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John Ostrander, Temporary Celebrity!

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Last week I gave a review of the Suicide Squad movie. This week, I’m talking about my trip to NYC for the premiere.

I got in to the East Coast on 7/31 and stayed with my friends Tam and Kev English over in New Jersey, near to where I used to live. Tom Mandrake and Jan Duursema, who also live in the area, were going to be in town Sunday night before going on a trip so we all got together for a nice meal. Hilarity ensued.

viola-davis-1484859Tom and Jan also gave me a box full of Kros: Hallowed Ground booty. This is stuff that will be going out to our subscribers and it is killer cool.

I took the train into Manhattan on Monday to join my old bud and oft-time editor and my date for the evening, the lovely and effervescent Mike Gold.  We were meeting for a pre-festivities lunch. Among many other projects, Mike edited Legends, which is where my version of the Suicide Squad first appeared. True to form, I screwed up both the time and the location but eventually wound up where I was supposed to be, a little hot, a lot sweaty, but there.

It was a nice meal at Virgil’s BBQ (when with Mike, you’re quite likely to wind up eating barbecue) and then it was time to head out to the pre-premiere party being hosted by Dan Didio and DC Entertainment. On our way to a taxi (Mike suggested the subway but I was already overheated), we went to the heart of Times Square and there – lo and behold – was a huge frickin’ ad for the movie up on a building. It was at least four stories tall and wrapped around the building on either side. I was staggered.

On to the DC pre-party up at Pappardella on the upper west side. We were met outside by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Connor; seeing Jimmy always guarantees a good time and Amanda graces the company of wherever she is.

All sorts of DC stalwarts were inside including some old friends like Paul Levitz, Mike Barr, and Keith Giffen. Was also joined by Adam Glass and his wife at our table in the corner. Adam had written the initial issues of the New 52 edition of the Squad and we were able to chat Squad shop. Great guy, good writer, and a fun table companion.

I also got to meet Geoff Johns face-to-face for the first time. We’ve traded more than a few emails but have never been able to be in the same place at the same time. Geoff has recently been promoted to President as well as Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment and I had a chance to congratulate him. He sat down and we had just a really good chat. In addition to being a really good writer, Geoff is a hell of as nice guy.

ostrander-diva-3857192They got some group photos of all of us at Pappardella and then it was time to walk over to the nearby Beacon Theater for the premiere. We got off the buses and it was amazing: there was major security, both private and city, and barriers and people behind barriers looking for stars and celebrities. I was dazzled and dazed. I started to follow the herd towards the theater until I heard someone calling my name. It was Dan Didio as well as my date gesturing me over to a large air conditioned tent right there on Amsterdam Avenue. I mean, the air conditioning units were huge. I was supposed to go in that way. I wasn’t sure why but I went there.

Inside there was a backdrop and lots of press and photographers. I was in a spotlight and, swear to God, they were calling “John, look over here.” “John. Over this way.” “John, look straight ahead.” Flashes flashed and I had on my best deer caught in the headlights look. It was weird.

My baptism by strobes completed, I was escorted out of the tent and to the theater and given my assigned seat. The Beacon is no small theater (albeit a beautiful one) and every seat was assigned. I sat in the middle of the DC row and settled in. Geoff Johns was two seats to my right but the one right next to me was vacant. I decided that seat belonged to my late wife and frequent Squad co-writer, Kim Yale. Knowing Kim, she was having a blast.

Pete Tomasi, my one-time editor on a lot of The Spectre, Martian Manhunter, and The Kents, came over for a chat. It was great to see him; it’s been far too long. Pete‘s also a freelance writer these days and a good one.

I’ll admit to being dazzled. A lot of fuss was being made over me and more than a few people came up and said that this was my night as well; that none of this would have been happening without me. I guess that’s technically true but it’s a little hard for me to wrap my brain around.

Anyway, it comes time for the movie and the director, David Ayer, comes out to say a few words and he brings out the entire cast of the movie. Loud cheers all around. The cast walks off and the movie begins.

I reviewed the movie last week and I’ll double down on it. I’ve seen it again since then, with My Mary (who couldn’t make it to the premiere) at IMAX and in 3-D and I liked it even more. I understand that there’s people who don’t agree with me and that’s fine; different tastes for different folks. For example, Mary likes broccoli and I can’t stand it, referring to it as “tiny trees”. But I loved the Squad movie and I’ll see it still again.

One note about it and it’s a very minor spoiler. I knew ahead of time that they had named a building used in the movie the John F. Ostrander Federal Building. I knew it was there, I knew it was coming up and yet, somehow, I missed seeing it. The DC row cheered but I didn’t see it until we went to the IMAX. Go figure.

There were cheers when the movie was over and then it was time to get onto the buses and go to the after-party. It was held in a huge hall with parts of it made up to look like Belle Reve (I’m told it was on display at SDCC and then moved east). There was food, there was drink, there was a DJ and loud music; DC had a private area off to one side. I understood the stars of the movie were in attendance and had their own area as well.

This may surprise some folks but not, I think, those who know me well. I sometimes get a case of the shys; I feel awkward where I feel somewhat out of place. I saw Kevin Smith there and wanted to go up and talk with him but he was talking to someone else so I wandered off. I didn’t want to bother him.

