Finally going to take that hiatus.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Friday, October 02, 2009
The League Sees: Whip It
If you've been following this blog, then you know I'm unlikely to be terribly objective in regards to the new Drew Barrymore directed movie, Whip It. League-Pal Shauna C. wrote the thing, and we're just terrifically happy for Shauna this evening.
I also have some unusual insight into the thing as I read the script a long time ago, and thought it pretty darn good.
On the screen and having been developed with a particular vision, I'm happy to say, I enjoyed the final product even more than I'd expected, based on what I'd read.
I won't dwell on the changes, largely because its irrelevant, but The League gives the movie, like, 7 thumbs up.
Roller derby as a sport is a bit confusing at first, but the movie's exposition seems to cover the necessary bases so the play of the sport isn't baffling. And that's a good thing, as I know the first time Jamie and I attended a bout, there was a lot of confusion. But the storytelling of the film more or less makes it easy to follow, at any rate.
Roller Derby players will probably be able to spot irregularities and "whatever" moments, but by and large, the movie seems to capture the toughness, athleticism and fun inherent in what I've seen when I've gone.
But the movie, like all good sports movies, uses the sport as a framework for the characters and their arcs. And in this case, its a story about a girl coming into adulthood and coming into her own in a way that her parents hadn't planned on, and really aren't going to understand.
The cast is very good.
I'm going to admit something here: I didn't like "Juno", so I had no opinion in regards to whether Ellen Page would be good in the role of Bliss, the high school aged protagonist. But, indeed, Page is quite good, and has the rare quality of appearing to actually be the age of the high school character she's portraying.
Juliet Lewis and the rest of the cast are excellent, but the real stand outs are going to be Daniel Stern and especially Marcia Gay Harden as Bliss's parents, who the movie does an excellent job of making nuanced, believable characters with believable motivations when they could have been far, far less. That said, I'll also be surprised if Kristin Wiig doesn't find herself landing a new range of roles thanks to her role in this movie as well.
Anyhow, Austin audiences will get a kick out of the odd intermingling of scenes shot in what is clearly NOT Texas (the film was shot 97% in Michigan), but seeing a few bits in Austin, including the very theater I was sitting in during the screening (which was met with great applause) was a lot of fun. It was interesting to see Austin portrayed as the destination point for getting out of the lives parents would have preferred for their kids, which is a bit glossy in this movie, but there's also a certain truth to it, even as the town expands and becomes ever more homogenized.* So while I sort of cringed after a while that they made damned sure we knew the characters were in hip, hip Austin, it is useful to tell the story of one of those kids in high school who was pretty sure they were dissatisfied with the way things were going and was looking for their outlet. And I'm glad Shauna was the person to tell that story.
Angry mother of a high schooler asking for an explanation when you walk in the door? Hoo boy. Does that bring back some memories.
I'm not going to suggest that "Whip It" is experimental art-house cinema that's going to change the world of movie-making, but I do think if the audience is coming, expecting a movie aimed at tween-agers, they're going to be pleasantly surprised. As the vast majority of the characters are actually adults, the gap between adulthood and the expectations of the high schooler as they reach for adulthood, is part of the point. Unlike most media these days, the movie does not pretend the characters are already adults, as we've come to expect in the era of the ridiculous teens of "Gossip Girl", the all-new 90210, The Hills, 16 and Pregnant, and even the shiny kids of Glee (whom I love and will beat you up of you say anything bad about them, but high school is mostly just a backdrop to get these characters together).
It should be mentioned: not just for a first effort, but in general, Drew Barrymore's direction was impressive. There were a lot of ways this movie could have gone wrong, but rather than take a script which could have easily become a dull family comedy, she managed to respect and care for all of the characters. And, some of the camera decisions were downright inspired.
Anyhoo, we recommend. Go check it out.
*I had a co-worker in who lives and works elsewhere in the state this week, and it was a reminder that some people still find Austin a bit much
I also have some unusual insight into the thing as I read the script a long time ago, and thought it pretty darn good.
On the screen and having been developed with a particular vision, I'm happy to say, I enjoyed the final product even more than I'd expected, based on what I'd read.
I won't dwell on the changes, largely because its irrelevant, but The League gives the movie, like, 7 thumbs up.
Roller derby as a sport is a bit confusing at first, but the movie's exposition seems to cover the necessary bases so the play of the sport isn't baffling. And that's a good thing, as I know the first time Jamie and I attended a bout, there was a lot of confusion. But the storytelling of the film more or less makes it easy to follow, at any rate.
Roller Derby players will probably be able to spot irregularities and "whatever" moments, but by and large, the movie seems to capture the toughness, athleticism and fun inherent in what I've seen when I've gone.
But the movie, like all good sports movies, uses the sport as a framework for the characters and their arcs. And in this case, its a story about a girl coming into adulthood and coming into her own in a way that her parents hadn't planned on, and really aren't going to understand.
The cast is very good.
I'm going to admit something here: I didn't like "Juno", so I had no opinion in regards to whether Ellen Page would be good in the role of Bliss, the high school aged protagonist. But, indeed, Page is quite good, and has the rare quality of appearing to actually be the age of the high school character she's portraying.
