Marvel’s The Avengers! A Fanboy Review

Will The Avengers  satisfy your summer entertainment need for action, drama, superheroes, mythology, aliens, science fiction, tragedy, futurist technology, and comedy?  Yes.

It is a difficult thing, to sit down and review the Avengers.  Director Joss Whedon is like my surrogate father who wrote really good chick lit-style TV, and I’ve collected the Avengers comic ever since the mansion was overrun by The Masters of Evil in 1986, so it’s hard to distance my self from fanboy worship.  But, I’ll try.

Looking at the Avengers critically, I can say that if this a reflection of what to expect at theaters this summer, then this is going to be a really fun summer!  This film was full of larger than life characters taking on extinction level events with their bare knuckle violence.

From a directorial standpoint Whedon provided all the thrills requisite of a summer blockbuster, and of a grouping of characters such as these.  At some point in the film every character ends up punching  every other character in the face, which is traditional when super heroes meet each other for the first time.  The windscreen violence was truly an edge of your seat experience.  Whedon has a tendency in a fight sequence to really put the audience right in the midst of it all.  It feels like you are on a flight simulator, the way that a subject will go right, but the camera will go left and grab hold of a new subject who will then tow the audience along for another bout of excitement.  You can see how the space cowboy antics of Firefly and Serenity helped prepare Whedon for the aerial acrobatics of the Avengers in the streets of New York.

The nervous comedy-in-the-face-of-pending-apocalypse, which Whedon perfected over the course of seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is wonderfully present in the Avengers. For example this moment below rang true as Joss Whedon Comedy.  (Anything in red is spoiler-ish.  It’s already pretty public, but I don’t want to ruin anyone’s movie experience.)

Thor angrily defends his brother Loki to Natasha Romanoff, “He’s my brother!”

“He killed 80 people in 2 days” states Natasha.

“He’s adopted…”

The script had a few holes that needed filling by the other films that came before: Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, and Iron Man 1 and 2.  The Avengers is good as a stand-alone film, but the other films definitely enhance the grand film experience.

I present exhibits A, B, and C - established alien races for the Avengers to kick the crap out of.

LOKI!

The villains, an alien race known as the Chitauri, want to use the tesseract from the Captain America film to open a doorway to Earth and for unexplained reasons destroy and subjugate mankind.  Their advance emissary is Thor’s brother Loki.  Loki provides continuity in the films, but the alien race was a little too random for my taste.  They have appeared in the primary source material, the Ultimates Vol. 1, but I would have enjoyed an alien race more established from the Marvel universe, such as the shape shifting Skrulls, the militant Kree, or the bird like Shi’ar to name a few.  I understand the choice as a writer to want to work with a new villain, to distance the story from too many expectations…  but when working with a property like the Avengers, which has nearly 50 years of back-story OF COURSE THERE ARE EXPECTATIONS.  In the comic, the Chitauri were shape shifters like the Skrulls and had been subtly manipulating Earth governments since World War II.  The film Chitauri are simply portrayed as an other-dimensional/ alien warrior race with no real purpose other than to destroy.  I think the idea of infiltration over the course of 60 years is more terrifying.  There were more interesting possibilities here than what the film offered.

This was a terrific summer blockbuster.  It had me cheering, laughing, and gasping.  It was a super film, but with the success of The Avengers, and yes it is already a success, I wonder what other super group movies we can expect on the horizon?  The Justice League?  The Defenders?  SpiderMan and his Amazing Friends?

Stan Lee – A Comic book Convention Story

C'mon Kitty Pryde... Give the guy a chance.

…but it’s not his fault.  Well, not really.  I don’t think…  I think he schedules too much for himself at conventions.  He is literally going from a signing to a photo-op, to another signing, to a brunch, and back again to the beginning to do it all over again.  It’s like a  cattle call.  Thousands of people descend on this comic legend for autographs.  They all want to meet their hero!  Stan Lee!  How could any person live up to everyone’s expectation?  Stan has managed it for years, but I think it has taken its toll.

My first exposure to Stan “the Man” Lee was Spider Man and His Amazing Friends.  His very recognizable voice narrated the intro for each episode.  He was my hero.  He created The X-Men, Captain America, the Avengers (premiering at the Tribeca Film Fest tomorrow!), Spider Man, and the Hulk!  These fictional characters were pretty much my childhood best friends!

When I was 13, my younger brother bought stock in Marvel comics.  Every year we went to the stockholder meeting, and at each event we got real one on one time with Stan.  I think he appreciated that there were kids there.  He flocked right to us, because WE were his audience.  At these events he was nothing but warm and inviting.  He was like ‘Uncle Stan.”

About a year later, I had the opportunity to meet him at an open autograph session at my local Barnes and Noble.  Once again, he was nothing but wonderful.  He smiled.  He asked what our favorite comics were, and posed for a picture.  He was still in ‘Uncle Stan’ mode.

