Latest column's up! This week, I'm suffereing from an Empty Feeling:
"You know, it’s going to be fun watching what happens. Everyone’s talking about the box office slump and blaming DVD for taking people away from the theatres. If that’s the truth, then this Christmas is going to be crazy, as everyone buys the movies that they were waiting to be released on DVD. But what if DVD sales reach an all-time low? What if the slump carries over into the home theatre? Who will be blamed then?"
Read it all right here!
I have to share the latest way in which I'm being a shit disturber.
For those who don't live in the province anymore, gas prices have been leading the news for about a week now. For the first time even in Alberta history, gas prices are over $1 per litre. It's insane.
One website that was getting a lot of press was Edmonton Gas Prices.com. This website monitors the gas prices of every gas station in Edmonton. It's run completly by volunteers who post the prices of their corner gas stations. It allows you to shop for the lowest gas prices just with a point and a click.
After checking out this website, I also found that there's an Alberta Gas Prices.com, which monitors gas prices for rural Alberta. Camrose, Cold Lake, Red Deer...this is where you find it all.
And I noticed that there were no listings for Entwistle's gas stations.
So, I registered today and I've taken it upon myself to monitor the Entwistle gas prices for Alberta Gas Prices.com. I mean, I like to go for a walk every evening. All I have to do is change my route so I go by the gas stations every evening and then post the new prices as part of my evening Internet routine. Easy as 3.14!
Anyway, because it was such a nice day, I went for my walk in the middle of the afternoon and posted my findings when I got back. And you know what I found?
The Entwistle Esso is the fifth-highest-priced gas station in Alberta! 105.9 per litre!
I couldn't stop laughing. I always knew that the owner of the Esso is a price gouger, but I had no idea he was so bad!
Entwistle's other gas station, which is essentially the pumps at the Jounreyman Motel, is only at 99.9 per litre.
Oh, and by the way, the parent website of Edmonton Gas Prices.com and Alberta Gas Prices.com is Gas Buddy. Go there to find "your province's gas prices.com."
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Because my best friend has only recently discovered this show and asked me about this several months ago, only now I have learned the news. I had to go outside my usual sources to find this, but now I can say with 100% certainty....
Corner Gas: Season 2 hits DVD on September 27.
Corner Gas: Season 2 hits DVD on September 27.
I'm having one of those days. You know the ones. The ones where you're depressed for no discinerable reason, nothing seems to cheer you up, and you just want to crawl away and die.
Yeah. Those days.
Although, this almost cheered me up. As you know, a popular form of movie publicity these days has been the video journal. Every couple of weeks or so, a new featurette is posted online taking you behind the scenes. And now, with high speed Interent, I've really been enjoying the ones over at Blue Tights. This is where you can find the behind the scenes videos for Superman Returns, coming next summer.
The latest one is really getting me excited over the film. You see, Bryan Singer made a whirlwind day trip from the film's set in Australia all the way to San Diego, just to talk with all the fan boys about the film at Comic Con. What really set hearts afire was that he made this special "Comic Con trailer" of about two minutes worth of footage from the film. And 10 seconds worth of that footage is in this video blog!
It's not much. It's some very X-Files-ish shots of a young Clark Kent on the farm, learning of his powers, and then we cut forward to a flaming spaceship in the Kent farmyard, and ending with the grown up Clark Kent waking up in bed. And it's narrated by this coversation between Superman and Lois Lane:
Lois>> Why did you leave? What did you hope to find?
Superman>> It was a graveyard.
Lois>> And if you are the last? If you're alone?
I sure hope I'm not setting myself up for a fall.
Yeah. Those days.
Although, this almost cheered me up. As you know, a popular form of movie publicity these days has been the video journal. Every couple of weeks or so, a new featurette is posted online taking you behind the scenes. And now, with high speed Interent, I've really been enjoying the ones over at Blue Tights. This is where you can find the behind the scenes videos for Superman Returns, coming next summer.
The latest one is really getting me excited over the film. You see, Bryan Singer made a whirlwind day trip from the film's set in Australia all the way to San Diego, just to talk with all the fan boys about the film at Comic Con. What really set hearts afire was that he made this special "Comic Con trailer" of about two minutes worth of footage from the film. And 10 seconds worth of that footage is in this video blog!
It's not much. It's some very X-Files-ish shots of a young Clark Kent on the farm, learning of his powers, and then we cut forward to a flaming spaceship in the Kent farmyard, and ending with the grown up Clark Kent waking up in bed. And it's narrated by this coversation between Superman and Lois Lane:
Lois>> Why did you leave? What did you hope to find?
Superman>> It was a graveyard.
Lois>> And if you are the last? If you're alone?
I sure hope I'm not setting myself up for a fall.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Aww, man. I hate waking up to sad news.
Joe Ranft has died.
