Posts
I started blogging a few years ago and most of the other blogs I read back then are gone now and I've culled them from my links.
So, anyone have some suggestions of blogs you like that you think I should also read?
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Random tv series idea
I've been with sickness for four days and finally, today, after skipping work and spending most of my day watching all 13 episodes of Wonderfalls on DVD (thus renewing my love of Caroline Dhavernas - and I was gonna link to the last time I wrote of her, but the stupid technocrati search sucks and I don't want to go through all my old posts, so you'll just have to deal with IMDB instead).
Anyway, as I was watching a completely unrelated idea popped into my head that I think would work nicely as a tv series.
It's just a sketch as I don't really have any characters, just a basic premise. The format is an hour long drama, but hopefully this one would be a very funny hour dark comedy sort of hour long drama. A preacher, who is better at philosophizing and theological studies than actually connecting one on one with other human beings losses his faith after an accidental fireball blew up his house of worship and killed all of his parishioners. He can't get work at any other house of worship, mostly due to the fact that his last one blew up, so he is forced to work the night shift at a 24 wedding chapel, marrying inebriated couples more in love than he feels he's ever been. His life is going down the drains, disconnecting from the rest of the world, until he starts being haunted by the ghosts of all his dead parishioners, forcing him to engage in the actual world by helping the lost couples in love who stumble into his chapel in the wee hours of the morning.
Of course there would need to be other characters, and a love interest for our preacher, but I haven't come up with that yet. This is just the bud of an idea. It's kinda lame, kinda a rip off of almost all the work of Bryan Fuller, but what can you do?
Anyway, as I was watching a completely unrelated idea popped into my head that I think would work nicely as a tv series.
It's just a sketch as I don't really have any characters, just a basic premise. The format is an hour long drama, but hopefully this one would be a very funny hour dark comedy sort of hour long drama. A preacher, who is better at philosophizing and theological studies than actually connecting one on one with other human beings losses his faith after an accidental fireball blew up his house of worship and killed all of his parishioners. He can't get work at any other house of worship, mostly due to the fact that his last one blew up, so he is forced to work the night shift at a 24 wedding chapel, marrying inebriated couples more in love than he feels he's ever been. His life is going down the drains, disconnecting from the rest of the world, until he starts being haunted by the ghosts of all his dead parishioners, forcing him to engage in the actual world by helping the lost couples in love who stumble into his chapel in the wee hours of the morning.
Of course there would need to be other characters, and a love interest for our preacher, but I haven't come up with that yet. This is just the bud of an idea. It's kinda lame, kinda a rip off of almost all the work of Bryan Fuller, but what can you do?
Friday, May 02, 2008
5 comics that should be movies
Because I just read Cracked.com's 5 Upcoming Comic book Movies that must be stopped I decided to come up with a reverse list of comic books that probably have no chance of becoming movies, but should be.
In no particular Order:
RESURRECTION MAN
His name is Mitch Shelley and he was created by Andy Lanning, Dan Abnett and Jackson Guice for DC comics.
He isn't a traditional superhero and his power is derived from something a bit more dark and twisted than say more wholesome yet anguished heroes, such as Superman, Spider-man or those in The Fantastic Four. He doesn't have a secret identity persay, more like an absence of an identity all together. His basic plot thread is as such: Mitch Shelley, a mob lawyer in South Carolina who, unwittingly, through his connections is subjected to an experiment in Nanotechnolgy. He is bonded with with nanomachines called Tektites, which result in his death. He is soon resurrected by the tektites lacking any memory of his previous life, and now with near unlimited super-powers. But as always there is a catch, he only has one power at a time, and in order to change from one power to the next he has to die. Once dead the tektites resurrect him, this time with a power that is a direct response to his cause of death. He is in a simultaneous search for his identity and to escape those who experimented on him in the first place. It sounds a bit cheesy, but having a super-hero, who has no desire to be one, and who has to die, usually in a painful manner, in order to survive, can make for compelling storytelling on the screen.
THE SUICIDE SQUAD
The image is a bit more sexist, and pandering than I would have wanted, but I couldn't find a better one at the moment. Sorry. Anyway, this is a pretty simple concept. Take The Dirty Dozen and instead of convicted murders fighting Nazi's, it's imprisoned super villains sent on black ops missions for the government that they don't want the super heroes to get involved in (or know about it). They are mostly suicide type missions, and if any survive then they get extra consideration in their next parole hearing. It's simple, a great set up for lots of killer action sequences (as super villains are generally unstable people), great special effects, a built in fan base of comic fanboys, and could also be (in the right screenwriters hands) a great comment on the overabundance of comic book heroes and the conventions that they are forced to follow.
JAR OF FOOLS
No, this is not a super hero story. Comics don't have to have super heroes in them. In fact I'd say this is one of the best comic books I have ever read. Possibly one of the best works of fiction, period. The New York Book Review wrote that it's "A lovely, short picture novel exploring the tenacious bond between an alcoholic stage magician and his cranky mentor." There is a good deal more going on, but that is a good short summation. It's a story about love, about loss, about familial bonds, and aging. It would make a great film, in the vein of Ghost World or The History of Violence (in regards to non-super hero comic film adaptions).
HITMAN (no not the video game that was already made into a film)
I just realized a trend in my own choices, preferring anti-heroes over standard super hero fare, but still, these are good comics, so leave me alone.
Hitman is akin to Suicide Squad. Tommy Monaghan (pictured above) is a rough and tumble orphan from the poor Irish neighborhood of Gotham (which could easily be NYC) raised by a Hitman for the Irish mob. Said hitman retires and opens a small dive bar out of which Tommy now operates as a hitman in his own right. This being a super-hero comic book, Tommy is not without super-powers. He has x-ray vision, and is a mind reader. He isn't any ordinary Hitman, you only call him for the weird stuff. You need someone to steal a magic rifle forged in the old west to kill a devil, you call Tommy. Local super-hero beating up all your dealers, and selling the drugs himself, you call Tommy. I think you get the picture. He's a rogue, an imp, charming, and posses a devilish sense of humor. What's not to like?
And because I'm not as sexist as most comic books are themselves my final choice:
MAIL ORDER BRIDE
How is a comic called Mail Order Bride not a sexist choice, you may ask. At its heart it is a story about self discovery. I'm spacing on the characters names, but there are two main characters. The lead male role is a very geeky, very awkward, self-absorbed comic shop owner in a small town in western Canada (I think outside Vancouver, but I could just be making that up, could easily be outside Winnipeg which is not western Canada at all) who gets lonely and orders a bride from Korea. She comes over and isn't at all what he expected. Like most many western fetishes of Asia, he expects his bride to be a subservient, docile, and (in the general vein of most manga imported to this country) hyper-sexual Asian wife with a bad Asian accent. She arrives and turns out to be a very smart, shy, well educated Korean woman who signed up for the service because it was the only way she'd ever get out of Korea. The story is more about her and growth as an individual, taking classes at the local annex, making new friends, and coming out of her shell. He on other hand becomes more self-absorbed, needier, and more juvenile, getting more and more aggravated with her growth trying to keep her the pure fetishistic Asian bride he wants her to be. The comic ends on kinda a downer, and if adapted the ending would need to be changed a bit, but over all it's a very strong story of personal growth, female empowerment, loneliness, and cultural clash.
So that's my five comics that should be movies. The fact that they are all mildly obscure (Mail Order Bride being the most obscure) and that three are owned by DC comics, which itself is a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, means that if Warner doesn't think they'd make any money, no one else can do anything with them. The two indies (Jar of Fools, and Mail Order Bride) are two that if I ever get the money to option the rights myself I probably will, but I can't imagine anyone who isn't me going to a a development office and trying to pitch these comics for movies.
