Archive for October, 2002
20 items.
Two things you will need in order to enjoy today’s strip:
1. An familiarity with the plot to the new Naomi Watts thriller The Ring.
2. A rudimentary understanding of domestic cohabitation.
So, in essence; Married guys? This one is for you!
Actually, that’s not true. This joke can be enjoyed if, for example, you share a house or apartment with a couple of guys and one of them happens to be an obsessive neat freak. I suppose this could go for the ladies, too. Basically, any situation where you’re sharing living space with a bunch of other dirty, stinky humans will work.
Is anyone else interested in seeing The Ring? It’s gotten so-so reviews. I’ve read a lot of notices that claim trickery on the part of director Gore Verbinski – that he’s taken and awesome premise and watered it down with standard thriller cliches…
* THE REST OF THIS BLOG POST WAS LOST WHEN THEATER HOPPER MOVED TO WORDPRESS IN JANUARY 2009 *
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Oct21
Developing today’s strip was interesting. From concept to completion, Jared was over my shoulder videotaping the whole thing. He was gathering his B-role for the Theater Hopper Documentary.
I was sweating bullets Sunday night waiting for him to come over and gather this footage. I had been creatively constipated all day and had no idea what I was doing for today’s strip. In the end it boiled down to “Okay, what movies are out there? Formula 51? What’s that? Sam Jackson? Okay. Formula 51, how can I make that funny. Formula 409! Okay, run with it.”
I think I worked out in the end. You only need to look at what happens to Jared in the last panel to know why.
When in doubt, go for the sight gag.
I think things will be very interesting when the documentary will be finished. As I mentioned before, a film festival is what spurred this whole thing and Jared has until Nov. 1 to gather all the film, make all the edits and submit it. We’ll see what happens after that.
The festival isn’t until January 9 and I think we’ll probably wait to see how it fares in front of a panel of judges before we make it available on the site. Unless, of course, there is lots of interest.
We’ll be sure to keep you updated as the production progresses.
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It’s always a real treat when another web comic links to your site from theirs. It’s a real validation to have your work recognized not only by fans, but by others in the industry who like what you do.
Imagine my utter pants-wetting glee when upon checking my counter logs, I was deluged by hits from the main page blogs of not one, not two, but three big web comics.
Many thanks to Troy’s Bucket, Nothing Nice to Say and, in a surprise revelation, Something Positive for giving me notice on their sites today.
A link back on my end is but a small gesture. One not truly indicative of my appreciation. Please check out all three sites and let them know their awesomeness is far-reaching.
And, as long as I’m directing traffic, everyone should be sure to check out LINKS
No Pants Tuesday. Zach finally got it together and purchased himself a fancy new domain. You can now find him at (appropriately) http://www.nopantstuesday.com. Be sure to pay him a visit and check out the new strip he put up today.
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Oct23
If you think that today’s strip is some sort of late April Fool’s joke, then I suggest you check out this story.
Quite frankly, I’m sick with the idea that anyone would
A. Attempt a sequel to one of the most beloved family films of all time (does anyone remember the 10 car pile up of muppets that was Return to Oz?) and
B. Stick Drew Barrymore in the starring role of Dorothy. Never mind she’s 27 and Judy Garland was 17 when she played it. Oh, wait. You’ll probably turn her into some tough, business-minded executive that only learns a “life lesson” after a fanciful trip through Oz and reconnecting with childish innocence.
I think it would be more interesting if they sent her to the HBO version of Oz.
This is the kind of project that I can picture Drew getting really excited over. She was probably in her big-ass mansion, just having started her production company, chewing on the end of a pencil and trying to come up with a good property she could re-purpose as a vehicle for herself.
She probably thought, “Gee, I really loved The Wizard of Oz before I was strung out on coke at 11. I’ll take those happy memories, bastardize them and inflict them on an unsuspecting public!”
The point I’m making with today’s strip holds water, in my opinion because the only reason anyone will see this film is to check out Drew’s boobs.
Face it, honey. The apex of your career is when you flashed Letterman on his birthday.
Some of you might wonder why I spit so much venom at Drew. Most likely because I see her as the next in line of “girl-next-door” actresses who take their wholesome images and pad them further by developing smooshy movies I end up getting dragged to kicking and screaming.
Other actresses in this category would include Meg Ryan (although she’s a little long in the tooth) and the worst offender, Sandra Bullock. I really used to like Sandra Bullock back when she was in Demolition Man and Speed. She was a fresh face. Fun to watch. Then While You Were Sleeping happened. Then Hope Floats. Then Practical Magic. Then 28 Days. Then Miss Congeniality. I’m sure you get the picture.
And I’m sorry, but it doesn’t matter how many films like Murder By Numbers you make, you’ve carved your peg, now sit in it.
Drew is falling into the same trap. Her popularity has afforded her some sway in the industry, and she ends up producing and starring in such obvious ego-centric pieces as Charlies Angels, Never Been Kissed and Driving in Cars With Boys (featuring the most flagrant misuse of Steve Zahn if there ever was one).
