Spotted this dog at the HEB parking lot before I dropped Somara off at work. Pretty obedient animal but then again, it was 8 AM and hotter than hell already in Central Texas. I think the animal had the right idea. I’d never catch my cats being so mellow.
Prometheus is a tricky one to review because it’s a minefield of spoilers. Despite it being in theaters for over a week, I don’t want to ruin it for those who plan to see this later or eventually on DVD/Cable. I’ll do my best but anything shown in the trailers/commercials is fair game.
In the latter half of this century, archaeologists Shaw and Holloway discover that multiple earth-based civilizations share a cryptic image pointing toward a particular constellation. They theorize it’s an invitation to seek out who or what lives there. With the backing of the Weyland Corporation, the starship Prometheus takes them and its crew on a two-year trip to make first contact.
Being an R-rated film, this expedition won’t go well.
Let me get the raging nerd argument taking place in a million workplaces, bars and homes out of the way. Is Prometheus a prequel to Alien? Numerous factors point toward “yes” in my opinion. Ridley Scott directed both, HR Giger designs are used (aka the Space Jockey), there’s a human-looking robot amongst the crew and the Weyland Corporation is involved. For those who don’t recognize the latter, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation was Ripley’s employer/nemesis.
There are variables saying “no” too. The titled ship is spacious, bright and comfortable unlike Syd Mead’s cramp and dark predecessors Nostromo and Sulacco; people have first and last names noting it isn’t the same completely impersonal society; Weyland rep Vickers is overcautious, not greedy.
ASTRONOMY NERD ALERT
The planet/moon Prometheus lands on is LV-223. It has a near earth-like but toxic atmosphere and resides at the star Gliese 86. Nostromo went to LV-426. It was a more primordial, Titan-like moon orbiting Zeta Reticuli.
Does it matter? No. Scott made a visually stunning, creepy and thought-provoking Horror/Sci-Fi movie; spoiler territory would be ventured into if I explained. I am glad the studio backed him on keeping the R rating which is the kiss of death for a mass audience. Not everything produced needs to cater toward children yet I would prefer a ratings system based upon intelligence over age; I could’ve handled Prometheus at 13, same as Blade Runner. Thus, it’s safe to take pre-teen kid with supervision.
Prometheus was shot with 3-D cameras so the extra money and annoying glasses will be rewarded should you choose the option.
Alamo perks: trailers for Alien 2 (horrible Italian ripoff movie), another knockoff in German, a USCM training gag on handling alien eggs/facehuggers, trailer for Planet of the Vampires (what Alien “borrowed”), the Spaceballs gag starring John Hurt, HiSHE‘s take on Aliens and snippets of Chapparal Ice’s final days’ presentation…Aliens on Ice. Obviously the viral Prometheus stuff to get the audience primed: TED 2023 with Peter Weyland, a David (robot) commercial and Dr. Shaw trying to contact Sir Peter Weyland.
Thus ends the spoiler-free part.
Should you choose to keep on reading, then you’re still curious about the prequel debate and more importantly…does Prometheus answer the 33-year-old questions surrounding the Space Jockey(s) race? Again, each viewer must decide unless Scott definitively answers. He may take the “implying” route a la Blade Runner regarding Decker being a replicant too. As for the Space Jockey(s), more questions are raised, the creature receives a new moniker, evolutionary theory gets crapped on and the enigma continues. I prefer the mystery remaining intact. Case in point, the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire from Star Wars. George Lucas finally addressed them with his three crappy prequels with immensely disappointing results. Even if Lucas handed the historical events over to more talented writers who developed more plausible explanations, a noisy faction of fans would still bitch. Scott is no Lucas thankfully and the former’s wisdom is proof.
Of all the movies I’ve seen in this retrospective, E.T. receives the most negative reaction from people I know. Just mentioning the title invokes an “I hate” statement. I think the respondent’s age has something to do with it.
E.T. is a very important movie for many reasons:
Alamo Ritz got the crowd prepped with the main screen showing retrospectives on Spielberg’s career circa 1982. I remember how he was treated like the second coming and Gene Siskel demonstrated his hypocrisy: Siskel gave 1941 three and a half stars in 1979, in 1982 he lamented over how awful it was, saying this was Spielberg’s first major failure. On a happier note, there were music videos: a break-dancing act I didn’t remember, Missing Persons’ “Destination Unknown” and footage of Anvil. Lastly, the audition Henry Thomas gave crying to land the role.
