This story is completely true. It took place about a year and a half ago. A few people know most of the details, but I don't know if they knew them all. I hope you find it entertaining.
I remember the first time I saw Christina Perri. It was on a Sunday morning on VH1 (maybe MTV2) at my cousin Mary and Kevin's house. The video was "Jar of Hearts" and Mary told the story of how her song was played on one of those singing competition shows and how it got picked up from there.
I don't know why I remember that, but it was enough that whenever the video showed up, I would watch it. Then I followed her on Facebook, mostly so I would know when her new album was coming out. And I bought it the first week it was released. I did the same thing with her second album.
I liked her music more than enough to see her in concert. So when it was announced that she's be singing at The House of Blues, I knew there was no way I wasn't going to see her.
But I wanted to make this concert special. I almost always try to get an autograph from a performer when I see them live, and this would be no different. However, this time I decided to call in a favor from my cousin Jim. See, Jim was a VJ for VH1 at the time and had interviewed her a number of times already. I simply decided to use his celebrity to my greatest advantage by seeing if he could get me backstage. So I called him pretty early in the process, explained what I wanted, and he said that he would see what he could do.
Time went on and I didn't hear anything. But at the same time, the volleyball team I was on was doing very well. We played on Thursday nights. The concert was on a Thursday night. In fact, the concert happened to fall on the night of the volleyball championship. The two events were slated for a head-on collision.
The day got closer and closer. After calling Jim again (who was also in a holding pattern), he finally got the good word. There was going to be a meet and greet before the show. He could get me into that as long as I had my ticket (which I did). I just had to mention some guy's name, say I was there for the meet and greet, and everything would be fine.
And, of course, our volleyball team crushed the competition and we were scheduled to play in the championship. I wasn't going to be there (I wasn't missing that concert), and another one of our players, Luke, wasn't going to be out of the country. Our coach tried everything in his power to get the other team to switch days, but it wasn't happening.
The day of the concert arrived. I was also recruited from my job at the comic book store to type in the comic order that night. It was due at midnight. So after the concert, I was to make my way back to the comic book store and do that. Nothing like a lot of multitasking.
I got to the House of Blues at the right time. I went in, told the girl who I was looking for, and that I was there for the meet and greet. She didn't even confirm anything that I said, she just put me in the back of the line behind all the "official" people who had paid for the privilege. I was with the House of Blues employees (off duty) and some journalists.
We slowly made our way to her, and I finally got my chance to meet Christina Perri in person. I had her sign my CD's, and I got a picture with her. While we were standing there, I brought up Jim's name because he had interviewed her so many times. I said how great he was, and her reply was, "... I love him." I responded to that with, "I love you."
Wait. What?
What the heck was that?!? I don't do that. I have met a number of cool and awesome celebrities over the years, and I've never said that to them. I honestly don't know what I was thinking. I also don't know if she heard me. (I'm sure she did.) If she did, she didn't react to it. (Thank goodness!) And I moved on.
At this point the guy in charge told us that if we wanted to meet the opening act, we could, or if we wanted to wait, when Christina Perri was done, we could just take our places on the concert floor. I opted to get a good spot by the stage. It turns out that was the right move. I'm of the mind that the closer I am to the singer, the better the experience. Well, unless I was onstage, I wasn't getting any closer.
The concert was fantastic. I had a blast.
Once the concert was over, I could boogie on out of there. I hustled to where I parked my car. As I made my way there,I was about 30 feet away when I saw it too late. There was a pothole in the sidewalk and my right foot dropped right on in and my ankle just gave way. I dropped like a rock. My ankle was sprained, I had torn my jeans, and I had a nice scrape on my left knee. I got up, felt my ankle and knew it was sprained. No doubt. I hobbled to my car, and what was there waiting for me? A ticket. I had parked too early in this particular spot. *sigh*
So now I've got a sprained ankle, and I still have to make my way to the comic book store and type in the order. I get there, I type it in, and I send it. All by around 12:30. I send a message to my boss, John, saying it's all done, and I head home.
The first thing I do is take off my shoe and sock. Oh, yeah. It's pretty nasty. I had no ice in my house, so I used the next best thing. I filled a bucket up with the coldest water I could and put my foot into it. When I went to bed that night, I kept my foot elevated and hoped that was the end of it.
It wasn't.
The next day I worked for a few hours at Drug Mart before heading to the comic book store. But before I did that, I looked at my messages. I had one. It was from John and it simply said, "Diamond didn't get our order. We're screwed." So, apparently the order that I sent the night before wasn't received? C'mon! Three long and treacherous and painful hours at Drug Mart later, I was able to leave and go to the comic shop and find out what happened. The first message I got was, "Called Diamond (our distributor). They figured it out. We're good."
Phew.
Now I could finally relax (finally) relax.
With a sprained ankle.
And the volleyball championship? Nope. We lost that, too.
I'm sure there's a lesson in that mess, somewhere.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Day 1494 - Movie Roundup of 2015
2015 was another year where my movie intake decreased. I only watched 138 movies this year. Yes, yes, I realize that there are a number of people who don't even come close to that total, but for myself it was on the low end. However, that being said, I think it actually proves the quality of television this last year, because I watched a bunch of TV. Stupid TV.
And, just like last year, there are movies that haven't been released in Cleveland yet, so this list will morph and shape over the next month. For instance, I saw Whiplash in 2015. As a 2014 release, it moves into my #2 spot in my favorites of 2014. It's amazing.