Jump ahead 22 years!  Now I have a son.  Stan no longer works for the company he built.  Actually, that company no longer exists.  They filed chapter 11.  It is now Marvel Worldwide, Inc., which is a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, which was acquired by Disney in 2009.   The funny book company has gone disgustingly corporate.

But Stan has a new company, POW! Entertainment.  I’m a stock holder in this new(ish) endeavor.  They are creating a catalog of characters for licensing in various forms of media.  I still haven’t received a dividend…

I had the pleasure of encountering my hero Stan for the tenth or so time in my life at the horrible, I repeat, horrible, comic book convention known as the Mike Carbo’s New York Comic Book Market.  This is simply the worst convention on the face of the planet.  I could go through a list of why it was so terrible, but I’ll simply give you two line items:  1. At one point during the show a short rotund man wearing a cowboy duster wandered through with a mega phone screaming that we should all protect our belongings because there are thieves on the floor stealing belonging from people’s bags.  2. While waiting in line for Stan, the very nice gentleman in line behind me pointed out another man who was wearing a 70’s era suit.  It was the show’s namesake, Mike Carbonara.  Mike yelled for people to get out of his way.  The people in his way were children.  I heard someone compare him to Doctor Detroit, and I have to admit the comparison was dead-on.

The problem with Stan:  One single autograph requiring 1.5 seconds of his time cost $50.  A second autograph was an additional $50.  A photo with Stan Lee?  You guessed it, $50.  To attend a mixer with Stan?  $175, which would include one autograph.  There was some kind of V.I.P. pass as well, which would entitle you to 2 autographs and a bag full of stuff.  I think that was in the $300 range.  So, basically, with every breath that the man takes he’s making a couple of hundred dollars while at the nefarious NYCBM.  You’d think he’d be happy about it.  You’d think that he’d at least look the people in the eye that he was taking money from.  Nope.  Maybe he was ashamed?

Quick digression:  I’m assembling a library of books for my son inscribed by my favorite authors with words of encouragement about being creative.  I’ve gotten Dave Gibbons, James Robinson, Paul Levitz, Robert Kirkman (twice), Walt and Louise Simonson, Carmine Infantino, Chris Claremont, Garth Ennis, and many others all writing the nicest things in the world to my son.

When I got face to face with Stan, I attempted to ask if he could write something to my son, “maybe just an Excelsior!”  Rather than speak to me himself, some ‘Security’ guy cut me off and told me he’ll only sign it.  A little put off, I held out a piece of paper that had the spelling of my son’s name on it.  I asked him to sign it to him at least.  Reluctantly, he did.  I was blown away by the lack of respect Stan had for the thousands of people who came to see him, the tens of thousands of dollars that were spent by his fans to meet him for a fraction of a second.  I just couldn’t believe he didn’t even look in their direction.  I hung around for a few minutes after to see if it was just me.  Maybe Stan just didn’t like the cut of my jib.  Nope.  Every fan was treated in the same brusque manner.  No look.  No smile.  No thanks.  No glance.  It was as if their adoration was expected and then summarily disregarded.

What happened to cool ‘Uncle Stan?’  I just don’t know.  Maybe he’s lost respect for his fans.  Maybe he’s tired.  Maybe he’s a grump now.  Maybe he’s sick of signing autographs.  Maybe he just over extended himself that day.  Well Stan, if any of those hypotheses are correct, maybe you should stop attending cons.   The whole thing felt like a bad date at an expensive restaurant, and frankly it made me feel sorry for you after I finished being selfish and angry.

To end on a positive note,  not all convention experiences are like this.  I’ve met hundreds of people over the years at cons who were wonderful warm individuals.  For example, I’ve met Robert Kirkman, creator of the Walking Dead numerous times.  I was at the dead-end of a line for him once, and he stayed an extra hour or so just to be sure he met everyone that was there.  When he got to me I thanked him profusely for staying.  His reply to me was “I had to.  Without you I’m nothing.  If you don’t like me and my writing, then you’re not going to read my book, and I’m not going to have a job.”

Celebrities are only as popular as we allow them to be.

It was nice to see Kirkman being so honest and frank about how much he really appreciates his fans.  He signed a bunch of books for me, and wrote an awesome inscription to my son,.  He even posed for a goofy picture.

It's dated, because that is the year Kirkman and I decided that my son will be allowed to read Walking Dead.

My son's V for Vendetta book. David Lloyd drew in V as well!

Another amazing person I met at a con was writer, director, artist, and Renaissance man Michel Gondry, who felt compelled to draw a picture of me.  When I explained that he was one of my wife’s favorite directors he included himself in the drawing saying hello to her.

The Avengers Invade the Tribeca Film Festival April 28th!!!

I know it’s not like me to just post a press release, but I’m currently speechless.  I…  I… I simply need to go to this.  I want to walk the red carpet in a super hero costume.  I want to walk the red carpet with The Hulk.

