Posted by Felix Vasquez Jr. in Writer's Corner at 6:43 AM
PDT
Okay, so I know not everyone enjoyed “Land of the Dead.”
Many people I’ve come across seemed to despise it. I however enjoyed it even in the light of its plot holes and paper thin story. I enjoy it, I really do. But Big Daddy has nothing on Bub.
Moving on, people have claimed they’re tired of the zombie genre.
We had the good but dumb “Dawn” remake, “Shaun of the Dead,” an upcoming “Day” remake, “Zombie Honeymoon” a very underrated indie horror film, and the remake of “Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things.” And no, I don’t count “Cell,” or “28 Days Later,” since technically those monsters weren’t really zombies.
And now Romero wants to create another zombie film called “Diary of the Dead,” which is basically another mock documentary about a group of teens filming a movie in the woods who walk into a zombie apocalypse. But that’s been in the talking stages, and hasn’t solidified as a pure movie scoop just yet.
Some may reason that the zombie sub-genre is dead, a sub-genre once sparkling with life, yet now is only a distant shadow of its former self thanks to people who either derived from Romero, or just didn’t get what zombies were supposed to represent. I’m looking at you Paul W.S. Anderson.
But then again, I read “The Walking Dead,” and I know you can’t count out this genre just yet.
Much like Westerns, and mob movies, the zombie genre may die on film, but there’s always literature. Now, not all the literature for the genre are gold. “Remains” was pretty cheesy and blande.
But then there’s “The Walking Dead” from Robert Kirkman. If you’re not informed of it, “The Walking Dead” takes place in our world. Rick Grimes is a local officer who is shot in the line of duty and awakes from a coma to discover the world is over, and now zombies rule.
“28 Days Later,” you say? Yes, it sounds very similar, and Kirkman himself admits they’re entirely similar. But “The Walking Dead” is so much more. It’s a layered, well-written, and character-driven piece of drama that’s constantly changing shape.
Rick, now out of a coma, stumbles onto the hospital cafeteria to see zombies on the floor eating one another, barely makes it out alive, and now has to look for his wife and son… if they’re still alive that is. The tale of Rick Grimes moves around constantly. From his one man journey, to his leading a group of survivors, to run ins with the walking dead, to living in an RV, to watching his son nearly die, and so on.
Rick, as the leader of a group of survivors, has to make very hard decisions about their laws, their lives, and on how to deal with them. One storyline deals with a serial killer within the group, a love triangle with his wife and best friend, and when a member is bitten, he’s asked to be carried at the entrance of the city.
In four wordless panels, he’s carried to the entrance of the city, dying and sure to be zombified and left there to be turned. “The Walking Dead” then leads our characters to a maximum facility prison they decide would be the best place to live, but what surprises await them in there?
Surely, the allusions and references to the “Dead” films are there. And I’ll be the first to admit there’s nothing you can do with the genre anymore that Romero didn’t tackle, but “The Walking Dead” is an epic piece of zombie lore with so much characters to hate and root for, and presents many interesting concepts.
And then there’s “Marvel Zombies.” Cheesy? Oh yes. But, god is it ever fun. Marvel in their infinite wisdom recruits the creator of “The Walking Dead” to write this gem of a mini-series. You think killing, running and hiding from zombies is a pure bitch? What if these zombies had superpowers?
Stay with me now, what if Romero had invaded the Marvel Universe? What if the zombie principles applied to the superhero genre? In the opening scenes of “Marvel Zombies,” Magneto, the all-powerful metal controlling villain finds himself in the middle of the city running and trying to build the strength to fight back at a horde of zombies.
These zombies happen to be the most powerful heroes of the verse. Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor, Giant Man, Daredevil, all of these people are on the hunt for Magneto and no matter how hard he fights them, they just won’t stop hunting for him.
