Posts Tagged ‘Valentines Day’
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Sometimes when I’m coming up with content for the strip, things are pretty lean. Early winter is a notoriously slow time for movies because studios have already dropped their “quality pictures” (re: Oscar bait) back in December. Subsequently, it makes it difficult to come up with things to make fun of.
This week is different. It’s like a damn buffet of options. First, there is the pending release of Daredevil this Friday – Valentine’s Day. And I can think of NO other movie to take your sweetheart to.
Secondly, Oscar nominations are going to be announced on Tuesday. This fits in perfectly to the strip schedule, because I’m always working on stuff about 24 hours in advance.
Third, My Big Fat Greek Wedding comes out on DVD Tuesday. I think my stance on this steaming pile has been well documented, so I won’t go into it here. But that being said, I think we can all identify the comedic potential.
But when it was all said and done, I decided to make this week all about Daredevil. Be sure to check back on Wednesday and Friday. I’ve got continuity on deck and everything!
Daredevil is a movie that has swung left to right in terms of my level of excitement. When it was first announced, I kind of rolled my eyes because it was obvious that they were trying to capitalize on the success of Spider Man. Add to that, not many people know much about the character or his gothic style. Would it even translate to film?
Then, of course, learning that Mr. Chin — Ben Affleck — would be playing the title role sent me into a tizzy. I felt certain that I wasn’t going to believe him as the character. He’s a bloated jock to me. Too busy coming up with lines to get into a girl’s pants than being tortured and fighting crime. If you’ve seen him as the angsty yuppie in Changing Lanes, that’s about what I think he’s like all the time.
Some of the other casting choices were interesting as well. Jennifer Garner as Elektra? Not Greek, nor a proven actress. Michael Clark Duncan as The Kingpin? Uh, wasn’t the Kingpin white? All they got here is the bald head and a penchant for fancy suits. Colin Farrell as Bullseye? Interesting actor. Definite “bad boy” chops. But what’s up with that scar on his forehead and the iridescent, blue snake-skin trench coat? What were they thinking?
But as time goes by, I’m warming up to the cast and am genuinely excited about seeing the movie.
Lately, I’ve been watching a lot of Alais on ABC. Seeing Jennifer Garner in action has convinced me there really is no other woman “action hero” who could handle what’s required of Elektra’s ninja/assassin history.
Michael Clarke Duncan is making more sense, too. If anything, remember that this guy was nominated for Best Supporting Actor once. Damn shame he was involved in The Scorpion King, but I’ve also read that the studio went with him after several white wrestlers gave poor screen tests. When it comes down to it, I’d rather have a guy who can act.
I’m beginning to step around the poor costume design on Bullseye because I’ve heard Colin Farrell practically steals the film with his performance. There’s really a sick glee in his interpretation of the character, which I think will be fun to watch.
And finally, ole Benny-boy. Well, I take that back, I still can’t see this chuckle head as DD.
One last thing I’ll mention. If you’d like to test the awesomeness of your girlfriend of wife, draw a picture of them in a leather catsuit and see how they react. If they tell you “My character needs more cleavage.” like Cami did when I showed her today’s strip, then you’ll know exactly how awesome she is.
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First things first. Yes, today’s strip is a Valentine to my lovely wife Cami. I was going to go into a big, detailed explanation about how I decided to do this for her, but I think it stands on it’s own two legs.
If that doesn’t cut the mustard for you, let’s just say that I really like making a public spectacle out of myself. Sometimes it can come out in very bad ways that may embarrass Cami (she knows what I’m talking about). But in other ways, it is a powerful tool I can use to let the whole world know how much I love and appreciate her.
I have a web site. I have an audience. I followed my heart to the ultimate conclusion. I love you, Cami. Happy Valentine’s Day.
That being said, my Valentine’s Day got off to an excellent start Thursday night while I was preparing today’s strip. Checking the site statistics on a whim, I decided to look at my referral logs. Lo should my eyes damn near pop out of my head to discover that I had been linked from the main page of NEWS ASKEW!!!
For those of you not in the loop, News Askew is the web site for all things relating to Kevin Smith. Yes, that Kevin Smith. The writer/director of such favorites as Clerks, Mallrats, and Chasing Amy.