I guess it’s just difficult to watch actresses you like water down their appeal by churning out the same tapioca productions. Reese Witherspoon? I’m looking in your direction…
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Drew better start listening to Floyd.
Whenever I think of The Wizard of Oz, I hear the Dark Side of the Moon. If you’ve never tried the whole sync thing, do it. I believe that it works. You can do it twice with the Dark Side of the Moon and the Wizard of Oz.
It is my opinion that this also works with the vinyl version of the Fragile and Taxi Driver. Trent Reznor mentioned in his 9-9-99 interview about the Fragile that he had been watching Taxi Driver a lot. I tried syncing both the vinyl and cd versions of the album (which are different) and only the vinyl version works out right. The movie and the album are exactly the same length. You just have to allow the appropriate amount of time to flip the album. This doesn’t have as many similarities as the Pink Floyd stuff, but the mood and the feel matches well.
For more syncing info, go here.
I worked on the documentary on Sunday and Monday, then took time out on Tuesday to watch movies. I finally watched 15 Minutes. I had heard that it was bad, but I enjoyed it. I also watched Platoon Leader, which I only enjoyed because of my interest in the Vietnam war. It is basically a low budget answer to Platoon.
I forgot to mention last week that I went to see The Rules of Attraction. I found the style interesting, but wouldn’t watch it again. Except maybe for the montage, which was a fast and cool account of some dudes trip to Europe. Patti hated this movie.
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This weekend has taken so long to get here, I can’t think of a better distraction than catching the new Jackass movie down at my local multiplex. This movie has “leave your brain at the door” written all over it in sloppy, backward letters.
Watching the TV show was always a visceral thrill. It wasn’t so much being impressed by their stunts, but being positively repulsed by them. Considering how much more leeway they’ll be given without network censors breathing down their necks, it should make for an extremely more amplified experience.
I think this is going to be a great movie to see with a big crowd. Think of all the gross-out movies of the late 90’s. Here we all are, sitting together in this darkened theater, squealing in unison at the site of someone getting his wedding tackle caught in his zipper.
But now this time it’s for real. There are no prosthetics. And instead of getting Mr. Happy caught in a flap, they’re tying it to a cinder block with barb wire and heaving it into a sewage treatment reservoir.
I should figure out a way to throw myself down the stairs and make money for it…
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Gots ta give a shout-out to a couple of new homies in the community who switched me up propah with some tasty linkocity!
My peeps need to get the 4-1-1 on The Daisy Cutter and Sara and David. Two strips definitely worth your time. Check out the links page for some more dope toons.
Word.
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Today’s blog will be short because I just came back from Punch-Drunk Love, and am throwing the strip up before I crash for the night. I plan to talk more about P.D.L. at a later date, just not now.
Site news: Jared has been working feverishly on the Theater Hopper Documentary. He has all his footage and is now undertaking the process of editing. He’s projecting the whole thing will run about 10 to 15 minutes, so I guess the term “documentary” could be a bit misleading. “Human interest story” or “short” may apply better.
We’re looking for inexpensive ways to produce the docu… interest… short in large quantities so we can sell it on the site. We’ve looked into VHS reproduction as well as the option of burning them to CD’s saved as an MPEG for you to view on your computer. We’re still working out the kinks.
More later when I’m not so tired.
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I just want to make it clear that nothing of this nature has actually ever happened to Cami. She’s not known for cracking skulls at the concession stand.
However, that’s not to say the theater staff wouldn’t try to make a pass at her. Cami is hot. I mean, like, totally hot. Part of your brain stem would have to be missing not to make a pass at her.
As I write this, she is sleeping. She cleaned the bathrooms tonight while I dinked around with today’s strip. For that, and so much more, she is awesome. She is beautiful. I love her.
Now, collectively… “AWWWWW…”
But it’s true.
By the way, did you know that you’ll actually get a chance to SEE what she looks like in the Theater Hopper Documentary? This is what we call “building suspense”. I know you’ll all be very pleased when you have a copy of the film in your hot, little hands. Soon, young Padawan Learner. Soon. Stay tuned here for more.
I was hoping to have my review of Punch-Drunk Love up and ready to look at today, but I was putting up shelves in the basement earlier this evening. I guess it’ll just have to wait.
I’ll see ya’ when I see ya’.
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Since today has become “Publicly Announce Your Love For Everything” Day, I thought it would be fun to post another picture of my beagle Truman.
Some of you might remember the strip I did a while ago and the blog that featured a picture of him as a pup. Well, here he is. All grown up. A robust 8 months old.
Truman has an ear infection right now, so he’s a little cranky. I’m a little cranky too after paying the vet bill. But I would never ask for a handout. That would be tacky.
Some might accuse me to pandering to their cute receptors by publishing an adorable picture of my dog, but I say he’s deserved the recognition. He’s been very good this week and has stopped chewing on the couch. Truman is a pretty smart dog. Just look how discreetly he covers up his “business” in the picture above.
So, anyway. I love my dog! He’s cool!
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