MC Zack was unavailable but his comic relief partner warmed us up in a clever costume made of stuffed animals stitched together like the alien’s hiding place. My age theory certainly holds here. The host stated how it intrigued him at age three and how he played the videotape until it broke; this would be a few years later.
Slashfilm (another gossip site) was the sponsor yet I liked their representative the best. He was close to my age when E.T. debuted! The reason why age matters is I prefer to hear from a person who experienced the movie in a theater during its first run, not on TV. Context matters! Plus his opener was great, I paraphrase it below.
Let me take you back to a time in the past when a group of people encountered an alien who changed their lives forever. Sadly this happened in 1979, the movie was rated R and my parents wouldn’t take me because I was too young.
He followed up the joke with how his parents took him to see E.T. and being around my age, he thought it was going to completely suck. All the ads/trailers made it seem like a Disney movie for babies. The insight the sponsor brought may have been old news to cinephiles but it was novel to me since I never gave E.T. much thought. Spielberg originally planned to make a sequel to Close Encounters of the Third Kind due to his dissatisfaction with Jaws 2 and 3-D being made. He had some additional regret over CETK‘s special edition showing the alien ship’s interior. With assistance from writer Melissa Mathison (Harrison Ford’s second ex-wife), he set out to make Night Skies. The result was two stories Poltergeist and this.
Onward to the screening. The mood-setting trailers were Explorers, gave Ethan Hawke his start, and Mac and Me. The latter continues to be a bellwether of awfulness. Seeing Ronald McDonald pimping for it at the beginning was even sadder. They wrapped up with The Thing to remind everyone about what’s next.
How is E.T. 30 years later? In short, more was less. The stories about Spielberg directing Poltergeist simultaneously gain credibility from what I noticed. E.T. needs some re-editing to tighten it up. Some scenes drag on too long even by 1982 standards of attention spans. Other parts were just plain stupid. For example, the row of people in hazmat suits walking up to the house as if they were a chorus line; the intruders in astronaut gear busting in…I guess the hazmat stuff was reserved for one singular sensation. I’m thinking Spielberg wanted to convey the same sense of paranoia or fright the government can instill as per CETK, only he telegraphed it horribly. Putting aside those film-school complaints, Spielberg did get great performances from the actors and captured the blandness of American suburbs. Hell, E.T. may have happened in the same subdivision as Poltergeist! He nailed contemporary life well through various touches: the older brother playing D&D with his buddies, the mother’s upcoming divorce (an uncommon event in family flicks then), Elliot’s collection of Star Wars figures, the cursing/slang, the sibling antagonism and the bicycles the kids rode. Spielberg showed children acting as they did in 1982 while other family/general fare either make kids smarter than adults (sitcoms usually) or clowns. He remains guilty of using the same, lazy LCD tactics I mentioned before. I give him another pass due to the positive outweighing the negative.
Ratings:
1982 (13-year-old me): B. I remember expecting to be amazed by Spielberg. He had impressed me with Jaws, CETK, 1941 and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Logically E.T. was going to be a continuation of CETK, even the spaceship bore some resemblance in the commercials. Instead he delivered an edgier Disney film every idiot I hated quoted ad nauseum. The details I liked, namely how the house would be quarantined by the Feds, Star Wars references (Halloween!) and kids being kids, not ideal pets.
2012: C+. The people who go batshit over E.T. must have first seen it when they were under 10 and their brains are clouded by the memory. It’s a mediocre movie, especially compared to Spielberg’s back catalog. I don’t like Lucas mucking with Star Wars since the original 1977 edition works despite advancements in special effects, same goes with Star Trek episodes from the Sixties. But Spielberg could be forgiven if he chose to edit out the scenes/shots which added nothing to the plot. I will never figure out why anybody ever found the alien to be cute neither. He’s rather creepy (modeled after pre-Thriller Michael Jackson!) and not very bright: he needs a Buck Rogers newspaper strip to solve his dilemma and Elliott lured him into the house with a trail of food; I fear the earth doesn’t have a monopoly on dumbasses as Bill Hicks joked about.