It’s a great place to go to get the inside scoop on all the projects he’s working on as well as have a little fun with the View Askew cannon of films. It’s a great community and I’ve been trolling around the site for years. That, and his new site Movie Poop Shoot are two stops on my daily web rounds. I’m totally bugging out just being recognized because I’m a big fan of Kevin’s. Just getting the link is like a brush with greatness!
So to all of the new readers coming in from News Askew, WELCOME! Please feel free to take a look around. You may need to start here to get a handle on the current story line and figure out why Ben Affleck is even hanging around in the first place.
If you like, you can start from the beginning and work yourself up to the present day. Ours is a fairly green operation. We’ve only 87 strips under our belt since opening in August of 2002. But hopefully Theater Hopper will be a place you check in on from time to time. If you can manage to swing by every Monday, Wednesday and Friday when we post new strips, that would be even better!
For any Ben Affleck fans out there, I hope you know that the last two strips where he is featured have all been in good fun. Of course, having him make a pass at one of my main characters probably doesn’t do much to dilute the “Ben’s gay!” perception among those who like to slag our resident Daredevil. But what are you going to do with a guy who played a character named Chesty Smith in School Ties? If that isn’t a gay porn name straight out of 1976, then I don’t know what is! 🙂
To all of my regular readers, I hope you have enjoyed the week of strips I’ve put together for you. I had a lot of fun doing them.
This whole week has been a real trip. Even before getting this link from News Askew, I was getting lots of positive feedback which is something I don’t get that often. Hell, I hardly get any feedback! So when I get an e-mail from one of you out there is a great validation. To know that you took time out of your day to pass along a compliment is very humbling to me. I want you to know I print off every one of those suckers. So then I can show them to my kids one day and say, “See?! Daddy WAS a success back in his day!”
Of course, they’ll be, like really young and won’t know the difference. But still…
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone. Here’s hoping you have someone warm to share it with.
And because I’m in such a lovey-dovey mood, I’ve posted a new review written by my friend Nick. It covered How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. A very fitting romantic film for the occasion.
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For the record, yes, I did give my wife My Big Fat Greek Wedding on DVD for a Valentine’s Day present. Considering my total loathing of the picture, I think that’s a pretty clear indicator of how much I appreciate her.
Nothing shows affection like purchasing movies you hate for the ones you love.
We watched the film, and I didn’t find it nearly as offensive as I did when I saw it on the big screen. I still don’t like the picture, but I attribute a less bile-inducing response to subjected exposure. Kind of like pornography – if you see a lot of it, the stuff eventually fails to elicit a response.
Not that I would know anything about pornography, but I have been watching my local Fox affiliate lately…
Valentine’s Day was kind of a bust here in Central Iowa. We were buried by almost a foot of snow. Of course, this isn’t going on DURING THE DAY (so I can go home from work early), but at about 7 o’clock when everyone about to hit the town. We were going to go to a nice restaurant in another town, but due to all the snow and ice, ate at a sports bar close to home. We still had a good time, though. Probably a better time than we would have had at the fancy place. Pabst Blue Ribbon will do that for ‘ya.
We spent the better part of Saturday locked in the house, unable to leave until plows came by about 5PM. Thank God they did because we had tickets to see Lewis Black from The Daily Show at a local comedy club at 10. Probably the funniest hour I’ve spent in a darkened room. A bucket full of Budwiser will do that for ‘ya. 😉
We were able to move about more freely on Sunday and I had a chance to get out and see a matinee of Daredevil. A heavy price will have to be paid, of course. I promised Cami we would see a late show of How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days tonight. The title of today’s comic never rang so true.
I thought Daredevil was a really good movie and it surprised me in a lot of ways. Namely, the violence. It’s pretty severe. There are lots of stabbings similar to the one that started last week’s storyline. Daredevil is DEFINITELY NOT a movie to take your kids to.
I’ve whipped up a review that goes into more detail regarding my reaction to the film. You might want to check that out if you’re interested.
In other geek news, I was happier than a pig in mucky-muck to watch The Simpsons 300th episode tonight. The dynamic of being a fan has changed since the show hit its stride in the 3rd season. Apparently, it’s cool to slag the show now. But I’m still a big a fan as ever. Just thought I would share that.
