NBC has given us more episodes of GRIMM, with changes galore including big ones for Bitsi Tulloch and Sasha Ruiz plus newcomer, Claire Coffee. They give us all the latest – plus more with Walton Goggins (yes he IS coming back to SONS OF ANARCHY) and the cast of X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST grows again.

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The great innovators and popular entertainers of previous generations often fade from sight from they retire or die. A new generation discovers them afresh, either on their own, or someone has done some digging. In the case of the famed director Alfred Hitchcock, he has spawned a cottage industry with recent biographies and films. Hitchcock, with Anthony Hopkins nearly unrecognizable under the latex, is based on Stephen Rebello’s Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, and portrays a particular point of view about the Englishman.

Psycho is currently his best known work, especially with this week’s debut of Bates Motel on cable but critics tend to pick his other, earlier works as among his best. Sure, this thriller is terrifying and exciting and surprising thanks to the Robert Bloch story, direction, and performances. And the making of the film is worthy of exploration. Director Sacha Gervasi has a rich source of material and some fascinating players to explore but the end result is surprisingly slight. Rebello shone a much-needed spotlight on Hitch’s wife Alma (Helen Mirren), the secret engine behind his successes and Gervasi tries to milk tension out of the largely fictitious tension between spouses. When Universal refused to allow access to the source material, Gervasi needed something to hang the film on but clearly chose poorly.

The story picks up in 1959, with Hitch riding the success of North by Northwest and his popular television anthology series that made his silhouette the most recognizable in the country. Seeking his next project, he assigned the research to Peggy Robertson (Toni Colette), his assistant. She came up with Bloch’s novel, loosely based on the famed Ed Gein murders. It had just the right amount of lurid tension that would let him explore something different, something he did throughout his storied career.

Not everyone agreed with the choice with agent (Michael Stuhlbarg), Paramount president Barney Balaban (Richard Portnow), and Alma all thinking it beneath the director, who insisted he wanted the change of pace. When Paramount balked, he moved the film to Universal Studios which welcomed him with open arms. Hitch cast  Anthony Perkins (James D’Arcy) as Norman, Janet Leigh (Scarlett Johansson) as Marion Crane and Vera Miles (Jessica Biel) as sister Lila. There’s plenty of behind the scenes intrigue, saving only the original film’s most famous moments for on camera action where we discover the tyrannical Hitchcock is as prurient as Norman himself.  He later bullies Hays Office censor Geoffrey Shurlock (Kurtwood Smith) into approving the shower scene since more is implied than ever shown.

The movie’s more interesting dynamic is between husband and wife and here the film should sing but lacks spark which is odd considering how strong the performers are so the fault clearly lies in the script. There are other missteps along the way including Gein’s ghost, but by then, the film has lost its audience rather than gripped them.

The digital film is well-transferred to Blu-ray and sounds just fine. The combo edition comes complete with Audio Commentary from Gervasi and Rebello, and I wish the film was as interesting as their conversation. There is also a single Deleted Scene (1:41); Becoming the Master: From Hopkins to Hitchcock (12:28) all about Hopkins’ makeup and performance; Obsessed with Hitchcock (29:09), the usual making of documentary; Sacha Gervasi’s Behind-the-Scenes Cell Phone Footage (13:31) which is far more entertaining and informative than you imagine and gets credit for being a unique bonus; Hitchcock Cell Phone PSA (:41); The Story  (3:54); The Cast (4:25) which features with interviews with the director, Mirren, Hopkins, and others; Danny Elfman Maestro (2:16) which is an all-too-brief piece on the evocative score;  Hitch and Alma (3:15), which honestly needed to be more expansive and in-depth; Remembering Hitchcock (4:44): Hitchcock’s former cast and crew members trip down memory lane; Theatrical Trailer (2:33); and, Sneak Peek (14:31).

