Posts Tagged ‘The Simpsons’

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MUCH LOVE TO RAINIER WOLFCASTLE

by Tom on May 11th, 2009
58 votes, average: 8.47 out of 10
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MUCH LOVE TO RAINIER WOLFCASTLE

Before we get started today, I want to take a moment to ask everyone a favor. I posted about it on Friday, but this is quick reminder.

I am taking a research class for my Master's degree and am writing a paper on the value of film criticism to opinion leaders - people like yourselves who enjoy movies and whose friends approach for advice and knowledge on the subject.

I have written a quick, 30 question survey that I am using to support my research and I need a lot of people to fill it out. If the subject matter of my paper doesn't impress my professor, I'm hoping the amount of data I've collected will.

If you have 5 to 10 minutes, please help me out by taking the survey. To sweeten the deal, I'm collecting e-mail addresses at the end of the survey to be entered into a drawing for a free t-shirt and free book. You don't have to give me your e-mail if you don't want. It's completely optional. But I wanted to put that out there to sway anyone that might be on the fence!

I'm closing the survey tonight at midnight, so if you can take it before then, I would appreciate it! For those of you who have already taken the survey, thank you for your help!

Now, onto business.

Vote for Theater Hopper at Top Web Comics

I freely admit that today's comic was an excuse to steal one of my favorite jokes from The Simpsons - the episode where Milhouse is cast in the big screen adaptation of his and Bart's favorite superhero, Radioactive Man. As you recall, in the movie, the character is played by action hero stereotype (and Arnold Schwarzenegger knock-off) Rainier Wolfcastle. It's Milhouse's job as his sidekick Fall Out Boy to rescue him from a tidal wave of acid that is headed toward the captured hero. For realism, the director uses REAL ACID and encourages the crew to remember to wear their goggles for protection. Nervous, Rainier wears his goggles, but Milhouse doesn't show up in time. The wave crashes into Rainer and as he is being carried away, utters the famous line, "My eyes! The goggles do nothing!"

Yup. Nothing like explaining a joke in detail to make it funnier! Maybe I should have just linked to a clip of it.

Like most of the free world, I saw Star Trek this weekend and, like most of the free world, I enjoyed it immensely. The lens flares are a little bit out of hand, though. J.J. Abrams' use of lens flares is not so egregious that it ruins the movies, but if you were going to complain, it would be the easiest target to shoot for.

Abrams at least admits that their overuse was a bit ridiculous, but he has a good excuse. In an interview with io9.com, Abrams shares that he wanted "...a visual system that felt unique. I know there are certain shots where even I watch and think, 'Oh that's ridiculous, that was too many.' But I love the idea that the future was so bright it couldn't be contained in the frame."

So even if the effect is overdone in places, I can certainly respect Abrams for coming into the movie with a specific visual concept in mind and running with it.

As for the movie itself, I was greatly impressed! I loved Zachary Quinto as Spock and I thought Chris Pine as Kirk was good, even though I wished that the script hadn't made him such a persistent dick throughout the movie. We're told early on that Kirk's aptitude is off the charts, that he's a genius. He doesn't really act like one. I mean, it's good to set up the bad boy thing at the start of the movie and I know Kirk's rebellious nature is what makes him attractive as a character. But as the movie progresses, you almost want him to play by the rules JUST ONCE so things feel a little more justified when he assumes control of the Enterprise.

Eric Bana as the villain Nero felt a little undercooked. Basically, he's a pissed off and vengeful space-miner who gets his hands on some incredibly destructive technology. There's nothing regal or militaristic about him. I didn't get the impression that he was much of a threat intellectually. He just has an advantage because he comes from the future.

It's kind of like Biff getting his hands on Marty's Sports Almanac in Back to the Future II. Biff isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, he just exploits the scenario. You'd think after the last 8 years, I'd be more accepting of the concept of an idiot's rise to power, but it always feels like a cheat to me.

Aside from introducing Nero as a threat, I thought the use of time travel in this movie was a very clever way to side-step the whole "reboot" scenario. It's not just new actors with pretty faces slipping on the clothes of beloved characters. Screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman went so far as to create a completely alternate reality for these characters to operate in. Going forward, I see the opportunity for totally new story lines. They've replenished the well and I feel excited about Star Trek again for the first time in a long time.

The crowd I watched the movie with on Friday was amped up and ready for a good time. When the Paramount logo came on screen, people started to clap and cheer. Being from Iowa, there was also a unique sense of hometown pride when the film caught up to Kirk hitting on Uhura and picking fights in a bar near the Riverside Space Port. When the identified "IOWA" as the location on screen, there was a lengthy round of applause.

Hey, give us a break. It's Iowa. Besides gay marriage and corn, we have very little else to hang our hat on.

I don't know if I can say much more about Star Trek that hasn't already been said elsewhere except I've been running around the house all weekend talking it up to the point that Cami now thinks she wants to see it. Curiously, my father-in-law kept asking me about the movie went we went to visit Cami's parents for Mother's Day. Maybe all three of us could go together? I'll remember to bring goggles for everyone next time.