“I know you’re not looking forward to being devoured,” says Zombie Cap America, “but I give you my word–if you surrender, I’ll make sure you die painlessly first…”
And then, in a series of very gruesome and utterly disturbing final panels, they catch up with him, and feast on the master of magnetism. The world’s most powerful heroes are flesh eating monsters. And in a truly demented plot twist, Ant Man is keeping Black Panther in a medicated coma, and carves pieces from him to eat. As for the rest of the series, you’ll just have to read it for yourself, I’ve already given too much away.
But, when you think the genre can’t get any better, or worse, there’s something or someone who challenges that formula and improves it. Or in the case of “The Walking Dead,” provides a fresh take. Or in the case of “Marvel Zombies,” twists it. Don’t count out the zombie genre yet.
Even though there has been news of a vegetarian zombie in the remake of “Day,” the zombie genre still has surprises for all of us, and hopefully there will be another Romero to give us something good to read. And “The Walking Dead,” and “Marvel Zombies” are a good example of that fact.
Posted by Felix Vasquez Jr. in Writer's Corner at 11:11 AM
PDT
You can’t just put any band on a film and expect laughs. And chemistry and appeal.
And that’s what happened to “Spice World.” The directors and creators behind it seemed to basically assume, “Hell, this band is popular, they’re a pop band, they have massive appeal with the male audience, they make catchy music, and they’re British, so they’ll be perfect equivalents to The Beatles.”
And… well… if you saw the movie, you’ll know that the logic behind that theory was slightly eschew.
“Spice Girls” was awful, not because by that time everyone had grown tired of their little act–including I who’d found them especially worth a wetdream or two for a while–but because people suddenly realized they sucked. Hard. And I’m not ashamed to admit I was a fan of their music. Stop laughing for a minute, please.
Moving on, the film had no plot, bad musical numbers, the acting from the girls was absolutely horrible, and it led to the demise of the Spice Girls dynasty. Now I was personally fond of Ginger Spice, but I digress. It was a long and painful death for them, and they disappeared.
You can’t just put any band on a film and expect a masterpiece.
And that’s why “A Hard Day’s Night” stands alone in that sentiment. The Beatles had something, and whatever it was, that indefinable aspect, was what made “A Hard Day’s Night” a pure piece of filmmaking.
As someone who has managed to become a passionate Beatles fan over the last two years, I’ve found that “A Hard Day’s Night” is not just a movie, but a ride, and a spectacle for the appealing qualities the fab four possessed. Beyond the egomania, the conflicts, and creative differences, when the Beatles formed music, they managed to form art that would remain in the public consciousness for decades to come.
I’m confident to say that when the Spears, Simpson’s, Aguileras, and Clarkson’s all disappear, The Beatles will still be around being referenced in literature and the like. They have staying power that goes beyond any normal band. Sure, it sounds like normal fan deifying, but they’ve proved their power since they arrived in the U.S that day.
Here in New York, there’s a radio show called “Breakfast with the Beatles,” it’s on every Sunday, on Q104.3 and is basically two hours of some of the greatest Beatles music ever made. And every Sunday, the current host boasts almost non-stop about his passion for the group and explains unknown facts involved with the making of their music.
To hear that most of their memorable musical quirks were mere mistakes make them all the more appealing. The feedback before “I Feel Fine” starts was actually a mistake that they didn’t notice until the track was recorded.
But I digress. “A Hard Day’s Night” is currently one of my favorite rock films, tussling with “The Song Remains the Same,” “Woodstock,” “Gimme Shelter,” “Monterey Pop,” and “The Kids are Alright” for the top spot. And the reason for that is because, there’s really nothing else like it around, and there never will be.
There’s a reason why The Beatles are still chart toppers to this day, there’s a reason why there’s continuous merchandising for them, because if you’ve seen “A Hard Day’s Night” you’ll know that they never really took themselves too seriously in the beginning.
They were four Brits who had their own personalities, personalities that weren’t really manufactured. And the film has enough sense to show them together and then split them apart so we can gain the idea of who they are as a foursome and as individuals. They’re funny in “A Hard Day’s Night,” they’re very funny.