Marvel’s The Avengers to Close 2012 Tribeca Film Festival on April 28

Local Heroes Invited as Special Guests

Epic Action-Adventure Directed by Joss Whedon Stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, March 28, 2012

NEW YORK, March 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by American Express, announced today that Marvel’s The Avengers, presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures, will close its 11th edition on Saturday, April 28. Closing night will take place at Tribeca BMCC PAC and is sponsored by BOMBAY SAPPHIRE(R) Gin.

Honoring the spirit of the Tribeca Film Festival, the screening will allow the opportunity for Marvel’s The Avengers to celebrate everyday heroes from police agencies, fire departments, first responders and various branches of the U.S. military. These local heroes will have an opportunity to attend the screening and meet the cast.

Marvel Studios’ producer Kevin Feige says, “We are proud that Marvel’s The Avengers is the closing film of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and we are excited to welcome local heroes to the screening as special guests. We all know and love our iconic Super Heroes, but when it really counts, it’s our real-life heroes who save the world every day by making it a better place for all of us.”

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and directed by Joss Whedon, Marvel’s The Avengers is an engaging, character-driven story packed with action, adventure and special effects. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins to assemble the iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. Marvel’s The Avengers is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since.

“Marvel’s The Avengers is an exciting ride that absolutely transports audiences,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder of the Tribeca Film Festival. “It is the perfect way to end our 11th Festival.”

Comments director Joss Whedon, “Showing at Tribeca is both an honor and a double homecoming for me, who grew up in Manhattan, and for the movie, which wrapped production there. I’m thoroughly psyched to be closing the festival with our intimate little think-piece.”

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is produced by Marvel Studios’ Producer Kevin Feige and executive produced by Alan Fine, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. The story is by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon, and the screenplay is by Joss Whedon. The film releases May 4, 2012, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

The 11th annual Tribeca Film Festival will take place from April 18-29, 2012.

Visit www.tribecafilm.com/festival for more information about TFF’s 2012 programs and the full line-up of films.

About Marvel’s The Avengers

Marvel Studios presents “Marvel’s The Avengers”–the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, directed by Joss Whedon, from a story by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon with screenplay by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012.

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures. The film is being produced by Marvel Studios’ Producer Kevin Feige and executive produced by Alan Fine, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. The film releases May 4, 2012, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit www.marvel.com.

About the Tribeca Film Festival: The Tribeca Film Festival helps filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enabling the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York City as a major filmmaking center. It is well known for being a diverse international film festival that supports emerging and established directors.

Founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 following the attacks on the World Trade Center, to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of the lower Manhattan district through an annual celebration of film, music and culture, the Festival brings the industry and community together around storytelling.

The Tribeca Film Festival has screened more than 1,300 films from more than 80 countries since its first edition in 2002. Since inception, it has attracted an international audience of more than 3.7 million attendees and has generated an estimated $725 million in economic activity for New York City.

About the 2012 Festival Sponsors: As Founding Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, American Express is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of filmmaking, bringing business and energy to New York City and offering Cardmembers and festivalgoers the opportunity to enjoy the best of storytelling through film.

The Tribeca Film Festival is pleased to announce the return of its Signature Sponsors: Accenture, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Apple, Bloomberg, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), Brookfield, Cadillac, Caesars Atlantic City, Doha Film Institute, ESPN, Heineken USA, JetBlue, Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Magnum(R) Ice Cream, NBC 4 New York, NCM Media Networks, New York Nonstop, Stolichnaya Vodka, The New York Times, Time Warner Cable. The Festival is also honored to welcome the following new Signature Sponsors: BOMBAY SAPPHIRE(R) Gin, Conrad Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Focus Forward – a partnership between GE and CINELAN, and OppenheimerFunds.

Tickets for the 2012 Festival:

Advance selection ticket packages and passes are on sale. All advance selection packages and passes can be purchased online at www.tribecafilm.com/festival, or by telephone at (646) 502-5296 or toll free at (866) 941-FEST (3378).

Single ticket and discounted ticket package sales begin Tuesday, April 10 for American Express Cardmembers, Sunday, April 15 for downtown residents and Monday, April 16 for the general public. Single tickets can be purchased online, by telephone, or at one of the Ticket Outlets, with locations at Tribeca Cinemas at 54 Varick Street, Chelsea Clearview Cinemas at 260 W. 23rd Street, and AMC Loews Village VII at 66 3rd Avenue. The 2012 Festival will continue offering ticket discounts for evening and weekend screenings for students, seniors and select downtown Manhattan residents. Discounted tickets are available at Ticket Outlet locations only. Discounted ticket packages can only be purchased online and by phone. Additional information and further details on the Festival can be found at www.tribecafilm.com.

About BOMBAY SAPPHIRE(R)

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is the fastest-growing premium gin in the world and the world’s number-one premium gin by value. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is created with a unique combination of ten hand-selected botanicals, sourced from around the globe. The brand’s global essence and signature vapor infusion process impart a refined and perfectly balanced taste, versatile enough for both classic cocktails and exotic recipes. Infused with Imagination, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is a symbol of the exploration of worldly and sophisticated lifestyles. For more information, please explore www.bombaysapphire.com.