Joe Ranft was one of the better story men in Hollywood. Let me explain the job. See, animated films aren't made like normal films. Rather than start with a screenplay, animated films simply start with an outline. Then the story people come in. They start brainstorming ideas, drawing storyboards, and essentially hammer out the finished plot. That's a story person. And Joe Ranft was considered one of the best.
Ranft started out at Disney, where he worked on Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and even The Nightmare Before Christmas. But, he acheived his greatest fame when he packed up and moved to Pixar. There, he contributed to the plots of both Toy Story films, A Bug's Life, and Monsters, Inc..
At Pixar, he even moved behind the microphone and started doing voice work. He was Wheezy the Penguin in Toy Story 2. He was Jaques the Shrimp in Finding Nemo. But perhaps his best-known role was Heimlich the caterpiller in A Bug's Life.
Ranft was 45. He died in a car accident.
Going off in search of news to cheer me up, I swung by the official "Weird Al" Yankovic website. That's where I found this delightful bit:
"Al has just finished recording and mixing the first 6 songs for his next album. he's taking a break now, no word on when he'll be back in the studio, but we'll keep you posted."
Alright! From following the development of Al's other albums online, this is what's going on. The 6 songs that Al has just finished working on will be the 6 original, non-parody songs that appear on his next album. What he's doing now is taking a broad look at all of pop culture and deciding what to parody. The next 6 songs he does will be his parodies!
That cheered me up real good.
Joe Ranft has died.
Joe Ranft was one of the better story men in Hollywood. Let me explain the job. See, animated films aren't made like normal films. Rather than start with a screenplay, animated films simply start with an outline. Then the story people come in. They start brainstorming ideas, drawing storyboards, and essentially hammer out the finished plot. That's a story person. And Joe Ranft was considered one of the best.
Ranft started out at Disney, where he worked on Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and even The Nightmare Before Christmas. But, he acheived his greatest fame when he packed up and moved to Pixar. There, he contributed to the plots of both Toy Story films, A Bug's Life, and Monsters, Inc..
At Pixar, he even moved behind the microphone and started doing voice work. He was Wheezy the Penguin in Toy Story 2. He was Jaques the Shrimp in Finding Nemo. But perhaps his best-known role was Heimlich the caterpiller in A Bug's Life.
Ranft was 45. He died in a car accident.
Going off in search of news to cheer me up, I swung by the official "Weird Al" Yankovic website. That's where I found this delightful bit:
"Al has just finished recording and mixing the first 6 songs for his next album. he's taking a break now, no word on when he'll be back in the studio, but we'll keep you posted."
Alright! From following the development of Al's other albums online, this is what's going on. The 6 songs that Al has just finished working on will be the 6 original, non-parody songs that appear on his next album. What he's doing now is taking a broad look at all of pop culture and deciding what to parody. The next 6 songs he does will be his parodies!
That cheered me up real good.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Well, there's some nasty business that's done. I now own chaosinabox.com for another two years. Ahh, I remember two years ago.... "No, I think I only need to get chaosinbox.com for two years. True, I've got a ton of money saved up right now thanks to my job in Japan, but two years from now, in 2005, I'll have a ton MORE money from my first job in radio! Two years is all I need!" Boy, was I young and stupid.
Anyway, got some DVD news for you Disney-philes. Disney is going to release wave 5 of its Walt Disney Treasures collection this December. This is their series of DVDs that compiles their animated shorts and various episodes of the Wonderful World of Disney TV show. There are two in this new wave that caught my fancy.
The first one is called Disney Rarities: Celebrated Shorts 1920s-1960s. This is the collection of animated short films that really don't fit into any category. They're not Silly Symphonies. They're not Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck cartoons. These are the "others." I want it because they've already mentioned that it'll include one of my favourite Disney shorts: Lambert the Sheepish Lion.
The second one is called Elfego Baca and The Swamp Fox: Legendary Heroes. I want this set for The Swamp Fox. It's set during the American War for Independence, and Canadian star Leslie Nielsen played war hero Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox. I want it for 2 reasons: (1) When I was a kid, they started showing The Wonderful World of Disney every night at 5 and I was enamored with The Swamp Fox. But number 2 is the more interesting reason.
The Swamp Fox was the only Disney product ever banned in Canada.
I actually saw Leslie Nielsen explain this in an interview on the CBC one time. As you know, the Walt Disney Company has always had a reputation of "re-intepreting" classic fairy tales, historical events, and darn near anything in order to make for a more compelling tale. It's like my dad always says, "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story." Anyway, for their Swamp Fox series, Disney felt that they needed a rather dasterdly villain, so they chose to make villains of the Loyalists. Now, we all study the Loyalists in elementary school history. When the American Revolution broke out, they wanted to remain loyal to the crown, but also understood the American desire for independence. So, in a classic Canadian compromise, they simply packed up and moved to the Canadian colonies. The Swamp Fox show, however, portrayed the Loyalists as a crooked wealthy elite who plotted to re-conquer the USA for England from the safety of the Canadian colonies. Which just wasn't the case. So, for this gross misrepresentation of Canadian history, Parliment banned The Swamp Fox.