The one person I did want to meet was Viola Davis who played Amanda Waller. Amanda is special to me and Ms. Davis did a superb job, IMO, and I just wanted to tell her so. First, I had to deal with security. I walked up to a guy guarding the artist’s area; the Hulk is smaller than this guy. Real tall, shoulders the size of a football field – nobody was getting past him. Nobody.

I went straight to him, explained who I was and why I wanted to see Ms. Davis. He was polite, got a hold of someone who had to go check on me. While I waited, he deflected two or three others. The guy was good at his job.

Finally, someone came up to take me back the handful of steps to –. I introduced myself and then told her how much I enjoyed her performance. She was very gracious and lovely. I think, although I’m not certain, that I did not babble unduly.

And then I was done.

I might have liked to say hello to some of the other actors and especially the director but, plain and simple, I’d run out of nerve. My date had already left to catch a train and it was time for me to do the same. Penn Station was only a block or two away and that’s where I need to go to get back to Tam and Kev.

I’m reasonably certain in my heart that Kim was there at the party. She would have been in her element. She was an extrovert and she would have been dancing and drinking and chatting with the stars and flashing that megawatt smile. I’m also reasonably certain she’s still there; at many a Con, Kim would still be partying while I went to bed. I couldn’t keep up with her.

I said goodbye to Geoff Johns, got to Penn Station and went back to my friends in Jersey.

It was an experience totally unlike anything I’ve ever had. I don’t know if I’ll ever have another one like it. Even if I went to another movie premiere, this was my first one. As they say, you never forget your first.

I was a temporary celebrity. I’ve done lots of interviews connected with the event and I’ll probably do a few more, told the same stories or given the same answers a lot of times. I’ve been dipped in the waters of fame. There were faces on the other side of the barriers in front of the theater or the after party, looking at me, wondering who I was. I must have been Somebody. For the moment, maybe I was.

I’m home now. The dishes need washing, this column has to be finished, and one of the cats wants attention. That’s who I am and I’m happy with that. The rest will fade as it should. I’ll tell you this, though – it sure as hell was fun while it lasted! For that night, I was John Fucking Ostrander with my name of the side of a building in a big ass movie..

Yeah. That was cool.

Suicide Squad: Marc Alan Fishman’s Conflict of Interest!

harley-quinn-glove-6106964Hello all. As I’m sure nearly everyone else here on ComicMix has given their two cents on the recent release of Suicide Squad (with the most important among us, John Ostrander, being the end-all-be-all in his review), I’d be remiss if I didn’t also drop a few opinionated pennies in the bucket.

My opinion of the flick, sadly, isn’t a high one. Had John – someone I admire so much as a writer, and cherish as a (dare I say it) personal friend – not been one of the sources by which David Ayer and his team built the Squad around? I’d really be inclined to say I left the theater unsurprisingly disgruntled. But I left at least with a snicker and some joy for the good things buried in the layers of bad.

Walking in, admittedly, my expectations were low. Given the bar to clear thanks to Batman v. Superman, all I really wanted was a film that could at least take a step back now and again to have a laugh and/or human moment. I didn’t need to see Deadshot and his dirty dozen eat gyros in Central City mind you, but I needed to be reminded now and again that the DC Movie Universe wasn’t all angsty rainstorms and mommy issues.

Walking out, I felt I’d been treated to – as my friend and comic shop owner Eric Garneau quipped — a two hour music video. Stuff exploded. One liners were dropped. A little depth and human emotion permeated a few of the Wall’s wicked wrongdoers. And I didn’t leave exhausted by most of the ham-fistedness of it all.

If I’m allowed to file some complaints… (And, duh, SPOILERS be ahead, matey)

Jared Leto may had thought going method was the way to really capture the Joker. But the inked and lovelorn desperate putz they paraded out during the film was hardly the clown prince of crime I personally love to loathe. As presented, he was a chalk white gangster without a soul. If it’s one thing every Joker before him has shown (and much of that comes with the script) is a depth beyond the forced smile and purple pants. In Suicide Squad, he served only one purpose: to grant us our Harley Quinn, the sexpot screwloose heart-of-the-team.

A secondary concern would pop up when it came to the obvious screen time of Will Smith’s Deadshot as well as the aforementioned Dr. Quinzelle. Clearly the studio loved how marketable each would be; Deadshot is basically a living action figure, and Harley is Hot Topic made flesh. But with each of them getting considerably longer stretches to dominate the film, the more interesting members of the team were left to fill fodder roles.

Had we not seen Captain Boomerang stuff the pink unicorn into his jacket several dozen times, would there even be much to the character as given to us? He was funny as he continually opted to try to half escape or drink beer, sure… But there’s far more to Digger than the movie opted to offer.

And what of Killer Croc or El Diablo? To me, Diablo stole the film, with his well-paced slow burn (natch) arc. It left me wanting to know far more about him. While Croc apparently was happy to be the muscle of the team who was always relegated to wide shots due to the budget clearly being spent on Enchantresses’ CGI maelstrom.

