Thoughts on Cinema

Even in the most dire situations, the Swedes never seem to panic or show a shred of vulnerability. That’s some health care system.

To recap the recent events of Lisbeth Salander: She was raped and blackmailed by her court appointed guardian, her friends harassed by a former Soviet agent, shot the skull by her own father, admitted to intensive care, and soon to be tried for attempted manslaughter. For most human beings, these events might constitute as the worst time in their life. For Ms. Salander, its just the start of her day as she had awoken to discover she had emergency brain surgery and the police were waiting outside her room with handcuffs.

The Girl who kicked the Hornet’s Nest was the final chapter in the millennium trilogy. While it wasn’t quite as engaging as its first two chapters, it wasn’t meant to be. The third and final act was a character study to understand all the walled layers that Lisbeth built in order to maintain her sanity. By the end of this film, the audience fully understood why Lisbeth isolated herself from her friends and enemies. Before many of the secrets to this mysterious young woman are divulged, she’ll have to do learn to trust men for the first time in her life.

No matter how much he tried to forget Lisbeth, Blomkvist still can’t quite come to terms with still being smitten by her. Perhaps when someone so mysterious has saved your life, one might have felt this compelling need to return the favor but his actions bordered on obsession. The need for answers to the riddle of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo placed every one around him in danger. As Mikael dug deeper, the stakes were raised, and every thing around him could be forfeit if he continued his course of action.

Once again, Noomi Rapace was called upon to carefully divulge another layer to the complexity of Lisbeth Salander. From this film, Rapace worked mostly from a hospital bed as she must rehabilitate her body. While not pronounced, her gaze never wavered towards vulnerability but a busy mind that the audience would pay any fee to spend a minute. Its through silence that there is one constant throughout the three films: Lisbeth Salander will never be a victim again. By the end of her trial, one can fully understand why.

While all the players involved do their part, the film failed to truly incorporate one non-essential peripheral plot thread carried over from the second act. By the time it was resolved in the final act of the film, it felt forced and added little to no consequences.

Its arguable whether or not the very last scene between Blomqvist and Salander was fulfilling. Its pretty clear that the director meant not to end the trilogy on high note but rather on a basis of understanding between two people. For the first time in her life, Lisbeth Salander had to trust her friends and a man she barely met to do the right thing. This time, she wasn’t let down.

In my three liquor scale of one Bourbon, One Scotch, and one beer for movies, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest rated a steady after work Guinness. Consistent, smooth, but not elegant.

Cheers,
Ron

Viral marketing to advertise film through Internet and prescreening has been for movie studios, a hit or miss boon, to heavily push their products into the mundane consciences of the buying public. For as many that were successful, The Paranormal Activity prescreening at New York’s Landmark theater in downtown Manhattan in 09, was an exercise in ineptness and miscommunication. In a screening theater limited to 200 seats at maximum, Paramount lacked the foresight to shut down the on-line RSVP. In a city of 8 million, one can empathize with the sea of confusion and outrage when the employee (rather belligerently) tells a mob that there were no more showings after hours of waiting. Still, it had zero effect in deterring the box-office success of the film.

Well, what a difference a year made.

The prescreening Of Paranormal Activity 2 was as much a sequel in experience, as the movie. The trepidation of a repeat performance was calmed when the studio made good on this little event for waiting patrons. Better theater accommodations, giveaways of iPods, X-Boxes, t-shirts and free snacks. The necessary overkill to restore the crowd’s goodwill in Paramount. Hence the gratuities was making sure such a disgrace didn’t have a follow up to that 4 hour travesty along Houston street.

Alright you guys, everything is forgiven.

Paramount heads back to the well again with this follow up to Paranormal Activity, with; you guessed it Paranormal Activity 2. This movie serves as a sort of prequel and a sequel, as this go around deals with the sister of Katie from the events of the first film. Never let it be said that demonology doesn’t run rampant in that family as things starts off with the same predicaments as before, doors slowly opening, elongated shadows appearing and so forth, but where there was one positioned camera, Activity 2 has four, giving it more mobility around the house and opportunities to amp up the tension. The father is a skeptic, the daughter intrigued, dog barking, mother in denial and the baby makes Google eyes at the screen, all seemingly like-able characters in the beginning.

