Archive for January, 2009
29 items.
I’m trying something a little different for the new year and am testing out in-test ads on the site. You’ll notice them as double-underlined green links in the blog posts.
I’m trying to keep them very relative to the theme of the site. So you’ll see words like “film,” “movies” and whatnot highlighted.
I’m kind of on the fence about in-text ads in terms of how intrusive they are. Part of me doesn’t like that it randomly places emphasis on my words and I have concerns that it is deceptive in a way that traditional banner advertisements are not.
But, at the same time, I reduced the number of ads appearing on the site in the redesign in an effort to maximize space for content – and I need to make up the difference somewhere.
I’m not saying the in-text ads are the solution. They’re just something I’m trying. If you have thoughts you’d like to share, please feel free to do so in the comments.
Thanks.
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Jan14
I will freely admit to stealing the “shoegazing” moniker from My Bloody Valentine’s Wikipedia page and I link to it freely to provide context that would otherwise be unrequired for certain other webcomics.
I’m no great fan of the band, but I am familiar with their work. In particular, the instrumental tracks off the Lost in Translation soundtrack which were penned by My Bloody Valentine’s lead singer Kevin Shields. I like that album a lot.
As for the movie, My Bloody Valentine 3D, it looks like pure, Grade-A shlock. I’ve been making fun of the trailer for this film since it came out last fall.
At first, I thought the trailer was a put-on. Something The Wayans Brothers cooked up for an extension of the Scary Movie franchise. But it’s 100% for real. A bunch of anonymous pretty-somethings getting hacked to death by some guy in a gas mask. Brilliant.
My favorite line in the trailer isn’t from the movie itself, but a great bit of marketing all the same: “Nothing says ‘date movie’ like a 3D ride to Hell!”
Sounds like something my wife would really like!
I guess that’s something I don’t understand about the positioning of this movie. Once again, a horror film jumps the gun by being released months in advance of the terror-filled “holiday” it shares a name with. Rob Zombie’s remake of Halloween was released on August 31 of 2007 – two full months before the actual holiday. At least the remake of Black Christmas managed to get it right by being released on Christmas Day in 2006.
But if the producers of My Bloody Valentine 3D are trying to promote the film as a date movie, why not wait a month for Valentine’s Day to roll around in February?
Obviously this movie is trash. I mean, look at the teaser poster. It looks like an advertisement for a ride at Universal Studios!
But what do you guys think? Does it look like a fun time at the movies to you with the potential for a great audience experience? Does the 3D gimmick hold any value for you? In other words, do you think My Bloody Valentine 3D is a movie you would see if it weren’t in 3D?
I’m curious as to everyone’s take on this film. Leave your comments below and let’s discuss!
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By the way, I don’t know if you noticed, but since the site relaunch in January I’ve dusted off three obscure characters in a little more than a week’s time.
How do you guys feel about seeing Victor, Charlie and Goth Jared again?
If you’re a new reader and not familiar with these guys, I encourage you to check out the cast page for a little background information as well as links to some of the story lines they were featured in!
If you’re a veteran reader and if you think there are any important characters or story lines I overlooked, use our handy new contact form and let me know!
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I’m getting some negative feedback on the in-text ads, which doesn’t surprise me. I have to keep reassuring people that it’s only a trial and I want to see how the ads perform. I can report that initial earnings have not been stellar. So it’ll be a pretty easy decision to pull the plug unless something revolutionary happens in the next few days.
So you understand where I’m coming from, it’s important for me to monetize the content on Theater Hopper to help support other projects I’m pursuing. Things like publishing books and producing t-shirts. Or bankrolling things like convention appearances.
The recent redesign significantly cut down on the number of ads that were being displayed on the site. Obviously this affects the bottom line. I’m trying to figure out a way to make up the difference without going all banner-crazy again and cluttering things up.
I have two ideas:
- Advertising in the RSS feed. This is long overdue, actually. I’m all for delivering content using means that make it most convenient for the user to read it. But people utilizing the RSS feed do not visit the site and that limits opportunities across the board. The RSS feed will not become ad-heavy, but I do intend to more thoroughly align the feed more closely to the experience the main-site provides.
- Sponsorships. Instead of a half-dozen tiny ads junking up the site, how do you guys feel about one large ad in the upper right hand corner sold through a one-on-one basis?
I’m sure you’ve seen those page peel ads on other sites that allow you to put one large ad behind the “skin” of the home page and then peel away on rollover to reveal the whole image. I think it’s a good way to attract content-relevant advertisers while not interfering with the site design.
