***UPDATED***
Colbert went after him again on Tuesday night
*****
A lot of conservative commentators are laughable and easy to make fun of...but Glenn Beck takes the cake. I first heard about him about 2-3 years ago, when his radio show was first carried here in Kansas City. (Yes, I listen to talk radio on the way home sometimes...it's one of my vices) Molly's Dad was (and I say WAS, cause I don't think he still is) a big fan of his back in the day and while I got the gist that Beck was pretty religious and conservative, I never thought he was batshit insane...until recently.
He had a TV show on CNN a year or so ago that no one, and I mean NO ONE watched. He prides himself on being the "3rd Most Listened To Talk Show in America" on his radio program...which probably has a better ring to it rather than, "The 26th Most Watched TV Show Behind That Show About The Guy Who Can Talk To The Dogs."
But that was then...now he's on Fox. Big Time. He's getting on the cover of the New York Times. And to ensure he's getting the ratings, he's turned the crazy knob all the way to 11...and people are ripping him and his phony act to shreds...
Stephen Colbert has been the best at it...
But Keith Olbermann did a nice job last night of reminding us what kind of douche this guy has been for years before his pathetic "9/12 Project." For you see, he was against the victims of 9/11 before he was for them...
But here's the thing...even conservatives are starting to laugh at him and make fun of the crazy bullshit he's pulling out of his ass for ratings.
Shepard Smith from Fox News:
Joe Scarborough couldn't contain himself this morning:
3.31.2009
3.29.2009
COME GATHER 'ROUND ME, FELLOW NERDS
***this will remain up at the top of my blog until the show has passed...other ramblings by me will appear below***
MARCH 28th-29th is Kansas City's largest and awesomest comic convention. Daniel Spottswood and I will be sharing a table again this year and would love to sell you some of our reasonably priced mini-comics. (and perhaps other surprises that I may or may not be currently working on!)
So, come by and say hello! If not to meet us, at least for the chance to make-out with the creepy dude who played Chewbacca and the hott evil Kryptonian cougar from those Superman movies! (3-way will probably cost you extra.)
MARCH 28th-29th is Kansas City's largest and awesomest comic convention. Daniel Spottswood and I will be sharing a table again this year and would love to sell you some of our reasonably priced mini-comics. (and perhaps other surprises that I may or may not be currently working on!)
So, come by and say hello! If not to meet us, at least for the chance to make-out with the creepy dude who played Chewbacca and the hott evil Kryptonian cougar from those Superman movies! (3-way will probably cost you extra.)
3.26.2009
3.24.2009
ENOUGH WITH THIS "TELEPROMPTER" BULLSHIT
Rush Limbaugh started this whole notion of "Obama isn't that good of a speaker, he just reads well off the teleprompter" and now it's made it's way into an AP analysis.
Ron Fournier writes...
****
WASHINGTON (AP) - What kind of politician brings a teleprompter to a news conference?
A careful one.
President Barack Obama took no chances in his second prime-time news conference, reading a prepared statement in which he took both sides of the AIG bonus brouhaha and asked an anxious nation for its patience.
****
Oh please...like Presidents don't ALWAYS make a prepared statement beforehand, usually off notes in front of them or reading it off a teleprompter. They're acting like he's somehow cheating because he doesn't memorize everything word for word.
****
It was a carefully modulated statement, and Obama—relying on a familiar crutch—read it off a flat-screen monitor perched at the back of the East Room.
The teleprompter was no help during the question-and-answer session (reporters don't signal their intentions), but Obama was no less careful during that give and take.
Asked why people should trust government with the regulatory authority to take over failing financial companies such as troubled insurer American International Group Inc., Obama passed on the chance to demonize Washington.
"Keep in mind, it is precisely because of the lack of this authority that the AIG situation has gotten worse," Obama said. He then gave a scholarly explanation of how the proposal would work.
Pressed again, Obama cited the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's handling of the IndyMac Bank as an example of government properly using its authority.
