Well, here we are. The New Year and the launch pad for the new direction I’m taking Theater Hopper as outlined in last Friday’s blog. Kind of kicking things off with a mystery here. Are you intrigued? Are you hooked yet? Are you? ARE YOU?!
Can you smell the desperation rolling from your computer monitor? Can you? CAN YOU?!
For those of you that want to take a closer look at Charlie, I’ve posted my original rough outline of her as the buzzComix incentive sketch. You can see a tiny sliver of it in that handy graphic in the upper-right hand corner of the blog. Click on it to see the whole thing.
Part of Theater Hopper’s new direction is presenting it to a wider audience. So if you could take the two seconds to click on that little graphic, I would appreciate it.
So, who is Charlie? Where does she come from and how does Cami know her? The answers may surprise you. Be sure to check back Wednesday as we chip away at this ICEBERG OF MYSTERYTM!
In movie-related tidbits, I went to see The Aviator yesterday with Cami and my sister-in-law. What can I say? It’s a long one?
I thought the movie was pretty good, but wasn’t left with the best impression. Leonard DiCaprio’s obsessive, repetitive muttering sometimes gets the better of the story. After a while, you start feeling nervous and a little obsessive compulsive yourself!
I suppose that’s the sign of talent – when you feel what the character is feeling. But sometimes I don’t want to feel half-crazy.
Of course I have to tip my hand to Martin Scorsese. His flair for visuals is as strong as ever. He even dips into the well of computer generated effects for some amazing shots he wouldn’t have been able to get otherwise. What I love about Scorsese is that he has a firm grip on how much of that stuff to use. There are some really impressive visuals that don’t look like a Macintosh barfed on the screen. In other words, they don’t really get in the way.
If anything, watching The Aviator certainly piqued my interest in seeing Hell’s Angels. The $4 million dollar war epic Howard Hughes filmed once and refilmed again for sound during the 1920’s. Looks like a real barn-burner.
Beyond that, I’m still processing things. The film spends a lot of time on Hughes early days in Hollywood. Which makes sense for such an avid film historian as Scorsese. Hughes really went a long way toward presenting film as a more realistic art form including graphic sex and violence, so it’s interesting to see where some of the conflicts between artists and censors first took root.
However, there’s very little attention paid to the loony, tissue boxes on the feet, piss in milk jars Hughes that I think many people recognize Hughes for. His eccentricities. His illness. The film is called The Aviator for a reason. Scorsese wants us to remember him not only as a filmmaker, but as a man who set distance, speed and time records in aircraft – developing some of the fastest machines to ever travel the planet. Never mind what he did with commercial aviation when he bought TWA. All in all, pretty interesting stuff.
I don’t think The Aviator will clean up with any awards, which is kind of a shame considering how long Scorsese has been overlooked. But it is an ambitious picture and if you’re at all a fan of Scorsese, you should see it. All of his films are required viewing in my book.
That should cover it for now. See you on Wednesday!
Okay, first things first!
- I am currently acutioning off some Theater Hopper #500-related artwork. The auction ends next Wednesday, so be sure to get your bids in now!
- get your bids in now!
- The archives are now SEARCHABLE! Enjoy this bounty!
- We have a brand-new movie review database where you can leave your thoughts on every movie Theater Hopper has ever spoofed. We’re adding movies into it all the time, so check back often for films to rank and comment on!
Now, where were we?
You don’t think our new buddy Victor actually cut off someone’s arm, do you? No way, man. It’s just an exaggeration. Or is it?
Victor is a brand new character added to the Theater Hopper mythos, so get used to seeing his face around the movie theater. It’s been a little while since I added someone new. I tend to do this arround milestone occassions.
One thing I’ve always felt was lacking in the Theater Hopper universe is a source of conflict to draw drama from. I tried to go that route when I introduced Charlie back in the day. But I didn’t think far enough in advance. So instead of making her a villian, she became merely misunderstood. There have been times that I’ve wanted to write her as the stone-cold b*tch I originally envisioned her as, but at this point it would see too far out of character. I still don’t know if I’ve developed her personality to the point where you can say "That’s Charlie. That’s what she’s about." So for the moment, she’s pretty much a gal-pal for Cami to hang around with.
