SUPERMAN_ James McTeigue wants him
Okay, as you probably know by now: I’m a fan of Superman Returns. I may or may not be listening to the soundtrack right now. But YOU probably hated it so now I have to think of who else I’d want to direct another Superman movie. Fortunately, since V for Vendetta, James McTeigue, director of the upcoming Ninja Assassin, has been at the top of my list, and, pretty much since V for Vendetta came out, he hasn’t stopped talking about what HE would do with the movie. And what would HE do with a Superman movie? Well to sum it up for him: make it awesome. And I’m okay with that.
THE ROAD _ read if you dare
The Road: Awesome Book
I recently finished The Road, an excellent book by Cormac McCarthy and a soon to be released movie starring Viggo Mortensen. I came across the book a bit unexpectedly. I had heard good things about it among the blogs and websites I frequent but, to be honest, I thought it was a graphic novel. Imagine my surprise when I came upon the book on display at my local Barnes and Noble. Without hesitation l picked it up and headed toward the door.
OSU @ PSU _ not quite a prediction
So this is it, the big showdown: OHIO STATE @ PENN STATE. This is the game every Penn State fan wants tickets to. This is the game every Penn State fan was already worrying about back in June. This is the game that, more often than not, makes or breaks our season. Sure, our rankings (#12, #10 respectively) might not be as high as they usually are but, on brand name alone, this game will have the nation’s attention.
AVATAR_ it just got that much cooler/dumber
Well, it’s been a day or so since I last bashed the upcoming mega-blockbuster Avatar and since I hate to disappoint my fans… here ya go! LOL. You know, I really seem to have it out for this movie… but the truth is, I don’t. I’m just reacting to what I see and, as the marketing picks up, I’m seeing more. In all honesty, there are times when I think this movie looks cool. There are times when I get excited. But, as you well know, there are times when it looks.. well… just plain stupid. And it seems I’m more prone to write out of frustration.
THE CASTAWAY_a short story
Good news! First published in the September ’09 edition of MediaVirus Magazine, an online collection of poetry, fiction, and original music, my short story The Castaway, which tells the story of a forgotten astronaut, will now live here for all to read. Enjoy it, share it, feedback appreciated…
AVATAR_new trailer/new cringes
Well look at this: I’m blogging about Avatar again. Has anybody else noticed the cyclical pattern my blog has fallen into? I promise you, my beloved readers, I will break out of it soon. Some original topics will be discussed. But the boys over at 20th Century Fox have released a new trailer for James Cameron’s space opera… and I just have to write about it!
So, yeah, this Avatar movie: I’m really seesawing on the damn thing. Whenever something new is released (like this trailer) I’m immediately stoked. But then, a second later, I’m rolling my eyes. I just don’t get it. I don’t know what my problem is.
Let me run through the reasons this movie should be awesome: 1. James Cameron 2. space ships 3. mecha-suits 4. aliens 6. Sam Worthington 7. Did I mention James Cameron? So why the heck do my gut instincts tell me this movie is going to suck?
Is it the gag-inducing James Horner soundtrack? Maybe it’s the awful transition meant to imply Sam Worthington’s mind entering his avatar? That crap reminds me of Stargate. Perhaps it’s the semi-creepy alien/human love story? I mean, maybe I’m wrong, but if you put me into the body of an alien would that make me want to get it on with those aliens? Perhaps it’s that stupid thing the alien chick does with her hand when she says: “You should not be here.” Or maybe, almost definitely, it’s that laughable “This is our land” inspire-me-into-battle speech at the end. Already, I’m cringing at how terrible that scene will most likely be.
Sigh. Tell me what you think of the trailer…
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809804784/trailer
UPDATE:
My buddy Matt has pointed out a disturbing number of plot holes in the trailer alone… A. how is it that science in this world can transplant a man’s mind into an avatar but they can’t fix his paralysis? or grow him his own new body? B. why can’t they just operate the mecha-suits the same way Sam Worthington operates his avatar? why would they be putting their lives on the line at all? There were a few more but I forgot. PLOT HOLES, PLOT HOLES, PLOT HOLES
Upon another review, I suddenly realized how dated this movie feels. I mean, it just feels, i don’t know, like it doesn’t belong in thie decade: the premise (corupt corporation/militry wants to destroy primative civilization), the soundtrack (seriously, is this Titantic 2), the mecha-suits (do you really think, in 200 years, that’s how they’ll fight wars?), the characters (hardcore military general, marine with a heart, the chick who sways him, corporate greedy-type — who will probably meet a grim demise), … it’s all very 1990’s, isn’t it? Isn’t it odd that’s the last time Cameron made a film? Hmm… this will be interesting.