Overall, the extras bolster a weak production and makes it worth a look. Or, you might be better off reading the bios and watching the actual films from the great master. Hitchcock was terrific at building suspense, adjusting to new technologies and exploring the human psyche in ways his peers at the time avoided, giving him freedom to explore and entertain.

Please refer to last week for part one.

When last we met…

Off to Gertz we went! Gertz was the department store back in the day. When we got there my mother walked right to the toy department and brought me Captain Action and the Batman and Superman costume changes.

At that point I had to wonder, who was this woman and what had she done with my mother.

This was entirely way to good to be true.

As I would find out soon it certainly was.

I found out later that, what was a great Saturday turned crappy, why my mother was so quick to buy me Captain Action, which I just knew, was the last thing I would ever want or need.

My stepdad (who at the time I thought was my real dad; long sad story) told my mother earlier in the day he would not be picking me up to spend the night with him. Those times with my father were all I lived for.

If I had to choose between having Christmas every day and spending one day with my dad, Santa would have lost out.

My mom didn’t tell me that on the bus ride back. Nor did she broach the subject when we got home. She missed the opportunity while I was introducing the good Captain to my GI Joes. Introduction may not be the best word for the Joe exchange.

It was more like an eviction.

I evicted a platoon of Joes from a few of my GI Joe footlockers. The good Captain and his costume changes could not be made to spend his down time in a ghetto toy box. The toy box was where the poor toys lived.

The toys box were the projects in the ghetto. The footlockers were the nice homes, you know, the white neighborhood. Hey, I was a child living in a world where all Black people lived in the projects and all white people lived in nice homes in safe neighborhoods. That’s what the TV told me and TV was everything to a child.

Anywho, my mom never did tell me that my father wasn’t coming over – which was most likely her plan. The toys were a distraction. A distraction that was working until my sister asked me if Robert (That’s what we called my father, not dad or daddy. It’s a black thing you wouldn’t understand) brought me the toys.

Just like that I remembered that I was supposed to spend the night with Robert and realized that he had not picked me up yet.

My mother was then forced to tell me that he was not coming and I started crying like baby.

Then something magical happened, my mortal enemy, my sister Sharon picked up my Captain Action and started taking to me about it. After a few minutes I was proudly explaining what my new toy was showing her the costume changes and schooling her on all the reasons Captain Action was just the greatest thing that ever happened to the world. I’m not sure when I stopped crying or when I forgot Robert was not coming over.

Then, I was an adult.

That what happens in life one moment you are a five-year old with the greatest toy you have ever had the next you are a grown man trying to recapture those moments by becoming a collector of the things from your childhood that brought you that wonder. My Captain Action collection features the Ideal Toy Company original. The Prying Mantis 90’s redo and the current Captain Action Enterprise’s new line.

DC Comics did Captain Action comics back in the day and the good Captain has been returned to the industry those books are in stores now and I hear big plans are planed for comics in the future.

Yes, this article and part one is my love letter to an old friend who has always been in my life. It’s sappy, I’m sappy and I know that.

That’s OK.

Sappy is the new black.

WEDNESDAY: Mike Gold

THURSDAY: Dennis O’Neil

Apparently one of my goals in life is to absorb the Marvel Civil War storyline in every possible medium, since I’ve just finished listening to GraphicAudio’s audiobook version of the prose adaptation by Stuart Moore, having previously read the main collection of graphic novels and then reviewed the prose adaptation. Well, what can I say? I like the story. Since we as consumers of stories invest in heroes in a way we frequently don’t in villains, clashes between heroes can be the most complex and emotionally engaging; and Civil War is one of the most logical storylines comics has ever come up with to explain why superheroes would be fighting with each other instead of the villains.

Also I was curious about GraphicAudio, an audiobook company whose tagline is “A Movie in Your Mind.” They describe their products as “a unique audio entertainment experience that features a full cast of actors, sound effects and cinematic music,” which sounded pretty neat. And I was curious about how a graphic-novel-turned-prose-novel-turned-audiobook would turn out. The answer: pretty awesomely, actually.

