February 22, 2009
Watchmen Countdown T - 2
I'm that guy who never read Watchmen from the time it originally debuted all through my comics reading life. Now with the movie coming in two shorts weeks I'm finding myself really excited.
I have to admit I never had much interest in Watchmen one way or the other until Zack Snyder was announced as the director. I'm a huge fan of his kinetic style, particularly how far he developed it for 300. So seeing Zack on board was enough to get me interested.
Of course I knew how popular a comic Watchmen is and how reverently some fans treat it. I didn't realize just how much some fans are upset at any minor change Snyder makes, especially when all but a handful of people have actually, you know, seen the finished movie...it's pretty interesting how fans react to a beloved property being translated into another medium. We had the histrionics over Michael Bay putting flames on Optimus Prime and this summers GI Joe revival has others up in arms because Baroness doesn't have the same type of glasses.
I can only imagine what the hardcore Watchmen fans are going to go apeshit over for changes made this time. The current issue of Wired has a great interview with a huge Watchmen fan who notices that Snyder has made some serious changes, including giving the Owlship chainguns. And then there's the change to the ending. Granted I haven't read the comic and will wait the final two weeks until I see the movie before reading the original, but really folks? This much consternation over a giant space squid being removed?
Even with Snyder saying the ending is different and the wonderful Dave Gibbons saying "No squid" at the fantastic NYComicon Watchmen panel some people still seem to be holding out hope that their beloved squid will make a surprise appearance.
For me having gotten to see the first 18 minutes I can say it surpassed any expectation I had. Snyder's signature slow down/speed up style was in full effect and the opening title sequence is nothing short of dazzling. I expect this to be a revolutionary movie that will further mainstream superheroes.
And I can't wait.
09:29 AM
February 21, 2009
The Next Day #4
• Thank God they didn't make us wait all season long to get back to the Island.
• I'm getting really interested in the Lamppost station in LA and Mrs. Hawking's exposition about how the pockets of space-time work and the use of the pendulum to predict not so much whenwhere but willbe for the use of travel. That explains Ben and the polar bear ending up in Tunisia, as well as Hurley's seemingly extra-episode revelation that "Australia is the key to the game" in the fourth season show "The Shape of Things to Come." That episode has so many ramifications, we can see now: Ben's daughter Alex is killed, Claire's house is destroyed by an RPG with her in it, Vincent discovers the freighter's doctor's body on the beach before he's actually killed, Ben lets loose the smoke monster, and, of course, he wakes up in the desert wearing Halliwax' frozen donkey wheel parka.
Add all that to Hawkins' explanation about the island being one of several points possessing "special energy," and it seems Australia might really really be the "key to the game."
• And speaking of game, the lostisagame.com guy seems to be even more right about his interpretations as the show continues. Last night's episode not only had many call-backs to the pilot episode, but had many characters reversing the roles they held.
• Am I the only one concerned that Jack, the Man of Science, started his transition to a Man of Faith... whose belief in Ben after the fact is causing more trouble had he not believed in Locke initially? It seems to me his lack of faith in Locke causes Locke's "suicide." Which seems clear isn't really a despondent sort of act, but more of a fait accompli, as much as anything can be considered such in a show where time is so elastic. Dang, it's hard to get tenses and modifiers and objects and whatnot correct when discussing this show.
• I don't really want to get into the overt Biblical references in this ep, because other folks on the Internet with much more religious fervor than I are already covering it. And because the title of the episode clearly refers to John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." which, while giving comfort to many, just makes me think of Rainbow Man in the crowd of so many football games in the 70s. Which is the Dharma timeframe, come to think of it. Hmmm.
• But my favorite bit is that my man Lapidus is captain of the Ajira flight, since he was "supposed" to be the pilot of Oceanic 815. Not only do I dig the character because, as Mike Tattoo of MW once pointed out, he's "the Larry Young of the team," but because he's caught up with a bunch of accidentally time-travelling drama queens, and he just goes with the flow. Man, Mike Tattoo gave me just about the best compliment ever, there. Although I do wonder how Lapidus explained the Island-induced gap on his resume in order to get the commercial airline pilot gig.
• Lapidus also has the best line of the night: "We're not going to Guam, are we?"
12:44 AM
February 12, 2009
Grrrrrrrrrrrr
This is a Matrixy promo shot from the new Wolverine movie coming this summer.
Wow.