Juliet Lewis and the rest of the cast are excellent, but the real stand outs are going to be Daniel Stern and especially Marcia Gay Harden as Bliss's parents, who the movie does an excellent job of making nuanced, believable characters with believable motivations when they could have been far, far less. That said, I'll also be surprised if Kristin Wiig doesn't find herself landing a new range of roles thanks to her role in this movie as well.
Anyhow, Austin audiences will get a kick out of the odd intermingling of scenes shot in what is clearly NOT Texas (the film was shot 97% in Michigan), but seeing a few bits in Austin, including the very theater I was sitting in during the screening (which was met with great applause) was a lot of fun. It was interesting to see Austin portrayed as the destination point for getting out of the lives parents would have preferred for their kids, which is a bit glossy in this movie, but there's also a certain truth to it, even as the town expands and becomes ever more homogenized.* So while I sort of cringed after a while that they made damned sure we knew the characters were in hip, hip Austin, it is useful to tell the story of one of those kids in high school who was pretty sure they were dissatisfied with the way things were going and was looking for their outlet. And I'm glad Shauna was the person to tell that story.
Angry mother of a high schooler asking for an explanation when you walk in the door? Hoo boy. Does that bring back some memories.
I'm not going to suggest that "Whip It" is experimental art-house cinema that's going to change the world of movie-making, but I do think if the audience is coming, expecting a movie aimed at tween-agers, they're going to be pleasantly surprised. As the vast majority of the characters are actually adults, the gap between adulthood and the expectations of the high schooler as they reach for adulthood, is part of the point. Unlike most media these days, the movie does not pretend the characters are already adults, as we've come to expect in the era of the ridiculous teens of "Gossip Girl", the all-new 90210, The Hills, 16 and Pregnant, and even the shiny kids of Glee (whom I love and will beat you up of you say anything bad about them, but high school is mostly just a backdrop to get these characters together).
It should be mentioned: not just for a first effort, but in general, Drew Barrymore's direction was impressive. There were a lot of ways this movie could have gone wrong, but rather than take a script which could have easily become a dull family comedy, she managed to respect and care for all of the characters. And, some of the camera decisions were downright inspired.
Anyhoo, we recommend. Go check it out.
*I had a co-worker in who lives and works elsewhere in the state this week, and it was a reminder that some people still find Austin a bit much
These are a few of my favorite things...
Thank you, anonymous YouTube poster with too much free time on your hands. You've made this chubby nerd very happy.
iPhone Nerd Challenge
The League does not have an iPhone, and won't (a) for about two years so he can get the most out of the Blackberry he just bought, and (b) if they have made the move to Verizon by that point.
But we are very interested in the reading experience on the iPhone.
At long-last, comics are moving to the iPhone, and hopefully soon they'll also move to the Sony Reader and other technologies.
Anyhow, I am willing to send a check to reimburse the costs of the first Leaguer who purchases the first two or three issues of Mark Waid's "Irredeemable" and writes a review of the experience for reprint here.
More on the "Irredeemable" comics for iPhone topic.
But we are very interested in the reading experience on the iPhone.
At long-last, comics are moving to the iPhone, and hopefully soon they'll also move to the Sony Reader and other technologies.
Anyhow, I am willing to send a check to reimburse the costs of the first Leaguer who purchases the first two or three issues of Mark Waid's "Irredeemable" and writes a review of the experience for reprint here.
More on the "Irredeemable" comics for iPhone topic.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Halloween List
It's October!
That means its time for one thing!
Wait, no...
Well, maybe. But that's not where I was headed with this.
RIGHT!!! Halloween.
The point is, it's almost Halloween, and our pal Caffeinated Joe (aka: Wings), has put together a more than complete list of Halloween STUFF.
I suggest you check it out. It's amazingly thorough.
Please do yourself a favor and click over.
But, you know, as long as we're already here, we may as well look around.
It IS the most magical time of the year!
That means its time for one thing!
Wait, no...
Well, maybe. But that's not where I was headed with this.
RIGHT!!! Halloween.
The point is, it's almost Halloween, and our pal Caffeinated Joe (aka: Wings), has put together a more than complete list of Halloween STUFF.
I suggest you check it out. It's amazingly thorough.
Please do yourself a favor and click over.
But, you know, as long as we're already here, we may as well look around.
It IS the most magical time of the year!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Apologies to Nicole
and to a lesser extent, Matt. Who knows what he did, and deserves no apology.
Jamie informs me that my post bemoaning the aspect ratio issue with my TV was "a little mean" and "they're never going to house sit again, you jerk."
So. What was intended to be a little good-natured ribbing for Nicole and Matt didn't wind up that way, and for that, I am greatly sorry.
even this adorable puppy thinks I was sort of a @#$%
I am also to communicate how grateful we are for their assistance, etc...
Anyhow, I was in no way actually upset with either, and feel awful that the post suggested otherwise.
Jamie informs me that my post bemoaning the aspect ratio issue with my TV was "a little mean" and "they're never going to house sit again, you jerk."
So. What was intended to be a little good-natured ribbing for Nicole and Matt didn't wind up that way, and for that, I am greatly sorry.
even this adorable puppy thinks I was sort of a @#$%
I am also to communicate how grateful we are for their assistance, etc...
Anyhow, I was in no way actually upset with either, and feel awful that the post suggested otherwise.
October Creepiness
hey, hey... the gang's all here!