Director Todd Williams takes the reigns and continues the reality driven look of the previous film, a renewed gimmick for horror started by infamous fare as Cannibal Holocaust, The last Broadcast, Blair Witch and just recently The last Exorcism. There’s a sense for the viewer of a “you are there experience”. The voyeurism of the video gives it a low rent Poltergeist realism (sans the FX) to it, which in some docu- style moments are quite effective.  The sneaky scares comes with obnoxiously long stretch of silence within the household and then a sudden loud Dolby stereo boom, caused by either a slamming door or a over hanging cookware. The constant use of this unfortunately becomes tedious; eventually losing their effect after Williams uses it for the umpteenth time. It stops being scary and becomes an advocate for earplugs.

Asides from that, Activity 2 almost succeeds in engaging you as the characters go about in dealing with the supernatural elements as it percolates on, but in it’s last half hour with the shrieking hysteric increased by volumes, the performances comes apart and shrill as if the actors knew they would never get another job after this.

With the open ending, literally answering the question of the previous film, maybe they might get it right with the third one that you know is coming.

In our three liquor rating of One Bourbon, one scotch and one beer,

The Paranormal Activity 2 rates a domestic beer with a chaser.

Back in the 80s Wes Craven invented a new horror franchise with an iconic monster who attacked teenagers in their dreams. In yet another prime example of horror retreads gone horribly wrong, the modern re-telling of A Nightmare on Elm Street delivered none of the pop-corny, sugar rush fun. Instead Director Samuel Bayer delivered the theatrical release of Dateline’s To Catch a Predator.

Jackie Earl Haley played a very straight edged, no nonsense Freddy. He didn’t waste any time getting down to business. Every brooding teenage victim had their appointment with the sommelier of nightmares. Most teenagers party, drink, and have sex without parental supervision but these teenage victims brood. The decision to strip the sex appeal out of A Nightmare on Elm Street was a bold move because the detached sleep deprived teens definitely fit the profile of disturbed children. However fleshing out the truth behind their behavior made Freddy Krueger secondary to such a transparent story.

The critical flaw in the modern version of A Nightmare on Elm Street was the omission of Nancy’s father who was the town sheriff. In Craven’s version, the relationship between Nancy and her father was an important dynamic in a role reversal of authority. Nancy’s dad, the most powerful authority figure in the town, was powerless to protect his only girl from a man he killed. Hence his ignorance forced a desperate Nancy, the main protagonist to take matters into her own hands. Thus, what began as a whiny screaming teenager developed into a strong willed survivor. In this film, the Sheriff role was reduced and demoted to the father of Nancy’s potential boyfriend. He became a character that went nowhere. Hence, multi-talented Clancy Brown had very little to work with. Without the father-daughter dynamic, this modern take on the development of the Nancy character just didn’t feel quite so complete without a better designed transition scene. The elements were there but the director didn’t make better use of the parental roles. In fact, they were so non-existent that it might have been a better departure from the original if the kids were orphans unaware of their past.

Bayer, renown for the music videos of Metallica and Garbage, didn’t favor the build up of suspense. He substituted Craven’s “the thrill of the hunt” approach with creative camera effects and disturbing visuals. However such stationary targets undermined the entertaining savagery of Krueger’s kills.

Alas, the film took itself too seriously. A Nightmare on Elm Street led you to believe Freddy was a pedophile who raped these teens when they were too little to remember. One wonders who made the executive decision that it wasn’t enough to kill a child to be a heinous monster but now, the monster had to molest them before killing them? Maybe if the teens had molested Fred Krueger but blocked it out of their minds, Bayer might have had something. It’s just un-necessary to make something that was inherent to be explicit if there was nothing to add.

In my three liquor rating scale of one bourbon, one scotch, and one beer The Nightmare on Elm Street remake rated a very dissatisfied flat beer with two flies.