But without further ado, here's my list of my favorite movies of last year.
1. Ex Machina - Oscar Isaac builds a robot, Domhnall Gleeson questions it to see if it has real artificial intelligence, and Alicia Vikander crushes it as the robot. No movie made me think about it as much as this one did this year. And, like the best movies, it rewards multiple viewings. That ending is perfect.
2. The Hateful Eight - With the exception of Jackie Brown (which I don't like), I don't think any Tarantino movie has been as divisive as this one. I personally love it. It's brutal, profane, violent, and a whole lot smarter than a lot of people seem to be giving it credit for. And that name in the opening credits (but not in the poster) - classic! Whether it was worth the 70mm presentation will be decided when I see it again in a regular theater.
3. Steve Jobs - Michael Fassbender made a believer out of me. His performance as the title character is riveting, and makes you care about a man who is nearly impossible to care for. Warts and all, Steve Jobs, the man and the movie demand your attention.
4. Mad Max: Fury Road - Oh how I love cars chasing each other and things blowing up.
5. What We do in the Shadows - The funniest movie I saw this year. A houseful of vampires have to deal with the mundane aspects of life (somebody has to do the chores) all in front of a documentary crew. Petyr, the Nosferatu-looking vampire is a complete hoot. And who doesn't love Stu?
6. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation - Man, I'm a sucker for these movies. I love the characters, I like the stunts, I try not to think about the mission too much. Entertainment for entertainment's sake.
7. Room - A young woman raises her son in a tiny little room. What he doesn't know is just about everything, since he's never been outside of it. Until one glorious day. This is less of entertainment than it is a brilliantly acted take on how one can survive such a situation, and how one could possibly deal with the after-effects of said situation. Jacob Tremblay, as that little kid, is astonishing.
8. The Big Short - How a group of wall street guys bet against the housing industry a few years before it collapsed. They saw the signs, and the movie explains it to you in layman's terms. Even so, it's some complicated stuff. But the actors (especially Steve Carell) keep you invested (pun intended).
9. Brooklyn - Saoirse Ronan is an Irish immigrant who comes to Brooklyn and eventually finds a fella. When she has to go back to Ireland for a time, things get complicated. As a viewer, my emotions were all over the map, but the last 15 minutes or so made it for me. Not splashy, just good.
10. The Walk - If I hadn't seen this in 3D, I don't know if it would have been as good. But since I did, I thought it was amazing. No, I haven't seen Man on Wire, and that may have influenced me as well. But watching Joesph Gordon-Levitt's Philippe Petit make that walk between the two towers was one of the most breathtaking things I've seen this year.
11. The Martian - I've got the book ready to read this year. However, having not read it, I really dug the movie. Who doesn't love a good Robinson Crusoe on Mars story? And the fact that there was a minimum amount of dumb in the movie made me happy.
12. SPECTRE - No, it's not the best Bond movie ever made, but I still like it tons more than Skyfall (of which my opinions are quite clear). It's overlong and has some stupid plot points, but it still felt like a Bond movie to me. And I love me some Bond movies (except Skyfall).
13. Ant-Man - What could have been just a bit too much is just handled deftly enough. Funny when it needs to be, dramatic when it demands it, and, yeah, worth it just for that first post-credits sequence.
14. The Final Girls - Yeah, here's the one you've never heard of. A girl and her friends are somehow transported into a schlocky horror film. However, that girl's deceased mom is one of the actresses in that movie. Very meta, sometimes absolutely hilarious (the song Lollipop will bring a smile to your face every time you hear it after this), and has more heart than you could possibly expect from a movie like this. The only reason this went straight to video is because the marketers had no idea what to do with it (I'm convinced). I knew I'd love it when I saw the trailer and it didn't disappoint.
15. Trainwreck - Forget the love story between Amy Schumer and Bill Hader. That's conventional stuff. The real stuff is the triangle between Schumer's character, her dad, and her sister. The family drama is so, so strong and moving, that I wouldn't have minded if the movie had just dealt with them. Alas, we also get the weak romantic story. Not Schumer or Hader's fault - they both do well, it's just that the other stuff is so good.
16. The Babadook - Scary little movie on its own, but even better when you read peoples' theories on what they think it was about. Scared me more than It Follows, which I liked, but didn't love as much as many others.
17. Furious Seven - Not as joyously insane as the previous two installments, but Paul Walker's final ride ended on a perfect touching note. You could tell there were certain things that the filmmakers probably wanted to do, but Walker's death prevented it.
18. Dope - From the opening credits which give the different definitions of the title word (all of which are in play), I was in. A nerdy high school senior gets embroiled in things way above his head, and it's funny, crazy, and frightening (in a real-life sort of way). Sure the ending is a touch of a cop out, but the rest of the movie is solid.
19. Sicario - This got a lot of play from a lot of critics. If you look at it from the point of view that the very capable Emily Blunt's character is in things way, way over her head, then the movie works just fine. But if you were looking for her to kick major butt, then you're going to be disappointed. But Benicio Del Toro - oooh, he's cold-blooded.
20. The Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse - This one is the gimme of the year. I saw the trailer, and all I did was hope that it lived up to it. I thought it did. If you're going to make an extreme movie, then please go all out. This movie did just that. It wants to make you laugh and sometimes wince and sometimes groan, and it succeeded at all three.
