WITNESS ME!

I do drugs. I die. I do drugs again!

Seriously though, I am in thrall to this movie, and I have 3 days left to decide if I make the 3 hour round trip to see it one last time in the theaters (one theater in a hundred square miles, one showing per day only). It's pathetic, I know. But I'm obsessed. What a movie!

My head is crushed.





 Is that a vexation?

Things in the desert

I saw Mad Max: Fury Road last night and gosh was it awesome. Like truly a spectacle, one which actually lingers, as I've been thinking of the movie all day.

For one, it's beautiful.

Two, it's actually got a lot of things to say, with very sparse dialogue. Feminism!

And three? It's a Mad Max movie. I watched The Road Warrior dozens and dozens of time as a lad. To see this kinda sequel is like a dream.

Steeped in Dystopia.


No spoilers, but the movie is not overly graphic or extreme, even though it might seem like it from the ads and previews and material. Yes, there is a lot of violence, but it's so well done and hits all the notes it wants to hit, it's like no movie I can think of in the last 20 years.

Go see it on a big screen before it's too late.

Hulk Smashed

I just saw Avengers 2 and liked it, because I am a nerd.

If you are into "normal" movies, I'm not sure why you'd like it.

But then, these movies are now making many billions, collectively.

Did you know Marvel is telling a story spread out over like 20 movies? Something like this has never been attempted in cinema before, and so far it's WILDLY successful.

I think back to my comic book nerd reading past when I had to hope the LaVerdiere's drugstore had Thor #288 on that rickety spinning comic book display hidden over by the magazine rack. And they often didn't.

But now? It's like we've been transported to some reality where comic books are real and everyone lives in a comic book. It's amazing and Strange*












*Dr. Strange the movie coming to theaters June 2018.

Behind the mask

Boba Fett was an accountant for ten years before a deal went bad and he was forced to take up the rough and tumble life of bounty hunting.

Through it all, his ledger remained black.

If you only knew

Vader couldn't do the Force lightning, for obvious reasons. The same reason Vader was a slave to the Emperor - with but a thought, the Emperor could crush Vader's suit, killing him instantly. That's why he must obey his Master.

Super Mensch

Have you seen Man of Steel? I loved it, but then, I am a nerd. But never a Superman fan, previously. But I really enjoyed this new take, as it presented Superman in a way he should always be portrayed in my mind: As an alien. An alien that mankind should be both suspicious of, and thankful for.

A God among men. He can hear whispers across the planet. He can see through walls. He cannot be stopped by any weapon - this is the ultimate hero? The Boy Scout from Kansas? If a being liked this walked among us, today, how do you think the world react?

Sometimes though, the old ways are better:

Kal-El's a dick.

Snow White Rebootier

Given that everything gets rebooted these days, and then perhaps even rebooted again, and of course with every reboot things get darker, grittier, edgier, cuz, society, man.

So it's high time Snow White gets the modern reboot story - it's been a year or so - as a punk militant vegan eco-terrorist who also just happens to be heir to the throne, only if she can overthrow the ruling junta, led by Glenn Close.

But also too, kids, that's just a movie. In real life, grenades are NOT the answer. Say no if anyone ever offers you one, or suggests you go pick some up at the grenade store. Bad news.

Dang it! My PSA came too late.

Other Monsters (Retro)

All our monsters and villains are "Others". All our enemies or threats are "Others". All fear of crime comes from fear of the "Others".  In the end we can only trust ourselves, but what if I told you that aye, verily, within your own mind lurk "Others".  What if I also told you that everything looks way cool in retro sci-fi pulp covers?

So yeah, "Others". What perhaps is more interesting is what we define as "Not Other". Who is in our Tribe and thus one of us, not one of them? Who walks in the Light and not in the Dark?

Mexican Wrestling Vader might appear to be a bad guy, but he's just waiting for his reverse heel turn. The Flip-Rudo.

Batfreud

All the heroes were involved in the war effort (WW2 only - the other wars, not so much), but as a nerd, I'd like to raise a quibble: If you've got Superman, Batman, and Robin on your side, instead of having them raise and harvest Victory Gardens you instead used them to, oh, I don't know. Kill Hitler? But alas! There are no real heroes. Just drawings, or words, or characters on a screen.