And now I can buy it on DVD!
I'm still kind of tempted to seek out the one Walt Disney Treasures DVD called On the Front Lines. This is a compalation of all the propaganda cartoons Disney made during WW2. A lot of them are highly racist towards the Germans and the Japanese, and a lot of people were stunned when Disney actually released them.
Anyway, speaking of Disney on DVD, I should mention that yesterday was when Disney released wave 3 of their dubbed Studio Ghibli films! Now, you can run down to your local store and pick-up the Studio Ghibli classics Pom Poko and My Neighbours the Yamadas. These two films come from the mind of Isao Takahata, who also gave us the classic anime Grave of the Fireflies. Anyway, these two films:
My Neighbours the Yamadas originally came out in 1999. It's based on the manga of the same name, and follows the adventures of the Yamadas, a typical Japanese family.
Pom Poko came out in 1994. It's about a tribe of Tanuki (Japanese racoons) whose forest is threatened by a construction project. So, they unite all the Tanuki tribes to fight off the construction workers. Yes, it's Braveheart with racoons.
Actually, a lot of people are curious to see how Disney dubbed Pom Poko. Part of the Disney/Studio Ghibli deal is that Disney can't alter the Studio Ghibli films in any way; Disney can only translate. And, apparently, one of the characters in Pom Poko has large, legendary testicles. This character always brags about it. It even becomes a plot point.
Anyway, got some DVD news for you Disney-philes. Disney is going to release wave 5 of its Walt Disney Treasures collection this December. This is their series of DVDs that compiles their animated shorts and various episodes of the Wonderful World of Disney TV show. There are two in this new wave that caught my fancy.
The first one is called Disney Rarities: Celebrated Shorts 1920s-1960s. This is the collection of animated short films that really don't fit into any category. They're not Silly Symphonies. They're not Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck cartoons. These are the "others." I want it because they've already mentioned that it'll include one of my favourite Disney shorts: Lambert the Sheepish Lion.
The second one is called Elfego Baca and The Swamp Fox: Legendary Heroes. I want this set for The Swamp Fox. It's set during the American War for Independence, and Canadian star Leslie Nielsen played war hero Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox. I want it for 2 reasons: (1) When I was a kid, they started showing The Wonderful World of Disney every night at 5 and I was enamored with The Swamp Fox. But number 2 is the more interesting reason.
The Swamp Fox was the only Disney product ever banned in Canada.
I actually saw Leslie Nielsen explain this in an interview on the CBC one time. As you know, the Walt Disney Company has always had a reputation of "re-intepreting" classic fairy tales, historical events, and darn near anything in order to make for a more compelling tale. It's like my dad always says, "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story." Anyway, for their Swamp Fox series, Disney felt that they needed a rather dasterdly villain, so they chose to make villains of the Loyalists. Now, we all study the Loyalists in elementary school history. When the American Revolution broke out, they wanted to remain loyal to the crown, but also understood the American desire for independence. So, in a classic Canadian compromise, they simply packed up and moved to the Canadian colonies. The Swamp Fox show, however, portrayed the Loyalists as a crooked wealthy elite who plotted to re-conquer the USA for England from the safety of the Canadian colonies. Which just wasn't the case. So, for this gross misrepresentation of Canadian history, Parliment banned The Swamp Fox.
And now I can buy it on DVD!
I'm still kind of tempted to seek out the one Walt Disney Treasures DVD called On the Front Lines. This is a compalation of all the propaganda cartoons Disney made during WW2. A lot of them are highly racist towards the Germans and the Japanese, and a lot of people were stunned when Disney actually released them.
Anyway, speaking of Disney on DVD, I should mention that yesterday was when Disney released wave 3 of their dubbed Studio Ghibli films! Now, you can run down to your local store and pick-up the Studio Ghibli classics Pom Poko and My Neighbours the Yamadas. These two films come from the mind of Isao Takahata, who also gave us the classic anime Grave of the Fireflies. Anyway, these two films:
My Neighbours the Yamadas originally came out in 1999. It's based on the manga of the same name, and follows the adventures of the Yamadas, a typical Japanese family.
Pom Poko came out in 1994. It's about a tribe of Tanuki (Japanese racoons) whose forest is threatened by a construction project. So, they unite all the Tanuki tribes to fight off the construction workers. Yes, it's Braveheart with racoons.
Actually, a lot of people are curious to see how Disney dubbed Pom Poko. Part of the Disney/Studio Ghibli deal is that Disney can't alter the Studio Ghibli films in any way; Disney can only translate. And, apparently, one of the characters in Pom Poko has large, legendary testicles. This character always brags about it. It even becomes a plot point.
Monday, August 15, 2005
I was watching a few reruns of Smallville on TV last night. I rather do enjoy that show. I've said many times before that what makes that show fascinating for me is watching Lex Luthor's painfully slow decent to the dark side. We all saw Anakin turn into Darth Vader over 2 hours in Episode III. Now imagine that being played out over 4 years of television. That's Lex Luthor.