In lieu of an actual post, I'm going to kick off October with something creepier than Michael Meyers in a tutu:
Vintage Halloween stuff
I don't know what it is that makes vintage Christmas classic and endearing but vintage Halloween stuff terrifying, but there you are.
I don't know.
yeah, there's a little kid in blackface in there. Classy.
All my life I've mostly lived in relatively new structures, but when I sleep in a place like, say, the Olema Inn and consider how old the place is, and how many generations have slept in that room, and you look at the vintage light fixture and molding and wonder how many people have stared at that... and then think about all the kids over all the years who trick'or'treated before you ever put on a Chewbacca mask... all those kids who are nowhere to be seen, and in masks that were seemingly made in Hell's Novelty Factory...
Anyway.
Broom. Bike. Whatever.
The League has very specific issues.
Maybe I get a little sad looking at all these pictures, thinking of all these people who lived and had Halloween and trick or treats, and now they're most likely gone, and does anyone know who these people are anymore?
Is it the outdated ideas of the costumes? That its not colorful princesses and ninjas and Buzz Lightyear?
I have no idea. But the sort of static faces of the masks, and a lifetime of horror movies certainly isn't helping.
dang, yo. even if a headless guy with a hatchet was standing at the foot of my bed (my recurring fear when I was in 3rd grade), it would not freak me out as much as if these kids were on my doorstep.
I'm going to go hide under a blanket with a flashlight now.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
The League watches: Flash Forward
Meh.
I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to a humorless series in which 9/10ths of the characters have already shown us the bleak future they're headed towards in the next 6 months.
I was also very not impressed by the seeming "check off the boxes" that seemed to fill the episode.
Roguish, drinking law-enforcement guy with a marriage on the rocks? check
Idyllic morning scene to establish the characters, complete with them rising for the day in a massive suburban LA home? check
Doomed sidekick? check (only, we already know that ain't gonna happen)
Creepy kids? check
Overblown disaster scene trying to top pilot of Lost (I expect this will be a new prime-time series standard)? check
There's the mystery of "what happened" which can't be much of a mystery for long as there's a novel out there upon which the series is based. That said: I presume the "why" will be changed, just as the protagonist is no longer a physicist, but an FBI agent.
yeah.
Anyway, the show did have a good hook (everyone passed out for 2 minutes!), with a sort of awkwardly revealed twist (and saw their future. sort of!). But the producers saw to it that the characters started off as generic TV characters, and not particularly interesting ones at that. So knowing where they're headed doesn't actually add a whole lot of appeal.
And, while I'm sticking with ABC's Lost to the bitter end, Jason said it best when he rolled his eyes and began to complain about how common time-travel/ glimpses of the future/ etc... have become in TV these days. Which is interesting, considering what a pain time-travel is in any medium or genre, and how badly its usually executed.
I might also mention (and I'm a little ashamed I know this), but Smallville is basically doing the same thing this season by giving Lois a flashback/ flashforward for the season.
I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to a humorless series in which 9/10ths of the characters have already shown us the bleak future they're headed towards in the next 6 months.
I was also very not impressed by the seeming "check off the boxes" that seemed to fill the episode.
Roguish, drinking law-enforcement guy with a marriage on the rocks? check
Idyllic morning scene to establish the characters, complete with them rising for the day in a massive suburban LA home? check
Doomed sidekick? check (only, we already know that ain't gonna happen)
Creepy kids? check
Overblown disaster scene trying to top pilot of Lost (I expect this will be a new prime-time series standard)? check
There's the mystery of "what happened" which can't be much of a mystery for long as there's a novel out there upon which the series is based. That said: I presume the "why" will be changed, just as the protagonist is no longer a physicist, but an FBI agent.
yeah.
Anyway, the show did have a good hook (everyone passed out for 2 minutes!), with a sort of awkwardly revealed twist (and saw their future. sort of!). But the producers saw to it that the characters started off as generic TV characters, and not particularly interesting ones at that. So knowing where they're headed doesn't actually add a whole lot of appeal.
And, while I'm sticking with ABC's Lost to the bitter end, Jason said it best when he rolled his eyes and began to complain about how common time-travel/ glimpses of the future/ etc... have become in TV these days. Which is interesting, considering what a pain time-travel is in any medium or genre, and how badly its usually executed.
I might also mention (and I'm a little ashamed I know this), but Smallville is basically doing the same thing this season by giving Lois a flashback/ flashforward for the season.
Blame Nicole.
If there's no post this evening, you can blame Matt and Nicole. Mostly Matt. Or Nicole.
As you may know, Matt and Nicole house sat for us this weekend, for which we are enormously grateful. And during that time, they watched some TV.
Over the past three days, and a while this evening, I spent some time trying to figure out what was wrong with my TV. I don't know what those two crazy kids were up to, but they wreaked havoc on the aspect ratio on my TV and seemingly were bouncing it out of its HD-ness.
The biggest problem was that we'd had that problem with the TV when we got it, and I knew I'd stumbled upon the solution a year ago while doing something completely unrelated.
Anyhow, I finally figured it out (the issue was not with the TV or a setting thereupon, but in an option on the cable box remote of all the darned things). And I'm documenting here, so that when it happens again, I can possibly remember what I did and not lose untold hours tearing apart my AV set-up.
(It's a display option in the "settings" on the cable remote, Future Ryan).
