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Review: ‘Quantum of Solace’ on DVD

Having grown up on James Bond movies, I have been conditioned to expect certain lines, images and sounds. As a result, I was curious to see what would survive when the franchise was rebooted with Casino Royale. They played with the martini line but maintained the title theme and gave us a fresh start (although I still think Daniel Craig is too old for Bond at this stage in his career).

The movie was pretty terrific although I noted at the time that the pacing was odd and the entire final third felt like a separate film. So, going into Quantum of Solace, which is released on DVD tomorrow., I wanted to see what they would do next especially since this is the first film that was a direct sequel.

The events from [[[Casino]]] provide Bond’s motivations and colors everything he does in this film. Here’s the first problem with the new film: it does a piss poor job of reminding you what happened in the previous installment. When Mathis is reintroduced, I had forgotten who he was and what his involvement with Bond and Vesper were. Similarly, when Bond says M was wrong about Vesper, I have no recollection what she said in the previous film.

While Bond films are known for their action sequences, this one felt by rote. We had fist fights, a car chase, a boat chase and a plane chase. Ho hum. They were uninvolving thanks to what I call “in your face” editing so things flash by so quickly, you have no real sense of what’s going on. You get impressions based on the glimpses you have in your field of vision. Storytelling is tossed out the window for style but leaves you either confused or frustrated.

The movie is praised for being a taut two hours but I would have dearly enjoyed ten more minutes if characters actually spoke to one another as characters not plot exposition and surface characterization. Also, the movie utterly ignores time. You have no idea how much time has passed from the first scene to the last. We have no idea how Bond changes his clothes so often, when he sleeps, eats and so on. After having no access to money or passports, we next see him in a boat heading to see Mathis. How?

It wasn’t all disappointing.

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‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ from… Jerry Bruckheimer? With Nicholas Cage?

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  • March 23, 2009

You have to wonder if the April’s Fools stories are coming out early… but apparently not. According to Variety, Disney will release producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s family-targeted live-action movie The Sorcerer’s Apprentice on July 16, 2010. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice joins two other Disney kid/family-centric pictures set for that summer: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, set for May 28, and Pixar’s Toy Story 3, which opens July 18.

The movie, starring Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel, is based on "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice" section of Disney’s animated feature Fantasia.  The movie begins production this month under the direction of Jon Turteltaub, who has worked with both Cage and Bruckheimer before on the National Treasure films.

No word yet if Cage will wear the mouse ears.

Now, before you all cry "Blasphemy!" bear in mind that you never thought Pirates of the Caribbean would work… and it probably can’t be any worse than this version:

Review: ‘Tales of the Black Freighter’

One of the key differences between watching [[[Watchmen]]] and reading the complete book is the rich variety of extras in print.  In addition to the story, there was the secondary story, [[[Tales of the Black Freighter]]], in addition to newspaper clippings and excerpts from Hollis Mason’s [[[Under the Hood]]]. Initially, these extras were never considered but were instead added after DC’s management wisely decided the maxiseries should appear without advertising. Freed, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons filled the pages with rich context, inviting readers further into their imagined universe and making for a more fulfilling reading experience.

Watching Tales of the Black Freighter, available to buy or download on Tuesday, you feel like you’re getting supplemental material divorced from the main story as opposed to being fully integrated with the Zack Snyder-directed feature film.  One supposes we must all wait for the director’s cut where at least the Pirate tale will be once more edited in with the main story.

The animated version of the pirate comic book looks nothing like Gibbons’ art (or for that matter, the one page Joe Orlando contributed) but more generic.  Having said that, it uses Gerard Butler’s narration to great effect along with a muted color palette.  The actual animation is fine as is the music but it’s the haunting story of one man’s survival from the wreck of the [[[Black Freighter]]] (a named plucked from Berthold Brecht) and how this experience has changed him. In many ways, it’s Moore’s contribution to an issue of House of Mystery, but it also shows the kind of escapist literature read by the denizens of a world where Dr. Manhattan exists.  The animation runs about 26 minutes and does a nice job overall. You hear Nina Simone’s version of “[[[Pirate Jenny]]]”, also on the soundtrack disc, over the final credits, further tying the pirate to Brecht.

