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.
Monday, October 26, 2015
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.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Day 1237 - What movies have I watched more than 10 times?
There was a thing going around Facebook this week - Name a movie you've watched over 5 times that you're still entertained by. I thought 5 was a low number (heck, I've watched Vertigo and Skyfall at least 3 times apiece and I don't even like them), so I've opted to go with the number 10. Now, be aware that some of the movies I list on here might not meet these rigid restrictions (I think I've seen Lawrence of Arabia 8 times, but 7 of those times were in the theater, so I'm rounding up), but in other cases, I'm pretty sure I've seen King Kong and Jaws well over 20 times each. It all balances out.
So, I've broken these movies up into little categories of my own design -
My favorites:
King Kong
Jaws
Silence of the Lambs
North by Northwest
These four movies represent numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5 on my all-time favorites list. Number 3 is Taxi Driver, and while I love it, it doesn't lend itself to multiple viewings. It's just too bleak. The other four, however... I never get bored of them.
The trilogies:
Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Do I need to explain why these six movies are eminently watchable? No making fun of the Ewoks or Kate Capshaw here.
The Bond Movies
Dr. No
Goldfinger
Thunderball
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Live and Let Die
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
The Living Daylights
Goldeneye
Casino Royale
I've seen them all multiple times, but these 10 are far and away the ones I've seen the most. I'm tempted to drop Diamonds are Forever in the mix as well, because I know I've watched that one a bunch, too.
The tape:
The Naked Gun: From the files of Police Squad
Heathers
Streets
I had one videotape in college that had these three movies on it, and I watched the whole tape a lot! The Naked Gun satisfied my craving for absurdist comedies, Heathers filled my need for snark, and Streets reminded me that even if you had the tiniest of budgets and a purely b-level script you could still make gritty magic.
The tape part 2:
Robocop
Monty Python The Meaning of Life
Two of the most extreme and eye-opening films I have ever seen. I never get bored watching them. "I'd buy that for a dollar!"
The animated movies:
A Bug's Life
Finding Nemo
Kung Fu Panda
Because of Dennis Leary, Ellen Degeneres, and Dustin Hoffman respectively.
The Martial Arts flicks:
Drunken Master 2
Police Story
Jackie Chan's First Strike
The Deadliest Art: The Best of the Martial Arts Movies
I can watch Jackie Chan a lot and never, ever be bored. And The Deadliest Art introduced me to his compatriot Sammo Hung, for which I'll be forever grateful.
The Cusacks:
Better Off Dead
The Sure Thing
Sixteen Candles
Yeah, I know John Cusack is only in a little bit of Sixteen Candles, but it fit my category, so in it stays. These three movies are my version of comfort food.
The classics:
The Wizard of Oz
Rear Window
Stalag 17
Charade
Lawrence of Arabia
If you've never seen any of these, well shame on you.
Comedy classics:
Hold That Ghost
Monkey Business
Way Out West
Abbott and Costello, The Marx Brothers, and Laurel and Hardy all represent!
Action classics:
Die Hard
Die Hard 2
Speed
Dirty Harry
Yes, I like watching Die Hard 2 just as much as I like watching the first one. Even William Sadler, who played the bad guy in part 2 thought that was weird.
Sports flicks:
Tin Cup
The Natural
Those are my two go-to sports flicks. I have never been bored watching them.
The videotapes:
Watch It
Get Crazy
Virgin High
Hot Under the Collar
Four movies that have never made the transition to DVD (sadly). I have copies of them on VHS and am happy to have them. Watch It is one of the best movies you've never heard of. Get Crazy has Malcolm McDowell, Lou Reed, Daniel Stern, Ed Begley Jr and others in a madcap musical comedy. Virgin High and Hot Under the Collar are two b-movies from director/actor Richard Gabai. They make me laugh.
The 90's nostalgia:
Clerks
Mallrats
Pulp Fiction
True Romance
Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino are my heroes.
3 more:
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Murder by Death
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
If Spielberg had never made Jaws, he would still be one of my favorite directors because of Close Encounters. Murder By Death has my favorite Peter Sellers role. And while I love everyone in Mad, Mad... Jonathan Winters is by far my favorite.
What?