So, yes, the Samsung manual was probably better than I thought, and I should not codemn it to a firey, firey fate in manual hell.
As you may know, Matt and Nicole house sat for us this weekend, for which we are enormously grateful. And during that time, they watched some TV.
Over the past three days, and a while this evening, I spent some time trying to figure out what was wrong with my TV. I don't know what those two crazy kids were up to, but they wreaked havoc on the aspect ratio on my TV and seemingly were bouncing it out of its HD-ness.
The biggest problem was that we'd had that problem with the TV when we got it, and I knew I'd stumbled upon the solution a year ago while doing something completely unrelated.
Anyhow, I finally figured it out (the issue was not with the TV or a setting thereupon, but in an option on the cable box remote of all the darned things). And I'm documenting here, so that when it happens again, I can possibly remember what I did and not lose untold hours tearing apart my AV set-up.
(It's a display option in the "settings" on the cable remote, Future Ryan).
So, yes, the Samsung manual was probably better than I thought, and I should not codemn it to a firey, firey fate in manual hell.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Whip It Interview with Shauna C (and Juliette Lewis)
Hey Leaguers. "Whip It" opens Friday at a theater near you! If you're in Austin and want to see the movie this weekend, e-mail me or say something in the comments. We'll have to hit The Alamo downtown.
Anyhow, Shauna C. was interviewed while in Canada for the Toronto Film Festival. Thrill to Shauna smiling politely! Chill to the awkward questioning style of the interviewer! Be dazzled by an interviewer asking the interview subjects to fulfill his sort of odd obsession with Drew Barrymore!
Click here to see the interview.
Anyhow, Shauna C. was interviewed while in Canada for the Toronto Film Festival. Thrill to Shauna smiling politely! Chill to the awkward questioning style of the interviewer! Be dazzled by an interviewer asking the interview subjects to fulfill his sort of odd obsession with Drew Barrymore!
Click here to see the interview.
The League Reads: A Princess of Mars
So on the plane to San Francisco I decided to read a book I'd picked up on a whim at Half Price Books, the first of the John Carter of Mars series, "A Princess of Mars".
I did not pick up the book just because there was a boob on the cover, but because the John Carter novels are occasionally discussed in the deep-dive-geek-circles, as a sort of watershed of fantasy and science fiction, or, more accurately, one of the early works from which all other sci-fi flows. There was also a glimpse of Carter in one of the "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" graphic novels and it looked neat, but I had no idea what was going on.
Written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whom you probably think of as the creator of Tarzan, the first John Carter novel was released in a serialized format starting in 1912. What is genuinely shocking is how little the genre of sci-fi has changed in the ensuing 100 years, and how much of an effect the John Carter novels must have had on the readership, leading to everything from Superman (1938) to Flash Gordon (1934) to Buck Rogers (1929).
It should be mentioned, the first in the series that I read, "A Princes of Mars" would be better served categorized as a fantasy novel, as there's little in the way of "science" in the book. The how's and why's of technology do exist, but aren't the focus, as the Mars portrayed is a clannish, barbaric world more akin to a Robert E. Howard novel than Asimov. And, certainly, one can see the various races of the Moons of Mongo and the arrival of Flash Gordon, swashbuckling swordplay, and flirtations with the princess as a direct descendant of "A Princess of Mars".
Wikipedia is helpful in trying to figure out what may have spawned some of Burroughs' concepts, but its nothing I'm terribly familiar with. By today's standards (of which much of fantasy and sci-fi, I'd guess, is a 20th generation copy of a copy of copy of a...), the book can feel a bit dated and off, but its also like seeing a 1935 Duesenberg Phaeton and just marveling at how this sort of thing was put together in comparison to today's autos. There's some passion and artistry, even if they don't have the cup holders, iPhone drop and electric heating seats.
While it was often difficult to buy the astounding luck and superhuman genius of our hero, the book does a great job of defining the cultures of the various Martian people, and glimpses of their history. And, he provides an interesting mechanism for how, pre-Werner Von Braun, Burroughs conceived of how his character would appear upon the surface of a neighboring planet. A concept I suspect Adam Strange comics have lifted, most notably in the recent run in Wednesday Comics.
Carter is, by the way, a Virginian gentleman who has served a tour of duty in the Civil War. Who has something going on with possible immortality prior to even arriving on the Red Planet. Its interesting to see a sci-fi hero from a by-gone era, and its an interesting juxtaposition with the Barsoomians, and how Burroughs frames' Carters relations to them.
Readers should recognize the books is both well ahead of its time in many ways, even as it's oddly chaste in its depiction of romance, and only occasionally shows glimpses of alternate ideas to gender roles as the author may have felt most comfortable in 1912. And, of course, the earthly virtues of a gentleman of Virginia often win the day for our hero in the barbaric Mars.
There's also a scene in the book during which Carter lays a kiss on the titular princess, and I thought "well, man... I can totally, totally see this as a movie". Which, you know, in 1912, its entirely unlikely Burroughs was envisioning crazy CGI FX and a screaming Queen guitar solo.
Clocking in at around 160 pages, as a slow reader, I got through the book in two plane rides and maybe an hour in the hotel. So even if its making you miserable, the book is a quick read by normal human standards.
I have several other books to read, including a couple of Dune books (which I think was an interesting book for comparison), but I am interested in reading a few more of these John Carter books.
