Freaking...really?
How dumb can you be, seriously?
Critical Role: 8 Cutest Pike & Grog Moments
1 year ago
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Dirty Pool
Anybody else notice these super-fun McCain ads posted around LiveJournal lately? The ones which say things like "Is it okay to meet unconditionally with anti-american leaders?" And show a picture of Obama next to the leader of Iran?
I don't know which is more pathetic, the fact that the McCain camp is buying into the "Portray Obama as a terrorist" myth by posting a picture of him right next to a man who, well, is only describable as looking Arabic and Angry, or that the computer-illiterate McCain plan is to make their ads look like one of the incredibly despised "Tell us what this celebrity's name is and win a free iPod!" banner ads.
Can you picture this meeting? "No, I don't like that MySpace thing. Too many perverts. Let's put up a few ads on that journalmajigger, that's where all the political young folk are. Also, let's make it look like they get a WiiStation or something for visiting the site. They'll like that. What? No, it's not pandering!"
It's a disgusting slander tactic that only backfires and shows just how out of touch this man and his Republican cabinet are with the nation, and McCain, a man who once commanded respect, should be ashamed of himself for resorting to it. Then, why should I be surprised? It's basically the only campaign strategy he's got left.
I don't know which is more pathetic, the fact that the McCain camp is buying into the "Portray Obama as a terrorist" myth by posting a picture of him right next to a man who, well, is only describable as looking Arabic and Angry, or that the computer-illiterate McCain plan is to make their ads look like one of the incredibly despised "Tell us what this celebrity's name is and win a free iPod!" banner ads.
Can you picture this meeting? "No, I don't like that MySpace thing. Too many perverts. Let's put up a few ads on that journalmajigger, that's where all the political young folk are. Also, let's make it look like they get a WiiStation or something for visiting the site. They'll like that. What? No, it's not pandering!"
It's a disgusting slander tactic that only backfires and shows just how out of touch this man and his Republican cabinet are with the nation, and McCain, a man who once commanded respect, should be ashamed of himself for resorting to it. Then, why should I be surprised? It's basically the only campaign strategy he's got left.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
On the subject...
More Batman-related goodies for you all:
First, Spill.com is giving us a humorous article which, much like Lisa Simpson, answers the question no one asked: What if Michael Bay(Transformers, Armageddon, Bad Boys, a bunch of other films where stuff inexplicably blows up for no raisin) had written The Dark Knight?
Also, Christopher Nolan and now Christian Bale have both said it... NO ROBIN. A lot of people who are misinformed hate Robin really for no good reason, other than Chris O'Donnel. (Wait, that's a pretty good reason, actually.) So, here's my two cents. Robin is a good character, and important to the development of Batman. Batman, as he matures, reaches a point where he finds himself scaring the good people as well as the bad. He becomes the fear that his enemies inspire, the fear that he hates. That's where Robin comes in. The "Teen Sidekick" represents a new persona for the bat, one with responsibilities, including having someone else who can get hurt if things go awry, that he's never had before. It's really interesting, and completly out of place in Nolan's series. Robin should not be invovled in Nolan's darker, realer trilogy. The tone is wrong, and the timing is all wrong. Remember, this is Batman Begins, Not Batman hs been doing this for a while, so let's add something new. Adding Robin would throw off the feel of this incarnation of the franchise, and should wait until the hypothetical fourth film, when Christoper Nolan may not be onboard anymore.
Or am I totally off?
First, Spill.com is giving us a humorous article which, much like Lisa Simpson, answers the question no one asked: What if Michael Bay(Transformers, Armageddon, Bad Boys, a bunch of other films where stuff inexplicably blows up for no raisin) had written The Dark Knight?
