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We Have Wonder Woman!
Wednesday, December 4th, 2013 02:54 pmIt looks like Gisele from the Fast and the Furious series is Wonder Woman, provided she doesn't have conflicts later on. I, for one, am pretty pleased about this. Gal Gadot did well in the movies in both acting and stunts, and although she's not as muscular as I imagine WW would actually be, I think she'll have the presence to handle the role, even if it's just a 30-second appearance at the end (which, given the title of the movie as Batman vs. Superman, seems more likely than her getting any meaningful screen time.) But, over on io9, Charlie Jane Anders makes some compelling points about the problems of bringing WW to the big screen at all, pointing out that because of WW's somewhat convoluted and mythologically-based origin story, you either make a movie solely set in a Greek mythology-aware world (a la Percy Jackson) or you strip that part of the story away and just make her into "Sexy Female Badass Warrior Woman." The problem is that doing either of these things is highly unlikely to happen in a satisfying way in a movie. Right now, I suspect the script's going to go something like this:
Batman: I have an ideological problem with you, Superman.
Superman: And I have one with you, Batman.
(Combat ensues.)
(Cut to Justice League satellite. WW and the Flash are watching the monitors of earthly activity.)
Flash: Aw, man, not this again.
WW: Boys and their contests. Your male ways are foolish in the extreme.
Which, although entertaining, doesn't really do justice to either character, and just makes me long for the day that the WW movie is a definite possibility and not a sticking point amongst fans.
Batman: I have an ideological problem with you, Superman.
Superman: And I have one with you, Batman.
(Combat ensues.)
(Cut to Justice League satellite. WW and the Flash are watching the monitors of earthly activity.)
Flash: Aw, man, not this again.
WW: Boys and their contests. Your male ways are foolish in the extreme.
Which, although entertaining, doesn't really do justice to either character, and just makes me long for the day that the WW movie is a definite possibility and not a sticking point amongst fans.
Sleepy Hollow: "Sanctuary"
Tuesday, November 26th, 2013 07:35 amI didn't liveblog the episode last night because I wanted to give it my full attention, and this was definitely a good idea. I was just horrifically disappointed at all the commercials. I think the show as a whole would have been better and spookier if Black Friday hadn't reared its ugly head every seven minutes. :(
( Spoilers! )
Augh, two weeks! Too much cliffhanger!
( Spoilers! )
Augh, two weeks! Too much cliffhanger!
Linguistic Issues:
* I'd like to know Crane's opinion of Twain and Faulkner.
* I highly doubt Crane understands "game," or not hating on the players.
* Although Abbie's conflict with Crane over the interrogation was dramatic, there's no way he'd know the rules she was talking about.
Plot Points: ( Spoilers! )
* I'd like to know Crane's opinion of Twain and Faulkner.
* I highly doubt Crane understands "game," or not hating on the players.
* Although Abbie's conflict with Crane over the interrogation was dramatic, there's no way he'd know the rules she was talking about.
Plot Points: ( Spoilers! )
Everything in Alignment!
Saturday, November 16th, 2013 08:05 pmToday, I had the first real day off in a long, long while, and Yebisu and I had a lovely time seeing two different pieces of entertainment that centered around the same trope, the aligning of the planets/stars. How each version of the story used and abused the trope was an interesting bit of comparison.
First off, there's Thor: The Dark World. My expectations for this were really pretty low. I wanted something fun and relatively light, and even with the ominous title, I hadn't seen or heard anything that indicated it would be dark and serious. It was, perhaps, heavily told at times, but there was nowhere near the awkwardly exhausting constant moral dilemma-posing of The Dark Knight or Watchmen. I suppose the worst things that could be said of this installment of Thor had to with ( the following spoilers. )
Anyway, the aligning of the planets in Thor:TDW lead to some very interesting/amusing chase sequences near the end, and some fun science-y stuff at the beginning, and so that was a plot trope well used! So much fun!
A quick side note: if anyone can explain to me what the hell was going on in the first credits extra scene, with Sif and The Collector, and the Stone of Plot Driving, please do so in the comments. I pride myself on being up on my comic book meta-plot knowledge, but this completely stymied me. (I mean, it's a Guardians of the Galaxy tie-in, but what its significance is was utterly unclear.)
Then, there was the finale of Legend of Korra. This show has had a very uneven season; it's felt rushed in many places, and just when I thought there were too many characters already, the writers decided to add at least five more. Like many fans, I've been getting antsy since the show was moved into the Friday Night Death Slot. I know that Nick wants easily marketable things, and I suppose this is another entry for another time, about gender and capitalism and feminism and so forth. But anyway, in the last five episodes, the show finally regained its footing, and there were cliffhangers galore with stakes so high that I felt sure there'd be a string of dramatic/child-unfriendly deaths. ( Spoilers for the entire season. )
All in all, it was a good ending that leaves a lot of plot openings for future seasons and I HOPE it doesn't get cancelled. Now, more than ever, I cannot wait to watch this show, and the one that preceded it, with my son. I think I'm almost as excited about this as reading Harry Potter with him. :)
First off, there's Thor: The Dark World. My expectations for this were really pretty low. I wanted something fun and relatively light, and even with the ominous title, I hadn't seen or heard anything that indicated it would be dark and serious. It was, perhaps, heavily told at times, but there was nowhere near the awkwardly exhausting constant moral dilemma-posing of The Dark Knight or Watchmen. I suppose the worst things that could be said of this installment of Thor had to with ( the following spoilers. )
Anyway, the aligning of the planets in Thor:TDW lead to some very interesting/amusing chase sequences near the end, and some fun science-y stuff at the beginning, and so that was a plot trope well used! So much fun!