Victor on the other hand is unrepentantly evil and I have no plans for watering him down. I just think it’s hilarious to create a Ukrainian movie theater floor manager who takes his job to a serious extreme. I mean, I think we’ve all had that co-worker who was ruthlessly efficient or maybe looked down their nose at you like you weren’t working as hard as they were. Victor is that guy times a thousand. I’ve already come up with a bunch of fun scenarios to use him in. He’s the perfect antithesis to Jimmy’s cheery optimisim. Every encounter the other characters have with this guy is going to be a living hell.
I have a mini story-line set up to introduce Victor a little bit more. Don’t worry – I’m not going to stretch this one out into some crazy multi-week arc. It’ll be short and to the point. He’s evil. What more do you need to know?!
No movie plans this weekend. There’s nothing much in theaters I care to see. Cami’s been advocating Pride & Prejudice for the last few weeks, but I’ve been dragging my heels. Now it looks like she’ll be going with a friend on Sunday and leaving me in the dust. I’m sorry, but in my mind, Colin Firth is the definative Mr. Darcy!
Aeon Flux comes out today and I can’t really bring myself to care. I used to love the cartoon shorts where Aeon died every episode back when it was broadcast on MTV’s Liquid Television. I had a harder time following the weekly half-hour series she had not long after that. What’s the point of seeing a live-action version when the original was so trippy and surreal? I’m a big sci-fi fan, but I’m having trouble seeing how the director of Girlfight could translate the property to the big sceen. And with Charlize Theron as Flux… well, that seems to be Halle Berry-in-Catwoman-level bad decision making.
What is up with all these actresses who win Oscars and then immediately turn around and do action films? What is the logic there? "I’ve been recognized by my peers and I’m being taken seriously in the industry! For my next film, I’m gonna play a superhero!"
Think I’m being too harsh on Aeon Flux? Paramount has elected to cancel all screeners for reviewers. So you guys won’t know if it’s good or bad until Roger Ebert plunks down $9 and sees it on his own time. Instead, they’re flooding the market with ads and crossing their fingers. Not a good sign. Have you been watching television at all lately? Seems like every third commercial is for Flux. I feel like I’ve already seen the movie! If any of you guys decide to see the movie this weekend, you’ll have to let me know about it. But I don’t plan on touching this with a 10 foot pole!
Here’s hoping everyone enjoys their weekend. Don’t forget to place your bid in the auction!ign: left;”>The archives are now SEARCHABLE! Enjoy this bounty!
Now, where were we?
You don’t think our new buddy Victor actually cut off someone’s arm, do you? No way, man. It’s just an exaggeration. Or is it?
Victor is a brand new character added to the Theater Hopper mythos, so get used to seeing his face around the movie theater. It’s been a little while since I added someone new. I tend to do this arround milestone occassions.
One thing I’ve always felt was lacking in the Theater Hopper universe is a source of conflict to draw drama from. I tried to go that route when I introduced Charlie back in the day. But I didn’t think far enough in advance. So instead of making her a villian, she became merely misunderstood. There have been times that I’ve wanted to write her as the stone-cold b*tch I originally envisioned her as, but at this point it would see too far out of character. I still don’t know if I’ve developed her personality to the point where you can say "That’s Charlie. That’s what she’s about." So for the moment, she’s pretty much a gal-pal for Cami to hang around with.
Victor on the other hand is unrepentantly evil and I have no plans for watering him down. I just think it’s hilarious to create a Ukrainian movie theater floor manager who takes his job to a serious extreme. I mean, I think we’ve all had that co-worker who was ruthlessly efficient or maybe looked down their nose at you like you weren’t working as hard as they were. Victor is that guy times a thousand. I’ve already come up with a bunch of fun scenarios to use him in. He’s the perfect antithesis to Jimmy’s cheery optimisim. Every encounter the other characters have with this guy is going to be a living hell.
I have a mini story-line set up to introduce Victor a little bit more. Don’t worry – I’m not going to stretch this one out into some crazy multi-week arc. It’ll be short and to the point. He’s evil. What more do you need to know?!
No movie plans this weekend. There’s nothing much in theaters I care to see. Cami’s been advocating Pride & Prejudice for the last few weeks, but I’ve been dragging my heels. Now it looks like she’ll be going with a friend on Sunday and leaving me in the dust. I’m sorry, but in my mind, Colin Firth is the definative Mr. Darcy!
