isn't ignoring today's world of cops in armor reacting with SWAT precision to crises the world of 1938 or 1978 didn't take into account in the movies. The poster seems to acknowledge - if a Superman did live today, we know the military and government would have something to say on it, and it wouldn't be "ah, you seem okay. Go ahead about your business, you lovable scamp." Whether it's an adult like myself, or someone in the prime young male movie-going bracket of which I am no longer a key demographic - it's almost impossible to imagine that the appearance of an alien picking up tanks or just flying around not causing some panic at the highest levels. It's the issue of translation when moving the character from a children's fictional character to a character intended for an audience skewing over 13.
Achtung!: Krampusnacht is HERE
Time to put on your devil costume, get your switches out and scare the wee ones into their best behavior.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Signal Reads: Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell (2006)
I have not seen the film of Winter's Bone, and now it'll be a while longer before I'll feel comfortable watching an adaptation. I always need some space between the book and the movie or it runs the risk of ruining both for me.
The story, from what I gather, isn't too much changed in the filmed translation, so those of you have seen the movie may not have seen a story that deviates much on plot points.
The novel is set in the near past if the comments made about what's on television are any indication (the book loosely describes characters watching the now-defunct series Wishbone on PBS), located within a few miles of the hilly forests of the Ozarks where the secretive, backwoods families run their business outside of law and society, dealing with each other in brutal fashion. These days they make and sell crank, but they still spend generation after generation expecting short, ugly lives.
The story, from what I gather, isn't too much changed in the filmed translation, so those of you have seen the movie may not have seen a story that deviates much on plot points.
The novel is set in the near past if the comments made about what's on television are any indication (the book loosely describes characters watching the now-defunct series Wishbone on PBS), located within a few miles of the hilly forests of the Ozarks where the secretive, backwoods families run their business outside of law and society, dealing with each other in brutal fashion. These days they make and sell crank, but they still spend generation after generation expecting short, ugly lives.
New "Man of Steel" Poster?
It's possible/ likely this is a fan comp, but us Superman fans haven't had much in the way of posters or imagery yet from the upcoming Superman movie, so here you go. I have seen a similar shot/ possibly this shot from the trailer.
I kind of think this is a fake, but - hey, Superman, amiright?
Hollywood buzz is that - of the 132 minute runtime of the film, Superman mostly sits in jail playing a harmonica made of wax paper and an old Ace comb for 87 minutes, wishing the cafeteria beans weren't so bland.
A bold new take.
Don't worry, the world is still safe.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Finally getting around to comics again
This is how I know the schedule for the past two months was a little wacky.
I haven't been to the gym for at least four weeks, and I was sorting my unread comics, and I have three months' worth of some titles backed up. No working out - which is it's own funny story - and no time made for comics in the evenings. At least not those floppies, as I have read some collections.
The nice thing is: Looking at this pile on my coffee table, I actually want to read all of these comics.
In the past when I'd hit a point where I was too busy to read comics, it was always instructive to look at what I didn't want to read in multiple issues at a time. That usually meant I was dropping the title. But with the limited number of titles I'm buying as floppies these days, (a) I know I can catch up, and (b) the spark still seems to be there as I'm sorting through my comics to start cutting down the pile.
I haven't been to the gym for at least four weeks, and I was sorting my unread comics, and I have three months' worth of some titles backed up. No working out - which is it's own funny story - and no time made for comics in the evenings. At least not those floppies, as I have read some collections.
The nice thing is: Looking at this pile on my coffee table, I actually want to read all of these comics.
In the past when I'd hit a point where I was too busy to read comics, it was always instructive to look at what I didn't want to read in multiple issues at a time. That usually meant I was dropping the title. But with the limited number of titles I'm buying as floppies these days, (a) I know I can catch up, and (b) the spark still seems to be there as I'm sorting through my comics to start cutting down the pile.
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