Posts Tagged ‘Jennifer Garner’
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Apr26
REVENGE IS A DISH BEST SERVED AS AN INSIDE JOKE
April 26th, 2004 |
(10 votes, average: 7.90 out of 10)
Revenge seems to be the genre du jour at the moment with Man of Fire taking the number one spot at the box office this weekend with Kill Bill Vol. 2 and The Punisher trailing closely behind. How Jennifer Garner and her toothpaste commercial of a movie – 13 Going On 30 – snuck into the number 2 spot is surprising. Especially considering America’s apparent bloodlust at the moment.
I’ve read a few articles about this new trend in cinema. The popular theory is that American’s are looking for some kind of antagonist “them” to destroy since 9/11. We can’t exact our revenge in the streets and most people aren’t going to hope the next flight to Afghanistan, so this is the next best thing.
What I wonder is “Where have these essayists been for the last 30 years?” Revenge has always been a central device in storytelling – and not just cinema, but literature and songwriting as well. I wish I could come up with some good examples, but I’m wiped out after putting today’s comic together.
By the way, this is the LAST WEEK we’re taking pre-orders on t-shirts. If you want to sleep better at night knowing that you’ll have one of the VERY FIRST THEATER HOPPER T-SHIRTS, then you need to visit the store right now and put down some cash. Because once the 30th comes and goes, I can’t take any more orders. I’m sorry. It’s a legal thing. The lawyers made me say that.
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As promised, another comic. Part of the 5 day plan to help advance the little storyline we’ve got going here and burn through a little excess exposition. Is anyone else glad that we’re moving the action out of suburbia and into the theater? I know I am!
As time progresses, I am getting more and more positive feedback from readers who are starting to enjoy Charlie’s story arc. While I have had an opportunity to return everyone’s messages, I want to thank those of you who have written in to show your support. I appreciate it. I see now that going ahead with the story was the right decision to make.
Things may have been slow-going at first and maybe even a little painful. But that’s evolution in a nutshell. A little temporary pain and the result is something stronger and more beautiful. I’m now convinced that once this telling is complete, there will be a richer experience at the end of it for all of us.
Onto movies… I didn’t see Elektra this weekend and if the box office has anything to say about it, neither did many of you. Even though I was one of the few who honestly enjoyed its predecessor Daredevil (Ben Affleck be damned!), I felt no urge to see Jennifer Garner take the lead in the follow-up.
I mean, if you break it down to brass tacks, it’s pretty much a movie starring Garner running around in sexy outfits and kicking ass. Guess what? I can see that every week for free on a little show called Alias. I imagine Elektra is only going to draw the fan boy faithful.
By the way, if you want to see an image that will test the limits of said faithful, then vote for Theater Hopper at buzzComix to check out today’s incentive sketch.
One movie that I did see this weekend and thoroughly enjoyed was In Good Company. I don’t know what it is about Topher Grace I find so appealing, but all that talk about this being his breakout performance is right on the money. Grace is quick-witted and alert throughout his performance. He’s just a lot of fun to watch.
Dennis Quaid earns points as well going with a performance that was very confident and laid back without being lazy or above-it-all.
I didn’t used to like Quaid. I used to think he was kind of a jock and didn’t look smart enough to be an actor. All cock-sure strut, no substance. But as he’s aged, he’s become maybe one of a handful of leading men over 50 that’s I’ve enjoyed watching. You could lump Pierce Brosnan into this category as well.
I think what really struck home for me with In Good Company was that there aren’t really that many films aimed at men on an emotion level.
For example, women have all kind of movies that deal with their emotions, relationships and fears. Bridget Jones’s Diary, just to pull a name out of the hat, tackles everything from the fear of being single in your 30’s, being overweight and having trouble finding a good job. These are all emotional issues.
Movies for men only seem to focus on bigger explosions, more garish CGI candy, and occasionally naked breasts if the studio can get around a PG-13 rating.
But In Good Company is different. It’s about being in your 20’s and not knowing what you want to do with your life. It’s about being in your 50’s and being rendered ineffectual by the generation stepping in to replace you. It caught me off guard. You simply don’t see a lot of movies about men whose power is being leeched from them in this way. I found it a rewarding experience. You should go see it.
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First things first. Theater Hopper has slipped down to the number two spot on the Web Comics List. I think I know why. You guys haven’t had any new incentive sketches since last Friday. It’s understandable that we’d take a little slide since last Friday’s sketch was, admittedly, a little lame.