The government did something right? That's news to most Americans.
****
First, note the loaded language in "relying on a familar crutch." What the fuck is that even about? A crutch? Is it suddenly a crutch to use something EVERY PRESIDENT IN THE PAST 30 YEARS HAS USED? Why don't they go after the fact that he uses a microphone while they're at it?
"You know, if Obama was a better speaker, he wouldn't need that familar crutch of electrical sound enhancement and would just use his own voice to speak to the entire room."
I mean give me a break...this is such desperate bullshit. An issue that no one outside talk radio and the Washington DC bubble give two shits about, and yet it keeps gathering attention?
And then, this notion of shock in the statement, "The government did something right? That's news to most Americans."
Sigh...I know this was some AP guy's analysis and not a full blown news story...but c'mon. As bad as the GOP would like you to believe, Americans are WANTING the government to do more and believe that things are getting better as a result. This "Government can't do anything right" is also the subject of my latest comic...
****
"This is a big ocean liner, it's not a speedboat. It doesn't turn around immediately," he said Tuesday night. "But we're in a better, better place because of the decisions that we made."
Calm. Cool. Careful.
One of the few times he summoned raw emotion came after a reporter demanded to know why it took him so long to express outrage over the AIG executive bonuses.
"It took a couple of days because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak."
Even better, he likes to have it up on the teleprompter.
****
Hahahahahahahahaha! The President likes to think about things and not rush to judgement! Hahahahahahaha! He's so stupid for not just going with his gut instinct and making up words and talking down to us all like we're a nation of eight year olds!
...that's seriously how far we've come. We'd rather have a "shoot first and ask questions never" kind of President than one who wishes to think things over, and speak to us with words he's reading off a teleprompter to make sure he gets it right?
C'mon GOP, you gave us eight years of this guy...
...you really want to start pointing fingers and laughing at Obama's ability to speak to us?
Ron Fournier writes...
****
WASHINGTON (AP) - What kind of politician brings a teleprompter to a news conference?
A careful one.
President Barack Obama took no chances in his second prime-time news conference, reading a prepared statement in which he took both sides of the AIG bonus brouhaha and asked an anxious nation for its patience.
****
Oh please...like Presidents don't ALWAYS make a prepared statement beforehand, usually off notes in front of them or reading it off a teleprompter. They're acting like he's somehow cheating because he doesn't memorize everything word for word.
****
It was a carefully modulated statement, and Obama—relying on a familiar crutch—read it off a flat-screen monitor perched at the back of the East Room.
The teleprompter was no help during the question-and-answer session (reporters don't signal their intentions), but Obama was no less careful during that give and take.
Asked why people should trust government with the regulatory authority to take over failing financial companies such as troubled insurer American International Group Inc., Obama passed on the chance to demonize Washington.
"Keep in mind, it is precisely because of the lack of this authority that the AIG situation has gotten worse," Obama said. He then gave a scholarly explanation of how the proposal would work.
Pressed again, Obama cited the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's handling of the IndyMac Bank as an example of government properly using its authority.
The government did something right? That's news to most Americans.
****
First, note the loaded language in "relying on a familar crutch." What the fuck is that even about? A crutch? Is it suddenly a crutch to use something EVERY PRESIDENT IN THE PAST 30 YEARS HAS USED? Why don't they go after the fact that he uses a microphone while they're at it?
"You know, if Obama was a better speaker, he wouldn't need that familar crutch of electrical sound enhancement and would just use his own voice to speak to the entire room."
I mean give me a break...this is such desperate bullshit. An issue that no one outside talk radio and the Washington DC bubble give two shits about, and yet it keeps gathering attention?
And then, this notion of shock in the statement, "The government did something right? That's news to most Americans."
Sigh...I know this was some AP guy's analysis and not a full blown news story...but c'mon. As bad as the GOP would like you to believe, Americans are WANTING the government to do more and believe that things are getting better as a result. This "Government can't do anything right" is also the subject of my latest comic...
