Archive for December, 2010
9 items.
If you’ve been following me on Facebook, you’ll know that I expressed Jared’s exact concerns about Tron: Legacy a few days ago. I’ve been excited for this movie for what has felt like an eternity. But now that it’s finally upon us, I’m a little bit nervous and skeptical.
It’s kind of like being a kid and looking at the largest present under the Christmas tree. You spend all your time fantasizing about what it could be. And then, two days before Christmas, you kind of don’t want to open it out of fear the box could be filled to the brim with socks and long underwear.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Tron: Legacy LOOKS fantastic. My fear is that there is no chewy nougat center – that there is nothing substantial at its core. I’m worried that Tron: Legacy is all sizzle and no steak.
I mean, Tron: Legacy wouldn’t be the first big-budget science fiction epic to suffer from a bloated special effects budget and a hollow core littered with anemic plot devices. Am I expecting some sort of grand Shakespearean drama? Not at all. But am I looking for something that justifies a sequel to a film made almost 30 years ago? Absolutely.
How often have you heard critics complain that CGI makes movies feel as insubstantial and transient as a video game. Along comes Tron: Legacy – a film that is LITERALLY about surviving inside the world of a video game – and you think critics won’t jump on that if the storyline isn’t up to snuff??
My fears about Tron: Legacy has diminished somewhat since a few advanced reviews have hit the web. General consensus (without getting into too much detail) is that it’s amazing. Basically, it doesn’t offend you for investing yourself in the characters or mock you for wanting to return to their universe. Let’s face it, if you’re excited about this film you might as well find the nearest mirror, point at yourself and yell “NEEERRRRRRRDD!!” – because that’s what you are.
And I’m right there with you.
SIDEBAR: Not sure if you caught the controversy on Twitter over the weekend, but I had a little dust-up with a UK retailer that had stolen the designs for one of my t-shirts and was selling them through their site.
The retailer in question was 8Ball T-shirts and I was notified of their transgression after Joel Watson from Hijinks Ensue notified me of the theft. The artwork for his “Sci-Five” t-shirt had also been pilfered and we were both prepared to take to the internet and whip up a little righteous anger.
The news hit around 5:00 or 6:00 PM CST on Friday evening. So, considering the offending party was 7 hours ahead of us across the pond, they had no idea how large the tide of hate confronting them would be on Saturday morning. Several of you took to Facebook and Twitter to let them know how you feel about companies who steal from independent artists.
Here’s how things were resolved.
Saturday morning, 8Ball deleted all of the negative posts from their Facebook page and locked off the account to keep people from posting new messages. They had also removed the offending designs from their site (which is why I don’t have a screen capture to show you that compares the two)In the meantime, they were communicating with Joel after he had sent them a cease and desist letter.
I wasn’t really monitoring the situation all that closely because we were getting the house ready for Pearl’s birthday party (more on that later). But I checked in occasionally and was kind of perturbed that they didn’t publicly acknowledge the situation and attempt to reach out to me to explain the situation.
However, that feeling did not last long because, later in the day, I received an e-mail from 8Ball with an apology and an offer to turn over all of their profits from the sale of their shirt to me. Basically, what had happened was than an unscrupulous designer submitted my work, Joel’s work and the work of several others to the site claiming it as his own and 8Ball took the designer at their word..
I was relieved to hear that the situation was caused by an individual and was not representational of the company’s standard operating procedure. Plagiarism is not part of their culture. They just got taken for a ride and I’m sympathetic to that. Accidents happen.
In my estimation, 8Ball took all the right steps with their apology. They explained the situation, took ownership of the problem, made steps to correct the problem and outlined how they hope to prevent something like this from happening again. The financial compensation was a welcome surprise. I would have willingly accepted the apology along with credit for my work.
So, although the controversy has died down, I sincerely hope everyone who took the time to come to our aid also takes a moment to thank 8Ball for doing the right thing. I’ve had my artwork stolen before and things do not usually resolve themselves this neatly as this.
To those of you who lent your voice in support, I sincerely appreciate having defenders like you at my back. A few days after the controversy, I joked on Twitter that I had learned something valuable from the event – that Theater Hopper hasn’t slipped into irrelevancy. At least not yet… ;D
Last bit of news… I mentioned earlier that we were busy Saturday getting our house ready for Pearl’s birthday party. I don’t often talk about my kids in this space because I’m a little protective of them and very cautious not to accidentally exploit them. But you guys have always shown a respectful interest in my personal life and occasionally ask about the kids, so it’s become somewhat of a tradition to acknowledge them on their birthdays.