A quick side note: if anyone can explain to me what the hell was going on in the first credits extra scene, with Sif and The Collector, and the Stone of Plot Driving, please do so in the comments. I pride myself on being up on my comic book meta-plot knowledge, but this completely stymied me. (I mean, it's a Guardians of the Galaxy tie-in, but what its significance is was utterly unclear.)
Then, there was the finale of Legend of Korra. This show has had a very uneven season; it's felt rushed in many places, and just when I thought there were too many characters already, the writers decided to add at least five more. Like many fans, I've been getting antsy since the show was moved into the Friday Night Death Slot. I know that Nick wants easily marketable things, and I suppose this is another entry for another time, about gender and capitalism and feminism and so forth. But anyway, in the last five episodes, the show finally regained its footing, and there were cliffhangers galore with stakes so high that I felt sure there'd be a string of dramatic/child-unfriendly deaths. ( Spoilers for the entire season. )
All in all, it was a good ending that leaves a lot of plot openings for future seasons and I HOPE it doesn't get cancelled. Now, more than ever, I cannot wait to watch this show, and the one that preceded it, with my son. I think I'm almost as excited about this as reading Harry Potter with him. :)
Liveblogging Sleepy Hollow: The One With Lots of Heads
Monday, November 11th, 2013 09:00 pmLinguistic issues:
* "gets under my skin" seems like an idiom that Crane wouldn't know.
* Smart. Phone. :D
* In-ter-net. If he had said interblag, I would have died.
Plot issues: ( Spoilers! )
* "gets under my skin" seems like an idiom that Crane wouldn't know.
* Smart. Phone. :D
* In-ter-net. If he had said interblag, I would have died.
Plot issues: ( Spoilers! )
Liveblogging Sleepy Hollow: The One With Baseball!
Monday, November 4th, 2013 08:56 pmLinguistic issues:
"Abbie, what is this Mets game of which you speak?"
It's Katrina's dialogue that seems out of place to me, like the line about evil succeeding when good men do nothing. Isn't she ahead by about 200 years?
Story notes: ( Spoilers! )
"Abbie, what is this Mets game of which you speak?"
It's Katrina's dialogue that seems out of place to me, like the line about evil succeeding when good men do nothing. Isn't she ahead by about 200 years?
Story notes: ( Spoilers! )
Jumping on the Bandwagon (Movie/Comic/Manga Recs!)
Saturday, October 19th, 2013 03:49 pmIn Movies:
Gravity: Yes, the soundtrack is overbearing, but WOW this is a movie about a woman, and it is often tense and frightening, and I was impressed at how often the filmmakers made the audience sympathize with a female character--heavens! It's so simple that it's revolutionary! And the shots of space were just lovely. All in all, I'm really glad I saw this on the big screen, and in 3D... for the first time in, well, ever, the extra money seemed really worth it for a "you are there" experience that I don't feel like I've ever had before. I also think Ryan Stone is a character who needs to be up there next to Ripley in terms of putting up with so much crap from one story.
In Comics:
Saga, Volumes 1 & 2, Words by Brian K. Vaughan and pictures by Fiona Staples: I've been meaning to blog about this for a while now, but I'm loving this work, which is like Perdido Street Station twisted into the Star Wars universe. It's relentlessly imaginative and violent, and I'm a little surprised at myself for liking it so much. Staples' artwork has a lot to do with that--all the characters have unique and interesting faces, even when they're covered in blood or contorted in suspicion. So amazing.
Empowered Special: Nine Beers with Ninjette, Words by Adam Warren, with pictures by Adam Warren and Takeshi Miyazawa: To be fair, I was already on this bandwagon, but DAYUM this one-shot really ups the pathos! It's so persuasively sad throughout that I wondered if Warren made himself cry at any point during the process. It's also a really good counterpoint to the normal series, which is usually quite irreverent fun. Miyazawa's artwork is a nice plus, too.
In Manga:
Gate 7, Volume 4, with pretty pictures and random words by CLAMP: I'm a little amazed at myself for jumping on his bandwagon at all, because I thought I was pretty much done with this whole series, but then I picked up Volume 4 and it did not disappoint as much as I thought it would. My original quibbles are still there (Chikahito does not behave like ANY teenaged boy I have ever met, the meta-conflict is confusing, Hana is still weirdly sexualized, etc.) but for once, this volume's story works fairly well, and even though there are some familiar CLAMP tropes here (adorable child secretly planning to torture everyone, for example), they seem reasonably new and interesting in this story. As usual, the artwork is a thing of beauty, particularly the attention given to a spirit tiger that aligns itself with the main characters. Hana's magic is still gorgeously rendered, too. It's so hard to stay mad at CLAMP!
Gravity: Yes, the soundtrack is overbearing, but WOW this is a movie about a woman, and it is often tense and frightening, and I was impressed at how often the filmmakers made the audience sympathize with a female character--heavens! It's so simple that it's revolutionary! And the shots of space were just lovely. All in all, I'm really glad I saw this on the big screen, and in 3D... for the first time in, well, ever, the extra money seemed really worth it for a "you are there" experience that I don't feel like I've ever had before. I also think Ryan Stone is a character who needs to be up there next to Ripley in terms of putting up with so much crap from one story.
In Comics:
Saga, Volumes 1 & 2, Words by Brian K. Vaughan and pictures by Fiona Staples: I've been meaning to blog about this for a while now, but I'm loving this work, which is like Perdido Street Station twisted into the Star Wars universe. It's relentlessly imaginative and violent, and I'm a little surprised at myself for liking it so much. Staples' artwork has a lot to do with that--all the characters have unique and interesting faces, even when they're covered in blood or contorted in suspicion. So amazing.
