Archive for September, 2005
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For those of you concerned that today marks the last appearance of Goth Jared, fear not. His lack of planning and available resources see to his continued status as a member of the living. Click here to learn his fate.
I hope you don’t find today’s comic too macabre. I’m certainly not aiming to make fun of suicide. But think of it this way – If your kids can handle the concept of an animated Johnny Depp marrying the rotting corpse of woman while cavorting around town with a bunch of dead people (Ala Tim Burton’s The Corpse Bride), then they should be able to handle today’s comic. After all, how many times have we seen Tom and Jerry inflict mortal harm upon each other?
All in good fun people!
No really commentary for today except to say that Cami and I are planning to paint the afternoon red when we catch a matinee of Just Like Heaven on Sunday. After that, expect a full week of strips continuing to have fun with The Corpse Bride.
Not ∗that∗ kind of fun, you sickos.
In the meantime, if you have a LiveJournal account and would like to add the Theater Hopper feed to your friends list, I would be much obliged. You’ll get all the latest comic and blog postings delivered directly to your friends list. Can’t be that kind of service with a stick.
Or a corpse.
Or whatever.
Have a great weekend, everybody!
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Be sure to check out out latest advertiser, the web comic Chicken Wings. I’ve been to their site and was really impressed with how professional it looked. Very put together. The comic itself I think has a great premise. Chickens who fly charter planes? Genius!
Chicken Wings is actually a somewhat technical aviation comic, but don’t let the terminology scare you. They guys have provided a glossary of terms to some of the slang the characters use in the comic. These guys thought of everything!
Like I said: “Professional.”
Check it out!
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Poor Jack Skellington. He just wants to be found attractive. He’s even tried to find a cover-up for that balding problem of his. No luck. Some girl’s hearts you just can’t win.
As excited as I am to see The Corpse Bride, my true feelings actually mirror closer to Cami’s in today’s strip. I used to love The Nightmare Before Christmas back when it came out in 1993. It was like nothing I had ever seen. Or at least nothing like anything I had seen in a long time.
Over the years, I think it has been co-opted for it’s visuals, repackaged and resold into something I don’t enjoy anymore. There was a time for a few years where you couldn’t walk into Hot Topic or Suncoast Video without seeing some variation of the Nightmare Before Christmas repurposed as a t-shirt, backpack, snow globe or salt and pepper shakes. Eventually the merchandise watered things down for me so badly, I began to kind of resent the film.
This is totally 5th grade of me, but it’s like latching onto a band. It’s your favorite band for the longest time. Their album has been out for a year and you’re listening to it on repeat every day.
Then, out of nowhere, radio picks up one of their singles. They start playing it over and over. Other people start cluing in to their sound. Then radio picks up another single. Then another. After a while, every track on the album is turning up in car commercials and McDonald’s jingles. Everything you fell in love with and thought was unique about that band is gone. You don’t even recognize it anymore. Not long after, hearing those songs you used to love makes you kind of sick.
Same goes with The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Usually I’m not this selfish. But when you see kids in strollers wearing Oogie Boogie jumpers, it’s gone too far.
Mark my words: The same thing is going to happen with Napoleon Dynamite. Hot Topic alone sells over 150 pieces of Napoleon Dynamite merchandise. I think there’s even Napoleon Dynamite lip gloss. Right now, I still love that movie. But I bet in a few years I’m gonna hate it. Jon Heder is smart for striking when the iron is hot. He has seven films lined up through 2007. Better remake your legacy fast or you’ll be Napoleon for life.
At any rate, my displeasure with Nightmare Before Christmas aside, I’m still looking forward to giving The Corpse Bridge a chance. If for nothing else but to see what kind of advances they’ve made with the animation technique and process. Here’s hoping there’s a good story to back up all the visual wizardry.
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A couple of you have written in asking me what I thought about Just Like Heaven. I suppose I ∗did∗ mention I was going to see it Sunday. After a whole week of jokes about the movie, I probably owe you something, right?