Also on the disc is a mockumentary that delves into how prime time would have featured Under the Hood’s release in 1975 with a retrospective look fro 1985.  Many of the Minutemen appear on camera in one way or another, from faux newsreel footage to on camera interviews, and this fleshes out the Watchmen’s world quite well.  The interviews, the probing questions, and television advertising of the era (along with some for Veidt-produced products) make for a nifty 38 minutes.

Will your appreciation for Snyder’s film change by watching this? Probably not, but it does help immerse you further into this world and you can appreciate the effort, be entertained, and find more context for the world.

“Story within a Story” is a nice look at these supplemental features as former DC president Jenette Kahn, current DC President & Publisher Paul Levitz, Senior VP Richard Bruning, and initial [[[Watchmen]]] editor Len Wein all talk about the evolution of the backup material and how it became integral to the story. Some of the cast and crew also discuss the movie’s fidelity to the source material and how much fun it was to make.

The disc comes with trailers for the Watchmen, its video game, [[[Terminator: Salvation]]], and the [[[Green Lantern]]] featurette also found on the [[[Wonder Woman]]] disc.  You can either get this now or hope it is all included in some mega set down the road.

If Kevin Smith could ever finish a series for Marvel on time…

  • News
  • March 21, 2009

…we might end up with this:

Y’know, suddenly I’m not in such a rush for Daredevil/Bullseye: The Target #2.

Oh, speaking of lateness, posting may be a bit light this weekend because of Lunacon. Come see the Mixologists there!

The Point – March 20th, 2009

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  • March 20, 2009

pt032009-5919583It’s the first day of spring, the last day for BATTLESTAR and we give you our exclusive preview of SUPER CAPERS, opening in theaters today. Then there’s the reason WATCHMEN fizzled, more Erotic Comics and what the hell is “SyFy”?

PRESS THE BUTTON to Get The Point! 
 

 

And be sure to stay on The Point via badgeitunes61x15dark-5113631, RSS, MyPodcast.Com or Podbean

 

 

MacInTalk and why I love the Internet, part XLIII

  • News
  • March 20, 2009

So I’m watching WALL•E, and I’m thinking to myself that the voice of the ship, AUTO, is real familiar, and so I call up IMDB. And lo and behold, it is familair– it’s MacInTalk. The happy folks at Pixar tipped their hats to Apple (gee, can’t imagine why).

Then I look deeper. Dang, IMDB gave MacInTalk its own character page. Very neat.

And then I scrolled down to the message boards, and I saw the various comments…

Met him last night…
Macintalk for Best Supporting Actor!

This guy is in every fcking movie!
So overrated.

People say I look like him!!

Is it true he’s dating Keira Knightly?

I think I read that somewhere. Maybe People magazine? I don’t know but it would be cool if it was true!

He’s quite the player. He’s also been seen with Agnes, Kathy, Princess, Vicki and Victoria, as well as Trinoids, Zarvox, Pipe Organ and Bahh. There are even rumors about him and his pet dogcow, Clarus.

You people are all insane! MacInTalk and Keira have repeatedly DENIED any relationship. All this kind of talk does is further confuse people who’ll readily believe anything they read. CAN’T YOU LEAVE THEM IN PEACE? Anyway, MacInTalk was seen in Ibiza two weeks ago snuggling up to Salma Hayek on the beach, so you can make up your own mind about that …

Nude pictures – real?

Oh, that is SO photoshopped. FAKE!! Can’t you see it’s Mac’s (read/write) head on a Hitachi platter and chassis?

You don’t even want to know about discussion of the sex tape on Robby The Robot’s page.

Convention Cookies

  • News
  • March 20, 2009

Conventions are an excellent place to catch a glimpse of your favorite celebrities, hear the latest gossip on your favorite shows, and buy as much awesome stuff as you possibly can. Conventions are not, however, renowned for their food. While finding an affordable and delicious balanced meal can be difficult when you are away at a con, you can certainly bring along something more exciting than a bag of chips and some stale licorice for snacking. So if you’re going to the The New England Webcomics Weekend 2009 or Lunacon this weekend, here are two of my time tested favorite cookie recipes and an easy no-bake snack.

Amazingly Easy Convention Crunchies

3 cups healthy unsweetened or lightly sweetened crunchy cereal (Kashi, All-Bran, Cheerios, etc.)
1 12oz bag of baking morsels (chocolate, butterscotch, etc.)

In microwave safe container, melt morsels on medium. Stop every 20 seconds to stir. When all chips melt and stir easily, it is ready (microwaves vary).

Put cereal in a large mixing bowl.