Also, Christopher Nolan and now Christian Bale have both said it... NO ROBIN. A lot of people who are misinformed hate Robin really for no good reason, other than Chris O'Donnel. (Wait, that's a pretty good reason, actually.) So, here's my two cents. Robin is a good character, and important to the development of Batman. Batman, as he matures, reaches a point where he finds himself scaring the good people as well as the bad. He becomes the fear that his enemies inspire, the fear that he hates. That's where Robin comes in. The "Teen Sidekick" represents a new persona for the bat, one with responsibilities, including having someone else who can get hurt if things go awry, that he's never had before. It's really interesting, and completly out of place in Nolan's series. Robin should not be invovled in Nolan's darker, realer trilogy. The tone is wrong, and the timing is all wrong. Remember, this is Batman Begins, Not Batman hs been doing this for a while, so let's add something new. Adding Robin would throw off the feel of this incarnation of the franchise, and should wait until the hypothetical fourth film, when Christoper Nolan may not be onboard anymore.
Or am I totally off?
Reviews!
A pair of DVD reviews today, to start out with. Vantage Point and Batman: Gotham Knight.
Vantage Point
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Matthew Fox
Director: Peter Travis
Writer: Barry Levy
Vantage Point tells the story of a presidential assasination attempt and terrorist attack as seen from the points of view of several different people, including a grizzled Secret Service Agent (Quaid), a TV news producer (Weaver) and a bystander with a lucky camera angle(Whitaker). The film is shown Rashomon-style, meaning we see the same events over and over through other character's eyes. I like Rashomon-style as a film technique, because it gives the viewer a rare chance to learn more about the characters backgrounds and ideals, making them more human and relatable. Vantage Point doesn't use this to that effect, however, instead focusing more on the intense rising action of the incredibly complex scenario they've set up.
Because there is so much going on, the characters are reduced to tropes, simple charicatures which serve as plot devices rather than characters. All we need to know about Quaid is he's tough. All we need to know about Terrorists is that they're evil. All we need to know about the president is...well, he's being shot. We even get to see the scenario from the terrorist's POV, and yet no rationale for their behavior is given, or even furthur explanation as to what exactly their convoluted plan is.
What it lacks in development, Vantage Point more than makes up for in storytelling. The film develops in many new and interesting ways, with lots of "OHHH!" and "Wow, I did not see that coming." twists and turns during the viewing. The action is gripping, and fast-paced enough that it never becomes boring, yet hits all the major plot points without confusing the audience. While the characters don't make you care, the well-handled plot line certainly does.
Vantage Point is great at what it does well, but suffers from what it does poorly. There are actually too many points of view, meaning the ideas the film goes for get choppy. Weaver's character is almost entirely unimportant and disappears after the first twenty minutes or so of the film. Whitaker is likeable as the relatable Everyman, but his storyline is almost entirely inconsequential to the rest of the plot. Spanish actor Eduardo Noriega plays a Spanish police officer whose storyline is almost entirely forgettable. It should be said that all of these opinions are reflections from thinking about the film AFTER seeing it, and that the film is so well-crafted that at no point during the viewing does the film seen bogged down.
Bottom Line: Vantage Point is a good film. It's not a great film, and handled differently, it could have been done better, but it's definitly worth watching once. It's definitly intriguing, and after the first few minutes, you won't be able to stop watching anyway, so just cut to the chase and see it.
Buy? Probably not. There is a documentary on the making which looks a little interesting, but I reccomend doing what I did and Redboxing it.
RATING: I give it 7.5 Tough-looking Dennis Quaids
Out of 10.
(I Think that's a photo from GI Joe, maybe? Quaid kinda looks like he's passing a huge fart right at that moment, and trying to hide it.)
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT
Starring: Kevin Freaking Conroy!..and a bunch of other people that aren't Batman
Directors: Yashurio Aoki, Shoujurio Nimishi...
Writers: Alan Burnett, David Goyer, Greg Rucka
If you're a casual film goer looking for someting to tide you over until next weeks The Dark Knight, then...watch Batman Begins again. This one is only for the die-hard fans. Warner Brothers seems to know this, because instead of Christian Bale's Batman Wrestler voice, we get Kevin Conroy, who fans know as THE voice of Batman from Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League. The film is to act as a bridge between Batman Begins and next week's Joker-filled sequel, much like the Animatrix before it.
