Posts Tagged ‘Halle Berry’

3 items.

A NON SEQUITUR TO EVERYONE ELSE

by Tom on March 30, 2009 at 12:00 am
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars6 Stars7 Stars8 Stars9 Stars10 Stars
(15 votes, average: 7.87 out of 10)
Monsters Vs. Aliens, Dreamworks, Monsters, Inc., Pixar, conspiracy, paranoid, video store, Monster, Charlize Theron, Monster's Ball, Halle Berry, Monster Squad, Wolfamn's got balls, high five

Wanna know the best way to start your week? MONSTER SQUAD REFERENCES!

You're welcome.

Speaking of monsters, I saw Monsters vs. Aliens this weekend and, unfortunately, was NOT bowled over. I'm not exactly sure what went wrong other than it fell into that same trap of pop culture references and soullessness that other Dreamworks animated movies seem to fall into.

Maybe I went in with my expectations too high after the success of Kung-Fu Panda last year. But Monsters vs. Aliens is just more of the same.

There are a few laughs to be had. Great line delivery from Stephen Colbert as The President and Will Arnett as The Missing Link. But, unbelievably, it's Seth Rogen who steals the show as the indestructible blob, B.O.B.

Much like B.O.B., Rogen has crafted an indestructible slacker/stoner/moron persona that brings the biggest laughs in this film. He's pretty much the only character having a good time while the rest of the world is falling down around him and his cluelessness and confusion makes him instantly endearing.

The rest of the movie is a cheap girl-power parable wrapped up in a few action pieces that have been strung together. Pretty much the best thing it had going for it was the 3D. But even that was a little annoying when they were pulling cheap moves like a guy hitting a paddle-ball toward the screen.

Really, Dreamworks? Why not shoot a scene at a kids birthday party so someone can blow a party noisemaker that uncurls into in our faces.

Should you see Monsters vs. Aliens. If you're a fan of animation, 3D movies and cheesy sci-fi from the 50's and 60's, I'd say "yes." If you're a fan of laughing or have laundry to fold, I'd say "no." I don't really regret going. But it could have been executed much better.

Theater Hopper will be at Emerald City Comicon, Artist Alley, table H-05, Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5

Switching topics, I wanted to let everyone know that I will be at the Emerald City Comicon in Seattle this Saturday and Sunday, April 4 - 5. I'm going to have a table on Artist Alley and you can find me at H-05.

I'm a little nervous about going because this will be the first convention I've flown out of state to attend. Typically I only go to conventions I can drive to so I can save on cost. But I found a cheap flight to Seattle and Emerald City was too good to pass up (they have an excellent reputation and are very welcoming to web comics).

Part of my nervousness stems from not knowing anyone at the convention. Sure, there will be a lot of web comics people there like Scott Kurtz, Jeph Jacques and the guys from Penny Arcade. But these guys operate WAY out of my league and they aren't people I've really had an opportunity to interact with socially before.

When I go to Wizard World Chicago ever year, I get to hang out with Gordon McAlpin, Joe Dunn and the rest of the Digital Pimp crew. We set up shop next to each other and goof off for 8 hours while we try to sell our wares. In Seattle, I'll kind of be own my own.

Well, that's not entirely true. To take the sting out of travel expenses, I'm splitting a room with Indigo Kelleigh from The Adventures of Ellie Connelly. So at least there is someone I can hang out with after being on the show floor all day. Or, if he has better places to be, I could always go see Fast and Furious the weekend.

Oh! I should probably mention that I was invited to speak on a panel at the convention! Yeah - it's the Business of Webcomics panel at 1:00 PM, Sunday, April 5 in panel room 3AB.

I'll be in a room, talkin' web comics with Robert Khoo from Penny Arcade, Danielle Corsetto from Girls With Slingshots and Jeph Jacques from Questionable Content, doing my best not to sound like an idiot. It's an amazing opportunity and I want to say thanks to the show organizers for including me! If you're coming to the show that day, check it out!

Is anyone reading this planning on going to the convention this weekend? If so, can you talk about it a little bit in the comments section? I just want to get a general sense of what to expect. I'm sure everything will be fine, it's just the unknown that's eating at me a little bit.

If nothing else, it'll be a real treat to meet fans from the West coast. This will be my first trip to your neck in the woods and I'm eager to meet you!