But it's fun to dream.
In no particular Order:
RESURRECTION MAN
His name is Mitch Shelley and he was created by Andy Lanning, Dan Abnett and Jackson Guice for DC comics.
He isn't a traditional superhero and his power is derived from something a bit more dark and twisted than say more wholesome yet anguished heroes, such as Superman, Spider-man or those in The Fantastic Four. He doesn't have a secret identity persay, more like an absence of an identity all together. His basic plot thread is as such: Mitch Shelley, a mob lawyer in South Carolina who, unwittingly, through his connections is subjected to an experiment in Nanotechnolgy. He is bonded with with nanomachines called Tektites, which result in his death. He is soon resurrected by the tektites lacking any memory of his previous life, and now with near unlimited super-powers. But as always there is a catch, he only has one power at a time, and in order to change from one power to the next he has to die. Once dead the tektites resurrect him, this time with a power that is a direct response to his cause of death. He is in a simultaneous search for his identity and to escape those who experimented on him in the first place. It sounds a bit cheesy, but having a super-hero, who has no desire to be one, and who has to die, usually in a painful manner, in order to survive, can make for compelling storytelling on the screen.
THE SUICIDE SQUAD
The image is a bit more sexist, and pandering than I would have wanted, but I couldn't find a better one at the moment. Sorry. Anyway, this is a pretty simple concept. Take The Dirty Dozen and instead of convicted murders fighting Nazi's, it's imprisoned super villains sent on black ops missions for the government that they don't want the super heroes to get involved in (or know about it). They are mostly suicide type missions, and if any survive then they get extra consideration in their next parole hearing. It's simple, a great set up for lots of killer action sequences (as super villains are generally unstable people), great special effects, a built in fan base of comic fanboys, and could also be (in the right screenwriters hands) a great comment on the overabundance of comic book heroes and the conventions that they are forced to follow.
JAR OF FOOLS
No, this is not a super hero story. Comics don't have to have super heroes in them. In fact I'd say this is one of the best comic books I have ever read. Possibly one of the best works of fiction, period. The New York Book Review wrote that it's "A lovely, short picture novel exploring the tenacious bond between an alcoholic stage magician and his cranky mentor." There is a good deal more going on, but that is a good short summation. It's a story about love, about loss, about familial bonds, and aging. It would make a great film, in the vein of Ghost World or The History of Violence (in regards to non-super hero comic film adaptions).
HITMAN (no not the video game that was already made into a film)
I just realized a trend in my own choices, preferring anti-heroes over standard super hero fare, but still, these are good comics, so leave me alone.
Hitman is akin to Suicide Squad. Tommy Monaghan (pictured above) is a rough and tumble orphan from the poor Irish neighborhood of Gotham (which could easily be NYC) raised by a Hitman for the Irish mob. Said hitman retires and opens a small dive bar out of which Tommy now operates as a hitman in his own right. This being a super-hero comic book, Tommy is not without super-powers. He has x-ray vision, and is a mind reader. He isn't any ordinary Hitman, you only call him for the weird stuff. You need someone to steal a magic rifle forged in the old west to kill a devil, you call Tommy. Local super-hero beating up all your dealers, and selling the drugs himself, you call Tommy. I think you get the picture. He's a rogue, an imp, charming, and posses a devilish sense of humor. What's not to like?
And because I'm not as sexist as most comic books are themselves my final choice:
MAIL ORDER BRIDE
How is a comic called Mail Order Bride not a sexist choice, you may ask. At its heart it is a story about self discovery. I'm spacing on the characters names, but there are two main characters. The lead male role is a very geeky, very awkward, self-absorbed comic shop owner in a small town in western Canada (I think outside Vancouver, but I could just be making that up, could easily be outside Winnipeg which is not western Canada at all) who gets lonely and orders a bride from Korea. She comes over and isn't at all what he expected. Like most many western fetishes of Asia, he expects his bride to be a subservient, docile, and (in the general vein of most manga imported to this country) hyper-sexual Asian wife with a bad Asian accent. She arrives and turns out to be a very smart, shy, well educated Korean woman who signed up for the service because it was the only way she'd ever get out of Korea. The story is more about her and growth as an individual, taking classes at the local annex, making new friends, and coming out of her shell. He on other hand becomes more self-absorbed, needier, and more juvenile, getting more and more aggravated with her growth trying to keep her the pure fetishistic Asian bride he wants her to be. The comic ends on kinda a downer, and if adapted the ending would need to be changed a bit, but over all it's a very strong story of personal growth, female empowerment, loneliness, and cultural clash.
So that's my five comics that should be movies. The fact that they are all mildly obscure (Mail Order Bride being the most obscure) and that three are owned by DC comics, which itself is a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, means that if Warner doesn't think they'd make any money, no one else can do anything with them. The two indies (Jar of Fools, and Mail Order Bride) are two that if I ever get the money to option the rights myself I probably will, but I can't imagine anyone who isn't me going to a a development office and trying to pitch these comics for movies.
But it's fun to dream.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
I don't post often
It's true. I don't. But I find I have less and less to actually post about. I've given up on the lists I was going to write because I realized that after I wrote them they were not only inane, but boring, and why subject any potential reader to that.
In other news, I'm getting a bit into LastFM.com and I have created a short play list I'm trying to figure out how to get on this page. If I figure it out you will be subjected to random songs from artists I'm not too familiar with myself.
The playlist will hopefully change regularly (but given that I'm the one working on it, who knows how regular I'll actually do it). And be filled with new artists I'm discovering. Most likely, since I'm not even a little bit cool or in the know, the artists in question will not be new to you. But they are new to me. Some I'll start off liking and then realize I don't care for them so much, while others might become new favorites. This is me trying to find new music without actually spending money I don't have on albums I wish I knew more about.
(So I kinda cribbed the idea from Rawbean, so what? Just because she has all the good ideas first doesn't mean that she's better than me)*
*(Alright, so she is better than me, so what?)
In other news, I'm getting a bit into LastFM.com and I have created a short play list I'm trying to figure out how to get on this page. If I figure it out you will be subjected to random songs from artists I'm not too familiar with myself.
The playlist will hopefully change regularly (but given that I'm the one working on it, who knows how regular I'll actually do it). And be filled with new artists I'm discovering. Most likely, since I'm not even a little bit cool or in the know, the artists in question will not be new to you. But they are new to me. Some I'll start off liking and then realize I don't care for them so much, while others might become new favorites. This is me trying to find new music without actually spending money I don't have on albums I wish I knew more about.
(So I kinda cribbed the idea from Rawbean, so what? Just because she has all the good ideas first doesn't mean that she's better than me)*
*(Alright, so she is better than me, so what?)
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Week of lists part one
Following is a a list of the bands I currently have on my mp3 player
The All Girl Summer Fun Band
The Bird and the Bee
The Bad Plus
Death Cab for Cutie
The Decemberists
The Dresden Dolls
Frou Frou
Iron and Wine
Jesca Hoop
Magnetic Fields
Morphine
Nellie Mckay
Neutral Milk Hotel
Ozomotli
OK Go
the Raconteurs
The Ditty Bops
Pirates of the Carribean (1 & 2) Soundtrack
Garden State Soundtrack
Cowboy Bebop Soundtrack
Stars
There might be some more but I can't think of them, and the battery died on my player so I can't look it up. but if you were ever wondering what kind of music I listened to, now you know. And knowing is half the battle. If perhaps you know these bands and would like to recommend new music for me to listen to, I'm all (no pun intended) ears.
