Man or Astroman?

I've decided that August will be the month where I get my act together and actually attempt to blog in a near daily fashion, not that I truely expect more readership... but rather because I believe the internets needs a voice like mine: headstrong, charming, and just plain damn sexy.

Recently, and I do mean mere moments ago, I finished rewatching the entire first season of Battlestar Galactica in my home theatre. I think the second time around I picked up on a lot more subtleties than I did two years ago (if they can be called subtleties in a show where much of the theme is force fed to an audience that would have been just as happy watching another mind numbing season of SG:1, not to say it's not good... it is, believe me). The DVD, and this goes to say with all DVD box sets, was able to hold my attention and interest much stronger than it did only a couple of years ago in weekly fixes. I myself suffer from a short attention span and an even shorter memory, so being able to cram three or so episodes a night really did wonders for how much I got out of the show. And yes, I am employed.

I had forgotten how expertly written this rookie season of the show turned out to be, and why it deserved all those fancy awards it recieved. Very little complaints on my behalf; enjoyable and satisfying are probably my two choice terms to describe the season. It had action, intrigue, Edward James Olmos, espiniage, asian robot sex, and spaceships... everything a person should want and need in thier life. I'm particularily fond of the first non-miniseries episode '33', in which the crew of the Galactica had to escape Cylon attack every 33 minutes. I don't believe a person could really stay awake for 150+ hours, but it's fun to see everyone with their "I'm tired" make up on.

Only a few things I will note... I wish there was more about Chief Tyrol and Galactica Boomer's relationship before she tried to Jack-Ruby Commander Adama. The relationship doesn't feel as strong as many of the others in the series, even the Caprica Boomer-Helo thing made slightly more sense than their relationship (though, of course, that relationship is strongly based on the robot being his baby's momma). I also have a newfound respect for Dr. Baltar, particularily James Callis' acting abilities, I enjoyed rewatching the scenes where he must juggle trying to communicate with the crew of the Galactica while also attempting to play/not infuriate Number 6, they pan out beautifully eery, often times quirky and lighhearted, but often leave you with a sense of dread... or that proverbial bad taste in your mouth. Though, i do dislike the fact he is neither a Count, nor wears a long flowing cloak.

And one more thing, what the hell happened to Boxey? Did he not test well during the mini-series or something, cause that kid disapered faster than the plot of Clerks II. There was some kind of sub plot between him and Boomer, perhaps a 'can a cylon understand motherhood?' thing, but that never truly panned out either.

Oh well, if you haven't seen it here's the teaser for Season 3. Three times the excitement, three times the cylon, one less eye.

And here's the real travesty, three seasons, and still no Muffit the Robotic Daggit. He'll probably have laser eyes and stuff like that of they ever decide to add him... plus he'll be a sexy, spine glowing cylon.

A post in which you probably had to be there to be funny.

Here's my favorite story from comic con, better than being yelled at by a homeless crack addict, better than having an all night discussion with a soon-to-be doctor studying comic book society, even better than being mistaken for a male prostitute.

Saturday night my friends and I decided to have dinner at the Outdoor mall at San Diego, i think they all got their dinners from some Philly Cheese Steak place, I went to a Seafood flavored restaurant to get a salad. Yes, a salad. Anyway as I was waiting in line a elderly woman came into the restaurant and had the following conversation with the clerk and I.

Clerk: Hello, what can I get for you today?
Woman: I would like the fish and chips please. But no bun this time.
C: Excuse me ma'am?
W: I do not want a bun on the fish and chips. Last time it was in a bun.
C: The fish and chips don't come in a bun, they are independent of one.
W:Alright, just make mine without a bun this time.
C: Ma'am i would have no inclination to put your order of fish and chips within a bun.
W: That's good, because i don't want it in a bun. I want it bunless. Fish and chips shouldn't come inside a bun, isn't that right young man?
Kid Chris: Uh... no, I suppose not.
W: See, no bun.
C: I wasn't going to make it with a bun.
KC: I don't think it comes it bunform.
W: Well it has, i don't want it happening again.
C: I sincerly doubt it will ma'am.
W: You should get the fish and chips, they're very good without a bun.
KC: I ordered the salad with assorted vegetables.
W: Oh.
(minutes later)
C: Here's your fish and chips.
W: Does it have a bun?
There is a pause and the clerk looks me right in the eyes with the woman no more than 4 feet away from me.

C: Never get old.

It made me happy.

SUPERMAN RETURNS: be on the lookout for spoilers

And it wasn't half bad.