And, yes, there is one major (major!) film that I saw this year that didn't make my top 20. I liked Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and I'm sure I'll see it a number of times. That being said, there are just some insurmountable things that are in the movie that I can't get behind. I still like it, but yeah, Scout's Guide gets a place in my top 20, and The Force Awakens doesn't.
And, just like last year, there are movies that haven't been released in Cleveland yet, so this list will morph and shape over the next month. For instance, I saw Whiplash in 2015. As a 2014 release, it moves into my #2 spot in my favorites of 2014. It's amazing.
But without further ado, here's my list of my favorite movies of last year.
1. Ex Machina - Oscar Isaac builds a robot, Domhnall Gleeson questions it to see if it has real artificial intelligence, and Alicia Vikander crushes it as the robot. No movie made me think about it as much as this one did this year. And, like the best movies, it rewards multiple viewings. That ending is perfect.
2. The Hateful Eight - With the exception of Jackie Brown (which I don't like), I don't think any Tarantino movie has been as divisive as this one. I personally love it. It's brutal, profane, violent, and a whole lot smarter than a lot of people seem to be giving it credit for. And that name in the opening credits (but not in the poster) - classic! Whether it was worth the 70mm presentation will be decided when I see it again in a regular theater.
3. Steve Jobs - Michael Fassbender made a believer out of me. His performance as the title character is riveting, and makes you care about a man who is nearly impossible to care for. Warts and all, Steve Jobs, the man and the movie demand your attention.
4. Mad Max: Fury Road - Oh how I love cars chasing each other and things blowing up.
5. What We do in the Shadows - The funniest movie I saw this year. A houseful of vampires have to deal with the mundane aspects of life (somebody has to do the chores) all in front of a documentary crew. Petyr, the Nosferatu-looking vampire is a complete hoot. And who doesn't love Stu?
6. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation - Man, I'm a sucker for these movies. I love the characters, I like the stunts, I try not to think about the mission too much. Entertainment for entertainment's sake.
7. Room - A young woman raises her son in a tiny little room. What he doesn't know is just about everything, since he's never been outside of it. Until one glorious day. This is less of entertainment than it is a brilliantly acted take on how one can survive such a situation, and how one could possibly deal with the after-effects of said situation. Jacob Tremblay, as that little kid, is astonishing.
8. The Big Short - How a group of wall street guys bet against the housing industry a few years before it collapsed. They saw the signs, and the movie explains it to you in layman's terms. Even so, it's some complicated stuff. But the actors (especially Steve Carell) keep you invested (pun intended).
9. Brooklyn - Saoirse Ronan is an Irish immigrant who comes to Brooklyn and eventually finds a fella. When she has to go back to Ireland for a time, things get complicated. As a viewer, my emotions were all over the map, but the last 15 minutes or so made it for me. Not splashy, just good.
10. The Walk - If I hadn't seen this in 3D, I don't know if it would have been as good. But since I did, I thought it was amazing. No, I haven't seen Man on Wire, and that may have influenced me as well. But watching Joesph Gordon-Levitt's Philippe Petit make that walk between the two towers was one of the most breathtaking things I've seen this year.
11. The Martian - I've got the book ready to read this year. However, having not read it, I really dug the movie. Who doesn't love a good Robinson Crusoe on Mars story? And the fact that there was a minimum amount of dumb in the movie made me happy.
12. SPECTRE - No, it's not the best Bond movie ever made, but I still like it tons more than Skyfall (of which my opinions are quite clear). It's overlong and has some stupid plot points, but it still felt like a Bond movie to me. And I love me some Bond movies (except Skyfall).
13. Ant-Man - What could have been just a bit too much is just handled deftly enough. Funny when it needs to be, dramatic when it demands it, and, yeah, worth it just for that first post-credits sequence.
14. The Final Girls - Yeah, here's the one you've never heard of. A girl and her friends are somehow transported into a schlocky horror film. However, that girl's deceased mom is one of the actresses in that movie. Very meta, sometimes absolutely hilarious (the song Lollipop will bring a smile to your face every time you hear it after this), and has more heart than you could possibly expect from a movie like this. The only reason this went straight to video is because the marketers had no idea what to do with it (I'm convinced). I knew I'd love it when I saw the trailer and it didn't disappoint.
15. Trainwreck - Forget the love story between Amy Schumer and Bill Hader. That's conventional stuff. The real stuff is the triangle between Schumer's character, her dad, and her sister. The family drama is so, so strong and moving, that I wouldn't have minded if the movie had just dealt with them. Alas, we also get the weak romantic story. Not Schumer or Hader's fault - they both do well, it's just that the other stuff is so good.
16. The Babadook - Scary little movie on its own, but even better when you read peoples' theories on what they think it was about. Scared me more than It Follows, which I liked, but didn't love as much as many others.
17. Furious Seven - Not as joyously insane as the previous two installments, but Paul Walker's final ride ended on a perfect touching note. You could tell there were certain things that the filmmakers probably wanted to do, but Walker's death prevented it.
18. Dope - From the opening credits which give the different definitions of the title word (all of which are in play), I was in. A nerdy high school senior gets embroiled in things way above his head, and it's funny, crazy, and frightening (in a real-life sort of way). Sure the ending is a touch of a cop out, but the rest of the movie is solid.