But no worries! Today’s sketch is five times awesome! Vote for Theater Hopper to witness Ben Affleck in his post-bee attack state! Everyone wins!
Second order of business. Thanks for giving me the day off on Monday. Between packing up our stuff, hauling furniture up flights of stairs and performing the family and social obligations of the holiday weekend, I was far too depleted to come up with anything original or witty.
I feel bad about it because I’m not one to normally miss updates. And although most of my American readers were probably out celebrating the Independence Day holiday, my international readers got the short end of the stick and no updates at all! For that, I apologize, mes amis.
I think it worked out for the best, though. Because I’ve been sitting on the idea for this strip since last Thursday when I learned Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner got married and I wanted as many people to see it as possible. I’m just really happy with the way it turned out.
In case you’re only vaguely familiar with the site, Mr. Affleck and our good friend Jared have been entangled in violent encounters since February of 2003. In fact, they’ve met on several different occasions. So many times, in fact, that I’m considering assembling all the strips where their paths cross and selling it as “Ben Affleck’s Greatest Hits.” It would sell like hot cakes, I tell you. If it ever came to fruition, this would undoubtedly be the cover:
I have to give points to Affleck for keeping his nuptials hush-hush. Fleeing the country to wed in a private ceremony is much more preferable than the J.Lo spectacle of a year or so back. Who care if Jennifer Garner is knocked up! It was the classy thing to do.
I wonder though, does this mean that Affleck is starting to mature? Does becoming a family man mean that he can no longer be the object of my scorn and ridicule? Who else will I hold up as my bloated, only-in-it-for-the-money avatar of Hollywood excess? Whatever happened to the hard partyin’, hard drinking’, hard gambling, stripper tippin’ Ben of yore?
Oh, well. I suppose I should be happy for him. I think he did himself a service marrying someone with a strong jawline than his. Now there will be NO MISTAKING who the “man” in the relationship is!
Oh, c’mon! You know I can’t resist!
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Bonus points to Ali Graham for delivering a rockin’ guest strip. Any comic that has fun with Jared’s well-document hatred of all things related to Ben Affleck warms my heart. The good lad has been paying attention to the comic!
Unless you live under a rock that doesn’t get the internet, Ali is the fevered mind behind the web comic HOUSD. Ali has been consistently knocking out great work since March of 2003 and has a jaw-dropping 750+ comics in his archive.
Ali’s really upped his profile lately, churning out not one, but TWO great guest strips for my friend Zach over at Joe and Monkey back to back! So I feel pretty honored that Ali could squeeze me in! 😉
Thanks again, Ali!
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My original draft of this comic had the infant Jared bursting forth from Jennifer Garner’s swollen stomach like the Alien. Y’know… Demon Seed style.
But I opted against it. I thought it was a little crass.
Still, Baby Jared isn’t someone to mess around with. He’s one tough little customer! Koochie-koochie-koo!
You may have read that Mr. and Mrs. Ben Affleck recently celebrated the birth of their first born on December 1 – a baby girl. So it stands to reason that our favorite punching bag might have a little anxiety about the momentous event.
Still, in all seriousness, congratulations to the happy couple. Just because Ben Affleck sucks as an actor doesn’t mean I should begrudge the welcoming of his first child.
I feel like I haven’t had a lot of movie stuff to talk about lately and that makes me kind of sad. Is it weird that it’s almost the end of the year and the only film I’m remotely excited about seeing is King Kong? I mean, Fun With Dick and Jane looks interesting. I heard it was co-written by Judd Apatow, so that’ll get me in the door right there. I’ll see Munich, mostly because I feel like I should. I’m planning on avoiding The Chronicles of Narnia like the plauge.
The only thing that really has me captivated at the moment is the new X-Men 3 teaser trailer.
This kind of caught me be surprise. Because, like any good fanboy, I spent my time hating the idea of an X-Men movie directed by Brett Ratner for so long, I forgot that there might be something worth investigating here.
Some quick thoughts:
Kelsey Grammar as Beast. He looks pretty good. Maybe a little old. A little too fuzzy. But it’s Grammar’s voice and presence that are going to sell this role. Still, I don’t know how they plan on tossing him into any battle sequences. The man is 50 years-old! Maybe they’ll switch him out with a CGI character for the more frenetic stuff.