****
"This is a big ocean liner, it's not a speedboat. It doesn't turn around immediately," he said Tuesday night. "But we're in a better, better place because of the decisions that we made."
Calm. Cool. Careful.
One of the few times he summoned raw emotion came after a reporter demanded to know why it took him so long to express outrage over the AIG executive bonuses.
"It took a couple of days because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak."
Even better, he likes to have it up on the teleprompter.
****
Hahahahahahahahaha! The President likes to think about things and not rush to judgement! Hahahahahahaha! He's so stupid for not just going with his gut instinct and making up words and talking down to us all like we're a nation of eight year olds!
...that's seriously how far we've come. We'd rather have a "shoot first and ask questions never" kind of President than one who wishes to think things over, and speak to us with words he's reading off a teleprompter to make sure he gets it right?
C'mon GOP, you gave us eight years of this guy...
...you really want to start pointing fingers and laughing at Obama's ability to speak to us?
3.23.2009
3.20.2009
FRIDAY, I'M IN LOVE...
I've always had a soft spot for Bob Dylan. I love his lyrics, I love his melodies, and I'm one of the few who loves his voice! Especially in the 90's when it just completely went to shit and make him sound like Tom Waits' altered twin.
But when I found out that he has a new album coming out and that this is the cover for it, I got goosebumps...
In that interview he states that he likens the sound of this album to those from the old Chess and Sun Records days. Raw, intense, emotional sound...the kind that pulls you in close and doesn't let go. I can't wait.
But unfortunately, I have to. It doesn't come out until April 28th.
...sigh...
But when I found out that he has a new album coming out and that this is the cover for it, I got goosebumps...
In that interview he states that he likens the sound of this album to those from the old Chess and Sun Records days. Raw, intense, emotional sound...the kind that pulls you in close and doesn't let go. I can't wait.
But unfortunately, I have to. It doesn't come out until April 28th.
...sigh...
3.13.2009
WHY RUSH IS WRONG
(go buy a copy of the new Newsweek magazine to see that image in all of it's sweaty, bloated glory.)
David Frum, (A lifelong Conservative and speechwriter for George W. Bush who coined the phrase "Axis of Evil") writes a brutal article for Newsweek where he explains why Rush Limbaugh is the worst person the GOP could rally behind.
This quote nails it perfectly, "Rush is to the Republicanism of the 2000s what Jesse Jackson was to the Democratic party in the 1980s."
3.12.2009
RICKY GERVAIS + ELMO = COMEDY GOLD!!!
I guess the full episode won't be shown for awhile, but for now, the 2 minutes of out-takes are enough to leave my sides in pain from laughing so much...
I love how Ricky cracks himself up! And seriously, the amount of fun everyone on that set was having should probably be illegal... (I'm just jealous)
I love how Ricky cracks himself up! And seriously, the amount of fun everyone on that set was having should probably be illegal... (I'm just jealous)
GREAT MUSICAL PERFORMANCES ON LETTERMAN
I haven't posted some of these before, other's (like Zevon) I'll keep on posting over and over again, because it's that damn touching. (It seriously gives me goosebumps just thinking about it!)
But yeah, check these out if you got the time. Each one of them is absolutely incredible!
But yeah, check these out if you got the time. Each one of them is absolutely incredible!
3.11.2009
HOW IS JIM CRAMER NOT IN JAIL?!
Here's a video of some "internet talk show" from back in 2006 where Jim Cramer explains how to manipulate the stock market. He's completely telling people to lie and cheat and completely "game the system, cause it's fun."
I know Jon Stewart has spent all week on Jim Cramer and CNBC already...but he really NEEDS to at least address this tonight as well. It's like someone having a video of Bush sitting down with some no-name internet talk show host and being like, "Oh, that whole "going into Iraq thing? I totally did that on a dare! HA! It was fun!"
I know Jon Stewart has spent all week on Jim Cramer and CNBC already...but he really NEEDS to at least address this tonight as well. It's like someone having a video of Bush sitting down with some no-name internet talk show host and being like, "Oh, that whole "going into Iraq thing? I totally did that on a dare! HA! It was fun!"