On Friday, December 3, Pearl Evelyn Brazelton celebrated her first birthday and I don’t think she could have picked a crazier year in our life as a family to arrive. A new job, a new house, finishing grad school… this year has seen a lot of changes for me personally and our family as a whole.
But things are pointed in the right direction and I’m optimistic about the future. Pearl is a large part of that. Things were kind of grim in the summer and fall of 2009. But things started turning around after she showed up.
Pearl’s only a year old, but she’s growing up pretty fast. We recently took her off her bottle and she’s drinking milk like a champ, eating more solids and teething like crazy. We’ve caught her standing under her own power a couple of times, but only when she’s distracted by something she’s holding onto without bracing herself on a chair or a pant leg. She’s very clingy to Cami at the moment, but we anticipate she’ll be walking very soon. After that, all bets are off.
Happy birthday, Pearl-girl. Our lives are richer with you in it.
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So… Tron: Legacy doesn’t come out for another two weeks. Where do you stand? Excited? Anxious? Let us know in the comments! Let’s start a conversation!
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Today’s comic is a continuation of last Monday’s and it’s a little bit weird to attempt a storyline now that I’m only updating once a week. We’ll have to see if I can’t expedite things a little bit. Stay tuned.
I guess I had always planned on doing a follow-up comic for Tron: Legacy (considering it comes out this week) but aping the movie’s plot device wasn’t originally in the cards. The suggestion to receive correspondence from the cardboard factory actually came from Phil “Frumph” Hofer on Twitter last week.
You probably don’t know Phil, but you should. Phil is the programmer that took over development of the comic archiving system ComicPress about a year ago and he’s been rocking the code ever since. He’s helped organize the back end of Theater Hopper in ways I can’t even describe. In fact, he made some changes to the site yesterday while we were IM’ing each other and I’m pretty sure he’s a wizard.
You may have already noticed it, but it was Phil who added the handy Facebook “Like” button you see to the right of the comic’s navigation. I’ve been looking for something like this that I could integrate into the site for weeks, but I could never get it to look right. Phil took care of it in about 15 minutes.
Incidentally, I hope the button’s placement of that button results in more people “liking” the comic so it can be shared with others on their Facebook profile pages. It would be a great way to help spread the word about Theater Hopper. Let’s face it: You’re already on Facebook 12 hours a day anyway. Is clicking my “like” button really taking that much skin off your back?
I should also mention that the Theater Hopper fan page is within striking distance of 900 followers. So if you’re not already a fan, check us out over there. I keep the account fairly active, share movie news and trailers there as well.
Last night, I tried something a little different and posted a video thanking a fan for the generosity they showed me recently. Reaction to the video seemed to be positive. I might post more videos there in the future if they appears to be an interest in that kind of thing.
Anyway, I got sidetracked. Bringing the conversation back to Phil for a minute, the man is doing fantastic work behind-the-scenes for the webcomics community and I wanted to make sure that he gets the recognition he deserves. Phil is a fantastic resource that is raising the level of professionalism for everyone. Even if you don’t have a comic of your own, you probably owe him thanks for helping to improve the interface of the comics you read.
Incidentally, coding development takes time and money. So if you want to help Phil out by donating, I’m sure he would appreciate it.
Anyway, not much more to add to today’s post. But stay tuned this week for extra comics. I’m going to see if I can’t kick things up a notch to help move this storyline along before the glut of holiday films start filling up theaters.
Cheers!
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So you guys know there’s an alternate ending to that new Yogi Bear movie, right? The movie doesn’t come out until the 17th, so this is spoiler territory. But, still, you should watch. It’s a real killer.
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Johnny Depp’s performance as Captain Jack Sparrow has become a cultural touchstone and the casting of Ian McShane as the pirate Blackbeard is inspired.
Yet, I can’t seem to muster up the enthusiasm needed to properly anticipate the fourth chapter of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Maybe I’m still experiencing burnout from the back-to-back wallop of POTC: Dead Man’s Chest and POTC: At World’s End from a few years back. But I think I’m mostly cool to POTC: On Stranger Tides because it looks like such a blatant money grab, it fails to inspire.
