Lovely, fantastic article by Andrew Klavan on Wordsworth's life, poetry, and growth from a liberal to a conservative. Read the whole thing.
"The imagination as Wordsworth conceived it was then and remains now an antidote to the misguided translation of science into moral philosophy. Though the post-Newtonian reason-worship of the poet’s time is in some ways the polar opposite of the post-Einsteinian relativity of ours, they’re both built on a single error. Both attempt to transfer the mathematical certainties of the purely material world to moral structures, allowing pseudoscientific theory to overrule the moral wisdom of free individuals and their traditions. What Wordsworth saw was that moral reality was neither subject to absolute reason, nor random and relative, but a slow processional interplay between the facts of creation and a human mind that was at once a part of that creation and its continual cocreator. In some sense, if we must have a scientific correlation, Wordsworth, along with Blake and Keats, developed an artistic anticipation of the Copenhagen Interpretation of quantum physics: an idea that reality is both independently extant and a product of the human consciousness that perceives it.
Giving a new centrality to that inner human experience conferred—as Wordsworth understood—a fresh legitimacy on the Western tradition and its elevation of the individual and his liberty. The “inward eye” is not only, as Wordsworth wrote, “the bliss of solitude”; its essential role in the moral order provides a rationale for the individual’s demand for life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness because it is these that lead him, generation by generation, toward greater truth and beauty. Both sweeping utopian governance and relativistic tolerance of self-strangling cultures ultimately become equally violent and oppressive because neither can accommodate the imagination’s solitary cry of “I am—and I will be free.”
As previously promised, I am posting about the first novel in George R.R. Martin's famous series, A Game of Thrones (about to be made into an HBO series this fall) which I recently completed.
The story was fun and rather good. The writing was deft if not brilliant, and the structure of every chapter being focused on a different character, advancing the plot from all sides and never looking back, is simple and ingenious. The only problem is, I didn't like every character, and the feeling of "Oh god, this one? Alright, let's just get through it, and get on to the good stuff" is never really appreciated.
Some deaths were surprising and not entirely welcome. The details and history were rich, but not diverse or too interesting (mostly just war and long family trees) and the religion of this world was sketchy and unconvincing. Perhaps it's expanded upon in the sequels (the first one of which I've already gotten from the library, which says something in itself. Whether I get to number 3 or 4 remains to be seen.)
It's not as original or serious as the Earthsea novels. It's not as sweeping and romantic and with an infinitely diverse and convincing history as KirithKirin. It doesn't have the metaphors and endearing characters of The Chronicles of Narnia. Compared to these books it's kind of like a good cousin; more a beach reading novel than true literature, but engrossing all the same. And it is completely more readable than the Lord of the Rings.
There's nothing like a solid fantasy series to get yourself lost in. I recommend giving it a shot, especially since the HBO version will be here next year. (And now that I'm done, I'm very eager to see Jennifer Ehle as Lady Catelyn.) Winter is Coming.
I cannot wait for Adventure Comics #1, coming out tomorrow. The return of Connor Kent, and his days growing up in Smallville with his Superdog, following in Superman's footsteps.
Written by Geoff Johns and drawn by a very talented new guy, Francis Manapul, it's sure to be great. Mostly excited to see long awaited reunions with Tim Drake and Cassie.
Here's a pic to tide us all over for one more day, as posted on The Source:
Lovely, lovely. Welcome back, Connor.
Also premiering this week, the new Batgirl. Who is she? We'll know soon enough. My money's still on Stephanie Brown (Spoiler). Seems it's easier to get a cowl under Dick's Batman than Bruce's...less strict. Huntress probably would still be Batgirl if it were up to Dick (though after news of her drunken threesome, who knows?)
Washington Post, that bastion of bullshit, has a rundown of news concerning the ABC network and its upcoming shows. Mainly, the November pilot/premiere of the show "V", a re-do of the 1983 miniseries, that chronicles the invasion of Earth by an alien race known as 'The Visitors.' (And yeah, that's Scott Wolf.)
Looking just at the facts, there is certainly meat for a strong article here. The aliens come to Earth in human form, apparently, and use words we respond to, words we know and want, to manipulate us into trusting them. Sound familiar? Okay I'll expand: "hope", "change", "universal healthcare".
Morena Baccarin (the lovely Inara from Firefly and Serenity) plays the aliens' ambassador, well versed in human history and politics, and in portraying her character she has tried "to embody what everybody of every nationality and need wants to see. At the same time, you have your own agenda."
The creator of the original series, Kenneth Johnson, described the show as a political thriller intended to display the rise of a fascist movement in the US. The similarities of the original to the Nazis are numerous as well, with swastika-like symbols, persecution of scientists, youth programs, and heavy-handed propaganda.
The show is premiering a year after Barack Obama's triumphant election day. It was conceived during the Bush administration, but Obama was an everpresent public figure for about the last two years. The aliens come to our world and say they can fix it, pointing out our deficiencies and offering fake hope in order to gain support. It seems to me the allegory is pretty clear.