Pour melted morsels over cereal and coat as evenly as possible.

Spread mixture on wax paper to cool (about 2 hours)

Break up into cookie-sized pieces and store in airtight container. Refrigerate if desired.
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The Un-Ethics of Watchmen Part III: Dance of the Philosophers

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  • March 20, 2009

For parts 1 and 2 of this article, go here and here.

Watchmen and Philosophy: A Rorschach Test , edited by Mark D. White from CUNY’s College of Staten Island and a veteran of Wiley’s (Blackwell’s) Philosophy and Pop Culture series, is a volume with results as mixed as the characters in its subject matter, but not nearly as dark. Philosophers are generally optimists and idealists, by character (unless you’re a grumpy nihilistic existentialist, like Camus or Sartre).

This volume happens to be heavy on professors and related professionals from the NY area (6 out of 17 contributors), a comics mecca, but has no dearth of experts from around the world (UK, Canada, Finland, Switzerland, Venezuela). All but one are at least part-time academics. The book itself (trade paperback, 227 pp., $17.95/$19.95 Canada) has solid production values, a good table of contents and index, and snappy little contributor bios, complete with Watchmen in-jokes.

I wish it had a glossary and story summary included amongst its study aids. Some of the articles are overly verbose in their explanations, to my mind – get to the point! But this is always one of my irritations with academia, even as an academic in one aspect of my life, myself. Say it simply, succinctly, and straight-forwardly, especially in a volume aimed at the every-person who wants to expand their knowledge and experience of the genre they’re reading or viewing. But what most of the authors have to say is thoughtful, insightful, and has some meat for comic book carnivores to gnaw on. Of course, this volume would mean nearly nothing to someone who hasn’t read the novel or seen the movie, despite its solid philosophical groundings, as the world and the characters and their dilemmas are essential to the whole discussion, some of which has been going on since Watchmen was first released more than 20 years ago. This is a bone people love to chew on and probably one of the reasons why Time magazine included it on its list of the 100 Greatest American Novels of All Time.

White saved the best article for last and it couldn’t be categorized, so ended up in the otherwise weaker catch-all final section, “This is not your father’s comic book”. It is by Finnish contributor Taneli Kukkonen. He focuses on Rorschach, our point of view character, and The Comedian, our two characters who’re the least ethical, rough around the edges, to say the least, and the ideas of irony, jokes, and humour in general are all seen through the lens of Kierkegaard, a Finnish Philosophical hero (and considered the founder of the school of Existentialism, but without the nihilism that would later creep into it).

Kukkonen’s brilliant writing and exposition of Kierkegaard and Watchmen in light of this philosopher almost seduces you into believing that Rorschach really is wholly ethical and therefore a real good guy. So close!

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How to make a Dr. Manhattan cocktail

  • News
  • March 19, 2009

From The Eaten Path:

Ingredients:

2 oz. clove-infused gin
1 oz. dry vermouth
1/2 oz. St Germain
Splash of blue curacao
2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters

Place several ice cubes in a mixing glass or cocktail shaker. Don’t skimp on the ice (I use about five cubes per drink), as Dr. Manhattan is to be served straight. Chill a glass on the side by filling it with ice or placing it in the freezer.

Add 2 oz. of clove-infused gin, then 1 oz. of dry vermouth. Follow with 1/2 oz. of St. Germain (the good Doctor still knows how to love, after all). Throw in a couple dashes of Peychaud’s bitters- I use Peychaud’s instead of Angostura because of their red hue and less punchy flavor. Finally, add just a bit of blue curaçao, enough to give the drink a crystal blue tinge without making the end result too sweet. Stir all of the ingredients thoroughly (I usually stir for half a minute or so) to ensure that they are well mixed and well chilled. This drink does not get better as it gets warmer.

Strain the mixture into the chilled glass and serve immediately.

Serve with a giant blue swizzle stick. The blueberries are optional.

Drink enough of these, and the morality of your actions will escape you too.

Wolverine Artist Appreciation Month, part two

  • News
  • March 19, 2009

To the list of Wolverine artists that we’re appreciating because Marvel isn’t, it seems we sadly must now add Frank Miller and Josef Rubenstein.

Why? Because of this cover. The Washington Post lists the artist as Morry Hollowell, completely skipping over the work of the original artists.

Unless they’re really trying for the Pop Art thing by not acknowledging the original artists…? Hey, it worked for Roy.

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