Cheers,
Ron

Jose Rivera and Joe Kelly

Off the Beaten Path by Joe Kelly

You know, it seems everyone who interviews creators likes to stick to the formula of asking what they’re currently doing now, and what lies ahead in the future. Maybe one day I’ll reach that point. However, I’m new to the whole interview scene. And, I’d like to try something a little different. Writers and artists are people, too; they have thoughts, opinions and ideas that we never get to hear about when they’re plugging the latest work. So, why not ask them things they might not normally be asked? I decided my trial by fire would be to attend the New York Comic Con and find someone to interview not with a video camera or a digital recorder; I wanted to do it the good ol’ fashioned way. I had a notebook and pen in hand, and four brief, casual questions to ask. While few people had the time to do an interview, one man was kind enough to give me his time. He is the writer on such comics as Deadpool, Action Comics and the critically acclaimed I Kill Giants. He and his group Man of Action are the creators behind such hit animated shows like Ben 10 and Generator Rex. And best of all, he’s a dear friend, Mr. Joe Kelly.

1. Given the chance, if you could write any character or team, which would you choose?
JK: That’s tough! I’ve already written Spider-Man and Superman, Spidey was my absolute favorite of all time. And, I don’t wanna get in trouble, so I’m gonna have to say the Micronauts! Yeah, definitely Micronauts.

2. With the success of I Kill Giants, do you think we’ll ever see a follow up?
JK: There will definitely be another project I’ll be doing with Niimura, but it won’t take place in the same universe as I Kill Giants. It’ll be a new story, but its own separate thing, but with similar elements of drama and comedy.

3. Okay, now let’s get into something more on your tastes. On Facebook, you’ve been talking about what you’ve been reading in your spare time. Can you share the last few books you’ve read?
JK: I’ve been reading Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk. I’ve also read Role Models by John Waters, which is an interesting memoir and Grand Design by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow.

4. Okay, this is one I like to ask of everyone. In your opinion, gun to your head, you HAD to pick, what would you say is the greatest action movie of all time?
JK: Hmm… that’s a tough one. You know, I’m gonna have to go with Aliens.

Micronauts? Interesting! Another project with Niimura on art? Hell yes! A novel, a memoir and a book on science? How eclectic! And Aliens as the greatest action movie of all time? Certainly ranks in the top three most common answers. A little off the beaten path, you say? I should certainly hope so! Let’s see some other interviewers get answers like this! For those who are interested in Joe Kelly and his work, please check out the Man of Action website at: http://www.manofaction.tv/

Until then, hope you too are walking off the beaten path…cause if you aren’t, then I’ve got a serious problem on my hands.

It should come to no surprise that Friday night’s biggest, most anticipated panel was for The Venture Bros. Given that fans were literally lining up as early as the DC Universe Animated panel, and the announcement that the IGN theatre would not clear out after each panel, the anticipation was clearly building. What was shocking was how big this panel was with so little material compared to the evening’s predecessors.

With no moderator, Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer entered the stage to a thunderous ovation. Both casual fans and the die-hards who came dressed as their favorite characters stood for the duo who jokingly decided to sit away from each other at opposite ends of the table.

Both men thanked everyone for attending and mentioned they had no moderator. They also mentioned that, sadly, they had no clips to show, as most of the season is already finished. With weeks to go before the season finale, oddly enough the fans were okay with this. It speaks volumes of how much love they have for this show when a lack of a moderator or clips is something to be applauded rather than booed furiously. It also says something about the humor of the gentlemen when they say instead of clips and announcements, they were just going to re-enact your favorite episodes.

Because there was no moderator, and because he was in the area, Doc Hammer called Michael Sinterniklass, voice of Dean Venture to come from elsewhere in the con and moderate. Sure enough, he showed up! And with that, fans were invited to ask questions, and boy, were there some doozies!

When asked whether or not we’ll be seeing more of Col. Hunter Gatherers, both Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick enthusiastically said yes. They mentioned that he’ll feature in many of the season’s remaining episodes and by the time of the season finale, we’ll all be sick of him. Whether or not that’s true remains to be seen. In that same vein, another question was raised whether or not we’ll see the return of fan favorite Molotov Cock tease. Shortly and simply…yes.

In the realm of strange questions, one fan asked them whether or not they’re bothered by the female attention they’ve received thanks to the show. Doc Hammer put it best:

“I used to get shoved into lockers as a kid and called (derogatory homosexual term), now I have women throwing themselves at me…of course I love it!”