She's All That
The Matrix Reloaded
So the final two on my list... yeah. What can I say? I like She's All That and I watch it more than is probably acceptable. And I will defend my love for the second Matrix movie till I pass from this mortal coil. It's not my fault that the third movie is so terrible. I simply want lots and lots of cool action with ideas that make me think (and if any of my theories about what was actually going on in that second Matrix movie had panned out, then people probably would've liked that one, too). I just pretend the third movie never existed and make up my own end to the saga. It's just better that way.
Final tally - 62 movies that I've (probably) seen more than 10 times each. I'm sure there's even more that I've forgotten, but it's a good starter list. A lot of classics that others would have on their own lists aren't here (cough*Ghostbusters*cough), and I understand that. Heck, give me a few years, and I'm sure I could add a few more. Heck, I was just glancing at my collection, and I could probably add Predator and Pump Up the Volume to this list, but maybe I'll just watch them again, instead.
So, I've broken these movies up into little categories of my own design -
My favorites:
King Kong
Jaws
Silence of the Lambs
North by Northwest
These four movies represent numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5 on my all-time favorites list. Number 3 is Taxi Driver, and while I love it, it doesn't lend itself to multiple viewings. It's just too bleak. The other four, however... I never get bored of them.
The trilogies:
Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Do I need to explain why these six movies are eminently watchable? No making fun of the Ewoks or Kate Capshaw here.
The Bond Movies
Dr. No
Goldfinger
Thunderball
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Live and Let Die
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
The Living Daylights
Goldeneye
Casino Royale
I've seen them all multiple times, but these 10 are far and away the ones I've seen the most. I'm tempted to drop Diamonds are Forever in the mix as well, because I know I've watched that one a bunch, too.
The tape:
The Naked Gun: From the files of Police Squad
Heathers
Streets
I had one videotape in college that had these three movies on it, and I watched the whole tape a lot! The Naked Gun satisfied my craving for absurdist comedies, Heathers filled my need for snark, and Streets reminded me that even if you had the tiniest of budgets and a purely b-level script you could still make gritty magic.
The tape part 2:
Robocop
Monty Python The Meaning of Life
Two of the most extreme and eye-opening films I have ever seen. I never get bored watching them. "I'd buy that for a dollar!"
The animated movies:
A Bug's Life
Finding Nemo
Kung Fu Panda
Because of Dennis Leary, Ellen Degeneres, and Dustin Hoffman respectively.
The Martial Arts flicks:
Drunken Master 2
Police Story
Jackie Chan's First Strike
The Deadliest Art: The Best of the Martial Arts Movies
I can watch Jackie Chan a lot and never, ever be bored. And The Deadliest Art introduced me to his compatriot Sammo Hung, for which I'll be forever grateful.
The Cusacks:
Better Off Dead
The Sure Thing
Sixteen Candles
Yeah, I know John Cusack is only in a little bit of Sixteen Candles, but it fit my category, so in it stays. These three movies are my version of comfort food.
The classics:
The Wizard of Oz
Rear Window
Stalag 17
Charade
Lawrence of Arabia
If you've never seen any of these, well shame on you.
Comedy classics:
Hold That Ghost
Monkey Business
Way Out West
Abbott and Costello, The Marx Brothers, and Laurel and Hardy all represent!
Action classics:
Die Hard
Die Hard 2
Speed
Dirty Harry
Yes, I like watching Die Hard 2 just as much as I like watching the first one. Even William Sadler, who played the bad guy in part 2 thought that was weird.
Sports flicks:
Tin Cup
The Natural
Those are my two go-to sports flicks. I have never been bored watching them.
The videotapes:
Watch It
Get Crazy
Virgin High
Hot Under the Collar
Four movies that have never made the transition to DVD (sadly). I have copies of them on VHS and am happy to have them. Watch It is one of the best movies you've never heard of. Get Crazy has Malcolm McDowell, Lou Reed, Daniel Stern, Ed Begley Jr and others in a madcap musical comedy. Virgin High and Hot Under the Collar are two b-movies from director/actor Richard Gabai. They make me laugh.
The 90's nostalgia:
Clerks
Mallrats
Pulp Fiction
True Romance
Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino are my heroes.