Which leads me to the last nit to pick. From the second she was introduced, Enchantress was truly used as nothing more than a deus ex machinsquad. Overpowered, over CGI’ed, and under-acted, I never believed for a second that the June Moon inside wanted our Not-Tom-Hardy Rick Flag. But the point is moot. She was there to give us a squad and produce yet-another-army of expendable computer monsters to bash. Meh.

For what it’s worth, I feel the need to end on an uplifting note. Much as John himself pointed out, so much of the success of this film would rest on Amanda Waller. As the Samuel L. Jackson Nick Fury of the DCU (who predates that actual character by several decades… thank you, John), Viola Davis was everything I wanted in the Wall and more. In fact, I hope we catch her rooting around every DC movie from here to the eventual Kingdom Come.

Ultimately, if someone were to ask me about Task Force X I’d pop in my DVD of Justice League Unlimited and show them how it was done as a masterstroke. Otherwise, I suggest switching your brain to mute, getting a large greasy bucket of popcorn, and just enjoy the madness. Suicide Squad is, to date, the best DC’s movie makers have yet to offer. Enough glints of hope exist for the casual fans to have a good time.

And hey, should the Squad return? Well, if it drops a few shekels of credit to John Ostrander… my next ticket will be bought in advance.

The Force Awakens 3D Collector’s Edition Adds New Material

AVCO_3D_pack_shotBURBANK, Calif. (August 10, 2016) — This fall, Star Wars fans around the world, will experience a galaxy far, far away—up close and in eye-popping 3D—through the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens 3D Collector’s Edition, rolling out beginning Oct. 31 and arriving in the United States and Canada on Nov 15.

For the first time—and just in time for the holidays—viewers can bring home Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 3D, encased in stunning, collectible packaging. The exclusive four-disc 3D Collector’s Edition contains the original theatrical release on Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™, Digital HD and DVD, along with originally released bonus features and brand-new bonus material, including additional deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes conversations with cast and crew and revealing, never-before released audio commentary by director J.J. Abrams*.

*Collector’s Edition configuration may vary by territory

Upon its debut last December, Star Wars: The Force Awakens received rave reviews from both critics and audiences, and shattered box office records with over $936 million domestic and $2 billion worldwide. The film has since been nominated for five Academy Awards® and took home the BAFTA Award for Special Visual Effects. The Force Awakens re-ignited the Star Wars franchise and fans eagerly await the next installment, arriving in theaters Dec. 2017, as well as the first in a series of standalone films, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, premiering on Dec. 16, 2016.

Bonus features include*:

3D COLLECTOR’S EDITION BONUS FEATURES:

Audio Commentary with J.J. Abrams – Enter the mind of visionary director J.J. Abrams as he reveals the creative and complex choices made while developing the first film in the new Star Wars trilogy.
Foley: A Sonic Tale – Foley artists, consisting of old pros and new talent, unite to bring the world of Star Wars: The Force Awakens alive through the matching of sound to action.
Sounds of the Resistance – Hear how the epic sound design of Star Wars: The Force Awakens moves the Star Wars legacy forward.
Deleted Scenes – View never-before-shared scenes that didn’t make the film’s final cut.
Dressing the Galaxy – Costume Designer Michael Kaplan reveals how the costumes of the original Star Wars movies were re-envisioned for a new generation.
The Scavenger and the Stormtrooper: A Conversation with Daisy Ridley and John Boyega – The two new stars share the thrill of working together on the adventure of a lifetime and becoming part of the Star Wars legacy.
Inside the Armory – Take a fascinating tour through the design and creation of the weaponry in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Classic Bonus Features – These offerings from the April release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, include the complete story behind the making of the film, an unforgettable cast table read, insights from legendary composer John Williams and deleted scenes, as well as features that dig deeper into the creation of new characters such as BB-8, the design of the climactic lightsaber battle between Rey and Kylo Ren, the film’s remarkable digital artistry and the Star Wars: Force for Change global aid initiative.

* Digital bonus offerings may vary by retailer. New bonus content is available in the 3D Collector’s Edition package only.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens 3D Collector’s Edition global release dates include:
Australia Nov. 9 Holland Oct. 31 Spain Nov. 2
Brazil Nov. 16 Italy Nov. 2 Sweden Oct. 31
France Oct. 31 United Kingdom Oct. 31
Germany Nov. 24 United States &

Canada

 Nov. 15

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” saw the eagerly anticipated reteaming of original Star Wars stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill, along with Anthony Daniels, the only actor to have been in all seven Star Wars films, and Peter Mayhew. The returning cast was joined by newcomer Daisy Ridley, who beat out fierce competition to take the principal role of Rey; BAFTA Rising Star Award winner John Boyega (“Attack the Block,” “Imperial Dreams”) as reluctant stormtrooper Finn; Emmy® nominee Adam Driver (“Lincoln,” “Girls”) as the villainous Kylo Ren, and Golden Globe® winner Oscar Isaac (“Inside Llewyn Davis,” “The Bourne Legacy”) as Resistance pilot Poe Dameron.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt. Lucasfilm president and eight-time Academy Award® nominee Kathleen Kennedy and J.J. Abrams, along with his longtime producing partner Bryan Burk, are the film’s producers.