“How did you find America?” asks a reporter.
“Turned left at Greenland,” replies John.
“Has success changed your life?” asks a reporter.
“Yes,” George replies deadpan.
“A Hard Day’s Night” is very much like “Stardust Memories” except not as jaded. Though the beatles do riff on their fame, inability to socialize without being chased, and the redundancy of the press junkets, they also seem to be having a lot of fun goofing around. The plot is incredibly simplistic: Ringo feels like the black sheep, and gets arrested, and now the group has to get him back before the concert starts. The film is a considerable mixture of reality and fiction.
The immediate giveaway is that the crowd is actually listening to the music, and the foursome can hear themselves play the music. In real life the Beatles decided not to tour anymore, because they just couldn’t hear their instruments, voices, and musical cues over the screaming, and it never looked as if any of the screaming women were ever actually listening to the songs.
But “Hard Day’s Night,” in spite of its simplicity, is great because the Beatles have personality, and that’s where the Spice Girls failed. Their biggest downfall though was their hubris. Assuming they were as big as the Beatles enough to make a film in the same vein is futile.
And, oh yes, the musical numbers played here are actually entertaining.
Artists continue paying homage to them, movies continue referencing them, and musicians continue worshipping them. Because they were The Beatles, and they’re the constant force behind music years after they disbanded. And their film “A Hard Day’s Night” is one of a kind because of the talent behind it.
Well for those who dig the segment, here’s a quick bit of news — DVDuesday will now be on Attack of the Show twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays. Yeah, you heard me — TWICE A WEEK! That’s two-times the DVDs and two-times the Gore! Tuesdays segment will basically be the same with reviews of the latest DVDs hitting store shelves that day. Then there will be a whole new segment on Fridays with recommendations of various kinds of DVDs worth checking out. I think they are calling the Friday segment “DVD Weekend Wrap” or “Weekend Edition” or something like that. Each segment will also have a theme covering DVDs in a certain genre.
Anyway, last Friday I covered video game movies and forgot to mention one — in fact, this one is perhaps the best translation of a game to the film world and that is, of course, Mortal Kombat! Ugh! Idiot! How could I forget that one? The first MK movie was not only very watchable it was a lot of fun, which is more than you can say for nearly all the other video game flicks made. Also, it’s worth mentioning that the Wizard starred a young Jenny Lewis and I’m a big fan of her music, so… yeah, sometimes the mind spaces when you have to race through all those DVDs in just a few minutes. Check out the Friday DVDuesday segment from August 25th.
So, that’s more Gore for you every week on AOTS. (There’s also a pilot that I’ve done recently for G4 and when I can reveal news on that, you’ll be the first to know.) Okay… you may now return to your regularly scheduled web lurking. (Yeah, I don’t web surf, I lurk.) Gore gone!
Posted by Felix Vasquez Jr. in Writer's Corner at 2:43 AM
PDT
Could George Lucas actually be backing off his devotion to his own franchise? The franchise that gave him so much money he could pay Mexican cabana boys to wipe his ass and still sit pretty?
Like that weird large pouch Lucas grew under his chin, “Phantom Menace” is one of the films in the franchise that sticks out. It’s pretty boring, it’s bland, it’s anti-climactic, the story is complicated, and let’s not forget the atrocious acting courtesy of Jake Lloyd. Granted, Darth Maul is pure bad-assness, and McGregor rocked the house as Obi-Wan, but let’s face it, “Phantom Menace” sucked. Hard.
But in a recent article I came across, Lucas seems to not only be jumping ship on his prequels, but he, as all directors do, blames us for its failure and lack of quality in a double talk pretending to be refering to the new film. Both fans and critics. Aside from blowing more air up the fans asses about more rumors concerning the new “Indiana Jones” film that may never come, Lucas went on to say:
“People’s expectations are way higher than you can deliver. You could just get killed for the whole thing…We would do it for fun and just take the hit with the critics and the fans…But nobody wants to get into it unless they are really happy with it.”
