Archive for December, 2004
19 items.
Dec15
LIKE PICKING THE WRONG DOOR ON LET’S MAKE A DEAL
December 15th, 2004 |
(4 votes, average: 9.00 out of 10)
Today is more of a dialogue piece, which I think is fun to toss in every now and then. I preface my blog with these comments since I’ve been going a little cameo-crazy lately. I don’t want to disappoint anyone who was expecting to see The Harlem Globetrotters or Don Knotts show up in the comic this week.
Not much to report movie-wise at the moment except Des Moines is finally getting some really good indie movies in the local theaters that I need to sprint out and see before some big budget number bumps them off the screens.
Top on my list is Sideways, a slightly more adult (re: middle aged) drama written and directed by Alexander Payne. If the name sounds familiar, he did Citizen Ruth, Election and About Schmidt. Payne finally gets out of Omaha for this picture, taking us into the sun-baked hills of California wine country. Extra points for casting Paul “Pig Vomit” Giamatti – my favorite silver screen neurotic.
I’m also hyped to see Primer and The Machinist.
Primer is kind of hard to explain. Filmed for only $7,000, it’s the tale of two inventors who accidentally create a time-travel device. Basically the movie is a sci-fi morality tale in the vein of an old Rod Serling Twilight Zone episode, exploring what the technology does to the friends and the knowledge of themselves.
The Machinist is also a creepy indie starring the soon-to-be Batman, Christian Bale. Basically a descent into madness, Bale plays a blue collar industrial worker who is suffering from insomnia and hasn’t slept in over a year. The story isn’t grabbing my attention as much as the reports that Bale lost 63 pounds for the role and the physical transformation is shocking. What can I say? Curiosity got the cat.
No guarantee that I’ll see any of these movies before they leave town. Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Spanglish and The Aviator all come out this week. Next week is my birthday and then Christmas. Busy times ahead.
The government needs to make some sort of food-pyramid type of chart to help me balance the big budget studio pictures stuff with the mind-tweaking indie fare.
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All that hard work and not being able to enjoy it with the person that matters most? That’s what we call irony, kids. Then again, Cami probably wouldn’t have gotten as big of a kick out of meeting Scurvy Joe as Tom and Goth Jared did.
Not much to talk about movie-wise. I feel like I’ve been beating a dead horse talking about Ocean’s 12. It’s good. Go see it. That about sums it up for me.
I guess I’ve been getting some push back on that sentiment, though. Basically, the audience has been split into two camps. Those like me who really loved it and those that have been disappointed by it.
Boy, there’s some insight for you, huh?
No, but seriously. The people who have been disappointed all make the same complaint – “There wasn’t as much heist action as there was in the first.” So just keep that in mind if you haven’t seen the movie and are thinking about spending your hard earned cash.
A couple of you have written in asking me what my thoughts are about the MPAA suing peer-to-peer networks who traffic in pirated movies.
As much as I don’t like the MPAA, I don’t really fault them on this move. Unlike music or software, pirated movies are usually of questionable quality. Basically it’s just some guy sitting in a movie theater taping what’s on the screen with a video camera, then trying to pawn it off on you for five bucks. I think any true film fanatic would insist on optimum picture and sound. So in this regard, hooray for the MPAA.
My biggest complaint with the MPAA was its shoddy treatment of movie audiences who paid the price of admission. The stern, disappointed Fatherly tone of the RespectCopyrights.org ads that appeared in front of trailers were as insulting as they were insipid.
In the past I’ve made the comparison that those ads are like lecturing a kid about shoplifting after he just put down money to buy a candy bar. In the case of the MPAA suing the peer-to-peer networks, the kid has stolen the candy bar and is half way around the block. Feel free to paddle his ass when you catch up to him.
Perhaps I’m oversimplifying things a bit. In fact, it’s more than likely. But it’s my interpretation of the situation.