By the way, have you guys seen those collectible glasses promoting Star Trek at Burger King? I was thrilled when I saw the commercial for them. Not exclusively because I was excited about the movie, but it seems like ages since a fast food restaurant offered collectible glasses like these. When I was a kid, this was something McDonald's and Burger King did all the time. I bought one last night basically as a way to communicate that this is a promotion I endorse and I hope that they continue such campaigns in the future.

Of course I got my Spock on...

Burger King, collectible glass, Star Trek, Spock, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy

I'm thinking about going back for the other glasses. Cami said she'd like to have the Uhura glass, but does anyone really want to drink out of a glass with Nero's face on it?

Before I forget, I drew a picture of Spock for the incentive image over at Top Web Comics. To see it, vote for Theater Hopper and you too can get your Spock on.

And for more Star Trek goodness, be sure to listen to The Triple Feature tonight at 9:00 PM CST where I'm sure the movie will be the topic of choice. Call in with your questions and we'll answer them LIVE on the air!

In the meantime, what did everyone think of Star Trek? Anyone planning to go back and see it again? I think I might. I had a blast! Leave your comments about the film below and let's get a conversation started!

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MOVIE REVIEW – THE SIMPSONS MOVIE

by Tom on July 30th, 2007
2 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars6 Stars7 Stars8 Stars9 Stars10 Stars
MOVIE REVIEW – THE SIMPSONS MOVIE

The Simpsons, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright ,Yeardly Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry ShearerBeing a fan of The Simpsons for nearly two decades, there was probably no movie this summer I looked forward to with as much breathless abandon as The Simpsons Movie. Would the film live up to the hype? Would it meet my expectations? Or would it be smashed to bits on the jagged rocks of my childhood memories?

Being a Simpsons fan of this magnitude, I questioned whether even doing a review was appropriate. Obviously, I would be biased. But I hedged my bets. I figured there were enough like-minded people in the world that would benefit from not having their dreams shattered if the movie was poor and who would be equally as enthralled if the film turned out to be everything they hoped for. Hence, the words you're reading now.

For those of you who firmly believe that The Simpsons should have ended over a decade ago when it was still "good" or jumped ship to other animated fare such as Family Guy (an argument I won't get into), set aside your petty squabbles for the time being. Because, bias or no, The Simpsons Movie is the most fun I've had at the movies this year hands down.

What The Simpsons Movie does expertly well is the same thing that the television show does very well - rapid fire jokes and visual gags mixed in brilliantly with social and political satire. For example, in the movie's opening sequence, The Simpsons are in the audience of an Itchy and Scratchy movie. Rolling his eyes at what he sees on screen, Homer bemoans the stupidity of watching something in a movie they can see at home for free. The audience is in on the joke from the get go and the writers push that gimmick successfully throughout the movie.

One scene has the trademark rolling Fox News scroll advertising fake Fox television programs. "That's right. We advertise in our own movies now. What are you going to do about it?" it boasts. Shortly after a heartbreaking scene, the screen goes black and reads "To Be Continued." The writers never treat the audience like morons. They don't waste time with useless exposition. The launch right into the plot and don't look back.

It would have been very easy for the filmmakers to cull from the eighteen year history of the show and cherry pick enough references to itself to fill it's ninety minute running time. Aside from a non-direct, sly visual cue at the end of the film that rewards long time fans of the series, there is nothing cannibalistic about the film in its characterization or motivation.

Instead of taking the easy way out, the writers give us a very topical parable about environmentalism.They don't take it too seriously. Lisa's town hall lecture on the subject is called "An Irritating Truth." However, in typical Simpsons fashion, grand adventure awaits. Angry, torch-bearing mobs, a daring escape to Alaska and arachnid swine. The action sequences in the film take advantage of the entire screen. And, while implausibility runs wild, there isn't a moment where you aren't entertained.

It adds nothing from a critical standpoint to attempt to delve in to the films other plot points. Bart's new appreciation for his Bible-beating neighbor Ned Flanders or Homer's hallucinatory odyssey toward self-actualization and realigning his priorities towards family, friends and community. As everyone knows, in The Simpsons universe, there isn't any catastrophe that can't be neatly wrapped up by episode's end - just in time for next week's zany mishaps and adventures. The same holds true here.

My only other gripe with the movie is it's blend of traditional 2D and 3D animation. While the 3D backgrounds give us breath and scope never before seen in The Simpsons universe, it's flat color pallet and lack of texture makes some scenes look very amateurish. The film loses some of the hand-drawn warmth of the television show and sometimes looks worse for it.

These issues aside, there has been no other film that I have laughed at longer or more consecutively than The Simpsons Movie and it has probably been the most pleasant movie-going experience I've had in ages.

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HE’S PROBABLY WATERING DOWN THE DRINKS

by Tom on July 25th, 2007
3 votes, average: 9.00 out of 10
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HE’S PROBABLY WATERING DOWN THE DRINKS

By now it's old news that the marketing geniuses at 20th Century Fox reconfigured a handful of high-traffic 7-11 convienience stores into Kwik-E-Marts to promote the upcoming Simpsons Movie. That doesn't make it any less of an accomplishment.