A character that should have been done totally CGI was Vinnie Jones’s Juggernaut. I’m sorry, but that ultra-buff body suit they have him standing in looks stupid. The Juggernaut is supposed to be 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide. If they could make the Hulk semi-believable in CGI, they could have done the same here. Just stick Vinnie Jones’s head on a digital body and be done with it. That helmet he’s wearing looks dopey, too. I understand that they want to leave the face plate open so you can see the actor emoting, but I much preferred the domed look of the character in the comics. In the movie he looks like and extra from Gladiator.
Good to see Colussus is on the team roster now. You can see him in the background walking with the group in the opening shot. Oh, and eagle-eyed viewers will notice – wait for it – THE FASTBALL SPECIAL! at the end of the trailer.
If you don’t know what The Fastball Special is (and it sounds kind of dirty, now that I think about it), too bad. That’s for comic geeks ONLY. Okay, maybe that’ll make up for the Juggernaut looking stupid.
Other thoughts:
Hugh Jackman is starting to look kind of old to play the non-aging Wolverine.
Halle Berry got a new haircut for Storm! Like I care…
Ben Foster as Angel looks promising. The wings actually look like they should.
Famke Janssen is back from the dead as Phoenix and she appears to have become evil. Okay.
No one passed the note along to James Marsden that his version of Cyclops is the most boring character in the franchise.
Beyond that, nothing much more to say. It’s too bad that they decided to do a movie about "curing" mutants and that there is no sign of the Sentinels. I think movies today need more giant robots.
If you have any opinions about the movie or the teaser, we’re talking about it in the THorum here. Check it out and I’ll catch up with you guys later!
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Drawing Friday’s comic, I realized that Jared holds a lot of grudges against celebrities for one reason or another. It reminded me of the one he hates the most. The one we haven’t heard from in a while…
Okay, okay. So the last time Jared tortured Ben Affleck was back in January. But can any of you guys remember the last time you heard any Ben Affleck-related news? It’s like he seriously fell off the grid! Either that, or Jared’s consistent beatings finally delivered their intended message:
"Leave Hollywood and never come back!"
Who says violence doesn’t solve anything?
Anyway, enough about Ben Affleck’s ties to terrorism. I have much more important news to share.
See this?
That right there is a preview from the cover of the upcoming Theater Hopper book "Theater Hopper: Year One." And I’m excited and proud to announce thatO we’re going to offer it for pre-sale starting Monday, April 17!
It’s been a long time coming and I’ve been working on it for the last three months, but we’re finally ready to go to press with this bad boy. What we need from you is a little support! We don’t have all of the money we need up front to place the order with the printer. That’s why we’re doing the pre-sale. Once enough books have been sold, we can move the project ontothe next stage. So I’m telling everyone about it now so you guys can reserve your copy on Monday.
The book will sell for $18.95 (plus shipping and handling), but you’re getting your money’s worth and then some! The book collects the first year of Theater Hopper. That’s 156 comics, people! Not to mention 11 gueststrips from that era and a 6 strip crossover I did with Carrington Vanston from Movie Punks.
"But Tom," you say "Why do I want to buy your book when I can already get this content on the web site for free?"
Good question. And the answer is "commentary." For each of the 156 comics from the first year, I have included brand new commentary that reveals how I got Theater Hopper off the ground as well as the tips and tricks I learned along the way that helped me refine both the writing and the art as I progressed. If you’ve ever wondered how someone does a web comic three times a week, this book is going to answer a lot of questions! Remember, this content is EXCLUSIVE to the book and you’re not going to see it anywhere else!
Plus, it’s just plain cool to own web comics in print. You can share it with your friends and family and explain to them THIS is what I’ve been reading online and it’s hilarious!
But to motivate you guys a little bit, we’re introducing a new concept. THE THEATER HOPPER STREET TEAM!
Follow the link for all of the details, but it’s a really cool system we have set up. All you have to do is pre-order your copy of the book. Then get five of your friends to do the exact same thing. Once everyone has placed their orders, e-mail me their names and I’ll cross check them against the list. If everything looks good, you get A FREE $20 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO Fandango.com! If you think about it, that’s like getting your copy of the book FOR FREE!
And to sweeten the pot, the first 25 people to complete the task will be rewarded with A FREE THEATER HOPPER T-SHIRT!
To help you get your friends on board, we’ve included a few talking points that you can share with them. So be sure to check out the Theater Hopper Street Team page to get all of the information!
