My statcounter log has surpassed the 10,000 visitor mark. Probably around Friday or Saturday it went over. Were you the one?
I don’t think it’s fairly accurate account. I only installed statcounter within the last year, but I have had this blog for about 3 full years. And that’s coming up soon.
Spiderman 3 is no Spiderman 2. It took the momentum built from the last movie, “Go get ’em tiger,” and threw some grit and Sandman into the gears grinding the franchise to a halt.
The biggest problem was Sandman. I was at the comic shop this weekend where they had lots of old time Spidey comics on the wall. Issue 2 was Doc Ock. Issue 1 must’ve been the Green Goblin. Issue 3 was, guess who? The Vulture, but issue 4 was Sandman. So they producers felt they had to stick with the schedule of villains established by the comic book. But Venom is a fanboy favorite, and was added to the trilogy to appease them. So it feels like they started with the Sandman as the prime villain, found out his story was weak, and added Venom. It results in an uneven story.
We first get Sandman. But did I mention Green Goblin Jr? He’s in it and his story line takes the most unconvincing turn of all. Back to Sandman, he’s a two-bit crook on the lam to see his daughter. That’s it, and by the way, he also killed your Uncle Ben. Hunh? Did he really kill him or did they make that up for the movie? Fanboys, help. They needed that in order for Spidey to work himself up for a showdown. Sandman then gets defeated at the two hour mark about which I wanted thought the ending should’ve occurred. He shows up in the last reel though to team up with Venom and kick some Spidey ass. Lame.
Venom was also problematic. They had to explain the entire emotional change in Peter Parker without losing time for Sandman bits. Peter becomes emo boy without the eyeliner. So after Sandman disappears, Venom takes over, but it was plainly a compression of a longer story arc from the comic book and the measly half hour it got didn’t do it justice.
Raimi I respect for making the first two very fine comicbook movies. He had a lot here to handle. Bottom line they should’ve had one villain. I think with the third installment they should’ve gone for the tried and true final act by redoing the first movie (see Indy and Star Wars for hints).
Caught this in the last showing on opening Friday. The audience was looking for a better time. I think plenty of people were disappointed judging from the number of people leaving before the first fake out ending occurred. It didn’t stop them from running to the doors after the second fake out ending, also.
3 of 5 stars
I hope you and your friends made it to the comicbook store to celebrate Free Comicbook Store. I went with the seed and Marge from the Fish Tank. The Seeds been reading comics lately, and Marge has referenced some books she likes to read so they’re pretty much ready for the geekiness to ensue.
And how.
My usual store is Cards, Comics, & Collectibles in Reisterstown. They do a good service and they had all the free comics you can carry. And almost most of the time I go in, there’s a sale. Today was no different. $1.00 for all back issues in the bins.
So I bought a few back issues of Spiderman Loves Mary Jane. I would’ve bought them out, but didn’t want to be seen as too enthusiastic about this title. For a dollar it was a great buy. It’s a good read if you’re into that. Funny thing is sometimes I am. It’s reminds me of Evan Dorkin’s Pirate Corps from which I got the ska bug as well as these silly relationship style comics. Pirate Corps/Hectic Planet had Halby and Elsie. Spiderman Loves Mary Jane has Spiderman and Mary Jane. And all the intendent complications about those two. It’s stupid fun.
May the Fourth be with you!… Now that's corny like corn beef hash…
The movies that I really wanted to see over Memories of Murder starred Barbara Stanwyck. The latest one is Lady of Burlesque.
From the sound of the title it would’ve had to take place when burlesque was big. Early on in the thirties. Yet, as Miss Stanwyck makes her appearance, I expected the pretty, young thing, but it was the mature Miss Stanwyck. I found out that this movie was made in 1943! A few years from Lady Eve and just before Double Indemnity. So this is how some of her non-classic films were like. It’s a B movie! Yet, guess again. It was nominated for an Oscar in the song category “Take it off the E String. Play it on the G-string” which Miss Stanwyck sang. WooHoo!
The plot centers around the backstage shennanigans of a burlesque grind house, and then the ladies get involved in a murder straight out of a Scooby Doo mystery. “I would’ve gotten away with it, except for these meddling ladies of burlesque.” The murder mystery was pretty thin. As was the plot.
