Category: Film

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0519

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Bruce

0519No, I haven’t seen The Force Awakens… so quit asking me. I had to work today. I am planning on seeing it now that Winter Break has started, I just haven’t decided when or where.  What did I do today, the proclaimed “Star Wars Day”? I wore that unlicensed “Calvin & Hobbes t-shirt” with Han & Chewie, cleaned my classroom, and I did something very scary. I put in my VHS copy of Star Wars (Episode 4) that was the “enhanced version” which means the sound was brought into THX standards, and some of the specials effects were touched up… Nothing as drastic as the “Special Editions.” I saw the film pretty much just as I had seen it in 1977 (btw: Han shot first). Why was that scary? I hadn’t played that tape in probably over 15 years. I was afraid that it would disintegrate half way through (right before ‘Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid”) and it would be lost forever. I lucked out, and the school VCR along with our projector did a fine job.

I keep going back on Star Wars or Star Trek and there are days when I’m a trekkie and days when the Force is with me. I’m in that in-between age range that was influenced by both while growing up. Just as the prequels kinda soured me to Star Wars, I know there are Star trek films that were horrible, or worse. So all I can do is embrace the science fiction fan in me and get lost for a few hours in a galaxy far, far away- next year I’ll get lost where no one has gone before.

On a side note, I did pick up a BB-8 Sphero thanks to my sister Nancy.  OK Sue’s sister, but we’ve known each long enough she’s my sister too.  Now i watch it charge with Cecil watching and look forward to what tomorrow will bring.  Isn’t that what Science Fiction is all about anyway?

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #C3P0

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Bruce

3p0Okay- so I know that in Star Wars VII that Threepio has a red arm… so what?!?! Who cares if the LEGO minifig now also has a red arm? After the prequels I’m going to reserve the right to draw my cybernetic monkeys the way they looked in 1977. If I actually like the new film I can always go back and “correct” this drawing, just like George “corrected” the first three films… ugh.

The big question usually asked of any “geek” is “Star Trek or Star Wars?” I believe I have said before, I’m torn on this topic.  Both franchises are a part of my youth.  I have fond memories of things related to each.  Star Trek- I remember taking one Labor Day (or maybe Memorial Day) weekend and moving my TV outside so I could “catch some rays” without missing the massive Star Trek marathon- resulting in 2nd degree burns.  Yes, it hurt. Yes I have scars to prove it.  Would I do it again?  Watch the marathon? Yes.  Try to look like I actually lived in Southern California? Not so much.  As for Star Wars- for those of us who saw it when it first was released… it was amazing.  before that, science fiction and fantasy films had been kind of two dimensional- this just kind of made your mind go “Ka-Boom!”  I was too old to get into the toys, but Star Wars was probably my first time attempting cosplay.  Then, changes happened to both and while I still love them- each has had their set backs.  Only time will tell if I will embrace either universe as I once had done.  To quote Threepio- “This is madness!”

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1980 A-Ah!!!

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Bruce

1980I’m sure I’ve mentioned at some time that one of my most memorable comic experiences growing up was Alex Raymond’s “Flash Gordon.”  It started off as far as I can tell with a way for my parents to keep my brother and I quiet as we moved.  I was given volume one and my brother volume two of the original series.  The artwork was amazing , the story was great and for the longest time I tracked down the entire 5 volumes that had been published leading up to Flash, Dale, & Zarkov’s return to Earth.  After that as a kid I figured the story ended.  It wasn’t until later that I discovered that there were more adventures (including a return to Mongo).  This of course after I had lost the original compendiums I had purchased growing up.  And then there’s the film versions… Buster Crabbe’s Serials and the 1980 version which drips of camp, but actually isn’t that bad when it comes to paying homage to the art of Alex Raymond and his ideas of what Mongo looked like.  Tonight I have the chance to see that film again on the big screen as the opening event for Indy Pop Con.  So take a walk with me down memory lane…

 

Flash – a-ah – saviour of the universe
Flash – a-ah – he’ll save everyone of us
Flash – a-ah – he’s a miracle
Flash – a-ah – king of the impossible

He’s for everyone of us
Stand for everyone of us
He’ll save with a mighty hand
Every man every woman
Every child – with a mighty flash

Flash – a-ah
Flash – a-ah – he’ll save everyone of us

Just a man
With a man’s courage
He knows nothing but a man
But he can never fail
No one but the pure in heart
May find the golden grail
Oh oh – oh oh
Flash

If you want a modern take on what really would happen to a spacefaring hero returning to Earth after saving a planet  I highly recommend Mark Millar’s “Starlight.”  Fantastic story, that I hear might become a film in the near future… sadly, I don’t think Queen will be doing the soundtrack.