08:28 PM
The Next Day #3
• Well, that was awesome last night, eh?
• While most folks I know were very excited about finally seeing a Rousseau flashback, they seemed a bit disappointed that that was all we got. I can only wonder that we got anything at all. Just as most STAR WARS fans subconsciously reject the prequels because, really, STAR WARS doesn't start until Darth Vader shows up in the Tantive IV stepping over the dead bodies of his men... so, too, LOST doesn't really start until 815 crashes on the island. Sure, I guess, it's neat to know Boba Fett is a clone of his dad, who, in turn, is the initial template for the Imperial clonetroopers, but, you know, it's not necessary.
• And that's how I feel about Rousseau and her team. We didn't learn anything about 1988; at best, we just had things confirmed. The "crazy French woman" had seen and heard all of that crazy stuff; that the smoke monster was a security system for the Temple, one of her crew had his arm ripped off, that everyone came down with a "sickness" that made Donald Sutherland at the end of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS seem like a kindly old uncle. I particularly liked that she told Sayid that she had removed Robert's firing pin so he couldn't shoot her, and then four years later, audience-time, we see that play out. That's cool.
• I finally got a good look at what it said on the van that Sayid was driving last episode when Dan gave Ben the dope on Hurley (Sayid: "Who's that?" Ben: "That's my lawyer."): it said "Canton-Rainier Carpet Cleaners." Ever since that "Hoffs-Drawlor" funeral parlor thing, I've been looking out for anagrams, and "Canton-Rainier" is pretty clearly "reincarnation." Hopefully, that's just a joke what with them carrying Locke's body around and his eventual reanimation, and not some overt reference to all the spirituality going on in the show.
• Been thinking about the random Walt appearances throughout the show, his cryptic messages, his fluctuating size and height, and why the Island dismissed Michael and doesn't seem to need Walt back. In the second season, when Walt had been kidnapped by the Others for tests, they sent him time-travelling throughout the show to try to help where and when he could. That was his role, so the Island doesn't need him back. He's done what he came to do.
• And I don't think Faraday is his own father, and you should all be branded perverts for thinking so. Time-travel doesn't work that way on this show, anyhow. He's Charlotte's father. Duh.
• If anyone doesn't think that's Sawyer and Kate in the skeleton cave, I submit to you the difference between Sawyer from Season One and his complete distrust of everyone in general, the Season Two Sawyer who didn't much like Jin when in the Tailies' pit in particular, and the abject joy Season Five Sawyer had when he saw his friend Jin still alive. "Well, how about that!" That's a dude who now thinks nothing of jumping out of a failing helicopter to give his friends a few more minutes in the air to find safety, and will probably not even hesitate to stay behind to flip the switch that gets his friends all safely home.
• I really liked that the usually stoic, manipulative, unflappable Ben lost his temper this ep. Screeching the reincarnation van to a stop, he seems a little hurt that everyone wants to kill him all the damn time. "If you knew what I've done to keep you alive, you'd never stop thanking me." Respect!
• Jacob is Deadman from another dimension, able to use other people's bodies to communicate. So Jacob is Dead Jack's dad, and Dead Locke, soon. This show is just great.
• I also think that the drive for survival and food and even shelter is instinctual, because here's what my 19 month old son did all by himself, just before I wrote all this for you:
07:35 PM
February 08, 2009
Liberation: Being the Adventures of the Slick Six after the collapse of The United States review
Brian Fracis Slattery provides a jaw dropping look at a post economic collapse US where a group of super criminals do their best to put things right.
Talk about a book for our times. In Slattery's wondrous novel the US economy has collapsed. Manhattan, now ringed by junk and all manner of boats as a protective border, is ruled by a Kingpin like character called The Aardvark. The Aardvark has built himself a massive tower overlooking NYC with a Sauron like spotlight that keeps people in fear.
The cities have largely fallen apart. Slavery is back in a big way, with some people going so far as to sell themselves into it so they can survive. It's a pretty harrowing future.
We first meet our lead character, the super ninjatastic hitman Marco, onboard a battered prison vessel that has been taken over by the inmates. The ship is making it's way towards Manhattan with Marco believing the group he has been a part of, The Slick Six, are the only ones who can put things right.
The novel is a tour across a very different America where a mystical force called The Vibe works through our characters to restore balance. It's a fairly trippy book full of amazing characters and settings. The crux of the novel follows Marco and former teammate Zeke as they search for and find their former cohorts in the Slick Six.