The All Girl Summer Fun Band
The Bird and the Bee
The Bad Plus
Death Cab for Cutie
The Decemberists
The Dresden Dolls
Frou Frou
Iron and Wine
Jesca Hoop
Magnetic Fields
Morphine
Nellie Mckay
Neutral Milk Hotel
Ozomotli
OK Go
the Raconteurs
The Ditty Bops
Pirates of the Carribean (1 & 2) Soundtrack
Garden State Soundtrack
Cowboy Bebop Soundtrack
Stars
There might be some more but I can't think of them, and the battery died on my player so I can't look it up. but if you were ever wondering what kind of music I listened to, now you know. And knowing is half the battle. If perhaps you know these bands and would like to recommend new music for me to listen to, I'm all (no pun intended) ears.
Friday, March 07, 2008
I need to learn photoshop (though for other reasons)
This isn't exactly SFW, but it's not really NSFW (except for the tush, I guess). Anyway, this is funny and fascinating, and I'll only leave the movie up for a few days and then just put up a link for it afterwards.
And because I'm an idiot, my bank troubles quickly subsided when I realized I was trying to use my bank card, which expired this month instead of using the new one the sent me. So all that worry, and it boils down to my stupidity.
anyway, here is the video I mentioned, don't scroll down if you think a naked tush is appropriate for the computer that you are currently using.
And because I'm an idiot, my bank troubles quickly subsided when I realized I was trying to use my bank card, which expired this month instead of using the new one the sent me. So all that worry, and it boils down to my stupidity.
anyway, here is the video I mentioned, don't scroll down if you think a naked tush is appropriate for the computer that you are currently using.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
I didn't want to do it again but...
So I really was going to start my week of lists today. Lists of a somewhat personal nature getting a bit more into my head and life than just random lists of links that I find to be interesting.
Unfortunately the machine that sells me my LIRR tickets (that's Long Island Railroad for those of you who don't know) rejected my bank card, and I know I should have at least two grand in my checking account (alright, maybe only fifteen hundred, but still). Thus I've been freaking out about it all day and can't think straight. I'm stuck at work and there isn't a bank location near where I am currently, so I have to wait until I go home to try and figure it out (if I've been robbed or identity thefted, that would truly suck, you'd think that someone would only want to do that to people who actually have money and good credit, not guys like me).
Instead I give you what I think is absolutely fabulous (no, not the tv show). Someone has posted a bunch of old Garfield comic strips, but have removed Garfield and odie, leaving only Jon behind. The strips are actually far more poignant, touching, and funny in this garfieldless version. Talk about post-structrualist post-modernism. Anyway, you should check it out because it's good and funny, and I'm going to sit at this desk and pretend that I'm not freaking out, when in fact I'm so jittery I think my eyes my pop out of my head.
Garfield minus garfield
Unfortunately the machine that sells me my LIRR tickets (that's Long Island Railroad for those of you who don't know) rejected my bank card, and I know I should have at least two grand in my checking account (alright, maybe only fifteen hundred, but still). Thus I've been freaking out about it all day and can't think straight. I'm stuck at work and there isn't a bank location near where I am currently, so I have to wait until I go home to try and figure it out (if I've been robbed or identity thefted, that would truly suck, you'd think that someone would only want to do that to people who actually have money and good credit, not guys like me).
Instead I give you what I think is absolutely fabulous (no, not the tv show). Someone has posted a bunch of old Garfield comic strips, but have removed Garfield and odie, leaving only Jon behind. The strips are actually far more poignant, touching, and funny in this garfieldless version. Talk about post-structrualist post-modernism. Anyway, you should check it out because it's good and funny, and I'm going to sit at this desk and pretend that I'm not freaking out, when in fact I'm so jittery I think my eyes my pop out of my head.
Garfield minus garfield
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Why I list links (or hey it's wenesday again)
So, really, I know very few people actually read this blog. Thus, those few that do might wonder why I, every so often, post random lists of links instead of writing something moderately more interesting. The answer is twofold and pretty simple. First, I'm a pretty boring person and don't usually have something interesting to post. Second, the lists are more for me, to refer back to at a later time, as most have sparks for story ideas. That's why a lot of them are science-y in nature. If I don't compile them somewhere, then I will forget them and good story ideas go down the drain. This is just the easiest forum for me to keep track.
And on that note, more links of interest:
Humans evolving faster and faster
I don't understand it but it deals with the previous link.
Falling from heights and surviving sans parachute.
because I think Space Travel is awesome. It's mind blowing
so there isn't any story here, but this is just crazy. Rooftop tennis to the extreme.
Herbal medicine, wormood is good for the Crohns. (Wormwood is what absinthe is made out of)
Who needs a mongoose when we already have squirrels?
Growing cells into new shapes, this can be useful (for science and for my fiction)
A study as to how visual perceptions skew our mental projections and other scenes (ie we rely heavily on visual cues and create differences even when none exist)
Invisibility cloak, interesting if true.
Why we dream, rehearsals for disasters.
Wild! But maybe they only found white kryptonite
So I can watch this at home because the computer at work has no sound.
Mega64.com - check it out, looks like it could be funny.
Strange strange deaths.
I need to hear this with sound.
Genetic story idea or at least help for my own story.
Robot evolution. How robots learn to lie in order to survive.
Why would anyone actually do this? Two games played simultaniously with the same controller.
Alternate to spider-mans sticky powers.
Man returns to army after sex change operation.
The future of cyberpunk dialog. Kinda makes me wish I had a cell phone to figure this stuff out.
I don't really think that god wants it done this way. Seems to defeat the purpose of prayer.
There is a romantic comedy in here somewhere.
Cool but weird, with a potential bad turn for the rabbit, though maybe Disney would like the rights for their next animation.
A neat new theory trying to explain the universe.
I just think it's neat that we are still discovering new species on this planet. The diversity of life is just amazing.
And on that note, more links of interest:
Humans evolving faster and faster
I don't understand it but it deals with the previous link.
Falling from heights and surviving sans parachute.
because I think Space Travel is awesome. It's mind blowing
so there isn't any story here, but this is just crazy. Rooftop tennis to the extreme.
Herbal medicine, wormood is good for the Crohns. (Wormwood is what absinthe is made out of)
Who needs a mongoose when we already have squirrels?
Growing cells into new shapes, this can be useful (for science and for my fiction)
A study as to how visual perceptions skew our mental projections and other scenes (ie we rely heavily on visual cues and create differences even when none exist)
Invisibility cloak, interesting if true.
Why we dream, rehearsals for disasters.
Wild! But maybe they only found white kryptonite
So I can watch this at home because the computer at work has no sound.
Mega64.com - check it out, looks like it could be funny.
Strange strange deaths.
I need to hear this with sound.
Genetic story idea or at least help for my own story.
Robot evolution. How robots learn to lie in order to survive.
Why would anyone actually do this? Two games played simultaniously with the same controller.
Alternate to spider-mans sticky powers.
Man returns to army after sex change operation.
The future of cyberpunk dialog. Kinda makes me wish I had a cell phone to figure this stuff out.
I don't really think that god wants it done this way. Seems to defeat the purpose of prayer.
There is a romantic comedy in here somewhere.
Cool but weird, with a potential bad turn for the rabbit, though maybe Disney would like the rights for their next animation.
A neat new theory trying to explain the universe.
I just think it's neat that we are still discovering new species on this planet. The diversity of life is just amazing.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Why only wenseday?
Why have I only been posting on Wenesdays? Well, that's an extremely boring question. Don't you have anything better to do with your time than ask something that absolutely no one either cares about, or has even noticed? If you are reading this blog, then I assume that answer to the latter n is a resounding no. Thus, I shall answer the former.
The only time I've really been at the computer with the time or inclination to write, ie haven't been working at starbucks since 5:30 in the AM, or am about to go into Starbucks to work until 11:00 in the PM, is when I am at Tribeca Productions on Wensedays and often, especially during the writer's strike, have nothing else to do. Now that the writer's strike is over, I still have little to do, hence my posting only on Wenesdays.