After The Simpsons, I stuck with Fox and watched the Married… with Children reunion show. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the show in syndication and it made me realize how much of my warped sense of humor was inspired by that show. I don’t know if the program really ever got the respect it deserved. In retrospect, it was pretty trashy. But it did do a lot to break down barriers in television. Certain things you just didn’t see on television before Married… With Children was on the air. They changed the rules on a lot of things. I still think Ed O’Neil is one funny S.O.B.
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If you vote for Theater Hopper at BuzzComix, prepare to go to infinity… and beyond!
So today is the culmination of The Cult of Sandler storyline. I’ve been getting some really positive feedback on it, so I guess you enjoyed it! Who knows, maybe our favorite cloaked fanboys will reappear sometime! They seemed to have gone over pretty well.
I feel a little guilty that I’m not doing a Valentine’s Day related strip. You might remember this time last year when I wrapped up my Ben Affleck/Daredevil storyline with some loving sentiment. I like doing that kind of stuff, y’know? Proclaiming my love in public. It’s fun!
The web comic landscape certainly seems to be shifting recently. First Movie Punks and Movie Comics called it quits. Now Mall Monkeys is closing up shop, too. Damn shame. Those guys really left an impression on the community – good or bad, they left an impression.
Of course, I can’t complain too much when co-conspirator Mitch Clem is bringing back Nothing Nice to Say! Start pounding the drums of war now, kiddies. Mitch is coming back to show us how it’s done!
Beyond that, I hope everyone has a good Hallmark holiday. It’s funny. In the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, I’m super cynical. I don’t want to give gifts and remind everyone that the holiday was invented by marketing people to help the diamond industry sell more engagement rings.
But then I sit down and think about how much I love Cami and everything I want to do for her and things aren’t so curmudgeonly after all. I mean, if you were going to celebrate anything, love is a good place to start!.
Take care, everyone.
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Happy Valentine’s Day, all. For those of you who don’t celebrate our little Hallmark tradition… then I guess your Monday will really suck!
I’ll be back with more comments later, but in the meantime, why don’t you vote for Theater Hopper at buzzComix and take a gander at just how flimsy those compressed sawdust doors Cami was talking about…
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I know that it’s not Valentine’s Day anymore, but you have to commemorate the season. I decided to commemorate it by drawing a better Valentine’s Day strip than I did 3 years ago. Man, how time flies.
Cami and I enjoyed the holiday together. We had a nice dinner, exchanged cards, and – although we agreed not to – I got her some gifts. Nothing complicated. A stuffed animal, a DVD and some CHOXIE! Sorry, I just like shouting the word CHOXIE!
Anyway, the DVD I got her was Just Like Heaven and I went through something Just Like Hell to get it for her. Does it make sense to anyone else that Target would be sold out of this particular DVD a few days after it’s been released? I mean, aren’t these guys sitting on crates of new releases, or did everyone have the same idea I did?
I wanted to get Cami Just Like Heaven because the film is set in San Francisco. One of our first vacations together as a married couple was to San Francisco. Of course the city is romantic as all get-out in its own right, but the time we spent there makes movies set in San Francisco extra special to us. We’ll sit and watch and then pull each other’s shirt sleeves – "We were there! We were there!" Does anyone else do this?
Of course, I should shamefully admit that I did something dunderheaded while making my purchase of this movie. In response to Target’s low inventory policy, I was sent scrambling to Best Buy to pick up the movie. In my haste, I grabbed the FULL SCREEN version instead of the wide screen version.
This… I never do.
I’ve lectured family members for hours on why wide screen is better than full screen and I come home with this? It’s like walking in the door with Mr. Pibb when you meant to grab Dr. Pepper.
Guh…
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I understand that you’ve got a baby en route. The expected response to this revelation is usually “leaping joy,” but I’m already a father, and I’m exhausted. So if I just move my fingers around a little here on the keyboard, I hope that will suffice.
I have a story that will help introduce some of the powerful new concepts you’re about to be submerged in. I guess that technically makes this a parable, but anyway: I was taking the escalator down to the parcade at the Mall.
On the escalator opposite me, going up, an impatient father was tromping up the device and chastising his young son for being slow. He was not actually watching the son, so that when he exited the top of the moving staircase and his boy began to scream, he was not initially sure why. I was actually paralyzed by it: his son had tripped trying to catch up to his dad, but since he was on the escalator he couldn’t just fall down and pick himself up. He was being rolled by the mechanism, falling forever.
