Consumed March 2010

March 29th, 2010 Graig

M29 - MOVIE - Clash of the Titans (1981) - Last time I watched this was a couple years ago after having not watched it in well over a decade (perhaps two) and I marveled at how poorly it held up. The story was ham-handed with a clunky romance and some awful effects and action sequences (not referring to the Harryhousen effects which have their own appeal) and in fact an average episode of Xena or Hercules looks and relates better. That said, with less passage of time between viewings, I not only felt nostalgic but I really got into it. The film is ridiculously bad (don’t even get me started on the mythic inaccuracies), and the new version out this week doesn’t have much to live up to, but it’s got it’s silly charms.

TV - Kids In The Hall: Death Comes To Town - Perhaps the comedy wasn’t as spicy as KITH of past, and you know, it’s evident they’re not as young/fit as they used to be, but their characters lead the show on a highly enjoyable path. All four of Dave Foley’s roles were gold, Brucio’s mayor was genius and Scott Thompson’s necrophiliac coroner was best-in-show (and perhaps Thompson’s best character ever). I think Kevin’s characters were the weakest in the show and generally not given enough material to work with. His cat-obsesses defence attorney was about as good as it got, but generally he wasn’t given enough mania to work with. The show’s plot and character arcs circle together nicely, although the big finale was rather weak. There are some truly excellent bits and in general I found the mini-series and some of its concepts to be highly enjoyable.

COMIC - The Incredible Hercules: Love and War and Dark Reign - With a generally long wait between trade paperback releases, I often forget exactly how much I enjoy this series. “Love and War” is one of the best arcs of the series, as Herc, Namor, Namorita and Amadeus Cho take on Marvel’s Amazons, which are very little like the ones over at DC where Wonder Woman burst from. “Dark Reign”, however, had some incredible ideas but overall was weak as the Norman Osborne’s “Dark Avengers” are thrust into the mix. Van Lente and Pak mix the Greek and Roman mythology in really interesting ways over these two volumes, and their interpretation of Hades as a casino is genius although “Dark Reign” ends rather abruptly in an unsatisfying manner.

M25 - iTUNES - Night of 140 Tweets - a fund-raiser for building schools in Haiti, 140 Los Angeles-based comedians, tv show writers and celebrities came out to the UCB Theatre to read off their favourite twitter posts. It’s all captured in this no-frills, 30-minute short film that plays like wild hit-and-miss comedy available on iTunes for $3, all proceeds to the charity. It’s a frustrating experience, since some tweeters you want to see or hear more of, and there’s a certain level of ridiculousness to the entire concept of the event (and you know Ashton and Demi and Dane Cook are there). Some of the tweets are comedy gold, some are fun, some are thoughtless and some are dumb. It’s a real mixed bag but each is over so quickly that it’s not like it matters. It’s a curiosity and won’t have much lasting power but it’s for a good cause and an easy way to pass time on the commute home from work.

MOVIE - The Naked Gun: From the Files Of Police Squad - Watching this again for the umpteenth time, I’ve forgotten how instrumental this specific film was in shaping my sense of humour. The wordplay, the outrageous humour played straight, the slapstick… it’s somewhat low brow yet incredibly skilled comedy. Every time I watch it I clue into something new (and I think I’m still surprised I saw this film at such a young age, although obviously I didn’t get much of it).

Podcasts - Exploding Head Movies #10 - With little time to program GAK goes extended play… a short tracklist of long songs. The JSBX DFA remix is tops.
WTF #58 - Marc talks about ignorant tourists in Washington, speaks to comic book artist Bob Fingerman about his smutty past. And celebrated radio host El Chupacabra (Nick Kroll) sits down for some typically manic and hysterical El Chupacabra conversation.

COMIC - Captain America #604 - It’s hard to forget that Falcon isn’t really Cap’s sidekick, and the man can kick ass… boy can he ever. There’s page after page of Falcon kicking ass…on a train no less. Some great work by Luke Ross and Butch Guice to highlight it all. The Nomad back-up feature I could do without though.

X-Factor #203 - A while back I read about Monet (not the artist, the X-Factor member) on Wikipedia as I really knew very little about her, even after 50+ issues of her being a regular cast member. Her story is crazy, almost nonsensical. This issue surrounds her, as she returns to her homeland in search of her kidnapped father, except it’s more about Strong Guy searching for her since she’s missing too. I’m hoping Peter David has something up his sleeve to make sense of her past. This was entertaining though.

The Guild #1 - Felicia Day’s web serial comes to comics with the Origin of Codex, and how she met the rest of her disparate gang of maladroits. Very few comic-tie ins feel this organic to their source material, but Day is the mastermind of it all so it does fit nicely. Jim Rugg’s art is generally very good, funky and stylistic and aptly distinguishing between real and virtual worlds, but his photo-referencing is distracting… much better to use a caricaturization instead of trying to nail a perfect replication.

Streets of Gotham #10 - Oh weak. Some stupid kid figured out Damian was Robin and now they’re slated to fight Mr. Zsasz in yet another underground fighting ring. And Robin getting his ass kicked by Zsasz? Really? #PaulDiniFail

M22 - DVD - Citizen Kane - It doesn’t live up to the hype, sadly. Considering how it’s often considered to be the greatest film of all time, I thought I’d at least be more interested in it from an influential/cultural/artistic standpoint, but sadly I found it somewhat tedious at times, and even more so devoid of any empathy for, or any real emotional connection to Kane (or any of the other characters for that matter), in large part due to the film’s structure. Some of the sets are phenomenal, but some of the others are cardboard, some of the acting was superb (Joseph Cotten) and some as corny as it got for that era. The score was gratingly typical of the era. Is it a good movie, damn straight, and it holds up well, but greatest movie? I’m not even sure it would crack my top five of films from the 1940’s and I don’t think I’ve seen that many. Casablanca FTW.