I have to note here that while I listen to podcasts sometimes, I haven’t listened to many audiobook-type things prior to this. An occasional short story or poem that happened to be available in audio form for free, perhaps, but mostly when I consume literature it’s by reading. I did enjoy listening to The Green Hornet and other old radio shows that my dad had on tape when I was a kid…but that was a long time ago. A lot has changed since then, including, happily, the quality of recording and sound effects.

Now that I’ve finally tried a GraphicAudio audiobook, though, I’ve discovered that listening to one turns out to be a lot like listening to an old-timey radio show made modern, in the best way possible. Several things contribute to the quality of the experience. The first is the voices, which are very well cast. I don’t think there was a single character whose voice jarred me out of the story – all seemed well-suited to their roles. In one case, almost uncannily well-suited, since GraphicAudio somehow managed to find a Tony Stark voice actor who sounded remarkably like Robert Downey Jr. about 80% of the time. Once I got used to hearing almost-but-not-quite movie Tony, that was actually one of my favorite voice choices, since I love Robert Downey Jr.’s take on the role. The only other voice I had to get used to was the narrator, whose reading at first struck me as a tiny bit too melodramatic. However, as I got used to the style I mostly ceased to notice it. Overall, the voice experience was great.

The second thing that adds to the quality of the experience is the music. It was used sparingly but well to add to the mood and to break up scenes or chapters. Some of the superheroes also had their own little theme pieces that were recognizably about them. Captain America’s in particular was memorable.

The third feature that makes this much more than the usual audiobook experience is the sound effects, which illustrate the action well. Although I know the Civil War storyline pretty well, and I have a good recall of story details generally, there are little details of the story that I had forgotten even since my reading of the prose novel last summer, like the fact that it was raining at (SPOILER) Bill Foster’s funeral. However, after hearing the spot-on sound effects of the rain falling around Reed and the kids, or Tony and Happy, as they stood mourning, I doubt I’ll ever forget that again. Other details also came to life, through sounds like the “thwip” of Spider-man’s web shooters, or the “whoosh” of Iron Man’s boot jets firing up; and the sounds of rough fighting, like when Cap and Iron Man are duking it out, actually made me wince more than once. Even the rustle of sheets of paper, or any of the myriad of other small sounds in the recording, contributed to the overall experience, and truly did make it “A Movie in [My] Mind.”

Interestingly, I found the audio experience affected me slightly differently than either of my other consumptions of the story. I noticed myself feeling some emotions more, and, in particular, feeling even more frustration with *&^%$ futurist Tony Stark’s *&^%$ idiocy. (Sorry guys, but I’m with Cap on the whole individual freedom and privacy thing, and was always pissed that Tony “won,” despite the logic of his plans and what he was trying to do. Maybe part of that is because Tony is just so arrogant and unbending in this storyline. All that futurist stuff, while it may be part of what makes Tony good at his work and being Iron Man, is also super arrogant and always rubs me the wrong way.) I also felt the sadness of certain moments more, for example, or the anticipation before a fight, or tension for favorite characters during or after a fight (even when I knew how it would turn out). Aaaand, of course, inevitably, I laughed out loud at a few things while riding on a Metro train, which always makes me worried that my fellow commuters might think I’m a little crazy. But hey; that’s okay as long as I’m having fun, right?

And this audiobook was fun. Listening to the story this way was a rich and engaging experience. It’s also definitely reeled me in as a new GraphicAudio customer, and I am already planning to find some other good stories to accompany me on my further commutes and to the gym. In conclusion, if you can’t tell by now: I highly recommend this audiobook, and, from what I’ve heard so far, GraphicAudio as well.

So give it a try, and until next time, Servo Lectio!

TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Michael Davis

WEDNESDAY MORNING: Mike Gold

 “The megalomaniac differs from the narcissist by the fact that he wishes to be powerful rather than charming, and seeks to be feared rather than loved. To this type belong many lunatics and most of the great men of history.”

Bertrand Russell

Why Is It Always About You? The Seven Deadly Sins of Narcissism:

1. Shamelessness: Shame is the feeling that lurks beneath all unhealthy narcissism, and the inability to process shame in healthy ways.

2. Magical thinking: Narcissists see themselves as perfect, using distortion and illusion known as magical thinking. They also use projection to dump shame onto others.

3. Arrogance: A narcissist who is feeling deflated may reinflate by diminishing, debasing, or degrading somebody else.

4. Envy: A narcissist may secure a sense of superiority in the face of another person’s ability by using contempt to minimize the other person.

5. Entitlement: Narcissists hold unreasonable expectations of particularly favorable treatment and automatic compliance because they consider themselves special. Failure to comply is considered an attack on their superiority, and the perpetrator is considered an “awkward” or “difficult” person. Defiance of their will is a narcissistic injury that can trigger narcissistic rage.

6. Exploitation: Can take many forms but always involves the exploitation of others without regard for their feelings or interests. Often the other is in a subservient position where resistance would be difficult or even impossible. Sometimes the subservience is not so much real as assumed.

7. Bad Boundaries: Narcissists do not recognize that they have boundaries and that others are separate and are not extensions of themselves. Others either exist to meet their needs or may as well not exist at all. Those who provide “narcissistic supply” to the narcissist are treated as if they are part of the narcissist and are expected to live up to those expectations. In the mind of a narcissist there is no boundary between self and other.

Sandy Hotchkiss & James F. Masterson (2003)

There are a lot of megalomaniacal, narcissistic bad guys in the comics world. Some of the classics are Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. The Kingpin, Johann Schmidt, a.k.a. The Red Skull, Victor Von Doom, a.k.a. Doctor Doom, and Lex Luthor, a.k.a.…well, Lex is so megalomaniacal and narcissistic he doesn’t bother with a codename. They’re the perfect foils for their arch-nemeses – and our heroes – Daredevil, Daredevil, Captain America, Reed Richards (and the rest of the Fantastic Four), and Superman.  And we like them, and sometimes we even root for them, because they reflect our unspoken and unconscious thoughts, desires, and dreams in a healthy, subliminal manner. Meaning that we’re all a bit megalomaniacal and narcissistic; otherwise we’d never get out of our beds to face the world. (Just as our heroes reflect our need to set right what we perceive to be wrong.)

But when pathological megalomania and narcissism invade the real world, we get Scott Peterson. We get Bernie Madoff (and what a perfect name for the guy who redefined the pyramid scheme). We get Jack Abramoff. We get Osama Bin Laden and the Ayatollah Khomeini.

We also get Dick Cheney, or as Jon Stewart calls him, “Darth Cheney.”

I watched The World According To Dick Cheney on Showtime this past Friday night. TWATDC is a quasi-documentary by R. J. Cutler (who is also responsible for The War Room, about Bill Clinton’s 1992 Presidential campaign), by which I mean that it is basically one long interview with the former Vice-President.

I wasn’t expecting a mea culpa, and there isn’t one, ala Robert McNamara, the Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War. (See The Fog Of War: Eleven Lessons From The Life Of Robert McNamara, which won the Academy Award for Documentary Feature in 1993)

I mean, I always said that Dick Cheney was a scary guy, and that he was the Shadow President running a shadow government during Dubbya’s term of office.

But, holy shit, man, it’s one thing to know it….

And it’s one thing to know it.

Know what I mean?

If you don’t, I suggest you watch The World According To Dick Cheney.

Go ahead.

I’ll wait.

Now you know.

I’ll take my pathological megalomaniacal narcissists in four-colors, please.

Not in the real world.

TUESDAY MORNING: Emily S. Whitten

TUESDAY EVENING: Michael Davis