By the way, Pixar is supposedly working on a John Carter movie.
Anyone else read this book?
I did not pick up the book just because there was a boob on the cover, but because the John Carter novels are occasionally discussed in the deep-dive-geek-circles, as a sort of watershed of fantasy and science fiction, or, more accurately, one of the early works from which all other sci-fi flows. There was also a glimpse of Carter in one of the "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" graphic novels and it looked neat, but I had no idea what was going on.
Written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whom you probably think of as the creator of Tarzan, the first John Carter novel was released in a serialized format starting in 1912. What is genuinely shocking is how little the genre of sci-fi has changed in the ensuing 100 years, and how much of an effect the John Carter novels must have had on the readership, leading to everything from Superman (1938) to Flash Gordon (1934) to Buck Rogers (1929).
It should be mentioned, the first in the series that I read, "A Princes of Mars" would be better served categorized as a fantasy novel, as there's little in the way of "science" in the book. The how's and why's of technology do exist, but aren't the focus, as the Mars portrayed is a clannish, barbaric world more akin to a Robert E. Howard novel than Asimov. And, certainly, one can see the various races of the Moons of Mongo and the arrival of Flash Gordon, swashbuckling swordplay, and flirtations with the princess as a direct descendant of "A Princess of Mars".
Wikipedia is helpful in trying to figure out what may have spawned some of Burroughs' concepts, but its nothing I'm terribly familiar with. By today's standards (of which much of fantasy and sci-fi, I'd guess, is a 20th generation copy of a copy of copy of a...), the book can feel a bit dated and off, but its also like seeing a 1935 Duesenberg Phaeton and just marveling at how this sort of thing was put together in comparison to today's autos. There's some passion and artistry, even if they don't have the cup holders, iPhone drop and electric heating seats.
While it was often difficult to buy the astounding luck and superhuman genius of our hero, the book does a great job of defining the cultures of the various Martian people, and glimpses of their history. And, he provides an interesting mechanism for how, pre-Werner Von Braun, Burroughs conceived of how his character would appear upon the surface of a neighboring planet. A concept I suspect Adam Strange comics have lifted, most notably in the recent run in Wednesday Comics.
Carter is, by the way, a Virginian gentleman who has served a tour of duty in the Civil War. Who has something going on with possible immortality prior to even arriving on the Red Planet. Its interesting to see a sci-fi hero from a by-gone era, and its an interesting juxtaposition with the Barsoomians, and how Burroughs frames' Carters relations to them.
Readers should recognize the books is both well ahead of its time in many ways, even as it's oddly chaste in its depiction of romance, and only occasionally shows glimpses of alternate ideas to gender roles as the author may have felt most comfortable in 1912. And, of course, the earthly virtues of a gentleman of Virginia often win the day for our hero in the barbaric Mars.
There's also a scene in the book during which Carter lays a kiss on the titular princess, and I thought "well, man... I can totally, totally see this as a movie". Which, you know, in 1912, its entirely unlikely Burroughs was envisioning crazy CGI FX and a screaming Queen guitar solo.
Clocking in at around 160 pages, as a slow reader, I got through the book in two plane rides and maybe an hour in the hotel. So even if its making you miserable, the book is a quick read by normal human standards.
I have several other books to read, including a couple of Dune books (which I think was an interesting book for comparison), but I am interested in reading a few more of these John Carter books.
By the way, Pixar is supposedly working on a John Carter movie.
Anyone else read this book?
Sunday, September 27, 2009
We're back...
Well, we're back from sunny Olema, California where we spent the past few days getting Doug and K married.
Lovely ceremony. Met a lot of great folks. Ate entirely too much food.
We spent Thursday night in Berkeley, then drove up to Olema on Friday for a rehearsal, to meet some people, and get settled in. The wedding was at a lovely B&B that we more or less took over for a couple of days.
K is doing very well in spite of the surgery, and she made it through the wedding and attendant activities with flying colors. Doug, perhaps because of basic training with Jamie, handled the situation very well.
K's family (immediate and extended) was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed meeting those of Doug and K's friends we hadn't met before, and seeing again those we had. And, of course, it was great to see Jamie's cousins who were able to attend, her Aunt and Uncle and others.
It was a fun weekend, and it was nice to just go along for the ride.
Had a bit of adventure getting out of Olema as we took a wrong turn and wound up going a way that worked, but took us on a route that was a lot more interesting than we'd intended, including a jaunt across the Golden Gate and a cruise through San Francisco.
Anyway, we're home. I'm tired. I think the dogs are now settled.
BTW: thanks to Nicole (and Matt, I guess, from the beer I found in the fridge) for taking care of the dogs this weekend. It certainly made things a lot easier.
Lovely ceremony. Met a lot of great folks. Ate entirely too much food.
We spent Thursday night in Berkeley, then drove up to Olema on Friday for a rehearsal, to meet some people, and get settled in. The wedding was at a lovely B&B that we more or less took over for a couple of days.
K is doing very well in spite of the surgery, and she made it through the wedding and attendant activities with flying colors. Doug, perhaps because of basic training with Jamie, handled the situation very well.
K's family (immediate and extended) was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed meeting those of Doug and K's friends we hadn't met before, and seeing again those we had. And, of course, it was great to see Jamie's cousins who were able to attend, her Aunt and Uncle and others.