SOURCE Marvel Entertainment, LLC

/CONTACT: TFF/Rubenstein Communications, Anna Dinces Associate VP, +1-212-843-9253, adinces@rubenstein.com, or Dade Hayes Senior VP, +1-212-843-8022, dhayes@rubenstein.com; or TFF/Tribeca Enterprises, Tammie Rosen, VP of Communications, +1-212-941-2003, trosen@tribecaenterprises.com; or Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Derek Del Rossi, +1-212-827-5440, Derek.Del.Rossi@Disney.com

/Web site: http://www.marvel.com

http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/

Who’s Who in Sons of Anarachy and Shakespeare!… and a gratuitous Whedon Easter Egg!

Clay Morrow / King Claudius – The rise and fall of both characters hinges on the murder of a family member which occurred prior to the curtain even opening on the first act.  They both seem noble and capable leaders at first.  It is not until we hear of these past transgressions does the audience ever even suspect that these men could be capable of such evil. Both also married their brother’s widow.  In Clay’s case, it was a brother in the biker family sense.

Gemma Teller Morrow / Queen Gertrude or Lady MacBeth? – Gemma shares that she married her husband’s killer with Gertrude in Hamlet, but at no point does Gertrude hint that she knew of the murder.  That is where the characters differ.  Gemma is in on ALL of it, all the wrong doings of SAMCRO.  In most cases she doesn’t even need to ask Clay.  She just knows.  Her willingness to be complicit in crimes seems much more Lady Macbeth-like to me…

Wayne Unser / Dogberry – In Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare enjoyed a few comical jabs at the incompetence of the police force.  The same can be said of S.O.A.’s writers’ use of Sheriff Unser.  Neither seems entirely capable of performing their appointed tasks.  But, both characters contribute in the resolution of their respective stories by relaying very important pieces of information when desperately needed.  They both exist merely as bumbling story catalysts.

He's so rebellious that he wears white to a funeral! *read with snarky sarcasm.

Jax – Jax is the embodiment of quite a few of Shakespeare’s leading men.  The obvious one is Hamlet.  On occasions he is bit MacBeth as well, particularly when he is around his mommy.  Around the ladies though, of course he is their Romeo.  But I like to hope he’ll end up being Henry V.

Lastly, John Teller / Hamlet’s Father’s Ghost – Just like The ghost in Hamlet, John Teller directs and influences his son from beyond the grave.

I’m really enjoying this show and highly recommend it.  If you have a Netflix account, the first few seasons are streaming.

Tomorrow I start season 2.

————————————-

P.S. – There is a hidden Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse) related Easter Egg link in this post.  You’ll know it when you click it, and you’ll be happy you did.

Walking Dead Finale!!! (Spoiler free-ish) – The Blogging Dead!

Being Spoiler free means you’ll need to have watched the Walking Dead thus far in order to have any idea whatsoever what I am talking about.

So last week’s penultimate (god I hate that word) episode of AMC’s the Walking Dead, S2 Ep12 Better Angels,  was supposed to a game-changer (god I hate that phrase)…  Not so much.  What happened was entirely expected.  In fact it needed to happen.  Never mind that this game changing moment happened almost verbatim in the comic.  The real game changer was in the prior episode when the Jiminy Cricket of the group got eviscerated by a walker.  THAT was not from the source material.  It was so completely out of left field.  I have a conspiracy theory about that death.  I think it was an assassination.   Really.  I think it was.  The actor I’m referring to was not just the conscience of the characters within the narrative, but also a long time collaborator of the very first casualty of the season, former show-runner Frank Darabont.  I think this was their (The producers) attempt to completely remove his influence from the Walking Dead.  Which I still feel was a huge mistake.  Nothing this season has come close to the level of cinematic beauty of what Darabont did in the season 1 pilot, Days Gone By.  The show has been on a downward spiral ever since.  An amusing downward spiral, but never ever nearly as good as that first taste.

But I digress.

On the bright side (with regards to the death last week), this was one of the few times that this show moved forward in a very motivated and organic way.  Everything that happened, needed to happen.  The characters are where they need to be.  It’s just a shame that it took so long to get here.

It has taken 19 episodes to get the story to the point which it is at…  19 episodes is approximately 18 hours or so of showtime.  In the comics, the storyline is on about issue 12.  Each comic takes me about 10 minutes to read.  That is 120 minutes.  Two hours.  When you run that math, you could say that the show is really dragging its feet.  Let’s see what happens tomorrow.  I sort of hope something really crazy happens.  Like Rick getting bit.  If Rick died this show would get really interesting really fast.