19. Sicario - This got a lot of play from a lot of critics. If you look at it from the point of view that the very capable Emily Blunt's character is in things way, way over her head, then the movie works just fine. But if you were looking for her to kick major butt, then you're going to be disappointed. But Benicio Del Toro - oooh, he's cold-blooded.
20. The Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse - This one is the gimme of the year. I saw the trailer, and all I did was hope that it lived up to it. I thought it did. If you're going to make an extreme movie, then please go all out. This movie did just that. It wants to make you laugh and sometimes wince and sometimes groan, and it succeeded at all three.
And, yes, there is one major (major!) film that I saw this year that didn't make my top 20. I liked Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and I'm sure I'll see it a number of times. That being said, there are just some insurmountable things that are in the movie that I can't get behind. I still like it, but yeah, Scout's Guide gets a place in my top 20, and The Force Awakens doesn't.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Day 1476 - Star Wars Spoiler Etiquette
There are a number of people who are going to Star Wars: The Force Awakens this weekend, and because some of them have a life, they won't be seeing it until as late as Sunday. (I'm seeing it Thursday - I don't have a life.) In order to help those people who won't be seeing it until a little later, I have devised this handy dandy little blog to help those of us who have seen the movie not ruin it for those who haven't seen it yet. These should all apply until 11:59 Sunday evening. After that, all bets are off and you're on your own.
1. No spoilers at all. Nothing big, nothing small, nothing like "Could you believe it when Batman showed up?!?" Full credit to where it's due - my "friend" David Hansen posted this - "Dudes! Just knowing it's good is a spoiler." Truer words have never been spoken.
2. Watch what you "like." This is for Facebook users only. Facebook is the devil. You'll be innocently scrolling along only to have Facebook tell you that one of your friends "liked" this article where the headline is "Can you believe that Chewbacca and R2D2 had a baby?" It doesn't matter if it's true or not. You didn't want to go into the movie waiting for that plot point to rear its ugly head. So, at least until Sunday night, maybe don't "like" any Star Wars posts at all.
3. I know nothing about Twitter, so somebody can make their own etiquette guide for that. That being said - no spoilers on Twitter.
4. Be understanding. And polite.
5. I know you're going to be excited when you leave the movie and are going to want to write something, anything about it. Just remember to temper yourself. I'm thinking a post filled with all adjectives describing the movie, not the scenes, should be fine. Amazing, awesome, spectacular, fantastic - all acceptable words, mostly because you could also be describing that last meal you had.
6. However, in this case, the opposite is true. We don't want to see any posts about how you didn't like the movie. Or were indifferent to it. We're excited. Don't bring us down, man. If the movie turns out to be the second coming of The Phantom Menace we'll know soon enough. (please, please, please don't be the second coming of The Phantom Menace.) We don't need your snark.
7. Watch where you are. I can't even imagine people in line outside of The Empire Strikes Back having to deal with those who came out of the previous showing saying, "Can you believe that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker's father?" Heck, before having a conversation about the movie, ask around if it's okay to talk about it in detail. Some people legitimately don't care. (Those people are the crazy ones.) But for those that do, politeness and respect go a long way.
8. Don't be that person who tells someone who hasn't seen it - "I know you haven't seen it, and this doesn't spoil anything, but it was amazing when Batman gave his lightsaber to Han Solo." You're spoiling something. It's not hard. Just don't talk to that person about the movie.
9. Remember - these (arbitrary) rules are only in effect for four days. On Monday, let the floodgates open. If you haven't seen it by then, and were planning to, it might be best to get off all social media until you do see it.
The Force will be with you. Always.
1. No spoilers at all. Nothing big, nothing small, nothing like "Could you believe it when Batman showed up?!?" Full credit to where it's due - my "friend" David Hansen posted this - "Dudes! Just knowing it's good is a spoiler." Truer words have never been spoken.
2. Watch what you "like." This is for Facebook users only. Facebook is the devil. You'll be innocently scrolling along only to have Facebook tell you that one of your friends "liked" this article where the headline is "Can you believe that Chewbacca and R2D2 had a baby?" It doesn't matter if it's true or not. You didn't want to go into the movie waiting for that plot point to rear its ugly head. So, at least until Sunday night, maybe don't "like" any Star Wars posts at all.
3. I know nothing about Twitter, so somebody can make their own etiquette guide for that. That being said - no spoilers on Twitter.
4. Be understanding. And polite.
5. I know you're going to be excited when you leave the movie and are going to want to write something, anything about it. Just remember to temper yourself. I'm thinking a post filled with all adjectives describing the movie, not the scenes, should be fine. Amazing, awesome, spectacular, fantastic - all acceptable words, mostly because you could also be describing that last meal you had.
6. However, in this case, the opposite is true. We don't want to see any posts about how you didn't like the movie. Or were indifferent to it. We're excited. Don't bring us down, man. If the movie turns out to be the second coming of The Phantom Menace we'll know soon enough. (please, please, please don't be the second coming of The Phantom Menace.) We don't need your snark.
7. Watch where you are. I can't even imagine people in line outside of The Empire Strikes Back having to deal with those who came out of the previous showing saying, "Can you believe that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker's father?" Heck, before having a conversation about the movie, ask around if it's okay to talk about it in detail. Some people legitimately don't care. (Those people are the crazy ones.) But for those that do, politeness and respect go a long way.