RANT_beyond Fight Club
The future you have tomorrow won’t be the same future you had yesterday.
This isn’t quite the follow up to Fight Club_book vs. movie that I promised a few weeks ago. Instead of reading Chuck Palahnuik’s Choke and then immediately watching the movie, I read the book and then immediately picked up another of his novels. The thing is, I watch so little of television and so rarely rent movies that it could be years, and I seriously mean years, before I sit down and watch the damn movie and this blog must go on.
So, like I said, I kept on reading and, with the recommendation of a friend, I picked up Rant. Now, I was really hesitant to give the book a shot. Before sitting down to reread Fight Club and Choke, I glanced online at what Palahnuik’s written since and the quick reviews I saw left me with low expectations. But, to make a long story short, I picked up the book anyway and I couldn’t put it town. In no way was I expecting to enjoy this novel as much as I did and, in fact, this may be my favorite of Palahnuik’s novels.
So what’s so great about it? Once again, many of Palahnuik’s trademarks are present (note: I called these clichés in the previous post but that seems too harsh since these are things I enjoy in his work.) As I’ve pointed out before, each of Palahnuik’s novels (that I’ve read) has a Tyler Durden-like character. Each of them, throughout the course of the book, becomes an almost mythological character.
Fight Club has, of course, Tyler Durden. Survivor has Tender Brandson. Choke has Victor’s mother. And even Lullaby has the character Oyster but, admittedly, he is never propped up as high as the others. These are the characters we love and/or hate. These are the characters that change the way we look at the world. Rant is no different. Rant has Rant Casey.
Another of Palahnuik’s trademarks: the structure. Rant, like most of his novels, starts at the end of the story and works it’s way back to the beginning but Palahnuik is so good at how he does this, and how he sets up his plot twists, that it never gets old. It just hooks you that much more. And as for those plot twists, there’s a great one in Rant. It’s so far out in left field that I had no idea it was coming, nor have any idea where it came from. It’s the kind of crazy crap that I can only hope to include one day in my own writing.
The other great thing about this novel: the format. The entire story is presented as an oral biography. So instead of your traditional first-person narrative, we’re presented with numerous characters all discussing and sharing their stories of Rant Casey. Some of the stories conflict and some of them don’t quite add up but it all makes for an enjoyable, mind-blowing read. Palahniuk took a big chance experimenting with this format. It’s radically different than his previous novels, and, if done wrong, could have made for a terribly boring piece of literature. But, fortunately, Palahniuk nailed it.
So, there you have it. My thoughts on Rant. Man, just writing about the novel makes me want to read it again…
Rant
THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS_things that are awesome
The other day I happened to glance across my bookshelf and my eyes settled upon one of my favorite and one of the most acclaimed graphic novels of all time: The Dark Knight Returns. I decided to pick it up, thumb through some of the pages, maybe read a few of the panels. The next thing I knew an hour had past and I had read just about the entire book. It’s just that good. Written by Frank Miller (Sin City, 300) the premise of TDKR is simple: Batman has been retired for twenty years. The world has gone to hell. Batman decides to clean things up. And by “clean things up” I mean beat everybody and everything into a bloody pulp. The book is gory, action-packed, and a true snapshot of American culture in the mid-80s.
Gory, Violent, Awesomeness
Many of Miller’s typical themes can be found in the book including his trademark anti-hero: a hard-boiled detective, in the later years of his life, sets in motion a chain of events that lead to one final showdown (in this case, with Superman.) I can’t say enough about this book, despite Miller’s clichés, the writing is fantastic. And the art, drawn by Miller himself, is gritty and unforgettably. My favorite part of this book: the relationship between Superman and Batman. They hate each other. Batman is a liberal anarchist who is fed up with society. Superman is an overgrown boy scout who can’t say no to authority. As much as I love the Man of Steel (see posts below) I really think this is one of the characters best portrayals.