As you know, I'm pretty sensitive to how I'm marketed to, but I felt this effort was very genuine and in keeping with the tone of The Simpsons. Frankly, it's a bit of a no-brainer. I wonder why someone didn't think of it sooner. But, you know... they kind of have all their eggs in a basket with this movie. So if you're going to call attention to it, better pull out all the stops.

The fact of the matter is that Fox is keeping such a tight lid over The Simpsons Movie, there wouldn't be anything else to talk about if we weren't talking about their marketing efforts. No one knows for sure what it's about and any potential spoilers are being kept under wraps.

Things have gotten to the point where fans are making THEIR OWN MERCHANDISE based only on what's hinted at in the trailers. Spider-Pig, anyone? Now you can buy a t-shirt inspired by it!

Speaking of t-shirts, I thought you guys might get a kick out of this picture:

That's alotta shirts!

I'm getting ready for Wizard World Chicago August 9 - 12 and trying to take care as much as I can as early as I can so I'm not rushing out of the house having forgotten anything. I started folding up all of my shirts so they would take up less space in my Tupperwares and I thought this little layout was kind of interesting. (You can see the Spoiler I shirts stuffed into a Tupperware in the background)

I guess I never really mentioned that the Movie Law #948 shirts had been delivered to me. Everyone that pre-ordered one should have theirs in-hand by now. If you want to order one for yourself (or any other design, for that matter) feel free. I don't know how much stock I'll have left after Chicago. Hopefully none. So it would be a good idea to pick a shirt up now before they're gone.

I'm really interested in burning off the inventory of shirts that I have. As you can see from the picture, they take up a lot of space. What I've captured there isn't even all of my inventory. I still have a bunch of baby-doll t-shirts left over from back in the day that haven't sold. There aren't links for them on the site right now. I'm thinking of giving them away as freebies for people who buy maybe $25 or more. Most of the people who buy my stuff are guys, so I don't know if that will be an incentive or not. But maybe they can pick up a weird shirt for their little sister or girlfriend or something.

I'm also going to have a stack of DVDs that I'm giving away to people who buy more than $75 worth of stuff - which is a tall order. But I have a few movies that have been given to me by promotion houses that I'm ready to unload and I figured Wizard World Chicago would be the place to do it.

What I'm really hoping for is to whittle down my inventory on the two books. I debuted Theater Hopper: Year One at Wizard World Chicago last summer and it sold really well. Well enough that it prompted me to fast-track Theater Hopper: Year Two for Wizard World Texas a few months later. What I want to have happen is to sell enough books that I can start production on Theater Hopper: Year Three and have it ready by Christmas. Having Henry kind of put the breaks on the whole book thing for a while. So if I can self-finance with the sales of the books I have, that's really going to go a long way toward helping me with my goal.

In addition to all of this, I'll be giving away buttons and sampler booklets that include the most popular strips based on YOUR votes from the Top 50 Comics page. So if you haven't voted on your favorite strip, use the search function in the archive and let me know what you think is my best work! I appreciate the feedback!

So if you're in the Chicago area around August 9 to 12, look me up. I'll be on Artist's Alley with my good friends Joe Dunn and Zach Miller. I look forward to this event all year. It's going to be a lot of fun.

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D’OHN’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME

by Tom on August 21st, 2002
13 votes, average: 7.69 out of 10
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D’OHN’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME

Ignore the science of today's strip. I don't know if jaundice causes your hair to fall out or eyes to bulge, but I do know it will color you skin. It's a visual joke, so just roll with the punches.

Really all I know about jaundice is that baby's get it sometimes because they don't have enough iron in their blood, right? They give them pills for that, I think?

...reason #1024 I didn't go to med school.

All things the same, it should be known I'm a hard-core Simpsons fan. Before they started putting out complete seasons on DVD, I was taping episodes from syndication. I think by the time the first season had been release, I had accumulated about ten 6-hour tapes. I had a lot of friends borrow and dub those tapes. I could have made a killing selling my episodes commercial-free and burned to DVD-R if I were a little more quick on the uptake.

...reason #563 I didn't become a small-time hustler.

To those who were unaware, I was finally able to get back into the forums. What quark of fate allowed this to happen I can't isolate, but it's good to be back.

Right now I'm working on integrating the look of the forums a little closer to the rest of the site. So this means if you start seeing similar graphics, colors or fonts from what you're used to, you aren't hallucinating. It's intentional.

I'm also working on incorporating Blogger to the main page so that Jared can make updates just as I do. If you go to any other comic site, you'll know what I'm attempting to do.

The snare I'm caught on at the moment is getting the archived blogs to sync up with prior toons. I want to make it so you can read these posts with the appropriate strip. If you have any tips, send them my way.

Things with the site are going pretty well. We're into our third week of production and have accumulated over 1,100 unique hits. I think that's pretty good for coming out of nowhere. Of course, I have you to thank.

Keep coming back to the site. Jared and I are working out a plan to post some of our old "battle comics" from when we were in junior high. It'll probably be tied to a donation objective - i.e. Users donate "x" amount of money and we post the old toons for all to see. So anyway, start loosening those wallets.

I'll be back here soon...

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