Hey, before you go, be sure to check out our latest advertiser Skookum. Great fun for the manga lover inside all of us!
Have a great weekend!
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Just had a few site things I wanted to mention. There are some advertising spots available. Most notably, that big honkin’ ad at the top of the site. Don’t forget that it appears on every page. With over 350 comics in the archive and an audience that grows by the day, that’s some good coverage.
I also have an advertising spot available in the THorum. It’s been kind of dormant for a couple of weeks, so to spur interest, I’ve SLASHED prices by ten bucks! 7 days in the THorum used to cost $15, now it costs $5. That’s more than 50% off regular price.
If you’re interested in any of our other advertising spots (including future availability and prices), that information can be found here.
Also, since we mentioned the THorum, I want to point out that today we’ve posted a new set of questions for The Friday Five. What’s The Friday Five, you ask? Simple! I ask the community five questions and everyone comes back with their answers! It’s easy, it’s fun and it’s a great way to learn more about the people in the community. If you’re NEW to the community, it’s a great opportunity to introduce yourself. Give it a try!
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Dec20
So the holiday season is upon us? Anyone about to go off the deep end with all the crowds, craziness and crass consumerism?
Yeah, that’s a jolly holiday greeting.
This is something totally unrelated to the comic, but I was watching A Charlie Brown Christmas last week and it didn’t occur to me until just this year that the center of the piece ALSO has to do with the commercialization of Christmas. Everyone else wants the glitter and the tinsel and ol’ Chuck Brown is still trying to find the true meaning of the season.
I don’t know why it struck me so profound – especially since I’ve seen this cartoon a million times. I guess the fact that people have been dealing with this issue since 1965 was both a relief and concern. A relief to realize it wasn’t a modern affliction. Concern for wondering when it will plateau.
The further I go in life, the more I realize that Peanuts creator Charles Schultz wasn’t just a drippy sentimentalist, but actually quite the subversive little raconteur.
I realize this has nothing to do with today’s comic, but I just had to speak my mind for a minute.
Regarding the comic, it wouldn’t be totally out of bounds for real life Tom to fill in the blanks of the holiday season with scenes from a Chevy Chase movie. That’s not to say my holidays are boring or unmemorable. It’s just that my extended family is pretty small, so we usually avoid the petty conflicts, drunken debauchery and shoddy re-gifting that seems to plague other families this time of year. Friends with larger broods tell me to count my blessings, but I have a distinct feeling I’m missing out on some pretty ripe comedy in those situations.
I predict this week’s blogs will be similarly off-center as we come closer to the big weekend celebration. I still haven’t figured out how I’m going to get Wednesday’s strip up on time.
You see, Tuesday is my birthday and we’re going out with the family to celebrate. Since I work on Wednesday’s strip Tuesday night and I haven’t worked ahead, Wednesday’s strip will probably be a little late. I’m just warning you now in case you’re stuck at work on Wednesday, desperate for entertainment, banging your head against the keyboard when you should be (in fact) filling out those T.P.S. reports. Just a head’s up.
Luckily, unlike my fellow cubicle-jockeys, I’ve taken Wednesday off to recover from Tuesday’s festivity. Once up to speed, I should have the time to work at home and make sure Wednesday’s comic appears at… some point on Wednesday.
:: VIOLENTLY CHANGING GEARS ::
Hey! New sponsors! Everyone be sure to check out Still Untitled. They’ve recently updated their look and have a new web site. I met the crew behind SU when I went to the Minneapolis FallCon comic book convention in October of ’03. They’re good guys and need your support.
Also don’t forget our current THorum advertiser Music Television Sucks – an excellent collection of music videos free for you to download. Y’know…. because MTV doesn’t seem to play them anymore.
Just one last note, I’ve received a few panicked e-mails from people asking where are the t-shirts the ordered for the pre-order period that ended December 10th. I want to let all of you know that they are on their way, but that I cannot deliver them in time for the holidays. I made this known back on November 24th when I put the shirts back up for sale.
