Posts Tagged ‘news’
7 items.
Well, I’m back from the holiday and thoroughly exhausted. But it’s always good to be with family. No qualms about falling asleep on the couch with a pool of drool under your chin. Here’s hoping your break is treating you just as well.
Got to see Gangs of New York over the holiday and really liked it. DiCaprio and Diaz were passable, but dropped their accents too often for my liking – the lazy, pampered fops. Daniel Day-Lewis, on the other hand, is a revelation. His turn as Bill the Butcher isn’t just a good performance in this movie, but a great performance across the span of the history of film.
He is entirely convincing as the violent and corrupt Butcher. You’d never know it was an Irishman under all that grease and grime. He locks on to this flat Noo-Yawk accent and never lets go. His fervor is palpable. He did an excellent job.
Hopefully I can write up a review for it, but right now, I’m pounding out my two cents on Star Trek: Nemesis. The die-hard Trekkers won’t be happy. I plan on giving it a drubbing. With luck, the review will be up later today. Come back later for a heaping helping.
I’m been having some serious problems with my local theater lately – The Wynnsong 16. The last few times I’ve been there, I’ve encountered screw up after screw up. Tickets issued for the wrong time, being charged full price for a matinee, down right snide concession workers. When we went to see Gangs, the sound was off and we were listening to Movie Tunes for the first 15 minutes. I’ve got a list of stories as long as my arm and I’m pissed about it.
Don’t misunderstand me. I’m a realist. I know they don’t pay these kids squat. They’re motivated by little else than moving your dead weight out of line and wrestling with the next moron. I should know. I’ve worked in movie theaters. But never in my years would I be bald-faced rude to customers. I may dismiss you, but I never went out of my way to harm you. It’s a whole new ball game now.
I thought about writing an essay for the site and really going into detail about my disappointment. I’m sure everyone else has run into these characters. I felt it would surely strike a universal chord.
Then I realized that I have the ultimate soapbox – the strip! So expect next week to detail some of my true-life adventures butting heads with the dimwits at Wynnsong 16. When it’s all over, maybe someone from the theater will have read it and some change will take place. Or maybe I’ll get some free tickets just to shut me up. Who knows?
Major respect to Mark over at Jayhoo & Jawhoo. He put together a killer strip where Tom and Jared cameo along with Dexter and Seethe of Movie Punks, Zach from No Pants Tuesday, Dave of Snafu, Aric and Mike of Fish Strips and Blake and Fletcher of Nothing Nice to Say. I’m practically wetting myself that an artist of Mark’s caliber has lumped me in with these web comic all-stars. I barely feel in their league.
So as due and proper, I want everyone to visit Jayhoo & Jawhoo right now and comb through the archives. I feel strongly that Mark makes one of the best comics out there and is modestly kicking our asses in the art department all under our noses.
Plus, he’s a really great guy to boot. Merry Christmas to you too, ya hoser!
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Buckle up gang, ‘cuz this will be the first in a series of Return of the King-related comics. I’ve got a great storyline ready to go next week and it actually pulls reference from one of my earlier strips! Which one? You’ll have to come back on Monday to find out!
Not much going on in terms of “things that outrage me about Hollywood” this week, so I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about a few site-related issues.
First, I wanted to point out to any potential advertisers that the banner space at the top of the site is now available. However, it’ll be open for a limited time as I have promised to save it for another client beginning January 1st. So if you want to squeeze your ad in before that, drop me a line and maybe we can work out a deal. See the advertising page for more information.
I also want to point out there is a new wallpaper incentive if you donate money to the Theater Hopper Walk of Fame. It’s a fun pop-art inspired piece that you’re already familiar with if you’ve been voting for Theater Hopper at buzzComix. We recently received a very generous donation from one MadMup and it earned him a portrait drawn by yours truly in the Theater Hopper style. Remember, you can score a lot of goodies when you show your support for Theater Hopper – including 100 points in the forums for every dollar you give!
Lastly, I want to point everyone in the direction of the Bonus Material pages. There’s been a recent influx of fan art and Theater Hopper cameos showing up in other comics. You’ll see work from the creators of Bigger Than Cheeses, Phancy Pants and Troy’s Bucket – just to name a few. Go check them out! Remember to scroll down to the bottom of the page for the newest entries.
That about does it for me. Are you sufficiently bombarded? Good! See you soon!
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I promised you big news today, and by-gum, I’m gonna deliver!