“Everything is Awesome” – A review of The Lego Movie

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Bruce
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The initial display from IndyLUG at the Greenfield Brick Expo- After seeing the film today, we know there’s a lot that needs to be added…

I’m and old school animation guy… classic Warner Brothers animation, Disney, & Pixar are all my favorites.  While I haven’t had a chance to see a lot of the more recent stuff I haven’t really been a fan of other studios attempts at creating an animated film.  Some have been good, but I compare animated films to super hero films and you’ve got Marvel that has figured it out, and DC that hasn’t (this coming from a DC comics fan).  I think I’ve had the misfortune of seeing a few failed attempts at telling an animated story from Dreamworks, or whoever and just left shaking my head.  The studios idea seemed to be if we use famous people and throw in a song by a popular artist (along with a few fart jokes) it will make us enough money to cover the costs.  I feel bad for parents who have young children and have to sit through Ice Age 16, Madagascar 25 or whatever.  Again I’m generalizing so don’t come back with a “What about…”  There have been some good movies, but nothing consistent, like what Pixar had done.

Being an AFOL (Adult Fan of Lego) when the hype started about “The Lego Movie” I was cautiously optimistic.  The trailers seemed amusing which could be that they cut the trailer to include only the funny parts.  The cast, while stars, weren’t necessarily Hollywood A-listers (although I stay away from tabloids so they could be and I don’t know).  The thing that kept coming to me as I watched the trailers was it looked like it was going to be fun.  It looked like they were taking themselves seriously, but not too seriously.  When the Lego kits for the movie came out, they continued with this theme.  Almost a child-like whimsy built into to each set.  I started to really look forward to seeing this film- and that scared me even more.  I was scared that I was setting the bar too high and that nothing could be as good as what I was expecting.

I was wrong.  This film not only met those expectations, but surpassed them.  I was lucky enough to get a couple of passes to a screening this morning since I had contributed to a display at the Greenfield Brick Expo and was amazed at how it appealed to everyone in the audience, and this could have been a tough audience since a large portion were AFOLs.  Frankly, I don’t want to give anything away and I suggest you avoid spoilers because there are some twists that really make the film more than just 100 minutes of animated Lego Minifigs.   I also suggest you see it as soon as you can, before you can’t avoid reviews that ruin the film for you.

Here’s the basic plot, most of this can be pulled from the trailers-  It takes place in a Lego world where our hero – Emmet is just a construction guy doing his job.  There is a group called the “Master Builders” who are looking for “The Special” someone who, because of prophecy, will save the world from Lord Business and his evil plans (destroy the world on Taco Tuesday).  Emmet, our “hero”, gets mistaken for “The Special” and must try to save the world, with the help of others (the trailer shows an old wizard guy, a girl dressed in black, and Batman- yes, Batman).  Sounds a little like “The Matrix”? I would agree as to the general premise, the nice thing is they tie everything up in 100 minutes, not three movies, and since it is geared to kids, adults can pretty much understand what’s going on.  By the end you care about the world, you care about the characters, and it has a couple good morals (one for kids, and one for adults although the one for kids works for adults too)-  If I told you it would ruin it for you so I won’t.

The thing that stood out for me is that I am seriously considering seeing this film again, in a theater.  Most films I can wait until they are on Netflix, or I spend a couple bucks to rent them from iTunes  (I did this with The Avengers & Man of Steel).  This one I’m thinking about going back to the theater when it opens, paying a lot of money, and seeing it again, just to catch what I missed-  and then I’m thinking about buying a copy to own when it’s available…that says something about this movie, since I haven’t done either thing for any film released in the last decade.

SO what are your thoughts?  For me it was “AWESOME!” Your mileage may vary.

50th Anniversary of Doctor Who – Yes, spoilers and Confusion ahead..