If anything, it makes me want to go back and watch POTC: The Curse of The Black Pearl – a perfectly satisfying adventure film that was less concerned about establishing a perfunctory mythology that the characters could inhabit.
At any rate, here’s the new trailer. What are your thoughts?
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Normally I’m not a fan of these YouTube supercuts that combine every instance of a character saying “That’s what she said,” or whatever. But this editing job by YouTuber GenRocks is damn-near perfect. It’s basically a clip reel from nearly every movie in 2010 and it does an excellent job of establishing themes and capturing movement from edit to edit. The song choices sprinkled throughout are well done, also.
The video is a little over 6:00 minutes long, but it’s worth your time. In addition to being extraordinarily well-done, GenRocks’s edits also manage to do the impossible – make 2010 look like a worthwhile year in movies.
Enjoy!
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According to Vulture, Jon Favreau will not be directing Iron Man 3. No reason has been given at this time, although I think it is a profoundly dumb move on Marvel’s part. Speculation is that the issue revolves around money. Considering what went down with Terrance Howard on Iron Man 2 and Edward Norton on the sequel to The Incredible Hulk, this seems feasible. Others suggest a creative split between Favreau and The House of Ideas. Considering the Iron Man 2 was basically a giant set-up for The Avengers, this, too seems feasible.
Business is business, I understand that. But considering the care and dedication Favreau took with what was – admittedly, at the time – a second-string Marvel property, it seems profoundly stupid of them to let him go. Considering his vision and dedication to practical effects (which I think was a large part of what made the franchise successful – a strictly CGI suit wouldn’t fly, so to speak), you’d think Marvel would be bending over backwards to keep Favreau happy.
What’s your reaction to this news? Who do you think the best candidate would be to replace the erstwhile Swinger behind the lens? Does this also mean Happy Hogan won’t be in the third film? DISCUSS!
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For better or for worse, Topher Grace has pretty much become the most likable milksop in Hollywood. So that he was cast as the lead in this 80’s nostalgia piece meets a tepid response from me at best.
But throwing Anna Faris into the mix with a comedic supporting role raises my eyebrow a little bit. I’m not convinced that she’s the most effective comedic lead, but when you let her off the chain in a supporting role, watch out. Anyone who has seen Just Friends can attest to this. Pair her with Chris Pratt and now you have my interest.
Ohhh-ho-ho, but then you had to go and ruin it, didn’t you Hollywood? Casting Dan Fogler as the slovenly best friend? AGAIN?! Look, I know this guy is a Tony winner, but apparently he has fallen victim to the worst case of typecasting in the business right now. Every time he turns up in a movie, I cringe.
Do you guys remember Curtis Armstrong? They guy that played Booger in the Revenge of the Nerd movies? Yeah. Dan Fogler is this generation’s Curtis Armstrong.
What’s your opinion of Take Me Home Tonight?
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After the idea was introduced that Tom’s Father was calling to him from beyond, I started to think about the father/son themes in Tron: Legacy. It wasn’t long before I transposed that exploration over to The Empire Strikes Back. Thus, a sci-fi mash-up was born. I hope you like it.
I went a little gonzo with the double-sized comic. Mostly because I knew there was no way I could fit all of it into four panels. Or, more accurately, inside the digital same real estate my average comic takes up.
So I went for broke. Decided to do a larger comic. Of course that meant the comic was a little bit late. But when you think about it, you’re kind of getting two comics this week instead of one. So that shakes out, right?
Working on this strip last night, I definitely had a sense that I had bitten off more than I could chew. But I could see the goal line on the horizon. I knew even if the joke didn’t go over, I would at least be happy with the results. Visually, the comic is pretty much everything I envisioned – and that’s a pretty satisfying feeling.
I haven’t yet managed to see Tron: Legacy yet, but monitoring the response to it on Twitter this weekend was interesting. Reactions seem to be split into two camps – people who thought the plot and dialogue was stupid while appreciating the special effects and everyone else who seemed to say “C’mon, guys! Tron: Legacy wasn’t THAT bad!”
An airtight argument to be sure.
It sounds like there’s enough about Tron: Legacy to admire from an effects standpoint, but I’ve also hear that if you’re not a tech geek, it can kind of leave you cold. I’m not worried. Tron: Legacy looks like it fits directly in my wheelhouse.