Having established a musical legacy with his iconic scores for the previous six films in the Star Wars saga, acclaimed composer John Williams returned to score “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” ultimately garnering his 50th Oscar® nomination for it.

DISC SPECIFICATIONS:

FEATURE RUN TIME: Approximately 136 min.
RATING: PG-13 in U.S.; PG in CE; G in CF
ASPECT RATIO: Blu-ray Feature Film = 2.40:1
DVD Feature Film = 2.40:1
AUDIO: Blu-ray = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio,
French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks
DVD = English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital,
English 2.0 Descriptive Audio Language Tracks
LANGUAGES: English, French & Spanish
SUBTITLES: English SDH, French & Spanish

REVIEW: Game of Thrones Season 6 on Digital HD

  • News
  • August 12, 2016

got_hall_of_faces_s6_poster_02-e1471011121178-8941627The sixth season of HBO’s adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones demonstrated one of the key differences between novels and television. The mass medium of television brings with it certain expectations by its audience and producers, hoping to curry favor for repeated patronage, sometimes ignore their instincts and give the fans what they want. Authors rarely so succumb, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle being the best known example of giving the readers what they wanted.

In the five books released to date, Martin has continually confounded, angered, and relentlessly surprised his readers. Characters succeed, fail, survive, and die as the story dictates, not because fans have made certain characters popular.

Therefore, this season is a mixed bag with incredibly strong storytelling undercutting its strength by not surprising us. No one, except readers of the novel, expected Ned Stark to die or what was to happen at the Red Wedding. But here, across ten episodes, producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, consistently gave viewers what they wanted as they use elements from the unpublished sixth novel and continue to deviate from the core texts, creating a parallel but not identical version of events.

Jon Snow (Kit Harrington)’s fate was the most discussed cliffhanger since “Who Shot JR?” He survived and went on to abandon his post at The Wall in order to reunite the north now that it’s clear the Night King is coming closer. This led to episode nine’s incredibly satisfying but unsurprising “Battle of the Bastards” as Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Theon) gets his comeuppance. Long-lost Uncle Benjen Stark (Joseph Mawle) turns up long enough to help Bran (Hempstead Wright). Cersei (Lena Headey) exacts her revenge and the one real surprise this season was an unintended consequence. Little in the way of surprises here.

The most surprising — and poignant — moment in the entire season has to be the backstory to poor, beleaguered and brave Hodor (Kristian Nair).

sansa-stark-e1471011237317-1661054The season, now available on Digital HD, starts off very slowly, wasting the first two episodes just moving players into position. All too leisurely, the season of the women gets underway. I wish there was more time spent on Arya (Maisie Williams)’s efforts to return home and Sansa (Sophie Turner) finally matures and becomes quite cunning. Sansa’s rise this season is the most major change and could have been explore more. My wife predicts there will be a showdown between the sisters-in-law (unless I’m mistaken, she’s still technically married to Tyrion [Peter Dinklage], making Cersei her extended family). Of all the women in the sprawling cast, Brienne (Gwendoline Christy) gets short shrift and needed more screen time.

While it was nice seeing Sandor Clegane (Rory McCann) back in action, and it’s always a pleasure to see Ian McShane in anything, their storyline in “The Broken Man” and “No One” feels extraneous.

Season Six also wrapped several long running plot lines in an effort to move things to the final act, spread over shortened seasons seven and eight. We thankfully bid farewell to the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce) and welcome back to the powerful Queen Daenerys (Emilia Clarke). Her evolving friendship with Tyrion remains a highlight of the show. And the show definitely had more wonderful moments than bad ones, but it’s predictability felt wrong.

“The Winds of Winter” proves Ned right from the first episode as the snow begins to fall and the night King grows ever closer. Those in power and seeking power remain largely clueless of the true threat to Westeros so we’re left to anticipate what comes next.

The Digital HD package contains not only all ten episodes in fine audio and video form, but you also receive a Season 5 Recap, all ten The Game Revealed shorts, and additional features on the characters and world. All in all, if you want it, this is a fine way to own a piece of the kingdom.

Martha Thomases: Comicons, Guns and Flutter

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There is a chance this year that I might again attend the Baltimore Comic-Con next month. This pleases me. It’s a fun show, almost entirely about comic books.

Yeah, there are some movie and television celebrities, and that’s fine. Their presence makes many people happy. They don’t take up a lot of the show floor. For the most part, it’s easy to get around. Similarly, although the cosplay can be brilliant, it doesn’t consume all the available aisle space. Or oxygen.

There is a delightful feeling of cooperation between the folks who run the con and fans and other attendees. Announcements made through the sound system are clear and easy to understand. The pros are accessible, and, in return, the fans don’t maul them. I’m sure there are examples of rudeness and discourtesy, but, unlike at other shows (I’m looking at you, NYCC) they don’t overwhelm the good vibes.

And, also, they have a weapons policy.

I never thought about a show having a weapons policy before. I mean, every municipality has its own laws about guns, and of course a comics convention within city limits must abide by the laws of that particular city. As cosplay continues to grow, cosplayers will want to look as authentic as they possibly can so they can garner the most admiration possible. This means they’ll want realistic-looking imitation swords, knives, lances, maces, lasers and, yes, guns.