E.T.‘s life lessons as per other 1982 features:
The good news continues for my local team. Dallas has signed forward Francis Wathier for another two years. He’s the cardboard cutout display outside my cubicle! Mean my Francis remains valid. I think he has a shot at being the next captain should Brad Lukowich not return. Speaking of Brad, should he hang up his skates after 1000-plus games and two Stanley rings, I would like to see him join the Stars’ coaching staff. The new head guy Desjardins could use him. To me, character and experience can trump the technical aspects of coaching.
Joining Wathier is Mike Hedden. So the Austin Stars have toughness to fill out all the newbie forwards I think we’re going to be full of. Fraser was a great player who should make the Dallas roster, now we’ll need a new goal-making machine.
The AHL is certainly making waves sooner this year, maybe a bad omen about the upcoming NHL lockout. I really don’t think the NHL owners and NHLPA will have crap worked out by July 1, thus everybody has to settle for a shorter season, namely us fans.
Back to the AHL because I was shocked to see Tampa and Syracuse announce their new, multi-year arrangement. The Lightning couldn’t let Norfolk enjoy its Calder Cup for long, how classy. I’m sure the plans were in motion weeks ago, the Admirals winning the championship was just a happy accident. The Admirals’ Web site assures their fans there will be a team present next season. I suggest they change their name for starters. Milwaukee using Admirals is comical but they’re older and called dibs on it in the Sixties. The Crunch have switched for the third time in four seasons and this leaves the Anaheim Ducks in the lurch again. Will they go with Norfolk? I would like to see more shuffles, namely something involving the San Antonio Rampage. When they were with Phoenix, it was a proxy Pacific Division match. The Rampage dumping the unexciting Florida Panthers and hooking up with the Ducks will bring back the stronger rivalry; meaning the games are more than just an I-35 grudge match, it spills over into the NHL.
I am now entering unexplored territory for my adult running career…three miles! This may not be unprecedented because I was in track during my freshman year in high school, a sport not requiring much skill. Those days didn’t involve me running greater distances than a couple miles at once but I know I put in a few cumulatively. What I would give to have my 14-year-old joints now!
Three miles happens to be my distance ceiling for the long term. The next goal is to bring down the time to achieve it on a consistent basis. Today I managed 29:56 which gives me an average speed of 6 mph. Over the Summer I will try to shave 30 seconds or more. By the end of 2012, maybe a minute.
Why? Besides still being 40-50 pounds overweight, I want to get my heart rate and caloric burn up. Today’s run consumed 350 calories, I then defeated it with a Starbucks drink (skim milk and one shot of syrup barely helps!); burning 500/day would rock. I also couldn’t believe how low my heart rate was when I finished…in the 130s. How could my heart be all “feh!” while the rest of me was “Pant! Pant! Stop doing this! I want some Whataburger!” The adrenalin buzz and sense of completion does help keep my anxiety in check; being obese (as per my BMI) is something bothering me.
There is another ulterior motive at work other than vanity. A co-worker showed me this running franchise coming to Austin. The distance is 5K (3.1 miles). If I can run like hell, I think I have a decent chance. I’m worried about the obstacle element, I sucked at the rope climbing portion of gym class, I suffer from Muppet arms. Then comes my next big concern, the zombies. Are they going to be the sprinting kind from Zombieland, Zack Snyder’s horrible remake or 28 Days Later (technically these people aren’t dead)? I would prefer the traditional George Romero slow shuffling types from Night of the Living Dead, Shaun of the Dead and The Kids in the Hall. There’s a third possibility. In The Walking Dead, the zombies only become fast when they smell the living and their numbers are high. The $77 registration fee makes it a bit prohibitive and Central Texas isn’t exactly comfortable in mid December, the weather could be warm, pleasant, cool or worse, freezing rain.
Wish me luck on pushing out my mileage. I’m on the cusp of Clovis, NM too. The next destination is much farther.
Shortly after the LA Kings and Norfolk Admirals hoisted their trophies, my local team announced a new head coach…Willie Desjardins! His track record is much longer plus he has winning credentials.
Let’s see if he can turn the Stars around from being in last place to a Calder contender. The people of Greater Austin got a taste of success in our first season, now we’re hooked and I think the whole Western Conference is jonsin’ since the East has won at least four years in a row.
This morning I read more about the people involved with the Kings’ success and what do you know, there were additional ex-Flyers: former head coach John Stevens as an assistant coach, retired goalie Ron Hextall as assistant GM and I think GM Dean Lombardi was involved with Philly’s coaching and/or scouting.