Still, the Post writer, Lisa deMoraes, try to pass it off as a farce, accusing the showrunner of equivocating and 'lacking verve' during the press junket. She goes so far as to slip her own awkward unfunny jokes in, poking holes at him like the stalwart Obama protector she probably is, to no avail as any point her article hoped to make disappears in her own petulance. At two different times she describes the responses of the writers/producers as "Bette Davis haggling over terms with studio suits" and Mariska Hartigay's face when she's lied to by a molester on SVU. The criticism even went to comparing Obama to an alien as the height of ridiculousness as one reporter persisted in asking if they would be comfortable with the "birthers" claiming the show as their own.
In short, I wasn't really interested in this remake. (It's written by The 4400 guy and I never got into that.) But I might check it out for the political commentary, and for the Firefly alums its got (Alan Tudyk is also a star). But I sure as hell won't read anything from the Washington Post unless I absolutely have to.
Marvel has announced at Chicago Comic-Con that S.W.O.R.D., the secret intergalactic defense government organization, created entirely by JossWhedon and John Cassady in their now historic run on Astonishing X-Men, is getting it's own series. It will feature Agent Brand (the green-haired half-alien Beast-loving leader) and Sydren (the red alien minor telepath), both of which Joss created. Joining them will be X-Men's The Beast, Brand's boyfriend, and Lockheed, who worked as Brand's secret agent in the X-Men and who, now that Kitty Pryde is Missing In Space, has nowhere else to go apparently (except the pages of Pet Avengers.)
The image they released is also drawn by John Cassady, who will be doing covers, and who does the greatest covers in the world (Astonishing, Planetary, etc.) The writer and main artist are less well-known to me, but check out their interview at CBR here. One point of interest is how they're writing Lockheed; as the "Wolverine" of the team, considering how bestial and angry he is at the loss of Kitty.
S.W.O.R.D. stands for Sentient World Observation and Response Department, the more aggressive, bigger picture, extension to S.H.I.E.L.D. and they operate in a space station in Earth's orbit called The Peak (expect some beautiful pictures of it.) As far as storylines go, I'm curious about two things really: whether or not they will deal with the whole Shi'ar/Inhumans/Kree/War of the Kings stuff going on out there, and whether, with Lockheed on board and a feeling of some responsibility (she saved the entire mission singlehandedly) they will begin the search for Kitty Pryde.
We all know she's not dead, just cheaply cliffhangered into a temporary oblivion by Whedon (who claims to love her more than anyone, and expresses it by inflicting pain and quasi-death on her. Get a new shtick man.) If neither of these stories are touched on, I might just not pick it up. Though I'd love to live in a room entirely plastered with John Cassady art.
With the news that George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novels are about to made into a HBO series, I've decided to finally read the first book, A Game of Thrones, which had been sitting on my desk for about a year (bought in those ubiquitous moments of weakness listening to the advice of Amazon.com and what other books I would enjoy based on my already way-too-large purchase.)
I'm going through it at a good clip, which says something of the writing I suppose, and am about 200pages in but undecided. Counter-intuitively, since the final page count clocks in at around 700 (sheesh!) the story reads rather fast, with each chapter told from the point of view or focus of different main characters, never mired in long-winded descriptions or summaries, the many plots proceeding briskly.
However a few elements rub me the wrong way, and they mostly have to deal with the antagonists. You can discern the villains from the heroes pretty much immediately, but the extent of their cruelty is rather too much, and stomach-turning at that. Knowing you will have to follow the characters for another 500pgs makes the reading of their duplicity and spying and maneuvering and brutality wearisome, since they are very one-dimensionally evil. Not only do you long for their defeat prematurely, but they don't have even a glimmer of a redeemable quality, nothing to endear or interest you (like Dumas' shrewd Milady, for example.)
Secondly, their barbarity is not limited to wetworks, as it were, and Martin includes a sizable number of sexual scenes not for the squeamish. Earnest lovemaking, and even the occasional rape by a villain, can be expected in a fictional Medieval type of world. But they're still pretty gross and detailed. And to add to the discomfort, it seems every villain enjoys incest, which aside from being nausea inducing, is wholly unnecessary, as you already despise them and know they're the bad guys. All it does is make you wonder about the writer, who at one point is a distant, imaginative man enjoying the rich world of his creation, and who then suddenly is a very present, rather perverted, pent-up voice using his characters for some kind of catharsis. Oh, to be an editor.
I doubt HBO will include the incest in their series, but honestly I'm probably far off base. With a line-up like True Blood, Hung and that polygamy show, one can't really count on them for decency. Still, they seem to assembling a stellar cast. Sean Bean will play the part of the main good guy, Lord Eddard Stark. He's not at all what is described in the book, namely cold, thin, pale and severe, but he's a good actor so I have faith. His wife, Lady Catelyn, will be portrayed by Jennifer Ehle, the love interest of Jeremy Northam in the film of AS Byatt's Possession. I have only seen her in that one film, so I picture her as sweet and romantic, which isn't really Lady Catelyn at all. As a character, she is strong and clever, but at times rather a cruel bitch, especially to her husband's bastard son. (It's not his fault how he was born, you wench.) Peter Dinklage has a prime opportunity as the resident dwarf of the cast, Tyrion Lannister, who is wise and overlooked (as all fictional dwarfs seem to be.)