Empowered Special: Nine Beers with Ninjette, Words by Adam Warren, with pictures by Adam Warren and Takeshi Miyazawa: To be fair, I was already on this bandwagon, but DAYUM this one-shot really ups the pathos! It's so persuasively sad throughout that I wondered if Warren made himself cry at any point during the process. It's also a really good counterpoint to the normal series, which is usually quite irreverent fun. Miyazawa's artwork is a nice plus, too.
In Manga:
Gate 7, Volume 4, with pretty pictures and random words by CLAMP: I'm a little amazed at myself for jumping on his bandwagon at all, because I thought I was pretty much done with this whole series, but then I picked up Volume 4 and it did not disappoint as much as I thought it would. My original quibbles are still there (Chikahito does not behave like ANY teenaged boy I have ever met, the meta-conflict is confusing, Hana is still weirdly sexualized, etc.) but for once, this volume's story works fairly well, and even though there are some familiar CLAMP tropes here (adorable child secretly planning to torture everyone, for example), they seem reasonably new and interesting in this story. As usual, the artwork is a thing of beauty, particularly the attention given to a spirit tiger that aligns itself with the main characters. Hana's magic is still gorgeously rendered, too. It's so hard to stay mad at CLAMP!
David Tennant Making a Guest Appearance in my Hum 101 class?
Tuesday, October 15th, 2013 04:25 pmApparently, it's more likely than I think: Today, in the mail, I received an unsolicited desk copy of Volume 8 of _Culture and Values_ (sans readings, more ranting on that below), and for the chapter on Shakespeare, the front illustration is... (wait for it) not a picture of Shakespeare, or the Globe theater, but instead a still of David Tennant in the BBC production of Hamlet. I did enjoy this interpretation, and I'm pleased that Culture and Values is acknowledging more modern interpretations of the works they feature, but I am 99.99% certain this picture was included solely because of Doctor Who and its growing popularity in the U.S. I'm of very mixed feelings about the fact that the textbooks' writers and designers thought that a picture of a modern star was more important than a time-appropriate/relevant piece of artwork, or a photo of the theater where it might have been performed.
Speaking of mixed minds, there are many improvements in Volume 8, like some material from film (finally!), critique of sexism in the contemporary art world (Guerilla Girls, double finally!), explanation of critical theory relating to the Male Gaze (so much finally! that I just hit the jackpot), etc. etc. The graphics are gorgeous and the reproductions are much larger. But the default setting of "excerpts of famous literature," which are usually no more than half a page, just make me want to weep. It's bad enough that because this is a survey, 3-credit class, I cannot assign the original works themselves, but to see Virginia Woolf and James Joyce cut down from a three- or four-page selection to half a column on one side is a travesty. Great literature needs time and space to breath, to make its point. Likewise, to give any readers the illusion that they're familiar with all poetry because they read a sonnet here and a haiku there is downright silly. This is an approach to learning that reminds me of nothing so much as an annoying person at a buffet who insists on picking out everything you eat, rather than letting you make your own choices. The more readings there are, the greater the reader's choice to engage (or not) with what's available. If we reduce "The Inferno" to simply, "Abandon hope, all ye who enter," we're doing students/readers a grave disservice and creating a crowd of learners who didn't actually learn or have to think; they just snacked.
Speaking of mixed minds, there are many improvements in Volume 8, like some material from film (finally!), critique of sexism in the contemporary art world (Guerilla Girls, double finally!), explanation of critical theory relating to the Male Gaze (so much finally! that I just hit the jackpot), etc. etc. The graphics are gorgeous and the reproductions are much larger. But the default setting of "excerpts of famous literature," which are usually no more than half a page, just make me want to weep. It's bad enough that because this is a survey, 3-credit class, I cannot assign the original works themselves, but to see Virginia Woolf and James Joyce cut down from a three- or four-page selection to half a column on one side is a travesty. Great literature needs time and space to breath, to make its point. Likewise, to give any readers the illusion that they're familiar with all poetry because they read a sonnet here and a haiku there is downright silly. This is an approach to learning that reminds me of nothing so much as an annoying person at a buffet who insists on picking out everything you eat, rather than letting you make your own choices. The more readings there are, the greater the reader's choice to engage (or not) with what's available. If we reduce "The Inferno" to simply, "Abandon hope, all ye who enter," we're doing students/readers a grave disservice and creating a crowd of learners who didn't actually learn or have to think; they just snacked.
Language issues:
"Abbie, what is this fixer-upper/spackle/Ren Fair/'tude of which you speak?"
Although to be fair, the writers did wisely lampshade the spackle comment.
Whoa, Middle English?! I hope there is more made of this, although that's a tall order in less than 42 minutes. Oh, hey, there is more! And it is kind of beautiful to hear.
Disorder? I think ailment or illness is far more likely.
Plot issues: ( Spoilers ahoy! )
"Abbie, what is this fixer-upper/spackle/Ren Fair/'tude of which you speak?"
Although to be fair, the writers did wisely lampshade the spackle comment.
Whoa, Middle English?! I hope there is more made of this, although that's a tall order in less than 42 minutes. Oh, hey, there is more! And it is kind of beautiful to hear.
Disorder? I think ailment or illness is far more likely.
Plot issues: ( Spoilers ahoy! )
Liveblogging Sleepy Hollow: The One with Historical Crazy!
Monday, October 7th, 2013 08:58 pmLanguage issues:
* Nice use of 'inglorious', writers. Also: stoke.