Next up, can another NHL lockout be avoided? For the sake of the game, I sure the hell hope so. The alternative means some rather talent-heavy AHL teams. It’s how the Philly Phantoms won the 2005 Calder.
I haven’t kept up with Sesame Street for years but I thought Cookie Monster doesn’t eat cookies anymore because he has diabetes.
Last year I achieved this running milestone by July and shortly afterwards my treadmill’s motor crapped out.
This year I’m ahead by 20 percent of where I was by the end of June 2011. If I maintain my dedication, I will easily exceed 300 miles, possibly 400.
I know this is pretty overdue but last week was crazy and the Maggi Republic is finally getting some stuff settled. Nothing terrible, just time consuming.
During the opening ceremonies for the first screening, MC Zack let everybody know that Alamo is still trying to get Blade Runner‘s “owners” to capitulate, so Star Trek II may become the real half-way point to the fest. Stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed.
Now to the greatest movie I ever saw in the Summer of 1982 and what is the best Star Trek-based film made, First Contact comes in second.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a very important movie a few reasons:
Alamo Ritz pulled out the stops to get the crowd riled up. There was some grumbling over the seating arrangements: reserved, badgeholders and employees’ buddies got in first. I was satisfied with being near the back where few cared. This allowed Somara and me to save a two seats for our friends unlike the dicks who save a half dozen. The pre-pre-show consisted of Shatner on the Tonight Show with Joan Rivers as host, more commercials circa 1980-2, Billy Idol’s “Hot in the City,” the Scorpion’s “No One Like You” and Pat Benatar’s “Shadows of the Night;” I spotted Bill Paxton and Judge Reinhold as extras, they weren’t famous enough to do cameos.
The pre-show got under way on time with Khan‘s co-sponsor from Badass Digest (another gossip site). He was nice but didn’t bring any new insight I didn’t already know from watching the DVD’s additional features. What he did demonstrate was his dedication by having a tattoo of the Enterprise‘s badge/insignia put on his arm, live, on the Alamo stage.
The design may be relatively simple yet it took a while. To pass the time, Alamo had a local theater troop act out a humorous synopsis of “Space Seed,” the original Star Trek episode Khan and Kirk crossed paths. I honestly enjoyed this. Normally fan films, etc., are the equivalent to hearing nails being dragged across a chalk board for me. (I better thicken my skin in October with the upcoming Next Generation reunion!)
MOVIE MISSING AFTER THE YEARS
Yes, I also joined in the group shouting of Khan’s name.
With the festivities concluded, Alamo got on with the movie. There was the plug for Beyond the Black Rainbow and the next installment in 1982 ET. The mood-setting trailers were Battle Beyond the Stars, Roger Corman’s attempt to cash in on the Star Wars trend, and The Ice Pirates. I think Alamo should do something with the latter at a Zzang Eighties event; it was a staple on cable for years.
How is Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 30 years later? Since I watch this on DVD every couple of years, the question should be reframed to: How is Khan on the big screen 30 years later? As excellent as it was when I was 13. I saw it twice! CRT-based televisions do rob the immensity of the film’s special effects, namely the battle in the nebula, yet I think Khan‘s reputation was solidified through the story, acting and willingness to take a risk with Spock’s death; it’s not a spoiler when it’s public knowledge. Going to this screening, my brain’s analytical section was ratcheted up greater than a casual viewing at home. I loved how the dialogue pops, nothing is wasted, drawn out with excessive exposition or smothered in the technobabble the successive TV shows leaned on to the point of annoyance. I can’t emphasize this point enough, Khan is the perfect film. One could watch all 79 episodes of Star Trek, ignore Star Trek I, jump to Khan and not miss a beat in the ongoing story. James Bond is the other series you can do the same thing with.
Ratings:
1982 (13-year-old me): A+ It was Star Trek done correctly unlike the 1979 flick. Khan was the true Sci-Fi rival to Star Wars many others aspired to be and fell short of the mark: Flash Gordon, Battlestar Galactica (1978), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) and The Black Hole.
2012: A+. Khan is the venerable franchise’s The Empire Strikes Back. With how much Star Wars blows, I would say the two movies have traded places. It will always hold up like the Sixties TV show despite advances in special effects, our understanding of the universe and Viacom’s aggressive merchandising.