The first thing we can derive from this powerful scene is that you need to, you know, actually watch your kid. The challenge you will face later will be to watch them closely while still letting them experience the world. I have a feeling this is going to be my life’s greatest challenge.
But also: Falling in place. That is how I would describe the process you are about to undertake. For the first few months, anyway. It’s worse than you know. There are almost no handholds of any kind, and worse yet, everybody thinks they have the answer. They don’t. Most of this can’t be taught. I’m not trying to freak you out, but there it is.
You must invent a new Tom Brazelton, let us call him Dad, and do so under the most strenuous conditions. You need to become a man worthy of emulation. You will need to do this while someone is actively peeing on you. I used to regard human waste as something to be avoided; these days, it’s practically a condiment.
This is a situation where your precious movies won’t save you, although I guess there are a few valid Escalator Warnings in Mallrats. There is only one film with advice of any enduring worth on the subject of parenting, and the lessons it provides are mercifully clear: the movie is Aliens. If your child is being pursued by a Hive Queen, man, seriously – you need to blow that thing out the Goddamn airlock.
Welcome to the club.
(CW)TB
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I’ll make this brief because I know you’re not here to read my ramblings. But I wanted to thank Jerry for his time and generosity for writing his guest essay. When I put the wheels in motion for my partial hiatus – my paternity leave, if you will – I took a long shot and asked the guys over at Penny Arcade if they would be interested in participating. I wasn’t expecting anything, but I figured “The worst they could say was ‘no’.” Imagine my surprise when Jerry responded and he offered me this essay.
To be acknowledged (for lack of a better word) by someone who inspires you creatively is an incredible gift. That Jerry went beyond the pale and made his words personal means that much more. What Jerry has shared speaks directly to me. He offers sound advice about fatherhood in a language I understand – movies. Naturally, it’s hilarious to boot.
If you’re new to the site, I encourage you to stick around and thumb through the archives. Chances are if you type a movie title in the search field, I’ve made fun of it. If you’d like a quick sample of my best work, be sure to check out the Top 50 comics as voted on by my readers. They know what’s good better than I do. If you like what you see, I update every Monday, Wednesday and Friday just like Penny Arcade. So add us to your bookmarks and check back every now and again.
Tomorrow is our due date. No baby yet and no plans to induce, but the time is growing close. As you can imagine, we’re really excited. What can I say? It’s been a pretty good week!
Thanks again to Jerry. I hope you enjoy his essay as much as I do.
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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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I had a lot of fun drawing Tom’s wild mood swings in today’s comic. Always fun to do a little cartoon-y over exaggeration.
Cami and I didn’t see Valentine’s Day over the weekend and our lives were no less the richer for it. But I must admit that I was surprised by it’s $52 million haul at the box office.
This goes back to what I was talking about on Friday. I think people were pre-disposed to seeing this movie by virtue of it’s branding. They felt compelled to see a movie CALLED Valentine’s Day ON Valentine’s Day. It’s the laziest, easiest response to “Hey, we need something to do for our Valentine’s Day together. I know what we should do!”
I’m certain the large cast had something to do with it as well. The producers basically played the odds and gambled that at least ONE of those actors would get you to buy a ticket. It looks like their gamble paid off.
I hope the success of Valentine’s Day doesn’t spur a bunch of copycat movies that stack the deck with 2 dozen different well-known actors. Having so many big names to feature makes it sound like the story doesn’t support them. I mean, you can’t really develop that many characters at once and be successful. Even Love, Actually – which has built up a lot of good will over the years – falls down on this point.
My sister-in-law saw Valentine’s Day with friends and my wife asked her a lot of questions about it. I think it reflects the “car crash” interest in this movie. People want to watch it because they want to see if they can pull it off. According to my sister-in-law, they don’t.
I won’t spoil anything for you in case you want to see it, but she referenced two different points in the script where the audience audibly groaned at the contrivance on screen. So, buyer beware.
I will say this… For those of you thinking about going to see this movie for Julia Roberts, my sister-in-law warns that she is on screen for about 6 minutes. But, again, considering there are 19 different actors in this thing and the movie is 125 minutes long… an appearance of about 6 minutes is pretty much on the nose. Do the math. It shakes out right.
I’m curious if anyone here saw Valentine’s Day this weekend. If so, what were your thoughts? Feel free to leave your comments below!
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