Do you especially think I’m not a genius? – A few 2012 Academy Award Nominees

Ides of March – Best Screenplay Nominee -  On the surface I thought this was going to bore me.  I am so sick of the GOP Primary coverage.   So, the last thing I wanted to watch was a movie about the Democrat Primary race…  Then I started watching anyway, and was blown away by the subtleties in George Clooney’s direction.  In particular, there is a scene in Stephen Meyer’s, Gosling’s, office, when an intern brings him some papers.  The camera racks focus and pulls back to reveal Paul Zara, Philip Seymore Hoffman, on the phone in his office in the foreground.  It was a simple in camera move, along with the dropping in and out the sound in the two offices, which really conveyed the atmosphere of this hectic office.  The film takes an interesting Hitchcockian turn by not being the typical intern-falls-for-a-politician story.  Clooney’s time in Europe was evident in the last few minutes of the film.  This is not a typical American formulaic film.

A Better Life – Best Actor Nominee – Directed by Chris Weitz, is the story of Carlos, an illegal immigrant played by Demián Bichir and his son Luis, played by José Julián.  Living in constant fear of deportation, Carlos dreams of a better life for his son.  This is a truly touching subject that rarely gets mainstream attention in this way in America.  However, it is so obviously an American film at the same time.  Even as it features immigrants as the main characters, it feels like the audience is kept at a distance from what their lives are really like.  I would have enjoyed delving into who they were, rather than what they need to accomplish.  I liked this film, but wanted more from it.

Hugo – Nominated for Screenplay, Directing, Picture -  Just the other day I was wandering my house ranting to my wife.  I do this a lot. This particular rant was directed at Martin Scorsese.  Why?  Because I think he is especially not a genius.  I said “he hasn’t made anything since 1990 that was worth a damn!” Shudder Island (intentional mistake don’t bother pointing it out to me) was so obvious from the first shot.  The Aviator didn’t get off the ground.  Gangs of New York was a frame away from looking like Newsies, and the Departed fell flat and died right in front of me.  Then I saw Hugo.  I don’t take any of my rant back.  I hated all of those prior films.  The last Scorsese film I liked, just liked, was Casino.  But, Hugo is different.  It flickered Scorsese loves of film history in every frame.  This was a beautiful love letter to all the cinematic pioneers Scorsese never got to meet.  Marty, I forgive your past transgressions.

"Do you especially think I'm not a genius?" "Hmmmmm. Nah..."

Freshman Year Drop Outs – Unfortunate Single Season Shows

Some shows just never catch on.  Is it their fault?  Is it the fickle audience? Is it my fault?  Can we blame the internet?  I don’t know…  Probably all the above.

Some shows worked well for what they were.  They can live on in the “I wonder what would have happened next” recesses of our brains.  However, the following is a collection of shows that ended too soon.

Wonderfalls – Created by Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, Heroes, Dead Like Me) with executive producer and frequent Joss Whedon collaborator Tim Minear (Angel, Dollhouse, Drive) is a comedy with a splash of fantasy, a la Bewitched.  Jaye Tyler, played by Caroline Dhavernas, is a recent Brown University graduate who holds a go nowhere job as a sales clerk in a Niagara Falls gift shop.  Each episode centers on Jane being given cryptic instructions from inanimate objects (i.e. a wax lion, a monkey toy, etc) which would lead her to helping a person better their life.  Wonderfalls was mishandled by Fox in 2004.  It was scheduled to air in 2003, but held back.  It was switched from Friday to Thursday with nearly no advertising to notify the audience of the schedule change, and was canceled before the fifth episode.  It is available on DVD Region 1, and is totally worth checking out.

Firefly - Was a Space Cowboy action adventure dramedy created by Joss Whedon, who served as Exec. Producer with Tim Minear.  Once again Fox didn’t know what they had on their hands.  Fox continuously preempted broadcasts in favor of sporting events, which is a shame, because you really can’t get a more skewed audience.  The Whedon crowd aren’t typically the sit at the bar as the game goes into extra innings  crowd.  They are the read a great book, work on your cosplay, and brew your own beer crowd. Additionally Fox again aired the episodes out-of-order, making the introductions of characters awkward.  Whedon built the storyline around a seven season/year plan (Ha! reminds me of Uncle Buck) which was entirely too ambitious for a TV show.  Still, it would have been nice to see more of what he had planned.

Freaks and Geeks – Hands down the best coming of age show since the Wonder Years.  Created by Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow.  This was the story of Lindsay Weir and her younger brother Sam, the Freak and the Geek respectively.  The thing that made this show truly wonderful was the realistic and often bad choices the characters made.  It was true to life.  Their lives were never status quo by the end of each episode.  There were always true repercussions that reverberated through the rest of the characters’ lives.  Most shows are static.  Not a lot happens because producers are afraid to change-up the formula which is tried and true.  Freaks and Geeks was far from formulaic.