Khan’s life lessons as per other 1982 features:
I used to wear a Bugs Bunny-based watch on my left wrist from 1996 until the two I owned broke several years ago. Getting the talking one repaired requires numerous annoying hoops to jump through with Armitron; I’ll get to it eventually since the key feature is possibly solid state.
During the closing hours of the recent three-day weekend I tried to see what a Google-based search could find. I had made others in the past but never found anything to my liking. My Armitron appeared…the sellers wanted too much. Then I stumbled upon this design. The price tag seemed awfully low as well, $14.50 plus $4 for shipping from Canada. Amazon/eBay (can’t remember) said the merchant had good ratings. I took the gamble after letting Somara know.
It arrived last week in an envelope with the return address being Hong Kong, not the Great White North. The watch is great, the artwork is perfect and I’m currently wearing it despite the pinch-prone wristband; I’ll get this replaced soon. My issue is the lack of any manufacturer name or nation of origin. Thus I dread my cool watch is a Chinese counterfeit. Certainly explains the bargain I got.
My long-term hope is that the Time Warner Media Barony will start licensing Bugs on items again since I love the new cartoon. I don’t mind the current sitcom approach. Bugs, Daffy and company have retained the personalities Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng and Bob Clampett ingrained on them. I do take issue with the borderline psycho girlfriend shift in Lola. She was better as the confident person Space Jam introduced. It was about the only silver lining in the extended commercial-as-story scheme to pay off Michael Jordan’s gambling debts.
The short version: really well and I will apply the next opening to be a Technical Account Manager (TAM) should one appear.
The longer version: It was a great experience. I had a decent idea what a TAM did but I learned a helluva lot of other things they do. I’ll get one thing clear, I never thought these people had it easy, more the opposite which I was mostly correct about. Now why do I want to be a TAM? The position is a good mix of tech, case management, writing, investigating, researching, coordinating and it’s all wrapped together with diplomacy. When I had a discussion about applying again for the engineering gig under Wil (the earlier backfill spot I did in November 2011), this manager said TAM is the ideal job he saw me in. I was more flattered while I know my peers would be insulted. He said what TAMs often due played up to my core strengths, hence, it’s why and other technical-based managers under the Enterprise endorsed me. As I’ve been saying to the team for over a year, being polite, consistent, reliable and communicative can soothe over being “right.” Technical prowess always matters; I myself strive for tech perfection because no one likes a fraud in this line of work. Being a jerk or having poor soft skills leads to avoidance, especially with customers; no one wants a correct answer if it’s a berating experience.
The regular TAMs were generous with their time: Chip, John and Kelly. Each had different perspectives as well as specialities to show me. I kept pretty busy since I was representing a whole department. If I choked, the TAM boss would probably never consider another phone-based employee for a long time; it was the assumption I operated under. I felt it was wise. It was (read on). How did I keep busy? I made phone calls and sent e-mails to the accounts for Mike, the guy I was covering. I assisted the other TAMs by loaning my knowledge of the phone team’s operation procedures. I even squeezed in my Server expertise on something once or twice. The time went by quickly in a good manner.
On the day Mike returned, I was able to bring him up to speed in an hour and went back to being Sr. Specialist.
Was I bummed? Not at all. The job I do have rarely has a dull moment. Besides, I am in the process of interviewing for two different support engineering roles. The TAM rotation boosts my chances.
It all came to a happier ending Friday. The TAM boss, Jeff, sent me a thank-you letter. I’m a sentimental type of person. In this age of SMS, e-mail, e-cards, blah blah, whatever; I prefer paper-based stuff like letters and cards. There was another token of appreciation present which was icing on the cake. I thanked Jeff immensely on this but told him to expect to see my name in the resume pile should the TAM group expand.
Meanwhile, I want to thank everybody who made this all possible, including any of you readers, comment posters and/or observers. I couldn’t have done this without your support for the last three years.
It was sad to hear about the passing of Ray last Wednesday. He was a terrific author whose stories have permeated the West (I need to make a Picayune glossary to save everyone the trouble) long before I was born. For me, Ray was the only living author from my home state (Illinois if you forgot) I knew of and respected being a Sci-Fi geek. I would dare say his writing was as influential as HG Wells, especially when you notice the references everywhere. The easiest one to find is The Simpsons using the premise from The Sound of Thunder in a well-loved Treehouse of Horror. It was recently made into a terrible film starring Edward Burns, the things I watch while bored in a hotel room. People of all political stripes also point toward Fahrenheit 451 when their hackles are raised by governments trying to ban certain books/ideas.
