People approach me and say “Doug, we haven’t seen you post recently. What have you been learning on the Internet these last two weeks that you haven’t been posting?”*
I learned that Matt Mullenweg started WordPress partially of a desire to help out his church.
I learned that one does not mess with Finns named Simo Häyhä, particularly if one is Russian.
I learned that Guy Ritchie is making a “Michael Bay version” of “Sherlock Holmes” (“I command ‘Sherlock Holmes’ to be awesome“):
I learned that Ted Vigilante is the single best superior court judge name ever and that he will likely have to be played by Chuck Norris, should a made-for-TV movie ever be produced based solely upon his name.
I learned that Sen. Jim “R0xx0r Your S0xx0rs” DeMint is not afraid to drop the XML Bomb on his crotchety Senate colleagues. (I also learned he desperately needs a new headshot that doesn’t make him look like a goober.)
Continue reading “Stuff I Learned On The Internet[s], Recent History Edition”
Who Watches The WangWatchmen?
A friend invited me out to see Watchmen tonight and, in brief, it was a good way to spend a couple of hours on a Friday night.
The film hews very closely to the graphiccomicnovelbook (as noted on GeekDad) and is hugely indebted to the work put in by its original creators. I firmly believe that the solid foundation of the DC comic built by Moore/Gibbons is a (the?) chief reason the movie works. A weaker script would have doomed this movie.
As GeekDad also notes, it is most assuredly not one for the kids. It’s rated “R” and earns it — crude language and sexual situations abound, as do violence and disturbing scenes. A sex scene set to Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is vastly overlong — and am I alone in liking Jeff Buckley’s version of the song better? Also, there is far (far, far, far) more screen time devoted to Doctor Manhattan’s, errrm, Junior Doctor Manhattan than I would have necessarily wanted to see. Ever.
Digitized electric blue Wang-Dang-Crudup-Doodles aside, I would definitely put it beside Zack Snyder’s other recent work, 300 in terms of both its thought-provoking nature and its visual artistry. Well worth seeing, if only to support the notion that loud, visually-stunning movies based on comic books can be complex, compelling and more than just over-muscled dudes in spandex prancing about.
Oh, and before I leave off for the night, two Watchmen-related earwigs to toss at you:
Continue reading “Who Watches The WangWatchmen?”
Zombie George Washington Demands BRAAAAANES, Warns Against Foreign Entanglements
Have y’all seen the new Presidential $1 coins the U.S. Mint is set to release? Here are the first 4:
The wisdom of minting $1 coins when the population of the U.S. has shown, time-and-again, their resistance to such coinage aside, I’ve got to say: that’s the dirt poorest attempt at capturing our first 4 Presidents’ visages I’ve ever seen committed to metal.
George Washington, for instance, looks ready to try out for the next George Romero film:
Meanwhile, James Madison looks as if he vants to suck your bloot, having just polished off Dolley’s liver:
Come to think of it, The New Adventures of Zombie Washington and Vampire Madison! would make a pretty kick-butt comic book. Image!, DC, Marvel: hop to it!
Broke “Bat” Mountain
Looks like the producers of the upcoming Batman movie (once again starring Christian Bale in the titular role) have selected Heath Ledger to play The Joker. We’ll see how the casting plays out on that one, but I have to say that I was extremely impressed with Batman Begins and am really looking forward to a new take on the whole Joker storyline.
I can’t wait.
Venom!
The Spiderman 3 trailer went live today. You know you have to see it.
(And yes, it’s most definitely worth a watch or 5…)
Test Your CBGIQ
Just how well do you know your comic book superheroes? What is your Comic Book Geek I.Q.? If you think yourself a real comic book afficionado, BBSpot has a quiz worth taking titled Superhero or Household Cleaner?. See how well you do.
Me?
You scored 17 out of 20.
Excellent job. I dub thee Captain Cleanser.
Which ones did I miss?
I missed Mas y Menos (superhero), Mr. Muscle (cleaner) and Swift (superhero). Not bad, if I do say so myself.
No, No, No, No, NO!
I’ve generally liked the Spider-Man movies as implemented by Sam Raimi and his creative crew, but I must object to his casting of Topher Freakin’ Grace as Venom!
Eddie Brock, aka Venom – 6’3″, 260lbs. former-weight-lifter-turned-newspaper-reporter and, when combined with a hideous alien symbiot, Spider-Man’s psychotic nearly-indestructable archnemesis.
Topher Grace – Neither 6’3″ nor 260lbs. Plays serial wussbags in all his roles.
Anyone else see a severe disconnect here?