Alas, reality intrudes. Just as we must open our bags before we go into a theater these days and walk through an X-Ray machine at the airport, it’s not unreasonable to expect comics conventions to devise tighter security measures. I would rather be patted down before entering, and possibly even surrender my beloved knitting needles, than fear an attack like the one in Orlando.

Fake plastic weapons don’t phase me. Fundamentalist terrorism does.

A lot of my comrades in the anti-war movement think toy weapons are bad. While I respect their opinion, I disagree. I think all of us, including children (maybe especially children) get frustrated with reality and want to act out our rage and fury, even if only in our imaginations. Children need to be taught to accept themselves and their feelings, even the so-called “bad” feelings, if they are ever to have a chance to learn how to control themselves.

It’s a wonderful thing to dress up in a way that expresses are hopes and fears, and then be admired for our creativity. Although cosplay is not my thing (and you should thank your lucky stars for that), I understand how cool it must feel to walk around in public, costumed as a fierce warrior or an intrepid heroine. It must be fun to flirt with evil, dressed as a villain.

While I love these flights of fantasy, I also admire the way graphic storytelling has, over the last couple of decades, expanded into genres that offer more kinds of heroes to admire. Yes, we have Batman and Supergirl and Thor and the Hulk, and villains like Harley Quinn and Loki and Brainiac. We have dorkier, more human-looking characters like Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel. We have real life heroes such as Congressman John Lewis, who has organized kids at his convention panels into cosplayers who replicate the March on Selma.

Along with pretending to have superpowers and smashing bad guys (or good guys, as the case may be), the good stuff about Congressman Lewis encouraging this kind cosplay in children is that these kids are learning how to accomplish the same results through active non-violence.

I love him so much for doing this. And I’m not the only one.

Tweeks Catching Up with Wynonna Earp Cast at SDCC

Wynonna Earp is quite possibly the best show on TV right now. If you haven’t been watching, then hurry up and get on Syfy.com and be ready to be sucked in. And then go straight to your local comic book store and buy all the Wynonna Earp comics from IDW. Go! Now!

For those of you who already know this show is like if Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, and a Western had an exciting, well-written super baby, then you will totally appreciate that we got to have a few quick words with the amazing Beau Smith (Wynonna Earp creator), Tim Rozon (Doc Holiday), Shamier Anderson (Agent Dolls), & Melanie Scrofano (Wynonna Earp). Apparently the buzz on Wynonna Earp’s first season was epic because the press room was crazy crowded, but we’re hoping to get all of our questions out to the cast before Season 2. Oh, yeah, that’s right — Wynonna Earp is getting a much deserved second season. Yee haw!

On a side note — we absolutely love how genuinely excited Tim Rozon is being at Comic Con. The video doesn’t do his joy justice. We could not love him more! And honestly truly, Maddy does know the difference between Dolls & Doc. It just was a lot easier to interview them before she was obsessed with the show.

The Point Radio: MR ROBOT And A New Bag Of Shockers

USA Network’s MR ROBOT turned TV on its ear last summer, and the way this season is shaping up they just might do it again. We sit down with the cast,including Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Carly Chakin, Portia Doubleday and Gracie Gummer. Each one talks about the path their characters are on over the next few month – better hold on!

Follow us here on Instagram or on Twitter here.

Dennis O’Neil: I Think, Therefore I Yam What I Yam

Descarte Matrix

So, you think you exist, do you?

Okay, you probably do, but not in the way you’ve always believed you do. (And let’s be wary of that word “always.” Might be a slippery one, that “always.”) Way back when, in the seventeenth century, a brainy guy, a philosopher and mathematician named René Descartes put “cogito ergo sum” into the world’s head. A lot of you know that René’s observation means, in the usual English translation, “I think therefore I am.”

What he was trying to do, our René, was find Truth with a capital T – some fact that could not be doubted, no matter what, no matter who. He asked us to imagine that there exists an evil demon who has created a vastly elaborate illusion. We’re just a brain, or something akin to brains, floating in demon porridge or maybe suspended from a demon ceiling and everything else is a part of demon’s foolery. It just ain’t. But someone other than the demon must be on the receiving end of the demonic sniggery, or else the sniggery itself couldn’t exist. That someone is me.

popeye the matrixI can’t be sure about you. How do I know that you’re there?

Our movie-going friends may have already noticed something familiar here. Yeah, that flick – The Matrix, written and directed by siblings named Wachowski and released in 1999. Same idea: bad machines have humans in some kind of suspended animation, and the humans don’t know it because they’re being caused to hallucinate a fully populated and developed Earth.

This is a bit like what I do/did for a living. Sketch out characters who don’t exist except as brain blops and jerrybuild an imaginary world for them to inhabit, then present the fruits of this labor to others. Usually, for me, that involved writing comic book scripts.

And you? Well, for purposes of this discussion we’ll assume that you do exist, though how and in what form and why we won’t stipulate.