COMIC - Nova vol.5: War of Kings - With the Nova Corps’ worldmind having abandoned him for the living planet Ego, Richard Ryder is dying. Meanwhile, the new Nova Corps is led into the heady Shi’ar/Kree war, and with barely a few weeks of training under they’re belt, the conscripted corpsmen are in way over their head, especially when the Imperial Guard enter the fray. Some solidly entertaining space opera from Misters Abnett and Lanning with some classic, no-nonsense storytelling from Andrea DiVito.

COMIC - The Irredeemable Ant-Man - Eric O’Grady is a real douchenozzle, a grade A a-hole, a cad, a generally unlikeable self-obsessed liar, and he has the latest, high-tech Ant-Man costume Hank Pym has designed. But he shouldn’t - having taken it off the corpse of his best friend - he goes on the run from SHIELD, hides out with Damage Control under an assumed identity (Slaying Mantis) and makes pals with master cat burglar Black Fox. He uses his newfound capabilities less for good and more for his own benefit… Eric is not a hero and never pretends to be a hero, what he is though is the protagonist in this book and in spite of his great many flaws and though he s hugely unlikeable, the book is greatly entertaining. Writer Robert Kirkman and artists Phil Hester and Ande Parks (with fill-ins from Corey Parker on issue 6 & 7, uncredited in this collection) and nail the action-comedy genre to the wall, skew the ideals of superheroism and manage in 12 short issues to incorporate all of Marvel’s big events - from Civil War, House of M, World War Hulk and the whole “Dark whatever” - without ever seeming gratuitous or out of place. A reprehensible character but an immensely enjoyable read.

PODCASTS - WTF #57 - Live from the UCB theatre in LA, Marc reads some letters before welcoming Jon Dore to the stage where they talk about testicles and prop comedy. Greg Fitzsimmons then joins them where Jon tries to play peacemaker between the two warring comedians. Jim Earl reads some notes from his journal while Eddie Pepitone yells a lot about everything he can think of. Probably the funniest episode of WTFPod yet, but I would love a one-on-one between Mark and Jon.
Exploding Head Movies #9 - it’s the 10th anniversary of the death of GAK’s dog (RIP Keifer) so in tribute it’s 90 minutes of dog-themed songs. Full of fond recollections and an enjoyably bizarre, disparate track-list.
Comedy Death Ray Radio #45 - CyberThug (Jerry Minor) takes over CDR once again with TicTac (Brandon Johnson) cohosting. They welcome Jessie Venture (James Adomian) on to talk up the Epic Beard Man and conspiracy theories. Then TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek (and producer Dave Cousin) come on air to talk how TVotR broke big, studio technology, and hype men. Lastly, Craig Robinson talks about his beef with Bettie White and the rest of the Golden Girls. Then they all share bad gig stories. Fun show.

M20 - TV - Battlestar Galactica season 4 vol2 - The aftermath of discovering Earth. You would think as the show wound down it’s final ten episodes that there would be some momentum but it felt more like a “let’s just get this done”. Adama gives up his admiral pins yet again, everyone gets thrown in the brig (but nobody stays there), and Baltar finally gets redemption, I guess. The Gaeta-led mutiny was actually pretty well done, it’s just that I didn’t care anymore. The final episode was almost comedically melodramatic, with the coda being an unnecessary head slapping moral to the story that is even more heavy handed than those that appear at the end of Masters of the Universe or G.I. Joe cartoons. Plus, they’re essentially saying that Hera died shortly after they settled on Earth. That’s not depressing at all, no.

PODCASTS - WTF #54 - Marc meets up with little-known Vegas comedy legend Ron Shock and talk about his troubled youth, transition into a successful publishing executive and give it all up for mid-life crisis stand-up career. Also Marc vents on Vegas and visits the Liberace museum which gives him ideas about a new wardrobe.
WTF #55 - Marc and guest Rob Deleney talk about their past addictions and what it took to kick them. Then they talk about suicide, and finally Marc’s therapist Dr. Steve talks more addictions.
Nerdist Podcast #6 - Soups! Will! Clash! as Chris, Jonah and Matt of Web Soup meet with their “boss” Joel McHale of The Soup (and Community). They talk about Chris’ fat past, Joel’s gratitude for finding success, Joel’s family, and ribbing on Seacrest.
Comedy Death Ray #44 - El Chupacabra (Nick Kroll) is back, co-hosting with Scott, welcoming former child actor and Aziz Ansari’s writing partner Jason Woliner talks about writing in Vegas, and Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber (Paul F. Thompkins) discusses his musical adaptation of Weekend At Bernies.
Exploding Head Movies #8 - quickly wrapping up the Oscars top-loading the show with music from best-picture Hurt Locker, best score winner UP and best song winner Crazy Heart. Then turning into TGS with chick rowk, R&B, avant garde and more lady-led tracks (a great one from Janelle Monae w/ Big Boi), and closed out with the score to Chocolat.
Comedy Film Nerds #10 - ripping on 3-D and High Def with Chris Hardwick, plus new film reviews (Alice in Wonderland, Green Zone, Brooklyn’s Finest) and advanced reviews from SXSW. I’m actually finding the podcast less than engaging and their “reviews” are unstructured not very insightful. Dropped.

COMIC - Box 13 - The creators of Zuda’s High Moon re-imagine the classic Alan Ladd radio serial into something more literal. Although an interesting concept, its is butchered by stunted dialogue, cliched story beats, and a lack of characterization. That said, the art by Steve Ellis is phenomenal, featuring a great sense of movement and nice character designs. The coloring in shades of green with red highlights was a bold and effective choice. Ellis formatted his panels to optimize for the iPhone, it works extremely well for the format, but structurally it doesn’t have the same rhythm of a comic book. It actually feels like an extended newspaper strip more than a comic book, but it is its own entity, as such the format is so new it does take getting used to.