Some news:
I added a link to my youngest brother's new blog That Green Gentleman in my link section.
I'm getting sick, but trying desperately not to. I didn't sleep at all on Saturday night. We went out for my brother's bachelor party (not the one with the blog) and I didn't get back from Manhattan until four in the am. As I was scheduled to work at six thrity I figured sleep would just make me more tired and I stayed awake and worked my eight hour shift. I got a lot of sleep afterwards, but everytime I wear myself down like that I get sick. And always the same way too. Sore throat that turns into a runny nose and congestion headache, and is usually gone in about a weeks time. So I figure I have a few more days of drinking copious amounts of orange juice, eating lots of soup, and trying my best to stay out of the cold and rain (doens't help that I was out shoveling snow three times yesterday, and that it is horrid and cold and rainy today), drinking tea, and sleeping.
As always, good night, and good luck.
The only time I've really been at the computer with the time or inclination to write, ie haven't been working at starbucks since 5:30 in the AM, or am about to go into Starbucks to work until 11:00 in the PM, is when I am at Tribeca Productions on Wensedays and often, especially during the writer's strike, have nothing else to do. Now that the writer's strike is over, I still have little to do, hence my posting only on Wenesdays.
Some news:
I added a link to my youngest brother's new blog That Green Gentleman in my link section.
I'm getting sick, but trying desperately not to. I didn't sleep at all on Saturday night. We went out for my brother's bachelor party (not the one with the blog) and I didn't get back from Manhattan until four in the am. As I was scheduled to work at six thrity I figured sleep would just make me more tired and I stayed awake and worked my eight hour shift. I got a lot of sleep afterwards, but everytime I wear myself down like that I get sick. And always the same way too. Sore throat that turns into a runny nose and congestion headache, and is usually gone in about a weeks time. So I figure I have a few more days of drinking copious amounts of orange juice, eating lots of soup, and trying my best to stay out of the cold and rain (doens't help that I was out shoveling snow three times yesterday, and that it is horrid and cold and rainy today), drinking tea, and sleeping.
As always, good night, and good luck.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Still so sleepy
This was going to be my week of lists, where everyday was a different fun list (no not links, just random Ami thoughts) but I've been too tired to get anything together. Still working more hours than I would like, and sleeping too little. I've had a bit of fun, went out for dim sum with two freinds yesterday before work, so that was nice.
I started the ball rolling in planning a bachelor's party for my brother who is to be wed in March, but completely fell off the ball due to work, exhustion, and a bit of laziness. Lucky one of Hillel's freinds picked up the ball and there is a tentitive plan for the weekend. So I got lucky, and feel a little bad that I didn't acutally plan anything myself, just threw it out for someone else to plan.
To be honest, having written only two paragraphs I've already forgotten what my point was going to be in this post. I know I had a point when I started, but now, not even two minutes into typing this, I've lost it. I need to stop working six days a week.
And on that note, hooray brother, hopefully it will all work out. And lists shall probably come next week, if I get back on my game.
Stay happy kiddos
Also, it seems Rawbean stopped blogging again. I'd have probably known this sooner had I read her blog more frequently. But I read other people's blogs about as frequently as I post my own, which gives you a pretty good idea as to how often that is. It isn't that I don't like the blog, if I didn't I wouldn't link to it from here, just that when I don't blog myself I kinda forget about the blogging of others. it's one of those out of site, out of mind (and that was an intentional pun, site instead of sight, as in website, it's funny because they're homophones).
I started the ball rolling in planning a bachelor's party for my brother who is to be wed in March, but completely fell off the ball due to work, exhustion, and a bit of laziness. Lucky one of Hillel's freinds picked up the ball and there is a tentitive plan for the weekend. So I got lucky, and feel a little bad that I didn't acutally plan anything myself, just threw it out for someone else to plan.
To be honest, having written only two paragraphs I've already forgotten what my point was going to be in this post. I know I had a point when I started, but now, not even two minutes into typing this, I've lost it. I need to stop working six days a week.
And on that note, hooray brother, hopefully it will all work out. And lists shall probably come next week, if I get back on my game.
Stay happy kiddos
Also, it seems Rawbean stopped blogging again. I'd have probably known this sooner had I read her blog more frequently. But I read other people's blogs about as frequently as I post my own, which gives you a pretty good idea as to how often that is. It isn't that I don't like the blog, if I didn't I wouldn't link to it from here, just that when I don't blog myself I kinda forget about the blogging of others. it's one of those out of site, out of mind (and that was an intentional pun, site instead of sight, as in website, it's funny because they're homophones).
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Superman Returns, Again
Because I have some spare time right now, and lack of anywhere else to focus my imagination, and because sequels and superhero movies make money, I give you my thoughts as to how I would write the next Superman movie.
Ideally I would be able to start from scratch, leaving the 1978 Richard Donner Superman movie and 2007 Bryan Singer sequel/remake mythology out of it completely.
But as this is far from an ideal world (just ask Plato) for the sake of this pointless exercise, let's assume that I'd have to make it directly connected to the most recent incarnation (see Bryan Singer's sequel/remake link above).
I'm also going to assume that any reader of this entry has seen the most recent Superman movie. If you haven't, this is going to be something of a spoiler.
If you haven't seen it and are still reading because you are so completely fascinated with me, or just don't care if it's a bit ruined, here is a recap of the ending of the previous film. Superman ripped a man-made island composed entirly of kryptonite (built by one Lex Luthor) out of the Atlantic and hurled it into outer space. He nearly dies, but recovers only once he finds that he, not Richard White (Lois's fiancé) is the biological father of Lois's son Jason. Lex Luthor loses all his henchmen save Kitty and is stranded on a teeny tiny island in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but his girl Kitty, a small Pomeranian dog, a palm tree with six coconuts, and a helicopter without any fuel. The End.
And without any further ado, my thoughts for a sequel. This is only a rambling treatment, which of course would need a few polishes and revisions, but as it stands in my head right now:
We start on a boat anchored many miles off the coast of Metropolis. Here we have treasure hunters deep sea diving looking for any remnants of the Kryptonite Island that Lex Luthor built. They have no desire to kill Superman, but know that Kryptonite is an alien mineral, and have been hired by a private research firm for a tremendous amount of money to bring the mineral back for further study. Their motive is purely for profit, not for evil. Low and Behold they find a few small chunks of Kryptonite that fell off the Island as it was flung to outer space. One the way back from their successful search, coincidence of coincidences, they notice a helicopter stranded on a teeny tiny island and decide to investigate. Bum, bum, bummmmmm.
Now cut to Superman doing superman type stuff. Saving kittens from trees, Rescuing people from earthquakes, putting out fires, foiling bank robbers. That sort of thing. All the while, between each mission, flies by Lois and Richard's house checking up on his baby and baby momma so to speak. Richard, though a genuinely nice guy, starts getting a little pissed and a little jealous. He realizes very early on who Jason's real father is, as, since the first movie, Jason's Kryptonian powers start kicking in randomly, and kicking out equally as randomly. Of course Lois tries hiding it from Richard, which only puts that much more of a strain on their relationship. Jason has no idea what's going on and none of his parents, biological or in Richard's case, adoptive, tell him. Thus he's pretty freaked out.