When asked what other inspirations for the show besides Johnny Quest were, Jackson Publick remarked that the work of Steve Ditko on Spider-Man played an important part in both the design and tone.

Not surprisingly, more was asked about Publick, Hammer and Sinterniklaas than about the actual show. Questions ranging from best Christmas present ever received, to Doc Hammer’s band Wheat and the recording of their album on Garage Band, to Sinterniklaas geeking out over getting to record with Kevin Conroy for the episode featuring Captain Sunshine permeated the IGN theatre.

But, an even nicer moment came from when a woman cosplayed as Nikki, the character who had been introduced in the previous episode asked a question and all three men were both flabbergasted and thrilled to see that costume. The reaction could be equated to a child walking down the street on Halloween and pointing out to their parents in excitement all the costumes they saw and could name. The fans went all out on those costumes and the reactions the panelists gave showed the entire audience they too are fans on someone level and get a kick out of seeing people dressed as Henchmen 21 & 24, The Monarch, Nikki, Molotov Cock tease and a rather well done Sgt. Hatred.

The excitement over the idea that after four seasons, they finally have toys was genuine. They let us know that at the Adult Swim store at the con, the bobble heads, the action figures and the shirts were selling well; so well in fact that both the Brock Sampson and Monarch figures were already sold out before the day’s end. Merchandise may have taken a long time, but it was clearly appreciated by all.

But the icing on the cake was a true story the three shared about a strange incident in their Astrobase studio when Hammer had knocked on the bathroom door, waiting desperately to use the bathroom, only grow impatient and pick the lock. When he entered the door, he saw something he couldn’t believe. A fan had entered the stall and was taking an overhead photograph of himself on the toilet as if to prove to his friends he had been in the bathroom of the place where the ever-popular cartoon was created.

And with that, they ended the panel.

It was astounding to see how a panel with such a loose format, no moderator (at first), no clips and such candid answers could be so entertaining. Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer knew how to work the crowd, and it seemed more like talking to old friends than it did the creators of such a beloved show. Sinterniklaas, a fan favorite threw in as many random jokes as he could, and got a huge laugh every time. For any other show, this would have screamed of desperation and disaster. For the creators of the Venture Bros. it seemed right. When you come in with nothing and leave with a standing ovation, you’ve certainly done your job.

The Venture Bros. can be seen Sunday nights at 11:30pm on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim.

Matt Damon has a lot on his mind in Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter

What happens to us when we die?  That may not be something we all think about, but it’s apparently on Clint Eastwood’s mind.  Hereafter follows three characters affected by death in a Crash-like narrative, but it fails to pull at any emotional strings with arcs that were too lifeless even for a movie about death.

Eastwood’s direction provides some interesting cinematography with the world filtered through a gloomy window for much of the film, but beyond that, his skill as a director falters.  Each of the three storylines never progress smoothly as they intercut with each other like puzzle pieces that don’t fit, but this is also at the fault of Peter Morgan, writer of The Queen, Frost/Nixon.  He didn’t write characters that the audience could invest in for two hours, and Eastwood didn’t do anything to fix this.

The film spends so much time trying to explain the afterlife and ground it in reality that the emotional connection it strived for is completely lost.  Instead of debating the existence of an afterlife, the film beats the audience over the head with the certainty of heaven.  One scene even has a doctor saying her medical records “prove” there’s an afterlife.  How, the film never goes into, but it repeatedly tries to argue this when there’s no argument to make.

Surrounding this is a look into the tainted lives of people after their brief encounters with death and filling these roles are some of the stalest performances in a drama.  Cécile De France wanders around France like a hollow stick figure as Marie LeLay, a woman who has a near-death experience during a tsunami.  As a tough political journalist, she’s quick to abandon her job in search of answers to her experience and does so in the most passive manner possible.   Matt Damon, in a monotone role, plays George Lonegan, a psychic who refuses to speak to the dead for others.  He repeatedly insists his ability is a curse and wants a normal life away from it, but he never shows any fear and anger when he does do it.  Damon never feels present in his scenes, and every time he says “it’s not a gift, it’s a curse,” you want to call “bullshit.”  Frankie and George McLaren play twin brothers with one getting hit by a car and the other ending up in foster care.  The surviving twin tries to cope, and he does so by stalking the streets of London like a zombie searching for psychics to feed his need for closure.  McLaren sheds the occasionally tear or two, but he rarely shows any capacity of human emotion even when he’s standing over his brother’s body.  Makes you wonder if Eastwood casted him and his brother just because they’re twins.

