Posts Tagged ‘George W. Bush’
2 items.
I kind of painted myself into a corner with today’s comic because, originally, the set up required there to be some kind of massive upset at last night’s Academy Awards ceremony. The only problem, there were no real upsets! Pretty much everyone who was supposed to win, did. There weren’t really any awards handed out that I was upset with. I didn’t finish watching the show thinking anyone was snubbed or robbed. So I had to reconfigure the point I was making a little bit, but I think it comes off well.
Discussing today’s comic with Cami, I actually hit up a little mini-arc that addresses some of the politics behind the Oscar voting as well as attempt reveal some truth about persona biases.
That sounds pretty lofty. It’s not high-concept, or anything. I’m just trying to give you the head’s up that there will be a mini-arc this week. So if that gives you an excuse to come back to the site on Wednesday and Friday, feel free to use it.
Thinking back on last night’s show, the only real upset I can recall is French actress Marion Cotillard winng her first Academy Award for her portrayal of singer Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose. Then again, Best Actress is always a crap shoot anyway. And – not to be xenophobic – the award hardly ever goes to an American actress, so I just kind of ignore it.
I was pleased beyond reason that “Falling Slowly” from Once won Best Original Song. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova’s performance made me want to stop what I was doing and watch Once all over again – easily my favorite movie last year.
Beyond that, nothing much to get excited about. Certainly it was obvious that there weren’t any huge blockbusters or A-level celebritires like Tom Hanks or Julia Roberts being celebrated. I’ll be curious to read about the ratings sometime today.
But when your Best Picture nominees include downers like There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men, it’s likely to ostrisize the casual movie goer. Maybe that’s a good thing? More left over for the die-hard fans?
We discussed these issues and more on a special Sunday night recording of The Triple Feature over at TalkShoe. Gordon, Joe and I hopped on the line immediately after the Oscar telecast wrapped up and we shared our immediate impressions. You should really think about downloading a copy of the show. We kept it brief – 30 minutes since we recorded on a day we don’t typically record. It’s a good introduction to what we do. If you have a chance, give us a listen!
That said, we still have ANOTHER broadcast going on this evening. The three of us will be talking about NEW movies tonight including Be Kind, Rewind, Vantage Point and the recent multiple cast announcements for the upcoming Wolverine: Origins.
So be sure to tune in tonight at 9:00 PM CST for another episode of The Triple Feature! See you there!
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Oct17
Don’t worry. I’m not going to get overtly political on you.
Cami and I actually had this conversation because we couldn’t really figure out who the audience for W. was meant for.
As pointed out in the strip, it’s an Oliver Stone movie – so that right there should raise flags. To me, Stone is all about sensationalism. So if I were a fan of George W. Bush (which I am not), then I would expect this movie to be some kind of hatchet job. So let’s say this movie is not meant for conservatives who are looking for a biography piece meant to celebrate the 43rd President of the United States.
Who’s left? Liberals, maybe. People who are attracted to Oliver Stone and his politics (if he even has any at this point). People who WANT to see a hatchet job. People who want to laugh at the expense of "Dubya" while his approval rating languishes near record lows.
This is America for you. Granted, it’s not as if Bush Jr. hasn’t bungled things up so badly that he isn’t deserving of a little scorn. But I feel like it is distinctly an American tradition to build up our idols and then kick dirt into their eye when their star eventually falls. We relish in it. We consider it sport.
Me, personally – I guess I want to see the hatchet job. But I’m not exactly a fan of Oliver Stone or what he stands for anymore. The guy has always had a tenuous grip on reality to begin with. But I think after Natural Born Killers, he pretty much crawled up his own ass and never came out again. I’m attracted to the controversy W. is generating, but obviously we don’t have the historical perspective to dissect Bush thoroughly. To me, this movie is about Stone planting his flag on Bush’s legacy so he can said he got there first.
I mean, Stone shot this thing in, like, 45 days. For a guy who is all about spectacle and visual panache, that’s a land speed record! He obviously has an agenda in mind – something he wants to express before Election Day. What remains to be seen is how much of his signature style he had to abandon to do it.
Truthfully, if I was going to see the movie for any reason, it would be to see Josh Brolin in the title role. Brolin is one of those actors I haven’t thought about since The Goonies – and even then, I didn’t know who the hell he was. But after No Country For Old Men and (surprisingly) Planet Terror, he has my full and undivided attention. All of a sudden, he can do no wrong. From the ads and trailers I’ve seen, I think he gets Bush’s mannerisms down without over-exaggerating them – which is a tough thing to do. So, if anything, I’ll be watching the movie to examine his performance. Because the buzz surrounding it has been strong.
I think Cami and I are going to try and catch a matinee of W. tomorrow. My in-laws are coming over for lunch and are going to hang around the house to make sure Henry is okay while he naps and we see the movie.
I’m probably also going to try and squeeze in Sex Drive tonight. Because after the week I’ve had, I could use a formulaic teen sex comedy. Should be fun being the creepy 30 year-old guy in the back of the theater again.
Not for nothing, but I thought you guys might be interested to know that I sent in my registration, booked a hotel and an airline reservation so I could attend the Emerald City Comicon in Seattle, April 4 -5. I know that’s, like, 6 months away. But I’m excited to share the news because this will be my first time attending Emerald City Comicon, my first time visiting Seattle and my first time flying to attend a convention.
I was basically talking with a few other webcomic guys and complaining that I can’t go to any conventions that aren’t within driving distance because it costs too much to fly. Someone suggested Emerald City Comicon if I was ever going to take the risk because it’s large, but not overwhelming and they have a strong reputation for taking care of webcomic creators.
On a whim, I went to Orbitz and looked up the cost of a plane ticket to Seattle and was shocked when I found a fair for under $200.
You need to understand why that is significant. First of all, there’s a bit of an economic crisis that makes everything expensive. Second, gas prices are astronomical and third, airlines are now charging you a fee to breath oxygen inside their pressurized cabins.
MOST significantly, however, is that I live in Des Moines, Iowa. A town where you’d have to catch a connecting flight to go to Chicago. Flights out of town NEVER cost less than $300. I don’t know if it was a computer error, or what, but I jumped on the opportunity.
So, now I’m going to Seattle and paying about as much for transportation as I did paying for gas to drive myself it Wizard World Chicago back in June!
Anyway, like I said, it’s 6 months away. But I wanted to let you know about it now. I’m really looking forward to it.
That’s it for today. Thanks for swinging by the site and I’ll see you again on Monday! Have a great weekend!=
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