M15 - TV - True Blood ep1 - There are vampires in Louisiana. Well, in fact, there are vampires everywhere, and they want to belong, they want to engage in polite society, by and large. As such, they’ve been granted basic human rights, but in the deep South, people aren’t necessarily so accepting. Synthetic blood has been bottled like beer, and vampire blood has become a big illicit drug. Race relations are kind of messed up. Sookie Stackhouse finds herself drawn to the tall, dark, undead stranger in town (mostly because she can’t read his thoughts), while her brother’s latest sexual conquest winds up dead. Times are changing in the bayou. I’m not familiar with the source novels by Charlaine Harris, but this show is dirty, morbid, sex-obsessed and curiously entertaining, if somewhat over-the-top. With only one episode viewed I’m curious to see how it develops, less in story and more in style. The first episode seemed rather uneven in its tone, striving I think for seriousness, comfort and in some places humour, but the camerawork and music not always complimenting the scene.

DVD - Battlestar Galactica Season 4, vol 1 (ep 1 -10) - I watched the first four episodes of season 4 when they first aired and found them rather dull and thematically repetitive. About a year later I’ve continued watching the season through to the 10th episode and was shocked that the creative team allowed the crew to find Earth so soon, but then again, considering all the filler and redundancy, they should have gotten there in half the time, story-wise. I mean, why the grand, sweeping overtures of “the hunt for a new president” (AGAIN) or Adama’s acquiescence of his position (AGAIN) when you know that it’s going to return to status quo shortly thereafter. The characterization on the show is terribly uneven, with Tigh one moment hating himself and still cursing all Cylons and the next embracing the Six he knocked up and looking at their baby together, not a hint of disdain in his voice… he can’t be that comfortable with himself already. Balthar is so methodically established as a cult leader in the early episodes and then returns to his old behaviour once he’s in Cylon hands. Starbuck is borderline crazy, then she’s commanding the flight deck as if none of her craziness ever happened. Oops, Sharon’s in the brig again. Oops, she’s now rallying the troops. Rosselin’s a believer, then not, then a believer again, then not, then again, then not…etc. Spinning wheels. I’m curious where the second half takes it, as they no longer have to find their ultimate destination but I don’t enjoy the company of these characters very much. The show has put them through far too many paces, they’ve all died or almost died far too many times, they’ve all quit and/or been promoted and they all should have learned a lesson by now about fear, trust, etc but they haven’t. The fortunate are the dead for nothing more can be done to them…hopefully.

COMIC - Classic G.I. Joe Vol 6 - The Marvel reprint collection ended with issue 50 in Volume 5 over a decade ago, and the property’s license has switched hands a couple times since then with no continuation until now. Volumes 1 through 5 were reprinted last year and volume 6 and 7 were released this past quarter by IDW, the current Joe license holder. There is a notable difference however, between the Marvel reprints and the IDW ones, namely a fuzziness to the lines which scream of pixellation. It’s very noticeable and rather unfortunate (considering these were supposed to have been “remastered”). The storytelling inside is a mish-mash of goofy and serious, as writer Lara Hama is charged with the unenviable task of introducing whatever was new in the toy-line into the book and making it work, no matter how goofy (Raptor anyone?). That’s not to say Hama didn’t have his own goofy moments, like the hackneyed, mustachioed way in which Cobra Commander finds out his son is alive or yet another about-face from Destro. Still, as ridiculous as it is, it’s highly entertaining, both as over-the-top action and as nostalgia. It makes me feel ten again.

COMIC - Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers Unleashed #1 - I loved the previous “LatPA” series so this one was a given purchase from the start, and it delivers on the all-ages, talking-animal thrills that it should. It’s curious the new wave of talking animal comics (with Beasts of Burden being another exciting series of the type) wherein the animals aren’t anthropomorphic but rather just animals, only with a human-like intelligence and communicating with other animals… Like We3 and Pride of Baghdad before it, they owe a debt to Disney films like Bambi and books Watership Down, rather than Looney Tunes or Mickey Mouse and friends.

COMIC - The Unwritten #11 - Mike Carey, Peter Gross and Jimmy Broxton finish their two-part divergence into Goebbels Nazi propaganda films by way of their slowly-losing-his-Harry-Potter-ness story-travelling character Tommy Taylor. The joint work of Gross and Broxton on the pages as Tom and friends confront Goebbels in a ghostly Nazi empire are stunning and powerful. This is Carey’s exploration of how stories can be twisted and warped after they leave their creator’s hands. “Jud Suss” the focal-point of these issues, began as a pro-faith book written by a German Jew, and was then corrupted by Goebbles into embarrassingly effective anti-Jewish propaganda. It’s not as if we need further reminder of how evil the German Reich was, but this is a potent reflection thereof. The best issue yet of an enthralling series.

M12 - COMIC - Green Lantern Corps: Emerald Eclipse HC - GLC may only be a companion series that runs concurrently with Geoff Johns Green Lantern/Blackest Night epic, but that doesn’t leave it without its charm. Writer Pete Tomasi is in on the grand scheme of Blackest Night and here adeptly assists in expanding upon the “other lanterns” set-up in the main title. As well, Tomasi expertly juggles multiple characters and storylines, shifting focal points often but never neglecting a story arc. I can’t think of another ensemble title that has so many balls in the air and is handled this well. Patrick Gleason’s phenomenal pencils adeptly interprets Tomasi’s script, providing some pretty awesome sequences with dozens, sometimes hundreds of characters engaging one another. Action is his forte, but he’s pretty damn good at the quieter moments as well. Can you get away with reading Blackest Night without GLC? Sure, but why would you want to?

COMIC - Batman and Robin #10 - Andy Clark joins Grant Morrison for the prelude to the return of Bruce Wayne. It’s confirmed, Bruce isn’t dead, he’s lost in time (I don’t know where this was confirmed, seemingly off-panel somewhere) but Dick and Damian are committed to bringing him back. Certain that he’s left clues for his protege to discover, the dynamic duo (with Alfred’s assistance) begin scouring Wayne Manor for these bits, discovering things that they never knew existed after all these years. Meanwhile Damian finds that he’s not as in control of himself as he thought… Fun stuff, with good art (Clark doesn’t draw children very well, however).