Eastwood’s take on the afterlife leaves you neither convinced, intrigued, nor caring.  You can suspend disbelief in the supernatural, but you still have to live with the flat acting from the leads.  The film leaves such a bland aftertaste and crushes your heart only because Eastwood, Morgan, and some of the actors are capable of so much more, and it’s a damn shame to see them sell themselves short.

In our three liquor rating of One Bourbon, one liquor, and one beer the Hereafter rated a flat Beer.

-Sean

DC Animated: Moving Forward or Going Back?

By: Jose A. Rivera

New York Comic Con held many panels this year. One I was looking forward to in particular was the DC Universe Animated panel. Moderating was Warner Bros Animation’s Greg Miereneau. His guests on the panel? Writer of the animated feature Wonder Woman, Michael Jelenic and DC animation legend Bruce Timm!

They started the panel talking about what gave birth to the next DC Animated feature under the DC Showcase banner, Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam. Timm said the project came about when those at DC Animated wanted to do something new, but were also realistic in getting an established character like Superman or Batman to sell it for marquee value. With that in mind, Captain Marvel was chosen as he’s been shown here in there in animation, but hasn’t been given the chance to shine.

With that, we were shown three clips of the 22-minute animated feature. The first clip showed Superman battling Black Adam in what has to be an impressive battle across the city for animation. The second clip involved what many Captain Marvel fans have been waiting to see in animation for years, a young Billy Batson meeting the Wizard Shazam and having his ancient power bestowed to the young man. The final clip showed Billy first transformation into Captain Marvel while battling Black Adam. All three very impressive.

Reprising their roles on Justice League Unlimited are George Newbern as Superman and Jerry O’Connell as Captain Marvel. Michael Vosloo of The Mummy fame voices Black Adam, while screen legend James Garner plays the wizard Shazam. Amongst the highlights of this panel were Timm and Jelenic’s reverence and excitement for having Garner in the cast.

The theme of this Showcase short is all about what you do when you have power. Timm and Jelenic chose Superman and Black Adam to be opposite ends of the spectrum for Billy; Superman represents what power does when used correctly, while Black Adam represents what power does when used irresponsibly. There was a fun debate as to whether or not Captain Marvel was Billy in an adult body or if Captain Marvel was another person all together. Jelenic tried to keep it vague but said it was Billy. And on the topic of Showcase shorts, both men assured us this is the longest of the Showcase shorts. Sadly, it may be the last.

If that wasn’t enough, we were treated to the opening five minutes of the 10^th DC Animated Direct-To-DVD Feature, All-Star Superman. On the whole, I was impressed. Based on the story by Grant Morrison, this feature seems to be one both Timm and DC Animated seems to be the most proud of. Coming this spring, the cast features James Denton as Superman, Anthony Lapalgia as Lex Luthor and Christina Hendricks as Lois Lane. And best of all? Dwayne McDuffie of Justice League Unlimited fame is penning the adaptation.

The opening five minutes, which details Superman rescuing Dr. Quintum’s ship after it’s sabotage by Lex Luthor not only mirrored the story, but Frank Quitely’s art style; something Timm noted took a long time to accomplish as Quitely’s style isn’t easy to mimic in animation. We were then treated to a clip of Clark Kent and Lex Luthor visiting The Parasite, who escapes once he feeds on the power given off by Superman. It’s clear they are pushing the boundary of their PG-13 rating with the amount of violence detailed in that scene alone.

As with all panels, a Q&A session was held. While most of it was ass-kissing towards Bruce Timm, there were three questions I’d like to mention above all else. The first was a question on what happened to the promised third movie in the DC Animated line that didn’t make it: New Titans: The Judas Contract. Bruce Timm had mentioned that the script needed a lot of work and most of the big decision makers felt it wasn’t a bankable idea. Timm also noted that since the Teen Titans animated series had done the story in their style, it wouldn’t make sense to tell almost the exact same story all over again.

