Posts Tagged ‘alliteration’
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I’m going to go out on a limb and say that today’s comic is quite possible the most clever thing I’ve written in a long time. The incentive sketch that goes with it isn’t half bad, either.
Normally I’m not one for such hubris, but I’m really happy with the way it today’s comic turned out. Okay, so maybe it’s not the most original. But you know how when Bill Cosby tells a joke it’s not so much the punch line that’s funny but the way he tells it? I feel like there’s a little bit of that going on here.
Saw II comes out today and it’s one of the few horror movies with enough sense to wait until the Halloween season to drop in theaters when audiences are pre-disposed for a good scare. For the life of me, I will never understand the sense in marketing that says it is okay to release a movie like The Ring 2 in March. What’s scary about March? NUTHIN’!
I can understand that maybe studios aren’t stacking up horror films around October 31 because they don’t want the competition. But even a family movie with dark undertones like Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride could have benefited from a more apt holiday release. Just my opinion.
I don’t have a lot to say about Saw II in particular, except at first glance it seems like a hastily thrown together sequel to a moderately successful film from last year. I question it’s effectiveness to ratchet up the tension since the original Saw utilized the benefit of surprise. Now that we kind of know the killer’s M.O. will we be as caught up in the fate of the characters he tortures?
I’ve heard some rumblings that the sequel is slightly better than the original – but just. It wins points for not suckering the crowd with a similar cop out ending as the original did. One of the worst non-twists in horror history.
I doubt Cami and I will see Saw II this weekend. Believe it or not, it isn’t really Cami’s cup of tea. Truth be told, I’m not one to stomach splatter and gore at a 4:3 aspect ratio. Call me a pansy if you must, but I’m more comfortable watching horror from the confines of my living room where I can fast forward through the rough spots or get up and vomit if I have to.
Horror is kind of a tricky bag for me. I’m interested in these movies. I think it would be really cool to sit and watch the complicated Rube Goldbergian methods Jigsaw uses to dispatch his victims in this latest installment. It’s much like those moral quandary questionnaires that ask you "If you and your wife were trapped in a room and the only way to save yourself was by pushing a button that would kill your spouse, what would you do? Failure of either of you to push your button results in both your deaths. WHAT NOW?!" That’s interesting. It’s high drama, people.
But the gore. I just can’t stand the…
LOOK… I don’t need to know what your brain pan looks like, okay? I don’t need it confirmed that the small intestine unspooled runs the length of a football field, thank you. Those are visuals I can do without.
At any rate, if we have time this weekend, Cami and I are thinking about seeing either The Legend of Zorro (tepid family swashbuckling that anyone can handle) or perhaps Mysteries of the Nile – an IMAX documentary our science center recently received about a group of rafters who attempt to travel the entire 3,260 miles length of the Nile from the source in Ethiopia to the Mediterranean Sea. Only we would opt for this kind of PBS-inspired entertainment as a weekend option. It’s not a field trip. No one is forcing us to go. We choose this for ourselves.
That’s all for now. I’ll be back later with an important reminder! Ooooo! Spooky!
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This is the kind of comic and play with language is something that I know is pretty much only going to entertain me, but if you enjoyed it, thanks for coming along for the ride.
I did a comic similar to this a few years ago for Saw. Tom and Cami debated whether or not the would see Saw while sitting on a seesaw. It had several levels. I couldn’t find it buried in the archives, though. You’ll just have to trust me when I say how awesome it is.
I don’t really have anything to say about Takers except it looks like the kind of stylish urban crime drama that Tupac Shakur would have starred in back in the day. I guess it did alright at the box office this weekend – $21 million. But, of course, late August into early September is a dead zone when it comes to new movies. Everyone is going back to school, so the studios just kind of shovel out whatever.
In completely unrelated news, I finally got around to seeing Scott Pilgrim vs. The World this weekend. I’m glad I had a chance to see it in the theater because I don’t think it’s going to be hanging around in multiplexes for much longer.
After a dismal 5th place opening in its first week to a drastic drop to 10th in its second week, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World lost more than 42% of it’s business this weekend, plummeting to 14th place.
Theaters have obviously lost confidence in it. My theater, for example, only had three showings on Saturday an 11:00, a 4:00 and the 10:00 that I went to. Please keep in mind that this theater also has 20 screens, so it’s not like it was really fighting for space among the end of summer duds.
The theater we were in seemed to have a lot of people in it, though. Or maybe it only looked that way because the theater was so small.
