Today marks the birthday of Emmy award winning actor, singer, performer, and all-around good idea, Hannah Waddingham. Here's hoping she has a great one.
Film. Comics. Sci-Fi. Superheroes. Pulp. Noir. History. Superman. 20th Century Archaeology.
Thursday, July 28, 2022
Tuesday, July 26, 2022
PodCast 206: "Smallville - Part 2 of 2" - Jamie and Ryan Talk Super Television
Format: Smallville currently streaming on Hulu
Jamie and Ryan put in another hour talking about ten seasons of watching Clark Kent go from a teen saddled with alien powers and a tendency to deceive everyone to an adult who does the same. Join us as we consider the super-task of putting out 220+ episodes of TV, finally getting to where you were planning to go and then tripping over your own feet at the last second with a lead who just seems like he never quite figured out why people were watching.
SoundCloud
YouTube
Music:
Save Me - Remy Zero
Breathe Again - Sara Bareilles
DC TV and Movies
Monday, July 25, 2022
I Forgot To Post On This Watch: Open By Christmas (2021)
Watched: I dunno. Let's call it 07/10/2022
Format: Hallmark's Christmas in July
Viewing: First
Director: David Weaver
I watched this for two reasons: (1) I put it on for two seconds and then it ended and I'd just watched a whole movie and that's how Hallmark movies get you. (2) Erica Durance was in it, which was the fuel in the fire, I guess.
Judging this movie by the current standard of Hallmark Christmas movies, it was... fine? Good? Let's settle on "it was okay at doing what it set out to do", which is all you can judge it on, anyway.
Not long ago, Hallmark started letting themselves make movies that weren't one of five plots, so now you kinda don't know what you're going to get. I mean, the same bland, friction-free spirit is there. You know everything will be okay. But these days they've learned that's the thing, not any particular formula of story. Thinking about it, the Vandervoort starring Hallmark pic I watched last Christmas also had two narrative threads, so maybe that's the thing? Cast Smallville actors and two plots. I'm calling it now.
Action Watch: The Gray Man (2022)
Watched: 07/23/2022
Format: Netflix
Viewing: First
Director: Russo Bros.
So, I have not watched the Fast and the Furious movies, but I think this is that, set for my particular tastes. Gimme some good CIA/ espionage/ assassination storylines, and some insane action and I'm pretty good. It also doesn't hurt that I am onboard with Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas. All people I enjoy watching do their thing.
I've seen some internet pouting about the movie, and to that, I say, "well, I watched this while putting down two Manhattans and it seemed amazing to me." Like, look, I am not going to say this movie needs an Oscar for best picture, but it turned espionage movies up to 11, had some of the most complex and insane action sequences I've seen - in fact, echoing specific action sequences I thought were quite bad - and made them pretty great. I could actually *follow* what was going on. And I might have mentioned I'd had two Manhattans.*
I've seen some complaining about the acting, to which I say: wat?
Like, literally, these people are doing exactly what they do in everything. And/ or they didn't do something you wanted them to do so you're quite cross. I'm not saying these are stellar performances, but everyone kind of does their thing. Seeming vaguely detached is what Gosling do. Spunky enthusiasm for whatever he's up to is what Evans do. And de Armas is more or less exactly as she was in No Time to Die minus the slinky dress and given way, way more to do.
I don't spend a ton of time thinking about Billy Bob Thornton, because I don't have to. He's just rock solid in everything, and this is no exception. So, yeah, I dunno.
If you're looking for a movie that has plenty of explosions and fist fights and knife fights and bad guys you won't mind seeing die badly, and - frankly - completely batshit action sequences that carry you along like a tidal wave - it's a fun flick. I liked the heightened reality of the whole thing in a way I can't get into with stuff like Kingsman that feels like "oh, aren't we being naughty!".
Anyway, I do plan to watch it again minus booze. But I don't think I really missed much. It's sorta nice to watch a spy movie that doesn't require a flowchart to follow.
*my Manhattan recipe is
- two good shakes of standard bitters - or Peychaud's, if you got it
- two to three good shakes of orange bitters
- two shots of Bulleitt Rye
- one shot of Sweet Vermouth
- one spoonful of juice from your cherries
- two cherries
lightly stir in a mixing glass and pour into a martini glass. Sip to ensure it's good. It is. Nod.