Superman Smack-Down
TDKR is often credited for re-inventing Batman as the dark, moody character we all know and love today. But that’s not exactly the case. By the ‘80s, the writers at DC Comics had already shed most of the ‘60s Adam West camp that had carried through the ‘70s. TDKR was, on the other hand, a huge success and managed to do what few Batman writers had been able to pull off: reintroduce the character to mainstream audiences. The success of this book pushed the movie into production. Because of this book the filmmakers reconsidered the comedy-camp route (Bill Murray was once in the running for Bruce Wayne/Batman) which lead to the hiring of the up-and-coming Tim Burton, which led to Michael Keaton being cast, which led to one of the biggest comic-book movies of all time.
If you haven’t read it, stop what you’re doing, and get to your local comic shop immediately…
AVATAR_who cares?
So let’s see a raise of hands of those looking forward to Avatar. Hmm. That’s what I thought. Is it just me or is nobody, and I mean nobody, fan-boy or Average Joe, nobody is waiting in anxious anticipation for this movie’s December 18th release. If you couldn’t guess, I’m one of those who finds themselves not particularly caring. So what gives?! This is James Cameron we’re talking about. The man is a filmmaking legend. The man that brought us Abyss, T2, and Titanic is finally bringing us, yawn, his long awaited decade-in-the-making sci-fi epic. Sigh. I’m bored just writing about it.
Who cares?
I’m quite shocked at how little fanfare there is surrounding this movie at the moment. Sure, we’re still two months out and, without a doubt, 20th Century Fox is patiently biding its time before unleashing their onslaught of media marketing. But still. You would think, at least within my shallow pool of nerd friends, one of us would be toting the I-Love-James-Cameron Flag for all to see. Instead, they could care less. Instead, we’re wondering if anything else is on its way to theaters (answer: Sherlock Holmes.) This just blows my mind.
Okay, the mecha suits are pretty cool.
It really seems like something isn’t right about this film. I almost think this film, despite being a James Cameron space-opera, is set to tank. First off: the December release. You’d expect this to be a summer tent-pole but it’s not. Then there’s the PG rating… I mean, seriously? James Cameron, PG? Then I stumble across the excessive toy line for the film (which you can pre-order here!) Action figures? Really? We are talking about James Cameron here, right? I’m not confusing him with George Lucas or something? And to make it worse, the studio knows this is not a pre-existing property, right? This is not Harry Potter. This is not Batman. Do the studios really think kids are going to want this crap? For Christmas no less (another reason the release date is puzzling)?! I don’t know if the studio knows this, but the kids today, they weren’t alive the last time Cameron made a film. They don’t know, nor care, who James Cameron is. So, okay, it’s actually the parents that influence these purchases. They will be the ones taking their kids to the movie and they will be the ones buying their kids the toys. That’s not a bad plan, but I can’t help but refer you to the beginning of this post where I said I know of no one who is really looking forward to this movie. Hmph. This might have disaster written all over it…
Yep. Exactly.
Thoughts?
PREDATORS _ Adrien Brody
Have some Predators news for you, the Robert Rodriguez produced reboot/sequel to the kick-ass original Predator has found it’s lead… and it is none other than… Adrian Brody?! Umm. This is… different. As my mind wraps itself around this scoop I can’t help but be intrigued. I’m not a big fan of Brody but compared to the hunk-douchebags studios have been stuffing down our throats recently this casting is surprisingly… different. Adrian Brody, the man who bored me to sleep chasing around King Kong, the man who bored me to tears in Hollywoodland, has now been cast as such an extreme-badass that he’s been captured by an alien race, dragged back to their home planet where he is to be hunted for sport. That seems to fit, right? Well… like I said, I’m intrigued, I didn’t say I was happy about this.
one badass mother fucka?
Thoughts?
http://www.latinoreview.com/news/brody-s-on-the-lookout-for-predators-8200
Klockwork Kugler: This is my blog. This is what I do. 