3 more:
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Murder by Death
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
If Spielberg had never made Jaws, he would still be one of my favorite directors because of Close Encounters. Murder By Death has my favorite Peter Sellers role. And while I love everyone in Mad, Mad... Jonathan Winters is by far my favorite.
What?
She's All That
The Matrix Reloaded
So the final two on my list... yeah. What can I say? I like She's All That and I watch it more than is probably acceptable. And I will defend my love for the second Matrix movie till I pass from this mortal coil. It's not my fault that the third movie is so terrible. I simply want lots and lots of cool action with ideas that make me think (and if any of my theories about what was actually going on in that second Matrix movie had panned out, then people probably would've liked that one, too). I just pretend the third movie never existed and make up my own end to the saga. It's just better that way.
Final tally - 62 movies that I've (probably) seen more than 10 times each. I'm sure there's even more that I've forgotten, but it's a good starter list. A lot of classics that others would have on their own lists aren't here (cough*Ghostbusters*cough), and I understand that. Heck, give me a few years, and I'm sure I could add a few more. Heck, I was just glancing at my collection, and I could probably add Predator and Pump Up the Volume to this list, but maybe I'll just watch them again, instead.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Day 1228 - Laggies
Laggies
Keira Knightley can be a divisive actress for many people. And I say that because I know a lot of people who don't seem to like her. Personally, I'm a fan. However, this is the second film of hers that I've seen in the last year in which she uses an American accent. I never fully acclimated to it during The Imitation Game, but in Laggies I started to get used to it. I'd still rather she keep the British accent in her movies, but that's just my hangup.
Anyways, the movie I watched tonight was Laggies, and it's about Megan (Keira Knightley) who's stuck spinning her wheels in life, and goes into a tailspin when her longtime boyfriend proposes. Through a pretty real turn of events, she befriends Annika (Chloe Grace Moretz), and to gather her thoughts, ends up spending a week at Annika's house.To complicate matters, Annika's dad is played by Sam Rockwell, and we all know how charming he can be.
The movie has a lot on its mind, but it never pushes its agenda on you, but rather, lets the events that happen to the characters naturally unfold. You understand why Megan freaks out when the boyfriend proposes. You see the quiet desperation that Annika has when she talks about the mother who abandoned her family. You see Sam Rockwell's Craig do the best he can at being a good dad. And you see how all these relationships intertwine and sometimes become stronger, and sometimes unravel.
I read a lot of reviews when this came out, and nearly all of them weren't exactly negative, but none of them really seemed to like the movie, either not appreciating Megan's inability to "grow up" or wondering how the relationship between Megan and Annika really was supposed to work. As I said, I thought all the relationships were genuine, I thought nearly every part in the movie was cast perfectly (Jeff Garlin as Megan's dad and Kaitlyn Dever as Annika's best friend were standouts), and I thought it was interesting that Megan had studied to be a therapist and was self-aware of the path that she was taking (even if she never strayed off it).
Yeah, I liked it. Now if they could've come up with an explanation that would have let Keira use her natural accent, it would have been nearly perfect.
***
Keira Knightley can be a divisive actress for many people. And I say that because I know a lot of people who don't seem to like her. Personally, I'm a fan. However, this is the second film of hers that I've seen in the last year in which she uses an American accent. I never fully acclimated to it during The Imitation Game, but in Laggies I started to get used to it. I'd still rather she keep the British accent in her movies, but that's just my hangup.
Anyways, the movie I watched tonight was Laggies, and it's about Megan (Keira Knightley) who's stuck spinning her wheels in life, and goes into a tailspin when her longtime boyfriend proposes. Through a pretty real turn of events, she befriends Annika (Chloe Grace Moretz), and to gather her thoughts, ends up spending a week at Annika's house.To complicate matters, Annika's dad is played by Sam Rockwell, and we all know how charming he can be.
The movie has a lot on its mind, but it never pushes its agenda on you, but rather, lets the events that happen to the characters naturally unfold. You understand why Megan freaks out when the boyfriend proposes. You see the quiet desperation that Annika has when she talks about the mother who abandoned her family. You see Sam Rockwell's Craig do the best he can at being a good dad. And you see how all these relationships intertwine and sometimes become stronger, and sometimes unravel.