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I’m here to announce the VERY FIRST Theater Hopper t-shirts!
It’s been a long time coming for yours truly to start producing t-shirts. But after consulting with my many constituents in the forum, I decided the time was nigh to deliver. The demand is there! It was simply a matter of making the product available.
As you can see from the graphic on the right, the t-shirt features the one and only “Pimp Tom”. My forum homies had a real soft spot for this guy and I hope you do, too. The graphic is emblazoned boldly on the front while the Theater Hopper log and URL have found a righteous home on the left sleeve.
The shirts are 50/50 poly-cotton blend, black with white ink. Cost is a meager $15 dollars. They are printed with love and affection by the good people at Brunetto Shirts – the same individuals who’ve brought you quality clothing for web comics like Diesel Sweeties, Sam & Fuzzy, WIGU, Exploding Dog, Scary Go Round, Ctrl+Alt+Del, MacHall and many, many more!
Currently the shirts are on pre-order status through April 30th. That means, at the end of April, I will tally up all the orders we’ve received and submit them to Brunetto. They will then print up the shirts, mail them back to me, and I will ship them out sometime around the middle of May. Pre orders are the ONLY WAY TO GUARANTEE you will get a shirt.
I hope everyone is as excited about this as I am. Who knows? If the response is strong enough, I may just print up more shirts!
Thanks again for your support and continuing interest in Theater Hopper. I know I have some of the most awesome fans around. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t print up shirts for them. So THANK YOU!
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Today’s comic takes a complicated issue and forces it through a prisim where things are black and white. I suppose those are the limitations of a four panel strip. Concordantly, I know the punchline isn’t exactly “LMAO.”
But sometimes an issue kind of sticks in your brain and you tackle it the best way you know how. Thank goodness there is a blog to accompany things. Otherwise, I fear you might be left adrift.
I was thinking about The Kingdom being released on Friday and how it’s one of only a handful of post 9/11 movies that treats the conflict in the middle east as action movie fodder. More often than not, movies about the war on terror have centered around the politics that got us there like Syriana, the misgivings of war through parabal like Jarhead or the aftermath and heartbreak of war like A Mighty Heart or The Valley of Eljah. That’s fine. I understand where these films are coming from. They’re holding up a mirror to our times. I get it.
That’s why it’s interesting to me that director Peter Berg is approaching this powder keg with guns blazing and as pure action movie entertainment. I can hardly recall any movie that has put the crosshairs so squarely on “the enemy” in the middle east. No movie leaps to mind with a “Give ’em hell!” gung ho spirit in this regard. It’s like when John Wayne made the only pro-Vietnam movie with The Green Berets, or something. Granted, I haven’t seen The Kingdom yet. It’s very possible that the first two acts are a thoughtful dissertation of our presence in the region and what a quagmire it’s become.
But I’ve also read enough advanced reviews to know that there is supposedly a “kick ass” shootout at the end of the movie. One so poetic in it’s violence, that will be the reason people go to see it because that will be the last impression that’s been made on the people leaving the theaters. I can almost promise anything that comes before the third act will blow away like sand over a dune.
I’m not trying to make a political statement. I’m not trying to make a statement about art. But I am asking questions about us – the audience – and our taste for these sorts of things. As far as I know, the war on terror is still happening. Is it right to digest this kind of thing as entertainment when there are men and women dying in another country? I mean, I never really got over the fact that Medal of Honor was such a popular video game because it allowed you to recreate The Battle of Normandy in shocking, realistic detail. That was a historical event. It actually happened. Tens of thousands died. And it’s entertainment?
Maybe I’m not one to talk. After all, I’m running a contest where I’m giving away prizes to help promote The Kingdom. Am I being completely hypocritical? Possibly.
But I’m not here to solve the problem. I’m just posing the question.
Speaking of which…
First of all apologies to anyone who tried to participate in or download last night’s Triple Feature talkcast. Gordon and I ran into some technical difficulties around the 15 minute mark and decided to scrap the show after neither of us could log back in. You wouldn’t have missed much. Joe was M.I.A. because he got to attend an early screening of American Gangster and neither Gordon or I had much to talk about. We were pretty much going to wing it. There weren’t that many people in the chat field, either. I think everyone was off watching the premiere of Heroes, or something.
At any rate, you don’t have to worry about getting one half of the code from the talkcast and the other here today. I’m just going to give you the whole thing right now: “KING’S RANSOM”
So now all you have to do is e-mail me the code along with your name and mailing address and you’ll be enterted for a chance to win a prize package for The Kingdom that includes full-sized poster, hat, t-shirt, mini notepad, and jacket. Winners will be chosen at random. Good luck everyone!