COMIC - Ex Machina #48 - Mayor Mitchell Hundred is able to control machines, but that power is finite, and the threads that were showing before have now begun to unravel around him. The endgame is near, and even if The Great Machine survives, what will be left of him? These final issues are painfully slow in the offing, but absolutely enthralling. This series is going out at the top of its form, if not the in the timeliest manner. I’ll miss it when it’s gone.

COMIC - Batgirl #8/Red Robin #9 - In his search for Bruce Wayne and transformation into Red Robin, Tim Wayne (nee Drake) made one dangerous enemy in Ra’s Al Ghul, and hundreds more with the League of Assassins. With Ra’s looking for revenge (so petty sounding), Tim’s going to need all the help he can get, including, reluctantly, help from his ex, Stephanie Brown whom he last left not on the best of terms. They bury the hatchet and get on kicking assassin ass, but the game can’t be what it appears, or they would all be dead already.

COMIC - Doom Patrol #8 - some force has taken over Danny the Street, the sentient, alternate dimensional neighbourhood, and now it wants to expand its dominion taking from our world to grow its own. The might of this force seems to be greater than that of Oolong Islands defence squad, the Doom Patrol, and the visiting paranormal moving company headed by ex-JLAer Oberon, so can a brick really be the key to saving them all? If anything Doom Patrol seems focussed more now than ever with the departure of the Metal Men back-up feature, and the opposition seems dangerous but is dealt with in a fun, light way. It’s improved nicely and I’ll hang on for a few more issues and see how it goes.

COMIC - Secret Six #19 - doesn’t it seem that the Six, no matter what the task they’ve taken on, always winds up with them fighting amongst themselves? It’s a little redundant, hopefully next issue shows that they’ve moved on from that pattern, because I can’t handle it anymore.

PODCASTS - Rock Over London #18 - Mar finally got the proper Wesley Willis quote she always wanted and Rock On London is now Rock Over London. Small potatoes but it makes her happy. Plus, 25 minutes of good music.
WTF #39 - Marc sits with Chelsea Peretti (creator of the legendary Black People Love Us website) and gets to know her, afterall they’re working on a (failed) pilot together as cohosts. Lots of relationship and shop talk, plus, Marc explores texting and driving.
WTF #42 “Seattle Road Trip” - An enjoyable diversion from stand-up comedians, Marc talks with Eric Reynolds of Fantagraphics Books, and sits with legendary alt-comics artist Peter Bagge (”Hate”) about his career. Then he catches up with metal artist (she works with metal, not thrash music) Lauren Osmolski, who also happens to be an ex-girlfriend of his…

M10 - DVD - The Invention of Lying - Ricky Gervais seems like an odd choice for a romantic comedy lead, and yet, here he is for yet another film in that role. Of course the role is very Ricky Gervais in type as it was written by and for himself. Set in an alternate reality where nobody can tell a lie, this is the story of a man who discovers how to “say something that isn’t”. The world is well realized initially, but I think it starts to unravel the more the lies start penetrating the gullible populace (which is everyone). The accidental creation of religion seems like it should have bigger repercussions than it does, and the weight of fabricating reality should weigh heavier on the character than it does. It’s a sweet, frequently funny film with a great supporting and cameo cast (Jennifer Garner, Louis CK, Jonah Hill, Tina Fey, Christopher Guest, Rob Lowe, Martin Starr, Edward Norton), but it’s also far from perfect and the conceit could (and should) be used for heavier lifting.

M9 - DVD - District 9 - I don’t know if District 9 is an Oscar-worthy film … which it obviously wasn’t given that it didn’t win any of the awards they were nominated for … but what I’m saying is I don’t know if it’s an Oscar-caliber film … but then again, I doubt that Avatar (a film I will never see, I pledge now, but will shit on at every opportunity) is any better a sci-fi movie or more deserving … so if a recent sci-fi film were to go up for an oscar, this isn’t a bad choice. It’s a damn entertaining film, a second, third or twentieth time around. I still have issues with how it’s constructed (the P.O.V. shifts far too often between documentary/found footage/talking heads and “story”) but it’s a minor quibble. The good news is the special features do mention a second film, which it absolutely needs. This story can’t be over. Lead actor Sharlto Copely is a brilliant find, and will be seen next as (aptly) Howling Mad Murdock in the A-Team movie.

PODCASTS - WTF #53 - The all-star pledge drive episode (Eugene Mirman, Lewis Black, Zach Galifianakis, Greg Giraldo, Louis CK’s answering machine and more).. Help support the WTF podcast by donating if you see fit.
Nerdist Podcast #5 - Jon Hamm stops in to talk Mad Men, SNL, Doctor Who, comedy, geek things and becoming a big handsome star.
Comedy Film Nerds #9 - a definitely nerdy but not all that comedic Oscar recap episode.

M8 - TV - 82nd Annual Academy Awards - A rather boring show, with much of the pomp and fanfare sucked out of it. The increase to ten best features were negligible (loved THanks’ no b.s. “and the winner is”…) but I did enjoy the serenading of the best actors/actresses. As for my predictions I went 12 for 24, so 50%. Woo.
Logorama - oscar winning animated short film.

BLU-RAY - Watchmen (Director’s Cut) - I liked this film quite enough from my first viewing, with reservations. The director’s cut sews in the animated Black Freighter into the rhythm of the film, adding the street-level view of the world of Watchmen that the cinematic cut omitted. The abstract but complimentary Black Freighter and the added scenes increase the film’s running time to over 3 and a half hours and it’s a better experience for it. Some of my reservations remain, but my satisfaction with the movie was increased. The 35-minute featurette, “Under The Hood”, which explores the background of the Minutemen and the dawn of the Watchmen was a great extension to the already elaborate world that Zack Snyder translates from the page. Over four hours of viewing but a rewarding experience.