I know this is a lot of business talk and I probably shouldn’t be sharing these thoughts with you. I don’t want to give you the impression that my pursuit of Theater Hopper is all about money. Please understand that money earned by the site is reinvested back into the site. I consider it a tool that allows me to do more with the characters — things I think you will enjoy.
I’m very interested in your feedback. Please leave your comments below!
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Jan16
Today’s comic is based on a stray thought that I expressed in Wednesday’s blog. Basically, I wanted to make a comic about it because no one has seemed to clamp down on the ridiculousness of the tagline in My Bloody Valentine 3D’s trailer. Read it again with me.
“Nothing says ‘date movie’ like a 3D ride to hell!” What does that even mean?
I’m really happy with the little exchange I wrote for Tom and Cami as they snuggle on the couch watching TV. I wish we were only this witty in real life. Sometimes we can be, but I assure you no one but me is obsessing over My Bloody Valentine 3D in our house except for me.
Maybe “obsessing” is the wrong word because I really have very little more to say about the movie than that. “Befuddeled,” perhaps? “Flummoxed?”
Real quick I just want to say thanks to everyone who has been leaving comments under the blog posts the past couple of weeks. I had a lot of web comic buddies tell me “Don’t do it. Don’t put comments on your front page because people are going to take advantage of it and get nasty.” I’m pleased to say that hasn’t happened.
Maybe I just jinxed myself, but you guys have always been more than cool to me and I appreciate the elevated tone of the comments area. People keep it on topic, are friendly and it’s an all-around good place to be. So, thanks.
If it trips your fancy, it sure would be great if you gave a “thumbs up” to this comic on StumbleUpon today. It’s really easy to do. See that little “Share This” link in the bottom left hand corner of the blog? Click on that and then chose StumbleUpon to share this comic with their community. You’ll notice there are also a few other social bookmarking options like Digg and Reddit in case StumbleUpon isn’t your thing.
Social bookmarking is the next stage of my relaunch strategy. It’s been a great help in the past, but something I never pushed because I knew that I would be restructuring the archive and the link paths would change. Now that we’re settled, I feel like I can pursue it.
Part of me hates to ask you guys to submit links to these places because I feel I should earn it from you — More of an organic expression of “Hey, ya did good!” rather than me vote whoring. But unless I put it out in the universe that I want it to happen, it’s never going to happen, y’know?
At any rate, thanks and have a great weekend! I’ll probably be back later to blog a little more, so check back!
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This comic is an amalgamation of sorts because everything about it is true, just not in the order that I’ve assembled it.
Producing today’s comic, it’s true that I had completely forgotten about Paul Blart: Mall Cop. When I was doing research Sunday evening, I was surprised to see it earned nearly $34 million this weekend. Who says Kevin James can’t open a movie?
Without seeing the movie, I can’t say how effective it was to name the lead character Paul Blart. But on paper, it reads like a totally desperate attempt by some writers to come up with the most pathetic fake name imaginable for laughs. I guess “Milhouse” was already taken.
James is a likable enough guy, but I’m getting tired of all the fat jokes. Play to your strengths, I suppose. But what happened to the insecure dude he played in Hitch? You know, an actual person? Clearly he has the talent to forge a fully-dimensional character. Heck, even the character from I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry was more fleshed out than this guy — and that movie was about as base and offensive as it gets!
I feel kind of bad for James that he’s starring in this 90-minute fat joke. It’s like he’s been banished to that corner of Hollywood reserved for fat guys and actresses over 40. “We’ll call you if we have anything for you.” Then again, he wrote the screenplay. So I can’t fell THAT bad for him.
Cami was kind enough to give me the hook in this week’s comic by pointing out that “Blart” rhymes with “Fart” and is therefore funny.
It’s absolutely true that fart jokes are her greatest weakness. I think I’ve mentioned this on the site before, but I’ve gotten Cami to laugh to the point of crying simply by saying the word “fart” in a funny, high pitched voice. I love that about her. She can be witty and classy one minute, but totally unable to control herself because of a fart joke the next. That’s what you need in spouse — someone who is multi-faceted.
Speaking of Cami, we’re kicking around the idea of having her blog on the site a few times a week.
I’ll be going back to school soon as I continue to pursue my Master’s in Communication Leadership and Cami thought it would be a good opportunity to contribute to the site while I’m away at class. And since we recently upgraded the site to WordPress, it’s never been easier to post content to the site.