The second question posited the idea that since we got All-Star Superman and The New Frontier adapted, would we see other big DC Universe stories like Crisis on Infinite Earths and Kingdom Come get animated adaptations as well. The sad answer is no. Timm explained that Crisis is too big a story to tell, even in a mini-series; there are too many characters and too many stories going on. As for Kingdom Come, he said it couldn’t be seen in traditional 2D animation, because that story relies so much on the art work of Alex Ross that traditional animation couldn’t do it justice. He said maybe someday in a motion capture CGI venture, but not to hold our breaths.

The final question is one I’ve often thought about myself when the announcement that future DC Animated features would stop focusing on other DCU characters like Wonder Woman or Green Lantern, and stick with recognizable names like Superman, Batman and the Justice League. The question was whether or not we’d see some more risks taken with future features. What we got was something of a mixed answer. From a business point of view, having Superman, Batman or the Justice League increases the chance for profit because everyone knows them; sadly both the Wonder Woman and Green Lantern features did not sell well. Wonder Woman sold so poorly that an announcement stated they probably wouldn’t take the chance on another female lead in a DC Animated feature. On a personal level, I’d like to see them break out of their safety zone. I’d like to see more risks taken. But, as it stands, expect to see in the span of a year the following formula: Superman-themed feature, Batman-themed feature and Justice League-themed feature. That’s not to say we won’t get other heroes in these films, but the focus stays on the safe marquee those names represent.

So, it begs the question: with a line that depends on strong sales, is the decision to stay safe with Superman and Batman features keeping the line back from it’s true potential, or is that safety zone just enough to keep it moving forward? Only time will tell.

Look for Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam November 9^th, 2010, All-Star Superman in Spring 2010, and after that…Batman: Year One?

Robot Chicken: Firing on All Cylinders
By: Jose A. Rivera

At this year’s New York Comic Con, Adult Swim held a few panels. Among them was for fan-favorite show Robot Chicken. Now, I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know Robot Chicken was still on the air. I loved the show but with my schedule, it slowly fell by the way side for me on my list of shows to watch. After seeing this panel, I think they got me back in!

Moderating the panel was Keith Crawford, Vice President of Adult Swim. Strangely, Crawford, complete in suit and tie came out wearing a funny skull-cap hat. He introduced the panelists. One would assume he’d start with Seth Green, but his first panelist? Macaulay Culkin! The entire crowd (me included) were both stunned by the announcement but gave Culkin a thunderous ovation, despite his funny hat. Next on the panel was Robot Chicken co-creator Matt Seinreich who was also wearing a funny hat. Next was actress and wife of Seth Green, Clare Grant in, you guessed it, a funny hat! Finally, the man we’d all been waiting for, Seth Green who not only wore a funny hate but took it a step further with finger cut gloves and a tail! You got to give it to these guys; they sure know how to make an impression.

They wasted no time in showing us an assortment of clips, but given that it was such a scattered panel in terms of information, I thought I’d organize it all.

Star Wars Special III ­– Coming at us again with another Star Wars Special, Robot Chicken has decided to do something different this time. Where as the previous two specials just spotlighted sketches from whatever Star Wars material they thought was funny, this special will start from the moment Vader throws Emperor Palpatine down the shaft in Return of the Jedi. In true sitcom fashion, the camera stops on the falling Emperor narrating the line “Did you ever just stop and take a look at your life and wonder how you got there?” And that, in a nutshell is how this special will work. It will cover all six Star Wars films running through the life and times of Emperor Palpatine. And, unlike the previous specials, the run time will be an hour. They also announced that Billy Dee Williams and Zac Effron will be providing voices. The special debuts December 12^th, 2010.

Robot Chicken Christmas Special – If you were wondering just why Macaulay Culkin was there (besides him being buddy-buddy with Seth Green), it turns out we’ll get a Home Alone parody dealing just how dangerous young Kevin’s traps could be to someone in real life. Expect a Christmas race between Santa Claus and Superman! Ever wonder what it would be like if G.I. Joe went Christmas caroling? Well, too bad! You’re getting it anyway! All this and yet another Composite Santa sketch! I have to admit, it really looks worth watching.