Aeon Flux comes out today and I can’t really bring myself to care. I used to love the cartoon shorts where Aeon died every episode back when it was broadcast on MTV’s Liquid Television. I had a harder time following the weekly half-hour series she had not long after that. What’s the point of seeing a live-action version when the original was so trippy and surreal? I’m a big sci-fi fan, but I’m having trouble seeing how the director of Girlfight could translate the property to the big sceen. And with Charlize Theron as Flux… well, that seems to be Halle Berry-in-Catwoman-level bad decision making.
What is up with all these actresses who win Oscars and then immediately turn around and do action films? What is the logic there? "I’ve been recognized by my peers and I’m being taken seriously in the industry! For my next film, I’m gonna play a superhero!"
Think I’m being too harsh on Aeon Flux? Paramount has elected to cancel all screeners for reviewers. So you guys won’t know if it’s good or bad until Roger Ebert plunks down $9 and sees it on his own time. Instead, they’re flooding the market with ads and crossing their fingers. Not a good sign. Have you been watching television at all lately? Seems like every third commercial is for Flux. I feel like I’ve already seen the movie! If any of you guys decide to see the movie this weekend, you’ll have to let me know about it. But I don’t plan on touching this with a 10 foot pole!
Here’s hoping everyone enjoys their weekend. Don’t forget to place your bid in the auction!
Introducing a monkey into the comic kind of feels like a lame way to up our cuteness factor similar to how Diff’rent Strokes brought in that little red-haired kid after Gary Coleman stopped being adorable. But, hey. You try saying "No" to that face.
I haven’t decided if Dewey is going to be a permanent addition or not. I suppose that depends on your reaction to him. For now, he’s serving as a means to an end so that I can talk about King Kong this week.
I’m really excited about Kong opening this Wednesday. Moreso than I’ve been about any other movie opening this season. I’ve been talking a lot about movies with friends recently. Going over the year that was. Most of us agree that 2005 was a pretty dismal year for film. Here’s hoping Kong can send it out on a high note. After all, just like in the movies, you can have two acts that are nothing but crap, but if you can really push it over the top with a great ending, that’s what audiences are gonna remember!
I’ll likely have more to say about Kong as the week – and this storyline – unfolds. So stay tuned for more on that front!
Real quick, something you might have noticed this morning is a change to the front page. I’m experimenting a little bit with my advertising options. Trying to find a way to integrate them more seemlessly into the site. I haven’t decided if I’ve accomplished that or not. That 728 x 90 banner ad above the comic and below the navigation is kind of distracting. But I like the 468 x 60 banner below the comic navigation and above the blog.
I’m trying to find a way to still offer cheap advertising for other web comics and interested parties. I was thinking about somekind of insert within the blog space, but I don’t know what I’ll do yet. We’ll see how the 728 x 90 banner ad at the bottom of the page performs. I might end up placing sponsorship links there.
Or perhaps I’ll place them to the right of the logo and push the navigation down a little bit? I’m really interested in hearing from any past advertisers on your preferences. I’m not married to these 728 x 90 banners. Nothing is set in stone. E-mail me if you have opinions.
Additionally, I’m polling the readership-at-large for advice on what to do with the navigation bar. Links inside colored boxes isn’t working and it doesn’t address the sub-navigation problems I’m sure to encounter on subsequent pages in the archvies. If you have any thoughts on how I could make that a stronger interface for you, please let me know.
I’m taking all kinds of feedback, so let me have it!
Talk to you all again soon!
You might be wondering who the nebbish young man Jimmy is talking to in this strip. He is as Jimmy addresses him. His name is Cecil and he works at the movie theater!
I have no idea if I’ll ever use Cecil again. I would have used Victor, but since he’s the manager of the theater and in the position of authority, I would have been forced to use him to deliver all of the dialogue. I would have hated to do that. I prefer to keep Victor as mute and menacing as possible. So, to solve the problem, I put Jimmy in the driver’s seat and gave him someone that even HE could push around!
