Off the Cuff: Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along
Joss Whedon has been wildly successful (at least creatively) with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. He’s one of the most original and talented creators I can think of. And there’s no question he’s at it again with Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along.
As any good comic book fan knows not all villains are cut out for the lime light. Some just don’t quite have what it takes to become the next Black Mask.
I don’t want to spoil too much of the action, but you should check this out. And you’d better do it in a hurry. The whole series disappears on July 20th.
You can catch Act 1 here. With Act 2 and 3 arriving later this week.
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June 12, 2008
Off the Cuff: Iron Man
I did it. Something I was convinced I would never do. I finally went and saw Iron Man.
After several years worth of columns saying how horrible I thought this movie would be, it turned out to be one of the best comic book films I’ve ever seen.
Apparently admitting you’re wrong isn’t quite as hard as I thought it would be.
Before I get to the stuff I liked, let me talk about the one thing I didn’t – the pacing. There was something about the movie that made me keep looking at my watch. What’s strange is I can’t pinpoint what. It’s not like the movie wasted a lot scenes like the Transformers movie. And it’s not like there wasn’t a lot of action to keep my attention. The only thing I can figure is that since I knew the origins of Iron Man, I just wanted to get to the giant suit of armor!
Outside of this one object though, I really enjoyed Iron Man.
I thought Robert Downey Jr carried the movie. Now lets be honest – that’s not a sentence I ever expected to type. He was truly the perfect cast as Tony Stark: impulsive, playboy, technological genius, and a bit obsessive compulsive. He really did a great job.
As most fans of Iron Man will tell you, one of the secret joys of the character is “the montage” of technology. There’s something that appeals to fans in that sequence. It’s the same thing that makes us want to go and upgrade our own computers. And the movie perfectly captures this.
Think about it, the A-team had an entire TV series built around the montage. As did MacGyver and The Pretender. The montage is such an important part of this “culture” that Team America and South Park even wrote a song about it.
So what’s not to like about a movie where you get at least three extended montage sequences?!
I probably won’t watch Iron Man in theaters again for a second time (who can afford that with $10 tickets?) But I will watch it again in the future. Iron Man is one of the classics, and I look forward to a sequel.
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April 18, 2008
Off the Cuff: Which Superhero are you?
Okay, I admit it, I’m a sucker for these quizes. They obviously have no scientific value. But what they lack in accuracy they more than make up for in fun!
Interestingly it came down to a tie breaker question between my love of technology and my laid back personality. I went with the technology. But I think Iron Fist might have been a bit more accurate. After all, who would think of me as a super nerd?
On second thought, don’t answer that.
So how about you? What superhero are you? Take your test and post your results here.
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You scored as Mister Fantastic/Reed RichardsYou are the super nerdy, intelligent and adventurous Mr. Fantastic.
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April 8, 2008
Off the Cuff: Is Google really Brainiac?
Google has become powerful because of its ability to find, store, and sift data with amazing speed. In many ways the internet is successful thanks to these very abilities. But that doesn’t mean everyone likes to be virtually “stalked.” And that’s exactly what’s happening in Pittsburgh where a couple is suing Google for showing their home on Street View.
But Google may be in line for even more trouble - according to the Smoking Gun, Google has been filming Street View on private property. That sounds like something that people will be upset over. Plus, if they’ve done it once, you can guarantee that they’ve done it several times.
This raises an interesting philosophical question. Google’s always been about collecting information. But just how much information is too much?
Do we have Brainiac 5 on our hands? Have we learned nothing from Hal or the T-1000?
As our society continues to collect, retrieve, and sort data these questions will only become more common. And in a way, I think they will drive the popularity of characters like Brainiac.
So next time Google refers to you as “Kal-El”, you might want to just turn your computer off and go play outside.
*edited: changed Brainiac 5 to Brainiac. Mostly because I’m a moron.
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March 18, 2008
Off the Cuff: Real Life Evil (sort of)
One of the most shocking cinematic moments in my life came during the film Unbreakable. And for once this isn’t a reference to the scene where Samuel L. Jackson falls down a flight of stairs breaking every bone in his body. That still makes me shudder.
What I’m talking about is the unexpected twist at the end. (for those of you who haven’t seen this movie, stop reading now). At the time I didn’t know who M. Night Shyamalan ways, and I didn’t know about his penchant for surprise endings. So when Jackson revealed himself to be the main villain I was shocked.
I never expected him to be a villain, but it all made sense. The whole point of the movie was that there are real life superheroes. And if that’s the case, there must be real life villains.
And obviously there are.
But this was a surprising admission for a movie. So this is what I thought of when I read about a man in Florida who is currently standing trial. This individual has declared that he wants to be evil, just like Mr. Glass from Unbreakable. And to prove his evilness, he wants to be allowed to wear a cape and carry a cane.
On the surface it’s kind of funny. Except that this man has a history of mental illness.
I love comic books because of their crazy and outlandish villains. I love watching good triumph over evil. And I look at it as “entertainment.” But sometimes a good dose of reality reminds me that evil isn’t just limited to comic book villains.
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