DVD - UP - I really do love UP, a delightful adventure, funny and emotional, but preposterous. It’s not the conceit of a balloon house or Paradise Falls or talking dogs, but the physical limitations of Russell and Carl which are established early on are abandoned once the action starts. I can easily accept the fantasy element, but in-film continuity is weak and the more I see this film, the more it bothers me. As for best animated feature, I really think Fantastic Mr. Fox was the better film.

PODCASTS - Exploding Head Movies #7 - new New Pornographers and Broken Social Scene lead off the episode, the Oscar appeasement continues with songs from Crazy Heart, and the very blah soundtrack to Avatar. The show closes with “Long May You Run” (which Neil Young closed down the Olympics with).
Comedy Death Ray #43 - Tig Notaro acts bored (for good reason), Scott’s stalker (Casey Wilson) invades the studio and takes over, aspiring comedian Rory Scovel leads a discussion about the Oscars. Plus, like, the entire “Cracked Out” cd and that tedious “what am I thinking” game.
WTF #52 - Vanity Fair entertainment observer James Wolcott talks movies, theatre and state of entertainment today, while author Sam Lipsyte discusses being an author and a genius.
Doug Loves Movies (3/4/2010) - Craig Robinson explains the plot of Twilight: New Moon and David Feldman is unable to talk about the Oscars (he wrote for Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, and he bombs this podcast just as badly).

M6 - DVD - Zombieland - I flip-flopped so frequently on whether to see this movie or not, and ultimately used it as a test film for renting movies from iTunes to watch on the commute to and from work on the iPod touch. The result, I don’t mind watching movies broken up into 20 - 30 minute chunks (though I’d still rather watch them all the way through) and the obtaining and transferring of the movie isn’t difficult at all. What is annoying though is the limitations of the iTunes system (the “authorized machines” is a problem when I connect to multiple machines and the time limits on watching a video in full (you have 48 hours once you start watching to finish it) might prove to be not so good.

As for the movie itself, well, my first reservation - that zombies are so played out - is true. My second reservation - that I really dislike Jesse Eisenberg - is also true, but aside from that it’s a very well made and somewhat amusing film. The (SPOILER) guest appearance from Bill Murray, however, many have exclaimed as a highlight, but actually I found it dragged the film down, especially after Columbus kills him by accident and he and the rest of the crew don’t really seem to pay it no mind, as if killing a real person is just as shruggable as killing zombies. Considering Tallahassee’s affection for Bill Murray and Twinkies, and Columbus destroys them both, there’s a surprising lack of reaction from him in this regard. So in essence the whole third act seems kind of bullfecal. I get why people like it I just don’t understand why they liked it so much.

DVD - Where The Wild Things Are - I was thinking and hoping that I would love Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s more than I actually did once I finally got to see it, but my reaction to it was pretty visceral. My stepson saw it in the theatre’s previously and when I asked him about it he said “it was good, but kind of sad” and he was right. It’s damn good, and achingly sad. It’s a strange and beautiful movie but not exactly enjoyable. Max is a difficult child, a deep well of emotions, and when he runs away from home he finds himself on an island amidst a group of fantastical monsters. Each of the wild things represents an aspect of Max’s own personality, with Carol being the wildest, most emotional but also the most creative. The film is metaphorical, Max becomes the king of his emotions, but realizes he still can’t always rule over them, that sometimes his emotions are going to get the better of him, but also that running away isn’t the answer. This isn’t a children’s movie, but a movie about childhood. Will kids respond well to it? I dunno, but every parent of an 8 year old should see it, and perhaps they’ll understand their kids a little better. Bravo Mr. Jonze for tapping into that.

DVD - A Perfect Getaway - A film by David Twohy, the writer-director of Pitch Black, Chronicles of Riddick and The Arrival. I’ve long admired Twohy’s ability to take genre material and twist it just enough to make it unique. This film is a suspense thriller about a newlywed couple, Cliff and Cydney, on their honeymoon in Hawaii. They set off on a remote trail which features a one day walk to a beautiful, secluded beach. However, they find out soon that there’s an island jumping couple that are murdering other couples. Early on in their trip, Cliff and Cyd meet Cleo and Cale, a ratty looking couple who startle them a little. Nick and Gina enter and pair up with them. So for the first half of the movie we’re left wondering who the murderous couple is. Have we met them already? Is it one of these three pairs or is it an unseen threat? Once it’s revealed the film starts delving more into the backgrounds of all the remaining key players, peering into the minds of the killers and their victims ala Kalifornia or Natural Born Killers. The closing act is naturally the race for survival. The pacing of the film is a little unconventional, as is governed by the reveal of the killers midway through, but Twohy manages it with skill. Cliff is a screenwriter, so there’s lots of in-script suggestions as to how things could play out were it to do so conventionally, which it both does and doesn’t. It’s a really fun film overall, and the threat of serial killers aside, makes me want to go to Hawaii even more.

M5 - TV - Lucky Louie - This was a sit-com created by Louis C.K. which aired on HBO briefly back in 2006. Yes, a sit-com, with a live studio audience and everything. On HBO. Take others in the working class comedy genre, like “Roseanne” or “All In The Family”, and that’s pretty much what this is, only with swearing and sexual dialogue. The pilot finds a sexually frustrated Louie resisting his wife’s come-ons because he knows she wants to get pregnant (and with a four-year-old already, they’re barely scraping by). Louie also offends his new black neighbour (Jerry Minor) and tries, and fails, to make amends. It’s funny, but it’s also painfully cheap-looking and the acting is quite stilted, and I have a difficult time telling if both are intentional or not. This isn’t a satire of a sit-com, though (not like “Get A Life”), but the real deal, like an uncensored “Everyone Loves Raymond”. I’m not sure what to think to be honest, I’m offended (by the format, not the comedy) yet I do laugh a lot.

