Dec21

GUEST STRIP – MICHAEL MAY

December 21st, 2009 | by Tom
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(16 votes, average: 8.81 out of 10)

Today’s guest strip comes from Michael May who does a great comic called Eros, Inc. It’s about a Jewish girl who is hired as a Cupid for her neighborhood. Wacky hi-jinks ensue. Mike’s comic updates on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and it would behoove you to check it out.

I’m lovin’ Mike’s comic for several reasons – mostly the little details. The transition from the second to third panels had me laughing out loud. The caption under the photo in the fourth panel made me smile as well.

But, man… That second panel. Shades of my Ren and Stimpy youth, I tells ya!

Thanks again, Mike, for the excellent guest strip! Check out Eros, Inc., everyone!

I ended up seeing Avatar yesterday with Cami after my parents offered to watch the kids for the afternoon. I feel like I’m still sorting through it. I guess the movie must have done something right if it’s managed to stick with me overnight. Some movies you forget about on your walk back to the parking lot!

After watching the movie, I asked Cami what she thought about it and her first reaction was that it was too long. At nearly 3 hours running time, I’m inclined to agree. But in the same breath, I was never bored watching the film. Yes, the plot has been done before. Yes, the dialogue isn’t ground-breaking. But the visuals… hoo boy, the visuals. Maybe I was just too distracted to care about the negatives?

One thing I’ll say for sure, Stephen Lang brings the thunder as Colonel Miles Quaritch. Between this movie and Public Enemies, he’s having a great year.

The rest of the performances aren’t much to write home about. I’m still not convinced by anything Sam Worthington brings to the table. He seems like a one-note kind of guy to me. A meathead with a knack for playing in front of a green screen.

I think Giovanni Ribisi’s character from Avatar and Paul Reiser’s character from Aliens should get together and have a beer. They’re both a pair of corporate stooges.

Lastly, can we all agree that Michelle Rodriguez will be typecast as the tough chick for the rest of her life?

This is not in-depth criticism, I recognize. Like I said, I’m still working through it.

I guess I would say that Avatar – despite it’s length – does a good job of moving the action along. We find out in very short order what Worthington’s character is doing in the far reaches of space. We understand very quickly how the Avatar technology works without Cameron reducing it to techno-magic that “just is” because the plot demands it. Similarly, none of the characters act as if this technology is anything new. So the movie spends very little time trying to convince the audience “This is new! This is different! This is amazing!” through the eyes of the characters.

I think Cameron has also done a very good job of creating a dense and fully visualized world in Pandora. One where the environmental threats that can kill you in minutes feel tangible.

On the one hand, Pandora is clearly beautiful, luminescent and lush. But on the other hand, when Worthington’s character becomes lost in the jungle not knowing anything about the environment, you feel tension because you don’t know what is safe to touch or what unexpected fresh death might be around the next corner.

Cami and I saw the film in 3D and I don’t know if that added to the experience or not. We both left the theater with headaches. My feeling was negative to the point where I was telling myself “Well, that was fun, but I don’t think I need to see it again.” Now that I’ve had the opportunity to have the film swim around in my head for a few hours, I’ve changed my position and probably would like to see Avatar again in the future. But in 2D next time.

Bottom line, I guess you could say that I got what I expected from Avatar. The technology on display is awesome, but the plot… while not lacking in emotional authenticity… just didn’t connect with me for some reason. It’s not a bad movie. Maybe just not the best movie for me.

I read a review last week where the reviewer expressed admiration for the film, but felt like it was built more for a 15 year-old’s mentality. It wasn’t a criticism. In fact, he said he wished he could be 15 again so he could approach the film with that same kind of wonder and enthusiasm.

I guess I feel the same way.

Switching gears, I wanted to bring your attention back to the Kickstarter fund raising campaign for Theater Hopper: Year Three. There was a bunch of activity last week. We are 74% funded with $900 left to go! I feel really good about the momentum we’ve built up for this, so let’s keep the ball rolling! I’m convinced once we reach 75% funded, that’ll be the tipping point and the rest of the pledges will follow!

There are only 10 days left in the campaign, though. And if you’re celebrating with family this week, then we need to treat it like we have maybe a week left to make goal!

If you need a little extra incentive to pledge, today is my birthday. I 32 years-old. A pledge to the Kickstarter campaign would be a great, last minute gift! Even a dollar! Hey, it’s the thought that counts, right?!

Thanks again to everyone who has pledged their support so far. I appreciate it!

In the meantime, don’t forget to check out Eros, Inc. And if you had a chance to see Avatar this weekend, let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

↓ Transcript
Autobots! ROLL OUT!

Local theater hopper Tom Brazelton died tragically this morning trying to turn himself into a 1998 Toyota Corolla.

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