3.10.2009
"...I'VE ALREADY BEEN BORN ONCE, I DON'T WANNA BE BORN AGAIN."
(song lyric from Nick Cave's "Little Empty Boat")
Religion has always been a subject that fascinated me. As a young child, I often wondered why Mom, my brother, and I would head off to Sunday School while Dad stayed home. My Mom would make excuses like, "Oh he reads the Bible when he works on the railroad" but that, obviously was a lie. It turns out that my Dad wasn't religious at all. Didn't see the point in going to church, or the need to even discuss God.
He wasn't the kind of guy who poured his heart out, and there were many subjects that I was never able to sit down and pick his mind before he died two years ago on March 5th.
So actions spelled out how he felt. And I'll never forget sitting in his hospital room, awaiting his final surgery to remove the tumors from his brain, as the Hospital Ministry enters the room, and he just tells them, "Thanks, but no thanks."
That pretty much ended my feeling of, "I wonder what Dad believes?" He might have believed in God, but it wasn't in the sense of needing someone else to pray for him...even as he lay dying.
My Mother on the other hand, believed in God something fierce. So much so, that when she got diagnosed with breast cancer, she began reading the Bible again. Feeling as though she was being punished for not being a good enough Christian. And when the cancer came back a year later, this time in the breast the doctors hadn't removed...she prayed harder. Felt like it was God testing her. Even as the tumors entered her brain, and she was given "months" to live, she never gave up faith that somehow, God would make things better.
...and in a way, he did. In that she went out gracefully. My Dad, he pretty much gave up on life once the tumors came back and were deeper and bigger than originally dealt with. However, my Mom used her belief that it was "In God's Hands" to allow her to never fear the ultimate end...because for her, it was simply a beginning.
Which brings me to my feelings towards religion. It's ultimately about what makes you feel good. If it brings you happiness and a sense of purpose, then fine, be one with God. But once you use your faith to impose other people's lives, or feel as though you somehow know the "Truth" while those around you don't...that's when you've lost me. No one knows what happens when we die. Not the Pope, not the Dalai Lama...no one.
Thus, less and less Americans are believing in organized religion. The number of "No Religion" has grown rapidly over the past 18 years...while all the other faiths have fallen or stayed the same.
Look at that...15% of people now say they do not follow any sort of religion. Not that they're Atheists, mind you, (Lord knows, I'm not certain enough to be THAT arrogant!) just that they don't go to church or follow a certain organized religion.
That's almost as much as Baptists. And they're SECOND behind Catholics.
To me, this is great news. Of course, there are those who feel that without religion, we're all going to Hell in a handbasket...but I disagree. I think it's about time that we realize that while a lot of the stories in the Bible are good for teaching us right and wrong...they're not facts. They're not a blueprint for how you must live your life...or else.
And listen, I send my kid to a Methodist daycare. For one, it's (pardon the pun) a hell of a lot cheaper than most day cares, and two, I also teach him about Santa and soon enough the Tooth Fairy. Should I be so "realistic" with him that I take out all the magic in life? If it makes him behave better thinking that "God is watching you" then so be it. When he gets older, he can make the judgment if he wants to keep on believing that or not.
I'll leave this long, rambling post with the most awesome view of religion that I've ever had the privilege of hearing. It's from my Mythology class in high school, (fuck you, I'm a nerd, so what) and it seriously is perfect for understanding the role religion should have in our lives.
Examining all the religions throughout time, from people who worshiped pharaohs, to those who figured Zeus was the way to believe...one thing became clear. How could ANY of this be real? You get the sense that because Man has always had self-awareness that one day he will die, he always had to create stories dealing with "what then?" So much of what's in the Bible was taken from religions before them, and those borrowed from before them and so on and so forth...
So the best way to look at religion is like the way you look at going to the movies. You have three options.