8. Don't be that person who tells someone who hasn't seen it - "I know you haven't seen it, and this doesn't spoil anything, but it was amazing when Batman gave his lightsaber to Han Solo." You're spoiling something. It's not hard. Just don't talk to that person about the movie.
9. Remember - these (arbitrary) rules are only in effect for four days. On Monday, let the floodgates open. If you haven't seen it by then, and were planning to, it might be best to get off all social media until you do see it.
The Force will be with you. Always.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Day 1426 - Steve Jobs
If I ever need to wash the abomination that is Prometheus out of my brain, all I need to do is watch Michael Fassbender kill it as the title character in Steve Jobs.
I tell people all the time that computers are "magic." I have no idea how they work. I press the power button and it turns on, and I close it up and it turns off. There's a scene in the movie where Steve is practicing a speech, and he's describing the things that the computer will do. It seems that Steve is like me as far as how the computer works. But where he's different is where he absolutely knows what he wants that thing to do, and he has the people who can do it.
Steve Jobs is not a nice guy. He's arrogant, selfish, mean, vengeful, and absolutely refuses to acknowledge the fact that he's the father to a girl who most obviously is. But he's also smart, canny, and captivating. What you see is a complete person. He may not be likable, but in order for him to do what he did, I'm not sure likabilty was necessary.
The movie unfolds by showing us Steve right before a product launch. First in 1984, right after the ground-breaking Super Bowl commercial with the release of the Mac. Fast forward four years, and the Mac has failed, Steve's been fired, and now he's spearheading the release of the Next. Fast forward again, and we're right there with the unveiling of the iMac. Each release has Steve and his assistant, Joanna Hoffman (played by Kate Winslet, who so buries herself in the role, that it took me about 15 minutes to realize it was her) dealing with time issues, computer issues, family issues, friend issues, reporter issues, and life issues. And it's all done at a breakneck pace due to Aaron Sorkin's script.
When referencing "The West Wing" most people talk about the "walking and talking" that goes on throughout each episode. Steve Jobs seems to do that times a thousand. And if the characters aren't walking, they are at least talking. There's no rest. No respite. We know what we need to know through what the characters say. And they say a lot. And maybe the best thing about Danny Boyle's direction is his ability to keep us visually focused on what the characters' reactions are to what's being said. When Steve is being insensitive (most of the time), we know exactly what the other characters are thinking, simply by watching them react.
But what the movie is really about, is how Steve Jobs is able to create an empire almost through sheer strength of will, yet is unable to emotionally open himself up to the fact that, yes, he really has a daughter. He can do nothing other than throw money at what he sees as a problem. He likes Lisa, his daughter, but he's so emotionally self-centered that he can't cope with her on any more than a superficial level. He's a genius who can't understand humanity. He makes a number of references that people don't know what they want until he gives it to them. He burns bridges left and right. But it's not done out of malice (usually). He just doesn't know boundaries.
It's a fascinating character study. It has more dialogue than probably three movies put together, and it's anchored by a fantastic cast. Jeff Daniels has never been better. Seth Rogen must be thanking the acting gods for his part as Steve Wozniak, because he kills it. You honestly just keep waiting to see if Steve Jobs becomes a better person, and like the best thrillers, you have to wait for the final scene.
**** (and I give it four stars not merely because it's great, but because the scene between Fassbender's Jobs and Jeff Daniels' John Sculley is one of the best edited and acted sequences I've seen in years.)
I tell people all the time that computers are "magic." I have no idea how they work. I press the power button and it turns on, and I close it up and it turns off. There's a scene in the movie where Steve is practicing a speech, and he's describing the things that the computer will do. It seems that Steve is like me as far as how the computer works. But where he's different is where he absolutely knows what he wants that thing to do, and he has the people who can do it.
Steve Jobs is not a nice guy. He's arrogant, selfish, mean, vengeful, and absolutely refuses to acknowledge the fact that he's the father to a girl who most obviously is. But he's also smart, canny, and captivating. What you see is a complete person. He may not be likable, but in order for him to do what he did, I'm not sure likabilty was necessary.
The movie unfolds by showing us Steve right before a product launch. First in 1984, right after the ground-breaking Super Bowl commercial with the release of the Mac. Fast forward four years, and the Mac has failed, Steve's been fired, and now he's spearheading the release of the Next. Fast forward again, and we're right there with the unveiling of the iMac. Each release has Steve and his assistant, Joanna Hoffman (played by Kate Winslet, who so buries herself in the role, that it took me about 15 minutes to realize it was her) dealing with time issues, computer issues, family issues, friend issues, reporter issues, and life issues. And it's all done at a breakneck pace due to Aaron Sorkin's script.
When referencing "The West Wing" most people talk about the "walking and talking" that goes on throughout each episode. Steve Jobs seems to do that times a thousand. And if the characters aren't walking, they are at least talking. There's no rest. No respite. We know what we need to know through what the characters say. And they say a lot. And maybe the best thing about Danny Boyle's direction is his ability to keep us visually focused on what the characters' reactions are to what's being said. When Steve is being insensitive (most of the time), we know exactly what the other characters are thinking, simply by watching them react.