Still, I'm looking forward to seeing what they make. If anything, it proves that producers have recognized the fanbase of fantasy stories as a veritable moneypit, and are looking for series that will satisfy the craving. (Might I strongly, strongly, suggest making Kirith Kirin into a movie? Best. Book. Ever.) After all, they already have made a Game of Thrones trading card game, board game, and role playing game, so I suppose it was just a matter of time.
I'll post again when I'm further along, or done, with the first book, with a more solidified opinion and a desire, or disdain, for the next two in the series. If you've already read them, please leave a comment or shoot an email if you'd like to discuss them. Happy Sunday.
From heropress.net, by way of comicbycomic, comes a fictional taste of what a Buffy movie advertising campaign would look like. Very, very well done.
While the comic (series 8) drags on and continually disappoints, the Buffy love we all harbor does not diminish. These posters show not only that there are fans out there still praying every day for a return of SMG to the role, but that the deep abiding love for the characters will probably be there forever.
Take a hint, Mr. Whedon. Drop the Dollhouse and go back to what you were best at. I'm sure SMG would be up for it, if you approach her with respect (do you hate her cause she's a Republican?)
The talented Geoff Johns is everywhere these days. He resuscitated Green Lantern, relaunched Teen Titans, and re-birthed the Flash. Now his epic crossover event Blackest Night has begun, and he is basically the counterpart to Brian Michael Bendis at Marvel--that is to say, the main creative force of the DC Universe.
There is a recent interview on Comic Alliance which he tweeted was the best interview he has ever done, so I thought it was worthy of linkage. In it, he mentions his sister's death years ago in the horrible explosion of TWA Flight 800, and how it affected him (according to Wikipedia he created the character Stargirl, who shares his sister's name Courtney, around her.) He also mentions the death of Michael Turner, fantastic artist, great guy and dear friend, as another source of grief and anger, and how these personal experiences fed into the writing of Blackest Night (which is very, very much concerned with death.)
So far, I've become quite the fan of his. And I am very, very glad that he is in charge, as opposed to Grant Morrison. He seems to love to write, and we are all the beneficiaries of his obsession.
-The sci/fi cartoon Futurama, by Simpsons creator Matt Groening, is returning! Fox has brought back the show with its full, original cast (due to fan pressure).
-Paris Hilton will guest star on Supernatural, and only God knows why (or possibly the devil.)
-Victoria Beckham is replacing Paula Abdul as the third judge on American Idol, or possibly just guest-judging like she did on Project Runway (which returns this month...finally.) Perhaps it was the sitting-on-Mexicans that ended things for Paula. Regardless, it took me awhile to remember that Posh was ever anything other than a famous stylista married to the much more beautiful British Brad Pitt. (Beckham over Brad any day, by the way.)
-Jennifer Ehle (A.S. Byatt's Possession) is set to star in the TV adapatation of epic fantasy series/novel Game of Thrones by R.R. Martin. She is joined by the rugged, ubiquitous Sean Bean and numerous costars including Peter Dinklage.
My favorite hero continues his solo run in Red Robin #3, where Chris Yost carries us on Tim Drake's quest to find out what really happened to Batman. And in doing so, he flashes back to post-R.I.P./Final Crisis time, and the grief and conviction that Tim experiences when faced with the loss of his adopted father. Featuring his Titan teammate and inappropiate kiss-buddy Cassie Sandsmark, Wonder Girl, a hero well-versed in losing loved ones (though her's is due to return this month in Adventure Comics, courtesy of Geoff Johns.
See the other preview pages here, at DC's shiny blog The Source.
And get ready for Tim's appearance in the Blackest Night: Batman miniseries. Having lost his mother and his father, in addition to Batman, and the recently un-deceased Superboy and ex-girlfriend Spoiler, he's got plenty of zombies to look out for.
I'm not particularly fond of Eliza Dushku. I rather grew to love Faith, and thus I followed her, watching her crappy horror movies and thrillers, all the way to Dollhouse, which was what decided me against her (and temporarily against my hero himself, Joss.)
So when I heard she was lending her voice to a video game, I figured it was more of the same lame. But the trailer's been released and, whether or not it teases what the game actually is, it's certainly different. Take a look.
Pretty fun. Though I really don't understand the enormous popularity of musicals. The Buffy one was fantastic, but Doctor Horrible was barely watchable, and it seems everyone's taking the idea to heart, as if it were original.
Regardless, let's keep Eliza in the role of a hardened kick-ass. She can pull it off, and really, that's about the extent of her range.
Apparently James Cameron is directing a sequel to the 15-year-old smash hit True Lies, and, according to costar Tom Arnold, Governator Schwarzenegger is set to star. Filming begins the day after his gubernatorial seat expires.
No word on Jamie Lee Curtis returning, or, for that matter, Eliza Dushku who played the couple's slightly-klepto daughter. However, Curtis is known for the respect she gives to the cult hits/franchises that made her a star (such as starring or guesting in all the Halloween sequels throughout the decades) so if Arnold's there, I'm betting she will be too.