#1. Choose to believe everything you're about to see on the screen is real. All of it. The guns, the aliens, the scary killer hiding in the closet...and you'll probably give yourself a heart attack by worrying about it constantly. And once it's all over, you'll have missed the point of why you went to the movie to begin with...to enjoy it.
#2. Choose to believe that it's all fake. Those are nothing more than mere actors on the screen. Those aliens are CGI and the blood and death is all make-believe. You once again would miss the point of the movie and enjoy nothing.
#3. Or you could view a movie like most of us tend to. You know in the back of your mind that it's nothing more than actors and CGI and make-believe, but you allow yourself to get lost in the story, get goosebumps at the awesome musical cues, and leave the theater with a smile on your face.
Isn't that the best way to go through life? Not getting caught up in the small details, or worrying about things we'll never be able to understand...and simply live for today? That's how I try and live my life and to the rest of you 15%er's, I salute you.
Religion has always been a subject that fascinated me. As a young child, I often wondered why Mom, my brother, and I would head off to Sunday School while Dad stayed home. My Mom would make excuses like, "Oh he reads the Bible when he works on the railroad" but that, obviously was a lie. It turns out that my Dad wasn't religious at all. Didn't see the point in going to church, or the need to even discuss God.
He wasn't the kind of guy who poured his heart out, and there were many subjects that I was never able to sit down and pick his mind before he died two years ago on March 5th.
So actions spelled out how he felt. And I'll never forget sitting in his hospital room, awaiting his final surgery to remove the tumors from his brain, as the Hospital Ministry enters the room, and he just tells them, "Thanks, but no thanks."
That pretty much ended my feeling of, "I wonder what Dad believes?" He might have believed in God, but it wasn't in the sense of needing someone else to pray for him...even as he lay dying.
My Mother on the other hand, believed in God something fierce. So much so, that when she got diagnosed with breast cancer, she began reading the Bible again. Feeling as though she was being punished for not being a good enough Christian. And when the cancer came back a year later, this time in the breast the doctors hadn't removed...she prayed harder. Felt like it was God testing her. Even as the tumors entered her brain, and she was given "months" to live, she never gave up faith that somehow, God would make things better.
...and in a way, he did. In that she went out gracefully. My Dad, he pretty much gave up on life once the tumors came back and were deeper and bigger than originally dealt with. However, my Mom used her belief that it was "In God's Hands" to allow her to never fear the ultimate end...because for her, it was simply a beginning.
Which brings me to my feelings towards religion. It's ultimately about what makes you feel good. If it brings you happiness and a sense of purpose, then fine, be one with God. But once you use your faith to impose other people's lives, or feel as though you somehow know the "Truth" while those around you don't...that's when you've lost me. No one knows what happens when we die. Not the Pope, not the Dalai Lama...no one.
Thus, less and less Americans are believing in organized religion. The number of "No Religion" has grown rapidly over the past 18 years...while all the other faiths have fallen or stayed the same.
Look at that...15% of people now say they do not follow any sort of religion. Not that they're Atheists, mind you, (Lord knows, I'm not certain enough to be THAT arrogant!) just that they don't go to church or follow a certain organized religion.
That's almost as much as Baptists. And they're SECOND behind Catholics.
To me, this is great news. Of course, there are those who feel that without religion, we're all going to Hell in a handbasket...but I disagree. I think it's about time that we realize that while a lot of the stories in the Bible are good for teaching us right and wrong...they're not facts. They're not a blueprint for how you must live your life...or else.
And listen, I send my kid to a Methodist daycare. For one, it's (pardon the pun) a hell of a lot cheaper than most day cares, and two, I also teach him about Santa and soon enough the Tooth Fairy. Should I be so "realistic" with him that I take out all the magic in life? If it makes him behave better thinking that "God is watching you" then so be it. When he gets older, he can make the judgment if he wants to keep on believing that or not.