Sunday, July 24, 2022
Happy Birthday, Lynda Carter
Happy Birthday to patron saint of The Signal Watch, Ms. Lynda Carter!
Just yesterday, I moved some stuff around and began putting all my Lynda Carter Wonder Woman stuff in one place. I'm not done yet, so no pics. But, as always, Ms. Carter was on my mind. Just more so than usual.
Ms. Carter has had an extraordinarily tough year, losing both her husband and father. That's incredibly hard, and we wish her well.
But in recent months she's been active on social media and she's also released a new song, dedicated to her husband, Robert Altman. It's a romance from Wonder Woman's POV - in both original flavor and dance remix. And, she's set to participate in the next Wonder Woman film, which this blog endorses 1000%.
Here's to Lynda Carter, and may she have spent the day with her family and friends.
PodCast 205: "Smallville - Part 1 of 2" - Jamie and Ryan Talk Super Television
Format: Smallville currently on Hulu
Jamie and Ryan crash into 2001's hit show that wound up running for 10 seasons. It's a super discussion about the show, what it meant to viewers, how fans built a culture around the show, and what it means years later when a star of the show is less than a hero. Join us as we get through an hour of super-talk and we get past the secrets and lies!
SoundCloud
YouTube
Music:
Save Me - Remy Zero
Island In the Sun - Weezer
DC Movies and Television
Watch Party Watch: Man's Best Friend (1993)
Format: Amazon Watch Party
Viewing: Second
Director: John Lafia
I saw this movie in the theater and was mostly curious about it because I had absolutely no memory of what happened in the film. I was 18 and it was during my college winter break so I was home, so I'm pretty sure I was sober, but... man. Aside from one very iffy CGI shot, I had nothing.
The basic gist of the film is that the world's most negligent reporter decides to break and enter at a science-place where it turns out Lance Henriksen is doing gene-splicing to create "the ultimate guard dog". Why? No idea. We're never told. But Ally Sheedy accidentally earns some life-debt from "Max" the ultra-dog whom she spirits away (hint: never take an animal from a lab) and brings to her home.
She lies to her live-in boyfriend about where she got the dog, and - as a reporter - if she airs any of what she's got on tape, she is absolutely going to jail. That's B&E and larceny.
Well, this is ostensibly a horror movie, so it turns out the dog isn't just murderous, he can climb walls or trees, swallow cats like a python and piss acid? I remembered none of this. But I did remember there's one shot where they do the Predator CGI shtick where he's kind of clear and then you can see him.
I'm not a *huge* fan of complaining about movies having tone problems*, but this movie has them. It genuinely feels like a 90's kid's film at times, complete with the neigbor kid who acts like he's 45 and 13 at the same time and wears the neon colors you saw kids wearing in movies and TV in the 90's, but not in real life.
There's kids telling fart stories that are irrelevant to anything, but then bearing witness to cat murder and simply running away lest they be implicated in the cat murder, which is probably the only honest thing in this movie.
What is impossible to determine from the film's various murders and wacky cops is whether this movie is kidding or not, or a comedy or not. It's not funny, but you can tell someone decided this movie should be "fun", so we murder a mailman, etc.. And you have to wonder if Ally Sheedy's insane negligence and obliviousness were supposed to be funny. Oh, also, there's the implication of dog-on-dog non-consensual sex. Which... seems played for laughs? Well, the mid-90's were a weird time.
In an era of "content" and rapidly forgotten films, it's easy to forget that stuff like this was hitting cinemas on a regular basis. We had studios like New Line - who released this movie - who were like "sci-fi killer dog? And no one suspects? So... like one of those trash 450 page horror novels you get at the airport? GREEN LIGHT." I mean, this is a $6 million movie. There are about four sets, and the rest is spent on talent, which is kind of sweet, actually. And they made a profit of some sort if Wikipedia is to be believed.
But, make no mistake - this movie is absolutely terrible.
*it usually tells me more about a viewer's expectations of the way they think a movie is supposed to be versus what the movie is
Friday, July 22, 2022
Friday Watch Party: Man's Best Friend
This is a movie about having a dog, Ally Sheedy, Lance Henriksen and this newfangled thing called "CGI".