I don’t know if I got everything I wanted out of this joke. All I know is that when I saw the trailer for Code Name: The Cleaner, I could already imagine the sarcastic tone of the reviews. “Cedric The Entertainer is the star of Code Name: The Cleaner and he more than lives up to the title. He makes sure all the theaters are cleaned out on opening night!” Seriously, this thing has “DUD” written all over it. How do movies like this get the green light. It certainly can be on the limited charm of someone like Cedric The Entertainer.
I don’t have a lot to share today except to give you guys the heads up that we’re bringing back the talkcast next Monday, January 8th at 9:00 PM CST. There will be a little graphic in the upper left hand corner above the comic to remind you. That’s where you can expect to see important site news in the new redesign, so keep your eyes peeled.
I will be co-hosting with Joe Dunn from Joe Loves Crappy Movies and Gordon McAlpin from Multiplex. We feel like we really hit on something during the last talkcast we were all together in and this time we’re going to give it a try with a bit more spit and polish. We’re going to try to keep the show to an hour and we’ll have specific topics to cover. In between segments, we plan on taking your calls. For the most part, we’ll be talking about movies. But there will also probably be a little discussion about our web comics as well.
One problem we’re having is trying to figure out a name for our broadcast. We figure if we’re going to make a serious attempt at this, we need a catchy name. We’re tripping over ourselves trying to come up with one. I keep thinking of movies with the word “three” in the title. Three Men and a Baby. Three the Hard Way, so on and so forth. “Trifecta” was a word that cropped up that we all liked, but we can’t anchor it to a concept that says “Hey, we talk about movies and draw web comics!”
Do you guys have any ideas? If so, leave them in the comments.
I also want to take the opportunity to remind everyone to sign up for the mailing list. I’m making a habit of sending an update notice with every comic, so it’s a handy little reminder if you don’t make Theater Hopper a daily visit LIKE YOU SHOULD!…
Anyway, sign up and I’ll be sure to send you a note about the talkcast next week. We’d love to have as many people participating as possible! It’s a fun show!
Not too many movie plans for Cami and I this weekend. That is, unless one of her girlfriends gives the baby a DVD to watch, or something. Saturday is the baby shower. I’m looking at it on the calendar and saying to myself “Already?” The fact that the shower is tomorrow indicates that the baby will be here VERY soon. We weren’t really thinking about it at all during the month of December – what with the holidays and everything. But pretty soon January will be over with and then come Valentine’s Day, we can expect to bring our baby boy home. It won’t be long now!
That’s about it for me. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
I don’t think I’m making any kind of particularly witty statement with today’s comic. Anyone who has seen the trailer for Perfect Stranger probably came up with the same joke 5 seconds after they learned what the title of the movie was. But I’ll ask you to stick with me on this one. The follow-up comic I have for Friday is going to be the real pay-off.
Considering that today’s comic doesn’t exactly have a lot going on in it’s brain, I thought I would talk for a moment about the comic creation itself. Mostly because you guys seem to get a kick out of it when I have a joke that’s a bit of a dog.
Originally I was going to have Bronson Pinchot himself appear to protest the movie. But I thought that highly unlikely since isn’t he dead, or something? I kid. I know he was on The Surreal Life not to long ago. But actually, I avoided using him simply because if I was going to burn brain cells trying to figure out an appropriate caricature, it was NOT going to be on Bronson Pinchot. Instead, I decided to make the protester someone who vaguely LOOKS like Bronson Pinchot and make him the president of his fan club. Subtle, no?
When I told Cami that I was going to make fun of Perfect Stranger by pulling a reference to the television show Perfect Strangers, Cami asked me “Are your readers even going to understand it?” I think she’s under the impression that everyone who comes to the site must be 12. If it just so happens that you’re NOT a child of the 80’s like I am, what can I tell you? YouTube it.
“Standin’ TAAALLLLLLL! On the wiiings of my dreams!”
Man, whatever happened to the inspirational feel-good sitcom theme songs? For that matter, whatever happened to predictability? The milk man, the paperboy, evening TV? How did I get delivered here – someone tell me, please!
All the 12 year-old’s are scratching their heads right now.
At any rate, if you’d like to download something that DOESN’T make you feel incredibly old, grab a copy of The Triple Feature broadcast from Monday night. Gordon, Joe and I talked about Grindhouse for a full hour and I think we hit upon some really juicy topics of discussion. Pull it down to your machine and listen to it in the background as you contemplate the fate of television stars of the 80’s. It’ll be an interesting juxtaposition – trust me.