I'll leave this long, rambling post with the most awesome view of religion that I've ever had the privilege of hearing. It's from my Mythology class in high school, (fuck you, I'm a nerd, so what) and it seriously is perfect for understanding the role religion should have in our lives.
Examining all the religions throughout time, from people who worshiped pharaohs, to those who figured Zeus was the way to believe...one thing became clear. How could ANY of this be real? You get the sense that because Man has always had self-awareness that one day he will die, he always had to create stories dealing with "what then?" So much of what's in the Bible was taken from religions before them, and those borrowed from before them and so on and so forth...
So the best way to look at religion is like the way you look at going to the movies. You have three options.
#1. Choose to believe everything you're about to see on the screen is real. All of it. The guns, the aliens, the scary killer hiding in the closet...and you'll probably give yourself a heart attack by worrying about it constantly. And once it's all over, you'll have missed the point of why you went to the movie to begin with...to enjoy it.
#2. Choose to believe that it's all fake. Those are nothing more than mere actors on the screen. Those aliens are CGI and the blood and death is all make-believe. You once again would miss the point of the movie and enjoy nothing.
#3. Or you could view a movie like most of us tend to. You know in the back of your mind that it's nothing more than actors and CGI and make-believe, but you allow yourself to get lost in the story, get goosebumps at the awesome musical cues, and leave the theater with a smile on your face.
Isn't that the best way to go through life? Not getting caught up in the small details, or worrying about things we'll never be able to understand...and simply live for today? That's how I try and live my life and to the rest of you 15%er's, I salute you.
POOR JIM CRAMER...
...only made things worse by trying to defend himself against Jon Stewart, saying he was taken out of context.
If it's context you want, it's context you shall receive...
If it's context you want, it's context you shall receive...
3.09.2009
OH NOES!!! WE'S ALL GONNA DIE!!!
So says, "Respected pastor, best-selling author and founder of a major ministry to teens" David Wilkerson.
Who?
Exactly.
I guess he wrote "The Cross and the Switchblade" about street kids in New York struggling for salvation, which was later turned into a movie starring Pat Boone?! (think West Side Story, only Holier..."JESUS! I just met a man named JEEEEEEEEESUS!")
Anyway he just had himself a vision that God's going to kill us all.
Well shit...There goes my weekend.
I got a nice, long post about religion coming up later today, but thought this might whet your appetite until then.
Who?
Exactly.
I guess he wrote "The Cross and the Switchblade" about street kids in New York struggling for salvation, which was later turned into a movie starring Pat Boone?! (think West Side Story, only Holier..."JESUS! I just met a man named JEEEEEEEEESUS!")
Anyway he just had himself a vision that God's going to kill us all.
Well shit...There goes my weekend.
I got a nice, long post about religion coming up later today, but thought this might whet your appetite until then.
WHY LEE JUDGE IS A PROFESSIONAL...
...and I'm merely a hack.
Lee worked for The Kansas City Star as their Political Cartoonist for over 20 (if not close to 30) years and was laid off a few months ago due to the fact that the newspaper industry is struggling to survive. But luckily, he's still able to do freelance for them from time to time and prove that he's just as funny and hard-hitting as he always was!
Lee worked for The Kansas City Star as their Political Cartoonist for over 20 (if not close to 30) years and was laid off a few months ago due to the fact that the newspaper industry is struggling to survive. But luckily, he's still able to do freelance for them from time to time and prove that he's just as funny and hard-hitting as he always was!
3.08.2009
I WATCH(ED) THE WATCHMEN...
...and liked it.
Yeah, I know...half of my comic friends just threw up in their mouths right now.
Honestly, I feel bad for Zach Snyder. The poor bastard was damned no matter what type of movie he made. Because I've read a ton of reviews for Watchmen. Some from newspapers, some from internet movie fansites, some from personal friends of mine...and none of them agree on whether it was too long, too short. Whether it strayed from the original material too much, or needed to stay scene-for-scene perfect. And then I would read the comment sections and see even more opposing opinions. How the fuck could he please all these people?!