Podcasts - WTF #50 - a live show in LA, Marc talks about ricotta cheesecake and discusses horrible relationships with Laurie Kilmartin while making a list of Jackie Kashian’s comedy-killing topics. Mort Mortensen reads a couple In Memoriums and Eddie Pepitone yells a lot.
WTF #51 - Marc sits with Canadian-come-London-based comedian Glen Wool to discuss what sent him packing and the differences in North American and British comedy. Sam Seder drops in to promote his limited release DVDs for “Who’s the Caboose” and “Pilot Season” and deny allegations of his past and present bullying ways.
Tim and Eric Podcast #1 - 4, 6 (apparently podcast #5 doesn’t exist anymore). Before “Awesome Show, Great Job”, Tim and Eric worked on the Adult Swim cartoon “Tom Goes To The Mayor”. This podcast was done in support of TGTTM’s second season and features the behind-the-scenes struggles wherein Eric takes complete control of the show and brings in Louis Anderson as head writer while Tim becomes Bob Oedenkirk’s assistant’s assistant. Plus sketches. Really the foundation of “Awesome Show” but not quite as good.

COMIC - G.I. Joe/Cobra II #2 The first series was an incredibly high-caliber yet understated espionage thriller, and quite unexpected particularly for the G.I. Joe brand which hasn’t ever been know for its clean storytelling. So this second series has much to live up to, and the creative team is up to the challenge. This is in all considerations a continuation rather than a sequel and it’s building more like an ongoing series than a contained mini-series (which hopefully bodes well for further continuation). This issue sports a variant Jonathan Hickman-inspired cover by series artist Antonio Fuso or the regular cover by Howard Chaykin.

COMIC - Detective Comics #862 - Even without J.H. Williams III on art chores, I still am quite infatuated with Batwoman and her balls-to-the-wall kick-ass sensibilities. That fill-in artist Jock has positioned himself as a master action sequencer with past works only helps move this along. This story is rather light in some respects, as all you really want to see is Batwoman beat cutter down, and beat him down hard, it still delivers some nice character moments and builds Kate Kane’s background and supporting case. Meanwhile, Huntress introduces the Question to Oracle (”Commissioner Gordon’s daughter?!?”) as they continue on the trail of whatever they’re on the trail of. I don’t remember, but it’s tonnes of fun.

COMIC - Chew #9 - Tony mounts a full-on assault (or rather a sneak attack) to retrieve his brother out of captivity, meanwhile his partner distracts his boss (didn’t see that one coming). Action, comedy, and the paranormal mingle deliciously.

COMIC - Milestone Forever #2 - Okay, I get it now, this isn’t supposed to be one big cohesive story but four separate stories with a framing sequence, each of which is supposed to cap a feather in the main stories from the Milestone line, with this issues’ stories showing Curtis Metcalf (Hardware) finally finding his peace, while we meet up with Static ten and twenty years later, and then Dharma destroys and rebuilds the universe. Not as satisfying as I had hoped, and knowing that DC is not likely to use these characters all that well (see recent Teen Titans issues), it’s all kind of sad. I’ll just be satisfied if Xombi lands a home at Vertigo, where he belongs.

Nemesis: The Imposters - to be honest, I don’t have any idea what’s going on here. Given the ending to “Final Crisis: Escape”, I’m actually a little disappointed in where Tom Tresser is right now and where he’s going. Plus, Batman’s now involved and it seems kind of gratuitous. Hopefully this works out better than I’m thinking it will.

Demo Vol.2 #2 - an errie tale of cannibalism and love. I had to read it through twice to get it, but it’s sad and disturbing at the same time. It’s like “Dexter” but without the humour and much more pathos…

M3 - DVD - Black Dynamite - When I was in high school, there was an almost legendary status that surrounded the Keenan Ivory Wayans film “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka”, and once I actually saw it (a decade and a half later) I found it to be a sub-par satire of blacksplotation films. The problem was, it just didn’t capture the essence of the era, it felt too much like a film from 1989. 20-years later “Black Dynamite” gets it right, so very right. The entire production works on two levels, the first as an extremely silly, often nonsensical ghetto revenge/cleaning-up-the-streets story, and the second that of a very low-budget endeavour, one that can’t afford to re-shoot scenes when boom mics come into shot, or when actors miss their cues. Created by Michael Jai White, Black Dynamite is an amalgam of Shaft, Superbad and Black Belt Jones - hard, mysterious, and badass, and a definite way with the ladies. The story involves the death of Black Dynamite’s brother and the uncovering of a nefarious scheme from the Man, but it’s less important than how it’s told. The pretense is that of a bunch of actors and a production crew hammering out what they think is a good film, but the errors, the many many errors get in the way. The deleted scenes show what was truncated and edited completely from the movie, about 15 minutes of very dry “story”, and it’s explained in the audio commentary how, wisely, Scott Sanders edited it all into a hysterical montage. Sanders, White and co-writer Byron Minns elaborate on all their reference points for the many gags in the film, the bulk of which come from blacksploitation cinema, but also kung-fu cinema, and pop-culture at large. Much of the humour is derived from the gaffes (some real and some intentional, in an almost “anything goes” production) but the story and characters also provide their own hysterical moments (the scene of Black Dynamite attempting to frolick in the park is brutally funny). What Tarantino and Rodriguez tried to do with “Grindhouse”, what the Wayans Brothers attempt with the “Scary Movie” series, what Mel Brooks has made his career out of, and even what the Zucker Bros. did with “Airplane” and “Naked Gun” seem humbled before “Black Dynamite”.