Here we nod to philosopher Nick Bostrum who, in 2003, offered the theory that the universe is a computer simulation. Some people believed him – Elon Musk and Neil deGrasse Tyson among them. It’s been estimated that there’s approximately a 20 percent chance that Bostrum’s wacky theory reflects reality, albeit a reality we can’t comprehend and might not recognize if we found ourselves plunked down in the middle of it.

As for that reality’s inhabitants… who can guess? I’m wondering if they, covertly, interact with us and if they hear what we say and see what we do. And if such is the case, how do we know that they aren’t inhuman doppelgangers able to coexist in the same space that we occupy? And hey, you doppled others, what’s your deal? What are you up to, anyway? Playing a game with a gamepiece that’s me? Running an experiment? Doing something my brain is not configured to understand, or even to perceive?

Waiting for me to make a mistake? Well, that shouldn’t take long, but if you control me, wouldn’t the mistake be yours?

I could get to like this game.

Box Office Democracy: Suicide Squad

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I usually try to avoid reading reviews of movies before I go see them but the explosion of negativity that came out as soon as the embargo dropped last week made it utterly impossible to see Suicide Squad completely untainted. Combined with some scheduling snafus that kept me from seeing the film until Monday morning I walked into the theater with a strong preconception that this was going to be a bad movie. And it was— Suicide Squad is a bad movie, but it isn’t the end of western cinema, it isn’t the worst superhero movie ever made, it isn’t even the worst superhero movie released this year from Warner Bros that Ben Affleck is in. At some points it’s even endearingly bad, the kind of movie that could end up with a cult following. I doubt it will because of all the times it’s just a bland kind of bad and the crushing weight of the perpetual DC cinematic failures, but there are traces of a spark here.

Suicide Squad is an aggressively bland movie. Everything but Harley Quinn seems to be colored in various shades of grey or, at best, muted colors. The sets are drab and the exteriors are very obviously studio back lots pumped in with a smoke machine. Even the most common bad guys are an endless supply of vaguely human cannon fodder made out of black goo. There’s no personality to the environments, the objectives, or most of the characters. I just can’t care about this team of warriors killing wave after wave of generic nothing henchmen to foil an evil plot that looks menacing, but has no established stakes until the movie is 90% over. I get that the government has a vested interest in not having mysterious interdimensional entities establishing swirling vortexes above major cities, but if you don’t tell me what it does it becomes entirely generic.

Even if Suicide Squad were, somehow, a more interesting movie it wouldn’t save it because it’s a stunningly misogynist and racist movie. I might be at odds with some others in the comics community by saying this but I never thought Harley Quinn started as a particularly progressive character. She got there when they teamed her with Poison Ivy and there have been more and less good depictions of her over the years but this is definitely a bottom-of-the-barrel portrayal. Harley is a living breathing failure of the Bechdel Test because literally every action she takes is about a man, usually The Joker but sometimes Deadshot. It’s challenging to give this critique because Margot Robbie does such a good job taking the poorly-written character she’s given and wringing every bit of character she can out of it. There’s a moment where she turns to bow when she exits a scene that I swear is frame-for-frame perfect with an appearance on Batman: The Animated Series and that’s quite a commitment to the character.

If we want to hit sexism and racism in one character it would be in El Diablo. I’m not familiar with this version of the character at all, he must be from after my time as a regular comic book reader, but I sincerely hope that he has origins more distinct than this Mexican gangster caricature. It’s like David Ayer learned five things about Mexican gangs when he was writing Training Day and decided that he would put those things in every movie he wrote from then on. The movie also very much wants us to believe that El Diablo is the real victim of the time he got mad and incinerated his entire family in a scene that was several notches over my comfort zone in terms of similarity to real-world domestic violence. I understand that they’re trying for a metaphor here, but there’s basically no way the family man character they expect me to believe Deadpool is would be cool with what El Diablo did. Oh, and when El Diablo gets to his most powerful level, he inexplicably turns in to a giant flaming Aztec caricature, it’s very strange juxtaposed with his seemingly Catholic world view up until then. It’s as if they decided if they treated Will Smith and Viola Davis well, they could just do the rest of their minority characters as rough ethnic sketches.

I suppose I can’t get out of this without talking about Jared Leto’s performance as The Joker because of how it dominated the hype campaign for this movie despite being a vanishingly small part, all things considered. Leto does not do good work. He seems to be doing an impression of Heath Ledger’s performance from The Dark Knight but with all of the subtlety replaced by the kind of grunting you would get if you asked a 12 year-old what sex sounded like. He’s easily the worst live action depiction of the character, but you can tell that every time they called “cut” he was convinced that he nailed it. There are good acting performances in this movie, I’ve already shouted out Robbie, and think Viola Davis deserves kudos for taking a part that in another era would have faded in to the background and created one of the scariest characters in a movie that includes a crocodile monster. Will Smith is also doing good work, although we’re clearly getting “action movie” Will Smith and not “actually trying his hardest” Will Smith, but it doesn’t matter. Smith is a sublime talent as a movie star because he makes action nonsense seem serious and he nails the quiet moments as well as the funny ones.

