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Post by Anders on Dec 1, 2011 1:34:02 GMT -8
I think he meant it more generally.
I'm still a bit hesitant to seeing it since Tintin was one of my biggest favorites as a kid.
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Post by Johann Chua on Dec 5, 2011 4:37:16 GMT -8
Just got my order of The Wire: The Complete Series today. Now all I need is time to watch it all. Helps that I've cut down on my TV viewing lately.
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Post by Anders on Dec 5, 2011 5:22:37 GMT -8
I've had the first season in my to-watch pile for a while now but since I tend to add more to the pile than I watch...  |
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Post by Johann Chua on Dec 5, 2011 8:07:21 GMT -8
I saw the first few episodes years ago on Solar USA, before any of the Asian HBO channels aired it. Problem was they never seemed to get past the first few episodes, which totally wrecked the long-form storytelling.
(Generally satisfied with receiving overseas parcels at the post office, except that lately there's been a noticeable delay between when it gets them and me getting the parcel notice. In this case the local postmark was November 29. At least I got this sans import duties since the customs inspector was feeling the holiday spirit. Just paid the 40 peso handling/storage fee.)
Haven't finished watching Gilmore Girls S2 and S3, even though I bought the DVDs years ago. 30 Rock S1 and S2 are still shrink-wrapped after I bought them at a 50% off sale. Gonna have to cut down my backlog before buying more TV series DVDs.
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Post by Anders on Dec 5, 2011 12:58:13 GMT -8
The way I remember it 30 Rock took a couple of episodes before they hit their stride, but since then it's been gold.
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Post by michaelpaciocco on Dec 15, 2011 18:32:50 GMT -8
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Post by Anders on Dec 17, 2011 3:41:36 GMT -8
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Post by michaelpaciocco on Dec 24, 2011 5:45:13 GMT -8
Odds and Ends: First, check out this awesome interview with Tucker Stone: www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/cr_holiday_interview_4_tucker_stone/Related to this: Man, I can't tell if Jason Aaron is dumb or just deluded. To his credit, he's making "Wolverine and the X-Men" the only X-men comic I've read in a decade and enjoyed through sheer "throwing new ideas and characters out there". But as Tucker stated, man is he going to be sad when all that is taken from him. OK, I went to see Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. The Good: -Simon Pegg is funny. -Goddamn but Jeremy Renner is a good actor - can he just become the lead? Because he stole every scene from Tom Cruise with exactly zero effort. Hell, he even manages a range from ultra-serious to comedic - something no other actor in this film manages. -And most importantly - BRAD. MOTHERFUCKING. BIRD. As should be a surprise to no one, he directed the shit out of this thing. Even to the point where I knew, KNEW with 100% certainty what plot twist was coming, he managed to make it engrossing and captivating and sucked me right in. On this alone it's worth the watch. The Bad: -Tom Cruise. Mario on a Super-NES has a wider range of emotional states and expressions. But you know what's weird? The Trailer for G.I. Joe: Retaliation was playing right before this, and well...it does strike one how the two movies have almost EXACTLY THE SAME GODDAMN PLOT. In this case, "We were set up and now disavowed and hunted by our own people! We have to go deep and become a ragtag group to win the day and restore our reputation!" Yes, it's a common thing, but man, to see it back to back to back like that says something. The obvious thing is the lack of originality, certainly. However, another thought occurred to me. A while back I read this article; www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/the-screwed-up-world-we-live-in-now-blame-the-1980s-book-plug-20110318And maybe it's my imagination, but I can't help but think that maybe we're seeing the same kind of cultural thing now - a pushback on the post-Iraq War environment. Just a thought, Michael |
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Post by michaelpaciocco on Dec 24, 2011 5:53:07 GMT -8
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Post by michaelpaciocco on Jan 2, 2012 19:46:37 GMT -8
So...I watched "Fast Five" with my brother...and it's a fun movie....
Until you start thinking logically.
The Biggest take away? Killing Americans - BAD.
Killing Brazilians - A-OK!
At least according to this movie's logic.
Oh, yeah, SPOILERS.
Look, yes the laws of physics are more shattered and then lit on fire more than broken. Fine. We can accept that.
However...there are some problems
1) The final chase scene? Yeah, how is that not considered an act of terrorism? Exactly how many innocent civilians you figure got killed or maimed?
2) Also, the entire Rio police department is GONE. Wiped out. Not just men but vehicles and equipment as well. I figure the Army declares martial law like...the next night.
3) The Rock is the worst cop ever. First, he shoots an unarmed man in cold blood in broad daylight - how does that not have consequences? Yeah, OK, he was the druglord who ordered his entire team murdered - but I'm pretty sure that doesn't mean you get to become the lawless vigilantes like...you know, the guys you are so eager to hunt down. The writers botched this - he's portrayed as Mr. Letter of the Law, and then he pulls this, making him a huge hypocrite.
4) The Rock is the worst cop ever part two - ...and then you let the thieves go. Alright, fine - they are the protagonists and they probably didn't kill those federal agents back there? But you know who they did kill, right in front of you? Whole lot of innocent bystanders. And cops. And sure, maybe most of the were corrupt - but how do you tell? Is there a special "Corruption number" on their badges? How the hell wasn't there just some guy like say Jim Gordon (or Rio Lady Cop, who we will deal with shortly) who hates the corruption but stays in the system who wasn't in his corrupt buddies car when Vin Diesel and Paul Walker make him part of their epic level collateral damage? But hey, I guess it's ok because all those dead people were probably just Brazilians...that's ok, right?
5)Why is Rio Cop Lady happy? Ok, yes, drug lord is dead (and she's a witness, and probably accessory to the murder). But even putting that aside, Torretto and company just took $100 million dollars out of the local economy - yes it was drug money - but as she herself stated, was being used for the poorest parts of town.
now granted corrupt crimelord doesn't have it anymore - that's good. But neither do the poor people of Rio in the slums have any money for schools or water or electricity. The bad guy won't get processed, his crimes won't be brought to light, and if anyone is left of his organization (and odds are someone is) they'll be positioned to just take his place. Oh, and there's all his holdings that could have bene liquidated to paying for new cops that won't be. Oops.
6) Oh, and this is a big thing in the movie where the guys are going on about going to a place where there's no extradition treaty. Now, I'm fairly sure that wherever they end up might make an exception after seeing the whole "act of terrorism" they pulled off in Rio. And yes, they are terrorists - by any definition. Not ideological, but the sheer destructive damage? Yeah, I'm betting the US won't send the Rock next time - best case scenario is a CIA black bag squad to throw your ass in Gitmo. Worst case? Seal Team Six puts 2 bullets in your brainpan.
Thus endeth the rant.
Michael
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Post by michaelpaciocco on Jan 4, 2012 19:07:12 GMT -8
First Warren Ellis, now Grant Morrison - same goddamn thing.
Notice to all Science-fiction and genre writers who are not Steven Moffat: YOU ARE NOT STEVEN MOFFAT. PLEASE STOP TRYING TO BE STEVEN MOFFAT BECAUSE YOU ARE TERRIBLE AT IT. That is all. Thank you.
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Post by paulpogue on Jan 5, 2012 20:04:50 GMT -8
What Morrison act brought this on?
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Post by paulpogue on Jan 6, 2012 14:16:10 GMT -8
Now that I've researched it a bit, I'm guessing it's MorrisonCon.
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Post by michaelpaciocco on Jan 6, 2012 14:42:23 GMT -8
Latest Action Comics issue.
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