* How does Crane know what the foster care system is, or how it might (or might not) work?
* "This is awkward." Way too ironic/modern. Crane would probably say something like, "This is unpleasant." Possibly dreadful.
* "Abbie, what is this drug czar/freedom fighter of which you speak?"
Spoilery notes: ( More here! )
Next week: OMG YOU GUYS: drama plague!
* Nice use of 'inglorious', writers. Also: stoke.
* How does Crane know what the foster care system is, or how it might (or might not) work?
* "This is awkward." Way too ironic/modern. Crane would probably say something like, "This is unpleasant." Possibly dreadful.
* "Abbie, what is this drug czar/freedom fighter of which you speak?"
Spoilery notes: ( More here! )
Next week: OMG YOU GUYS: drama plague!
Sleepy Hollow: Liveblogging The One With The Sandman
Monday, September 30th, 2013 09:02 pmLanguage issues:
Medic: I think Crane would be more likely to call for a doctor or a surgeon, but he wouldn't know the term medic.
"Abbie, what is this twilight zone/tricked out Delorean/schtick of which you speak?"
Sandman: good bit of dialogue there about who that mythological figure is.
Episode Impressions:( Spoilers, most likely. )
Next week: Cultists led by a guy who looks like a more articulate Bane! Awesome!
Medic: I think Crane would be more likely to call for a doctor or a surgeon, but he wouldn't know the term medic.
"Abbie, what is this twilight zone/tricked out Delorean/schtick of which you speak?"
Sandman: good bit of dialogue there about who that mythological figure is.
Episode Impressions:( Spoilers, most likely. )
Next week: Cultists led by a guy who looks like a more articulate Bane! Awesome!
Marvel's Agents of SHIELD
Wednesday, September 25th, 2013 04:29 pmThrough Hulu's terribly commercialized interface, I was finally able to see the Agents of Shield pilot. (I work Tuesday nights and missed it.) I tried to go in with very few expectations, and for the most part, that strategy paid off. I was pleasantly surprised when unexpected references were made, or this or that actor showed up (happiest surprise=Ron Glass, who I hope isn't just making a cameo here.)
What I liked:
Fitz & Simmons: These two characters were having the most fun, and I think the actors must like each other very much, because their banter was believable and funny, very true to life and not at all nerdish stereotype. They also had the most personality of any of the characters, although the others all had HINTS dropped about background information that will no doubt come to light soon enough.
J. August Richards: The character and the actor were both fantastic. Richards is such a good actor, and it was a joy to see him on my TV screen again. ( Spoilers regarding who he played: )
Union Station: Yay for a real L.A. location! I love that station and have often felt it would be a perfect setting for a movie or show, and it did not disappoint. I was trying to guess from the lighting what time of day the crew was shooting during, and I think it was relatively early morning, judging from the brightness of the light.
Lola = Ha ha ha, excellent! :)
What I did not like:
Grant Ward: I hate to judge a character so quickly because he does have all season to evolve, but if this is the character the audience is supposed to identify with the most, then AUGH/BARF. I don't care that he has Issues, or that he's the Best Espionage Agent Since Romanov (oh hell no), I think he's an arrogant, insufferable douchebag, and I was pleased as punch when ( spoilers happened. ) If he's going to continue as the central hero, then I hope he loses his arrogant B.S. really fast.
What I am "meh" about:
There was something about this pilot that felt... kind of mechanical. With other Whedon shows, especially Buffy and the first few seasons of Angel, I had the distinct impression that no one was telling anyone on the staff of the show what to do, that as long as they didn't go completely over the top, they were left alone to construct plot arcs as they liked. But this show has so many factors leading into it, and so many people producing and executive producing. It seemed a bit forced in parts, and even though Clark Gregg had a great time lamp-shading some of those forced bits of plot and/or character make-up, they were still there. I hope this feeling will go away with a few more episodes, but this sort of problem is often the thing that makes me break up with TV shows.
What I liked:
Fitz & Simmons: These two characters were having the most fun, and I think the actors must like each other very much, because their banter was believable and funny, very true to life and not at all nerdish stereotype. They also had the most personality of any of the characters, although the others all had HINTS dropped about background information that will no doubt come to light soon enough.
J. August Richards: The character and the actor were both fantastic. Richards is such a good actor, and it was a joy to see him on my TV screen again. ( Spoilers regarding who he played: )
Union Station: Yay for a real L.A. location! I love that station and have often felt it would be a perfect setting for a movie or show, and it did not disappoint. I was trying to guess from the lighting what time of day the crew was shooting during, and I think it was relatively early morning, judging from the brightness of the light.
Lola = Ha ha ha, excellent! :)
What I did not like:
Grant Ward: I hate to judge a character so quickly because he does have all season to evolve, but if this is the character the audience is supposed to identify with the most, then AUGH/BARF. I don't care that he has Issues, or that he's the Best Espionage Agent Since Romanov (oh hell no), I think he's an arrogant, insufferable douchebag, and I was pleased as punch when ( spoilers happened. ) If he's going to continue as the central hero, then I hope he loses his arrogant B.S. really fast.
What I am "meh" about:
There was something about this pilot that felt... kind of mechanical. With other Whedon shows, especially Buffy and the first few seasons of Angel, I had the distinct impression that no one was telling anyone on the staff of the show what to do, that as long as they didn't go completely over the top, they were left alone to construct plot arcs as they liked. But this show has so many factors leading into it, and so many people producing and executive producing. It seemed a bit forced in parts, and even though Clark Gregg had a great time lamp-shading some of those forced bits of plot and/or character make-up, they were still there. I hope this feeling will go away with a few more episodes, but this sort of problem is often the thing that makes me break up with TV shows.