Not exactly a vote of confidence to where the new “Indiana Jones” will be heading. So, if you want to enjoy the new “Indiana Jones” film, just lower your standards and don’t expect too much from the script. Seriously, you’ll be disappointed if you actually expect something from Lucas, and Spielberg. You’d be stupid to hope the new film is a masterpiece.
Then Lucas makes the awfully creepy allusion that the new “Indiana Jones” will be like “The Phantom Menace.” How exactly? Will it have a complicated story involving politics? Plot holes? Or will it feature a thirteen year old Indiana Jones on an adventure that takes place a year before “Raiders of the Lost Ark” where Indy is suddenly in his late thirties? One can only imagine.
But worst of all, Lucas cops out. It wasn’t the fact that the acting was weak, the writing was bad, the plots were utterly nonsensical, the plot holes were apparent and sloppy, and Lucas didn’t even follow his own continuity he’d set forth in the original trilogy, but our expectations were too high for “The Phantom Menace.”
In further reading for the article, Lucas seems a bit nervous about the actual plot, discusses yet another re-write, makes an excuse that the film likely won’t sit well with critics since everyone is already a superstar, and explains in typical studio double talk “But there’s a good chance it will happen.”
In spite of all the constant rumors, I don’t know how they can just proceed with this series anymore. Ford has really just slowed down as an action star, and while I’m always up for an installment of Indy (Temple of Doom, baby), I just don’t know what they can do with this series.
But that’s assuming they ever start filming this new installment. I just wish they’d film this damn sequel already instead of interviewing George Lucas on it so he can squeeze in his own finger pointing to fans and critics who actually expected something from the prequels and were let down immensely.
Film the goddamn sequel already, and then bitch about the failures called Episodes one, two, and three on the press junkets.
P.S. If you hated the prequels, I suggest checking out “The Clone Wars” DVD series. They’re more action packed, and coherent than all three of the prequels put together.
I’m not sure if I ever mentioned this, but I worked on an earlier incarnation of Who Wants to be a Superhero when it was called “Who wants to be a Comic Book Hero?” (I guess someone actually owns the trademark to the word “superhero.” Weird, eh? Stan mentioned during a meeting that he’s friends with the guy who owns the word, so I assume they worked it out.)
Anyway, when I worked on it, there was a much more serious take on the concept. I still have the show bible I wrote with another producer. (I do work behind the scenes on TV as a producer/writer at times, so I’m not just the on-camera guy you see on Attack of the Show.) I worked on it as an associate producer/story editor since a buddy of mine, Arthur Borman, knew I was a total film/comic book geek. It was a chance also to work directly with Stan Lee — one of the nicest guys on the planet earth. He’s like everyone’s grandpa. I really wanted him to sign some comic books of mine, but just could not get the nerve to bring them to a meeting to geek out. It was fun to pitch him ideas for the show. Stan really seemed to care that it be real. I can’t say anything about the production of the show you are seeing on Sci-Fi right now since I was not involved, but I am happy to see that certain ideas did make it onto the show.
One idea I really wished they had used was celebrity villains. We wanted to get cool celebrity super-villains to administer each week’s challenge — people like Kevin Smith, Carmen Electra, Bruce Campbell or Seth Green, among others, would dress in villain costumes and taunt our heroes. That could come up again if there’s a season two.
As for the series as it is now, I actually find it a lot of fun and very entertaining if you don’t take it too seriously. I’m really surprised to see how emotional the show has become — does everyone cry when they get booted by Stan? I mean, you can accuse some of those cast members of being actors, but bad actors are not able to cry that convincingly. I’d say most of the contestants are real fans.
I’ll be tuning into the season finale on Thursday to check it out. (I’m a geek, so what else is new?)