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Bruce

While many people enjoyed the Episode “The Day of the Doctor” on Saturday, having decided to take what I was paying for cable TV and increase my internet speed I was without BBC America and a DVR so I patiently waited. I appreciate my friends who kept their Doctor Who posts to a minimum or at least removed me from those posts.  *Spoilers* you know.  I have purchased the 5Oth Anniversary Collection on iTunes but had bought tickets to see the episode in 3-D at a local theater. Yes, the same theater I saw “Into the Darkness” and they had some of the same technical glitches before they started the show. That said there are a few things I would want to add before trying to unknot a big ball of wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff.
First if you haven’t there are a couple videos floating around that you should take some time to watch. The first is a wonderful little parody in which the previous incarnations of the Doctor try to get into the production…

It is rather amusing with lots of in jokes…

The other video is a prequel which explains what happened to the 8th Doctor (Paul McGann) and how John Hurt got mixed up in the whole thing.

This was a great way to explain what was going on in the time war an how it impacted the universe.

—

So the theater experience was great, a theater filled with Whovians all excited to see what was going to happen.  They had two screens, one 3-d , one not.  I still have no idea what the big deal is with 3-D, but that’s me.

Lights go down there’s a few yells about how there is no picture, but sound… that get’s all straightened out and the audience is ready for the typical, “silence your cell phones” stuff and instead we get Strax.  Strax goes on to explain appropriate ettiquette and what will happen to you if you don’t in his own Sontaran way – the best part was as he describes the joy he has at the custom of eating popcorn – “remember popcorn can feel pain.”  It got everyone in the mood.  The screen goes white and Matt Smith appears welcoming us to the 100th anniversary in 12-D.  David Tennant takes his place for a moment and then the 3-D is turned on the the story begins.

—

I’l just say you need to see it. While I will mention things that happened I’m not going to go plot point to plot point.  If you’ve seen it you’ll understand if you haven’t… it will give away some stuff or confuse the daylights out of you.  This is mostly for me to ask some questions that have been bouncing around in my head since coming home.  Let’s start with what I was expecting-

At the end of the last season on Trenzalore they were battling the Great Intelligence and jumped into the Doctor’s time stream.  This was what I was expecting.  I was expecting the great battle through the various incarnations to save the universe and the Doctor.  I figured that it would start a grand adventure… I’m not thinking that all that running and saving happened in the quick bits during the end of the episode.  That the Great Intelligence was defeated off camera.  Leaving us with only the mysterious Doctor played by John Hurt.  It was like the whole danger played up about going into your own time stream wasn’t and how the doctor got out just happened – off camera.    So first point of confusion- nothing to do with the actual “Day of the Doctor.”

The quandary about the fez-  OK so we have the fez flying around in the time stream (because fezzes ARE cool).  We see the fez being picked up by Matt Smith and thrown into the time stream at the National Gallery from the collection of Elizabeth I.  It lands in England with David Tennant and Elizabeth I.  Where it gets thrown to through the time stream to John Hurt, and makes it’s way back to Elizabeth… where’d the fez come from?  Elizabeth put the fez in safekeeping in the National Gallery, after it had been thrown from the National Gallery where it had been stored for hundreds of years by Elizabeth I… Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey.

That was a minor spoiler… Now to the end.  Did I miss something?  Matt Smith is now going to find Gallifrey- huzzah!  Didn’t David Tennant stop Gallifrey from taking the Earth’s location in his last episode (the one with the Master and Timothy Dalton- The End of Time)?  So didn’t David Tennant already know that Gallifrey was in a pocket universe not bothering anyone since he sent it back to save the Earth?  He may not have known HOW it got there, but he knew it was around… I guess I have some episodes to watch again.

These are the two little questions I have right now… I’m sure as thoughts bounce around in my head I will have more.  All in all a great episode, lots of wonderful things going on and surprises.  I’m looking forward to figuring out what is going to happen in December.

 

Never Judge a Book by its Movie – Ender’s Game

Posted on November 2, 2013 by Bruce

Please note that there probably are spoilers in the following and this is my recollection of the film Ender’s Game that I saw last night, way past my bedtime, so I may not recall everything is extreme detail.

Last night I joined some friends to see “Ender’s Game” I’m not going to go into anything dealing with the author of the original story’s rabid political rantings- I don’t agree with anything he has to say on those points, I really don’t want to discuss the person, I’d much rather go into the movie and the book Ender’s Game.    As for Ender’s Game it is a story I picked up in 1989 after listening to the author speak coherently about literature and pop culture.  Over the years I picked up a few other books by this author, but none of them really hit me like Ender’s Game. I even had gone back and found the published copy of the original award winning novella just to see the original format of the story. So for year’s I have been a fan of this story- which when seeing a modern film version of a story written around 30 years ago can be a bad thing… a very bad thing.