Classics of My Childhood, Revisited: I Want to Go Home!
Sunday, September 1st, 2013 01:38 pmThe Book in Question: I Want to Go Home!, by Gordan Korman, Apple Paperbacks, copyright 1981.
What It's About: Rudy Miller is sent to sports summer camp Algonkian Island by his well-meaning parents, but he hates all things camp (namely the forced, supposedly "fun" activities) and spends his time trying to escape with his token friend, Mike Webster, or baiting the clueless counselors and the resident bully, Adam Greene.
What I Remember: In my fifth or sixth grade class, this was THE book that everyone read, even the kids who claimed they weren't into reading. I think our school library had about three copies and they were almost always checked out. There was about a month or so, right at first, when someone read it, and then it got really, really hot, and everyone in the class wanted to read it. The consensus at the time was that it was the funniest book that we all had read.
I remembered some of the sequences in it almost word for word. The first letter that Rudy writes home to his parents before chronically annoying counselor Chip stops him is truly a thing of hilarity: "Dear Mom and Dad... This place is terrible. Each day I am subjected to countless atrocities. ... Our cabin collapsed in a typhoon last night, but don't worry. Only one guy died. It's not all bad. I do have one friend, named Mike. He's the one who pulled me out of the quicksand. ... If this letter looks messy, it's because I'm writing it while being chased by a bear." (23) I also correctly remembered that there was one counselor who was cooler than the others (the arts and crafts one, named Pierre--another sign that this book was Canadian, which I totally missed, see below) and that there was a dance sequence that took place at a girls' camp later on in the story, which provides a kind of ridiculous escape set-up for Rudy and Mike. And the day where Rudy gets to be camp director and creates over-the-top obstacle races for the counselors and a scavenger hunt for the other campers is pretty amazingly funny the second time around, too.
Overall, my feeling back when I first read it was that this book was written by someone who understood what it means to be a kid in a world of adults who aren't listening because they have their own preconceived and unshakable notions of what being a kid is like. The dedication (which I did forget) supports this pretty well: "There's fun, and then there's fun. This book is dedicated to those who know the difference."
Upon Rereading...: I think one of the reasons I liked this so much when I was a kid was that I had a secret fantasy that this book lays out: to be really, mind-bogglingly good at sports, but choose NOT to do them, and have adults clamoring for me to use my talents. Since I was no good at any sport as a kid, to read about someone who was, but didn't feel like doing them... well, that sounded pretty damn awesome. Unfortunately, to me now, it sounds kind of contrived, but OK, fine. It's an interesting plot device, despite its Gary Stu implications. ("'Do you win at everything?"' '"Yes,"' said Rudy sadly." (81))
Reading it now, I'm exceedingly happy that I have no one like Rudy Miller (or Adam Greene) in any of my classes, though.
Anything that completely escaped my notice back then?: This book is Canadian! Seriously, you'd think this would be obvious to any reader, but I had no memory of it whatsoever, and I felt kind of stupid the moment that Toronto and meters got mentioned.
Korman works really hard to create adult characters who aren't evil or cruel, but are simply kind of clueless and oblivious to what they really need to do in order to make their young charges happy. There's an interesting scene between the counselors where half of them want to bully Rudy into playing the sports he's so good at, but hates, and his counselor makes them back down: "The kid comes first. That's what we taught, and that's what I'm going by." (83) Considering all the crap that Rudy's put Chip through at this point, I like that Korman doesn't have him laughing evilly like a vaudeville villain. (In fact, it kind of endeared me to Chip!)
Overall Verdict Now: It's still funny, even though it seems a little dated and parts of the story don't ring quite as true as they did for me when I was kid. I'm really glad I had the chance to reread it!
What It's About: Rudy Miller is sent to sports summer camp Algonkian Island by his well-meaning parents, but he hates all things camp (namely the forced, supposedly "fun" activities) and spends his time trying to escape with his token friend, Mike Webster, or baiting the clueless counselors and the resident bully, Adam Greene.
What I Remember: In my fifth or sixth grade class, this was THE book that everyone read, even the kids who claimed they weren't into reading. I think our school library had about three copies and they were almost always checked out. There was about a month or so, right at first, when someone read it, and then it got really, really hot, and everyone in the class wanted to read it. The consensus at the time was that it was the funniest book that we all had read.
I remembered some of the sequences in it almost word for word. The first letter that Rudy writes home to his parents before chronically annoying counselor Chip stops him is truly a thing of hilarity: "Dear Mom and Dad... This place is terrible. Each day I am subjected to countless atrocities. ... Our cabin collapsed in a typhoon last night, but don't worry. Only one guy died. It's not all bad. I do have one friend, named Mike. He's the one who pulled me out of the quicksand. ... If this letter looks messy, it's because I'm writing it while being chased by a bear." (23) I also correctly remembered that there was one counselor who was cooler than the others (the arts and crafts one, named Pierre--another sign that this book was Canadian, which I totally missed, see below) and that there was a dance sequence that took place at a girls' camp later on in the story, which provides a kind of ridiculous escape set-up for Rudy and Mike. And the day where Rudy gets to be camp director and creates over-the-top obstacle races for the counselors and a scavenger hunt for the other campers is pretty amazingly funny the second time around, too.
Overall, my feeling back when I first read it was that this book was written by someone who understood what it means to be a kid in a world of adults who aren't listening because they have their own preconceived and unshakable notions of what being a kid is like. The dedication (which I did forget) supports this pretty well: "There's fun, and then there's fun. This book is dedicated to those who know the difference."