The film has a lot in common with the Animatrix, actually. They're both heavy on visuals but light on premise, they both consist of radically different sets of stories, and like the Animatrix, there will be parts you find yorself caring about less than others. However the strengths of the good stories carries the film, and that's what scene skips are for.
Visually, Gotham Knight is stunning, and this comes from a man who loves to put down anime in favor of Western Animation. The directors know how to do their job, which is basically make us say, "Holy SHIT, Batman is cool." There are plenty of Batman Bad-ass moments, but anytime the Caped Crusader is not on screen,(Which is a lot, since the film is also about the people of Gotham) the film becomes slow. Even when Batman is in his Bruce Wayne persona, there's something that just feels not quite there. The Japanese style makes BatBruce seem somehow less human than any other style, which removes a lot of the best parts of the character. (At one point in time, we do see Batman as a giant Mecha. Yes it's in a kid's imagination, and yes, it's badass, but still, it sends up kind of a red flag.) Also, Anime Christian Bale takes some serious getting used to. I had to pause the screen and stare for a bit, it just doesn't look right.
Kevin Conroy's voice is wasted, really, as Batman doesn't really have all that much to say throughout the film. That's also a nitpick I have. There's plenty for those interested in the backstory of the Batman mythos, but really, after Begins, how much more do we need?
Bottom Line: Worth seeing for the animation, if nothing else, especially if you are a lover of the Bat, or a lover of Japanese animation. It's a fresh retelling of a popular caracter that just happened to not be my cup of Bat-tea.
Buy? Maybe. I did own the Animatrix for a time. The 2-disc set comes with four episodes of Batman : The Animated Series which may be worth it when the price goes down. Also, a documentary on Batman villians. But if you're really hoping for something to buy from this line, pick up the super-awesome adaptation of Darwyn Cooke's DC:The New Frontier instead,
Rating: For its awesome "Batman kicks some dude's asses" scenes, we need to go with seven God-damned Batmans
Out of 10.
(However, the comic that panel comes from, Frank Miller's All-Star Batman & Robin, gets a 0 out of everything, and outside of that panel, should never be read by anyone ever. God, I hate Frank Miller.)
Vantage Point
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Matthew Fox
Director: Peter Travis
Writer: Barry Levy
Vantage Point tells the story of a presidential assasination attempt and terrorist attack as seen from the points of view of several different people, including a grizzled Secret Service Agent (Quaid), a TV news producer (Weaver) and a bystander with a lucky camera angle(Whitaker). The film is shown Rashomon-style, meaning we see the same events over and over through other character's eyes. I like Rashomon-style as a film technique, because it gives the viewer a rare chance to learn more about the characters backgrounds and ideals, making them more human and relatable. Vantage Point doesn't use this to that effect, however, instead focusing more on the intense rising action of the incredibly complex scenario they've set up.
Because there is so much going on, the characters are reduced to tropes, simple charicatures which serve as plot devices rather than characters. All we need to know about Quaid is he's tough. All we need to know about Terrorists is that they're evil. All we need to know about the president is...well, he's being shot. We even get to see the scenario from the terrorist's POV, and yet no rationale for their behavior is given, or even furthur explanation as to what exactly their convoluted plan is.
What it lacks in development, Vantage Point more than makes up for in storytelling. The film develops in many new and interesting ways, with lots of "OHHH!" and "Wow, I did not see that coming." twists and turns during the viewing. The action is gripping, and fast-paced enough that it never becomes boring, yet hits all the major plot points without confusing the audience. While the characters don't make you care, the well-handled plot line certainly does.
Vantage Point is great at what it does well, but suffers from what it does poorly. There are actually too many points of view, meaning the ideas the film goes for get choppy. Weaver's character is almost entirely unimportant and disappears after the first twenty minutes or so of the film. Whitaker is likeable as the relatable Everyman, but his storyline is almost entirely inconsequential to the rest of the plot. Spanish actor Eduardo Noriega plays a Spanish police officer whose storyline is almost entirely forgettable. It should be said that all of these opinions are reflections from thinking about the film AFTER seeing it, and that the film is so well-crafted that at no point during the viewing does the film seen bogged down.