Some basics – the Earth has been invaded by the “buggers” they were fought off and now to prepare for the second invasion children are tested (Oh the horror of futuristic standardized testing) to see if they have military aptitude.  Those “lucky few” are sent off to Battle School in orbit to learn the art of war.  After initial training students are placed into armies lead by other students and compete in zero-g battles to put their leadership and tactical skills to the test.  Those that succeed graduate. Ender Wiggin is sent up because he has a high midichlorian count and may be “the one.”  He goes through various trials in order to test him and finally… well you know the hero’s journey.  Originally a Hugo & Nebula award winning novella- the author turned it into a series of novels, and then another series of novels telling the story from different character’s points of view.  Then he turned it into a comic series and started writing some of the missing parts and history… I’m not even sure how many books are in the series now.

I know many people who swore they wouldn’t see any of the Harry Potter films because it would ruin the picture they had in their mind of the setting and the characters. I found myself wandering around London on my first trip looking for the actual locations mentioned in the book so I could visualize it better. (Note that some places used in the Harry Potter films are not the actual locations sited in the book- just sayin’) So when it comes to Ender’s Game I read it when I first started teaching kids who happen to be around the age of Ender in the book. Ender (in the book) was always considered small and youngish.  He stood out from the crowd in this way- or at least that’s the way I imagined him.  The film does not portray him as such. I could nitpick through the film, but for me this was one of the major points that threw me- these are supposed to be children and while they were younger and were “children”, they were older than I had ever imagined.  Tweens or even teens… is that the audience they are pushing for?   While watching the film I kept waiting for Petra and Ender to have some childish romantic moment- something that never came to mind when reading the book.

The film itself seemed rushed- It was like they couldn’t understand that Ender was in Battle School for not just 30 days. He dealt with a bunch of commanders before being given his own army. (The novella starts with Ender training his army after first being given command, the character Bean is introduced there.  The movie has Bean as his first friend on the transport to Battle School.  Now I’ll admit Bean was an important character (important enough to have his own book or two), but in the book he was the one Ender picked on initially, he was the one Ender trusted in the end because (pardon the pun) they were two peas in pod.  He suddenly appears in the the transport Ender is on?!? no no no no… this kills Bean’s backstory.  Don’t even get me started on Ender’s first nemesis – Bernard.  He was a minor character, he was a bully who Ender embarrassed and really wasn’t important after that.  Having him become one of Ender’s chosen few?  Bringing him to help Ender at the end?  no no no no… I barely got to know, let alone care, about any of the characters before the film was over.  and while many of them were important to Ender at some point in the book, with the exception of Petra, many of the characters considered Ender’s trusted few, were difficult to figure out how they formed such a tight bond with him.

So much of the book took place in Ender’s head (like Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) that it is difficult to know the title character, therefore love the title character in the film.  It also seemed like they tried to take some parts from the novel to “humanize Ender” but dropped an entire other plot line that demonstrated the brilliance of Ender’s siblings.  Then again those plot points (let alone Ender’s siblings) don’t show up in the original story.  The whole surprise ending really didn’t seem like that much of a surprise (but then again- I read the book), but then again maybe it was because this was the point of using special effects, where in the book they were dealing with 1980’s vector graphics.

I know I seem to be focusing on the issues I have with a beloved book being put onto the silver screen, as for positives- it was well acted, the special effects were glorious if you like explosions and spaceships. I just can’t say much about the story because I’m obviously too close to it.  So as for the story, I recommend you not spend the large sum to see it in the theater ($12 for a movie ticket? Really?!?!) but go to a used bookstore or your local library and pick up a copy. If you absolutely want to see the film version because you are illiterate, or something like that- wait to see it on DVD or Netflix.  I know if I decide to have a second viewing it will be when I don’t have to buy a ticket.

—

Ender’s Game is on a short list of books that I reread (& reread) when I need to escape kind of like putting on a comfy sweater. They are-

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Dream Park by Larry Niven & Steven Barnes

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Another Fine Myth by Robert Aspirin

Harry Potter & Philosopher’s Stone By J.K. Rowling

The Brave Little Toaster by Thomas Disch

I’m sure there will be others and I might have missed a few- since I didn’t even list any comics.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead Star Trek & Doctor Who Musings

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Bruce

This weekend had two things going on that for a geek like me were exciting- Star Trek Into Darkness opened and the Doctor Who Season Finale aired.