Aside from the recently released The Collector and upcoming A Perfect Getaway, as summer enters its second half and fall moves steadily closer, more and more horror movies are being advertised. Despite the recent trend of remakes, a hefty group of original horrors are appearing on the menu.
First up is Diablo Cody's follow-up to Juno, a comedic horror called Jennifer's Body. The star is Megan Fox, whose vapidity and attention rather annoys me, but after watching the trailer I am certainly willing to see it. Especially since the costar/protagonist is Amanda Seyfried, whom I will always cherish as Lilly Kane from Veronica Mars. Fox is a hot, popular girl at high school (duh) who has been possessed by a demon after a rock 'n roll group uses her in a ritual sacrifice gone bad (twist). As a result she craves human flesh apparently, and begins easily picking off the boys at high school who worship her. It's up to her plain Jane friend Needy (really?) to stop her. Release date: September 18th.
Cameron Diaz and the hunky James Marsden star in The Box, based on a Richard Matheson short story "Button, Button", (which in turn was made into a Twilight Zone episode,) in which a married couple, short on money, are given a mysterious gift, the titular box, within which there is a button. A severely scarred Frank Langella explains the choice; push the button and get a million bucks, the catch being that someone, somewhere in the world, whom they don't know, will die as a result. Release date: October 30th.
Pandorum is a space-set horror movie, about two crew members who wake up alone and with no memory, and then find they're not alone. I'm eager to know more plot lines, and a bit scared by the tension and darkness of the film, as well as being familiar with the stellar acting abilities of Ben Foster. Release date: September 18th.
Unfortunately just a direct-to-DVD release is all that's been given to the long awaited Trick 'r Treat, a series of horror vignettes set on Halloween night, starring the likes of Anna Paquin (in a red riding hood pastiche) and Brian Cox, with a little TahmohPenikett thrown in. By all accounts this movie is fantastic, and I have been eagerly awaiting it for well over a year. (It was made in '07.) Release date: October 27th.
Although not yet filmed and not set to come out for another year, a picture has been posted as a promo for the movie Priest. It stars Paul Bettany as, well, a priest, who has turned away from the Church to kill and pursue vampires that have stolen his niece. Sounds pretty frakkin' awesome. Release date: August 2010.
As far as TV horror goes, Dexter's newest season premieres soon, in which he juggles the joy of serial killing with the responsibility of fatherhood. I mostly watch this show because his sister (now wife in real life...weird) is the best character on the show, plus they seem to love having big name guest stars who are themselves serial killers. (This year it's John Lithgow.)
Aside from these, the sequel to Rob Zombie's Halloween remake is upcoming (check out a good interview with him here at bloody-disgusting.com), a mostly-female slasher called Sorority Row is on its way (or possibly came and went, I'm not paying attention), a remake of Nightmare on Elm Street starring Jackie Earle Haley is in the works, a genocidal virus movie Carriers, and the certainly not to be forgotten Zombieland (release date, October 9th):
The final word is reserved for The Descent 2, the sequel to the chilling and terrific all-female spelunking horror movie from the writer/director of the also solid Dog Soldiers, Neil Marshall. This movie has been pushed back on several occasions, and I have no idea when it will finally come out, but when it does, I'll be there.
The climax of the X-Men/Dark Avengers crossover "Utopia" has been previewed on Comic Book Resources. The one-shot issue titled "Exodus" apparently features the knock-down, drag-out, long-time-coming fight between the X-Men and the Dark Avengers. (I don't see too many of the Dark X-Men in the preview, except for the strange Omega Man who's power seems to be killing other mutants unintentionally.)
A few of the match-ups seem inspired and necessary, like the offspring of Wolvie duking it out, or Hawkeye/Bullseye facing off with a death metal Archangel. Less fulfilling is seeing Northstar portrayed as a douche again, paired up with Dazzler and despite super speed not fast enough to avoid a slash from Dark Beast. Still it looks like my kinda battle scene, and even if no dialogue is added I'll be pretty happy. Only thing better is if "Exodus" translates as the team leaving San Francisco. (That city's not good for them, no, nor for anyone. Westchester misses them.)
The issue is released on September 9th, written by Matt Fraction (who will hopefully make up for what's been a rather weak, even cliched crossover so far) and superbly, beautifully, enchantingly drawn by Mike Deodato.
Most people know about the current DC supercrossover Blackest Night, that tri-yearly event of bringing together as many superheroes as possible into one storyline, and charging 4.99 an issue, that both of the major comic companies love to do. Thankfully, the current DC x-over is penned by Geoff Johns who seems, unlike Grant Morrison, more interested in bringing heroes back from the dead than killing them (although Blackest Night #1 might have already proven me wrong.)