I got into Ray when his novel The Martian Chronicles aired as a three-night, six-hour opus on NBC. This would’ve been around 1980 I recall. The first part was up against Battlestar Galactica 1980 (or something compelling) so I was channel flipping on the upstairs’ portable TV to absorb both. Chronicles‘ special effects were pretty lousy yet the story sucked me in; it’s analogous to the European conquest of the Americas.
There was another short story of us I encountered in my seventh-grade reading-class book. It entailed these school children living on Venus where it rained continuously for seven years straight followed by a one-hour window when it stopped. Being 12, I missed the point of how the children were mean to one classmate because I argued with Mrs. Aiello over the impossibility of rain lasting years, besides, recent probes sent to Venus showed the planet was covered in sulfuric acid. The teacher’s defense was wasted on me…” Steve, it’s the author’s story, he can create any conditions he wants to illustrate his point.” I only regret not getting the chance to apologize for my literalist position then.
Farewell Ray! Thanks for convincing me to like your Sci-Fi which had some fantasy elements and wasn’t Star Wars, Star Trek, Buck Rogers and Battlestar Galactica.
Our annual vacation together almost slipped through because of other obligations (namely house/catsitting), work (Somara’s on a project, I’m trying for at least two promotions), Summer movies and whatever. We finally put plans into action which required some karma, aka begging for schedule exceptions…and we are now set for Las Vegas, what a shock, I know.
However, it is quite appropriate for us to go there. Today we made our last payment on the second timeshare deed! Somara and I now have a permanent place there for one week, every year! We must pay annual fees (NV property taxes, maintenance) but that’s a walk in the park compared to the loans, owning a house or worse, many timeshares are often indefinite leases. I must pat us on the back too. When we were there at this exact time last year (how I clearly remember constantly seeing clusters of Canucks, Bruins, Heat and Mavericks jerseys), Tahiti Village offered the new deed at half price right as the first was about to be paid off. I waffled, told the sales guys I needed to confer with Somara in private since I figured we’d stick to the plan I laid out weeks earlier; after the timeshare, the next debt to tackle was the car. Never mind the math/forecasting gears in my head churning away and stating this was doable: at best $200 every two weeks plus windfalls (tax refunds, escrow refunds) it could killed off in a year, at worst $100/month having this take about as long as the previous contract, about five years. Somara just turned her head and said, I’m sold. Once I gave the strategy to everybody at the table, we signed and we succeeded.
Did we really do it in a year? Yes, give or take a few days. I consider the 15% down payment we had to make before we leaving TV’s offices the starting point, not the first online transaction due in August 2011. If we were behind, I’d fudge it back to August though!
Moving along…
What’s on the agenda? Originally it was going to be Peter Gabriel at Planet Hollywood performing So in its entirety but with the track order reversed, “Red Rain” would be the opener yet the closer is debatable; he changed it for the 2002 remaster/re-issue. Peter also promised new material. The $260/ticket before Ticketmaster’s gouging for Row Q in section 103, good not great, was a bit too rich for our middle-class blood. We could swing it if we really wanted to, the vacation fund is pretty healthy this year. Instead we’re going to see another Eighties fave, Adam Ant at the Hard Rock. The artists are worlds apart and have radically different core audiences, the latter just has a stronger personal, very memorable connection for me. C’mon, how many people can say they went to a 1983 New Wave show with their high school principal? (Thumbs pointed to myself), this guy! With the money we’re saving, catching Hall & Oates is another possibility, all these artists had hit records out in 1982: Friend or Foe, Security (aka Peter Gabriel IV) and H2O.
Besides paying our respects to Prince Charming, we’ll be doing something different at the Las Vegas Gun Store. Somara wants to try out their Tommy Gun and I have two paper Cylon targets to blast. Now I must research which Terran firearms are the closest equivalents of Colonial weapons to kill Toasters with. The Pinball Hall of Fame is another repeat trip, prove the theories about each machine being different as I compare how their Star Trek 25th Anniversary and South Park handle compared to Pinballz’s.
As always, we’re open to reading your suggestions and taking your wagers.
The R-rated fun kicks off in 95 days.
I need to set up a reminder to catch this because Venus going visibly across the Sun is an important historical and scientific matter.
The Guardian gives a solid rundown here.