Season 5 trailer ­– There was so much to look forward to in the next season. You thought the two shuck-and-jive robots from Transformers two were bad? Try two Indian Transformers who transform into cabs! Thrill at Oompa-Loompa’s learning their dance routine to a strict Willy Wonka. And if you’ve ever wondered just how bad Batman pummeling the Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill…naturally!)  Could get…boy, you don’t want to see this!

We then opened up the floor to questions. Amongst those rose were why the seasons take so long to produce. Seth Green and Matt Seinreich said that it’s all done by hand and that takes time. When asked what was one of the most obscure references that will be brought up in the show’s fifth season, they said one word: Silverhawks! We were told that the God of War parody will make you believe Brian Austen Green is a bad ass as he voices Kratos. And, the strangest of all, they boys at Robot Chicken have some apparently gut busting Gandalf sketches coming up.

When asked about their other show, Titan Maximum, we were assured there was another season planned; episode one, picking up where the cliffhanging season finale has already been written. But, with Robot Chicken and their slew of other projects, they said they hope to get the chance to do it sometime soon, but not to hold our breaths as these things take time. Still, as TM fan, I’m excited.

Lastly, a question about the Robot Chicken, the character that is forced to watch these shows in the opening, was raised. The panelists said that the chicken might finally emerge from that castle and will be an integral part of the shows upcoming 100^th episode.

The best part of this panel was how much fun everyone was having. Both the panelists and the audience fed off each other’s energy. The clips were hilarious, the news was exciting, and even when someone asked Macaulay Culkin when will we get a chance to see The Good Son 2, he took it with a grain of salt and laughed. I was out of the loop on Robot Chicken for a long while, but with all this news, I think I’m going to come back to a show that hasn’t lost any momentum.

James Robinson (left) comic book writer of Starman and Jose Antonio Rivera (right), contributor for Thoughts on Cinema.

MEETING YOUR IDOLS

By: Jose Rivera

Often it’s said that you shouldn’t meet your idols—that more times than not, you’ll end up disappointed. In my time going to comic conventions, I’ve seen the face of fans who’ve met the men and women who have inspired them over the years. Sometimes, it’s the look of satisfaction, sometimes it’s the look of “oh…well, then,” as if a grand moment they imagined in their heads had been deflated. On a personal level, I’ve had some experiences with creators that have turned into lasting friendships, and there were those meetings where I left feeling like I had gotten the bum’s rush so the artist or writer could get me out of the way and knock their ever-growing line out of the way so that person could go to lunch. Either way, meeting people you look up to is always a mixed bag, but in the case of this year’s New York Comic Con, I think I got away with the exception to the rule.

Walking along the con floor with my sister, I noticed someone talking to Joe Casey at the Man of Action Booth. He was tall, had short hair, a black and white checkered shirt, and there was something about him all too familiar. It took me a moment to place the face, but when I did, I could feel a star-struck paralysis over take me. Standing just mere feet away from me was James Robinson!

It is here that I have to take a moment to explain just why I felt that awesome and scary feeling I got when seeing him. Back in High School, I got into his run on Starman through accessible single issues and trade paperbacks. I’ve loved comics all my life, but Starman was the first comic to make me stand up and take notice of the writing, as opposed to the art or the big important event tied to a certain issue. I looked at devices like foreshadowing, story-arcs and long term characterization for the first time and how intricately they were woven into the narrative, all while telling an outstanding story of a guy who slowly over time evolves into a man. I had been toying with the notion into getting into writing, but after reading Starman, it was a done deal. This entire run is something I cite as a big inspiration for me to get into writing.

So there was Robinson, walking down Artist’s Alley. Normally, I’m not one to go up to a stranger and strike a conversation. And, for a second I was debating whether or not I should go up and say something. But, I went for it—I can’t say if that was due to some surge of courage, or for the fact that he wasn’t on the list for the convention, so it was a now or never moment…but I went for it!