The idea of Green Lantern power rings that cover the entire color spectrum is novel, and has been well-executed, but the final addition of a black ring that raises the dead, turning long-fallen heroes into heart-eating zombies is brilliant. A simple conceit in which an infinite amount of old stories and characters can be rehashed, in a completely new world, bringing a healthy dollop of horror into the standard good vs. evil epic showdown. (And let's be honest, horror has never been more popular, nor more rich in storytelling as a genre, as opposed to cheap scares and gratuitous sex.) It was such a rich idea, I wondered what reaction the folks at Marvel were having, whether Bendis was ordered to perform some alchemy with the foundering Darkest Reign titles.
As it often turns out, competing companies or studios come out with a similar (or exactly the same) idea at the same time (Antz and A Bug's Life anyone?). Now, as revealed at San Diego Comic Con, Marvel has their own Blackest Night in the works.
A crossover (shocker) between three X-titles (X-Force, New Mutants, and X:Men Legacy) will begin coming out in the fall. The arc is titled Necrosha (really?) and will feature the B-level psychic vampire Selene, mostly a lil' Pheonix/Rachel Grey enemy, and her lapdog Eli Bard. These two have harnessed the Transmode Virus, or possibly the Legacy Virus...well, some kind of mutant virus, and have resuscitated dead mutants and infected them with it, controlling them as one would control an army of zombies.
The X-family has had their share of horrible deaths, perhaps more than most even, and is certainly ripe for zombie-fication. For instance, the heart wrenching loss of young Doug Ramsey, which so many of his compatriots still feel, is certainly going to be played on, at least judging by this leaked picture:
The timing, however, leaves something to be desired. Blackest Night will be wrapping up around the fall, and were Necrosha to begin this summer then perhaps fans could say "Oh wow! Isn't it funny how good ideas occur to different people at the same time? It's some kind of spontaneous evolution!" Now it'll just look like plain thievery, and the only decision left to make is, as long as the story is good, do you really care?
Whatever the state of the last arc of X-Force, Chris Yost is a good writer, who has proven it in the past and even now with Red Robin. In addition, Mike Carey has done a wonderful job with X:Men Legacy, and having proved his extreme love and respect for the X-Men's past, I can only look forward to what he will do when that past confronts the present. (Read their interview with Newsarama here.)
Here's to the emotional power of intimately known zombies, whatever universe they may come from.
The two shows have been linked since Dollhouse began, with Joss recruiting the hunky noble Helo (Tahmoh Penikett) to play the hunky noble and much more boring Paul Ballard. There is also the connection behind the screen, in the writers' room, as Buffy alum and close partner of Joss, Jane Espenson, became a much valued top-of-the-food-chain writer on BSG in its final years.
As commented on here before, discreetly and with much respect, Joss' nepotism is growing balls-to-the-wall outta control, the shameless infernal arrogant sod. However when it comes to actors I like, familiar faces who cult-y hits have endeared to a viewer, I can easily get over it.
For instance, it has been revealed that Jamie Bamber will be guest-starring in the new series. Don't know who that is? Allow me to refresh your memory:
Known primarily as the fighter pilot Lee Adam, call sign Apollo, on Battlestar Galactica, he is also fondly remembered as Lieutenant Archie Kennedy in the Horatio Hornblower miniseries. (And, unfortunately, the trite, PC, toxic Law and Order: UK alongside Freema Agyemen, aka Martha Jones of Doctor Who.)
Joining Bamber in Dollhouse, though not necessarily on the same episode, is Michael Hogan, another BSG vet. I'd include a picture, but Saul Tigh was rather old (especially for a cylon) and I don't want to destroy the nice lingering taste of that Bamber towel picture.
Dollhouse seems to be really piling up the guest stars. From Joss' own phone book, a few Whedon alum are expected to show up this coming year, including Alexis Denisof (Wesley on Angel and the baby daddy of Alyson Hannigan's new little rugrat.) Joss has also hinted at the possibility of Summer Glau joining the show, if possible, on at least a temporary basis. And since I'm an equal opportunity blogger, and I want R.S. McCain to link me, I'll contribute a pic, the product of an inspired photo shoot that even I can appreciate.
In short, I approve of the reusing of beauty or talent. But its bears repeating that the extended family of Whedon writers have neither, and Joss would be far more well served if he were to do the dirty work himself, writing and directing like he used to, or at least hiring some tried and true writers from the halcyon Buffy days.
Aside from the already reported return of River Song (Alex Kingston) in the new series of Doctor Who which has only recently begun filming, yet another returning character and actor can be revealed. BBC announced that John Simm will be returning as the Master.
It seems like an obvious tactic, the bringing back of recent recognizable characters, meant to convince those who need convincing that Matt Smith is, in fact, the Doctor. For my own part, I am waiting for his first full episode to make any distinction, but the inevitable continuance of so many already known relationships and plot lines, while comforting, smacks a tiny bit of doubt. As in, without Tennant, Davies or even Piper, Steven Moffat is worried his own stories and completely original creations will stand up on their own, and satisfy his ravenous BBC audience.