Astronomers in the 18th Century sent scores of people all over the world to measure the event from numerous locations. Then they compiled the data and used it to figure out the distance between the Earth and Sun. They concluded it was 93 to 97 million miles. A pretty impressive result without the assistance of computers, calculators or difference engines! Ninety-three million miles (160 million kilometers) is the accepted distance plus it’s the definition of one Astronomical Unit (aka an AU). Afterwards, astronomers used this finding to extrapolate the size of our solar system.
The Venus transit dovetails into some history involving the data gathering team led by the British Navy’s Leftenant Cook. His orders were to sail the HMS Endeavour to Tahiti and set up equipment to measure the event; Cook was also educated enough to use it. As per a special I saw on PBS/History Channel, Cook’s interaction with the Tahitians was unusually progressive since most 18th Century Europeans would arrive, bully the residents, take what they wanted and leave. Cook instead ordered his crew to cooperate and negotiate with the Tahitians for they were going to be around a while. This worked out pretty well, especially after the sailors discovered they could trade minor supplies (nails, rope, etc.) for sex. According to Cook’s accounts, the Tahitians were kleptomaniacs and they almost wrecked the expedition when one of them stole the telescope as the deadline neared. Successful diplomacy prevented this from escalating into a fight.
With the Venus transit completed, the Endeavour sailed west (and probably south) to New Zealand where the crew mapped the islands/coastlines for about six months. It was there Cook opened his secret orders from the admiralty. He was instructed to take the ship south to the 40th parallel and go east until they hit land. Cartographers, scientists and others believed there had to be a continent or two in the area. They thought the planet required a counterweight for the existing landmasses; I wonder how these people would’ve reacted to the Pangea theory.
On April 20, 1770 the HMS Endeavour succeeded when the vessel’s lookout spotted the land we know today as Australia.
It has been over 100 posts since I discussed the latest chapter in the DC reboot. I apologize for dragging my ass, like you care, but I haven’t really received any kind of Comments so I’m going to default with…if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
I thought I was going to have more time to cover the DC “outing,” because I was using it as my opening or lead. The lesson I learned, write faster! Instead, I will just jump into what this long delayed installment is about, the more adult yet not Vertigo titles.
With past posts, I’ve been going over all the traditional fare DC Comics does…long-underwear titles. In the Eighties DC took the plunge into more daring territory. Other publishers had been doing such stuff for years but DC and Marvel had the distributive reach. What DC succeeded at though was widening comics’ appeal beyond young men/boys and successfully courted young women who are the equivalent of the Philosopher’s Stone. Eventually, these titles were transformed into a new line called Vertigo. Sandman is the iconic book thanks to the Goth girl stereotype associated with it.
With the reboot, several have been brought back into the core 52-fold I think time has worked to their advantage. I don’t see DC toning down the elements which made Vertigo different: the violence, the language or more adult themes.
Swamp Thing: Before Alan Moore became the legend behind for The Watchmen and other more grown-up fare, DC gave him this title nobody paid much attention to. I guess they wanted to see what the Brit could do or they hoped he’d quit, leave superheroes to the Yanks and Canucks. The former happened and he exceeded everyone’s expectations which then transformed into the Eighties renaissance. What exactly did Moore do with Swamp Thing? He transformed the title character from a mediocre horror/monster into a force of nature, aka the world’s most powerful earth elemental/defender. Moore widened the scope of storytelling by taking a more intelligent approach and covering some things comics usually avoided…controversial perspectives.
Obviously Moore left years ago and sits on the sidelines grousing from the other side of the political fence from Frank Miller.
Moore’s (re)creation is in very good hands. Snyder and Paquette are a fantastic team. Their kick off entails Dr. Alec Holland transforming back into the Swamp Thing. If Holland refused, the world would succumb to the Rot which is natural force held in check by the Green and the Red. Being an Earth avatar, Swamp Thing is logically the champion for the Green. His job is just harder because his girlfriend is the Rot’s avatar.
Overall Swamp Thing is an excellent comic. Very adult storytelling, well-defined art and intriguing without being preachy about the environment. I often can’t wait to see what happens next month. I will warn you, I almost puked while reading the first issue when I saw how the Rot turns people into its agents.
Animal Man: Seeing how Moore shook things up, DC handed this and Doom Patrol over to Scotsman Grant Morrison. He transformed a D-list superhero into something equally interesting; and a poster child for PeTA. Unlike Moore, Morrison went on to write mainstream books for DC and Marvel and continues to this day.