Tonight, me and fellow ACAPCWOVCCAOE members Ian Brill, Tom Collins, and Dorian Wright decided to take out a movie at the old Downtown Cineplex. Old Man Sterling was also invited to see the new, highly anticipated Superman Returns movie with us, but claimed he had to see it with his "girlfriend"... yeah, right. So anyway, after two and a half hours of this sequal to the original two films, i do believe that is was well worth the $9.25 charge for admission. A lot better spent than seeing Click.

Good acting for the most part, Spacey didn't ham it up as much as I thought he was going to do, but I do think i liked him more than Hackman. He seems more sinister, Gene Hackman always seemed more liked an ornery grandfather than a power-hungry super villian. I'm sorry, but having Ned goddamn Beatty as your lackey is not tough, not even close.

Kate Bosworth did nothing for me as Lois, but then neither did Margot Kidder, I guess she's just a hard character to cast... though I don't agree with some people's belief that Parker Posey (who played Lex's girlfriend) should have played her either, she had too much of that Billy Idol Rebel Yell sneer the whole time.

Sam Huntington as Jimmy Olsen was probably the best casting of the whole damn thing, his comedic timing was spot on and he perfectly captured the quirkeness of the young photographer/reporter. The scene with Jack Larson as the bartender was just pure fanboy bliss... tho the whole time, peplaying in back of my head was the scene in Timecop when Ron Silver, er, uh, *touches himself* and implodes. Besides, I always loved the episode of the New Adventures of Lois and Clark when Larson plays the old Jimmy Olsen, that show was great, no matter what anyone says.

As for the man in blue himself, I think Brandon Routh did as good as a job as he could of, given the character. The more I watch these super hero flavored movies, the more I relize that the acting of the main character isn't as important as how the other actors react to them. Sorry, that's just how I feel. I mean you could have Peter O'Toole play the Man of Steel, but in all fairness he's still walking around in skintight pajamas, lifting continents, with bullets bouncin' off his eyes. This goes for any movie based on a Superhero or comic book... no one's gonna take a bat cowled, spider costumed, Guy Faux masked, horned demon, flaming skulled, or team of mutants seriously, it's how the 'norms' react that give them credibility. Even how the, at times, ridiculous villians react to the protagonist can make or break the movie. Nicolson vs. Schwarzenneger vs. Neeson, if you get what I'm saying. Alfred Molina made Spiderman 2, Ian McClelan did the same for X-men, and as for how bad Spawn was... Martin Sheen made it worse.

Now like I said before, i did enjoy the movie... I thought parts of it were just plain great. I think the addition of a super powered son, or a superboy if your so inclined, is fantastic, and phooey on those of you who say otherwise. As noted earlier Lex's gang was much better than in the other movies, even Kal Penn, of Harold and Kumar Go To Whitecastle fame, managed to look like an honest to god badass. Unless of course you count Zod and the others from Superman 2 as a part of his gang, which i don't. Lex's plan once again involved a grab for land, which is alright, he tried the Nuclear Man thing out in Quest for Peace, and Supes stamped that thing right out. Graphics awesome, and plot was as well. I also learned a valuable lesson about 'crystals', I think.

Now, being a nerd, which I am, i did have a few qualms with the movie.

1. Superman fails to deliver one punch, kick, throw, heat vision, or body slam to even one person throughout the entirety of the film. Nor does he spin in a tornado like fasion to dig tunnels anymore.

2. Why can't they just have one scene, even if for a minute or two, where he battles, i don't know Parasite or Mr. Mxyzptlk (go their just for the sound byte)? If your battling the same villain for five whole movies, you are not a good hero. Batman gets the job done in the span of one film, even if they happen to somehow survive, they ain't comin back to fuck with him again.

3. Assuming this picks up after the second movie, which it does cause that's the one where he gets horizontal with Lois, why is he still bitching about being a lonely alien and the last Krytonian? Dumbass you just kicked 3 fellow Kryptonians into a bottomless pit in the fortress of solitude, you just screwed your race's future. Here's to hoping Kandor is in the next one.

4. Never want to hear about Lex pleasuring an old woman ever again.

I'm sure I have more, like why he didn't just fly around the world in a counter clockwork fasion and make it go back five years in time so he wouldn't have missed anything, but it's my bedtime. Night.

School House Rocks

Sorry. Been busy. You know, with school and stuff.

Watch some Yacht Rock, and I'll post in 2 weeks when i'm done with this place.

Employee Nathan looks a lot like Doobie Brother lead singer Michael McDonald by the way.

A Tear For Terra Man

Today, May 24th, 2006, we say goodbye to an American Legend, a man who's origin, modus operandum, and unparrerelled hatred of the Man of Steel is as colorful as it is difficult to explain.