I also have another contest running at the moment. I posted it yesterday along with my 30 Rock: Season One DVD review, but I’m worried a few of you missed it – so I’m posting it again.
I have two copies of Stargate Atlantis: Season Three to give away and I’m going to make you work a little bit to be eligible to win.
All I need you to do is pick your favorite three Theater Hopper strips (use the archive to help you find them) and submit them to your favorite social bookmarking site. It could be StumbleUpon, it could be Reddit, it could be Digg. Whatever works best for you.
If you’re new to social bookmarking, you can use the handy little drop down at the bottom of this post. Be sure you’re on the individual page you want to bookmark before tagging it.
Once you’ve bookmarked your three favorite strips to the social bookmarking site of your choice, send a screen shot or a link to your profile page so I can see your entries to me at theaterhopper@hotmail.com along with your name and mailing address. You have until this Friday to enter. From the entries, two winners will be chosen at random.
Hopefully you guys appreciate that I’m just trying to drum up some interest in the site and it’s really not that much effort for a chance to win something cool. Your efforts help promote the site and ,when that happens, everyone wins!
Get bookmarking and good luck!
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Something I was remiss to point out earlier in the week is that my good friend Joe Dunn has posted a brand new comic over at Joe Loves Crappy Movies!
I feel particularly embarrassed for not mentioning it on the homepage because 1.) Joe is a friend and 2.) because, for a while, I was probably getting 2 to 3 e-mails a week asking me if Joe was ever going to update his comic again.
This isn’t exactly a new thing for me. For a while I was getting e-mails asking me when Zach Miller was going to bring back Joe and Monkey. Before that, people were sending me e-mails asking me when Mitch Clem was going to bring back Nothing Nice to Say.
It puts me in a weird position because I certainly don’t want to speak on the behalf of any of these guys or accidentally share too much information about whatever is happening in their personal lives that may preclude them from creating new comics.
However, at the same time, I’m a fan and I understand the need for a fan to stay connected to their favorite artists. So you end up sharing what you think is appropriate and maybe it gives that person a little extra hope that the comic will come back sooner than later.
People started talking about this a little bit over in the Digital Pimp Forums. I talked about the e-mails I was getting and Joe said he never saw a single e-mail asking him about Joe Loves Crappy Movies. Many of his readers came back saying that they didn’t want to pester or annoy Joe for not producing the comic. They didn’t want to make him feel guilty or come off too demanding. So in that context, it makes sense that a fan would say “I don’t want to upset Joe, let’s see what Tom knows.”
I dunno. I found it interesting.
Anyway, I’m obscuring what’s important about this blog post which is that Joe Loves Crappy Movies is back! Check it out!
And if you’ve never read it before, Joe has almost 500 excellent comics in his archive. SO GET TO WORK!
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Dec21
GUEST STRIP – MICHAEL MAY
December 21st, 2009 |- Comics »
- Comics »
- Guest Strip
(16 votes, average: 8.81 out of 10)
Today’s guest strip comes from Michael May who does a great comic called Eros, Inc. It’s about a Jewish girl who is hired as a Cupid for her neighborhood. Wacky hi-jinks ensue. Mike’s comic updates on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and it would behoove you to check it out.
I’m lovin’ Mike’s comic for several reasons – mostly the little details. The transition from the second to third panels had me laughing out loud. The caption under the photo in the fourth panel made me smile as well.
But, man… That second panel. Shades of my Ren and Stimpy youth, I tells ya!
Thanks again, Mike, for the excellent guest strip! Check out Eros, Inc., everyone!
I ended up seeing Avatar yesterday with Cami after my parents offered to watch the kids for the afternoon. I feel like I’m still sorting through it. I guess the movie must have done something right if it’s managed to stick with me overnight. Some movies you forget about on your walk back to the parking lot!
After watching the movie, I asked Cami what she thought about it and her first reaction was that it was too long. At nearly 3 hours running time, I’m inclined to agree. But in the same breath, I was never bored watching the film. Yes, the plot has been done before. Yes, the dialogue isn’t ground-breaking. But the visuals… hoo boy, the visuals. Maybe I was just too distracted to care about the negatives?
One thing I’ll say for sure, Stephen Lang brings the thunder as Colonel Miles Quaritch. Between this movie and Public Enemies, he’s having a great year.