Morrison’s revisions are in competent hands too. Lemaire and Foreman have brought Buddy Baker out of retirement by necessity as the Rot has reached out to kill his daughter. Seems Buddy’s little girl inherited his powers. Eventually she will grow to be the Avatar of the Red while Animal Man is a mere placeholder. In the meantime, Animal Man must get his family to safety, team up with Swamp Thing and then save the world.
I can’t see how one can get Animal Man without Swamp Thing or vice versa. These DC teams have done an excellent job tying the characters’ stories together without it coming off as a forced crossover such as the current Court of Owls (decent) or The Culling (crap).
Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE: First thing to eliminate. I know the scientist who created the monster is named Frankenstein, not the monster. For the narrative’s sake, the title-character adopted his creator’s surname, hence I will refer to him as Frankenstein from here on.
To those unfamiliar with DC’s long history, Frankenstein appears to be a ripoff of Hellboy. There’s many factors to back this: SHADE = BPRD; co-workers are monsters too; fighting supernatural threats. However, DC Comics really ripped off Universal by introducing Frank, Dracula, the Mummy, etc. as a special WWII commando group around 1980. The creatures continued to re-appear over the years in different incarnations and capacities. Grant Morrison’s recent Seven Soldiers of Victory miniseries incorporating Frankenstein would be the core foundation of this book: he is the uber-agent for SHADE, killing mind-blowing and/or extra-dimensional threats the JLA couldn’t fathom. Assisting “Frank” are his ex-wife the Bride, a mummy, a wolfman, a manbat and a “black lagoon” lady. Their boss Father Time, who currently resides in the body of a little Asian girl, sends them on the suicide missions to save the world.
Compared to Swamp and Animal, this was pretty weak yet the book grew on me after a few issues. Lemaire writes Frank as a morally strict, stoical being who feels that defeating evil is more important than sweating how humanity will never accept him. Now SHADE is being pulled into the war against the Rot. I think the fight is going to get more interesting soon.
All Star Western: I saved my favorite for last and this book was hard to categorize other than it won’t interest kids. It also costs a dollar more because the first two-thirds focus on an A story, usually starring Jonah Hex and the last third is a B story with some other lesser known Western character in DC’s catalog: Bat Lash, El Diablo, Night Hawk & Cinnamon, the White Ghost, etc.
Don’t let the horrible Jonah Hex movie from last Summer turn you off on this comic. Jonah may also be DC’s rip off of Clint Eastwood but the writing team Gray and Palmioti have given the character his own voice long before the reboot.
What changed in the new 52 was Jonah got more integrated in today’s superheroes’ past, namely Batman. When All Star launched last Summer, it began with Jonah arriving in Gotham City in the 1880s. Somebody hired the ex-Confederate soldier-turned-bounty hunter to find some kidnapped children. Helping him navigate the urban labyrinth is this goofy Dr. Arkham who blathers on about this new field called psychiatry. Overall, Hex and Arkham’s current adventures are a geekfest as they encounter the ancestors of contemporary villains (Mayor Cobblepot) and heroes (Mr. Wayne). For me, Jonah Hex is a more credible anti-hero than Catwoman or the Punisher.
The supporting stories are decent. They’re not terrible, just not great enough to warrant All Star to be a 40-page/$3.99 comic. DC might be hedging on two fronts. They want to bring back the old anthology comic books which faded in the Eighties; in case Jonah Hex runs out of steam, another character can take the spotlight while they recharge the publisher’s most successful Western hero in years.
This wraps up my long, long overdue endorsements for DC’s non-kiddie titles I subscribe to. These four I would put my money where my mouth is too, I completely stand by them as choices to spend on, especially with those who can’t get into long-underwear stuff. If you’re curious, ask me. When Somara is done with them, I will be finding new homes for them after bundling them into story arcs.
Next up in DC…I need to look over what I have remaining and I’m seeing a pattern, these titles are often victims of frequent rebooting and/or retconning: Supergirl and Green Arrow. I would like to incorporate the new Earth 2 and World’s Finest because they are inhabited by the Golden Age incarnations which were the biggest victims of the 1985 Crisis consolidation and every other “universe” changing event that followed for the next 25 years. Or I might take a break from DC, focus on some equally exciting stuff. The Doctor Who/Star Trek: The Next Generation team up finally started this week!