Hot on Marco's trail is an assassin who can follow people via ribbons of light in different colors. Obviously the book climaxes in a return of the Slick Six facing off with the Aardvark in his tower.
But how they get there and what comes next are a big part of the fun.
This book had me when Marco infiltrates Manhattan to rescue Zeke from the Aardvark's impenetrable super prison on a black hang glider like a superhero.
If that sounds like fun then this book is for you.
02:00 PM
February 07, 2009
New York Comicon 2009
RBN returns to Comicon but this time as a spectator.
Having had two babysitters bail but not wanting to miss the show, my long suffering wife and two wonderful kids made the trip with me.
My con weekend actually started on Thursday night. Jim Hanley's Universe in Manhattan was host to a large creator signing including Jonathan Hickman, Gabrille Del Otto and CB Cebulski. I've recently become a fan of Jonathan's from his spectacular "The Nightly News" and think his newest Marvel work "Secret Warriors" is pretty great. I can safely say Jonathan seems as nice as he is talented. I only talked to him for a minute but he was super friendly and seemed happy to talk with fans.
First actual stop at the con was the Warner Brothers movie panel presentation. IGN is knocking themselves out with their movie panels each con and boy did they deliver this year. Dave Gibbons, artist on Watchmen, debuted the first 18 minutes of the film along with a later scene and wow was it impressive. I have yet to read the actual comic and have decided to wait until after I see the movie to read it. But I can safely say that I found the footage to be jaw dropping. Between the opening action scene and the absolutely brilliant title sequence this has "box office smash" written all over it.
Next up was director McG and a look at Terminator Salvation. I'm a huge Christian Bale fan so I was pretty pumped for this. After warming up the crowd and calling Bale's home(we got to cheer for Mrs. Bale)we got to see about ten minutes of footage in various states of completion.
The film stock itself is pretty amazing. It's got a washed out color palette and has a metallic type of sheen. It's a great look. The movie looks like a blast. Bale kicks all kinds of terminator ass and we get to see tons of new terminators including the hydrobot and the mototerminators along with some footage of Sam Worthington as Marcus Wright.
This is probably the movie I am most looking forward to and the footage sealed the deal for me. Bale looks to have another hit franchise on his hands.
The day ended for me with getting the chance to finally meet author Dave Williams face to face. Dave is as nice as can be. He had a nice showing for the Bantam signing for his first novel "The Mirrored Heavens". We chatted for a bit and I hope we run into each other again.
All in all it was a great con weekend. I am thrilled that New York is getting it's own version of eight hundred pound gorilla SDCC. In it's fourth year it looks like the con is starting to seriously deliver the goods.
10:48 PM
The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death review
Joe Pitt Casebook author Charlie Huston breaks out a wild and oddly touching caper novel.
I've been a huge fan of Charlie Huston's Joe Pitt series but I had yet to read his other novels. So on a return flight home from California this week I brought along his newest to pass the time. I enjoyed the book so much I read the entire thing on the flight.
Web Goodhue is a slacker living off of the kindness of lifelong best friend and tattoo artist Chev. Web is pretty much an asshole, though a funny one. We learn early on that Web has gone through something pretty terrible. I won't say what it is but when that moment comes it hits like a ton of bricks. The emotional impact was so strong for me that I teared up on a plane full of strangers. It was the last thing I expected from Huston who is a much more gifted writer than I might have given him credit for.
Surrounding Web are a deliriously interesting cast of characters including the massive Po Sin, owner of a crime scene cleaning company and Web's soon to be boss, to the beautiful and beautifully screwed up Soledad Nye. The main focus of the book is Web at rock bottom taking a job where he cleans homes where someone either kills themselves or dies. It's fairly graphic and not for everyone, but there is a serious dose of Warren Ellis style gross out and voyerism. You learn what happens when someone takes a mouthful of water and then puts a gun in their mouth and pulls the trigger. Nasty stuff.
The book is also laugh out loud funny. Between some of the situations Web gets himself in and the his running commentary it's a fun read. The book is a caper gone awry at heart and our bumbling hero must figure out how to fix this mess and save the girl and himself. It ends with another emotional blast and I seriously hope Charlie feels the urge to give us another book featuring Webb and Po Sin.
I can't recommend this enough.
10:30 PM