I read a lot of reviews when this came out, and nearly all of them weren't exactly negative, but none of them really seemed to like the movie, either not appreciating Megan's inability to "grow up" or wondering how the relationship between Megan and Annika really was supposed to work. As I said, I thought all the relationships were genuine, I thought nearly every part in the movie was cast perfectly (Jeff Garlin as Megan's dad and Kaitlyn Dever as Annika's best friend were standouts), and I thought it was interesting that Megan had studied to be a therapist and was self-aware of the path that she was taking (even if she never strayed off it).
Yeah, I liked it. Now if they could've come up with an explanation that would have let Keira use her natural accent, it would have been nearly perfect.
***
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Day 1216 - The movie notebook and Robert Z'Dar (R.I.P.)
Years ago, I got a chance to meet Roddy McDowall and Nancy Allen after a performance of "Dial 'M' For Murder" at Playhouse Square. I was going to get their autographs afterwards no matter the cost (and it actually turned out to be pretty easy), but I had no idea what to have them sign. After some thought, I decided to have them sign in my movie notebooks.
When I was in high school and college, I filled up three notebooks full of reviews I wrote after every movie I saw. I gave everything a star rating from 0 stars to 4 stars and wrote a one to four line review of the film. I also categorized whether or not I saw it in the theater, what its rating was, why it was rated that way, and if I saw it edited for TV or not. It seems complicated, but it was pretty simple. Leonard Maltin and his Movie Guide obviously made a big impression on me.
Anyways, both Roddy McDowall and Nancy Allen had no problem signing the notebooks by reviews of Fright Night and Dressed to Kill respectively, and I discovered a cool thing to have celebrities sign when I would meet them at Comic Con or any other convention.
But my most oft-repeated story regarding the notebooks is the one about the one person who wouldn't sign it. That person was Traci Lords. I was at a convention (in Akron, I think), and I waited in her line to see if she would sign by my review of Cry Baby. I got up to her, explained what I wanted her to sign, and waited expectantly. She looked at me and said, "I don't sign reviews." I was stunned for a moment, but managed to recover and explain that they were my own reviews, and that I liked the movie (giving it either 3 or 3 and 1/2 stars). She still said "no," and said that she would sign any of the stuff on the table for me. I was crestfallen, said, "no, thanks," and shuffled away.
This was still relatively early on in my autograph gathering, so I wondered to myself if the first few autographs were flukes and everything would be like this from now on. The next person I saw that day, about 5 to 10 minutes later was Robert Z'Dar. Robert had starred in Maniac Cop 1, 2, and 3, as well as a personal favorite, Tango and Cash. I was going to ask him to sign by Maniac Cop 2. When I got to him, I gave him my spiel. He looked at me and said, "You did this? These are your reviews?" "Yes," I replied. There was a pause. "This is awesome! You should do something with this!" At that moment, I wanted to give him the biggest hug. We talked about his movies and what he was doing with himself for about 15 minutes.
He was truly one of the nicest and coolest people people I have ever met. He was at Cinema Wasteland last year and I was focused on other things, but I waved to him as I walked by. I really should have talked to him, and now I won't get another chance, as he passed away yesterday. But he'll always be one of my favorite people, and I'll never forget his enthusiastic response to this one fan.
Rest in peace Robert Z'Dar. And thank you.
When I was in high school and college, I filled up three notebooks full of reviews I wrote after every movie I saw. I gave everything a star rating from 0 stars to 4 stars and wrote a one to four line review of the film. I also categorized whether or not I saw it in the theater, what its rating was, why it was rated that way, and if I saw it edited for TV or not. It seems complicated, but it was pretty simple. Leonard Maltin and his Movie Guide obviously made a big impression on me.
Anyways, both Roddy McDowall and Nancy Allen had no problem signing the notebooks by reviews of Fright Night and Dressed to Kill respectively, and I discovered a cool thing to have celebrities sign when I would meet them at Comic Con or any other convention.
But my most oft-repeated story regarding the notebooks is the one about the one person who wouldn't sign it. That person was Traci Lords. I was at a convention (in Akron, I think), and I waited in her line to see if she would sign by my review of Cry Baby. I got up to her, explained what I wanted her to sign, and waited expectantly. She looked at me and said, "I don't sign reviews." I was stunned for a moment, but managed to recover and explain that they were my own reviews, and that I liked the movie (giving it either 3 or 3 and 1/2 stars). She still said "no," and said that she would sign any of the stuff on the table for me. I was crestfallen, said, "no, thanks," and shuffled away.