Tobius Manning, born a on a hot Arizona day in 1880, never had any notion of the amazing adventures his sorted life would lead him too... but his father, his real father (not some lazer necklace wearing, gold stealing, mohawked, empathetic space lizard) knew that Tobius would achieve a greatness that he himself never could. At the tender age of 8, Toby was already following in his father's footsteps, but merely moments after his first succesfull stage coach robbery, his life was to be drastically altered. The Collecter, the said Space Lizard, came down to Earth and after a slight altercation with Jess Manning, accidently killed Toby's father, he then proceded to mind wipe the child and vow to raise him as the greatest space cowboy the universe has ever seen. Before they could escapr into outer space, the two were assualted by a time-displaced Superboy and hurled into cosmos, begining a grudge that would span a century.

Years Passed. 100 Earth years actually, but only 20 Lightspace years.

Over this time, Tobius was outfitted with the latest and most advanced technoligical doo-dads that a caring space lizard father could offer, all with a western flavor. These wonderous devices include, space lassos, space pistoleros, space cigars, space mustache and various other space cowboy themed acceceries... not to mention the ability to summon tornadoes somehow, if I'm not mistaken. He even was modified to survive comfortably in the vacuum of space. Oh, he had a winged space horse, too. His adopted father then gives him the name Terra Man, of course meaning Earth -his native planet, and he rapays 'dad' with a slug to the chest and then travels back to his big blue planet, to settle an old score. All happened in Superman #249.

Yep, that's his back story. It gets better tho, his post-Crisis revamp is not so much a cowboy, but an extreme environmentalist/eco-terrorist who targets big business. Get it, Terra Man? Get it? Fan-tastic.

But if any of you out there took my advice from last week and picked up 53.3 you would see that last chapter in the life of this space faring cowboy has finally been writen. Betrayed by dastardly diplomatic Black Adam, Terra Man was torn asunder during a photo junket, bowls laiden on the associated press.

He Died as he lived... a futuristic, environmentalist, space cowboy from the past. Shine On, you crazy diamond.

Even with this tragedy, Secret Six was able to cheer me up with this delightful gem:

52.2 is Boosterrific!

So what's not to love about this weeks issue of 52?

Secret inverted grave messages!
Question ominously hovering over lounging lesbians!
New Superboy based religion!
Sleuthing Dinby!
Dr. Magnus, complete with pipe!
T.O. Morrow. T.O. MORROW!
Madman kidnapping other madmen!?
Booster saves the day! (er... uh... kinda... maybe? not too sure about that one)

First thing first, everyone talks about how Frank Quitely can draw a smug looking Supes, but ain't nobody smugger in the DCU than that Dr. Magnus. You'd be smug too if you made the Metal Men. The man's a P-I-M-P pimp.


So anyway, 52.2... if you havn't read it yet, do so. Even if your not reading any of the One Year Later stuff, go out, get it, and have a good time. It's fun, it's interesting, it's multilateral, and it has some of the greatest underappreciated DC characters headlining it. This weeks cover was just plain fun too. Originally I thought a comic explaining how the DCU get's to the point we've already been reading about for a few months now was gonna be a bad idea. But in two weeks this comic has already made it to my Must Read at All Costs list.
The scene with the Question inside of Renee Montoya's apartment was a little awkward (i'm sure he could have come at a better time), but then again, he's kind of an awkward fellow. And that's why we love him, that and his severe paranoia.
My favorite scene in the book tho (barring any scene with Boosty, especially any heroic scenes) had to have been the conversation between Magnus and Morrow. Intense.


Also out today... All Star Batman and Robin The Boy Wonder # 4. This issue definantly picks back up from what was lacking in issue 3... completely insane Batman. And that is what he is; a grown man who dresses up like a flying rodent, has a submarine car, kidnaps prepubescent boys, and lives in a cave, there is no other way to describe such a man, and Frank Miller does so fantastically. Also, I have never been the biggest Jim Lee fan, his Hush batman was fine, i suppose... but he draws damn fine crazy batman, and I'm begining to appreciate his artwork more and more with each issue. And talk about splash pages! The Lee cover, by the way, was pretty good, nice batcave and all that... but I very much enjoyed the Miller Superman cover, very powerful, yet didn't feel like shelling out the 10 bucks, i can admire something without having it.
For any of you fanboys who say this is an awful series... your just dumb.

Also noticed some discrepencies in Shadowpact #1 with 52 #1, Shadowpact appears at the grand conference that Superman failed to attend, but then later the Pact is helped by Superman to pierce the blood barrier. Whatever, DC will make it work.

Too Busy Today To Care

Maybe you have seen this, maybe not. But he does want the best super power ever... it's near the end, but everything till that point is great.

Really just sad, but in all fairness it will probably be me in 22 years.