Please understand that I do not have the up front capitol to buy a bunch of shirts in advance. Nor do I have a place to store them. I am also not in a position to sit on any merchandise that I can’t move. So basically it’s one-in, one-out and that’s why I take pre-orders. You tell me what shirt you want, I tell the printer, he ships them to me and I ship them to you. I wish I had a better system in place, but that’s how things are for the time being.
Those of you expecting shirts will hopefully see them in your mailbox before the end of the year. I sent the artwork to the printer on the 10th. He told me he would probably print them up the following week and send them this week. My turnaround should hopefully get them out the door next week. If anything changes, I will be sure to update you on the situation in this space.
Regardless, I want to thank all of you who have ordered shirts from me in the last two months. Your support of the comic both financially and as FANS who are proud to wear a Theater Hopper design impresses me to no end. Frankly, I’m amazed any of you are interested in what I’m doing. It’s a great validation and I appreciate it. Your patience, support and understanding mean everything to me.
Incidentally, the next pre-order period ends January 7th. It’s a little longer than previous pre-order periods, but I need a little breathing room to get around the holidays before sending another batch.
This blog got a little longer than I anticipated. So I think I’ll just end here.
Thanks.
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Sorry for the delay in getting today’s strip posted on time. I have a good excuse! Honest!
I didn’t plan ahead!
That’s really about half of it, actually. I didn’t plan ahead and I celebrated my 27th birthday with my family last night. I didn’t get home until about 11:30. I stayed up until 1:00 am drawing and inking the comic before hitting the hay.
I woke up this morning and added a few more touches, but I actaully had to go out and brave the cold to complete some holiday-related errands I needed to run. I actually took a vacation day from work to accomplish this! I got back about mid-afternoon and posted the comic to the site.
Some of you might complain that today’s comic is not movie-related. Please note Exhibit A: Popcorn! You can’t have a movie without popcorn! And you can’t do anything popcorn-related without risking Tom ingesting all of it.
Meet the Fockers comes out today and everyone I know wants to see it. I don’t understand the appeal and I didn’t particularly care for the first one. The minute Ben Stiller flushed the toilet he wasn’t supposed to and the septic tank flooded the backyard with stinky-stink, I pretty much tuned out.
Still, any movie that can pull Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand together must have something going for it. Let’s hope the script lives up to the level of talent they’ve corralled.
The movie I’m really looking forward to this weekend is The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Advance reviews accuse it of being too clever and too inside for it’s own good. They say writer/director Wes Anderson’s script sacrifices characterization for these cute, little set pieces. I say, “Who cares!” I love Wes’ vision. He’s one of my favorite modern directors. I think you either get his dry sense of humor or you don’t. It’s no coincidence he’s cast Bill Murrary in his last 3 movies. The man is a master of the deadpan delivery. I worship at his alter.
What about the rest of you? What are your holiday movie-going plans? Let us know in the THorum!
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I’m not anticipating a lot of people coming to the site today, but if it turns out you sought reprieve from your cheek-pinching aunt, thanks for logging on and checking out the site.
I love this time of year because it seems like movies are on in the background all the time. Cami and I were preparing food to take over to our relatives houses today and tomorrow. We enjoyed a double-feature. Miracle on 34th Street (1994 Dylan McDermott remake, not the original) followed promptly by Steve Martin’s and Carl Reiner’s Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid. I’ll give you two guesses who picked which movie.
Not much else to say except “Enjoy the Holiday!” I know I will. See you back here on Monday!
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Dec27
Everybody kind of gripes and grouses about the stress of the holidays. But for some reason, once Christmas rolls around, we think it supposed to end there, don’t we?
But it doesn’t.
Traffic still sucks, lines are still long, everyone and their brother is trying to shoehorn themselves into a movie theater and God help you if you need to return an item without a gift receipt.