From the original Batman serial film series - 1949, yo! Batman and Robin. The baggy leotards are intimidating, yes? But still, 1949! These 15 short stories ran before the featured movie of the day.

It's interesting to note through art the changing of society's standards. All the tough guys from the early days of movies and tv look like [arnold]little girly men[/arnold]. No definition! Do they even lift?

When you're "Adam West" smooth, maybe you don't need to be jacked.

Your car needs to be, however. Gee whiz tools define the character.

And now consider the Batman mythos as underlined here - created in 1939, WW2 propaganda campaigns, and already with a film series in 1949. A popular TV series in the 60's. Also a wacky movie. Movies in the 80's - 10's. And so many, many comics. A myth is born before our eyes, and enters the Jungian collective - we all "get it", right? Rich playboy with tragic background fights evil using cool toys? It's an expression of our desire for fairness in a closed, controlled system that is not fair, in which we are mostly powerless. A modern hero, for modern times.

Batman also might be a symbol for revenge, but I leave that for you to judge, and also what it says about humanity if true.

CONFORM CONSUME OBEY

From the 1988 classic "They Live". Great movie, you should totally stay in and snuggle up on the couch and watch it.  Or better yet

TV in bed is the best. Why ever get out of bed, really? Oh yes, work.

But hey at least the shopping is good downtown.

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise: Selling out is the best!

Furious Anger

Arabic calligraphy in the form of Jules and Vincent, Marsellus Wallace henchmen. I'm Team Jules, FYI.

The Arabic script seems intrinsically beautiful, like scrolling art. As does so much of Islamic culture and history. Al'gebra, man. Two of my favorite stars in the sky are in the handle of the Big Dipper, Mizar and Alcor, a binary star system which also pairs with another binary star system making this a quadruple star system. Swinging, right? Also Arabic names. Think on that, Wingnut - high above you, pouring out into the night sky: Islam.

You won't see Alcor in the city though, so don't bother trying. Country star only. In sooth even in the country you might have a hard time. Spotting Alcor used to be a vision test in olden times.

And so, in conclusion, Vincent was just a hitman junkie destined for a bad end while Jules was a holy man trapped in the role of hitman meant for a higher calling. To walk the earth.

To truly walk this earth is art, praise be unto it.

in order

Click for big. Some brave soul put the movie "Pulp Fiction" - famously known to be out of order - into a very informative, chronologically correct infographic. Serious nerd cred. Check it out in detail. Zed's dead, baby.

Pretty boring movie all straight ahead like that though.

Newswatch16

Bill O'Reilly - in your face "journalist" from way back. A pioneer of the "in your face gotchya" technique in many ways. Hooray for evil! Also, big props to the Newswatch16 logo. Especially the future as heck 16.

But not all reporters/anchorman are evil.

Or are they?

I was never a Will Ferrel fan but this one time I was on the red eye to London and Anchorman came on the in seat TV and even though most everyone was sleeping around me I could not help but laugh out loud. LOL. To some annoyance. I've subsequently seen it many times and love it more so  - funnier still to consider it as a superhero movie, where each channel is a super hero (or villain) team. Consider the anchorman fight as culmination of this theory. Hooray for analogies!

Yay!

Keep Cool

Of course Barack is the lead - he's the best president America's had in a generation. Maybe back to LBJ? Or FDR? Bush was an absolute disaster and so clearly is the comedic relief, and Clinton while formidable was both personally flawed because of his willy, and faced the emergence of the Wingnuts in power, which hobbled his every move. Barack faces a far more virulent Wingnuttia, but already has accomplished more than Clinton did in 8 years. Cuz he's awesome.

He's no Calvin Coolidge of course. Who could be, except cool Calvin himself?

Pineapple Girl

A super hero from the Fruit-o'-the-Loomverse - a world of fruit powered heroes, and villains.... (The Green Olive - disgusting). Pineapple Girl has the power of Pineapple - obviously! - but also additional grape based powers, giving her a powerful bouquet. Beware, Olive Gang! Pineapple Girl is on the scene!

Also too: The Avengers movie ruled. Best super hero movie on film to date, and I'm prepared to argue it. The new Batman films would be in the discussion. But nothing else comes close.