Sound good? Then get you and your friends ready to place your orders on Monday, April 17 when the book is available for pre-sale. Tell everyone you know about it! The faster we gather up the pre-orders, the faster we can get the book to print and into your hot little hands.
As, always, if you have any questions, e-mail me and I’ll answer them.
Thanks to everyone for your support. Putting this book together has been a dream of mine for a really long time and it feels good to know it’s so close to production. All I need is a little support from you guys and it’ll happen! This is the start of a new age for Theater Hopper and I couldn’t be more excited!
THANKS!
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The two movies Tom is referencing in today’s strip are Catch and Release (starring Jennifer Garner) and Smokin’ Aces (with Ben Affleck). Smokin’ Aces is really more of an ensemble piece, so I’m not sure it actually qualifies as a “Ben Affleck movie.” More like a movie Ben Affleck happens to be in.
Does it surprise you that Catch and Release is the film I’m more excited about seeing? It surprised me. A few years ago, I would have been chomping at the bit for a film like Smokin’ Aces. Large cast full of actors I like, lots of mayhem. Looks like fun. But recently when I look at the commercials or the trailer, all I can think about it how it looks like a Pulp Fiction rip-off a decade warmed over.
Catch and Release, while still wearing the comfortable trappings of a traditional romantic comedy, looks much more interesting to me simply for the inclusion of Timothy Olyphant and Kevin Smith. I’ve been a fan of Olyphant since Doug Liman’s Go and I always found his quiet menace as Sherrif Seth Bullock on Deadwood. He’s not the conventional choice to play a romantic lead and I like that kind of twist in casting.
Of course, Kevin Smith as the wise-acre sidekick adds shading. It’s interesting to see him act in movie that aren’t his. So I’m curious to see how he performs when it’s someone else’s words coming out of his mouth.
Something interesting I learned about the production of Catch and Release is that Jennifer Garner was newly pregnant with Ben Affleck’s child (shudder) and was just starting to show a little. So apparently there are several scenes in the movie where Garner is either standing behind something or wearing baggy clothing to obscure her mid-section. Call it the Steven Segal technique.
I totally didn’t get the impression that Garner was pregnant during filming when looking at commercials, so I guess that’s movie magic at work. But now that I have this information in my back pocket, I’m going to be looking for it during the movie.
I don’t really have much for you today besides that. Real quick, though – does anyone have experience with RSS or, more specifically, Ryan North’s RSSpect application? I’m trying to get Theater Hopper running a little bit smoother on the feeds (in particular the LiveJournal RSS feed) so that the comic will appear with a portion of the blog.
My hope is that people who have friended TH in their LiveJournal accounts will read the comic, see a little bit of the blog and then be inspired to visit the site and read the rest. You know, make it less of a passive experience while still giving them what they want. Plus, I think there is value in people actually being able to SEE the comic in the feed rather than just a link. Who knows? They might end up visiting the site and leaving comments under the blogs! To that end, if you have comments of your own, you’d know I would love for you to share them. What movies are you excited about seeing this weekend? Am I wrong about Smokin’ Aces? Let me know!
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I always get nervous whenever a comic requires me to do some kind of caricature for multiple reasons. I always have trouble blending my style with something that makes the person in question recognizable. Also, I’m not very good at it. I’ve bought a few books to try and teach my technique. I’m sure if I spent a whole month doing nothing but caricatures, I would improve. It’s just difficult to determine what your need will be based off of the jokes you come up with.
Okay, that’s no excuse. I mean, after five years, I should at least have a Ben Affleck caricature in the bag by now!
The Kingdom comes out this weekend and the trailers have led me to believe it’s a by-the-numbers potboiler about the conflict in the Middle East. Even if it wasn’t attempting to be topical by referencing The War on Terror, I would have categorized it as rote based solely on that shot of the SUV furiously backing out of a secluded alley when fired upon by an terrorist with a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher. That whole sequence looks like it came straight out of Patriot Games to me.
However, there are a few twists to the formula that have captured my attention. First, actor/director Peter Berg is behind the lens. I know his list of directing credits isn’t setting the world on fire, but I’ve always liked the guy and I view him as a straight shooter that isn’t interested in being pigeon holed by Hollywood.