The events in today’s comic essentially befell me on Sunday when Cami and I went to see The Life Aquatic Steve Zissou. Normally my baser instincts would have screamed “STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY!” at the prospect of fighting the crowds over a holiday weekend, but the lure of a new Wes Anderson movie was too strong to resist! Pray to the altar of Bill Murray!
What was annoying about the whole thing were the lines. First you’re funneled into this massive line, roped off with those little nylon straps. Of course there are only two people working the register. After about 20 minutes, you get your tickets.
Then, deciding it might be nice to have popcorn, you go to the concession stand and wait in line another 20 minutes. “Oh, wait! We have to pop another batch. Oh, wait! We’re out of ice for the drinks.”
And, of course, without fail… the five people in front of you are buying enough food for a family of eight, but they’re the only one carrying it and they’re about 4 hands too short to maneuver the line without any complications.
And all of this was at a matinee.
Next time, I should just listen to my instincts and wait until the Tuesday 10:00 PM showing…
As far as the movie was concerned, I thought it was great but Cami felt like she had wasted two hours. She thought they advertised it differently than what it turned out to be. I suggested that it’s pretty hard to advertise “quirky”. She also felt like it was too long.
It was a disappointment for her because she’s actually a Wes Anderson fan. She really loved Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums.
I don’t know why it went over for me and not for her. Maybe my geeky fan boy love obscured my vision from the duller aspects. Maybe I just fell in love with its vision so thoroughly I was able to ignore its problems with plot and characterization.
I’ll admit the film can be a little herky-jerky at times and maybe a little too cute for its own good. It plays very inside and the characters seem to mostly be speaking at each other and not really conversing. Probably the most glaring issue for me was Owen Wilson’s Kentucky accent, which dropped in and out of his dialogue to the point of distraction.
Part of me wants to be elitist about the whole affair and say “Oh, you just don’t get it.” But I think that whitewashes the issue. Certainly I think there’s a wavelength to Anderson’s films that you’re either predisposed to or not. But there’s something about The Life Aquatic that is more off-kilter than usual. It’s the largest budget Anderson’s ever been given ($50 million) yet the film feels more internalized than anything he’s done before. As if the narrative thread had been pulled out from under all these little vignettes and the audience is left to piece them together themselves.
Certainly the fact that I’m still thinking about it the next day is a good sign. I really wouldn’t mind seeing it again, actually.
Anyone who is interested in buying a t-shirt, baby doll or a hoodie has until January 7th to do it. That’s when the next pre-order period comes to a close. I anticipate those shirts to be delivered before the end of the month, in case you were looking for an estimate.
No real news besides that. I hope everyone had a happy holiday!
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I don’t know if this strip is going to make any sense to anyone who hasn’t yet seen The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, but after watching the movie and complaining I didn’t have any ideas for a strip, Cami came up with the outline for this one and I thought I should run with it.
The Life Aquatic is littered with all sorts of fantastic (albeit fictional) sea creatures. Everything from the Crayon Pony Fish, Sugar Crabs and Rhinestone Bluefins to the mythical Jaguar Shark. Several lizards, fish and frogs also crop up in the movie.
All of the creatures were designed by Henry Selick and brought to life using stop-motion animation. As gimmicky as the premise sounds, it’s nice to see some handmade special effects instead of the plastic sheen of CGI.
You’ve probably seen Selick’s work before but didn’t know it. He directed Monkeybone, James and the Giant Peach, and much-beloved The Nightmare Before Christmas.
It always kind of cheesed me off that Tim Burton got so much credit for TNBC when really he was just one of the writers and producers. All of the magic in that film sprung from Selick’s hands.
At any rate, for another sample of his work, check out The Life Aquatic. His input is brief, but richly designed. A shining example of a dying art form.
We’re closing in on the end of the year, which seems impossible to me. But I’m looking forward to 2005. I don’t want to tip too much of my hand, but I plan on making some big changes to Theater Hopper in the New Year. A new year, a new direction!