I’m going to take a minute to pat myself on the back because I think there’s a fair bit of emotion and “acting” going on in the illustration of today’s strip that I’m proud of.
* pat, pat *
Vacancy comes out this weekend and I am very much creeped out by the premise of a backwoods motel that traps two stranded travelers in a web of murder. I don’t need it compounded with the twist that the couple happens upon a video tape that recorded a murder that took place in their very room OR by the idea that the entire motel is wired with video cameras and creepy hillbillies are watching their every move before they slit their throats.
I’ll be staying at Best Western’s from now on.
The fact that the movie stars Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsdale makes me wonder if the lead characters are really in any danger. Seems reckless to kill off the only two people in the movie audience care to see. Reckless or artistically stunning. After all, Hitchcock killed off Janet Leigh in the first 30 minutes of Psycho and no one saw it coming.
Of course, these days, studios don’t take risks like that. And Vacancy’s director Nimród Antal… is no Hitchcock.
It would be interesting to me if there was some kind of Twilight Zone twist in Vacancy. Maybe the who murder-on-videotape and chasing the couple around the motel thing is just a way for the rednecks to have a little fun with the two lead characters. Maybe teach them something valuable about life before letting them go along their way. At least… I HOPE there’s a twist like that. Otherwise, to me, it looks like a paint-by-numbers slasher. We’ll see.
Quick question…. What do you guys think about Hillbilly Jeff? Do you like him? Because I’m thinking about doing two more strips that feature him. We already have a Scurvy Joe in the Theater Hopper universe. But the fact that Hillbilly Jeff just kind of materialized our of the ether makes me wonder what his back story is. If you’re curious yourself, let me know in the comments…
Big new regarding tonight’s episode of The Triple Feature and you’re not going to want to miss it!
Tonight Gordon, Joe and myself will be interviewing none other than JoBlo himself!
If you’re not familiar with JoBlo or his fantastic movie review and news web site JoBlo.com, then you’r missing out. It’s a great resource for movie fans, fun to read and informative as all get out. We were lucky enough to get JoBlo on the show and we want to make sure we have a TON of listeners. So be sure to check out The Triple Feature talkcast page over at TalkShoe tonight at 9:00 CST. Log in and leave your questions! We’ll be asking JoBlo all sorts of stuff! If you want to leave your questions in the comments here on the site, that’ll work, too. But whatever you do, DON’T MISS TONIGHT’S SHOW! It’s going to be great!
Okay, fine. You need another reason to check out the show tonight? How about another DVD giveaway?
The good people at Bunea Vista Home Entertainment have hooked us up with a few giveaway copies of the Denzel Washington movie Deja Vu. Washington play an ATF agent who travels back into the recent past to save the life a woman murdered in the present. If you guys saw this in the theater, you know it was intense! Of course, what do you expect from Tony Scott – the guy who directed Man on Fire and True Romance? This is high-action, folks. You won’t want to miss your chance to win.
All you have to do is listen to tonight’s Triple Feature broadcast either live or downloaded later. Wait until the end of the show when one half of a clue will be read. Come back to Theater Hopper this Wednesday for the other half of the clue. Send your name, age and mailing address along with the clue to theaterhopper@hotmail.com with “DEJA VU” in the subject line and you’ll be entered to win. Easy, right?
To learn more about the contest rules and Deja Vu, click here. If you guys want to check out a trailer for the movie, I’ve got one of those as well. Just click here. Deja Vu will be available on DVD Tuesday, April 24.
So, there you have it – a big name interview and an opportunity to win some free stuff? What more can you want! Remember – The Triple Feature talkcast tonight at 9:00 PM CST! Be there!
Sorry for the delay on Friday’s comic. I posted earlier about the business trip I was on in Columbus Tuesday through Thursday. My flight came in late Thursday night and I didn’t have an opportunity to draw anything during the day because I was, y’know, working. And instead of doing the comic in the evening, I opted to spend it with Henry and Cami instead. Can you fault me? Anyway, better late than never.