The only thing everyone seemed to agree on was the ending let them down...and to that extent, I agree.
You have a 3-hour-epic and it's filled to the brim with incredible imagery, passable dialogue, heavy themes and it just slows to a halt at the end...and talks...and talks...and talks...
But up until that last 15-20 minutes, I would give the movie a 9 out of 10. Seriously. (as it stands, I'd say it's more of a 7/10 film instead)
I didn't care that none of the Watchmen have super powers, (aside from Dr. Manhattan) yet in the film they're punching through walls, throwing people 40 feet into the air, or how choreographed the fight sequences were. (including more of that slow-mo that he loved do much in 300.) It made the fights more intense, gave us eye-candy to marvel at, (cause we've all wanted to see bones rip right out from their flesh!) and was just fun to watch.
Sure, it wasn't an emotional masterpiece. The characters weren't fleshed out as much as they were in the comic...but I really thought they did a good enough job establishing the aspects we most needed. I bought Dan and Laurie's love affair. I got that Dr. Manhattan was becoming more and more distant from humanity. Rorschach was by far the scene-stealer of the entire film. Jackie Earle Haley outdid himself in this role and might be able to get some award nominations down the line. The only weak link was Ozymandias. You never got the sense that he really was the world's smartest man...and his acting chops weren't that terrific.
But man, the moments that made the comic incredible are brought to life before our very eyes.
The Comedian's funeral inter-cut with all the horrible memories people had of him over the years is in there. You witness Rorschach deal with the child molester (with an even more brutal ending!) The entire prison sequence is there in all of it's bloody, bloody, bloody glory. The awkward "Night Owl can't get it up" attempted love scene is even still included!
...but nothing, and I mean nothing is as incredible as when Dr. Manhattan leaves Earth to hang out on Mars. That sequence, including him reliving his life up until that moment, gave me goosebumps.
For all the amazing special effects and make-up, it blows my mind how piss poor Nixon looks, (is he trying to out-cartoon Pinocchio with that nose?!) and why they chose to let Carla Gugino play the 60-year-old version of Silk Spectre is beyond me. Her make-up (and acting) was probably the least believable thing in the entire film.
I know that a lot has been made of the musical choices and how "obvious" they were...but again, it actually worked for me. A lot of what made the Watchmen believable was that it took place in our world, in our America, in our history...so choosing songs that are instantly recognizable and hold deep emotions with what was going on at the time, made sense to me. (Sure, Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" during the sex scene was a bit much, but that was the only one that really made me giggle a lil' bit and took me out of the context of the film itself.)
Listen, it's not the greatest superhero movie ever made...and will barely make my top ten list at the end of the year (if at all) but I don't understand the way people are HAAAAAAAAATING it. I thought it was a lot of fun (as "fun" as a movie about attempted rape, murdering pregnant women, cutting arms off with a buzzsaw, and the constant threat of nuclear holocaust can be!)
In the end, it's not perfect, but I really felt that Zach Snyder fought to keep the bits that mattered most (NOT having it set present day, NOT covering up the blue cock, NOT settling for a PG-13 rating) and respected the graphic novel enough to not stray away too much. (I actually wished the Squid was still in the ending!)
Bonus! For those interested, the movies amazing opening title sequence have leaked all over the internet (and are being removed about as quickly as they're being uploaded) but for now, this foreign link seems to still work! Enjoy!
Yeah, I know...half of my comic friends just threw up in their mouths right now.
Honestly, I feel bad for Zach Snyder. The poor bastard was damned no matter what type of movie he made. Because I've read a ton of reviews for Watchmen. Some from newspapers, some from internet movie fansites, some from personal friends of mine...and none of them agree on whether it was too long, too short. Whether it strayed from the original material too much, or needed to stay scene-for-scene perfect. And then I would read the comment sections and see even more opposing opinions. How the fuck could he please all these people?!
The only thing everyone seemed to agree on was the ending let them down...and to that extent, I agree.