Only two things can sidetrack me from watching movies and writing reviews:
1) Life in all its jagged facets
2) TV-on-DVD
I am a poor man’s television geek. Neither Showtime nor HBO are a part of the DirecTV package I have at home simply because it would have eaten into the money used monthly for my Netflix account. So I go without “The Wire” and “Weeds”, waiting until those featured seasons come out on DVD. It’s a long wait of course, but to watch all the episodes without interruption is a far more satisfying experience than waiting weekly, specifically because it gives into a new feeling toward each show. I’m more emotionally invested in all the characters. Suspense on other shows like “24″ is felt more sharply.
But in the past two weeks, another show has caught me by my brain and shaken it up in a mix of emotions, humor, stunning dialogue, fully-drawn characters, and all this on network TV. I speak of “House”, which I didn’t catch on to when the first season premiered, simply because I wasn’t as interested in TV then as I am now, having been more wrapped up in what was coming out in theaters during the awards season that screamed “quality” and of course old movies of directors who deserve more time today than they are given. Film noir directors, musicals that are actually musical, that kind of jazz.
But when advertisements started spreading for the DVD release of the second season of “House”, I just decided to go for it.
I was well aware of Hugh Laurie’s career arc, having found success in Britain with “A Bit of Fry and Laurie” (and Stephen Fry is no slouch in his work) and “Jeeves & Wooster.” Then came the “Stuart Little” movies for Laurie and now this, being one of those rare actors from the other side of the ocean who can find success here.
Netflix was obviously handy for this and had apparently struck some sort of a deal with Universal where none of the discs would be double-sided as they are in the actual set. Six discs, two for each side of the three discs.
Whenever I start a new show on DVD, I only bring in the first disc, because there’s always that chance I won’t like what I see. But in watching Dr. Gregory House try to investigate mysterious ailments that besiege patients at the Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital—that which cannot be solved by a conventional doctor and House is made even more unconventional by his extreme dislike for his patients, which mellows out towards the end of the first season, with all forces of the show turning toward discovering why House shuts himself away from relationships—it was a rareified, astonishing experience. We learn that a five-year relationship ended so badly that this is why he lives like this. Who was the woman in the relationship? What part of it scarred him so badly?
A good TV show keeps you asking questions. A great TV show involves you in those questions. House’s best friend, Dr. James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) is surprised at the sole condition that brings one of House’s former staff back into his employ, but worries more about the consequences that may follow if the situation isn’t dealt with as delicately as possible. All the while, before the important emotion crops up, House spars with the head of the hospital, Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) and soon finds an unsettling foe in Edward Vogler (Chi McBride) who donates $100 million dollars to the hospital and elevates himself to chairman of the board, and quickly doesn’t like House or his methods. He’s a moneyman and wants to run the hospital as a business and it’s tension that’s usually rare on network TV, but since we are essentially in a new golden age of television that allows these dramas to be more and more, it’s an enormous pleasure.
And the real delay in doing any writing comes when the discs of any given TV show’s season can come to you right away via Netflix. It was certainly true early this morning after finishing the godawful Radioland Murders. Sleep used to be important before I was into movies and I still complain at the start of each college semester when getting up early is part of pursuing a degree. But towards two in the morning, it didn’t matter. Four episodes on the second-to-last disc of “House” and I was going for it. Little did I know that what came after the Edward Vogler story would involve me far more than being awed at how well Chi McBride is framed on camera. The way they use his broad shoulders nearly touching each side of the widescreen frame symbolizes very well the seemingly endless power the man has. But where I sometimes get tired of characters slowly becoming romantically attached to no satisfactory avail, this had me watching. It didn’t matter that it was close to 5 a.m. when I finished. It was worth every minute and in some instances, the medical case House and his team (which includes Omar Epps, Jennifer Morrison, and Jesse Spencer) investigate became a minor annoyance as I wanted to see the personal side of House. I wanted to know what was going to be with this potential relationship. Creator David Shore and his writers and directors are well-tuned into those feelings and know how to bring out each moment as slowly and apprectiatively as possible because the talent has obviously not run out on this show yet, judging from the third season premiering soon, and hopefully it won’t. Not at least until I get through the third season on DVD.
