Ho, boy. We Should Talk About "Krypton" on SyFy

The most exciting thing in this show is a piece of fabric

Ignore Jamie's guffaws to the contrary, but I quite like being proven wrong about (some) things.  Example:  I started watching Supergirl because I like Kara Zor-El quite a bit as a comics character (and mad props to Helen Slater for being better than her bad movie).  I found the first couple of episodes of Supergirl hilariously bad, and then the show start playing against expectations and I found myself enjoying Supergirl in a sort of "this is okay TV and pretty fun" sort of way.  It's not exactly The Americans, and it can't sustain 22 episodes per year and I wish they'd cut it to 13, but it's in my TV rotation.

So despite the David S. Goyer association and SyFy channel "we're doing serious Sci-Fi now" and some pretty boring adverts for the show (which, weirdly, ran incessantly during the Winter Olympics on NBC), I wanted to give Krypton a try.  Sure, it looked plodding and joyless in the vein of Goyer's Man of Steel work, selling that "but this is seeerious, Mom" vibe that one can only get when everything is gray and poorly lit like a nightclub that will have a brief but forgettable existence.

Krypton has an uphill battle no matter what.  It's not a mistake that DC Comics has only explored Superman's home planet in bursts via single issue appearances and the occasional brief mini-series.  If the stories don't arc toward Superman - you're more or less looking at a planet knowing "oh, you guys are boned".  After all - the point of Krypton (the planet, not the show) is to be either a near Utopia that made some critically bad choices about getting out of Dodge, or to exist as a highly advanced planet that should have been named "Hubris".

Avengers Bonus Post! Answering Your Questions About the Movie

the parade of pretty people

As the foremost world expert on all things cinematic and Marvel Comics, my words on Avengers: Infinity War are already making their way around the world as the definitive statement on what any right-thinking human should believe about this movie.  So it's natural that so, so many of you would come to me with your questions in all things Thanosy.

Here, I shall address your queries, both penetrating and dumb as hell.

Let us begin with the following question paraphrased from an actual bit of correspondence:

Dear The League, 

I have somehow spent the last decade not seeing all - or even most of - the Marvel films.  Obviously, this is a sign that I should not be trusted with any decision-making whatsoever.  

Therefore, I must bow to your superior wisdom, which is great in so, so many areas, and ask the following: 

If I've only seen, like, five Marvel movies, should I see Avengers: Infinity War?   

Humbly yours, 

(name redacted to prevent a torrent of well-deserved shame)

Needless to say I was simply shocked that one of my readers - nay, one of my FRIENDS - would have fallen so far.  But I wanted to put some serious thought into this, and share my answer for everyone, give them a chance to ponder my response and apply that knowledge - yes, innate genius but also hard-earned - into their own life.

If you have not seen all 18 movies or whatever of the Marvel Cinematic Universe - will, indeed, Avengers: Infinity War be worth the viewing?  Will you glean all there is to grasp in each moment, in each line of dialogue, each meaningful glance?  Despite the less-informed experience, can you still squeeze some joy, taste the fruit of the labors of both creators and audience, or will the ambrosia be robbed of flavor for your lack of understanding?

My answer may surprise you in it's thoughtfulness and sincerity, it's consideration of every angle.  It follows after the break.

Marvel Watch: Avengers | Infinity War (2018)

Watched:  04/28/2018
Format:  Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane
Viewing:  First
Decade:  2010's

Warning - this write-up will have spoilers.  Do not read this post until you've seen Avengers: Infinity War (2018).

PODCAST: Laura M-S and Ryan talk HIGH SCHOOL MOVIES! "Brick" (2005) and "Lady Bird" (2017)

Laura M-S has been around the blog since time immemorial.  But did you know she and I went to high school together?  It's true.  We also live in the same area here in modern times, and decided to get together for what will be the first in a series on High School Movies.

To kick it off, we decide high school movies are a poor reflection of the high school experience - so what movies do reflect those crucial years (for us)? We talk 2005's "Brick" (dir. Rian Johnson) and 2017's Oscar contender "Lady Bird" (dir. Greta Gerwig).

Belated Oscars Watch: Lady Bird (2017)

Watched:  04/27/2018
Format:  Amazon Streaming
Viewing:  First
Decade:  2010's

Watched this one for an upcoming podcast.  Saving it for then, I'm afraid.

Melodrama Watch: The Hard Way (1943)

Watched:  04/26/2018
Format:  TCM on DVR
Viewing:  first
Decade:  1940's (wartime)

The Hard Way (1943) is a wartime melodrama and probably counts as a "Women's Picture", which was a thing, as it starred women, had them front and center as career-centered ladies with romance as a conflict.

It's not a genre with which I have a lot of experience, and I'm not a huge follower of soapy melodrama.  "So, The League," you say, "Why did you watch it?"

Noir Watch: Mystery Street (1950)

Watched:  04/25/2018
Format:  Noir Alley on TCM/ DVR
Viewing:  First
Decade:  1950's

Noir Watch: Brick (2005)

Watched:  04/24/2018
Format:  DVD
Viewing:  third
Decade:  2000's

There's probably plenty to say about this movie, but I'm saving it for a podcast.

Wedded Bliss in New Orleans - Congrats Lauren and Steven

This weekend Jamie and I flew to New Orleans for the wedding of two folks I met via blogging and have become good pals with as we all lived in Austin for a few years before they departed for San Francisco and then NYC.  On Saturday Steven H and Lauren R tied the knot in City Park with yours truly officiating.

The Peristyle in City Park.  This is from the internet, but it is where the wedding occurred.

This was the third time I've officiated and every time it's no less nerve-wracking, and it is no less special as I've known all the couples well and know their stories.  It's truly an honor and privilege to be asked, and to get to play that role is a truly memorable experience.

It's also the best seat in the house, if you're going to show up for a wedding, anyway.  You want to see people having a moment as up close as it gets?  That's where you want to be.  You'll also see your friends looking as dashing and beautiful as they will ever be from, like, three feet away.

In short - I hope I didn't mess up the ceremony too much.

I think March 30th was the 15th Anniversary of the Start of my Blogging

So, I guess I missed my own 15th Anniversary of blogging.  We were over at League of Melbotis back then.  Here's a link to the first batch of posts.

Back then, kids, we had no facebook, no twitter, barely had iTunes and it took me forever to figure out how to upload photos and have a comment section.  I was a lad of about 27 and living as a Texas ex-pat in Arizona at the time.  I was busily learning about Superman and comics, and I was oh, so, sweetly naive.  Reading those early posts is sometimes a teeth-gnashing experience but also a journal of what was going on in my head in the blogging salad days.