But what the movie is really about, is how Steve Jobs is able to create an empire almost through sheer strength of will, yet is unable to emotionally open himself up to the fact that, yes, he really has a daughter. He can do nothing other than throw money at what he sees as a problem. He likes Lisa, his daughter, but he's so emotionally self-centered that he can't cope with her on any more than a superficial level. He's a genius who can't understand humanity. He makes a number of references that people don't know what they want until he gives it to them. He burns bridges left and right. But it's not done out of malice (usually). He just doesn't know boundaries.
It's a fascinating character study. It has more dialogue than probably three movies put together, and it's anchored by a fantastic cast. Jeff Daniels has never been better. Seth Rogen must be thanking the acting gods for his part as Steve Wozniak, because he kills it. You honestly just keep waiting to see if Steve Jobs becomes a better person, and like the best thrillers, you have to wait for the final scene.
**** (and I give it four stars not merely because it's great, but because the scene between Fassbender's Jobs and Jeff Daniels' John Sculley is one of the best edited and acted sequences I've seen in years.)
Monday, October 26, 2015
Day 1424 - Supergirl
I blame Cary Bates and Neal Adams. World's Finest #176 is called "The Superman-Batman Split!" and co-starred Batgirl (on Superman's team) and Supergirl (teamed up with Batman). It's one of my favorite stories, and I attribute my reading of it at such a young age (probably around 11 or 12 years old) as to why I like both Batgirl and Supergirl as much as I do as characters. I'm also not going to discount Yvonne Craig's performance as Batgirl in the Batman TV series, either.
But as or Supergirl... I saw the movie with Helen Slater in the theater back in the day. It wasn't good. But there was a blog I read years ago (that I wish I had saved) where the person who wrote it listed 99 reasons why you should never watch the Supergirl movie again. It was really funny. But at the end, he said there was one reason to watch it every day - Helen Slater was perfect as Supergirl. I'm hard pressed to argue with him. And I'll say that the extended version of the movie still isn't a perfect movie, but it's a lot better than the theatrical version.
All that is a lead-up to the new Supergirl TV show. My goal tonight is to write my thoughts as I watch the show. This isn't live, since I had to tape it, but it's going to be live for me. So here we go.
Gotta love the spit curl on little baby Kal-El.
The Phantom Zone is introduced.
Helen Slater and Dean Cain! Yup!
"Aliens are out there."
Super powers at work.
Intro to Jimmy Olsen. Sorry, I'm calling him Jimmy no matter what he says.
Melissa Benoist is channeling Christopher Reeve's Clark Kent pretty well.
Nothing like using your super powers to prove men are scum.
I like the flying effects.
So, all the stuff before the commercial break - Character introductions, power set defined, and only the tiniest bit of angst. This is why I'm going to enjoy this show. Kara is going to enjoy using her powers and have fun. And we don't see "fun" enough.
So this time, I'm struck by Calista Flockhark. The closer the shot, the more frightening she is. But she looks fine in the longer shots. No more close-ups, please. And Kara says that Winn will be only the fourth person who knows about her powers. Let's keep it that way.
Well, guess Hank Henshaw is number five. *sigh*
And now Jimmy's number six. Grrrr.
Super fight! She's a rookie and fights like it. I appreciate that.
This series has a real Buffy vibe to it. If we can get some of these characters to be as potent as the Scooby Gang we might have something really strong going. I'm also not disappointed that the bad guy chose death over capture. I am a little disturbed that the super-secret military organization had everyone clapping at his demise, though.
I'm also impressed that the big bad is Supergirl's aunt, and that the aunt, with no hesitation, tells her flunky to "find her and kill her." That tells me everything I need to know about her.
Yep, I'm in. But we all knew that anyway.
But as or Supergirl... I saw the movie with Helen Slater in the theater back in the day. It wasn't good. But there was a blog I read years ago (that I wish I had saved) where the person who wrote it listed 99 reasons why you should never watch the Supergirl movie again. It was really funny. But at the end, he said there was one reason to watch it every day - Helen Slater was perfect as Supergirl. I'm hard pressed to argue with him. And I'll say that the extended version of the movie still isn't a perfect movie, but it's a lot better than the theatrical version.
All that is a lead-up to the new Supergirl TV show. My goal tonight is to write my thoughts as I watch the show. This isn't live, since I had to tape it, but it's going to be live for me. So here we go.
Gotta love the spit curl on little baby Kal-El.
The Phantom Zone is introduced.
Helen Slater and Dean Cain! Yup!
"Aliens are out there."
Super powers at work.
Intro to Jimmy Olsen. Sorry, I'm calling him Jimmy no matter what he says.
Melissa Benoist is channeling Christopher Reeve's Clark Kent pretty well.
Nothing like using your super powers to prove men are scum.
I like the flying effects.
So, all the stuff before the commercial break - Character introductions, power set defined, and only the tiniest bit of angst. This is why I'm going to enjoy this show. Kara is going to enjoy using her powers and have fun. And we don't see "fun" enough.
So this time, I'm struck by Calista Flockhark. The closer the shot, the more frightening she is. But she looks fine in the longer shots. No more close-ups, please. And Kara says that Winn will be only the fourth person who knows about her powers. Let's keep it that way.
Well, guess Hank Henshaw is number five. *sigh*
And now Jimmy's number six. Grrrr.
Super fight! She's a rookie and fights like it. I appreciate that.
This series has a real Buffy vibe to it. If we can get some of these characters to be as potent as the Scooby Gang we might have something really strong going. I'm also not disappointed that the bad guy chose death over capture. I am a little disturbed that the super-secret military organization had everyone clapping at his demise, though.