That might seem strange, considering the show is on FOX and I can Tivo it. Maybe. Maybe just the first episode, since it’s a family Tivo unit, so I’m not the only one to use it. Disappointing, especially if the second season turns out to be even more engrossing. But I’m addicted beyond a healthy amount, so whatever I can get is good enough, as long as the repeats come soon after.
Posted by Felix Vasquez Jr. in Writer's Corner at 12:22 AM
PDT
I have to say upon glimpsing at the trailer of “Rocky Balboa,” I was ashamed to admit it looked pretty good. Sure, Stallone is turning to a fail safe again to reclaim his career, and sure it looks an awful lot like “Cinderella Man,” but if he can reclaim much of what made the original so great, then he’ll have given a final bout of quality filmmaking.
Unlike others, I’m not fond of the entire franchise. I loved the original, and part four was once a guilty pleasure watching the once cool Dolph Lundgren challenging Rocky, as well as part five which I thought featured a very exciting street fight, but neither of them were really critical favorites. But I’m interested to see what Stallone would do with this new film.
After Stallone failed with his own reality show, it was obvious he’d try what Schwarzenegger went for and reach back to the roots of his fame. He’s planning another “Rambo,” and hopefully a sequel to “Stop! Or my Mom Will Shoot!” (I kid), so “Rocky” was not too far off.
If it’s well written and well acted enough, it could be a film you can watch directly after the original. How much more tragic would it be to watch the original film with Rocky becoming the greatest, winning the girl, and triumphing over the naysayers, and then fast forward immediately to “Rocky Balboa” where he’s lost his wife, lost his family, lost his fame, and now only has his son to lean on.
Personally, I’d go that route, because it’d be an interesting start and immediate finish to a tragic tale rather than wading through the others again. The whole series was one I could forget pretty easily. I mean while “Rocky” perfected that whole formula, “Rocky 2,” and the rest were pretty cheesy hammy installments with Hulk Hogan, and Mr. T, and Drago to add a sense of camp to an otherwise interesting underdog tale.
It all became very repetitious and lost most of the heart that the original gave us once the films continued being made to cash in on the name. But, with the death of Apollo Creed, and the death of Burgess Meredith as his trainer Mickey, “Rocky Balboa” could, and should be a very sad glimpse at a shell of a man who’s lost everything in his life. His friends and family are all gone.
But I’m interested to see Stallone’s depiction of this “final” installment of the series. He only has his son now, and a few trainers to back him up, and it’s interesting to see how he’ll pull himself out of the slums to prove to himself that he can still find some life. Perhaps in the climax, Balboa will just fade into the darkness as all legends do after they’ve had their last hurrah.
Or perhaps the way Stallone ends this series is through the death of Rocky Balboa. Brain damage was a constant threat during the last installment, after all. The “Rocky” series was a childhood memory, one with its surefire ups and downs with the tale of Rocky rising to fame, losing grip of his family, and eventually being humbled back into the low class. I’d be curious to see if he can reconnect with his son, and show them all why he’s one of the greatest.
Sure, no one believes these actors anymore when they vow it’s the last film of their series. It’s almost like the Rolling Stones declaring it will be their last tour. They always say it, but never stick to it.
One can only imagine what treasures await us with this series next. Perhaps “Young Rocky” where we’ll discover how young Rocky Balboa got into crime, became a stooge, and how he discovered his knack for boxing. Or perhaps, a “Rocky” “restarting” which basically starts the series over with a different actor.
The possibilities are never far off with Hollywood.
But until that horrible day, I’m very much looking forward to “Rocky Balboa.” I have high hopes that the “Italian Stallion” can deliver one more time.
P.S. Asking 40 dollars for a copy of “Good Night and Good Luck” on HD-DVD? That’s obscene. Would you honestly pay forty dollars for a movie you could get on DVD, just because it’s hip to own an HD-DVD? I sure as hell wouldn’t.