Upon Rereading...: I think one of the reasons I liked this so much when I was a kid was that I had a secret fantasy that this book lays out: to be really, mind-bogglingly good at sports, but choose NOT to do them, and have adults clamoring for me to use my talents. Since I was no good at any sport as a kid, to read about someone who was, but didn't feel like doing them... well, that sounded pretty damn awesome. Unfortunately, to me now, it sounds kind of contrived, but OK, fine. It's an interesting plot device, despite its Gary Stu implications. ("'Do you win at everything?"' '"Yes,"' said Rudy sadly." (81))
Reading it now, I'm exceedingly happy that I have no one like Rudy Miller (or Adam Greene) in any of my classes, though.
Anything that completely escaped my notice back then?: This book is Canadian! Seriously, you'd think this would be obvious to any reader, but I had no memory of it whatsoever, and I felt kind of stupid the moment that Toronto and meters got mentioned.
Korman works really hard to create adult characters who aren't evil or cruel, but are simply kind of clueless and oblivious to what they really need to do in order to make their young charges happy. There's an interesting scene between the counselors where half of them want to bully Rudy into playing the sports he's so good at, but hates, and his counselor makes them back down: "The kid comes first. That's what we taught, and that's what I'm going by." (83) Considering all the crap that Rudy's put Chip through at this point, I like that Korman doesn't have him laughing evilly like a vaudeville villain. (In fact, it kind of endeared me to Chip!)
Overall Verdict Now: It's still funny, even though it seems a little dated and parts of the story don't ring quite as true as they did for me when I was kid. I'm really glad I had the chance to reread it!
Books & One Movie, as of 8/22/13
Thursday, August 22nd, 2013 01:35 pmIn Books:
The History of Us, by Leah Stewart: Two thoughts about this book vied for supremacy in my mind as I read it: 1) this is a book about whiney white people and their pathetic little problems, and 2) aw, crap, I know people exactly like this, and it's so true. I was immensely pleased when, towards the end, Stewart deftly acknowledged my number one problem by having one of the whiniest of the characters acknowledge her privileged position in life, and that she and her siblings had had it pretty good. After that, the number two issue took over, and I was very glad that I'd read the book, which features some rather damaged people making poor decisions and then dealing with the fallout, all set around the central issue of house and home. ( I share some choice quotes beneath the cut. )
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle, by Fiona Carnarvon: From my GoodReads review, While it could have used a bit more editing in the middle (the section about the First World War drags on and on, although I suppose that's how the war must have felt to those who lived through it), there is no doubt about the current Countess of Carnarvon's sincere admiration of her ancestor's efforts and spirit. If you are looking for juicy gossip, Downton Abbey-style, you may be disappointed, but if you're looking for a well-researched historical portrait of the time period, the house, and a few of its occupants, this book should be satisfying. It's not a work of amazing high literature, but it's interesting and well-researched, and I enjoyed it more than I expected to.
Snaps, by Rebecca Kraatz: What a neat graphic novel--almost too short in some ways, but exactly perfect in others. Kraatz spins a narrative of characters' lives interwoven with each other and the second world war, all based on an old photo album she bought years ago at a flea market on Vancouver Island. I really liked this.
At the Movies:
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters: Holy moly, Anthony Stuart Head was a centaur! OK, so, obviously, there were other things going on in this film, but every time he was on-screen, I couldn't get that fact out of my head. It was just so odd; a voice in my brain kept insisting, something is WRONG with Giles!. Anyway, there were things wrong with this movie as a whole, too, although it was certainly an improvement on the first one in the series. I think the main problem was that Luke is not a particularly scary nor compelling villain; in fact, his main threat appeared to be blanding the main characters to certain... inaction. Or something. I did love the scenes with Nathon Fillion and Stanley Tucci (who gets a terrifically funny line about Jesus being a better God than any of the Greek ones because of his skills with water and wine), and the mechanical bull monster scene at the beginning had a lot of proper excitement in it. Also, the kid playing Tyson, Percy's half-Cyclops half-brother, was perfect for the role, and his acting made the other actors do so much better that when Percy mourned his Tyson's apparent death, the movie lifted itself out of "average" and into "compelling." But overall, it didn't feel like it had much of a soul, which is sad, because the books are brimming over with soul, fun, and personality, and I hate to see that narrative drained.
The History of Us, by Leah Stewart: Two thoughts about this book vied for supremacy in my mind as I read it: 1) this is a book about whiney white people and their pathetic little problems, and 2) aw, crap, I know people exactly like this, and it's so true. I was immensely pleased when, towards the end, Stewart deftly acknowledged my number one problem by having one of the whiniest of the characters acknowledge her privileged position in life, and that she and her siblings had had it pretty good. After that, the number two issue took over, and I was very glad that I'd read the book, which features some rather damaged people making poor decisions and then dealing with the fallout, all set around the central issue of house and home. ( I share some choice quotes beneath the cut. )
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle, by Fiona Carnarvon: From my GoodReads review, While it could have used a bit more editing in the middle (the section about the First World War drags on and on, although I suppose that's how the war must have felt to those who lived through it), there is no doubt about the current Countess of Carnarvon's sincere admiration of her ancestor's efforts and spirit. If you are looking for juicy gossip, Downton Abbey-style, you may be disappointed, but if you're looking for a well-researched historical portrait of the time period, the house, and a few of its occupants, this book should be satisfying. It's not a work of amazing high literature, but it's interesting and well-researched, and I enjoyed it more than I expected to.