Personally, I think it’s a great idea. Largely because I talk a lot about Cami and the movies we see. Sometimes I talk about what we disagree on. It would be nice if she could share her thoughts in her own words.
I’m curious what you guys think. Leave your feedback in the comments below!
In the meantime, Cami and I have the day off because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We’re going to go shopping for a new vacuum and see Last Chance Harvey while Henry is in day care for the morning. We haven’t been to the movies together in months, so this is a rare treat.
Talk to you soon!
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I completely forgot to mention it in my blog from this morning, but be sure to tune in to The Triple Feature podcast this evening at 9:00 PM CST. We record it live and you can participate in the program through TalkShoe.com! Join the chat room or talk to us over the phone in real-time!
And by “us,” of course I mean Gordon McAlpin from Multiplex and Joe Dunn from Joe Loves Crappy Movies.
I don’t know what we’re talking about, but I’m kind of itching to talk about Last Chance Harvey since I had the opportunity to see it this afternoon. Even though the romance is boilerplate, I found the performances endearing. I haven’t seen Hoffman this affecting since I can’t remember when. If you don’t choke up during the toast he delivers to his daughter during the wedding reception, you might be soul-dead.
I have more to say about the movie, but it looks like Thunderbolts are GO! in relation to Cami blogging for the site. So once I do a quick WordPress walk through for her, she’ll be adding her thoughts shortly. Be sure to check the site Tuesday for her correspondence. I don’t want to talk her up too much, but Cami has always been able to write circles around me, so I think you guys are going to get a kick out of what she has to contribute to the site.
If you aren’t able to catch our recording of The Triple Feature live tonight, be sure to download the show tomorrow. Did you know you can find us on iTunes? It’s true – and so handy! Subscribe to the feed and have shows waiting for you the next day! Awesome!
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Jan21
Perhaps today’s comic tries a little to hard to tie itself to the historic events of yesterday’s inauguration of President Barack Obama. His appointment to Leader of the Free World really has little to do with a Brandon Fraser movie. But what is the web if not an opportunity to stay timely with your content? Plus, it’s history and I’m a big Presidential history fan. So why not?
Not to over-explain the joke, but the significance of President Obama’s inauguration is such a game-changer socially, politically and racially that it might not be uncommon for people to look for profound meaning and significance in other facets of their lives where there might not be any.
I am a big Obama fan (I voted for him during the Iowa Caucuses). But there have been critics who chastize his supporters for putting him on a pedestal and treating him like some kind of Messiah. Not to be a Negative Nancy, but I agree with that a little bit. Obviously the ripple effect of Obama taking the Oath of Office is HUGE. But let’s not raise him up to far, too fast. Let’s give the man some room to work. Let’s also not forget to roll up our sleves and help.
As far as Inkheart goes, I don’t know what to make of it except that Brandon Fraser seems to be stuck in some kind of fantasy/action ghetto career-wise at the moment. Between Inkheart, Journey to the Center of the Earth and The Mummy: Tomb of The Dragon Emperor, we’ve seen a lot of Fraser and his wigs with the weird bangs running away from special effects. Either he must be REALLY good on a green screen or he owes someone money. Wasn’t this guy in Crash a few years ago? What happened there?
In case you are unfamiliar with the plot, Fraser plays a Mo “Silvertongue” Folchart (oy…) who can bring fictional characters to life by reading aloud from their books. Adventure ensues.
Let me say this: In terms of movies that make reading the fulcrum point of their plot, there’s only one movie worth talking about, okay? And that movie is The Never Ending Story.
Don’t let anyone ever tell you differently.
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I know Tom mentioned last week that I might be blogging and I thought I’d try my hand at this today…here goes!
Tom and I saw Last Chance Harvey on Monday. Since we had a day off, and a “films we haven’t seen yet” list a mile long, we chose to see a great character piece. Although Dustin Hoffman is fantastic as Harvey Shine, a washed up advertising jingle writer who visits London for his daughter’s wedding and ends up losing his job and what’s left of his broken family; it’s Emma Thompson as Kate Walter who stole the movie for me. Like her performance in Love Actually, Thompson delivers a nuanced portrayal of a real woman. Someone whose hair doesn’t always look perfect, whose mom is slightly annoying and who shows real emotion—you really believe it when Thompson breaks down in tears a couple of times. You wonder whether her job as a Public Statistics Official is really satisfying or if it just pays the bills. Although Last Chance Harveyis probably not going to generate Oscar nominations for either Hoffman or Thompson, it’s an enjoyable movie that I highly recommend!