The funniest part of watching it was that I was expecting a pre-code movie. Of course, being made in 1943, it adhered to the code of ethics of the day. Just imagine how much “burlesque” they could show. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. For Miss Stanwyck’s song and dance, she did some bumping and grinding. Or at least that was what was hinted at. Cut to the audience. She shakes it, but only in your imagination.
Lady of Burleque isn’t bad, but it’s only for those hardcore Stanwyck fans.
3 of 5 stars.
What with Grindhouse, it seems like all the movies nowadays are trying to recapture something of the stories of the yesteryear. Here’s two that tried. Which of them succeeded?
Disturbia is to Rear Window as Sweet&Low is to sugar. It’s nowhere as good as the original. And yet, it seems that people have been flocking to it making it three weeks at the top of the box office. Why? Because they are wankers, but hey, I saw it in the theatres. I don’t think I am a wanker, but I wanted to see it because of its shameless rip of one of my favorite movies.
There are few direct riffs on the original. They’ve escaped me right now, a week since watching the movie. I remember one being the sound of a scream/killing waking Shia up. The leaving from the scene of the “crime” a lady. These were the only vestiges of Hitchcock’s film that stand out. The others were subtle. Is the killer coming over with a bat similar to Raymond Burr showing up at the door? Maybe. Is the scene with the depiction of the neighborhood the same? No Ms. Lonely Hearts though. Can’t compete.
The one thing they updated was the score. Or at least the musical soundtrack with what passes for music nowadays. Why? It was an episode of the OC with that dude stuck in doors. Or that other dude on a killing spree. Sorry, about the names, but at least that is what I think it would be like.
It’s a palid version of one of the greatest movies in Hitchcock’s ouevre.
2 of 5 stars.
Hot Fuzz brought to us by the madmen who did Shaun of the Dead (which I thought was alright), and the director of the funniest fake trailer in Grindhouse, “Don’t.” Yet, this film appealed to me more. Shaun of the Dead was a mediocre attempt at a zombie movie. Zombies are tired. They should’ve been ninjas, or at least pirates.
But Hot Fuzz travels in the tried and true action genre.
Whether they are spoofing it or paying a cheeky homage is hard to tell. If they refer to Bad Boyz II as the ultimate flick, it’s got to be a spoof. Yet, they reference Michael Bay-isms throughout. HOMAGE!
Best line riffed on Jake Gittes, but not: “Forget it, Nick, it’s Sandford.” That’s won me some points those cheeky brits.
4 of 5 stars.
Fuck, yeah! Please, somebody shoot me.
What a wanker!
I don’t know how anyone could’ve taken him seriously. Ever. Right from the beginning you knew he was a wanker. Dude is the type that you want to have a beer with. Not the type you want to be your president. And even having a beer with him would make you feel uncomfortable, because he’s just a scuzz ball. Fucking America. Bunch of stupid wankers for electing this guy. TWICE.
I’m turning out like CapitolSwell. I had Memories of Murder at my house for weeks. Supposedly, I had received it on the seventh of April. I didn’t ever watch it. I put it back in the mail on Monday, April 30th.
It sat on my nightstand for weeks. I had also bought several other DVDs over those weeks, mainly Barabara Stanwyck flicks, which I watched. Twice sometimes.
This is the first time that I didn’t watch a movie from my Netflix queue. Even some of the sucky ones which almost put me to sleep, I slogged my way through. I never let a movie get me down. Perhaps if The Host wasn’t so disappointing I would have watched it quicker.
Anyhow, OneLittleSeedling has ripped it twice. So I’ll just borrow it from him. If I get the urge to watch it.
I had finished this book sometime last week. Loved it, but I had read it already in its various forms. It made me tear up at the Finduilas part. Damn, Morgoth Bauglir! I curse thee! May you stay locked up in The Void for all eternity.
I wonder how those who haven’t read The Silmarillion are going to react to this book. Dark and forboding it is, and nothing like The Lord of the Rings. Those elves and men are not as nice. Everyone is more like Boromir. Turin mainly.
B+