DVD - Gentlemen Broncos - Jared Hess’ third awkward comedy (following Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre) follows suit the tone of his previous films, with his typical cast of outcasts, this time centered around home-schooled Benjamin who likes to write science fiction stories. Benjamin is sent to a two-day writer’s camp where the notable (and full-of-himself) sci-fi author Chevalier is holding a class. He submits one of his stories into a contest, and a struggling Chevalier steals the manuscript and passes it off as his own. At the same time two other home-schoolers Benjamin has met decide they want to make his “Yeast Lords” story into a no-budget film. As things come to a head, Benjamin finds his own work taken out of his control, and the rest of his meager life spiralling around him. Inter-cut throughout are “interpretations” of the Yeast Lords, as seen through Benjamin and Chevalier’s eyes (as well as the no-budget film), with Sam Rockwell generously portraying the lead role amidst the absurdity. It’s a Michel Gondry-esque sensibility, and it works well, with the exception of how hackish the sci-fi story its telling is. While I appreciate the humour of the film, Hess fails to keep his story grounded, primarily in the importance paid to Chevalier. Career sci-fi writers, especially of the hack quality as portrayed in this film, don’t really exist outside the 1970’s and the level of attention they receive is paltry (large displays of their novels are right out, nevermind in small community book stores). Where Hess could have succeeded in generating more humour was in showing just how paltry the trashy sci-fi market is and how even more pathetic it is then that Chevalier would stoop to plagiarizing in such regard… as well, Benjamin’s reward at the end would be nothing more than fulfilling personally, but less than likely financially (a happy, if sobering, ending). In fact, I was half expecting the moral to be that you can’t beat the system, and Benjamin loses control of the Yeast Lords completely, so I was disappointed in the ending to begin with.

DVD - The Informant - (SPOILERS) Steven Soderbergh assembles a veritable cornucopia of character actors around Matt Damon for this light drama/white-collar crime story, based upon real events. A the story goes, Mark Whitacre tips off the FBI about international price fixing in the agri-business industry the company he’s vice-president is in. For over two years he works with agents to gather evidence of the price fix, all along with his own ideas about how it’s going to unfold. But once it starts to unfold, Mark’s altruism is called into question, as is his reliability. The truth begins to unfurl, and honestly it doesn’t stop until it fades to black. Mark is a brilliant man… he’s a bio-chemical engineer and vice-president of a fortune 500 company, of course he is. But Mark is also a compulsive liar, perhaps even bi-polar, and where the truth starts and stops with him perhaps only he knows. So the people who have invested in him, from his own bosses, to the FBI agents, to his lawyer and even his wife aren’t ever certain about him, except when they pretend to be. The commercials for “The Informant” play it off as a kind of goofy corporate comedy, which it isn’t. It’s got a decidedly light tone, in large part to the score from Marvin Hamlish, as well as with the non-sequitur overdub tangents that let us into Mark’s brain a little (an effect that plays out nicely in the end). It’s an enjoyable but marginal picture in the corporate espionage genre.

Podcasts - Doug Loves Movies (02/03/10) - Doug is joined by Hard’n'Phirm (Chris Hardwick and Mike Phirman), who do a live rendition of the opening and closing theme, as well as Garfunkle and Oates join them for the Leonard Maltin Game (in which an unprecedented -3 names is bid).
Nerdist Podcast #4 - Rob Huebel talks about the dog he found, apologizes to the director of “Frozen”,

M2 - NET - The Ed Hardy Boys 2 - is beyond ridiculous

M1 - COMIC - Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns HC and Green Lantern: Agent Orange HC - I could trade-wait no longer. With the Blackest Night epic coming to rather-affordable Hardcover collections in May, I needed to get the preludes in as soon as I possibly could. I have to admit, I wasn’t actually looking forward to the story of Blackest Night, but instead just satisfying curiosity, but after reading “Rage” and “Agent Orange” I’m invested fully in how this plays out. I’ve often not given Geoff Johns enough credit for his writing, but I have to say he’s really planned the hell out of Green Lantern since he took over the character. I feared his ideas for the “emotional spectrum lanterns” would dilute the conceit of the Green Lantern Corps, as has been unsuccessfully tried before with the Darkstars, but there’s a greater purpose and, moreover, delineation to each of the different coloured lanterns, and the discovery process of each, while rather sudden in the grand scheme of GL’s 40+ year publishing history, it’s flowing rather nicely, incorporating elements from the entire history (as that is Johns’ thing). But at this stage it feels literally like an entirely new, fresh and exciting idea. It’s not just a new spin on Green Lantern, but something entirely new, and it’s exciting to see. This title isn’t about Hal Jordan anymore, though it is centered on him, it’s about the universe, and it’s a grand and sweeping story Johns has crafted. I’m anxiously awaiting to read where he’s taken it to and almost lamenting the fact that I’ve not been following it all along.

TV - The Olympics (Feb 13 - 28) - Canada went into their homeland-held Olympics with a drastic increase in funding and the mantra of “Own The Podium”. With the pressures of never having won a gold medal on home soil, the poor performance in Calgary ‘88 (5 medals), and the looming weight of the Canadian-record 24 medals in 2006 Turin, we perhaps were overreaching with “owning the podium” in mind. Week one was disappointing with many of Canada’s medal favourites landing in the fourth-through-sixth place positions (in fact, if we gave ribbons for 4th-6th we’d most definitely be top ribbonists!).

We averaged a medal a day in the first week, with Alexandre Bilodeau popping Canada’s gold cherry first in Men’s moguls on day 3 (the previous day Jenn Heil was just barely edged out and won silver). But in week two the long-track and short-track speed skating medals, the ice dancing gold, the bobsleigh, the snowboard, curling, and hockey all started coming in fast and furious. Especially triumphant was the Canada 1-2 win in women’s 2-man bobsleigh (Kallie Humphries + Heather Moyes/ Helen Upperton + Shelley-Ann Brown).

Canadian men and women dominated Curling, however two narrowly missed throws in ends ten and eleven cost Cheryl Bernard gold, while Kevin Martin (and more notably some amazing throws from third John Morris throughout the tourney) went completely undefeated in the curling engagement.

Some notable ribbons go to Canadian biathlete Jean-Philippe Le Guellec who placed a highest-ever 6th and basically missed the podium by one shot. On the final day, reporters spoke to a tearful Devon Kershaw who wound up in 5th place (a mere 1.5 seconds behind the gold medalist) in the tightest-ever 50KM cross-country marathon.