The Middle Man – The Middle Man was created by Javier Grillo-Marxuach, (LOST alum) for ABC Family, and is based on the Viper Comics series, The Middleman, also created by Grillo-Marxuach and illustrated by Les McClaine. The series ran for one season in 2008.  This very witty program focused on the larger than life adventures of photogenic temp employee Wendy Watson, as she is taken under the wing of a superhero codenamed The Middle Man.  Over the course of the 12 episodes, the Middle Man and sidekick Wendy Watson, AKA Dub-dub, face menaces like super intelligent primates, vampire ventriloquist dolls, Evil Lucha Libre Wrestlers, precious gem eating aliens, and alternate universe versions of themselves.  This show was on the wrong network, at the wrong time, in the wrong universe.  It should have aired in a place where I rule everything, because it would have been required watching for all of my subjects.  The Middle Man also featured some of the best episode titles in the history of television, including “The Flying Fish Zombification,” “The Cursed Tuba Contingency,” and “The Palindrome Reversal Palindrome.” I’ll go further in trying to coerce you into watching by sharing some funny dialogue from the show:

The Middleman: Special Agent Watson, slacking off the dress code, I see.

Wendy: Oh, I don’t do dress code after sundown.

The Middleman: It’s bad apples like you that put Mr. Hoover in a dress.

and…

Wendy: Uh, Sensei Ping. Like an unborn lotus festering in the mud waiting to blossom, I come to you with humble greetings to beseech your guidance, most awesome…

Sensei Ping: (laughs) Did The Middleman tell you to recite the most hallowed verse of greetings to Sensei Ping?

Wendy: Uh, yes.

Sensei Ping: He is such a comedian. You know, most of us masters of the martial arts are actually very laid back.

Wendy: Really?

Sensei Ping: No! (slaps her)

And here is a wonderful collection of one-liners from the show (Paul, I know you’re in the middle of watching The Middle Man, so skip this.  DO NOT WATCH!  Ha! A spoiler alert for an individual person…)

Drive – Drive broke my heart.  This was such a fun show.  What is wrong with you America that you let this go wrong so quick.  All you had to do was tune in.  You didn’t even need to watch.  You could have gone in the other room.  Drive was an action suspense  show created by Tim Minear (I’m apparently a huge fan of Minear’s failures) and Ben Queen.  Minear  described the show as being”a secret, illegal, underground road race that can be anything from Cannonball Run to The Game to North by Northwest to Magnolia-on-wheels.”  Sounds exciting?  It was!  Drive had an ensemble cast, but the Hitchcockian everyman to relate to was Nathan Fillion’s character Alex Tully.  The series began with Tully receiving a phone call informing him that his wife had been taken, and if he ever wants to see her again he needs to get to Florida, he can’t call the authorities, and he has to DRIVE.  It was so cool.

Story Matters at AMC, but so do ratings unfortunately...

Rubicon – AMC’s Espionage & Intrigue show was deliberately slow at first.  We discovered information as the characters did, which created a tension that was palpable. Rubicon featured a think tank group working for the American Policy Institute, API.  One of their analysts, played by James Badge Dale, uncovers a massive conspiracy involving a secret society that quite literally pulls the strings of governments, world markets, and populations through corruption, murder, profiteering, and the list just goes on and on.  It featured some wonderful nods to real world classic espionage techniques, like codes hidden in crosswords, park bench meetings, cover-ups, etc.  It was pretty awesome.  It was smart TV.  It was unfortunately canceled.  I’d love to see the creator make a film in the same genre.  I’d be first in line to buy a ticket to that.

Thanks for reading!

This Zombie Still Has A Pulse & UNDEAD Lawsuits! – The Blogging Dead!

I got what I asked for.  Walking Dead Ep. 8 “Nebraska” showed some progress.  It was exciting!  There was story momentum!  We even got a decent shock ending.  I’m happy to say that I’ll tune in again next week. Faith is renewed.

I have a few disorganized thoughts about the episode.  If you watched “Nebraska” then it will make sense.  If you didn’t watch, then you should now, then return here.  Below my episode remarks is a quick bit of unsolicited character studies related to the Walking Dead Lawsuit making headlines now.  Enjoy!

The episode began at the exact moment that we left off a few months ago, which I have to admit, made me cringe.  I totally thought they were going to drag out the repercussions of what had just occurred.  I immediately imagined them bringing redundancy to a new level by sitting around a campfire for 30 minutes talking about what we had just seen.  Thank god they didn’t.

Rick shut up for a few minutes, which was refreshing.  Obviously, the reality of putting down Sophia weighed heavily on him.  It hurt him to discover that everything he was hoping for was completely off base.  As his brain re-booted, we see the rest of Hershel’s family come to terms with the loss of loved ones.  Some better than others.

Jumping ahead, Hershel and Rick’s ‘no hope’ discussion profoundly affected each of them.  They sort of led each other back from the cliffs of hopeless insanity.  Re-emerging from that journey of words, they both discovered a new willingness to do what needs to be done in this dead new world.  And what needs doing is simply WHATEVER IT TAKES to protect their loved ones, including the murder of Dave and Tony, who had just wandered into the wrong bar with their tough guy northeast accents and attitude.  Finally seeing Rick with that dead look in his eyes that I’ve grown to fear in the comic was pretty wonderful.  I feel like there is the chance that the Walking Dead is back on track.