Considering the quality of Tennant's final specials (well, the ones that have aired, at least) I don't think he needs to worry. It seems this franchise will get massive ratings no matter what kind of show they put on. But one can hope that some of the freshness, and earnest originality from the first two years will return with these old favorites.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia:
This show, which has never failed to make me guffaw or giggle, or perpetrate some other audible laughing variation, and which torments one with its fairly short seasons and even longer hiatuses (hiati? haiti?) is now coming out with a direct-to-dvd movie length feature! The Christmas special comes out in November (17th?) and will certainly hold me over till the new series premieres (in which, apparently, the gang tackles the economy, with Charlie marketing "kitten mittens" and Dee applying for surrogacy until she has an octomom situation on her hands.) Being such renowned and natural do-gooders, I am positive the holiday movie will warm the heart...mostly by a lack of oxygen as your sides begin to split. The Friends gang was also a bunch of assholes, they just never admitted it.
For movie reviews, be sure to check out Debbie Schlussel. She sure knows how to rip into the clunkers, which is always entertaining, but when she truly loves something it makes you that much more certain that you need to see it. (And she's not even the slightest bit squeamish when it comes to horror or sci/fi and of the other so-called lowbrow genres.) This week she tears into Funny People, and praises some foreign stuff. I'm especially fond of her for loving Drag Me To Hell, and even having Harper's Island on her amazon favorites widget.
Ridley Scott has signed on to do the Alien prequel, as executives move closer to resuscitating the franchise.
No word yet on a Sigourney cameo/casting, but one can hope.
Scott is currently filming (finished?) Robin Hood starring his ol' buddy Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett and the lovely Matthew McFadyen.
In related news, two new horror movies open this week, and judging by trailers, clips and reviews, they both appear to be quality films of their genre, the first to come out since Drag Me To Hell. (Everyone knows by now that Esther's a middle-aged psycho dwarf. Lame.)
So go check out A Perfect Getaway, with Milla Jovovich (completely underrated, but a fantastic actress--just watch The Messenger) and Steve Zahn (hilarious and good at horror--see Joy Ride,) and The Collector starring Josh Stewart (who I will always like since his time as a rookie on Third Watch.)
In this week's Fantastic Four, Issue #569, the final pages feature the (failed) wedding of Ben Grimm aka The Thing to some woman named Deborah Green whom I've never heard of.
Not the point.
One of the frames shows the interior of the reform synagogue where the nuptials are to take place (huzzay for Jewperheroes) filled to its kosher gills with fellow heroes come to pay their respects. We've got Avengers, we've got Spidey, we've got Daredevil and the two She-Hulks (and a Colonel Sanders lookalike) and in the background, standing up, we've got the ever sombre Cyclops aka Scott Summers and his ravishing consort Emma Frost, The White (currently Black) Queen.
If you look super hard, as I always do when there are masses of guest-starring capes, you will unmistakably notice that Emma's got a bit of a baby bump, with her right hand resting comfortably upon it. (I have taken a shoddy picture with my camera to edify you, sorry for the quality. Buy yourself the issue if you care so much.)
Now, I suppose this could be an artistic little screw up, justified with some excuse like it's her long cape or whatever. However, this artist seems to me a stickler for details, and furthermore Emma Frost would never be caught dead in public in an outfit that could conceivably make her look pregnant.
The likelier, and far, far more juicier, possibility is that Emma and Scott are expecting, a momentous feat that Scott and Jean Grey never accomplished. Also consider these further hints: Peter David's X-Factor has been, and is currently, engaged in a lengthy storyline set years in the future involving Ruby Summers, the ruby-quartz-skinned-optic-blast-shooting daughter of Scott Summers and Emma Frost.
In addition, most solicits, interviews and official hints have pointed to a reckoning between Scott and Emma about their relationship and the large amount of secrets each keeps from the other. Naturally a pregnancy would fairly terrify Emma, whose true love for Scott was a hard enough pill for her to swallow, and defensively, what with her shaky morals, she could easily telepathically control everyone around her to see her figure as completely normal (aka superhot.
And there you have it folks, a most convincing case if I may say so myself. You heard it here first.
I can only imagine the level of Emma's anxiety, considering both that most of the children she's come to love have died painful deaths, and perhaps more importantly that she'll have to stop hitting the sauce (and we all know how she loves that high-end stuff.)
Whedonverse has a very handy web page assembling all the current Twitters of Whedon show alum. Check it out.
I could do without his less talented extended family, who are everywhere these days, and some few of the stretches (the French praying-mantis teacher from season 2? really?) but so far today I'm enjoying Nathan Fillion.
He's handsome. He's a good actor. His sense of humor and timing is apparently completely natural. He's a little cheesy. In short he's one of those rarities of the world, and moreso in Hollywood; a decent guy with a good personality. I'm just a tiny bit in love. I'll get over it, don't worry.
I have no doubt that were Alan Ball to endeavour to create his own vampire show, with its own mythology, and original characters, it would be successful. He could still indulge his more lascivious fantasies, the way he indulged his neuroses in Six Feet Under, only with better writing and better acting. As it is, he decided to recreate the world of Charlaine Harris' endless series of tacky top-10 pharmacy-rack vampire romance books.