Snaps, by Rebecca Kraatz: What a neat graphic novel--almost too short in some ways, but exactly perfect in others. Kraatz spins a narrative of characters' lives interwoven with each other and the second world war, all based on an old photo album she bought years ago at a flea market on Vancouver Island. I really liked this.
At the Movies:
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters: Holy moly, Anthony Stuart Head was a centaur! OK, so, obviously, there were other things going on in this film, but every time he was on-screen, I couldn't get that fact out of my head. It was just so odd; a voice in my brain kept insisting, something is WRONG with Giles!. Anyway, there were things wrong with this movie as a whole, too, although it was certainly an improvement on the first one in the series. I think the main problem was that Luke is not a particularly scary nor compelling villain; in fact, his main threat appeared to be blanding the main characters to certain... inaction. Or something. I did love the scenes with Nathon Fillion and Stanley Tucci (who gets a terrifically funny line about Jesus being a better God than any of the Greek ones because of his skills with water and wine), and the mechanical bull monster scene at the beginning had a lot of proper excitement in it. Also, the kid playing Tyson, Percy's half-Cyclops half-brother, was perfect for the role, and his acting made the other actors do so much better that when Percy mourned his Tyson's apparent death, the movie lifted itself out of "average" and into "compelling." But overall, it didn't feel like it had much of a soul, which is sad, because the books are brimming over with soul, fun, and personality, and I hate to see that narrative drained.
Choice of the Ninja!
Friday, July 26th, 2013 07:49 amToday is the release of my interactive, choose-your-own-path game, Choice of the Ninja! I've been working on this for about two years, and it's finally going live today! CotN is a story where you train as a ninja and complete missions of espionage and assassination; it's up to you whether you decide to be a team player or a ruthless fighter out for your own glory. OMG! I wrote this!
It's available: here, free to play online or pay to download it to your PC or mobile device. The advantages of downloading are that 1) you can save your place if you need to, and 2) I get paid! If you feel like passing this on to any of your friends, please do it! The more downloads we get the first week, the better!
Best Birthday Ever! :D
It's available: here, free to play online or pay to download it to your PC or mobile device. The advantages of downloading are that 1) you can save your place if you need to, and 2) I get paid! If you feel like passing this on to any of your friends, please do it! The more downloads we get the first week, the better!
Best Birthday Ever! :D
EPIC SDCC 2013 Entry!
Monday, July 22nd, 2013 08:06 pm( Thursday!: Videos Games! Awesome Web Comics! A depressing panel that turned out OK! Talking with awesome people! )
( Friday!: Defiance! Literary How-To's! Weird Outside Stuff! )
( Saturday: We camped out in Room 8 for five hours! But the Adventure Time panel was worth it! Huzzah! )
( Sunday!: Loose Ends of all varieties! )
General Thoughts:
~ The fundamentalists were more vocal and more... uhm, personal, this year, for lack of a better word. Last year, they just yelled about Jesus, but this year, their attacks were more Comic Con-specific, like the guy with a megaphone who shouted at all and sundry, "Don't let your souls be enslaved by comics!" (It took some willpower not to shout back, "Too late!") There were counter-protests, of course, and those looked unpleasant to referee. I tried to thank as many of the law enforcement people as I could when they weren't working or concentrating on other things; one of the transit security police officers looked surprised when I did, and confessed that he really wished he could go to the Con himself. (He wanted to meet Stan Lee for real, not just pay for an autograph.) As usual, even in the hoards of people, I never felt unsafe or afraid for my physical well-being once, and I think the SDPD is responsible in a large part for that.
~ For some reason, the crash after this Con was especially hard this year. The real world, as much as I love it, doesn't seem quite as interesting for the first few days afterwards, and today was no exception, with mundane chores and problems looming large.
~ There was a lot of zombie stuff--costumes, toys, images, etc.. It was not fun for me. I wish this trend would run its damned course.
~ There were times when the Exhibit Hall didn't seem as crowded as usual, and I couldn't figure out if it was actually truly empty, or I had just gotten really, really good at making my way through the knots of people. It is a lot easier when it's just me, and I tend to stay out of the central scrum of the big companies and their lines, but I could have sworn there were times when there were swathes of empty space, and that's an oddity.
~ The overall theme of this year's Con ended up being something along the lines of, "Crazy Contradictions!" It was personified best in the juxtaposition of the Christian Comic Arts Association booth next to the Killer Zombie Bunnies booth in the Small Press area. Comic Con often leaves me with the aftertaste of sweet and sour. On one hand, there's a pure interest in comics and reading that makes my heart sing, but on the other, there's a crass commercialism that manifests itself in the crazy-long lines for the exclusive toys and vinyl collectibles that makes me alternately groan and grumble. Comic Con is the only place where I can wear my Kate Beaton t-shirt and people not only compliment me on it, but also want one themselves. Comic Con is also the place where my phobia is everywhere, all the time, and I have to make compromises with myself to get past it, but it's also the place where many, many people I admire (both real and fictional) are front and center, and I can draw on their words and examples to give me strength. There's beautiful art, and there's the cheesiest of cheesecake, side by side; in fact, there are Charles Dickens-esque contrasts every two feet or so. It's sublime and ridiculous, and I love almost all of it, even as I realize that what I love is what some other attendees hate. But that's the beauty of multiple fandoms, and when they're all present and not in conflict, it's just completely awesome.