My only problem with Smallville was that I've watched it so sporadically. I watched it pretty faithfully in its first season. Then I missed all of season 2 when I was in Japan. I've only been able to watch it off-and-on ever since. I'm guessing I'm going to have to do like my best friend.
My best friend has fallen in love with Alias. But, he lives in an area with crappy TV reception and can't afford cable. So, he signed up for Zip.ca and rents the season-by-season boxed sets. That's actually a good idea.
Anyway, I've really got to watch Smallville this season. I've already seen ads saying that this season will be the final one. Which is, you know, almost expected.
I'm sure I've shared that tale that Smallville was originally going to be Bruce Wayne, and it was going to be about Bruce Wayne's teen angst while embracing his destiny. When Bruce Wayne was in development, many people went, "Yeah! They should do this show, then end it when the Batman: Year One movie comes out!" And now, Smallville will be ending just as the new movie comes out.
That's another big reason to watch. Apparently, the creators of Smallville have remained in constant touch with Bryan Singer, and this final season is going to be chock full of foreshadowing to the new movie.
My only problem with Smallville was that I've watched it so sporadically. I watched it pretty faithfully in its first season. Then I missed all of season 2 when I was in Japan. I've only been able to watch it off-and-on ever since. I'm guessing I'm going to have to do like my best friend.
My best friend has fallen in love with Alias. But, he lives in an area with crappy TV reception and can't afford cable. So, he signed up for Zip.ca and rents the season-by-season boxed sets. That's actually a good idea.
Anyway, I've really got to watch Smallville this season. I've already seen ads saying that this season will be the final one. Which is, you know, almost expected.
I'm sure I've shared that tale that Smallville was originally going to be Bruce Wayne, and it was going to be about Bruce Wayne's teen angst while embracing his destiny. When Bruce Wayne was in development, many people went, "Yeah! They should do this show, then end it when the Batman: Year One movie comes out!" And now, Smallville will be ending just as the new movie comes out.
That's another big reason to watch. Apparently, the creators of Smallville have remained in constant touch with Bryan Singer, and this final season is going to be chock full of foreshadowing to the new movie.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Latest column's up! this week, I tell you all about The Collector:
" Sadly, though, I’ve reached a point where it’s not hard to get caught up in the hype. 10 years ago or so, comic book collecting had become a rather mainstream hobby, and the comic publishers starting finding ways to cash in on the fad. They started doing things like “variant covers” and “limited runs.” And, accompanying it all were ads in magazines like Wizard telling you that this is the next big thing and that it’ll be worth big money some day, so buy, buy, buy! And now, in the present day, many collectors are feeling stung, when they take their collections down to the comic book store and Comic Book Guy says, “I’ll give you $50 for you three boxes of ‘collector’s items.’” "
Read it here!
" Sadly, though, I’ve reached a point where it’s not hard to get caught up in the hype. 10 years ago or so, comic book collecting had become a rather mainstream hobby, and the comic publishers starting finding ways to cash in on the fad. They started doing things like “variant covers” and “limited runs.” And, accompanying it all were ads in magazines like Wizard telling you that this is the next big thing and that it’ll be worth big money some day, so buy, buy, buy! And now, in the present day, many collectors are feeling stung, when they take their collections down to the comic book store and Comic Book Guy says, “I’ll give you $50 for you three boxes of ‘collector’s items.’” "
Read it here!
Saturday, August 13, 2005
I'm back!
Not that you cared.
I switched on the computer to find 60 messages in my inbox...and none of them from friends.
Wow. Nothing makes you feel more suicidal than that.
Oh, well. I still love you (mostly), and postcards will be in the mail on Monday.
A lot of people don't believe me when I say I collect postcards. I'm sure you think I say it just so you'll send me a postcard. But I actually do collect them. As I write this, I have four photo albums full of postcards, and I'm about half-finished the fifth. Plus, I have a shoebox full of postcard books and bundles of 12 postcards.
So, I also picked up quite a few for myself that I'll be adding to my album this evening.
Not to say you should stop sending me postcards.
But yeah, it was a good vacation. I'll probably get a good column or two out of it...especially one ripping apart the tourism industry.
Not that you cared.
I switched on the computer to find 60 messages in my inbox...and none of them from friends.
Wow. Nothing makes you feel more suicidal than that.
Oh, well. I still love you (mostly), and postcards will be in the mail on Monday.
A lot of people don't believe me when I say I collect postcards. I'm sure you think I say it just so you'll send me a postcard. But I actually do collect them. As I write this, I have four photo albums full of postcards, and I'm about half-finished the fifth. Plus, I have a shoebox full of postcard books and bundles of 12 postcards.
So, I also picked up quite a few for myself that I'll be adding to my album this evening.
Not to say you should stop sending me postcards.