It was a fun weekend, and it was nice to just go along for the ride.
Had a bit of adventure getting out of Olema as we took a wrong turn and wound up going a way that worked, but took us on a route that was a lot more interesting than we'd intended, including a jaunt across the Golden Gate and a cruise through San Francisco.
Anyway, we're home. I'm tired. I think the dogs are now settled.
BTW: thanks to Nicole (and Matt, I guess, from the beer I found in the fridge) for taking care of the dogs this weekend. It certainly made things a lot easier.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Comic Geek Humor
From Geoff Johns' Twitter:
Bing Crosby imitator Sugar Bear is "Hope"...?
I assure you, this is hi-larious.
Bing Crosby imitator Sugar Bear is "Hope"...?
I assure you, this is hi-larious.
So , uh...
You guys probably are reading this off Google Reader or an RSS feed or at Facebook or something, so if I type long enough, you probably won't get to the actual content of the post. And that's a darn shame. Because if you clicked through, man, there's all kinds of stuff.
Only not really.
The wedding of Doug and K is still on, but its been a crazy day. I guess Kristen got some sort of infection where she had her surgery recently, so she's in the hospital. Nothing I would wish on my worst enemy, and certainly not on two of my favorite people.
Honestly, it all sounds like something that would go down with me and Troubles, so I hope by virtue of marrying into the Steans-extended-clan, she ahsn't just wound up accidentally catching a nasty case of the usual Steans-luck.
Let's all wish K and Doug well.
So, yeah, there should be more content.
I guess I like comics and robots and stuff, and I haven't mentioned Lynda Carter in a while. That's too bad. I should do that more often. I'm probably distracted by my weekly dose of Christina Hendricks, so, there you go on that.
Uhm. Superman continues to have comics, and there's no new movie, but I guess if you asked, I'd have an opinion on what that should look like, but nobody did ask, so why lay that trip on you?
There's probably something to be said about the space program, or the business model at DC Comics. But I'm not sure that's worth a post.
Haven't seen any movies lately.
Uh. Won't see the game on Saturday unless a Direct TV dish falls out of the sky to wine country in California. So I may be texting some of you during the game to get updates.
The dogs are good.
What else?
Simon ran his marathon, and raised a good amount of money for the Terry Fox Run, so we should all applaud that effort. Well done, Simon.
Jason is on Corpus Christi on the rainiest, coldest September I can remember since about 1993. We aearned the cold and rain, though.
I mentioned Superman is cool, right? And Lynda Carter?
Okay.
Well, apparently I got nothing this evening. I think I'm going to go read a crime novel or something.
Yeah.
Anyway, did you know that Wonder Woman puts on more clothing when she goes swimming than she does when she's saying, hanging around fighting crime? And when she swims, the ocean looks like the bottom of a Holllywood producer's pool? It's true.
Only not really.
The wedding of Doug and K is still on, but its been a crazy day. I guess Kristen got some sort of infection where she had her surgery recently, so she's in the hospital. Nothing I would wish on my worst enemy, and certainly not on two of my favorite people.
Honestly, it all sounds like something that would go down with me and Troubles, so I hope by virtue of marrying into the Steans-extended-clan, she ahsn't just wound up accidentally catching a nasty case of the usual Steans-luck.
Let's all wish K and Doug well.
So, yeah, there should be more content.
I guess I like comics and robots and stuff, and I haven't mentioned Lynda Carter in a while. That's too bad. I should do that more often. I'm probably distracted by my weekly dose of Christina Hendricks, so, there you go on that.
Uhm. Superman continues to have comics, and there's no new movie, but I guess if you asked, I'd have an opinion on what that should look like, but nobody did ask, so why lay that trip on you?
There's probably something to be said about the space program, or the business model at DC Comics. But I'm not sure that's worth a post.
Haven't seen any movies lately.
Uh. Won't see the game on Saturday unless a Direct TV dish falls out of the sky to wine country in California. So I may be texting some of you during the game to get updates.
The dogs are good.
What else?
Simon ran his marathon, and raised a good amount of money for the Terry Fox Run, so we should all applaud that effort. Well done, Simon.
Jason is on Corpus Christi on the rainiest, coldest September I can remember since about 1993. We aearned the cold and rain, though.
I mentioned Superman is cool, right? And Lynda Carter?
Okay.
Well, apparently I got nothing this evening. I think I'm going to go read a crime novel or something.
Yeah.
Anyway, did you know that Wonder Woman puts on more clothing when she goes swimming than she does when she's saying, hanging around fighting crime? And when she swims, the ocean looks like the bottom of a Holllywood producer's pool? It's true.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Miscellania
Jill's kid started a Bird-Watching Blog
So, young junior naturalist Arden H-W has started a blog all about his bird-watching hobby.
Here.
The League is impressed. That kid is going to be the next Audubon. His blog posts are also already five times more coherent than anything you're likely to find here at League of Melbotis.
I look forward to seeing what bird he covers next.
So Where Are the Kents in the Silver Age?
Fans of Silver-Age and Bronze-Age comics will note that the Kents are alive when Superboy is a lad, but by the time he becomes Superman, they're MIA.
Well, at some point, DC decided to address what happened. And somehow, this is the story they put on the page.