Posted by Felix Vasquez Jr. in Writer's Corner at 7:21 AM
PDT
Dear Joss Whedon,
As you can tell I’m ripping off the letter writing entries here, but there’s a good reason for it. So bear with me.
It’s no big secret that I’m a hardcore “Firefly” fan, and when I’m willing to pay six bucks for a fucking keychain from the UK that you can’t get here, I’m not only a fan, but a sucker of a fan, so I’m asking you. Where’s the sequel to “Serenity”? There are so few things in life I enjoy, and “Firefly” is one of them. But this letter won’t be devoted to a television series, because that’s long dead.
I do however, speak of the film “Serenity”.
Though “Serenity” really spoke to people on different wave lengths, and those of us who followed the series really loved it. I loved it. I’ve seen it five times, but only after the box set, and I’m curious when you’re going to get to it, pal. After “Serenity” went onto good critic reaction and pretty good box office, you stated you will not be doing a sequel. Joss, don’t be a dick head. Don’t be a jerk off. I may not be your biggest fan but you seem like a nice guy. How could you even make that decision after leaving all those plot lines open?
Hell, are you aware that fans have even started a donations page to help fund the movie? Some of them are willing to pay up to about 500 bucks to help. How can you not start a sequel with that sort of devotion and denial? I have a bad ticker, I’m not very optimistic, and there are so few things in life that make me happy. Superman, Star Wars, Movies, Writing, Sex, and Firefly. Why would you deprive us of a sequel?
Now, I know you’re in the middle of writing “Wonder Woman”, and that’s cute, but look at it this way: Sam Raimi explained that before “Spider-Man” he couldn’t be taken seriously, but now that the studios know he’s a surefire moneymaker, he can make some requests. Well, “Wonder Woman” has the chance to be a surefire box office success, wouldn’t that be the perfect platform to make two final films in the “Firefly” universe?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not a fanboy of yours; you’re talented, but not all that and a bag of chips. Personally, I really like “Buffy”, but I think it’s kind of overrated, and “Angel” really only became quality entertainment in the last two seasons. “Firefly” combines many genres and aspects of storytelling that I love, and I’m just saddened that you’d take it for granted. I know, FOX fucked you, and I know Universal was cooperative, but still not willing to help advertise, but don’t take it out on us. I’m sure it’s more complicated than my statement alludes to, but close the “Firefly” universe, would you?
The prequels to the “Star Wars” series were disappointing, even if I enjoyed “Sith”, but “Serenity” is everything the prequels should have been, and I’d love to see you show Lucas how to make a trilogy, since he’s obviously forgotten.
The series lasted only sixteen episodes, and yet it’s still damn entertaining to watch. Every four months I watch the whole series in one shot, and I’m anxious to discover if you’re going to break and create a sequel. Now, granted should Nathan Fillion express lack of interest to reprise his role, I may have to pay him a visit, but you’re Joss Whedon, don’t do this to fans just because of a few bad apples.
There are just so many questions I need answering that I can’t stop wondering after finishing “Serenity”: How will they fare with River as the new pilot? Is Zoe pregnant or not? Will Mal and Inara ever make woopy? In spite of killing the agent, doesn’t the alliance still want River? Doesn’t the alliance still want Mal and Zoe? Will the situations ever converge? Whatever happened during the battle of Serenity that Mal and Zoe will not talk about?
From what I’ve read in your interviews, you seem to love the fans, even the scary fans. The ones who tattoo Buffy on their arms and have the entire episode “Once more with Feeling” memorized. But the Browncoats aren’t that scary. Perhaps it’s because we’ve had so little in the Firefly universe and the Buffy fanbase has been spoiled. We only have the series, the film, a few books, and a comic book adaptation, and we’d like more. How about a set of novels?