I'm also impressed that the big bad is Supergirl's aunt, and that the aunt, with no hesitation, tells her flunky to "find her and kill her." That tells me everything I need to know about her.
Yep, I'm in. But we all knew that anyway.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Day 1423 - Being a fanboy
This is going to be a post about comic books, and the names of writers, authors, and titles are going to be tossed around with no regard to anyone who has no idea what I'm talking about. However, that's what the Google Machine is for, isn't it? It's akin to your parents telling you to look up that word you don't know in the dictionary.
Anyway, yesterday I got to meet one of my top three favorite artists, and he couldn't have been nicer. Number one on the list is Todd McFarlane, Spider-Man artist extraordinaire. I have a signed poster that my cousin Jim got for me (without realizing that he was my favorite artist). I also bought his big book of artwork (the signed edition). And I've seen him hold court at San Diego Comic-Con. So I've had the McFarlane experience. Number two is Frank Cho. I've been reading (and looking at) his stuff since his pre-Liberty Meadows work University2. Every time I go to San Diego, I always make sure to stop at his booth and buy something at his table, whether it's a sketchbook, a calendar, or a print. I've even got a couple small sketches from him before he stopped doing them. One was of Dean the Pig on a bookmark which I gave to my old boss, Ralph (who, I'm pretty sure still has it in his bar at home), and a sketch of Monkey Boy, which sits in my book of sketches at home. So, every one of my meetings with Frank have been great.
Which brings me to number three - Budd Root. Budd has written and drawn a book called Cavewoman for a long time now. I jumped on the Cavewoman bandwagon during his second miniseries, "Rain." And the only reason I discovered the comic in the first place, was because Kurt Busiek had recommended it in the letter column of his book Astro City. In fact, whenever Kurt recommended anything during that time, I gave it a chance. But with Cavewoman, I got to read a book about a town that got sent 65 million years in the past, a super-strong Cavewoman (duh), a giant ape that looked like King Kong, dinosaurs that wreaked constant havoc, and a constant appreciation of old movies and characters. Pretty much what I feed off of. And then there was the fact that the art was incredibly reminiscent of Todd McFarlane's. I loved everything about the book.
Well, Budd had never appeared at San Diego whenever I went. I had a couple of his autographs on little things that I had ordered throughout the years, but I had never met him in person. Last year, there was a convention in the Cleveland area that announced his appearance. But after I wrote to him on Facebook, he said that he was going to be at a different convention that weekend, so I was out of luck. This year, he was back on the guest list, but I was doubtful (burn me once...). But luck was on my side, as he was attending. I only had to get to the convention. The problem was I was working yesterday. All day. And the convention filled the entire time I was going to be at work. My normal go-to guy, Kevin, who might be able to cover my shift, couldn't do so. So, Jim (the manager) was kind enough to take time out of his day off to come in for a couple of hours while I made a run to the convention. (THANKS, JIM!) So, off I went. I had loaded myself down with about 2/3rd's of his books (all the ones I could find in my collection in a two hour span). It was a hefty stack. I went into the building where the creators were housed, and when I saw him at his table, I mentally yelled, "Yes!" and then proceeded to find an empty table where I could unbag all the books I brought to get signed.
I walked up to Budd, and told him I was a big fan, I couldn't wait to spend money at his table, and would he mind signing all my books. He said he'd sign them even if I didn't buy anything (which made me happy on a whole different level - but that's a blog for another day). While he signed, we talked about the future of Cavewoman, King Kong, Jaws, Universal Monsters, Abbott and Costello, and Frank Cho. It was perfect. I bought some prints, one of each of the sketchbooks he brought, and commissioned a piece of artwork that featured either Supergirl or Batgirl. I couldn't stay (work), but I left my money with another creator there (the always smiling Mark Sumerak), so it would eventually make its way back to the comic shop I work at. (Carol and John's Comic Book Shop - stop in and say "Hi!"). Finally, after monopolizing his time for at least a half hour, I had to go. In terms of creator interactions it ranks up there with meeting Sergio Aragones and Garth Ennis (not at the same time, but each of those two are some of the nicest people I've ever met).
Budd - It was a real pleasure. Thank you.
(And he didn't have time to get the sketch done, so I don't have any original artwork, but I'll be okay. It was still great meeting him. Everything I was hoping for.)
Anyway, yesterday I got to meet one of my top three favorite artists, and he couldn't have been nicer. Number one on the list is Todd McFarlane, Spider-Man artist extraordinaire. I have a signed poster that my cousin Jim got for me (without realizing that he was my favorite artist). I also bought his big book of artwork (the signed edition). And I've seen him hold court at San Diego Comic-Con. So I've had the McFarlane experience. Number two is Frank Cho. I've been reading (and looking at) his stuff since his pre-Liberty Meadows work University2. Every time I go to San Diego, I always make sure to stop at his booth and buy something at his table, whether it's a sketchbook, a calendar, or a print. I've even got a couple small sketches from him before he stopped doing them. One was of Dean the Pig on a bookmark which I gave to my old boss, Ralph (who, I'm pretty sure still has it in his bar at home), and a sketch of Monkey Boy, which sits in my book of sketches at home. So, every one of my meetings with Frank have been great.