Winter of 1993, I saw this in the theater. It's basically competent, and has a doggy you can cheer for.
You may be saying to yourself "isn't this Short Circuit having a baby with a Dean Koontz novel?" and you'd be right. It's the sort of low-grade non-horror that the late 80's and 90's kicked around a lot.
It's a mid-low-budget thriller about a mutant dog! Maybe a robot? I can't remember. And the Ally Sheedy who loves him. What's not to like?
Day: Friday - 07/22/2022
Time: 8:30 Central/ 6:30 Pacific
Format: Amazon Watch Party
Cost: $3
link live 10 minutes before showtime
FRIDAY - CLICK HERE TO SEE A VERY GOOD BOY
Ida Watch: While the City Sleeps (1956)
Watched: 07/20/2022
Format: BluRay
Viewing: 4th? 5th?
Director: Fritz Lang
I've written this movie up multiple times. I really like it, and I like it more every time I watch it.
It's a newsroom film from mid-Century America, with shades of noir - but the cast in this movie is unreal and worth checking out, and it's the last, great Fritz Lang film.
Here's who you have in the film:
Dana Andrews, Vincent Price, George Sanders, Rhonda Fleming, Thomas Mitchell, John Drew Barrymore, Sally Forrest and... Ida Lupino.
I mean, it's worth the price of admission just for the cast and director, but I dig the hell out of this movie.
It's a workplace dramady, a hard-nosed newspaper/ media film, a suspense-thriller and absolutely an ensemble piece. It moves at a newspaper movie clip, and you have to pay a bit of attention to keep up. But if you do - the workplace drama is phenomenal, and while a fascinating look at "juvenile delinquency" as seen through the lens of the 1950's - complete with blaming *comic books* for driving a young man to murder.
If you're looking for how one keeps sex and shenanigans just off screen in a Hayes Code era movie, this one is a lulu. And despite Rhonda Fleming performing calisthenics, Ida Lupino is the thing you'll keep your eyes on through the whole film.
This was Jamie's first viewing, and she spoke up afterwards about how great Lupino's character and performance were as a nuanced character with her own agenda. I'm in complete agreement. Lupino takes what's on the page, which could have been words given to anyone, and absolutely elevates the role as smart, conniving, amoral and sexy as hell.
She also drinks champagne with a peach in it, and I need to look up what the actual hell is happening there.
Anyway - this is becoming one of my favorite films. Just a good watch every time.
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Cartoon Watch: Beavis & Butthead Do the Universe (2022)
Watched: 07/18/2022
Format: Paramount+
Viewing: First
Director: John Rice, Albert Calleros
I remember watching fireworks on the 4th of July, 1993, and my dad threatening to smack me if I didn't stop muttering "huh huh! fire. FIRE!" So it's a little weird that here, 30 years later, I'm still totally in for watching Beavis & Butthead Do the Universe (2022), which feels *exactly* like Beavis & Butthead of the 1990's. And it's a reminder of the weird brilliance of the original concept, which used the idiocy of a very recognizable flavor of teen boy to comment on anything under the sun through boner jokes, one word responses and an inability to understand anything other than nachos, boobs, and things sucking or being cool.
There's a dissertation out there in the wanting about how the show worked as meta-commentary, both in the discussion over videos and in sketches wherein everyone assumed the pair are following and understanding their agenda, but it simply will not process with our heroes. I'm not sure the show is a prescription for living, but it is definitely saying something about us, what we watch, the world we've built and inhabit. And that it's incredibly easy for morons to coast alongside us without us really noticing until they've fucked things up, and that does not make us geniuses.
Also, it is a show about needing TP for one's bunghole.
Anyway - this installment picks up with Beavis and Butthead in high school in 1998 and manages to get them to space camp, then onto the space shuttle where things go south, through a wormhole into 2022. Where they don't ever really notice they've passed through time, all in pursuit of the shuttle's captain with whom they believe they're going to score.
Along the way, they go to college, they abuse Apple Pay, they consume nachos, and briefly go to prison.
Highly recommended.
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