No doubt with Anna Paquin as the lead, quality acting was expected. I know for a fact that she can act, I've seen her do it effectively, yet for some reason the thin but earnest character of SookieStackhouse is just slightly out of her reach. Her actions, her delivery, her facial expressions display an unprecedented vacuity, an awkward neophyte trying to do southern and strong, a downright irritating display of bad timing, bad dialogue, and bad casting. Paired with the deep toned actor who plays Bill Compton, who is unconvincing as both the Southern Gentleman and the bloodthirsty monster between which he oscillates, and who either equally unfit for the role or else in an attempt to sync up with Paquin his talents devolved, the two together destroy whatever belief an eager watcher held in this shaky, semi-dark, certainly perverted cliche world.
Nonetheless, as it is my shameful duty to admit, I have still continued to watch. (Except for the opening credits, which I have to mute or fast forward or both, so creepy and stomach-turning they are.) The first season, despite the aforementioned acting and the showrunners' obvious fetish with sex and pain and that whole completely overdone 'adult' theme genre, could at least boast a plot, and even a fairly solid mystery that spanned all 12 episodes and was concluded with some satisfaction. This year, however, basically nothing has happened in the first 6 episodes that we didn't either already know at the end of last year, or in the 2nd premiere, or could easily anticipate. The cliffhangers are paltry, the slight mysteries grow tedious and drag on, and every character displays a stupidity and weakness that rather than making them human and dynamic, simply makes them irritating. Plus the sex and violence have fairly tripled, with all the black eyed orgies and half-beast/half-BSG guest stars running around, which is an obvious sign that somehow, despite only one season of shaky work, True Blood has jumped the shark (and possibly fed off it, and made out with its dead remains.)
That Anna Paquin actually got a Golden Globule for Best Actress is laughable, and either a public joke and insult, or else a head-shaking sign of how stupid award boards are. The only decent actor on the show is her brother, the handsome but consistently very stupid Jason, who, though obviously a capable actor, is nothing more than a foil in which Ball can rail against the manipulation and hidden cruelty of organized religion.
Six hours is not only six hours of your life you can't get back, but it's half of an entire season, a season already shorter by half to most of us who are used to tv seasons lasting 22 eps. Fans (and I don't count myself among them in this case) waited a year for this show to resume, and HBO no doubt forked over a truckload of money, but like many weak shows the quality has only decreased.
The most disturbing news of all, as was reported from San Diego Comic Con, is that this year will also see the release of an actual TruBlood beverage (in the show it's an alternative synthetic blood for the recently outed vampires.) Rather than risk coagulation, our real life beverage is in the form of a 'blood-red orange soda'. All that's left is to get the Count from Sesame Street to help with the advertising.
Courtesy of blogterwho.blogspot.com, we have some pictures taken at the set of the new series of Doctor Who, starring Matt Smith.
Not completely sure what his companion is wearing, but she's pretty. As for Smith, well we already knew he was handsome. But can he pull of the skinny bow tie? Is it a age/youth kind of merge attempt, him being the youngest actor to play the Doctor, while the Doctor is several hundred (?) years old by now?
Also taken on this day of filming were pictures that confirm Alex Kingston's return as River Song.
I wasn't a big fan of the Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead 2-parter last series, in fact I found it downright lame, but the only interesting part was her character (name aside.) We know she was the Doctor's lover, possibly love of his lives, we know how her own life ends, and we know when she met David Tennant's Doctor she remarked on how young he was.
Therefore Matt Smith's Doc can't be the one she had her long love affair with, since he's even younger. Still, all this time traveling, and knowing when people you love are going to die is certainly rich, plot wise. I wonder if it has some connection to Gillian Anderson starring as Rani.
In related Doctor Who news, and in a glorious geekdom overlap, at San Diego Comic Con Russel T. Davies and David Tennant had a panel. In it Tennant claims " I love Firefly, I love Serenity. They're excellent." followed by a particularly effeminate supportive clap by Davies. He goes on to speculate on the origin of his own Doctor's long brown coat.
For those of us who wouldn't travel to the Left Coast if gold started growing in their deserts, the internet is the only place to follow the news and releases of the San Diego Comic Con. It seems to grow bigger every year, and the publishers have responded accordingly, with DC in particular releasing a whole series of upcoming covers, particularly concerning the tragic yet resourceful extended Bat family.
By order of personal favoritism, we first have an issue of Red Robin, with Tim Drake allying himself (albeit with less subservience than this cover implies, no doubt) to the dread Ra's al Ghul, who I've noticed has become slightly less of an albino since he obtained that new body. It mirrors the Marvel consistency of Loki's apparent hermaphroditism. So far I'm loving the covers, I'm loving the book, and I'm most looking forward to his reunion with Connor/KonEl/Superboy.
Next we have The Outsiders, delving even deeper into Batman's rogues gallery by going up against Killer Croc after crossing swords with Ra's in the previous storyline. So far most of the characters have proven interesting and surprising (especially Roy Raymond Jr/Owlman) with the exception of Geo Force, who is pompous and kinda nasty and rather boring.
This next cover has Batman (Dick Grayson) fighting what seems to be the new Red Hood, or whatever Mr. Morrison is calling his new villainous duo, a kind of Batman and Robin with hand guns it seems. It's a better look for Batman and Robin than Frank Quitely, in my opinion, but whoever is drawing is irrelevant--the writing needs to step up and save this title, before it brings down the entire Batman Reborn event with its creepy circus freaks and self-importance.