Thanks again for reading and I'll talk to you soon

17 Comments

Related Comics ¬

WHEREFORE ART THOU COUSIN LARRY?

by Tom on April 11, 2007 at 12:00 am
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars6 Stars7 Stars8 Stars9 Stars10 Stars
(5 votes, average: 7.60 out of 10)
Eli Winslow, first appearance, protest, Bronson Pinchot, Perfect Stranger, Halle Berry, Bruce Willis

I don't think I'm making any kind of particularly witty statement with today's comic. Anyone who has seen the trailer for Perfect Stranger probably came up with the same joke 5 seconds after they learned what the title of the movie was. But I'll ask you to stick with me on this one. The follow-up comic I have for Friday is going to be the real pay-off.

Considering that today's comic doesn't exactly have a lot going on in it's brain, I thought I would talk for a moment about the comic creation itself. Mostly because you guys seem to get a kick out of it when I have a joke that's a bit of a dog.

Originally I was going to have Bronson Pinchot himself appear to protest the movie. But I thought that highly unlikely since isn't he dead, or something? I kid. I know he was on The Surreal Life not to long ago. But actually, I avoided using him simply because if I was going to burn brain cells trying to figure out an appropriate caricature, it was NOT going to be on Bronson Pinchot. Instead, I decided to make the protester someone who vaguely LOOKS like Bronson Pinchot and make him the president of his fan club. Subtle, no?

When I told Cami that I was going to make fun of Perfect Stranger by pulling a reference to the television show Perfect Strangers, Cami asked me "Are your readers even going to understand it?" I think she's under the impression that everyone who comes to the site must be 12. If it just so happens that you're NOT a child of the 80's like I am, what can I tell you? YouTube it.

"Standin' TAAALLLLLLL! On the wiiings of my dreams!"

Man, whatever happened to the inspirational feel-good sitcom theme songs? For that matter, whatever happened to predictability? The milk man, the paperboy, evening TV? How did I get delivered here - someone tell me, please!

All the 12 year-old's are scratching their heads right now.

At any rate, if you'd like to download something that DOESN'T make you feel incredibly old, grab a copy of The Triple Feature broadcast from Monday night. Gordon, Joe and I talked about Grindhouse for a full hour and I think we hit upon some really juicy topics of discussion. Pull it down to your machine and listen to it in the background as you contemplate the fate of television stars of the 80's. It'll be an interesting juxtaposition - trust me.

  Comment

Related Comics ¬

IT’S ALL ABOUT COMPROMISE

by Tom on November 27, 2002 at 12:00 am
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars6 Stars7 Stars8 Stars9 Stars10 Stars
(15 votes, average: 8.60 out of 10)
Solaris, George Clooney, naked, ass, Swordfish, Halle Berry, topless

The big crossover between Theater Hopper and Movie Punks is still going strong. If you haven't checked out Part 2 at Carrington's site, well, you won't have to because I've already saved it to our bonus materials page.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be standing in line first thing Thursday morning at Movie Punks to check out Part 4.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. For Part 4 to make any sense, you'll have to read Part 3, my strip, which has also posted today in the bonus section. Don't forget to check it out!

Today's strip calls to the fore a basic subtext of movie-going motivation in our household. Sure, Solaris will probably be a fun movie to see. George Clooney and director Steven Soderberg have done so many movies together, by this point they're sharing the same brain. I have no question to its quality.

But at the same time, Cami has a major crush on Clooney and won't object in the least to the reported ass shots he has committed to celluloid.

I like George Clooney. I like him a lot better now than I did in his old ER days. I think Clooney has used a lot of the power behind his celebrity to do some good within the industry. And I really respect him for not taking flack from that right-wing pinhead Bill O'Riely after then whole 9/11 benefit thing.

Clooney is also keenly aware of his appeal versus studio interests. In a recent interview, he commented on the leak about his derriere making a cameo appearance in Solaris. He cited the film's distributor Fox as the source of the leak. He basically made comments along the lines of how Fox doesn't know how to properly market and film for adults, so to generate interests, they let it slip that there was going to be some Clooney tush-action going on.

From a purely marketing perspective, you can't blame Fox for the move. Look how people are talking about it. The news HAS generated buzz. But kudos to Clooney for calling them on their "marketing of least resistance". It would have been more refreshing to watch a good film pitched at more refined levels.

I don't know if Cami and I will get a chance to see Solaris this week, what with all the holiday shenanigans (we still haven't caught Die Another Day), but I plan on making time. Even when Soderberg is off his game, he's still 90% better than anyone else out there right now.

Last thing I'll mention: Rick Brose of The 2econd Opinion was kind enough to review our site. It's fair and balanced and well worth your time to read. If not for his take on our work, but for the very thorough collection of reviews he has assembled on other topics far-flung as video games, movies, music and DVD's. It's a real treat. Check it out!

  Comment

Related Comics ¬