But yeah, it was a good vacation. I'll probably get a good column or two out of it...especially one ripping apart the tourism industry.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Well, I'm off!
I'm heading out to the world-renounded David Thompson Resort for a week of family camping. This trip has been in the planning for a few weeks, and I was rather non-commital about going. I was thinking about hanging back at home and spending some alone time, but I figured, "No. Let's go."
My parents are, however, lamenting at how this trip has gone sideways. What was originally conceived as just a quiet week with the grandkids has snowballed into: us, my brother (sans kids), my sister & her on-again off-again boyfriend and his two kids from his first marriage, and my borderline-obnoxious uncle and his family.
Anyway, I'll be gone until Saturday, in case anyone's wondering why I've dropped off the face of the Earth.
And as soon as I get back, I'll need to buy some fat pants. My God, a size 38 was my size for the past 8 years, and now...time to upgrade.
Still wondering how I managed to lose so much weight in Japan. It was either the steady diet of rice and ramen, having no car and walking every where, or both.
I'm heading out to the world-renounded David Thompson Resort for a week of family camping. This trip has been in the planning for a few weeks, and I was rather non-commital about going. I was thinking about hanging back at home and spending some alone time, but I figured, "No. Let's go."
My parents are, however, lamenting at how this trip has gone sideways. What was originally conceived as just a quiet week with the grandkids has snowballed into: us, my brother (sans kids), my sister & her on-again off-again boyfriend and his two kids from his first marriage, and my borderline-obnoxious uncle and his family.
Anyway, I'll be gone until Saturday, in case anyone's wondering why I've dropped off the face of the Earth.
And as soon as I get back, I'll need to buy some fat pants. My God, a size 38 was my size for the past 8 years, and now...time to upgrade.
Still wondering how I managed to lose so much weight in Japan. It was either the steady diet of rice and ramen, having no car and walking every where, or both.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Wow. Tonight, I took a drive out to Whitewood Sands. It was finally time to see the damage for myself.
I was shocked really. A lot of those cottages have been built so tight against the railway that it's amazing no houses were destroyed.
As they said on the news, the crash site is open to the public now, in the interests of openness, so my Dad and I were dodging the heavy equipment being used to clean up the spill, walking right up to the wrecked tanker cars and peering through the gaping holes. It was quite the sight to see.
Sure hope the pictures turn out. My sister is on another road trip right now, so I didn't have her digital camera. Used my good ol' reliable 35mm.
I was shocked really. A lot of those cottages have been built so tight against the railway that it's amazing no houses were destroyed.
As they said on the news, the crash site is open to the public now, in the interests of openness, so my Dad and I were dodging the heavy equipment being used to clean up the spill, walking right up to the wrecked tanker cars and peering through the gaping holes. It was quite the sight to see.
Sure hope the pictures turn out. My sister is on another road trip right now, so I didn't have her digital camera. Used my good ol' reliable 35mm.
Latest column's up! Yes, I've been rather slack lately, so this one's up way early. It's called Blessing in Disguise:
"Whenever God closes a door, he opens a window, my mother is fond of saying. I’ve always found that to be an excessively cheery view of life, but it does have its merits. For example, you might be heading out to the movies one night to see the latest summer blockbuster. By the time you get to the theatre, though, you find the movie is sold out. Naturally, at first, you’ll be all upset and angry, but then, look at the opportunities! There are other good movies playing…many good restaurants are still open…something better may come along. And that’s exactly how the people of Wabamun are looking at their current situation. "
Yup, you've figured it out. I figured it was time for me to weigh in on the Lake Wabamun oil spill.
Read it all!
"Whenever God closes a door, he opens a window, my mother is fond of saying. I’ve always found that to be an excessively cheery view of life, but it does have its merits. For example, you might be heading out to the movies one night to see the latest summer blockbuster. By the time you get to the theatre, though, you find the movie is sold out. Naturally, at first, you’ll be all upset and angry, but then, look at the opportunities! There are other good movies playing…many good restaurants are still open…something better may come along. And that’s exactly how the people of Wabamun are looking at their current situation. "
Yup, you've figured it out. I figured it was time for me to weigh in on the Lake Wabamun oil spill.
Read it all!
Friday, August 05, 2005
There!
I've got my reviews for Fantastic Four, War of the Worlds and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Read 'em!
I've got my reviews for Fantastic Four, War of the Worlds and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Read 'em!
OK, so I just got home from Fantastic Four. Let's take a moment to give medals for the spate of Marvel comics movie adaptations:
Gold - the Spider-Man and X-Men films
Silver - Daredevil and Hulk
Bronze - Elektra and the Punisher
Just so you know how I'm ranking things.
Fantastic Four is a solid silver. Most of the elements you like are in there, but it's just not quite enough to push it over the top.
Likes:
- Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm. These characters were nailed.
- The humour. Unlike the other Marvel movies, there's a certain humour to these characters resulting in some funny moments. (Not "funny because it's so bad" but "funny because it's funny.")