I have held off posting my thoughts about Star Trek Into Darkness until now not because I didn’t want to talk about it, but because I was actually pretty conflicted about how I felt about the film. I wanted to check out other reviews (spoiler filled or not) and really try to wrap my head around what was going on. Let’s start off with something simple and not spoilerish at all- I had the chance to see the film Wednesday at a local theatre in 3-D thanks to Comic Carnival North (My local comic shop) and Dan who handed me two passes one for Sue and one for me with the advice “show up early.” In some cities “Show up early” means “Camp out days ahead of time” in Indiana it usually means “arrive before the closing credits role.” Sue and I went out for a quick bite and arrived about an hour before the film was scheduled to start- the line had already formed, but it wasn’t too bad. We got to our seats and then sat. The theatre’s air conditioning was either off or broken so it started to get really hot. I would comment on the PR person trying to convince us to go to their website, who kept calling us “Star Trekkies,” but it was almost too sad to mention. SO 9:00 rolls around and… nothing. A little after nine and nothing, A little after, a little after nine and the lights start to dim, you could feel the tension in the theatre grow the theme music starts and… nothing. A blank screen. They try again- same result. We see the taskbar of the digital projector and they try again… this time a picture! except since this was the 3-D version it was all messed up. Stop again, reset try one more time… I have frankly forgotten how many times they reset, but then the movie started and everyone quieted down. Now for the spoilers.

I’m not going to go into too much detail on hyper analyze what was going on… I’m actually writing this more for me to try to figure out what the purpose of the film was (besides making money) and how it fit or doesn’t fit in the Star Trek universe.  I’m going to post this as almost a wish list.

I wish John Harrison was just John Harrison – I was hoping that this new reimagined universe would have new villains not repurposed ones.  While it worked well in the overall story, and made sense they way it was explained, I was hoping that this would be something different.

As a friend said- I wish they would quit messing around with the Klingons… I can understand how the new timeline shifted the balance, but I don’t see how the destruction of Vulcan or Nero’s little time travel escapades changed Klingon physiology and how they look.  That said I don’t have anything against the new style of Klingon, I’m just wondering how necessary it was.  Then again someone could say the same thing about the Klingons from the series and those who appeared in the first film.

If this had been the third film in the series I guess I wouldn’t be that nitpicky about it, but since it is basically a remake of Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan (without the Space Seed setting it up) I’m concerned that the next film will be a remake of Search for Spock and so on and so forth… Will Sybok come into the series at some point?  

While I did enjoy the role flip in the engine room scene at the end, I was waiting for Kirk to say ‘The needs of the many…”

Why did Spock contact Spock?  Was it really necessary? or was it just to get the “Star Trekkies” excited?

As many have said – this was the film that needed to be made to get a certain monkey off the back of the writers- since everyone would be asking about if Khan would come back every time they make a film- he has, and now it’s done, time to move on.  There have been rumors about a possible TV series, but those are just that- rumors.

I do plan on seeing it again? If only to rewatch the Simon Pegg scenes. Was it a horrible film- no not at all,  I just was expecting more.  As for 3-D I want to repeat that I have yet to see a film that has used 3-D in a way that makes it work for me.  Save your money… Although I am considering seeing it in IMAX to see if there really is a big difference.  I remember seeing Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom in a regular theatre and then on a massive screen, it did make a difference.  Then again as someone commented that they are waiting for a holodeck version- so am I.

The point I keep stumbling over is that I really, really like Ultimate Spider-Man (this will make sense, just be patience).  When Marvel comics had Bendis rework Spider-Man for a new audience, he did so masterfully.  You started back at the beginning, old villains came back in new and sometimes more powerful roles.  They really did a great job (including the clone saga). Even to the point of killing Peter Parker and then bringing in a new Spider-Man.  So since I liked what happened there, why am I so mixed up in my feeling towards Into Darkness?  It’s the same thing just a different universe!

I am looking forward to seeing Darth Vader come back in Star Wars 7 after the Death Star falls into a wormhole and…

—

Now to this Season of Doctor Who-  where time is not linear, but kind of a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.