In other news…. The Walking Dead Creators are suing each other!  You can read about it here:  Reuters Article , Publishers Weekly , and at The Beat -

The Robert Kirkman vs Tony Moore lawsuit  in the news over the weekend was timed perfectly for maximum news coverage!  Darn you pesky Lawyers love to get your cases in the spotlight!  I have no idea who is right, and who is wrong.  The contract that Tony Moore signed is not available to the public.  I have met Kirkman, Moore, and the current long running artist of the Walking Dead Charlie Adlard, and here are my impressions from meeting them.

Me & Kirkman

I’ve met Robert Kirkman on at least four occasions.  He has always been polite, fun and inviting.  He makes you as the fan feel like the important one.  He lets you know that he is nothing without YOU reading his work.  At comic conventions he has set times for signings.  I’ve witnessed him stay well past the scheduled time, just to make sure that he met everyone, and often hangs out just to talk.  In 2008 he was invited to join Image Comics as a partner, which is a comic company designed to publish creator owned graphic novels and comics.  In other words, every writer/ artist/ creator owns what they write/ draw/ etc.

And the awesome inscription Kirkman wrote to my son

And Kirkman signed this one before we had a name picked out.

From the Image Website – What does “creator-owned” mean?

“Creator-owned” means exactly that—the trademark and copyright of the work in question is wholly owned by its original creator. The majority of the comics and graphic novels published by Image are creator-owned. While Image as a company does have some say in the promotion and distribution of the titles it publishes, it is done with non-creative interference to protect the company and maintain responsibility for our public image.

My WD Adlard Page. It features most of the core cast. I love it.

Charlie Adlard is the current and very talented artist of the Walking Dead.  (Issue #7 – to the present, AKA just about 8 years)  I met him once at the New York Comic Con.  Also a warm inviting person, excited to meet his fans.  I shuffled right past him, so that is the extent of my impression.

Tony Moore, who initiated this suit, is someone who I have met as well at the NYCC, and that went quite differently.  I collect original comic art.  In fact I own a Charlie Adlard Walking Dead page.  So at shows, the artists will put their portfolios out for fans to peruse, and hopefully buy a page or two.  The moment I touched the book I was reprimanded and told to “be careful” and was told to “not bother looking if I wasn’t serious about buying.”  I was serious.  I noticed that he still had the majority of the art from the first 6 issues.  JACKPOT I thought.  Then I figured out why he still had them.  First, he is horrible at sales, by being rude, self-important, and basically condescending to people who could have been his fans at the con.  His prices are ridiculous!  The average price I saw was well over $400.00, and just to keep this in perspective, if you know comics, in my collection I own John Byrne, Adam Hughes, Chaykin, Larsen, Jim Lee, Mike Mignola, Dave Cockrum, Walt Simonson, Carmine Infantino and many other important artists’ works.  So you can see I’m not hesitant to spend a little money on some art.  These were just random interior pages, not worth the set prices.  Lastly, he comes off as very bitter about the Walking Dead, which is probably the only thing that people ask him about.  It’s all I wanted to talk to him about.  In that respect I feel sorry for him.  But keep in mind, that just because I really don’t like the guy doesn’t mean he’s wrong.  Maybe is due a huge payday.  I’m not a lawyer, and I haven’t seen this contract they’re all talking about.

In closing, it is a shame that a comic published by a “Creator Owned” company like Image is causing a dispute between two creators.  It gives a black eye to the industry and the creator owned movement.  My advice to them both is to go out, get a beer, air your grievances, and if that doesn’t work, they should duel to the death with a choice of these weapons – Knives, Maces, Zip Guns, or a socks filled with quarters.

That is my two bits.

See you all next Sunday for Walking Dead S2 Ep.9

 

Walking Dead Season 2 so far not so good…The Blogging Dead!

I can’t blindly follow a television show anymore, not with literally a thousand channels available.  There is just too much available for me to settle for mediocrity.  If a show airs a boring episode, I simply change the channel.  I feel no allegiance to any show that I watch.    If you bore me, you’re off of my Thursday night line-up.  Simple as that.

That said, I’ve been watching the Walking Dead Season 2, and to put it bluntly, it ain’t that good.  In fact it’s been a lot of nothing.  It’s not horrible, but it is nothing to write about (except for what I’m saying here of course).  There were a few (very few) jaw dropping moments, but they have been very few and so far between.

I’m a reader of the comic and a huge fan of the first season, but something has simply gone wrong.  It lost its mojo.

I think a lot of it has to do with momentum.  The first season really grabbed you by the throat and didn’t let go.  Everything was life or death for the entire group.  Sacrifices were constantly being made.  Season 2 thus far has been a lot of waiting around, talking about what they’re going to do next.  Arguing.  Whining. Looking for Sophia. Scouting.  A few more arguments.  It was very tedious.   The entire first 7 episodes could have fit into 2 1/2 hours, and it would have been a really exciting 2 1/2 hours, but they dragged it out to 7.

