Being Mr Angry

Someone I know writes a blog. He's quite a thoughtful writer, but the tone of his posts are suffused with anger, especially when it comes to his open hatred of anyone who is even remotely critical of films he likes (which tend to be mainstream franchises such as Indiana Jones and Star Wars). This got me thinking about how much energy this person seems to fritter away worrying that others may not like what he likes, angry that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull just won a Razzie Award for "worst sequel, prequel or rip-off", and penning venomous letters to the editors of NOW Magazine upbraiding the film critic who (gasp!) dared to say that Zac and Miri Make a Porno wasn't a very good film.

My questions for this blogger (and the many others out there like him):

1. If you like something, does having someone not like it take away from your enjoyment of it? If so, how? More importantly, why? Is it some need to feel accepted or validated, to know that your choice of entertainments is shared by others? Perhaps it's the feeling that if something you love doesn't make oodles of box office loot there won't be more of the same in your future, but this can be disproven by history. Since Star Wars in 1977, has there been a dearth of popular (and almost popular, and unpopular) franchise films? Hardly.

2. Aren't critics paid to be critical, or ostensibly offer up their criticism of something they see as sub-standard? Isn't that what he or she is paid to do? Should we do away with criticism and allow the studios and the Marketing Boffins to help us decide what to see? Should all the reviews adopt the 680 News format, with a disinterested announcer merely reading a plot summary or a blurb from a press release?

I've often thought what the angry people of the world could do if they inverted that energy and turned it into creativity. If they spent even a small fraction of the time they spend being angry about critics and other public opinion on creating their own fictions, films, TV shows, there would be plenty of things to watch and read. Some of them might even be good.

Oh, and for the record, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Zac and Miri Make a Porno were both shitty films. Guess I'll be on someone's hate-list for saying so. Only thing is, I don't care.

More thoughts on fictional continuity

You know how you think about or write about something, and the very next day you read something related? That's what happened today, that weird synchronicity. Yesterday I blogged about continuity, and today, I came across these.

http://oneofthejonesboys.wordpress.com/2009/01/24/capturing-continuity/

http://oneofthejonesboys.wordpress.com/2009/02/10/capturing-continuity-ii-this-time-its-personal/

A wonderful set of postings, with more to come. Check 'em out.

To Freely Go Where No Geek Has Gone Before....

A friend blogged about JJ Abram's new Star Trek film, expressing the idea that exploring the original characters with new actors might just work.

Which got me thinking about continuity. This is a case where a prequel might actually work. Don't ask me to name another film where I think this is true. But doing it for Star Trek it frees JJ and makers from the albatross of continuity, which is something I think sci-fi and comics fans worry WAAAAAAAAAY too much about.

Imagined conversation after the screening:

GEEK 1: Was it a good story?

GEEK 2: Yes.

GEEK 1: Was it true to the essence of the characters?

GEEK 2: Yes.

GEEK 1: Was it respectful of the orginal intent or did it extrapolate on ideas of the original? [this is how we non-geeks imagine geeks talk amongst themsleves]

GEEK 2: Yes.

GEEK 1: Did you like it?

GEEK 2: Hell, No! Kirk's outfit was the wrong shade of yellow.

Incognito #2

It's always nice to see something that succesfully reworks tired cliches into something new and exciting. Such is the case with Incognito, the ICON/Marvel comic series from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. It successfully grafts film noir and pulp sensibilities onto a modern superhero comic, and never once does it feel forced, or that the creative team is trying too hard. Reading this gave me the same buzz I got when I was 12 and reading the Bantam Doc Savage paperbacks for the first time, no small feat. Comic-wise, I haven't enjoyed comics this much since my first encounter with Moore and O'Neill's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

If you like superheroes, pulp fiction, film noir; or if you're just a fan of excellent storytelling, pick this one up. You won't be disappointed. Oh, and don't wait for the trade paperback! Like Criminal, Incognito has text articles that will only be in the monthlies. Brubaker has tapped Jess Nevins to write about pulp heroes of the past. Issue #1 had a text piece on The Shadow. I had no idea that the written character and the radio incarnation were two very different characters. Fascinating. Issue #2 has an bit on Doc Savage, with Philips doing a fantastic James Bama-inspired watercolour portrait of the Man of Bronze.

What are you waiting for? Stop reading this and get yourself Icognito ASAP.

[Geek mode off]

That's an "Albert"

Having recently decided to watch all of Hitchcock's films, it didn't take long to bump into a bad one. The Wrong Man. Slow, a plodding performance by Henry Fonda, and none of the thrills that are the hallmark of good Hitchcock films.

I have decided to attribute all the poor Hitchcock films to "Albert Hitchcock", Alfred's less-talented brother.

Can anyone suggest some Alberts I might want to pass on?

(Far) Stranger than Fiction

I had someone recently ask me if the posts about writers responding to my ad looking for a writing partner were real responses, or if I'd written them for a lark.

Yes, they are verbatim replies. From people who seriously consider themselves to be writers.

I'm going to repost the ad soon, as I haven't found a suitable collaborator. I'm sure there will be more insane replies to post here soon. Stay chooned.

Question of the Day

Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Pi, Requiem for a Dream) is set to direct a Robocop reboot.

http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1591705/story.jhtml

Why?

Of Time I Won't Get Back and the City

What crack are critics who recommend Of Time and the City, the documentary about Liverpool, England, smoking? It was nothing but shot after shot of mundane things (graffiti, ferries, broken windows, washer-women, women pushing prams, statues), thrown together without pace or rhythm. The narration (by director Terrance Davies, pictured above) did nothing to add to the proceedings. He told the start of a coming out story which went nowhere, there was an odd interlude that had something to do with the Korean War, and lots of trite nonsense about his falling out with the Church. Oh, and a few really clever quotes by Marx and Engels. Deep.

This documentary wasn't about anything as far as I could tell. It wasn't a town's history, it wasn't a personal history, it wasn't a history of social change or postindustrialism, it wasn't a history of the architecture of the place. I am not sure what it was, but I am sure it wasn't very good.

Save your $8.

You're (not) hired!

And yet another response from outside of Toronto to my request for a local writing partner. This one from (drum roll, please...) The Philippines! Here's his stellar script:

#2 Knights

Sir Bruno comes home victorious against the barbarian Horde and was having a good ol' time chatting about the fight.

When the crowd went home only he and the Bartender are left. Both still drinking they are actually childhood friends.

Barkeep: "Come on Bruno, you expect me to believe that You alone defeated that Barbarian tribe with your bare hands? I saw the guy and he looked liked he could rape an Elephant!"

Sir Bruno: "Actually when the duel began he choked from his long beard when he shouted a battlecry, I just run there and shoved whats left of his beard to his mouth and pretended to choke him while yelling to the top of my lungs."

Wha--?! And here's his "resumé" (his word):

Resumé: Im a 26 years old and currently works for the government as a clerk. I watched a lot of movies and animes. My humor is based on what happens around us and sometimes from movies. if you need scripts I got them in my head ^_^.

Fuckin' hell. That's impressive. Maybe I'll hook this lad up with the producers of 24.