I remember asking him, “Excuse me? Are you James Robinson?” Startled, he said “Yes, I am.” I’ll admit, not the best way to start off a conversation, when I already knew who he was, but I was running on adrenaline and luck. I introduced myself and shook his hand. I can’t remember the exact words, but I told him I was a big fan of his work and told him how much of an inspiration he was for me to the point where his work made me want to go to school for writing. Humbly, he nodded, smiled and thanked me. Seeing so many people at conventions talking to people they idolized just ramble on and on when the person couldn’t care less, I decided to make the convo short and sweet. I thanked him for his time and I shook his hand again as I left.

Of course, this is me and in the short time I walked away from him, it hit me… “Oh shit! I didn’t have anything for him to sign to me!” I’m big on personalized signatures because A) It shows I actually enjoy the work as opposed to being someone who grabs autographs to sell on Ebay and B) It’s a keepsake from a moment where I got to go up to someone who’s work I enjoy and thank them. Sadly, because I wanted to wait until the last day of the convention (which was the next day) to buy it, I didn’t have the latest Starman Omnibus on me. Granted, this was a great story to tell people, but I wanted something that showed I got to meet one of my idols. As my sister was with me and she had her camera with her, I asked her for a favor.

I remember Robinson being only a few feet behind me when I turned around to him. “Mr. Robinson, I hate to bother you, but I was wondering if I could get a photo with you?” I said nervously. He said “Of course,” in a way that made me energetic and not feel like a fool for asking. My sister raised her camera and took the photo. It took about two tries but I can safely say I got it! And when I thanked him again and left, I was literally jumping up and down the aisles with the biggest smile on my face.

It may have seemed strange just coming up to him and blathering on about how much I was a fan and how he did something special in my life, but he was so gracious about it. And while it was a case of it being another day for him and a big moment for me, he never once gave me the impression I was bothering him or wasting his time. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but that professionalism he gave really stood out for me.

They say you shouldn’t meet your idols for fear of disappointment. But, on that day, by sheer random luck I got to meet the man who started me on the road to writing that I’m still walking to this day.

-Jose

Perhaps nothing satisfies your craving for top shelf, lowbrow humor quite like a John Landis film. From the Kentucky Fried Movie, Animal House, and the Blues Brothers, one should be prepared for sleazy, raunchy satirical fun. Yet Landis’ crude but effective tactics never failed to pay tribute to the works that inspired him. If imitation is the best form of flattery, An American Werewolf in London was a fitting 80s tribute to the 1941 classic, the Wolf man starring Lon Chaney Jr. In this re-telling of a grim tale, two NYU college kids were backpacking across the English countryside on a damp cool night until a vicious man-beast would forever change their fortunes.

Unless you’ve been living on the moon, one would find it extremely difficult not to have some preconceived knowledge of the werewolf curse. Werewolves continue to be one of the oldest folklore legends, so Landis made the executive decision not to waste any time with the origin of the curse. In the London hospital, the bitten survivor played by David Naughton literally referenced Lon Chaney Jr in the Wolf Man in order to blatantly spell out a familiar fate for our sympathetic character that conveniently shared the bed of his Florence Nightingale.

The film attempted no plot twists but Landis upgraded the main character’s guilt with visceral visuals of David’s nightmares and hallucinations generated by his subconscious. It’s a crude but inventive way to externalize, internalized thoughts. It’s also a vehicle to utilize some of the greatest special effects artists in the history of cinema that continue to be spoken about today. In the third act when David sat in the XXX movie theatre and spoke to his deceased best friend, one wondered if this later inspired a similar scene in Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko. Horrific imagery might have undermined the actor’s ability to project a tortured soul but it fit Landis’ personality to perfection.

If you’ve seen this film before, try substituting the werewolf curse for socialized medicine and one might have some refreshing fun in a second take. An American college kid backpacked across England, jumped by hooligans, and taken to a London hospital. Now reconstitute this film with every public servant having dismissed a crazy American believing in the infectious idea of affordable healthcare but never doubting its existence before having to put him down for good.

In my trois liquor rating scale of one bourbon one Scotch and one beer, An American Werewolf in London rated a relaxing fall beer as a guilty pleasure to share with old friends during this Halloween.

Cheers,
Ron