Pictures are here, updated with Saturday stuff. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera on Sunday, so no extra photos. Still, lots of good ones, though. :)
( Friday!: Defiance! Literary How-To's! Weird Outside Stuff! )
( Saturday: We camped out in Room 8 for five hours! But the Adventure Time panel was worth it! Huzzah! )
( Sunday!: Loose Ends of all varieties! )
General Thoughts:
~ The fundamentalists were more vocal and more... uhm, personal, this year, for lack of a better word. Last year, they just yelled about Jesus, but this year, their attacks were more Comic Con-specific, like the guy with a megaphone who shouted at all and sundry, "Don't let your souls be enslaved by comics!" (It took some willpower not to shout back, "Too late!") There were counter-protests, of course, and those looked unpleasant to referee. I tried to thank as many of the law enforcement people as I could when they weren't working or concentrating on other things; one of the transit security police officers looked surprised when I did, and confessed that he really wished he could go to the Con himself. (He wanted to meet Stan Lee for real, not just pay for an autograph.) As usual, even in the hoards of people, I never felt unsafe or afraid for my physical well-being once, and I think the SDPD is responsible in a large part for that.
~ For some reason, the crash after this Con was especially hard this year. The real world, as much as I love it, doesn't seem quite as interesting for the first few days afterwards, and today was no exception, with mundane chores and problems looming large.
~ There was a lot of zombie stuff--costumes, toys, images, etc.. It was not fun for me. I wish this trend would run its damned course.
~ There were times when the Exhibit Hall didn't seem as crowded as usual, and I couldn't figure out if it was actually truly empty, or I had just gotten really, really good at making my way through the knots of people. It is a lot easier when it's just me, and I tend to stay out of the central scrum of the big companies and their lines, but I could have sworn there were times when there were swathes of empty space, and that's an oddity.
~ The overall theme of this year's Con ended up being something along the lines of, "Crazy Contradictions!" It was personified best in the juxtaposition of the Christian Comic Arts Association booth next to the Killer Zombie Bunnies booth in the Small Press area. Comic Con often leaves me with the aftertaste of sweet and sour. On one hand, there's a pure interest in comics and reading that makes my heart sing, but on the other, there's a crass commercialism that manifests itself in the crazy-long lines for the exclusive toys and vinyl collectibles that makes me alternately groan and grumble. Comic Con is the only place where I can wear my Kate Beaton t-shirt and people not only compliment me on it, but also want one themselves. Comic Con is also the place where my phobia is everywhere, all the time, and I have to make compromises with myself to get past it, but it's also the place where many, many people I admire (both real and fictional) are front and center, and I can draw on their words and examples to give me strength. There's beautiful art, and there's the cheesiest of cheesecake, side by side; in fact, there are Charles Dickens-esque contrasts every two feet or so. It's sublime and ridiculous, and I love almost all of it, even as I realize that what I love is what some other attendees hate. But that's the beauty of multiple fandoms, and when they're all present and not in conflict, it's just completely awesome.
Pictures are here, updated with Saturday stuff. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera on Sunday, so no extra photos. Still, lots of good ones, though. :)
Comic Con 2013: Photos So Far!
Friday, July 19th, 2013 08:53 pmThey're here! More to come tomorrow and Sunday, of course, followed by an actual report of what went down for me. :D
SDCC 2013: Preview Night!
Thursday, July 18th, 2013 07:32 amSDCC Update: A. arrived safe and sound! And exhausted. While I do envy her train trip across the country, I think three days of traveling that way has its own stresses and tiring aspects, and I'm feeling very lucky that I live in San Diego right now.
~ The area outside of the Convention Center continues to get larger and larger. (Realistically, at this point, I'm starting to think that you can make a day of it even without a ticket to the Con itself.) There's an Adult Swim bouncy castle, a Hello Kitty merchandise installation next to the Silver Samurai armor from the upcoming Wolverine movie, and two Justice-League-themed Kias. (The Flash makes sense. Aquaman does not.) Over next to the Hilton, there are five inflatables of the Teen Titans characters, a Lego Hobbit village, and the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine van. I've haven't even gotten up to other side of the center yet, but there's a huge Ender's Game pavilion, and a food truck area.
~ I have the only item of swag that I wanted: a Mockingjay lapel pin that is actually quite stylish for something free. That said, I stood in line for half an hour to get it, and I'm DONE with standing in lines for stuff. My policy from here on out is if it's easily available and it's something I want, great, but if not, THE HELL WITH IT.
~Cartoon Network has an Adventure Time installation that I need to get close to so that I can photograph it. :D
Photos to follow later when I'm not on a limited timeline. I've seen some adorable kids' costumes, but the best was a sleepy, three-year-old Thor chewing on the handle of Mjolnir.
~ The area outside of the Convention Center continues to get larger and larger. (Realistically, at this point, I'm starting to think that you can make a day of it even without a ticket to the Con itself.) There's an Adult Swim bouncy castle, a Hello Kitty merchandise installation next to the Silver Samurai armor from the upcoming Wolverine movie, and two Justice-League-themed Kias. (The Flash makes sense. Aquaman does not.) Over next to the Hilton, there are five inflatables of the Teen Titans characters, a Lego Hobbit village, and the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine van. I've haven't even gotten up to other side of the center yet, but there's a huge Ender's Game pavilion, and a food truck area.
~ I have the only item of swag that I wanted: a Mockingjay lapel pin that is actually quite stylish for something free. That said, I stood in line for half an hour to get it, and I'm DONE with standing in lines for stuff. My policy from here on out is if it's easily available and it's something I want, great, but if not, THE HELL WITH IT.
~Cartoon Network has an Adventure Time installation that I need to get close to so that I can photograph it. :D
Photos to follow later when I'm not on a limited timeline. I've seen some adorable kids' costumes, but the best was a sleepy, three-year-old Thor chewing on the handle of Mjolnir.