Whedon, I want a sequel. And I want it whenever you can get to it. I want to see Mal settle his score with the alliance, I want to see Zoey moving on, and I want to see River learning how to adjust in the civilized world. Don’t pull a George Lucas, show us you listen and do a god damn sequel. So, you do your little “Wonder Woman” movie, and get it out of your system; and if the rumors are true, I’d flip for Morena Baccarin as Wonder Woman. But “Serenity” needs a sequel, I don’t care if its through a comic, novel, or Sci-Fi original movie, just do it.
And if you don’t, then you’re in for a world of hurt.
After posting the Bubb Rubb whistle-tip clip over on the Film Threat site and podcast, I got the idea for doing a remix of sorts to the 2002 Ludacris hit “Saturday (Oooh Oooh!).” YouTube had the video, I already had the Bubb Rubb clip and ten minutes later, the following was born.
Posted by Felix Vasquez Jr. in Writer's Corner at 7:01 AM
PDT
The movies on the Sci-Fi channel suck, everyone knows that.
From sea to shining sea, it’s become common knowledge these days that about eighty percent of what’s shown on the Sci Fi Channel is likely to be utterly unwatchable. And I refer to the films only.
Their showings of films rely on formulas of a consistent routine of giant monsters, killer bugs, undersea creatures, faux-action features, superheroes, and bargain basement fantasy.
The Sci-Fi Channel that once showed “Land of the Giants”, and “Lost in Space” has now dumbed itself down and does nothing but show repeats of mediocre shows, marathons of classic shows, a really crappy superhero reality show, and, for some reason ECW Wrestling.
But the joy is in the Sci-Fi original movies.
In the last year I’ve seen so much crap on that channel it’s not even funny. There was a movie about a girl who finds out she’s Lilith and becomes a superhero, a giant mammoth wreaking havoc, a woman who finds out she has powers courtesy of a government accident, a horrible sequel to “The Crow”, a rip-off with a brother and sister witch fighting evil, and a lot of really bad films from Asylum including “Beast of Bray Road”. And that’s just scratching the surface.
During one of their really bad movies called “Slayer”, which involved Casper Van Dien leading a team of soldiers into the jungle to fight off a group of karate fighting vampires, there appeared a commercial about a sweepstakes where you have to name their new crappy TV movie, and you get to win an Ipod!
So, my interest grew. Firstly, because in spite of what I or others think, the Sci-Fi movies shockingly acquire an assload of ratings, thus they continue showing them, so I went to the site, and gave three suggestions. After reading the plot description:
“Thirty years ago, Ray Reiter watched in horror as a giant squid attacked and killed his parents. The creature escaped, but not before young Ray destroyed one of its eyes. When the one-eyed beast re-emerges, attacking a crew of a treasure hunting expedition, Ray joins the team, in hopes of exacting his revenge.”
I knew instantly that they’d go for the cliche title, so I entered the contest, and offered three suggestions:
Death Torrent
Blue Doom
Terror Coast
Not bad. Cheesy, corny, and just up their alley. I mean this is the channel that plays the “Shark Attack” and “Scarecrow” series, I knew these action-esque names would definitely tickle their fancy. I mean there was Deedee Pfeiffer in the semi-action semi-science fiction lemon “Blue Demon”.
The offering for winning was an I-Pod. Well, I didn’t want the I-Pod, but I did. More clearly, I wanted the I-Pod since the retail value was at 399 bucks. So my plan was to win, and then sell it off on Ebay, to earn the money. Hey, I’m poor, what do I care about playing fair?
Anyway, three months later, and you can hang your head low in knowing that Sci-Fi didn’t pick my titles. Yes, it’s a sad occasion indeed. They named it “Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep”. What the fuck “Kraken” is, I don’t know, but I’m sad “Death Torrent” wasn’t chosen. I surely would have demanded royalties.
I kid. Anyway, so now I’ll have look for other sources of extra income since my brief foray into selling overpriced, overhyped, crappy electronics didn’t work. I wonder how much drug traffickers make, ballpark.