- the design. Reed Richard's lab in the Baxter Building looks wonderfully patched together.
Dislikes:
- Dr. Doom. Far too much like the Green Goblin in Spider-Man.
- Ioan Gruffad and Jessica Alba. They have no romantic chemistry.
- The "blink and you'll miss it" cameo by Ben Mulroney. Luckily, I blinked. But I spotted his name in the end credits.
All in all, 3 nibs. I'll throw together a review, and I"ll put it up tonight with my War of the Worlds and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory reviews.
And now, the big DVD news of the day.
The original, 1933 King Kong is FINALLY coming to DVD! A super-duper 2-disc special edition comes out on November 22. They like to tell us that they've been working on this for two years, and the fact that it's coming out so close to Peter Jackson's remake is purely a coincidence.
Speaking of Jackson, the big announcement about the DVD is that Jackson himself has been putting together bonus material. Peter Jackson directed RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World, a massive 2-hour documentary about the original King Kong.
Other bonus features:
- documentary on direction Merriam C. Cooper
- trailers for other Cooper films
- running commentary by stop-motion animation god Ray Harryhausen, only surviving cast member Terry Moore, and special effects guru Ken Ralston.
That's November 22, people! The original King Kong finally comes to DVD!
Also on that day, the 1976 remake of King Kong comes out.
Gold - the Spider-Man and X-Men films
Silver - Daredevil and Hulk
Bronze - Elektra and the Punisher
Just so you know how I'm ranking things.
Fantastic Four is a solid silver. Most of the elements you like are in there, but it's just not quite enough to push it over the top.
Likes:
- Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm. These characters were nailed.
- The humour. Unlike the other Marvel movies, there's a certain humour to these characters resulting in some funny moments. (Not "funny because it's so bad" but "funny because it's funny.")
- the design. Reed Richard's lab in the Baxter Building looks wonderfully patched together.
Dislikes:
- Dr. Doom. Far too much like the Green Goblin in Spider-Man.
- Ioan Gruffad and Jessica Alba. They have no romantic chemistry.
- The "blink and you'll miss it" cameo by Ben Mulroney. Luckily, I blinked. But I spotted his name in the end credits.
All in all, 3 nibs. I'll throw together a review, and I"ll put it up tonight with my War of the Worlds and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory reviews.
And now, the big DVD news of the day.
The original, 1933 King Kong is FINALLY coming to DVD! A super-duper 2-disc special edition comes out on November 22. They like to tell us that they've been working on this for two years, and the fact that it's coming out so close to Peter Jackson's remake is purely a coincidence.
Speaking of Jackson, the big announcement about the DVD is that Jackson himself has been putting together bonus material. Peter Jackson directed RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World, a massive 2-hour documentary about the original King Kong.
Other bonus features:
- documentary on direction Merriam C. Cooper
- trailers for other Cooper films
- running commentary by stop-motion animation god Ray Harryhausen, only surviving cast member Terry Moore, and special effects guru Ken Ralston.
That's November 22, people! The original King Kong finally comes to DVD!
Also on that day, the 1976 remake of King Kong comes out.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Just to assure you, I have written up my reviews for War of the Worlds and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I just can't seem to upload them because high speed Internet is down again.
We now complain to Xplornet with every outage. The usual excuses of weather, cordless phones, and ham radios seem not to apply. They've told us many times, there's something weird about Entwistle....
Something I've known for years.
We now complain to Xplornet with every outage. The usual excuses of weather, cordless phones, and ham radios seem not to apply. They've told us many times, there's something weird about Entwistle....
Something I've known for years.
So, you all know I've been having some really weird computer problems lately. It randomly shuts itself off again, and now the hard drive makes noises like fingernails on a chalkboard. Yesterday, as I was bopping around in the city, I stopped in at CompuSmart to price out repairs.
First, there's the $47 diagnostic fee to find out what's wrong. They also tell me that, with a hard drive making funny noises, it's a fair bet that the hard drive is broken and/or on its last legs. That means replacing it. That'll run $100-$200, depending on what I choose to replace it with. And the "shutting itself off" could be anything, so they need to run that diagnostic.
It'll sit in the shop for about 2 days until the diagnostician can look at...a week to order in a new hard drive....I'd essentially be without a computer for two weeks.
I'm reminded of a recent newspaper article...in essence, it said that, in society's view, computer technology has become disposable enough that it's easier & cheaper to just buy a new computer rather than get the old one fixed.
A little more to follow up on yesterday's hockey rant.
With this hockey lock-out, the Tampa Bay Lightening are already worried that they won't be able to win back the fans. They're starting to make overtures about moving the team. Know where?
Winnipeg.
Yes, the new collective bargaining agreement means Winnipeg can afford a hockey team again!
Does this mean the return of the Jets? Stay tuned....