This was still relatively early on in my autograph gathering, so I wondered to myself if the first few autographs were flukes and everything would be like this from now on. The next person I saw that day, about 5 to 10 minutes later was Robert Z'Dar. Robert had starred in Maniac Cop 1, 2, and 3, as well as a personal favorite, Tango and Cash. I was going to ask him to sign by Maniac Cop 2. When I got to him, I gave him my spiel. He looked at me and said, "You did this? These are your reviews?" "Yes," I replied. There was a pause. "This is awesome! You should do something with this!" At that moment, I wanted to give him the biggest hug. We talked about his movies and what he was doing with himself for about 15 minutes.
He was truly one of the nicest and coolest people people I have ever met. He was at Cinema Wasteland last year and I was focused on other things, but I waved to him as I walked by. I really should have talked to him, and now I won't get another chance, as he passed away yesterday. But he'll always be one of my favorite people, and I'll never forget his enthusiastic response to this one fan.
Rest in peace Robert Z'Dar. And thank you.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Day 1192 - Champions: A Love Story
When I was a teenager (lo, those many years ago), I watched a movie on TV called Champions: A Love Story. It was a random Saturday or (probably) Sunday. This was during a time when there were only six or seven channels on the TV and you had so few choices in what to watch that you tended to gravitate to something that had any bit of compelling story. And this (made for TV) movie was compelling enough that it has stayed with me for close to 30 years. I watched it again once more in college, but since then it has been a film that has been on my personal want list. Thanks to Warner Archives (and my buddy Ben) I finally own a copy on DVD, and I just rewatched it to see if it was worth the money.
Worth every cent.
After 1950, there are essentially 3 movies about figure skating that are either known or good. Ice Castles which wears its heart on its sleeve and stars a Bond Girl (Lynn-Holly Johnson). The Cutting Edge, which forever put the term "toe pick" in the heads of those who've seen it. And finally, Champions: A Love Story which has a pretty simple plot - a female figure skater is good, but in order to become great, she has to team up with an ex-hockey player who learns the figure skating ropes. And they fall in love.
Champions is by far the least known of the three films, but as I rewatched it, I was struck by how sophisticated it was for a TV movie that was made in 1979. It's subtitled "A Love Story," and while it's a love story between the two main characters (Carrie and Peter), its also between Peter's parents as they struggle with the cost of his skating, as well as a sudden illness that hits at the wrong time. And even their coach (nicely underplayed by Tony Lo Bianco) has his own love story that intertwines throughout. And what makes the movie work for me is that all these storylines blend together with the skating to make this charming little film.
What I also found interesting, is that in nearly all the reviews I read after watching the movie again, the major final plot point was given away. I'm not going to reveal it here, but suffice to say, it still makes an impact on me, and that's also probably one of the reasons I like the movie as much as I do.
Worth every cent.
After 1950, there are essentially 3 movies about figure skating that are either known or good. Ice Castles which wears its heart on its sleeve and stars a Bond Girl (Lynn-Holly Johnson). The Cutting Edge, which forever put the term "toe pick" in the heads of those who've seen it. And finally, Champions: A Love Story which has a pretty simple plot - a female figure skater is good, but in order to become great, she has to team up with an ex-hockey player who learns the figure skating ropes. And they fall in love.
Champions is by far the least known of the three films, but as I rewatched it, I was struck by how sophisticated it was for a TV movie that was made in 1979. It's subtitled "A Love Story," and while it's a love story between the two main characters (Carrie and Peter), its also between Peter's parents as they struggle with the cost of his skating, as well as a sudden illness that hits at the wrong time. And even their coach (nicely underplayed by Tony Lo Bianco) has his own love story that intertwines throughout. And what makes the movie work for me is that all these storylines blend together with the skating to make this charming little film.
What I also found interesting, is that in nearly all the reviews I read after watching the movie again, the major final plot point was given away. I'm not going to reveal it here, but suffice to say, it still makes an impact on me, and that's also probably one of the reasons I like the movie as much as I do.
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