The comic is  slow too, but it works because you can read an issue in ten minutes.  It doesn’t take an hour to reach the cliffhanger.  Comics are a different medium all together and does not translate perfectly to television or film (If it did, then the Spirit would have been a good movie).  It takes finesse.  It takes creative license.  It takes a large group of people with a vision.  While a comic takes 3 or 4 people with complete control over their portion of the finished product.

Waiting the 7 episodes to see what happened to Sophia was not worth the wait.  It was fairly obvious what happened.  Why?  Because it had to happen.  Walking Dead  moves too slow to have child actors on it (watch out Carl….)  If it makes it to season 3 Carl will be shaving and Sophia would have been six feet tall.   Walt was written off Lost for the same reason.

I still have hope for the rest of the season.  I hope Michonne walks out of the woods with dog collared zombies.  I hope Tyreese shows up to shake things up.  I hope they stop talking and start doing.  Simply putting some zombies down at the end of the last episode wasn’t enough.  This show needs to push buttons.  It needs to be as desperate as the characters in it.  It needs to shock us every minute or at least every other minute.  It needs Rick to stop being the good guy, and start being the character we all grew to be weary of in the comic.  It seems that the Hollywood powers-that-be want a gleaming knight on horseback to lead this band of survivors, and, well, that ain’t Rick.  In fact it is none of these people, and THAT is what has made these stories so great.  Robert Kirkman needs to whip these writers into shape and get them to tell a zombie epic worthy of the source material he’s written.

I’ll watch tomorrow, and sure I’ll enjoy it.  How could I not?  It is zombies.  Will I have anything to say about it?  Only if its worth saying.  But I swear, if its boring I’m switching to the History Channel because there is always one more thing I can learn about WWII, sharks, the Bible, or Aliens.

Walking Dead Sunday Feb 12th @ 9PM

Watch Here! Walking Dead Ep. 8 Preview “Nebraska”

Freaks, meet Frankenstein. Frankenstein… Freaks – The Blogging Dead

I’m rather dissatisfied with the state of Horror this past year. Nothing really stood out for me. So, in preparation for Halloween I’ve been delving into the beginnings of Cinematic Horror. What did I watch first?

Freaks (1932) , directed by Tod Browning. Freaks is regarded as a horror classic. In my humble opinion, labeling this film as just horror is a disservice. It is a crime film, a circus film, an unrequited love story, and a horrific tale of revenge. The first time I had heard of this film, was when Whoopie Goldberg and Lyle Lovett quote the line “One of us!” in the film The Player. Freaks is the story of a sideshow ‘freak’ / little person, Hans, falling in love with an acrobat named Cleopatra.

The interesting thing about freaks is the way that it reverses expectations. You assume that the freaks are going to be the bringers of HORROR. Because of their disfigurements, differences, etc. We assume that they want to enact revenge on the outside world like a Phantom of The Opera style character. This can’t be further from the truth. At the circus, they have a perfect community in which they accept each other, and potentially You, with open arms…. As long as you accept them for who and what they are. If you are all on the same page they will allow you to become “One of us!”

The real horror of this story is revealed in the black deeds of the regular people. Cleopatra plans to marry and murder Hans for his money that he has saved. She is a monster in every sense of the word.

The story culminates in a confrontation on a dark and stormy night between Cleopatra, her accomplice, and the circus freaks. And, let me tell you, you will not believe how they enact carny justice. Check it out.

Next up was Frankenstein (1931) directed by James Whale. I went into this expecting a hokey old film. Instead I was amazed to find a complex story of ethics. This film really is timeless for many reasons.

1. Boris Karloff’s performance evoked both fear and sadness with every moan, step, and lurch. Having just witnessed the birth of my son, I imagine the monster was a blank slate. Rather than being loved, he is chained in a basement, poked and prodded. Wouldn’t you go on a rampage after your Dad treated you this way?
2. The cinematography by Arthur Edeson was way ahead of its time. His composition is something of pure beauty. Stop and pause some of the wide shots and look at how perfect it is.
3. The surrealist production design of Charles D. Hall, seemed to reflect the inner madness of the characters.
4. The building of tension. Even though YOU know Frankenstein is right there, the characters don’t. This film lets the audience in on information that the characters are not privy to, and that makes for a few nail-biting, edge of your seat moments.
5. A universal tale. How? Well, Frankenstein is about crossing lines that shouldn’t be crossed. It is about going too far, and facing the repercussions for doing so. It is such a broad theme applied to such a horrific tragic tale. Medical science has reached a point where the Horrors of Frankenstein are very nearly here. We can transplant organs, limbs, eyes. It is a brave new world where ethics need to continuously be considered as fiction and reality are coming uncomfortably close to one another.

I look forward to watching this again soon. Perhaps next year.

If you have any suggestions for recent horror films, please share as I am always looking for a good one.

Up next? The Premiere of the Walking Dead Season 2, Cat People, and the Wolfman (Not the stupid new one though.)