Clark is sent by Perry to cover the newest press conference of one Professer Emmet Vale. Vale is on the forefront of robotics and is discussing his newest invention. A human like robot covered in artificial skin (think like Arnold Schwarzenegger in T1 through T3) to be sent into space and deep-sea expeditions in lieu of humans. The key is that the robots containing no intelligence of their own would be directly controlled by a human operator via some sort of remote control that was linked to their thoughts - sort of like a virtual reality machine. Using only one's brain one would control said robot over thousands of miles of distance ( yes I know that sort of radio control is impossible as instantiations transmission is physically impossible without breaking the speed of light, but if we can believe a man can fly, hopefully we can believe this sort of remote control is also possible). The only drawback to his design is the simple fact that the robot eats up a tremendous amount of energy and they haven't designed a small enough energy source capable of powering the robot for extended periods of time. Vale in the course of the press conference hints that a solution for the problem is forthcoming, and the final prototype will be unveiled by the end of the fiscal year.
Lois, crack reporter that she is, is doing research for a new story on Intergang. A shady organization focused on exploiting new technology for all its criminal needs. They don't focus on drugs, prostitution, gambling, or other protection rackets like regular organized crime. They focus on high-end weapons, computer programs, and what not in order to hack banks and government organizations, as well as break into banks and so forth. Superman is back and regular bullets and the like don't work. These guys are the 21st century of organized crime. She tracks down one of Intergang's main enforcers John Corben to try and get him to talk, but he brushes her off and threatens her that if she keeps on digging bad things may start happening to her loved ones.
Now, the boat we saw in the beginning comes into dock (yes I know it's been a long time, but this is a movie, stuff like that happens all out of order). Now, instead of the treasure hunters we met in the beginning Lex Luthor and Kitty walk ashore disguised as the treasure hunters. Lex is happy and confident. He's back in Metropolis and has the Kryptonite he needs to get his revenge. Before he can get anywhere he is confronted by Vale. Vale was the one who hired the treasure hunters in the first place, and assumes (due to the disguise) that Lex is a member of the team. Lex takes advantage of the mistake and follows Vale back to Vale's Lab (Lex is a fugitive and has no where else to go at the moment). At the lab Vale reveals that the kryptonite is intended to be used as a power source for his new robot, which he calls Metallo. There is a cavity in the Robots chest that has been retrofitted to house the kryptonite and convert the k-radiation into energy. It's not quite finished yet, however, he needed the actual kryptonite in order to finish it to the correct specification needed. Until then, the robot is actually powered by Uranium, which is not only incredibly expensive, but due to the robots power usage, goes through the uranium far to quickly to make it practical or ecologically sound.
Re-enter John Corben. He breaks into Vale's Lab in order to steal his invention, as is intergangs modus operandi. There is a struggle, Corben kills Vale, but Lex gets the drop on Corben and mortally injures him. As Corben lays dying, Lex steps over to finish him off, looks at Metallo, then at Corben, and smiles a diabolical smile. Bum, bum, bummmmm (once again).
Richard finally confronts Lois about Jason, and the frequent flyby's by the Man of Steel, but Lois won't have any of it. He earnestly wants to try talking it out, working through the hardship, but Lois plays a game of avoidance and denial, saying she can't talk now, she's too busy with her Intergang story. She's close to breaking it wide open.
At the same time Superman, due to his frequent flybys knows Jason is starting to exhibit his powers, and begins to secretly train his son. Not so much to fight crime, but to control the powers that are freaking Jason out so much. Jason, being a pretty bright kid, has very strong suspicions that Richard is not his father as he previously thought.
Lois manages to track down the head of intergang Bruno "Ugly" Mannhiem. Because in the movies Lois is impetuous (and kinda stupid) she decides to confront Mannhiem herself for her story. The exchange is heated, and Mannhiem realizes he can't let her live. He sends some of his goons after her. A bit of a chase scene, and right when everything looks the bleakest a figure from the sky crashes down and saves her from the goons. She turns and is about to say something like "thank you Superman" but realizes it's an entirely different man of steel (jeepers, am I clever!). It's Metallo who just saved her life. "I told you to stay away." Metallo says with John Corben's disembodied voice, but as he reaches to kill her he stops suddenly and voilently, as if he is not in control of his own movements. Then he grumbles something like "fine, I'll let her live, for now." before he knocks her out and bounds off for the bossman Ugly Mannheim. Metallo easily dispatches Mannheim and there is a new boss of Intergang now.
It's only then that Superman swoops in and now we have our first real super battle. It's quick, it's brutal, but Metallo is quickly running out of energy, so he uses Lois as a decoy and quickly escapes as Superman rushes to save her.
Metallo returns to Vale's Lab. There he argues with his master, Lex Luthor. He tries to attack Luthor but freezes up. Luthor has an override for his metallic assassin. It is at that time we learn that Luthor saved Corben Removing his brain and attaching it to the virtual reality device that controls the robot. Luthor used Corben because he wanted Corben's inside knowledge of Intergang. It's Luthor who's really in control.
Lois and Richard learn of Jason's secret training and they are not happy. This puts a strain on Superman and Lois's relationship. It also puts a strain on Richard and Lois's relationship. Lois and Jason become a bit emotionally distant because he knows that she lied to him about his biological father. Jason and Superman become distant again, as Lois forbids the training. The only relationship that grows stronger is the bond between Jason and Richard. Richard loves Jason just like a father (biological or adoptive) should, and Jason's love for his adoptive father only grows in admiration of Richards continual support.
Lois forbids Jason from using his powers, and Superman then agrees. Jason then becomes estranged from his biological father.
Clark does a follow up to the Vale story only to find that Vale is dead. Doing a bit of research, he finds out that the death of Vale is directly related to Intergang, and Perry assigns Lois and Clark to team up on the story. Lois is consumed with the story using it to avoid her personal life. Clark becomes the only real stable thing in her life and for the first time she starts to really appreciate him. He is safe as compared to her son, her fiancé or even her love with Superman. The love triangle gets more complicated.
Using Intergang and Metallo, Luthor starts taking over the entire Metropolis underworld. Superman begins fighting back, saving people and such, slowly catching on that it's all organized. Not realizing that Luthor is setting him up for the kill. Luthor finally is able to assemble the kryptonite energy converter to the proper specifications and carefully removes the uranium and replaces it with the kryptonite as Vale originally intended.
We're closing towards the end.
Lois, the crack investigative journalist that she is, discovers Luthor is behind the new wave of crime hitting metropolis.
She of course is taken hostage, as was Luthor's plan all along. It's up to Superman and Richard to save her.
Superman swoops in as he tends to do but is confronted again by Metallo, this time far more powerful as the Kryptonite proves to be a much stronger power source. The two men of steel duke it out. The full on sort of action that we wanted so much in the first one. Big special effects, big explosion, big hits, ect. When it looks like Superman is on top Metallo rips open his chest, exposing Superman to the deadly kryptonite held within. Richard tries to help and shield Superman from the K-radiation, but is put in mortal danger as well. Lex gets to watch it all through the monitors back in Vale's lab seeing through Metallo's eyes. He forces Lois to watch what appears to be the end for both of her lovers.
Back at the scene of the fight, Jason rushes forward wanting to help, torn between his two father figures. His powers are acting up and he can only save one of them, the other is going to die. Richard tells him to save Superman while Superman is too weak to do anything. Jason zooms forward and saves.... bum, bum, bummmm his step father Richard.
Superman remains slowly dying.
Back in the lab Lois, fearing for Superman’s life, struggles once again and manages to get free, running to the controls and remotely shutting Metallo's chest.
Superman gets up, beats back Metallo, and uses his heat vision to seal the chest cavity shut. And puts down Metallo.
The ending I'm a little unsure of. Somehow we need to get all of our characters in the same place. Superman, Richard, Lois, Jason, and Lex. Lex still has a little Kryptonite left, and for the first time, now that his powers are starting to kick in the Kryptonite affects Jason.