So the Doctor is transfixed with Clara who died in the Dalek Asylum, and Victorian London and is now in present day… Why is she so important?  Why is she so special?  Moffat has continued leaving breadcrumbs through every episode that will ultimately get picked up by the audience.  An example of this was the first series with Matt Smith we end up seeing that the doctor at the end had come back at various times (talking with Amy on the ship filled with weeping angels comes to mind)  The audience doesn’t notice, until the final episode.  This time, thanks to the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, he is now going to drop the impossible girl everywhere, and it makes sense (in some sort of timey-wimey way).  When the season finale started with all those clips from the various incarnations I was blown away.  I feel like I need to go back and check out the graveyard and see who is actually buried there. Now for some spoilers or things that I am thinking about…

So The Great Intelligence, Clara, and the Doctor are now going to zoom around in the Doctor’s time line…  I did like Clara telling the first incarnation not to take “that TARDIS, take this one the navigation’s a bit off but…”  So are we going to find Clara is the reason for so many things that have happened?  

In the realm of Science Fiction is this possible?  The rules can be made up and messed around, but there has to be an explanation-  the question is will Matt Smith and Clara be interacting with all the incarnations of the Doctor or will it just be Clara (I’m assuming it will be both).  So many stories have so many different twists to what is possible in time travel, “All You Zombies…” by Robert Heinlein is just one example of some weird stuff in time travel as is “By His Bootstraps” also by Heinlein.

The biggest question I have is if John Hurt is an incarnation of the Doctor (before he was called the Doctor) doesn’t that make Matt Smith the twelfth and final incarnation? or is there some Timelord rule about this?  The Master has come back many times past his 12 regenerations- but then again the Master is a little loopy now.

As for which was better Star Trek Into Darkness or The Name of the Doctor… until I get another chance to see Star Trek… The Doctor is ahead.

 

 

Movies: Story or Spectacle?

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Bruce

While I proclaim myself a geek and I do love movies, I tend not to have the time to go out and see anything in the theater.  Yesterday when Sue was heading out for a “Girl’s Night Out” I decided to go and see “The Dark Knight Rises” the final film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.  This is not a spoiler filled review.  It was a good film.  In comic book land it took elements of “No Man’s Land” and “Knight Fall” included some nice twists and turns that having read nothing about it beforehand made for a good story.  Yes, I had to suspend belief (that’s what you do in movies) to ignore some holes in the plot, but I would see it again.  As Ty Templeton said Anne Hathaway is the “Best Catwoman Ever”

My movie viewing habit comes from growing up in Los Angeles.  I have been trained to show up to the theater in time to wait in the queue for tickets, then wait in the line to get in, then wait in the line for popcorn.  You rarely went alone because then you wouldn’t get a good seat.  One person got the seats while the other got popcorn, Red Vines, & a drink.  So I tend to show up early.  In the case of the Dark Knight it was only 30 minutes.  So I got to watch the pre-game commercials.  Then the trailers. they told me twice to silence my cell phone.  Then something I hadn’t seen happened. A commercial for the importance of seeing movies in a Movie Theater.

The screen showed all the monumental scenes of explosions, special effects, and action and slowly shrank.  It shrank to the size of a TV, then some tagline about seeing movies in a theater where you get everything.  Even with 3D and IMAX and IMAX 3D along with the cost I wondered what I actually received for my theater going experience. I did not see the film with any bells or whistles, just a regular multiplex.  I figured even with the matinee/twilight ticket and the $12.00 for a medium popcorn and medium drink I could have gone out for a nice dinner.  So what does the theater experience give you?  There were maybe 30 people in the theater so it wasn’t sharing the moment with the crowd.  If anything the guy three seats away checking his silent cell phone during the film was annoying.  That combined with the people who decided to be silent during the trailers by start talking during the opening credits were things to keep me at home.  So why see a film at a regular theater?

As I think back on “The Dark Knight Rises” I have to think about what made seeing this in a theater better.  There were big special effects scenes with explosions, but what brought me to the film was the story.  I wanted to know how Christopher Nolan was going to end his take on Batman.  I didn’t need a big screen.  I could have read the comic book adaptation & been just as happy, I just would have missed some nice performances.