And, honestly, this sort of story makes more sense than 85% of what you're going to find in the typical Silver Age Superman story.
Mad Men
Did everyone get the important tip for office safety in this week's episode of Mad Men?
Not picking up JSA anymore
For the record, I'm agreeing with Simon and dropping JSA in December, if not before. Makes League cry, but... this just doesn't look fun.
Schwapp! sums it up nicely.
Also, the perspective or something is completely off on the ocver to JSA All-Stars #1. Without getting too much into it, as an example, Cyclone (front right) looks like she was drawn in at the last second by an 8th grader who doesn't know how big parts are, or where they really need to go.
sometimes it helps to look at your drawing before inking and coloring it
Comic Previews and My Precognitive Abilities
A few days ago I was going through some Superman back issues and stumbled across a cover with 70's-era Superman buddy/ foil, Vartox, the character with the worst design in all of comic-dom. I paused and said to myself: they should really find a way to bring this guy back, without changing a damned thing.
Well, not change anything other than how seriously a reader in 2009 is likely to take ol' Vartox.
Vartox, by the way, is most likely what a very drunk comic artist decided was acceptable after seeing Sean Connery in the worst costume of all time in Zardoz.
Well, ask and ye shall receive. DC December 2009 Solicitations were released Monday.
Power Girl #7, coming in December:
The fellow on the ground is Dr. Mid-Nite. He is cool.
I am really growing to like this Power Girl comic.
It Could Have Been Worse
I'm probably too forgiving of the 2006 feature film "Superman Returns". It has its flaws, primarily in the story department.
But I think we can mostly agree that Brandon Routh made a fine Superman in his blues and reds.
Many people don't know that Superman Returns, despite pulling in $200 million domestically, was considered a flop not just because it didn't set the world on fire, but because it had to also make back the money spent on about 20 years of WB kicking around Superman ideas. Some 10's of millions.
One of the many ideas of the 1990's that blew through all that dough was that WB decided lightning should strike twice, and so gave the franchise to Tim Burton. This was probably not a great idea. Reportedly Burton didn't think too much of Superman, did not like Superman, and so was looking to just make his own movie, anyway. And just call it Superman so they'd give him $150 million to realize his fever dream of a superhero movie.
I'm not sure exactly what happened, but thanks to the success of movies like "Con-Air" (which is a stupid @#$%ing movie. Seriously.) Nic Cage became attached to the project.
Interestingly, Nic Cage is a Superman fan, as evidenced by the fact that he named his kid "Kal-El". No, really. He did.
This all occurrd in the depths of what is now referred to as the Chromium Age of comics, which will make sense to non-comic people if you remember the 90's "EXTREME!!!!" movement. It basically meant comics became very stupid, very violent, and Superman had a mullet from about 1992 to 1998. No, really. He did. It also meant comics were sort of aplace where if you were trying to make sales, you had carte blanche do whatever made the character "dark", a dumb and meaningless term that Hollywood always wants to apply, for some @#$%ing reason, to The Man of Steel.
So, take a heaping, helping of Tim Burton, the 90's Extreme Movement, people getting their first computer in the 1990's, Nic Cage's Con-Air era popularity, and shake...
This almost happened.
So shut up about Superman Returns.
But I think we can mostly agree that Brandon Routh made a fine Superman in his blues and reds.
Many people don't know that Superman Returns, despite pulling in $200 million domestically, was considered a flop not just because it didn't set the world on fire, but because it had to also make back the money spent on about 20 years of WB kicking around Superman ideas. Some 10's of millions.
One of the many ideas of the 1990's that blew through all that dough was that WB decided lightning should strike twice, and so gave the franchise to Tim Burton. This was probably not a great idea. Reportedly Burton didn't think too much of Superman, did not like Superman, and so was looking to just make his own movie, anyway. And just call it Superman so they'd give him $150 million to realize his fever dream of a superhero movie.
I'm not sure exactly what happened, but thanks to the success of movies like "Con-Air" (which is a stupid @#$%ing movie. Seriously.) Nic Cage became attached to the project.
Interestingly, Nic Cage is a Superman fan, as evidenced by the fact that he named his kid "Kal-El". No, really. He did.
This all occurrd in the depths of what is now referred to as the Chromium Age of comics, which will make sense to non-comic people if you remember the 90's "EXTREME!!!!" movement. It basically meant comics became very stupid, very violent, and Superman had a mullet from about 1992 to 1998. No, really. He did. It also meant comics were sort of aplace where if you were trying to make sales, you had carte blanche do whatever made the character "dark", a dumb and meaningless term that Hollywood always wants to apply, for some @#$%ing reason, to The Man of Steel.
So, take a heaping, helping of Tim Burton, the 90's Extreme Movement, people getting their first computer in the 1990's, Nic Cage's Con-Air era popularity, and shake...
This almost happened.
So shut up about Superman Returns.
The David Lynch Adaptation of "Dune"
is not very good and makes Herbert's prose seem subtle and airy by comparison.
But, holy moley, does it look expensive. They just sort of skip over major plot points, though, don't they? While just sort of making a few bits up along the way.
Credit where credit is due. Lynch cast pre-koo-koo Sean Young, a very young Virginia Madsen, and this Francesca Annis person who plays the Lady Jessica.
Also, Patrick Stewart.
To be fair, the challenge of translating that book was never going to be easy for anyone.