Which brings me to number three - Budd Root. Budd has written and drawn a book called Cavewoman for a long time now. I jumped on the Cavewoman bandwagon during his second miniseries, "Rain." And the only reason I discovered the comic in the first place, was because Kurt Busiek had recommended it in the letter column of his book Astro City. In fact, whenever Kurt recommended anything during that time, I gave it a chance. But with Cavewoman, I got to read a book about a town that got sent 65 million years in the past, a super-strong Cavewoman (duh), a giant ape that looked like King Kong, dinosaurs that wreaked constant havoc, and a constant appreciation of old movies and characters. Pretty much what I feed off of. And then there was the fact that the art was incredibly reminiscent of Todd McFarlane's. I loved everything about the book.
Well, Budd had never appeared at San Diego whenever I went. I had a couple of his autographs on little things that I had ordered throughout the years, but I had never met him in person. Last year, there was a convention in the Cleveland area that announced his appearance. But after I wrote to him on Facebook, he said that he was going to be at a different convention that weekend, so I was out of luck. This year, he was back on the guest list, but I was doubtful (burn me once...). But luck was on my side, as he was attending. I only had to get to the convention. The problem was I was working yesterday. All day. And the convention filled the entire time I was going to be at work. My normal go-to guy, Kevin, who might be able to cover my shift, couldn't do so. So, Jim (the manager) was kind enough to take time out of his day off to come in for a couple of hours while I made a run to the convention. (THANKS, JIM!) So, off I went. I had loaded myself down with about 2/3rd's of his books (all the ones I could find in my collection in a two hour span). It was a hefty stack. I went into the building where the creators were housed, and when I saw him at his table, I mentally yelled, "Yes!" and then proceeded to find an empty table where I could unbag all the books I brought to get signed.
I walked up to Budd, and told him I was a big fan, I couldn't wait to spend money at his table, and would he mind signing all my books. He said he'd sign them even if I didn't buy anything (which made me happy on a whole different level - but that's a blog for another day). While he signed, we talked about the future of Cavewoman, King Kong, Jaws, Universal Monsters, Abbott and Costello, and Frank Cho. It was perfect. I bought some prints, one of each of the sketchbooks he brought, and commissioned a piece of artwork that featured either Supergirl or Batgirl. I couldn't stay (work), but I left my money with another creator there (the always smiling Mark Sumerak), so it would eventually make its way back to the comic shop I work at. (Carol and John's Comic Book Shop - stop in and say "Hi!"). Finally, after monopolizing his time for at least a half hour, I had to go. In terms of creator interactions it ranks up there with meeting Sergio Aragones and Garth Ennis (not at the same time, but each of those two are some of the nicest people I've ever met).
Budd - It was a real pleasure. Thank you.
(And he didn't have time to get the sketch done, so I don't have any original artwork, but I'll be okay. It was still great meeting him. Everything I was hoping for.)
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Day 1301 - RIP Patrick Macnee
When I was growing up, the fictional characters that I looked up to were Spider-Man (with great power comes great responsibility), Nancy Drew (she was going to solve that mystery no matter what), James Bond (because, duh), and John Steed as played by Patrick Macnee in "The Avengers" tv show.
The obvious reason to watch "The Avengers" tv show was Diana Rigg as Emma Peel, because a butt-kicking Bond girl in leather is a win all day long. But Patrick Macnee was on that show for ages. He was the rock that the show was built upon. John Steed was a character who was in control at all times. He wore a derby hat, had a cane (that, of course, contained a sword hidden within), and was unfailingly polite at all times, even when thumping the bad guys. I never saw him ruffled, even under the most extreme circumstances. And that was brought to the fore through Patrick Macnee's very lively performance.
In fact, it was that performance that made me seek out any other project that he was in. Obviously, he managed to elevate one of the lesser Bond films, A View to a Kill, by being himself. But, for me, my favorite performance of his outside of "The Avengers" is his turn in The Howling. Seeing that movie when you're young - let me tell you, it's scary. Seeing it when you're older - it's still scary, but at least it's got a very dark sense of humor and satire running through it. And Macnee brings such a gravitas to his role of Dr. Waggner, that it enhances the horror.
But really, one of the other reasons his passing makes me so sad, is that years ago, when I was in my autograph collecting phase, I had written to him asking about "The Avengers" books he wrote. (He wrote a few paperbacks using the characters, and they were pretty amazing.) He actually wrote me a nice little letter back. A little touch like that - it goes a long, long way. It's nice to know that, at least to me, he was as much a gentleman off-screen, as on-screen.
I tip my hat to you, sir.
In fact, it was that performance that made me seek out any other project that he was in. Obviously, he managed to elevate one of the lesser Bond films, A View to a Kill, by being himself. But, for me, my favorite performance of his outside of "The Avengers" is his turn in The Howling. Seeing that movie when you're young - let me tell you, it's scary. Seeing it when you're older - it's still scary, but at least it's got a very dark sense of humor and satire running through it. And Macnee brings such a gravitas to his role of Dr. Waggner, that it enhances the horror.
But really, one of the other reasons his passing makes me so sad, is that years ago, when I was in my autograph collecting phase, I had written to him asking about "The Avengers" books he wrote. (He wrote a few paperbacks using the characters, and they were pretty amazing.) He actually wrote me a nice little letter back. A little touch like that - it goes a long, long way. It's nice to know that, at least to me, he was as much a gentleman off-screen, as on-screen.
I tip my hat to you, sir.
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