The little commercial about seeing movies in theaters tells me that I’m not the only one thinking this way.  I know I might have been more impressed if I had spent more money and seen it in IMAX or 3D.  I remember growing up and seeing “Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom” for the first time.  I really wasn’t impressed.  I then was dragged to see it again in a theater that had it in THX.  “Wow!” It didn’t make the story any better, but it made the experience better.  I guess to me the story is important, a story that can be told on any size screen.  After my grandmother took me to a movie I remember asking her what she thought of it, “It was loud” was her reply.  At the time I thought “The Return of the Jedi” was epic…  come to think of it maybe I am just getting old.

The Muppets: a completely unbiased review- really.

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Bruce

I wanted to do this as a a comic strip but being in the middle of an arc and knowing how quickly movies vanish from the theaters I didn’t want to risk it…

Let’s just start with if you like the muppets, you will like this movie. If you want some details (I will attempt to avoid spoilers) continue, but if you want a fun, film that everyone can enjoy (a rare things these days) then “The Muppets” is for you.

I was a muppet fan back when they were on Sesame Street (I am the age where when it was first released I was the target demographic). I watched them on Saturday Night Live, I watched the Muppet Show, Jim Henson’s The Storyteller, and all the movies (even the bad ones). Jim Henson has been one of my heroes, so I started off excited that a new movie was being made, then a little scared that it would be horrible in some wild attempt to cater to today’s kids, it did not.

The story is simple: the Muppets have long since disbanded, their old studio and theatre are in shambles and about to be sold to the villain of the piece who has discovered oil under the land (“maniacal laughter, maniacal laughter”).   Who will inspire them to save the studio?  Walter, a new muppet from Smalltown, USA who has idolized the muppets forever.  So we find out what has happened to each of the main muppets as Walter tries to bring them together.  Walter along with his human brother, Gary, and Gary’s girlfriend, Mary, head out on a quest to save the muppets.  While all this is going on Gary & Walter discover the importance of being who they are and choosing their own path even if it splits them up (Am I a man, or am I a muppet?).  Sadly, one piece that was missing from the first film were the numerous cameos, there are a bunch, just not to the extreme that the original Muppet Movie had.

It is goofy, fun, nostalgic and brought back so many great memories.  As I said, I thought about doing this a comic, but it does such a wonderful job of making fun of itself I couldn’t top it.  Now some super serious film- sure, but the muppets?  No way.  If you have a chance see it (I’m not one for spending money on a movie especially when you can usually buy the film on DVD for half the price of going to see it in a theater).  This is one of those franchises that just puts a song in heart and a smile on your face.

I give it at least 5 buckets of Doc Hopper’s French Fried Frog Legs (“All I can see is hundreds of frogs on tiny crutches.”) Sue did feel that it dragged a bit in the middle and “tried too hard” in other places, but we won’t listen to her- she’s a grown-up after all.

While talking about the Muppets- Fresh Aire had a great interview over Thanksgiving, and there is The Green Album showing that the Muppets have not been forgotten as those who grew up with them have grown up.  Finally Pop Culture Happy Hour (one of my favorite podcasts) did a great episode (all episodes are great) but this one was on what kids should be exposed to while growing up and one of the things on that list was… yes, Tom Lehrer,  & the Muppets!  It is 46 minutes, but very insightful for anyone having to deal with small children.

Maybe in these dark days it is time for everyone to be more muppet-like- just sayin’

 

The Rocketeer… nuff said.

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Bruce

Has it really been 20 years? One of my favorite comics (which bounced around publishers) was turned into a movie in 1991. Yes, I’m talking about “The Rocketeer.” Comic book wise Dave Stevens story and art were flawless and the film version was amazingly faithful.  I went to the opening night and ended up with a poster (that still hangs in my office)  It was the film that opened the newly renovated El Capitan theater in Hollywood- where I took my brothers that summer of 1991. I have all the original comics, along with the multiple times it has been reprinted… and yes, though I rarely can say this, I own it on DVD, I used to own it on VHS.  I’m missing a few things, but I still can’t make the leap into buying a helmet though Cecil really, really wants one.  What could make it better?  This-

The Rocketeer 20th anniversary from John Banana on Vimeo.

Yes, a stylized short fan film- a trailer, if PIXAR was doing the film (which would be cool). The only missing piece to it, (as someone else pointed out) the fantastic James Horner score. If you have a chance to escape to the 1930’s world of Cliff Secord (the comic starts off in April 1938, the cover date of Action Comics #1) even if it’s just a few moments I would do it. In fact after I post this I think I might. “Rocketeer to the rescue!”