When Cami and I started to see trailers for I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry in theaters a few months ago, Cami said she was interested. Mostly because her default setting is to give any Adam Sandler movie the benefit of the doubt. I’ve talked about it on the site before, but Cami is a die-hard Adam Sandler fan – which makes no sense if you know her at all. She’s normally a very intelligent and reasonable woman.
Personally, I kind of outgrew Sandler’s antics after I graduated college. Or I guess I became less forgiving of his faults. That’s not a slam against the Sandman or anyone who enjoys his brand of comedy. He’s clearly a very sweet person, charming and affible. I’m actually quite fond of his policy never to give print interviews after once being burned by Entertainment Weekly. But as far as the movies go… they’re just not very good. Mr. Deeds? Awful. Click? Tried too hard to be It’s A Wonderful Life and couldn’t pick a direction.
The Sandler movies that I’ve liked are those where he takes his man-boy persona and redirects it into more emotionally unstable territory. I loved Punch Drunk Love despite it’s obtuseness. I thought Reign Over Me was one of the more interesting movies of the first half of the year. Even Spanglish put a neat twist on things – even if I couldn’t stant Tea Leoni’s character.
Kevin James from The King of Queens is also in Chuck and Larry and I like him a lot, too. He seems really easy going and a lot of fun. As a matter of fact, there are A LOT of actors I like in this movie. Dan Aykroyd, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi… So what’s the problem? Sorry, but the premise is just too hack sitcom-y. Kevin James’s character loses his wife in an accident. So in order to secure pension benefits for their future if something should happen to him on the job, he enters a “domestic partnership” with Sandler, his co-worker and best friend, to defraud the city. Wackiness ensues – mostly at the expense of the notion that the thought of two dudes rolling around together is funny. Are their movies by gay filmmakers that play heterosexuality for laughs? Like, a lesbian and a gay guy have to play it straight (no pun) in order to pull the wool over someone’s eyes?
Then again, maybe I shouldn’t be so critical. After all, I’ve used Victor there in the last panel several times as a comedic foil, constantly reusing his attraction to Tom as a punchline. But I guess I feel like I’m somewhat exempt from that kind of self-analysis because the joke isn’t really on Victor – it’s on Tom because he’s so clueless about it. Everyone else seems to know Victor has a thing for Tom, but Tom thinks Victor just wants to beat him up and throw him out of the theater.
Maybe I should shut up now.
I guess the big question that crops up in my mind about Chuck and Larry is that James’s character doesn’t have any female friends he can go to that will help him out with the pension problem? It’s more realistic. People marry for convienience all the time. Whether it’s to get a green card, tax benefits or whatever. Truthfully, you probably could have made a more emotionally resonant movie with that set up. What if James and his female friend end up falling for each other. Or, what if, at the end of it, James’s character discovers that he’s really gay after all! That would be a twist.
I realize that there’s no point complaining about it. The movie has been made. It just seems kind of cheap to take what feels like a discarded Three’s Company episode and stretch it out into a two-hour movie.
But maybe that’s just me.
Lawrence has an awesome idea for a new movie about ice cream. If you want to find out his suggestion for what they should title it, you’ll have to vote for Theater Hopper at Top Web Comics.
I can’t decide if the joke in today’s comic is a little too obscure or not only because I’m not sure how aware audiences are of the movie Fighting coming out on Friday.
The movie sticks out to me primarily because it’s my job to know about such things. But also because I think it’s one of the laziest titles in movie history.
“What’s your movie about?”
“Fighting.”
“What’s it called?”
“Fighting.”
Fighting wins the award for the movie with the lowest set expectations ever. All it has to do is put at least one fight sequence on screen and it will have fulfilled the promise of its title. Who else but a simple-minded 5 year-old could come up with something so literal?
The last time I recall running into a title this dim-witted was (appropriately) the 2007 Mark Wahlberg action film Shooter. But at least that was more of a title and less of a verb. I’d probably respect Fighting more if it were renamed “Fighter.” At least then it would communicate that the movie is about a specific person that I should care about.
But Fighting? I leaves me with a “Yeah? So what?” vibe. What action movie these days DOESN’T already feature lots of fighting?
Am I the only one for whom this is a problem? Am I too far inside my own head? Does the title of this movie strike you weird or are you psyched about seeing it this weekend?
Leave your comments below and we can iron this out.