Of course there is a struggle, Kitty (you haven't forgotten about her have you, she was around the entire time, mostly to provide witty repartee with Luthor) lets her conscious get the better of her just like the first one, and helps save our heroes. Luthor escapes (because Luthor always escapes) and in the confusion, the machine that hooks Corben's brain the the Metallo machine is destroyed, and traps Corben's consciousness forever inside Metallo.
We end with Lois publishing the story of it all, how it was Luthor behind it all. Her relationship with Richard is almost at an end, her relationship with superman is just as strange as it always is, but now her relationship with Clark is stronger than it ever was. And on that odd note, perhaps leading the two of them to a romance in the third movie, we end leaving everything back to the status quo (with Lois of course realizing that for Jason's own safety she has to let Superman continue to train him).
Epilogue: Luthor on the lamb has a lot of cool tech and files he raided from Intergang and Professor Vale. On one such file is named: "Codename: Brianiac", and thus we end giving us a straightforward segue to the next picture.
The end.
Not the best, perhaps, but just some thoughts as to how I would do it if I was forced to work with the established source material. How I would do it from scratch is a completely different story that I suppose I'll save for another time, if anyone is actually intersted.
Ideally I would be able to start from scratch, leaving the 1978 Richard Donner Superman movie and 2007 Bryan Singer sequel/remake mythology out of it completely.
But as this is far from an ideal world (just ask Plato) for the sake of this pointless exercise, let's assume that I'd have to make it directly connected to the most recent incarnation (see Bryan Singer's sequel/remake link above).
I'm also going to assume that any reader of this entry has seen the most recent Superman movie. If you haven't, this is going to be something of a spoiler.
If you haven't seen it and are still reading because you are so completely fascinated with me, or just don't care if it's a bit ruined, here is a recap of the ending of the previous film. Superman ripped a man-made island composed entirly of kryptonite (built by one Lex Luthor) out of the Atlantic and hurled it into outer space. He nearly dies, but recovers only once he finds that he, not Richard White (Lois's fiancé) is the biological father of Lois's son Jason. Lex Luthor loses all his henchmen save Kitty and is stranded on a teeny tiny island in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but his girl Kitty, a small Pomeranian dog, a palm tree with six coconuts, and a helicopter without any fuel. The End.
And without any further ado, my thoughts for a sequel. This is only a rambling treatment, which of course would need a few polishes and revisions, but as it stands in my head right now:
We start on a boat anchored many miles off the coast of Metropolis. Here we have treasure hunters deep sea diving looking for any remnants of the Kryptonite Island that Lex Luthor built. They have no desire to kill Superman, but know that Kryptonite is an alien mineral, and have been hired by a private research firm for a tremendous amount of money to bring the mineral back for further study. Their motive is purely for profit, not for evil. Low and Behold they find a few small chunks of Kryptonite that fell off the Island as it was flung to outer space. One the way back from their successful search, coincidence of coincidences, they notice a helicopter stranded on a teeny tiny island and decide to investigate. Bum, bum, bummmmmm.
Now cut to Superman doing superman type stuff. Saving kittens from trees, Rescuing people from earthquakes, putting out fires, foiling bank robbers. That sort of thing. All the while, between each mission, flies by Lois and Richard's house checking up on his baby and baby momma so to speak. Richard, though a genuinely nice guy, starts getting a little pissed and a little jealous. He realizes very early on who Jason's real father is, as, since the first movie, Jason's Kryptonian powers start kicking in randomly, and kicking out equally as randomly. Of course Lois tries hiding it from Richard, which only puts that much more of a strain on their relationship. Jason has no idea what's going on and none of his parents, biological or in Richard's case, adoptive, tell him. Thus he's pretty freaked out.
Clark is sent by Perry to cover the newest press conference of one Professer Emmet Vale. Vale is on the forefront of robotics and is discussing his newest invention. A human like robot covered in artificial skin (think like Arnold Schwarzenegger in T1 through T3) to be sent into space and deep-sea expeditions in lieu of humans. The key is that the robots containing no intelligence of their own would be directly controlled by a human operator via some sort of remote control that was linked to their thoughts - sort of like a virtual reality machine. Using only one's brain one would control said robot over thousands of miles of distance ( yes I know that sort of radio control is impossible as instantiations transmission is physically impossible without breaking the speed of light, but if we can believe a man can fly, hopefully we can believe this sort of remote control is also possible). The only drawback to his design is the simple fact that the robot eats up a tremendous amount of energy and they haven't designed a small enough energy source capable of powering the robot for extended periods of time. Vale in the course of the press conference hints that a solution for the problem is forthcoming, and the final prototype will be unveiled by the end of the fiscal year.
Lois, crack reporter that she is, is doing research for a new story on Intergang. A shady organization focused on exploiting new technology for all its criminal needs. They don't focus on drugs, prostitution, gambling, or other protection rackets like regular organized crime. They focus on high-end weapons, computer programs, and what not in order to hack banks and government organizations, as well as break into banks and so forth. Superman is back and regular bullets and the like don't work. These guys are the 21st century of organized crime. She tracks down one of Intergang's main enforcers John Corben to try and get him to talk, but he brushes her off and threatens her that if she keeps on digging bad things may start happening to her loved ones.
Now, the boat we saw in the beginning comes into dock (yes I know it's been a long time, but this is a movie, stuff like that happens all out of order). Now, instead of the treasure hunters we met in the beginning Lex Luthor and Kitty walk ashore disguised as the treasure hunters. Lex is happy and confident. He's back in Metropolis and has the Kryptonite he needs to get his revenge. Before he can get anywhere he is confronted by Vale. Vale was the one who hired the treasure hunters in the first place, and assumes (due to the disguise) that Lex is a member of the team. Lex takes advantage of the mistake and follows Vale back to Vale's Lab (Lex is a fugitive and has no where else to go at the moment). At the lab Vale reveals that the kryptonite is intended to be used as a power source for his new robot, which he calls Metallo. There is a cavity in the Robots chest that has been retrofitted to house the kryptonite and convert the k-radiation into energy. It's not quite finished yet, however, he needed the actual kryptonite in order to finish it to the correct specification needed. Until then, the robot is actually powered by Uranium, which is not only incredibly expensive, but due to the robots power usage, goes through the uranium far to quickly to make it practical or ecologically sound.
Re-enter John Corben. He breaks into Vale's Lab in order to steal his invention, as is intergangs modus operandi. There is a struggle, Corben kills Vale, but Lex gets the drop on Corben and mortally injures him. As Corben lays dying, Lex steps over to finish him off, looks at Metallo, then at Corben, and smiles a diabolical smile. Bum, bum, bummmmm (once again).
Richard finally confronts Lois about Jason, and the frequent flyby's by the Man of Steel, but Lois won't have any of it. He earnestly wants to try talking it out, working through the hardship, but Lois plays a game of avoidance and denial, saying she can't talk now, she's too busy with her Intergang story. She's close to breaking it wide open.
At the same time Superman, due to his frequent flybys knows Jason is starting to exhibit his powers, and begins to secretly train his son. Not so much to fight crime, but to control the powers that are freaking Jason out so much. Jason, being a pretty bright kid, has very strong suspicions that Richard is not his father as he previously thought.
Lois manages to track down the head of intergang Bruno "Ugly" Mannhiem. Because in the movies Lois is impetuous (and kinda stupid) she decides to confront Mannhiem herself for her story. The exchange is heated, and Mannhiem realizes he can't let her live. He sends some of his goons after her. A bit of a chase scene, and right when everything looks the bleakest a figure from the sky crashes down and saves her from the goons. She turns and is about to say something like "thank you Superman" but realizes it's an entirely different man of steel (jeepers, am I clever!). It's Metallo who just saved her life. "I told you to stay away." Metallo says with John Corben's disembodied voice, but as he reaches to kill her he stops suddenly and voilently, as if he is not in control of his own movements. Then he grumbles something like "fine, I'll let her live, for now." before he knocks her out and bounds off for the bossman Ugly Mannheim. Metallo easily dispatches Mannheim and there is a new boss of Intergang now.