I thought it was a very servicable film and did a pretty good job not overplaying its hand. For example, Mark Ruffalo’s character lost his wife a few years ago. It’s what colors his outlook, but they don’t hammer this point home so you realize “HE’S SAD! HE’S SAD! HE’S SAD!” Instead, they let the actors do their work and they craft the character very well. It’s very economical movie making in that respect. Both Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon are incredibly likeable and have great chemistry.
I don’t know if there was ever a point in the film that made me laugh out loud or feel like I was on the very of crying. It’s cloy, sure. But like I said, it doesn’t over do it. Instead you’re left with something very pleasant. When all was said and done, I enjoyed it.
I was kind of surprised that Jon Heder wasn’t in it as much as the trailers led you to believe. He pretty much makes an appearance at the beginning at the film and then pops up for a second at the end. I’m thinking the actress who played Reese Witherspoon’s sister was given more lines.
Most people are going to watch this movie and be a few steps ahead of the action in terms of where Ruffalo’s and Witherspoon’s relationship is going to end up. But it’s a fun, light-hearted diversion that won’t insult you. It’s a fun time.
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Man, how cool would it be to have a remote control you could use to flip over secret panels and open hidden rooms? It would be REALLY COOL! Although something tells me that one might incur hidden expenses, too!
Not much to say about today’s comic except that it carries on the fine, recent tradition of burning the third panel to deliver no dialogue and not action. Just a simple beat in pacing to help deliver the punchline. I’ve been doing that a lot lately.
I’ve keep my eyes so close to The Corpse Bride coming out this weekend that I’ve totally forgotten about some of the other films hitting the multiplex. Flightplan, for example.
This new Jodie Foster movie is not one I am excited about. If you’ve seen the trailers, you can confirm that it basically looks like Panic Room on a plane. I want to start a betting pool to see if her missing child even existed. The last thing I want to do is see the film for myself and remove all doubt. Call me stubborn. Anyone going to see this movie Friday? Bite the bullet for me? E-mail me and tell me how it turns out.
What’s up with Jodie Foster only taking roles these last few years where she is either in shock, in awe, or in terror. Always standing there slack-jawed. Can she not perform anything else? Between Contact and Panic Room, I’m beginning to think not.
Sure, she played Anna in Anna and the King and had a small role in The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys, but those films weren’t as high profile as the others.
Nell was a pretty freaky movie by most accounts and that character was really far out there, but at least there was some effort made. I think everyone remembers Silence of the Lambs, but people forget how totally disarming she can be. I mean, have you seen The Accused? Go rent it. Now.
Or maybe I’m just being nit-picky.
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Would Tom still love Cami even if she were an animated corpse, stumbling around in the night? You betcha!
Today’s comic is more for the guys who have been in a serious relationship for a while. You know how it goes, fellas. You’ll be sitting at home, watching Big Brother 6 and out of nowhere your lady friend will ask you some kind of impenetrable, unsolvable, hypothetical question.
“If a meteor were crashing to Earth, and you could only rescue your Mom or me – who would you choose?”
“Does reading this newspaper make me look fat?”
“What are you thinking about?”
You know how it goes…
I really don’t have much more to say about Corpse Bride that I haven’t already, but if you want an incisive exploration into exactly what kind of audience the film appeals to, I think the September 21 Joe Loves Crappy Movies hit it right on the head.
If you’re a fan of our good friend Joe Dunn’s work, you owe it to yourself to check out Joe and Monkey. He’s been doing a whole guest week over there and knocking it out of the park.
Might be back later with a couple of thoughts if they surface. But if not, have a great weekend! Don’t see Flightplan!
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I was totally at a loss as to what kind of incentive sketch I could draw that could be associated with this comic. So, facing a complete lack of ideas, I drew a quick sketch of Iron Man for your viewing pleasure.
…because I can.
I don’t know if real-life Jared is as much of a Joss Whedon fan as I’ve depicted him here. I’ll have to ask him. Although I am aware that he is somewhat fond of Alien: Resurrection, based off his screenplay.
Some of you who visit this site won’t know who Whedon is because his official, credited track-record in the film world is spotty at best.