Bottom Line: Vantage Point is a good film. It's not a great film, and handled differently, it could have been done better, but it's definitly worth watching once. It's definitly intriguing, and after the first few minutes, you won't be able to stop watching anyway, so just cut to the chase and see it.
Buy? Probably not. There is a documentary on the making which looks a little interesting, but I reccomend doing what I did and Redboxing it.
RATING: I give it 7.5 Tough-looking Dennis Quaids
Out of 10.(I Think that's a photo from GI Joe, maybe? Quaid kinda looks like he's passing a huge fart right at that moment, and trying to hide it.)
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT
Starring: Kevin Freaking Conroy!..and a bunch of other people that aren't Batman
Directors: Yashurio Aoki, Shoujurio Nimishi...
Writers: Alan Burnett, David Goyer, Greg Rucka
If you're a casual film goer looking for someting to tide you over until next weeks The Dark Knight, then...watch Batman Begins again. This one is only for the die-hard fans. Warner Brothers seems to know this, because instead of Christian Bale's Batman Wrestler voice, we get Kevin Conroy, who fans know as THE voice of Batman from Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League. The film is to act as a bridge between Batman Begins and next week's Joker-filled sequel, much like the Animatrix before it.
The film has a lot in common with the Animatrix, actually. They're both heavy on visuals but light on premise, they both consist of radically different sets of stories, and like the Animatrix, there will be parts you find yorself caring about less than others. However the strengths of the good stories carries the film, and that's what scene skips are for.
Visually, Gotham Knight is stunning, and this comes from a man who loves to put down anime in favor of Western Animation. The directors know how to do their job, which is basically make us say, "Holy SHIT, Batman is cool." There are plenty of Batman Bad-ass moments, but anytime the Caped Crusader is not on screen,(Which is a lot, since the film is also about the people of Gotham) the film becomes slow. Even when Batman is in his Bruce Wayne persona, there's something that just feels not quite there. The Japanese style makes BatBruce seem somehow less human than any other style, which removes a lot of the best parts of the character. (At one point in time, we do see Batman as a giant Mecha. Yes it's in a kid's imagination, and yes, it's badass, but still, it sends up kind of a red flag.) Also, Anime Christian Bale takes some serious getting used to. I had to pause the screen and stare for a bit, it just doesn't look right.
Kevin Conroy's voice is wasted, really, as Batman doesn't really have all that much to say throughout the film. That's also a nitpick I have. There's plenty for those interested in the backstory of the Batman mythos, but really, after Begins, how much more do we need?
Bottom Line: Worth seeing for the animation, if nothing else, especially if you are a lover of the Bat, or a lover of Japanese animation. It's a fresh retelling of a popular caracter that just happened to not be my cup of Bat-tea.
Buy? Maybe. I did own the Animatrix for a time. The 2-disc set comes with four episodes of Batman : The Animated Series which may be worth it when the price goes down. Also, a documentary on Batman villians. But if you're really hoping for something to buy from this line, pick up the super-awesome adaptation of Darwyn Cooke's DC:The New Frontier instead,
Rating: For its awesome "Batman kicks some dude's asses" scenes, we need to go with seven God-damned Batmans
Out of 10.(However, the comic that panel comes from, Frank Miller's All-Star Batman & Robin, gets a 0 out of everything, and outside of that panel, should never be read by anyone ever. God, I hate Frank Miller.)
Welcome to my world.
This is my new blog, where commentary on pop culture and the news resides. Please,enter and share your opinions with me. I may even pretend to care, or agree.
Seriously though, I'm just one guy with thoughts I like to share. I hope some of you have thoughts, too. Just let me know, and please don't flame me.
This blog is also run on livejournal as Schneid Remarks
Seriously though, I'm just one guy with thoughts I like to share. I hope some of you have thoughts, too. Just let me know, and please don't flame me.
This blog is also run on livejournal as Schneid Remarks
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