It's only then that Superman swoops in and now we have our first real super battle. It's quick, it's brutal, but Metallo is quickly running out of energy, so he uses Lois as a decoy and quickly escapes as Superman rushes to save her.
Metallo returns to Vale's Lab. There he argues with his master, Lex Luthor. He tries to attack Luthor but freezes up. Luthor has an override for his metallic assassin. It is at that time we learn that Luthor saved Corben Removing his brain and attaching it to the virtual reality device that controls the robot. Luthor used Corben because he wanted Corben's inside knowledge of Intergang. It's Luthor who's really in control.
Lois and Richard learn of Jason's secret training and they are not happy. This puts a strain on Superman and Lois's relationship. It also puts a strain on Richard and Lois's relationship. Lois and Jason become a bit emotionally distant because he knows that she lied to him about his biological father. Jason and Superman become distant again, as Lois forbids the training. The only relationship that grows stronger is the bond between Jason and Richard. Richard loves Jason just like a father (biological or adoptive) should, and Jason's love for his adoptive father only grows in admiration of Richards continual support.
Lois forbids Jason from using his powers, and Superman then agrees. Jason then becomes estranged from his biological father.
Clark does a follow up to the Vale story only to find that Vale is dead. Doing a bit of research, he finds out that the death of Vale is directly related to Intergang, and Perry assigns Lois and Clark to team up on the story. Lois is consumed with the story using it to avoid her personal life. Clark becomes the only real stable thing in her life and for the first time she starts to really appreciate him. He is safe as compared to her son, her fiancé or even her love with Superman. The love triangle gets more complicated.
Using Intergang and Metallo, Luthor starts taking over the entire Metropolis underworld. Superman begins fighting back, saving people and such, slowly catching on that it's all organized. Not realizing that Luthor is setting him up for the kill. Luthor finally is able to assemble the kryptonite energy converter to the proper specifications and carefully removes the uranium and replaces it with the kryptonite as Vale originally intended.
We're closing towards the end.
Lois, the crack investigative journalist that she is, discovers Luthor is behind the new wave of crime hitting metropolis.
She of course is taken hostage, as was Luthor's plan all along. It's up to Superman and Richard to save her.
Superman swoops in as he tends to do but is confronted again by Metallo, this time far more powerful as the Kryptonite proves to be a much stronger power source. The two men of steel duke it out. The full on sort of action that we wanted so much in the first one. Big special effects, big explosion, big hits, ect. When it looks like Superman is on top Metallo rips open his chest, exposing Superman to the deadly kryptonite held within. Richard tries to help and shield Superman from the K-radiation, but is put in mortal danger as well. Lex gets to watch it all through the monitors back in Vale's lab seeing through Metallo's eyes. He forces Lois to watch what appears to be the end for both of her lovers.
Back at the scene of the fight, Jason rushes forward wanting to help, torn between his two father figures. His powers are acting up and he can only save one of them, the other is going to die. Richard tells him to save Superman while Superman is too weak to do anything. Jason zooms forward and saves.... bum, bum, bummmm his step father Richard.
Superman remains slowly dying.
Back in the lab Lois, fearing for Superman’s life, struggles once again and manages to get free, running to the controls and remotely shutting Metallo's chest.
Superman gets up, beats back Metallo, and uses his heat vision to seal the chest cavity shut. And puts down Metallo.
The ending I'm a little unsure of. Somehow we need to get all of our characters in the same place. Superman, Richard, Lois, Jason, and Lex. Lex still has a little Kryptonite left, and for the first time, now that his powers are starting to kick in the Kryptonite affects Jason.
Of course there is a struggle, Kitty (you haven't forgotten about her have you, she was around the entire time, mostly to provide witty repartee with Luthor) lets her conscious get the better of her just like the first one, and helps save our heroes. Luthor escapes (because Luthor always escapes) and in the confusion, the machine that hooks Corben's brain the the Metallo machine is destroyed, and traps Corben's consciousness forever inside Metallo.
We end with Lois publishing the story of it all, how it was Luthor behind it all. Her relationship with Richard is almost at an end, her relationship with superman is just as strange as it always is, but now her relationship with Clark is stronger than it ever was. And on that odd note, perhaps leading the two of them to a romance in the third movie, we end leaving everything back to the status quo (with Lois of course realizing that for Jason's own safety she has to let Superman continue to train him).
Epilogue: Luthor on the lamb has a lot of cool tech and files he raided from Intergang and Professor Vale. On one such file is named: "Codename: Brianiac", and thus we end giving us a straightforward segue to the next picture.
The end.
Not the best, perhaps, but just some thoughts as to how I would do it if I was forced to work with the established source material. How I would do it from scratch is a completely different story that I suppose I'll save for another time, if anyone is actually intersted.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
.Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Going, going, gone.
So tired. Worked over fifty hours last week and am not eating right (too tired to make myself healthy food when I get home from work). I don't know how other people do it. Haven't had the energy to blog, write, or search for a new job.
Gotta get off my ass and do it. I'm just a bit burnt out.
Gotta get off my ass and do it. I'm just a bit burnt out.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
New Year + 2 days
Saw the Dresden Dolls on New Years eve in the city. Tons of fun. Amanda (she of the piano and vocals in the band) mentioned that she recorded a side project album with Ben Folds. To which all I have to say is I must own that album. She played one song from the recording and it was good. Need more info on release date. No hype, but I can't think of a much better modern pairing than those two.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
once again Warren Ellis is smarter than I am
This should really come as no surprise but Warren Ellis is smarter than me. I've had a decent amount of free time recently, partly due to my own laziness, partly due to the holiday season, and partly due to a job offer I'm waiting to hear back from which may or may not be the ticket out the more annoying and sad parts of my life (seemingly now more likely not than yes, but we live in hope), and I've spent some time (too much time) reading stupid things on the internet. I thought about linking a bunch of sites to give examples but really, I don't want to subject you to the inanity that has consumed my waking hours. If you are really interested just got to reddit.com and check out their politics section.
In any case, everybody and their grandmother seems to want to blame everything on an ideology. Be it religion, left or right wing politics, or some other crazy ideology. What it comes down to I think is not an idea or ideology, it's (as Warren Ellis writes - and I'm sure lots of other people have also said) it doesn't matter what the idea is, people screw it up every time. People are the problem, not because people are inherently bad or evil, rather because people are inherently stupid.
It's unfortunately that simple. People ruin everything.
But maybe I've spent too much of my time on the internet instead of doing something more productive, like trying to have a life. Maybe I should get on that.
In any case, everybody and their grandmother seems to want to blame everything on an ideology. Be it religion, left or right wing politics, or some other crazy ideology. What it comes down to I think is not an idea or ideology, it's (as Warren Ellis writes - and I'm sure lots of other people have also said) it doesn't matter what the idea is, people screw it up every time. People are the problem, not because people are inherently bad or evil, rather because people are inherently stupid.
It's unfortunately that simple. People ruin everything.
But maybe I've spent too much of my time on the internet instead of doing something more productive, like trying to have a life. Maybe I should get on that.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Happy Tuesday
Happy Tuesday! I will be celebrating this special Tuesday the traditional way. By eating Chinese Food, going to the movies and then working a shift for time and a half pay.
Enjoy your Tuesday, however you may spend it.
Enjoy your Tuesday, however you may spend it.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Will this actually make a difference? One can only hope
In the end of Janurary CNN will be hosting more debates for the presidential primaries. On their website, you have the opportunity to write in your own questions, and then vote on the questions you think are the best.