As for the movie itself. I liked it. In fact, I really liked it! I don’t know if the film justifies the nerd rage expressed online in regards to the film failing to find an audience. Truthfully, I find the incredulous tone of that sentiment off-putting. It’s not going to attract anyone who is on the fence to the film. Vanity Fair, however, made a very smart and impassioned argument for the movie that I thing proponents would be wise to adopt.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World has a catchy and unforgettable energy that is makes it addicting to watch. Blissfully, however, it’s comic book sensibilities never bleed over the edge and ruin it.
I’ve seen Scott Pilgrim vs. The World favorably compared to Speed Racer in this respect and I would say Pilgrim is a refinement of that approach. The film breaks the fourth wall constantly, but the script never winks at you. It doesn’t make you feel dumb for investing in it. Speed lines, pixelated graphics and ridiculous super-powered fights are par for the course in the Scott Pilgrim universe. It’s totally normal to all of the characters in the film, so it’s totally normal to us.
Writer/director Edgar Wright has compared Scott Pilgrim to a musical. But instead of glorious production numbers, scenes are punctuated with exaggerated fight sequences.
I think that’s the right way to approach the movie. You can certainly see the movie was paced with these interludes in mind. As Scott squares off against his opponents, the tension builds just enough before a comical, digital “VS.” flashes on the screen and you know the fight is on.
Of course, it’s impossible to talk about Scott Pilgrim without mentioning the music. Beck contributes a few song to Scott’s fictional band – Sex Bom-Omb – that gives them an authentic garage band imperfection that is fun to listen to. But it’s Radiohead collaborator Nigel Godrich’s score that anchors the film with emotional resonance.
As a matter of fact, I downloaded the Scott Pilgrim score last night (it’s only available as an MP3 download) and was listening to it on repeat as I worked on today’s comic. If you’re a fan of the movie at all, I suggest you pick it up. It’s a good listen.
The more I think about Scott Pilgrim, the more I want to see it again. Wright’s adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s original graphic novels is just different enough to warrant further inspection. What’s pleasing about the film, however, is that these changes don’t negatively impact the final product. That’s a rare feat. Usually films that monkey with the time line and the details of the source material – especially one as well-loved as Scott Pilgrim – don’t go over well. But in this case, I love the books and the movie equally – just in different ways.
I don’t know if Scott Pilgrim will stay in theaters long enough for me to convince Cami to see it with me a second time. I’m very curious to see how someone who has ABSOLUTELY no investment in the material reacts to the movies. I think she would enjoy it, but we might have to wait until the movie comes out on DVD to find out.
Certainly this is a film that I would want to own. Scott Pilgrim’s world is just to visually unique and interesting not to want to revisit again and again.
With that lengthy review (unrelated to the comic with which it appears) out of the way, I wanted to remind you guys about the BIG SALE going on in the store now until September 19.
As you know, Cami and I are packing up the kids and moving to a new house at the end of September. As such, I’m trying to sell off as much merchandise as I can before the big day so I don’t have to pay the movers extra to haul out all my books and t-shirts. That means I’m passing unprecedented savings on to you!
All books and t-shirts are specially priced for a limited time. If you follow Theater Hopper on Twitter or Facebook, you might learn about some special codes that will afford you EXTRA discounts!
I’ll tell you right now that people are really taking advantage of this sale. People are buying items in bulk – two or three shirts at a time. Or two books and one shirt at time. A myriad of combinations. The point is that they’re buying a lot of stuff at once and there might not be much stuff left over if you wait too long. The good news about my new Storenvy store is that it keeps track of inventory. So now you can watch the little inventory bar trickle down to zero.
Even if you already own a bunch of Theater Hopper merchandise (and by the way, thank you), this is a great opportunity to buy something you can give as a gift later. Wouldn’t it be great to have your holiday shopping done early? Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to scramble at the Nth hour to get a birthday present for a friend? Give the gift of Theater Hopper! You won’t be sorry!
That’s all of my schilling for now. But, hey, keep us in mind. This is a great opportunity. You help yourself by saving money and you help me by lightening my load for our move. It’s a win-win!
Just think about it. All I’m saying.
Back on track, did anyone see Takers this weekend? Have we left any stones unturned regarding Scott Pilgrim? If so, leave your comments below!
Or, y’know, we could always talk about Theater Hopper merch, too. I can give you guys some ideas to help promote the sale if that interests you?… 😉
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