I gotta say, though, the handling of Alia was surprisingly good.
But, holy moley, does it look expensive. They just sort of skip over major plot points, though, don't they? While just sort of making a few bits up along the way.
Credit where credit is due. Lynch cast pre-koo-koo Sean Young, a very young Virginia Madsen, and this Francesca Annis person who plays the Lady Jessica.
Also, Patrick Stewart.
To be fair, the challenge of translating that book was never going to be easy for anyone.
I gotta say, though, the handling of Alia was surprisingly good.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Oh, yeah. Dug and K are getting married.
So... I've been doing a super bad job at being on hiatus. Solution: I'm actually going out of town in a few days to see Dug and K get hitched.
As tends to happen, I get a little nostalgic when weddings roll around. Jamie and I had a magical wedding, and I hope for nothing more than that's exactly what Dug and K get.
In the traditional Steans/ McBride way, we want K to know, she is one of us:
And so K can know what The League and Troubles' wedding was like:
I can only hope there will be dancing:
And, of course, I have my toast all ready:
So I'm going to be out of pocket over the weekend. You're on your own.
As tends to happen, I get a little nostalgic when weddings roll around. Jamie and I had a magical wedding, and I hope for nothing more than that's exactly what Dug and K get.
In the traditional Steans/ McBride way, we want K to know, she is one of us:
And so K can know what The League and Troubles' wedding was like:
I can only hope there will be dancing:
And, of course, I have my toast all ready:
So I'm going to be out of pocket over the weekend. You're on your own.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Kirby Family to Sue Marvel for Characters
Ohhhhh man.
This should be interesting.
You know, back when they announced the Disney/ Marvel merger, my first thought was "huh. Wonder what Kirby's family thinks of the $4 billion price tag?"
Well, wonder no more.
Jack Kirby's family is looking to regain rights to several of King Kirby's creations. Read more here.
They were probably right about this being one of the world's greatest comics this year. If you ignore the existence of Jimmy Olsen. Which I do not, and never will..
Kirby's estate could claim all sorts of stuff, from the Fantastic Four to the Hulk. Thor. Several Avengers. Galactus (yeh!). Black Panther. The Inhumans. The Eternals. You know... the X-Men. Stuff like that.
If people think DC should be shaking because of the Siegel claim on Superman, Marvel has a much, much bigger problem. But mostly only if Kirby's heirs can lay claim to the major characters. But at Marvel that can include my buddy Fin Fang Foom. (If you think I do not have a toy of Fin Fang Foom, you are wrong.)
Now, Kirby is not a co-creator of Spider-Man, Iron Man and many other characters, and as Stan Lee is likely listed as a creator on many of these characters, I don't know how this will work. But certainly Captain America was Kirby and Simon all the way.
Such a simple, straightforward little title back then.
Now, an ample amount of the DCU was created by Kirby as well, but not quite as many high-profile DC characters (I mean, I know who Mr. Miracle is, but I'm pretty sure KareBear has no idea). And DC seems to have had a better relationship with Kirby. "Seems to" being the operative words here.
Mom, this is Mr. Miracle. He's a super escape artist.
Anyway, as interested as I've been in the Siegel/ DC case, I'll most likely be just as interested in how this shakes out for Kirby's heirs.
After a while, you get a feel for a character that absolutely must have originally been a Kirby character. Its the only way to explain characters named things like "Unus the Untouchable".
Here's a list I just found online of all of Kirby's Marvel creations.
This should be interesting.
You know, back when they announced the Disney/ Marvel merger, my first thought was "huh. Wonder what Kirby's family thinks of the $4 billion price tag?"
Well, wonder no more.
Jack Kirby's family is looking to regain rights to several of King Kirby's creations. Read more here.
They were probably right about this being one of the world's greatest comics this year. If you ignore the existence of Jimmy Olsen. Which I do not, and never will..
Kirby's estate could claim all sorts of stuff, from the Fantastic Four to the Hulk. Thor. Several Avengers. Galactus (yeh!). Black Panther. The Inhumans. The Eternals. You know... the X-Men. Stuff like that.
If people think DC should be shaking because of the Siegel claim on Superman, Marvel has a much, much bigger problem. But mostly only if Kirby's heirs can lay claim to the major characters. But at Marvel that can include my buddy Fin Fang Foom. (If you think I do not have a toy of Fin Fang Foom, you are wrong.)
Now, Kirby is not a co-creator of Spider-Man, Iron Man and many other characters, and as Stan Lee is likely listed as a creator on many of these characters, I don't know how this will work. But certainly Captain America was Kirby and Simon all the way.
Such a simple, straightforward little title back then.
Now, an ample amount of the DCU was created by Kirby as well, but not quite as many high-profile DC characters (I mean, I know who Mr. Miracle is, but I'm pretty sure KareBear has no idea). And DC seems to have had a better relationship with Kirby. "Seems to" being the operative words here.
Mom, this is Mr. Miracle. He's a super escape artist.
Anyway, as interested as I've been in the Siegel/ DC case, I'll most likely be just as interested in how this shakes out for Kirby's heirs.
After a while, you get a feel for a character that absolutely must have originally been a Kirby character. Its the only way to explain characters named things like "Unus the Untouchable".
Here's a list I just found online of all of Kirby's Marvel creations.
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