At this point I don’t know what needs to change at DC Entertainment before they start putting out movies that aren’t dreary disasters. I suppose they would have to stop making quite so much money, but they hold their opening weekend numbers very badly and the critical derision has got to hurt especially when Marvel puts out bigger numbers and gets better reviews. I’ve heard over and over that there are shakeups internally and that things are going to get better, but it never does. The Comic Con footage of Justice League looked good but after seeing this and Batman v Superman how am I supposed to believe that the people who signed off on those movies even have any idea what a good movie looks like? It’s time for a change, but does anyone who could make that change care as long as the money comes in?

Emily S. Whitten: SDCC’s Her Universe Fashion Show

Fashion ATB

Tomorrow is the last day for the public to vote for a winner in the Her Universe fashion show that I was fortunate to see live at the San Diego Comic Con (and that you can watch as the finale of its own docu-series on the new on-demand streaming network Comic Con HQ). So what better time for my fashion show recap?

But first, a little background. The fashion show, now in its third year, was started by Ashley Eckstein of the women’s geek fashion company Her Universe to bring true haute couture to geek fashion. The show is very professionally done, with video clips of the designers talking about their inspiration and works-in-progress; models (who may also be the outfit’s designer, and who are of all different body types, which is cool) strutting their stuff on the catwalk; and a DJ to keep the party going. It also produces something that probably isn’t as tangible at regular fashion shows – a feeling of delight at seeing not just elegant, clever, or beautifully designed clothes, but also incredible homages to the geek properties we love. I’m sure I would be awed by the beauty of many designs at a regular fashion show. However, I know that the excited, happy feeling and constant smile I have while stunning fashions that demonstrate a passion for geek properties are paraded before my eyes at this show are unique.

After the show, the audience and judges each vote on their favorite design, and thus two winners are chosen. The year’s winners are then given the opportunity to collaborate on fashion lines that we, the public, can buy (yay!). The first fashion show’s winners brought us the super-successful Marvel Avengers fashion line done with Her Universe and Hot Topic (I own it, I love it, I’m overjoyed that this is a yearly thing now). After last year’s show, we got the awesome Star Wars line (when are they bringing the sweater and the Finn jacket back so I can buy them, whennnnnn??). And although we don’t know what we will see after this year’s winners get to work, I am sure the next line will also make it into my wardrobe.

Fashion L1As you may be aware from past columns and my coverage of last year’s show, I have long felt the need for better geek fashion for gals, and am super excited to be seeing more and more options. And the yearly fashion show and partnership of Her Universe and Hot Topic has definitely upped the couture aesthetic of the geek clothes available to us women. Not only do we no longer have to, e.g., wear man-shirts to let our geek flags fly, but now we even have these upscale options that wouldn’t look out of place in our daily wardrobes or even at a cocktail party. On top of that, what’s so cool about the Her Universe fashion show is that it means that we the consumers have at least a little say in the style and vision of the resulting mass-marketed pieces. That’s fairly unique in fashion.

This year’s fashion show gave us a group of twenty-seven amazing new designs to vote on, and featured a celebrity panel of judges including Cindy Levitt (Senior Vice President, Merchandise & Marketing, Hot Topic), Nathan Sawaya (World Renowned LEGO artist, and co-creator of Ashley’s dress this year), Brinton Parker (Assistant Editor of Trending and Viral Features at POPSUGAR) and last year’s fashion show winners and designers Leetal Platt and Kelly Cercone.

The judges’ winner was “Oh What A Gown…What a Lovely Gown” by Hannah Kent, inspired by Mad Max: Fury Road’s Imperator Furiosa; and the audience winner was the “I Solemnly Swear I’m Up to Couture” gown by Camille Falciola, inspired by the Maurauder’s Map in Harry Potter. These were excellent choices. I absolutely adored the way the cut of the Furiosa dress evoked both strength and severity and a feminine aspect in the tightly fitted upper body and sweeping skirt, and the use of a gradient to make the neutral palette, which completely fit with the movie’s setting, more interesting. I also loved the makeup and arm jewelry that echoed Furiosa’s look in the movie. The Map dress had a classic and flattering cut, and at first looked fairly plain, but then, through the use of ink heat technology, the Marauder’s Map appeared, producing a much more interesting design, with map accents in the right places to enhance the appeal of the cut (plus, that is a really, really cool idea and use of technology).

Although those are the winners so far, all of the designs at the show were cool and unique in their own ways. It was incredibly hard for me to choose who to vote for (while trying to consider all of the important factors like overall design aesthetic, cleverness, uniqueness, geek factor, wearability, and style); and I’m happy that at least one other designer will also be chosen through this year’s new feature of the internet audience vote. I highly encourage anyone who’s into this sort of thing to take a look at the remaining choices and cast your vote for the final winner; and to that end, I’ll share a few notes about the other creations that really landed for me (along with my photo album from the show, which has additional views of at least some of the choices).

“Diana on the Town” (Wonder Woman) by Adria Sanchez-Chaidez

A classic take on a classic character, with a modern twist. Wonder Woman is iconic and this dress went for a pretty straight homage to her costume; but I liked the retro-classic elegance of the gown offset by the shorter red skirt underneath. And of course the colors are vibrant and striking.