First, there's the $47 diagnostic fee to find out what's wrong. They also tell me that, with a hard drive making funny noises, it's a fair bet that the hard drive is broken and/or on its last legs. That means replacing it. That'll run $100-$200, depending on what I choose to replace it with. And the "shutting itself off" could be anything, so they need to run that diagnostic.
It'll sit in the shop for about 2 days until the diagnostician can look at...a week to order in a new hard drive....I'd essentially be without a computer for two weeks.
I'm reminded of a recent newspaper article...in essence, it said that, in society's view, computer technology has become disposable enough that it's easier & cheaper to just buy a new computer rather than get the old one fixed.
A little more to follow up on yesterday's hockey rant.
With this hockey lock-out, the Tampa Bay Lightening are already worried that they won't be able to win back the fans. They're starting to make overtures about moving the team. Know where?
Winnipeg.
Yes, the new collective bargaining agreement means Winnipeg can afford a hockey team again!
Does this mean the return of the Jets? Stay tuned....
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Went and saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory today. I rather enjoyed it. I pretty much saw it as Johnny Depp acting weird for two hours.
You're going to think this is weird, but it actually reminded me a lot of Edward Scissorhands. Willy Wonka and Edward were both emotionally stunted shut-ins who had no idea how to interact with the real world. Throw in those flashbacks where the father is played by a much-beloved horror movie actor.... I wonder if Tim Burton realized the similarities.
But I liked it. Danny Elfman did a great job with the Oompa Loompa songs. That's definitly on my short list of soundtracks I want to buy.
It's kind of hard not to get caught up in the Oilers fever that's sweeping Edmonton right now.
You see, back on Monday, that's when all the free agents' contracts expired, so all this week, hockey teams have been snapping up free agents like crazy. And, thanks to the new salary cap and collective barganing agreement and all that, a lot of really good players have suddenly become affordable. In the past two days, the Oilers have managed to grab some of the best in the NHL. It's crazy.
Acutally, I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately. I don't like sports very much, but I enjoy the business of sports. We just lost a whole hockey season to this lockout, and people are still curious about the aftermath.
I still kind of believe that it's going to be like when there was a baseball strike about 10 years ago. Remember that? The last half of the 1994 season and the first half of the 1995 season were wiped out. Major League Baseball had to fight long and hard to get the fans back.
I'm not the only that figures that's going to happen this season with the NHL. A lot of analysts say that here in Canada, we'll have an easier time, because we've always loved our hockey. But in places where hockey's never been popular, like Nashville, they're really going to have a tough row to hoe.
(I'm suddenly reminded of a Rick Mercer quote: "[Gary Bettman] took hockey out of 'cold' places like Winnipeg and Quebec City and put it in 'cool' places like Nashville and Phoenix." When you read it in your head, remember to use Mercer's trademark sarcasm.)
Anyway, just like MLB, look for the NHL to start doing all kinds of gimmicks to bring back the fans. Which may not be a bad thing.
Many in Edmonton are lobbying to make the Heritage Classic an annual event; a keystone to a kick-ass winter festival. That's just the kind of gimmick the NHL might endorse.
You're going to think this is weird, but it actually reminded me a lot of Edward Scissorhands. Willy Wonka and Edward were both emotionally stunted shut-ins who had no idea how to interact with the real world. Throw in those flashbacks where the father is played by a much-beloved horror movie actor.... I wonder if Tim Burton realized the similarities.
But I liked it. Danny Elfman did a great job with the Oompa Loompa songs. That's definitly on my short list of soundtracks I want to buy.
It's kind of hard not to get caught up in the Oilers fever that's sweeping Edmonton right now.
You see, back on Monday, that's when all the free agents' contracts expired, so all this week, hockey teams have been snapping up free agents like crazy. And, thanks to the new salary cap and collective barganing agreement and all that, a lot of really good players have suddenly become affordable. In the past two days, the Oilers have managed to grab some of the best in the NHL. It's crazy.
Acutally, I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately. I don't like sports very much, but I enjoy the business of sports. We just lost a whole hockey season to this lockout, and people are still curious about the aftermath.
I still kind of believe that it's going to be like when there was a baseball strike about 10 years ago. Remember that? The last half of the 1994 season and the first half of the 1995 season were wiped out. Major League Baseball had to fight long and hard to get the fans back.
I'm not the only that figures that's going to happen this season with the NHL. A lot of analysts say that here in Canada, we'll have an easier time, because we've always loved our hockey. But in places where hockey's never been popular, like Nashville, they're really going to have a tough row to hoe.
(I'm suddenly reminded of a Rick Mercer quote: "[Gary Bettman] took hockey out of 'cold' places like Winnipeg and Quebec City and put it in 'cool' places like Nashville and Phoenix." When you read it in your head, remember to use Mercer's trademark sarcasm.)
Anyway, just like MLB, look for the NHL to start doing all kinds of gimmicks to bring back the fans. Which may not be a bad thing.