Yesterday at work we watched Barack Obama take the oath of office. Although we’ve been and will be completely saturated with media coverage of this historical event, and everything that can be said about this moment has been or will be written, I wanted to comment on one thing. This is one of the rare times, where I’ve been with a large group of people, and they’ve applauded at the TV. I always think it’s weird when people clap after a movie. It’s not like the actors can hear you. Most likely, the kids picking up trash pretend the applause is for them. In this case, I was clapping right along with my coworkers after Aretha sang, Yo-Yo Ma performed and especially when Barack Obama took the oath and then gave his fantastic speech. I actually felt like I was part of something bigger and better today and that’s an awesome feeling.
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I kind of cheated a little bit on the backgrounds for today’s comic. They’re screen captures from Tony’s garage in Iron Man. I had a hard time grabbing them. I would scan the frames for the shots I needed, but then go back and start watching scenes from the movie. Total time suck!
As you may or may not know, the 2009 Oscar nominations were announced yesterday and Robert Downey Jr. being nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Tropic Thunder stuck out the most to me across a field of otherwise safe choices.
Obviously RDJ won’t win, citing the Academy’s aversion to comedic performances. If anything, it’s a tip of the hat to the comeback year Downey Jr. has had and they certainly couldn’t nominate him for Iron Man for fear of losing complete credibility.
I was a little surprised that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button racked up 13 nominations and even more surprised that it earned nominations in the Big 5 – Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director and Adapted Screenplay. Seriously – I thought interest had wained on this thing. Everyone I’ve talked to says it’s an exhaustive slog to get through and nothing much happens.
But, statistically, it’s the front-runner. So I suppose I will have to check it out.
I guess I was also surprised that The Wrestler was no nominated for Best Picture. Almost everyone I talk to seems to love that movie. Meanwhile, The Reader made the cut despite critics taking it to task for being a bit of a mess (aside from Kate Winslet’s performance, of course).
Any while we’re talking about the Best Picture nominations, I’m personally disappointed that Wall-E couldn’t bust out of the Best Animated Feature Film ghetto and lock down a Best Picture nomination. One of the most critically adored and respected film’s in Pixar’s history and it’s been relegated second-class citizenship. If the Academy had not created the Best Animated Feature Film category, Wall-E would have been a contender for sure. If the Academy saw fit to nominate Beauty and The Beast for Best Picture nearly 20 years ago, surely Wall-E could compete.
Interesting that there was no gold watch nomination for Clint Eastwood and his contributions to Gran Torino. Going into nominations, I thought buzz was building on that one. I guess not.
Of course, everyone is talking about Heath Ledger being nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his revolutionary turn as The Joker in The Dark Knight. But I don’t think he’ll win. The Dark Knight was conspicuously shut out of any other major category. The highest grossing film of the year – one of the highest grossing since Titanic and no recognition with a Best Picture or Best Director nomination? Sure it cleaned up with 7 nominations in the technical categories, but c’mon!
Ultimately, I think Nathaniel R. from The Film Experience hit the nail on the head with his Oscar nominations talking points posted yesterday. I found this by way of Jeffery Wells over at Hollywood Elsewhere:
The Oscar’s will be broadcast February 22 on ABC. For your reference, here is a list of the most prominent 2009 Oscar nominations:
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Richard Jenkins–The Visitor
Frank Langella–Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn–Milk
Brad Pitt–The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke–The Wrestler
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Josh Brolin–Milk
Robert Downey Jr.–Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman–Doubt
Heath Ledger–The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon–Revolutionary Road
BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Anne Hathaway–Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie–Changeling
Melissa Leo–Frozen River
Meryl Streep–Doubt
Kate Winslet–The Reader
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams–Doubt
Penelope Cruz–Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis–Doubt
Taraji Henson–The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei–The Wrestler
BEST DIRECTOR
David Fincher–The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard–Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant–Milk
Stephen Daldry–The Reader
Danny Boyle–Slumdog Millionaire
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Frozen
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
Wall-E
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Eric Roth–The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley–Doubt
Peter Morgan–Frost/Nixon
David Hare–The Reader
Simon Beaufoy–Slumdog Millionaire
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E
BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
So, what’s your take? Is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button worthy of 13 nominations? Who films or performances do you think were ignored? What are your predictions for who will take home the little golden man?
Leave your comments below!
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