I myself have posted a question, and intend to post some more. If you would like to pose some questions to the potential nominees you may do so here: http://dyn.politico.com/debate/index.cfm
If you don't want to register with Politico feel free to leave your questions in my comments section and I will post your questions for you.
It is in our best interests to ask the questions we feel we have a right to be answered, not only for our own edification, but so the general public is aware of their stances (whether or not you are a US citezen, as - not to sound ethnocentric but - there are global implications depending on who becomes the the next American President). The political process is meaningless with out our involvement. Well, at least more meaningless than it would be otherwise.
I myself have posted a question, and intend to post some more. If you would like to pose some questions to the potential nominees you may do so here: http://dyn.politico.com/debate/index.cfm
If you don't want to register with Politico feel free to leave your questions in my comments section and I will post your questions for you.
It is in our best interests to ask the questions we feel we have a right to be answered, not only for our own edification, but so the general public is aware of their stances (whether or not you are a US citezen, as - not to sound ethnocentric but - there are global implications depending on who becomes the the next American President). The political process is meaningless with out our involvement. Well, at least more meaningless than it would be otherwise.
Monday, December 10, 2007
because no one asked, more LINKS OF INTEREST
Crazy Hitler TV show
Crazy escape
This is actually pretty cool
Wasps and orchids get it on!
Possibilities of life in outer space
Origin of cosmic rays, or how to join the fantastic four
Indian women vigilante justice
The brain as modeled by Pinky
Interesting it's jurrasic park but for viruses and the hope for future cures.
A possible addendum to the previous link in regards to bacteria
I don't know if a Robocop or Million Dollar man joke is more appropriate here
so I thought this was originally a joke, but apparently there really are people this stupid in the world (unless I'm wrong about it not being a joke)
But if it isn't a joke then this is proof that he's right and the conspiracy is real
When insults had class
Funny I'm pretty sure that this has already been explained by one of my earlier postings (which I guess I need to find before I link it) and also, by this little known fact
in order to write an action movie/story that more accurately portrays physics
A picture just for big ben.
The End....
For now
Crazy escape
This is actually pretty cool
Wasps and orchids get it on!
Possibilities of life in outer space
Origin of cosmic rays, or how to join the fantastic four
Indian women vigilante justice
The brain as modeled by Pinky
Interesting it's jurrasic park but for viruses and the hope for future cures.
A possible addendum to the previous link in regards to bacteria
I don't know if a Robocop or Million Dollar man joke is more appropriate here
so I thought this was originally a joke, but apparently there really are people this stupid in the world (unless I'm wrong about it not being a joke)
But if it isn't a joke then this is proof that he's right and the conspiracy is real
When insults had class
Funny I'm pretty sure that this has already been explained by one of my earlier postings (which I guess I need to find before I link it) and also, by this little known fact
in order to write an action movie/story that more accurately portrays physics
A picture just for big ben.
The End....
For now
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Because I spend too much time putting together the inane when I should be reading my Einstein Biography
Bands I wish I was into before they broke up:
Pizzicato Five - Jpop (as in Japanese pop music) that is light, airy, fun and a bit jazzy, even touching at times. I don't know much about the world of Jpop (Puffy AmiYumi is really the only other Jpop band I know) but if this is a prime example I should probably go out and try to learn more.
Soul Coughing - I don't know if this one really counts as I started listening to them when they were together, but it was only in their twilight. A little while after I picked them up, they split. Very groovy, sort of on the jam band circuit, a bit more electronic sounding Morphine. Got into it in college, they performed live my freshman year and broke up not to much later.
Morphine - They didn't break up so much as Mark Sandman, the lead singer, died. The intersection in Cambridge right in front of the Middle East (a music venue and restaurant) is named after him because they were a Boston/Cambridge based band and played that venue a lot. Very good stuff. Kinda Jazzy, deep bass rhythms, smoky vocals, the kind of music you feel in your gut (almost literally as it's heavy on the bass). Chill, head bobbing, music that won't put you to sleep. If it weren't for my Junior year dorm neighbor (and later apartment mate) Mike Gibisser I never would have heard of these guys. (he is a man with much greater music knowledge than I posses - he also introduced me to most of the bands in the indie rock section of my MP3 player, such as the Postal Service, Death Cab for Cutie, Built to Spill, and Guster)
I kinda want to say Pavement also, but I'm not really into Pavement, but I feel for some reason I should be.
New Music that I'm kinda getting into at the moment:
Jesca Hoop - She's kinda new, found out about her a few weeks ago when I got an advanced copy of her new CD for free (by no doing of my own, it just sort of fell into my lap). If Nellie McKay was a bit more soulful and a little less ironic, I think this is what she'd sound like. Oddly enough I just noticed yesterday that one of her songs is being featured on one of the Starbucks play list, leading me to believe her music is playing much more widely than I would have imagined.
The Bird and the Bee - I really have only heard two of their songs, but like the two that I've heard and plan on listening to a lot more.
And thanks to Rawbean recently I've become addicted to Stars.
I also was listening to a lot of Feist, but with the constant replay on the TV, radio, and at Starbucks, I found her music to be catchy the first few times one hears it, but the catchiness decreases exponentially in diametric proportion to the frequency of repitition of said music. Though I am now interested in checking out Broken Social Scene, which coupled with Stars (a few of whom also play for BSS) I guess this is my little "hooray Canadian bands!" section.
Pizzicato Five - Jpop (as in Japanese pop music) that is light, airy, fun and a bit jazzy, even touching at times. I don't know much about the world of Jpop (Puffy AmiYumi is really the only other Jpop band I know) but if this is a prime example I should probably go out and try to learn more.
Soul Coughing - I don't know if this one really counts as I started listening to them when they were together, but it was only in their twilight. A little while after I picked them up, they split. Very groovy, sort of on the jam band circuit, a bit more electronic sounding Morphine. Got into it in college, they performed live my freshman year and broke up not to much later.
Morphine - They didn't break up so much as Mark Sandman, the lead singer, died. The intersection in Cambridge right in front of the Middle East (a music venue and restaurant) is named after him because they were a Boston/Cambridge based band and played that venue a lot. Very good stuff. Kinda Jazzy, deep bass rhythms, smoky vocals, the kind of music you feel in your gut (almost literally as it's heavy on the bass). Chill, head bobbing, music that won't put you to sleep. If it weren't for my Junior year dorm neighbor (and later apartment mate) Mike Gibisser I never would have heard of these guys. (he is a man with much greater music knowledge than I posses - he also introduced me to most of the bands in the indie rock section of my MP3 player, such as the Postal Service, Death Cab for Cutie, Built to Spill, and Guster)
I kinda want to say Pavement also, but I'm not really into Pavement, but I feel for some reason I should be.
New Music that I'm kinda getting into at the moment:
Jesca Hoop - She's kinda new, found out about her a few weeks ago when I got an advanced copy of her new CD for free (by no doing of my own, it just sort of fell into my lap). If Nellie McKay was a bit more soulful and a little less ironic, I think this is what she'd sound like. Oddly enough I just noticed yesterday that one of her songs is being featured on one of the Starbucks play list, leading me to believe her music is playing much more widely than I would have imagined.
The Bird and the Bee - I really have only heard two of their songs, but like the two that I've heard and plan on listening to a lot more.
And thanks to Rawbean recently I've become addicted to Stars.
I also was listening to a lot of Feist, but with the constant replay on the TV, radio, and at Starbucks, I found her music to be catchy the first few times one hears it, but the catchiness decreases exponentially in diametric proportion to the frequency of repitition of said music. Though I am now interested in checking out Broken Social Scene, which coupled with Stars (a few of whom also play for BSS) I guess this is my little "hooray Canadian bands!" section.
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