Another interesting twist is the addition to Jason Bateman to the cast. Bateman is one of those actors who is going to do great no matter where you stick him. He has a very natural style and will be a nice yang to Jamie Foxx’s hammy, over-the-top yin. As good as he is, he’s not the first actor you think of in a movie like this. Jamie Foxx, sure. Chris Cooper, of course. Jennifer Garner, you’re stretching it a bit, but okay. Jason Bateman? Wha?
My good friend Joe Dunn had a chance to see the movie at a sneak preview last week and he said Bateman was perfectly cast and adds a lot of comic relief. As for the movie itself, he said the last half hour is riveting and totally worth the price of admission. At lot of action that really makes you feel like you’re in the thick of it.
I’m curious about The Kingdom, but I’m going to wait and read a couple more reviews to see what the concensus is. Still, it’s got to be better than seeing The Rock in The Game Plan this weekend.
Speaking of The Kingdom, I’m running a contest this week for a few giveaway items in advance of it’s opening in theaters this weekend.
Be sure to listen to The Triple Feature talkcast tonight at 9:00 PM CST for your chance to win a prize package that includes a full-sized poster, hat, t-shirt, mini notepad, and jacket!
One half of a code will be given during the broadcast and the second half will be given right here at Theater Hopper on Wednesday. You’ll need both clues to be eligible for the contest! Of the correct entries, one winner will be chosen at random! So be sure to listen in!
As a matter of fact, I have a bunch of free DVDs that I’m giving away this week. So you guys should be sure to check back every day for your chance to win.
Tomorrow I will have a DVD review for the recent release of 30 Rock: Season One up on the site. 30 Rock was probably my favorite new show last season and I was thrilled to see they won the Emmy for Best Comedy Series last week. Check back to read my review as well as information for more free DVD goodies!
See you then!
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I always feel like I’m taking a risk by relying on a visual gag for the punchline of a comic. You never know how it’s going to play. But I was so much more interested in coming up with a list of fake names for Valentine’s Day, I decided to throw caution to the wind.
Incidentally, do you know how long it takes to make a high-res recreation of an IMDB page? Longer than it takes to draw, ink, color and shade two panels of this comic – I’ll tell you that much!
Obviously I’m having a little fun by suggesting Sgt. Slaughter is in Valentine’s Day. But as ridiculous as the cast list is for this thing, he might has well be.
Cami only gave you a sample of who shows up in this movie. Check out the names attached to this thing:
Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Hector Elizondo, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Taylor Lautner, George Lopez, Shirley MacLaine, Emma Roberts, Julia Roberts, and Taylor Swift.
Those are 19 big names. A handful of these actors are Oscar winners! That’s ri-donk-ulous! What kind of dirt does director Garry Marshall have on these people to group them together in an American knock-off of Love, Actually? It’s scary how much clout that guy has. Must be carry-over from his days as a writer on Laverne & Shirley.
I was actually kind of open to the idea of seeing Valentine’s Day until I heard Garry Marshall was directing it. As a director, his work is all about schmaltz and playing it safe. Look at his directing credits over the last 10 years – The Other Sister, Runaway Bride, The Princess Diaries, Raising Helen, The Princess Diaries 2 and Georgia Rule. I look at these films and the women in the audience who he targets and cynically assume that he must think all women are stupid.
Critical reaction to Valentine’s Day has been overwhelmingly negative with a 16% rotten rating at Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing. If it is at all a success at the box office, it will be based on its star power and simplistic branding. “A movie called Valentine’s Day being released on Valentine’s Day weekend? I simply must go!” This is why I scold Rob Zombie for not getting his Halloween remakes released closer to Halloween. People will go because they feel like they’re supposed to go.
I don’t know the details of the film, but I think I know the premise. If it’s about Valentine’s Day, certainly it’s about finding love or that special someone on the titular day and the frustrations that come along with that.
Does anyone truly believe that Jennifer Garner or Bradley Cooper would have trouble finding a date on Valentine’s Day? I mean, MAYBE Topher Grace. But c’mon!
Cami and I haven’t talked much about the film, but I can kind of sense that she’s not interested in seeing it. Instead, for Valentine’s Day, we’re going to leave the kids with my folks and have a nice dinner. That’s going to be about it. That’s just fine with me!
What are your Valentine’s Day plans? Do you plan on seeing Valentine’s Day the movie? If so, is there a particular actor that drew you in? Do you feel the large cast of actors will be helpful or a hindrance to the movie? Leave your comments below!
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