In addition to penning Sigourney Weaver’s last romp in space as Ripley, he also wrote Titan A.E. and wrote a treatment for Atlantis: The Lost Empire. He’s been brought in as a script doctor on high profile films like Toy Story because of his signature command of snappy dialogue. He’s probably be brought in to touch up many more, but only the good folks at Pixar have credited him.
Film work aside, he’s best known for his work in television as the creator and head writer of both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. He’s also recently gotten into comic books, writing the wildly popular Astonishing X-Men – a brand new monthly title created just for him to play around in.
Needless to say, nerds love him.
And while I have a passing admiration for the guy, I’m not a big follower of his work. I never really got into Buffy because we didn’t have the WB in these parts when it first came on. By the time we got it, the show had moved to UPN. I’ve caught a few episodes here and there in syndication, but there’s a whole mythology in place there that I could never crack. Renting the DVD sets of each season was just out of the question. I didn’t have the time.
Anyway, after Buffy and (sorta) after Angel, Whedon took another stab at television with a "space opera-slash-cowboy" adventure program called Firefly. Don’t ask me what it’s about. I never watched it. The show ran on the Fox network from 2002-03 and, in typical Fox fashion, they promoted the hell out of the premiere episode. When it didn’t draw huge numbers, they shuffled it off to Saturday night. A dead zone. And there it expired.
Like so many "brilliant but canceled" television shows these days, the entire run was put out on DVD and drew big numbers from fans devoted to all things Whedon. Fast forward a few years and a movie starring the cast of Firefly has been reborn on the big screen under the moniker of Serenity.
Clear as mud? Good.
This has been a very… specific process for bringing this concept from the small screen to the big screen and in that respect it becomes a curiosity. As I said earlier, I admire Whedon. I’m familiar with his "voice" if I’m not overtly familiar with his body of work. He’s like Mamet in a way, to me. I’ll see one of his films every so often, but the dude is out there writing stage plays that I will never hear.
So I’m interested in what kind of activity Serenity my conjure up this weekend, but remain pragmatic in the regard that this film is pretty much strictly for fans who felt burned by Fox’s decision to ax Firefly.
So, those marketing the film are left with a couple of options. Do they try to bridge the gap to lure in casual fans like myself or even those less familiar?
Or do they aim straight up the middle and only attempt to draw in those already up to speed with the franchise?
Based off the trailer, I would say the latter. And this will make for a quick burn through the multiplexes, mark my words.
This, of course, is a shame. I think Whedon is a talent strong enough to be introduced to as many people as possible. Now that his profile is raised, he needs to approach his next project holistically and call attention to himself that way. A film adaptation of Wonder Woman is next on his docket and that might do the trick. But for the immediate future, Serenity is not that picture.
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Just because summer’s over doesn’t mean the studios aren’t trying to squeeze in some of their outright stinkers before Oscar season heats up.
Into the Blue, for example. A treasure-hunting picture with Jessica Alba and Paul Walker. Wouldn’t this move have been more interesting if it were released in June or July when the weather is warm? It must be a real turkey. In fact, Tom’s convinced he’ll be in sore need of something if made to watch it.
Today’s comic isn’t about Into the Blue specifically, but about the abysmal state of commercial movies in general this year. I only had Jared list a handful of the worst offenders this year, but could have gone on indefinitely. There were a lot of bad movies this year. A lot of sequels and a lot of retreads on franchises that already had footing in television or books. Very little in terms of original screenplays were put in front of audiences this year and I think the industry was punished accordingly with some of the lowest box office receipts in the last 10 years.
I’ve gone on in the past about Hollywood needing to provide more in terms of fulfilling content when in competition against satellite television, video games and even themselves with the Goliath DVD market. Give us something to care about, something we’ve never seen before. We’ll come back. We promise. People are still hungry for authentic theater experience, but there is only so many obstacles you can put in front of them before they decide it’s not worth the effort.
Thank goodness for the autumn. More cerebral films are starting to fill up the multiplexes. I feel like I can start using my brain again.
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I didn’t really know where else to put this, so I’m just putting it out there as kind of a fun F.Y.I. blog post.