Yang Xiao Long: From Ballroom to Battle (RWBY – Yang Xiao Long) by Carina LaViolette

I don’t actually know this fandom; but from a purely fashion standpoint, I liked the mix of fabrics (airy and light plus leather), the visually interesting layers and accessories, the neutral to green and purple palette, and the steampunk feel.

Report to My Division (Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Captain Phasma) by Lindsay Hamilton

Well I always love silver and shiny things (and I kind of love Captain Phasma, too). But I also loved the contrast of shine with the more understated skirt; that very flattering long corset fit with the red ribbon back lacing, and the great side cape to add more to the silhouette.

Ode to the Goblin King (Labyrinth – Jareth) by Sarah Rader

Fashion LI liked the airy material and tattered layering of the light-colored dress, which had great delicate color contrasting; but I absolutely adored the contrasting blue jacket with the silver wings on the back. I’d like one, please!

First Order of Fashion (Star Wars: The Force Awakens – General Hux) by Rose Ivy

Red and black are always a great combo; but my favorite part of this outfit is that it’s sassy, fun, and fashion-forward but also something I could see myself wearing not only out somewhere cool, but also maybe even to work – a well-tailored  and skewed take on a “power suit;” which is perfect considering the source material.

The Force is Strong in Her (Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Kylo Ren) by Judith Armas Orellana

Well I definitely couldn’t wear this one to my work – but I liked the silhouette, the contrasting kinds of black, and the layering that made it look full of attitude but slightly off-balance, just like Kylo Ren. And it’s also very flattering.

Rage On (28 Days Later – The Rage Virus) by Elissa Alcala

This dress is almost disturbing, which, you know, makes sense in context. The contrast between the elegant and sparkling plunging front and the tattered skirt that is reminiscent of bloody bandages is unsettling, and I’m sure that’s what the designer intended. Although I might not know offhand of anywhere I’d wear it, I liked the way the source material didn’t take a backseat to the high fashion concept.

My Kind of Crazy (DC Comics – The Red Hood) by Lauren Andrews

I liked the contrast of the slim silhouette with the gauzy pants and elegantly draped hood on this outfit, as well as the complicated bodice. There’s a lot going on here but it doesn’t overwhelm, and it’s striking.

The Always Dress (Harry Potter – Patronus) by Selina Zawacki

I super-love everything about this outfit, and would like one now, please. The plunging neckline combined with the elegant high-low cut and simple belt accent are beautiful, and the button back is a great understated reminder of the Professor’s robes – not to mention the old-fashioned boots. The subtle green underskirt and boot laces (for Slytherin!) add good color accents. And on top of all of that, the elegantly and sparsely-lit doe patronus on the skirt is a perfect match for the design, that brings the theme home. Plus, I always like clothes that light up in cool ways!

The Car Gotham Deserves (Batman/Batman Returns – Batmobile) by Cynthia Kirkland

Okay, this dress is definitely unusual. And I have no idea where you would wear it. But the fact that someone designed a dress based on the Batmobile, and it does actually really evoke the car (plus the steering wheel accessory!) is just fantastic. Also the red under the shoulder-pieces (I think it lit up, too) was a great way to hint at brake lights on a dress that is also a car.

TARDIS Through the Wormhole (Doctor Who – TARDIS) by Lynne Marie Martens

This dress is over the top in the best way. All of those ruffles! That train! The great feathery back! The subtle lights interwoven through it all! And, of course, the actual TARDIS on the underbust corset. I love it. The colors, lights, and details of the dress really do bring to mind a wormhole; and the whole thing wouldn’t be out of place at the coolest cabaret ever.

Define Couture (Wall-E – Wall-E) by Laura Cristina Ortiz

This. Outfit. Is. So. Adorable. I love it. It’s spunky and fun and full of attitude, the color palette works well together, the skirt is too cute, the glasses are totally Wall-E and fashionable at the same time, and the overall look is very unique. Plus there’s a part in the back that lights up! It’s a perfect mix of fabrics and accessories, and looks totally modern and wearable while still referencing the source material. It’s visually interesting, and with a whole that is greater than its parts. I want!

Expecto Patronum (Harry Potter – Patronus) by Erica Williams

What an elegant, beautiful gown. The shape and fit are very classic, but with details and sparkles to make it interesting. I feel like Guinevere would totally covet this dress. And although the color palette is monochrome, the mix of fabrics makes the dress in motion more interesting than it looks in a photo. Also, the tiara of horns is the perfect finish for this Patronus dress.

The Story that Lived (Harry Potter – Book) by Tanya Apuya

A dress based on the actual book. I love it! I also love everything about this cute and clever outfit, from the “book cover” bodice to the amazingly folded and layered and swingy  skirt of text-covered pages. A great concept and execution, with cute little accents of a witch hat and wand, too.

Now that you’ve reviewed the choices, make sure you vote for a winner before midnight Pacific Time Thursday, August 11 so that you, too, can have a say in next year’s geek fashions.

And until next time, don’t forget to check out my previous SDCC coverage and photos of Nick Animation (including TMNT); American Gods; Kings of Con; and Animaniacs Live!, stay tuned for even more coverage, and Servo Lectio!

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