The rest of the performances aren’t much to write home about. I’m still not convinced by anything Sam Worthington brings to the table. He seems like a one-note kind of guy to me. A meathead with a knack for playing in front of a green screen.
I think Giovanni Ribisi’s character from Avatar and Paul Reiser’s character from Aliens should get together and have a beer. They’re both a pair of corporate stooges.
Lastly, can we all agree that Michelle Rodriguez will be typecast as the tough chick for the rest of her life?
This is not in-depth criticism, I recognize. Like I said, I’m still working through it.
I guess I would say that Avatar – despite it’s length – does a good job of moving the action along. We find out in very short order what Worthington’s character is doing in the far reaches of space. We understand very quickly how the Avatar technology works without Cameron reducing it to techno-magic that “just is” because the plot demands it. Similarly, none of the characters act as if this technology is anything new. So the movie spends very little time trying to convince the audience “This is new! This is different! This is amazing!” through the eyes of the characters.
I think Cameron has also done a very good job of creating a dense and fully visualized world in Pandora. One where the environmental threats that can kill you in minutes feel tangible.
On the one hand, Pandora is clearly beautiful, luminescent and lush. But on the other hand, when Worthington’s character becomes lost in the jungle not knowing anything about the environment, you feel tension because you don’t know what is safe to touch or what unexpected fresh death might be around the next corner.
Cami and I saw the film in 3D and I don’t know if that added to the experience or not. We both left the theater with headaches. My feeling was negative to the point where I was telling myself “Well, that was fun, but I don’t think I need to see it again.” Now that I’ve had the opportunity to have the film swim around in my head for a few hours, I’ve changed my position and probably would like to see Avatar again in the future. But in 2D next time.
Bottom line, I guess you could say that I got what I expected from Avatar. The technology on display is awesome, but the plot… while not lacking in emotional authenticity… just didn’t connect with me for some reason. It’s not a bad movie. Maybe just not the best movie for me.
I read a review last week where the reviewer expressed admiration for the film, but felt like it was built more for a 15 year-old’s mentality. It wasn’t a criticism. In fact, he said he wished he could be 15 again so he could approach the film with that same kind of wonder and enthusiasm.
I guess I feel the same way.
Switching gears, I wanted to bring your attention back to the Kickstarter fund raising campaign for Theater Hopper: Year Three. There was a bunch of activity last week. We are 74% funded with $900 left to go! I feel really good about the momentum we’ve built up for this, so let’s keep the ball rolling! I’m convinced once we reach 75% funded, that’ll be the tipping point and the rest of the pledges will follow!
There are only 10 days left in the campaign, though. And if you’re celebrating with family this week, then we need to treat it like we have maybe a week left to make goal!
If you need a little extra incentive to pledge, today is my birthday. I 32 years-old. A pledge to the Kickstarter campaign would be a great, last minute gift! Even a dollar! Hey, it’s the thought that counts, right?!
Thanks again to everyone who has pledged their support so far. I appreciate it!
In the meantime, don’t forget to check out Eros, Inc. And if you had a chance to see Avatar this weekend, let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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This is kind of old news, but I’m playing catch up this week, so bear with me.
On Monday, rumors started flying that Kevin Costner had been cast in Zack Snyder’s reboot of Superman. It didn’t take very long before Latino Review reported that he would be playing Jonathan “Pa” Kent – Superman’s adoptive father.
I think this is a mistake. When I think of Costner, I don’t think of him as a father figure. Nor do I ascribe a nurturing moral center to his list of character attributes.
I think Costner would have been better utilized playing Clark Kent’s brassy Daily Planet Editor Perry White. It’s a bit part, sure. Probably not worth Costner’s time. But it’s a better fit.
Costner is one of those actors that everyone WANTS to like, but he’s got a bit of an a-hole streak in him. I put him in the same category that I put Hugh Grant in – an actor who tried to win people over with charm and good looks but who is ultimately more effective playing self-centered rouges.
I can easily see Costner wearing a vest, chewing on a pipe and barking orders at a grown up Clark Kent than I can see him wearing bib overalls, chewing on a wheat stalk and giving the teenage Superman advice about doin’ what’s right.
Costner has a slow, considerate nature in his performances that I think might have blinded Snyder to the opportunity right under his nose and made him think he was better for Pa Kent. But in my view, Perry White would have been the more interesting father figure for Costner to pursue.
What are your thoughts? Leave your comments below!
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