I was very tempted to do another comic about Serenity for Wednesday based simply off the amount of referral traffic coming in from Firefly and Serenity LiveJournals and fan sites. If Joss Whedon fans – Firefly fans, in particular – are anything, they’re dedicated.
I was actually kind of worried that you guys would read my musings and find them unfair, but many of the notes I’ve read and e-mails I’ve received have been very even-handed. Several of you appreciated an "outsider’s" perspective – curious yourself if Serenity would play beyond the initiated.
One thing that I’ve gathered from all this is that even the people who weren’t fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel got a heck of a lot out of Firefly. Usually being drawn in by a friend who was already hooked, they became hooked themselves. I can’t count the number of recommendations I’ve had just to sit down and watch the series. After all, there’s only 12 or 13 episodes, right? I’ve never been adverse to this suggestion, I just never made the time. Now might be the opportunity to do so.
A lot of people I know have seen advanced screenings of Serenity and speak highly of it. Most of these people are already fans, so you kind of have to take it with a grain of salt. I’ve yet to read a report or review from someone who wasn’t already familiar with the franchise, so it’s still kind of a question mark as to how it will go over.
But like I said, those who’ve seen it and are already fans say they love it. It doesn’t completely ostracize non-fans, but it doesn’t play so over their heads that they can’t appreciate its finer qualities.
That said, I’m more interested in David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence. And no, not because my Google ads have been replaying that little flash advertisement about a million times. It’s actually getting really good reviews!
It’s essentially a meditation on the effects of violence in society. Does violence beget more violence? Is it a natural born tendency or something civilization can overcome? It’s getting great notices for Cronenberg’s direction. Not a wasted frame, they say. And the ending leaves things open for interpretation. It leaves the audience to come to their own conclusions. I love that kind of stuff. I’m sick of being spoon-fed answers. Thank goodness for fall movies! Besides, any film that features Ed Harris as a mysterious government spook gets points in my book.
Now here’s hoping that Cronenberg doesn’t pull out some sort of gross body revolting FX like he did in The Fly or Scanners. His thematic fascination with the body turning against itself creeps me out like no other. But then, it might be a little out of context in this film.
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I’ve actually read a few advance reviews of Supper Happy Pony Town and they’ve been pretty good. Have you seen the logo for the film? That’s an indicator of quality if there ever was one!
Today’s comic was born partly out of a real conversation Cami and I had about A History of Violence. I suggested that we see the movie this weekend. I had heard good things, read several encouraging reviews, did my research and was intrigued about the plot that puts Viggo Mortensen’s character and his family in the spotlight after he commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner. What follows is a meditation about violence and it’s implications. The argument between violence being hard-wired into our brains or if it is an action we can choose to overcome. Some pretty heady stuff and all great questions.
I make this suggestion to her and there is a furrowing of the brow. Her face pulls back into the corners as if to make some kind of sour-milk expression. She is not interested. "I don’t think I want to see that movie," she says. I can tell by her response that it is the movie’s title she is reacting negatively to. That the movie has the word "violence" implicates to her that it is some kind of Rambo-esque kill-a-thon with an obscene body count and not the reflective piece of economic film making that it is.
I encouraged her to read the reviews that were out there, but I know she’s a busy person and probably didn’t have time. At one point I considered putting my foot down and saying "No arguments. We’re going. It’s art and it’s good for your soul." In the very least I thought I could turn in some karma points for seeing Heaven Can Wait with her.
But, since I’m sharing facets of my personal life with you, I don’t see the harm in sharing the fact that my schedule and Cami’s schedule pretty much prevented us from seeing each other for more than 20 minutes at a time on any given day. She has night classes. I have night classes. Truman is stuck in his crate wondering what the hell is going on.
Instead of sitting in a darkened movie theater watching David Cronenberg’s latest opus, I think we’re going to stay home and enjoy each other’s company. A relaxed atmosphere where I’m not flexing my artistic preferences on her.
Although, now that I think about it, this would be a good opportunity to have her sit and watch Citizen Kane with me. Can you BELIEVE she hasn’t seen it yet?!
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