Lastly, a cover for what I believe is an Arkham Asylum side series, which I probably won't pick up, but worth posting cause it's a cool freaking cover. The jigsaw thing has been done, sure (most recently in Buffy, in a Georges Jeanty cover--which rarely holds a candle to Jo Chen) but the idea of an overlapping Scarecrow and Joker is doubly freaky. Well done.
It's been so long since the last issue was released I quite forgot that a final one was still in the works. For that matter, as I recall, the story had a fairly decent sort of closure. The Four were outmaneuvered and ended, the threatening other-world was out-threatened, and Elijah Snow was driving his miraculous space/timeship into The Bleed, with joy at the impending archeology.
Nonetheless, do not think me dismayed. Shocked perhaps, but in a very pleasant way. Planetary is one of the best comics ever in my opinion, certainly the best Warren Ellis stories I've ever read, and the art of John Cassady is the most beautiful, stirring, original art in the entire medium.
Not only is it wonderful story on its own, but it examines the entire mythos and trends of superhero comics, disregarding the differences in universes, and paying homage to that one big world that so many of us dearly love.
Here is the newly release stunning cover, with an older page sample posted on Ellis' blog way back in April:
Discreetly disregarding the immense time gap between posts, Captain Elias returns to faithfully and objectively bring Joss Whedon down a peg or four (even Oscar de la Rente goes to Anna Wintour for the harsh truth.)
Dollhouse:
The second season renewal of this flat, awkward, contrived sci/fi joke remains one of the most astonishing, and embarrasing, media moves of the year. Perhaps in an attempt to make up for the previous and wholly undeserved Whedon-show cancellations (Firefly had several seasons of gold left, and Angel at least a couple more) Fox chose to be merciful with this Dushku-driven shlockfest simply because it has the name Whedon and a hot girl on its promos. (God knows it wasn't the ratings that convinced them.)
The release of the unaired 13th episode, Epitaph One, confirms all the negative impressions from the first 12, the main one being that Eliza Dushku is not a gifted actress. On Buffy she grew into her role as Faith (one of the few sub-par actors ever to grace that remarkable show, along with whatever valley girl actress played Glory), no doubt because her character was simple and consistent. Touting her unacknowledged talents, Whedon developed Dollhouse as a vehicle to showcase her depth, giving her an endless array of personalities to inhabit, including the central vapid Echo persona, a blank, ignorant Doll. Even that is not portrayed convincingly.
The other main impression is that nepotism does not breed good writing. Aside from the convoluted unoriginal premise (The Pretender was more watchable) the numerous episodes penned by Joss Whedon's younger brothers and one of their wives are watered-down ghosts of a formulaic Joss. It seems, inevitably, that all the cries of 'Genius!' have penetrated Joss' psychology, and his trademark witty banter suffuses the uninteresting plots, making the thin and unendearing characters not only unlikeable, but intensely irritating. (In Topher's case, I would welcome the overused main-character-death-as-plot device with great joy.)
The post-apocalyptic future episode, Epitaph One, confirms that the moral grey area that everycharacter inhabits will in fact lead to the fall of mankind. Now knowing, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the opportunistic dangerous exploits of the Dollhouse will lead to disaster, what possible reason is there to watch the second season? The downward spiral of life is not nearly as enticing to fandom as Whedon may believe, and even in Buffy and Angel's darkest days (seasons 6 and 4, respectively) the theme of redemption was ever-present and enough to keep you watching. Dollhouse has nothing redeeming.
Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog:
Nepotism on parade continues as the Whedon family's lauded web series gains an Emmy nomination. It seems the category was created solely to honor this trite little musical and its advancement of the marketability of web series. Honestly, how do they justify the inclusion of "Outstanding Special Class Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program" to the list of awards? It's enough to make you question the noble and impartial methods of award selections.
Buffy Comics:
Even these have grown flat, and no one rejoiced more at the continuation of Buffy canon in comic form than I. From vampires-as-reality-tv-stars to stuffed-animal-Vampy-Cats, interesting premises and time tested characters are reduced to a series of hardly gripping cheap cliffhangers.
The Cabin in the Woods:
This project I still have some hope for. Billed as the horror movie to end all horror movies, "literally", the ingenuity Whedon is known for might actually return in this long-hyped film. The acting chops of Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford may ensure that whatever the quality of the script may be, some characters may hold your interest for an hour and a half. The other casting choices, mostly of up-and-coming young hollywood blorks, is less confidence inspiring (with Franz Kafka, Topher from Dollhouse, being the worst of these.) However the newly released promo posters give the sense that the impending subversion of horror movie tropes (Scream anyone?) is fresh enough to have some merit. And a sense of humor in horror movies, though a delicate and difficult balance to srike, is certainly worth praise. Have a look for yourself:
To summarize, my once unshakeable faith and devotion to all things Whedon has been severely shaken in past years, but it is not impossible that he might regain his most stalwart advocate's appreciation.
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