For all the great work of our many athletes (as well as some exceptionally disappointing results on the hill from our downhill team), the stiff competition from the Koreans, Chinese and Americans on the oval, and the many narrow misses everywhere, we still had an amazing, record-breaking run. 26 medals, Canada’s best ever, third place behind Germany (30) and the US (37), but even more amazing was our center podium presence. 14 gold medals in total, an Olympic record, the most ever by any country in Olympics history.

This amazing accomplishment was feather-in-the-capped by the gold medal win, in overtime, by Team Canada late in the afternoon of the final day, with Jerome Iginla working the boards in a desperate battle for the puck, squeezing it out to Sidney Crosby who, ever the clutch performer, managed to slip the puck past tournament MVP Ryan Miller to beat out Team USA 3-2. Team Canada, with a rough start, and previously challenged and bested by Team USA in early rounds, showed their grit and finally gelling together, trouncing Germany and, surprisingly, besting the heavily armed Russians handily 7-3. It was hockey for the ages, and for everything else that went on this Olympics, for better or worse, that feather in the cap was one of the most glorious moments in sports I’ll ever witness. The Canada-US hockey rivalry is in full-bore now, especially after our loss in the Juniors earlier this year, and Canada’s third successive Olympics gold in women’s play. Sidney Crosby, who played a rather subdued game throughout the tournament (a shootout winner against Joseph Hiller, the incredible goalie on the Swiss team his only other big play), was looked at to make the big play this game and by the time the USA scored the equalizer with 24 seconds left in the 3rd, it looked like that wasn’t ever going to emerge. Ye of little faith. The near entirety of team Canada, by the end, looked incredible with Rick Nash, Jonathan Towes, Eric Staal, Scott Nedermeyer and Jerome Iginla each showing why their names are usually preceded with “superstar”.

The closing ceremonies were highlighted by a great speech, if stilted French, from VANOC chief executive officer John Furlong who really celebrated the games, but even more so Canadian pride, spirit and unity, all told with humility and humour - the Canadian way. The ceremonies featured a stunning presentation from the Sochi Olympic Committee, who had both an in-stadium and remote-feed component to their eight minute showcase. I skipped much of the ceremonies (knowing there would be Nickleback present), but Neil Young’s oddly beautiful, if ill-fitting rendition of “Long May You Run”, which shut down the flames, was a mirror to k.d. lang’s “Hallelujah” from the opening ceremonies. Shatner finally made an appearance with a “comedy” section which also featured pedestrian spots from Catherine O’Hara and Michael J. Fox. By the time a Mountie-garbed Michael Buble showed up, I knew it was time to tune out of these Canadian-base Olympics forever.

NET - Gorillaz - “Plastic Beach” - NPR hosted the full album in advance of its release, sweet. Kicking it off with a hazy, laid back Snoop Dogg-driven jam in “Welcome to the Plastic Beach”, it’s followed by “Rhinestone Eyes” a quintessential Albarn-driven Gorillaz track , and an 80’s synth pastiche with Stylo features Bobby Womack and Mos Def. “Superfast Jellyfish” sounds to be an Albarn + De La Soul revival talking ’bout a hypothetical breakfast cereal. “Glitterfreeze” is a super-crunchy homage to the Human League, while Lou Reed joins the band for the bouncy and infectious “Some Kind of Nature”. Halfway through the album and I’ve yet to cast an averse ear. The second half doesn’t tweak the ear in the same respect, the come-down after the build-up. With “Broken” being a bit of a plodding mess, “Sweepstakes” is innocuous but soothing, and the titular “Plastic Beach” is straight out quirk. “To Binge” is an oddity, a modernization of a 50’s-style sock-hop chant. Not as immediately hooking as the previous two albums but readily apparent most adventurous work yet.

NET - Broken Bells - “Broken Bells” - Honestly, my ears didn’t really perk up until the final track, “The Mall and the Misery”, but after it played, with its sweeping orchestral sounds leading into bubbly electronics and lush pop harmonies, I was immediately swayed. That track, with a very David Byrne-esque feel, made me immediately re-approach this, the first album of collaboration by Danger Mouse and the Shins’ James Mercer. The result, Mercer’s striving for his own Gorillaz-like project, and with ace producer DM on hand, he’s achieved a really enjoyable album which holds up as a simpler American cousin to the above “Plastic Beach”.

NET - Joanna Newsom - “Have One On Me” - In my recent, monolithic cd-trade-in extravaganza I picked up the 2006 Newsom album “Ys”, which was purported to be a much better album than her debut “Milk Eyed Mender”. I haven’t yet had the chance to listen to “Ys” but “Speak My Name” - the opening track of “Have One On Me”, her latest album - has me a little worried as Newsome seems to be treading Kate Bush/Fiona Apple/Tori Amos water, with grandiose orchestral accompaniment, and drawn out lyrical arrangements. Her once quirky, pinched vocals have smoothed out, and the equally quirky plucking of her full-sized harp has given room to pianos and cellos and violins to hold spotlight. “Have One On Me” is a triple album, clocking in at nearly 2.5 hours, and it’s a marathon. I can only think of one successful triple album - Magnetic Fields’ “69 Love Songs” - and its key to success was diversity and brevity. This is the opposite of that, rather long winded and somewhat redundant. Ambitious, yes. Successful, not so much. I was fairly close to blind buying this treble-album, and now am experiencing relief but also tentativeness about listening to what I’ve just acquired.

Podcasts - Nerdist Podcast ep.3 - Chris, Jonah and Matt sit with Adam Carolla and talk about his experiences with Kelly Osborne, Byron Allen and Podcasting, and discuss bad comedians, comedy movie trailers and work through their new products “Milkom X” chocolate milk and “Helloooo” the gay sports drink.
Comedy Death Ray #42 - Nick Thune joins Scott in studio to talk his new record and relate the case of the stolen guitar strings. Russian figure skaters (Matt Walsh, Ian Roberts, and Danielle Schneider) talk about the customs of figure skating, including all the celebratory orgies. Walsh, Roberts, Schneider and James Pumphrey talk their new Spike TV show called “The Players”.

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