Don’t worry. The site will still be about movies and the characters you’ve come to know will remain the same. It’s basically a change in the way I approach storytelling. In August of ’05, I will have been doing this for 3 years. I figure it was time to start acting like I know what I’m doing.
I know you’re pocket books are probably still suffering from the holiday, but if you have any leftover cash, don’t forget to pre-order a shirt, baby doll or hoodie. You have until January 7 and then I’ll probably close the store for a little while. No real reason other than so I can catch up on orders. I’m also planning on unveiling some NEW merchandise in the New Year, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
See you here on Friday!
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So today is the last day of 2004. And, as one would stand to reason, this is the last Theater Hopper comic of 2004. I love it when these little milestones occur. It’s just so… tidy.
I got the idea for today’s comic from href=”http://www.theaterhopper.com/thorum/”>the THorum where we actually discussed the Worst Movie of the Year. I had chosen Super Babies: Baby Geniuses 2 as my contender for the title, even though I admitted I hadn’t seen the movie.
The resulting discussion got me thinking. I’ll spare you the details of the actual conversation. It’s all archived in the THorum for you to read at your leisure.
Anyway, the conversation got me thinking. Here I was, unobjectively labeling this movie as the worst of the year, but essentially talking out of my butt having not seen it. I was reminded of more politically charged climate earlier in the year and all of the critics who were shouting down Michael Moore and Fahrenheit 9/11 without seeing one frame of celluloid.
Obviously comparing Fahrenheit 9/11 to Baby Geniuses 2 is a bit like comparing apples and oranges, but it’s the attitudes about the film I am dissecting.
I don’t know. I really don’t have anything deep to go into here. Just random thoughts about how media and perception shape our opinions. Frankly, it’s all so unimportant to close the year with. I have headier matters to tackle.
If you’ve noticed a pensive tone in today’s comic, that’s intentional. I also felt a dash of the romantic was in order. Such is the coming of the New Year. The opportunity for change can be both terrifying and exciting.
You’ll be seeing some changes to Theater Hopper starting next Monday, January 3, 2005. This is a bit of advanced warning.
Basically I’ve decided to change how I approach creating the comic every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. In August of 2005 I will have been doing this for 3 years. It’s time to stop flying by the seat of my pants when it comes to this stuff and take my preparation a little more seriously.
I know you guys aren’t aware of the behind-the-scenes stuff or the effort that goes into the comic. But it’s surprisingly little. I’m usually coming up with gags the day I sit down to draw the comic.
Instead of being strictly a gag strip, I’ve decided to push Theater Hopper and its characters into deeper waters. I’ve found the topical aspects of the comic help to keep it timely, but that timeliness has a shelf life. I mean, has anyone cared about my opinions on Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets since I did a strip on it in November 2002?
I’ve found that the best feedback I’ve received has been for the slower-paced character development arcs. When I undertook the month long exploration into Jimmy becoming unemployed, it really struck a nerve. People wanted to see more of that and I knew it was the direction I needed to go.
The objective is to make the characters more human, more relatable. And not just these talking heads when it comes to pop culture. I want them to become something more than a filter for me to pass my opinions though. I want you to actually care about them.
For those of you that are worried about all this talk of new directions, please take comfort in knowing that Theater Hopper will still take place in the world surrounding movies and pop culture. It will just have less to say about the specific details.
For those of you who are worried we’re going to go all serious on you, don’t be. I still plan on batting Ben Affleck around from time to time.
The idea is to move away from comics that specifically reference “Movie X” or “Movie Y” coming out onto DVD and instead plotting out longer story lines in advance.
Next Monday, I’ll be introducing an all-new original character to the cast. Her name is Charlie and she’s a rival from Cami’s past. Her introduction will signal the new beginning of Theater Hopper.
New Year. New Beginning. See you Monday.
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