I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to see the film. A friend of mine wants to organize a “guys night out” with a bunch of friends to go check it out together. With the holidays in the way, it might be a while before I’ll finally get my chance.
Here’s something I haven’t heard people talking about… the 3D. Seems like Disney was push Tron: Legacy in 3D and IMAX pretty hard, but I’ve not heard anyone’s opinions about it.
I’m kind of against the idea of seeing it in 3D. Aside from the glowing suits, the film already looks dimly lit. Why do I want to throw on a pair of 3D glasses and drop the brightness on the picture another 20%?
If you saw Tron: Legacy in 3D, what was your take? Worth it or not?
That’s all for me. Feel free to leave your comments below. If you liked today’s double-comic, click that little Facebook “Like” button to the lower right. I’d appreciate it.
Cheers!
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Apologies for the late comic today. I’m getting into a unusual habit where I am doing more than my requite four panels and adding a ton of effects and emotion to my comics lately.
This would not normally be considered a problem if I were able to plan somewhat in advance and produce the comic on time. But I’ve definitely been playing catch-up lately. Sorry about that.
The good news about today’s delayed comic is that you get to hear my opinion about Tron: Legacy! I finally had a chance to see the film Monday night with some friends and I’m still kind of… processing it (see what I did there?)
I know I’m a little behind the curve, since the movie came out last week. But it’s been interesting monitoring the reaction to it online. The general consensus is that the film is amazing to look at, but light on plot. I’m inclined to agree, but I wasn’t really bothered by the deficiencies in the storyline.
Maybe it was a case of managed expectations, but when compared to a similar feast for the eyes that was light on plot like James Cameron’s Avatar, I was far less disappointed.
If I could make one complaint, the first act of the movie establishes that Jeff Bridges’s character discovers something inside “The Grid” that would change every idea mankind ever had about science, medicine or religion. Once Bridges’s discovery is revealed, the Earth-shattering ramifications aren’t really explored.
I think it’s because the filmmakers would rather have us extrapolate the meaning of his discovery, but I would have preferred a little more discussion around it. I really think it would have helped anchor the story and raised the stakes in terms of why this discovery was worth defending. Instead, it feels a little bit tacked on.
And I guess if I could make one additional complaint, it would have to be about Jeff Bridges’s performance. Basically, he channeling a digital version of The Dude from The Big Lebowski. Trapped inside The Grid for over 20 years, Bridges’s contemporary take on Kevin Flynn has him adopting Zen principles and an odd delight in calling everyone “man.” For me, it comes off as a little too colloquial and flippant. Again, it diminishes the stakes.
But, truthfully, these are petty squabbles. Like I said before, the plot deficiencies in no way subtract from the overall experience Tron: Legacy brings to the screen. The visuals are astounding. Even Bridges’s rubbery, digitized performance as his younger self has an odd allure.
It easy to see why Disney didn’t promote Tron: Legacy with a re-release of the original Tron on blu-ray. The visuals Joseph Kosinski’s film blow the original out of the water. While there are several clever references to the original film, this sequel is an entirely different beast.
I ended up seeing the film in 3D and I don’t know that it particularly added anything to the experience. I don’t think I felt any more or less “immersed” in the world of Tron than I would have if I had watched it in 2D. Frankly, that’s a compliment toward Kosinski’s direction. I felt like I was leaning into the film the whole time. Despite being somewhat dreary, Tron is a place I wouldn’t mind inhabiting for a while!
One more thing I’ll say… there was a lot of hype around Daft Punk providing the soundtrack to this movie. It seemed like a natural fit and something that fans could get excited about. I bought the soundtrack before the movie came out and it left me a little cold. I was hoping for a little more funk and a little less orchestration.
I can say now that I’ve watched the movie, the context for the soundtrack has been completely re-contextualized for me. It is much better than I originally gave it credit for because I was too busy focusing on what I wanted it to be instead of enjoying it for what it was. If you enjoy soundtracks, I strongly encourage you to pick it up. Great stuff.
I’ve run out of things to say about Tron: Legacy, so I’ll just say that I enjoyed it greatly and leave it at that. I have designs to see True Grit sometime in the near future. Although Cami has been trying to pull together a date night so we can see The King’s Speech. Truthfully, I’m good either way. It’s a win-win! But we’ll see what happens.
Thanks for your patience with today’s comic. If you have additional thoughts about Tron: Legacy, feel free to leave them in the comments. See you in 2011!
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