Many in Edmonton are lobbying to make the Heritage Classic an annual event; a keystone to a kick-ass winter festival. That's just the kind of gimmick the NHL might endorse.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Hooray! It's finally official! October 18 is when they release the 2-disc special editions of the first 4 Batman movies!! Here's the film-by-film breakdown:
Batman: Special Edition
- running commentary by Tim Burton
- 4 documentaries: On Set with Bob Kane, Legends of the Dark Knight: The History of Batman, Shadow of the Bat: the Cinematic History of the Dark Night (Parts 1, 2, and 3), and Beyond Batman (a collection of featurettes detailing aspects of the production in minutia. There's ones dedicated to the Batmobile, the Batsuit, Danny Elfman's music, and more!)
- 3 music videos: Batdance, Partyman, and Scandalous, all by Prince
- 2 profile galleries, one for the heroes and one for the villains
- a featurette on the sequence with Robin that was storyboarded but never filmed
- the trailer
Batman Returns: Special Edition
- running commentary by Tim Burton
- 3 documentaries: The Bat, the Cat, and the Penguin; Shadow of the Bat: The Cinematic History of the Dark Knight (part 4); and Beyond Batman (more production featurettes, covering things like the Penguin's make-up and Catwoman's costume)
- 1 music video: Face 2 Face by Siouxsies and the Banshees
- 2 profile galleries, one for the heroes and one for the villains
- the trailer
Batman Forever: Special Edition
- running commentary by Joel Schumacher
- an undisclosed number of cut scenes
- 3 documentaries: Riddle Me This: Why is Batman Forever?, Shadow of the Bat: The Cinematic History of the Dark Knight (part 5), and Beyond Batman (more featurettes!)
- 1 music video: Kiss from a Rose by Seal
- hero and villain profile galleries
- the trailer
Batman & Robin: Special Edition
- running commentary by Joel Schumacher
- 1 cut scene, entitled Alfred's Lost Love
- 2 documentaries: Shadow of the Bat: The Cinematic History of the Dark Knight (part 6) and Beyond Batman (more featurettes!)
- 4 music videos: The Beginning is the End is the Beginning by Smashing Pumpkins, Foolish Games by Jewel, Gotham City by R. Kelly, Look Into my Eyes by Bone Thugs and Harmony.
- hero and villain profile galleries
- the trailer
Each special edition will be available seperatly, or in a big boxed set called Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology 1989-1997.
And you can expect Batman Begins to come soon after.
Batman: Special Edition
- running commentary by Tim Burton
- 4 documentaries: On Set with Bob Kane, Legends of the Dark Knight: The History of Batman, Shadow of the Bat: the Cinematic History of the Dark Night (Parts 1, 2, and 3), and Beyond Batman (a collection of featurettes detailing aspects of the production in minutia. There's ones dedicated to the Batmobile, the Batsuit, Danny Elfman's music, and more!)
- 3 music videos: Batdance, Partyman, and Scandalous, all by Prince
- 2 profile galleries, one for the heroes and one for the villains
- a featurette on the sequence with Robin that was storyboarded but never filmed
- the trailer
Batman Returns: Special Edition
- running commentary by Tim Burton
- 3 documentaries: The Bat, the Cat, and the Penguin; Shadow of the Bat: The Cinematic History of the Dark Knight (part 4); and Beyond Batman (more production featurettes, covering things like the Penguin's make-up and Catwoman's costume)
- 1 music video: Face 2 Face by Siouxsies and the Banshees
- 2 profile galleries, one for the heroes and one for the villains
- the trailer
Batman Forever: Special Edition
- running commentary by Joel Schumacher
- an undisclosed number of cut scenes
- 3 documentaries: Riddle Me This: Why is Batman Forever?, Shadow of the Bat: The Cinematic History of the Dark Knight (part 5), and Beyond Batman (more featurettes!)
- 1 music video: Kiss from a Rose by Seal
- hero and villain profile galleries
- the trailer
Batman & Robin: Special Edition
- running commentary by Joel Schumacher
- 1 cut scene, entitled Alfred's Lost Love
- 2 documentaries: Shadow of the Bat: The Cinematic History of the Dark Knight (part 6) and Beyond Batman (more featurettes!)
- 4 music videos: The Beginning is the End is the Beginning by Smashing Pumpkins, Foolish Games by Jewel, Gotham City by R. Kelly, Look Into my Eyes by Bone Thugs and Harmony.
- hero and villain profile galleries
- the trailer
Each special edition will be available seperatly, or in a big boxed set called Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology 1989-1997.
And you can expect Batman Begins to come soon after.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Sorry, everyone. No column this week. A family reunion broke out this weekend, so between keeping my niece and nephew entertained, keeping my brother's binge drinking in check, arguing with my sister, helping Mom remember her relaxation exercises and keeping Dad calm, I've pretty much had no "me" time.
This means no column.
Man, July hasn't been a good month. Writer's block and visiting family.
This means no column.
Man, July hasn't been a good month. Writer's block and visiting family.
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