You have a 3-hour-epic and it's filled to the brim with incredible imagery, passable dialogue, heavy themes and it just slows to a halt at the end...and talks...and talks...and talks...
But up until that last 15-20 minutes, I would give the movie a 9 out of 10. Seriously. (as it stands, I'd say it's more of a 7/10 film instead)
I didn't care that none of the Watchmen have super powers, (aside from Dr. Manhattan) yet in the film they're punching through walls, throwing people 40 feet into the air, or how choreographed the fight sequences were. (including more of that slow-mo that he loved do much in 300.) It made the fights more intense, gave us eye-candy to marvel at, (cause we've all wanted to see bones rip right out from their flesh!) and was just fun to watch.
Sure, it wasn't an emotional masterpiece. The characters weren't fleshed out as much as they were in the comic...but I really thought they did a good enough job establishing the aspects we most needed. I bought Dan and Laurie's love affair. I got that Dr. Manhattan was becoming more and more distant from humanity. Rorschach was by far the scene-stealer of the entire film. Jackie Earle Haley outdid himself in this role and might be able to get some award nominations down the line. The only weak link was Ozymandias. You never got the sense that he really was the world's smartest man...and his acting chops weren't that terrific.
But man, the moments that made the comic incredible are brought to life before our very eyes.
The Comedian's funeral inter-cut with all the horrible memories people had of him over the years is in there. You witness Rorschach deal with the child molester (with an even more brutal ending!) The entire prison sequence is there in all of it's bloody, bloody, bloody glory. The awkward "Night Owl can't get it up" attempted love scene is even still included!
...but nothing, and I mean nothing is as incredible as when Dr. Manhattan leaves Earth to hang out on Mars. That sequence, including him reliving his life up until that moment, gave me goosebumps.
For all the amazing special effects and make-up, it blows my mind how piss poor Nixon looks, (is he trying to out-cartoon Pinocchio with that nose?!) and why they chose to let Carla Gugino play the 60-year-old version of Silk Spectre is beyond me. Her make-up (and acting) was probably the least believable thing in the entire film.
I know that a lot has been made of the musical choices and how "obvious" they were...but again, it actually worked for me. A lot of what made the Watchmen believable was that it took place in our world, in our America, in our history...so choosing songs that are instantly recognizable and hold deep emotions with what was going on at the time, made sense to me. (Sure, Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" during the sex scene was a bit much, but that was the only one that really made me giggle a lil' bit and took me out of the context of the film itself.)
Listen, it's not the greatest superhero movie ever made...and will barely make my top ten list at the end of the year (if at all) but I don't understand the way people are HAAAAAAAAATING it. I thought it was a lot of fun (as "fun" as a movie about attempted rape, murdering pregnant women, cutting arms off with a buzzsaw, and the constant threat of nuclear holocaust can be!)
In the end, it's not perfect, but I really felt that Zach Snyder fought to keep the bits that mattered most (NOT having it set present day, NOT covering up the blue cock, NOT settling for a PG-13 rating) and respected the graphic novel enough to not stray away too much. (I actually wished the Squid was still in the ending!)
Bonus! For those interested, the movies amazing opening title sequence have leaked all over the internet (and are being removed about as quickly as they're being uploaded) but for now, this foreign link seems to still work! Enjoy!
3.06.2009
RUSH LIMBAUGH IS NOTHING IF NOT CLASSY
The bloated drug addict told his audience that the Health Care Reform President Obama is attempting to get passed through Congress will soon be called "The Ted Kennedy Memorial Bill."
Because...you see...Ted Kennedy is dying of brain cancer! HA! Ain't that hilarious?!
Conservatives such as (deleted) are convinced that all this extra attention Limbaugh is getting will lead the GOP to a historic 2010 where they'll once again take control of the House and Senate. And suddenly, I agree!
Because losing both of my parents to brain tumors, I know more than most that Americans accept the use of insensitive jokes at the expense of dying people are totally okay as long as they're of the opposite political party. Right?
Because...you see...Ted Kennedy is dying of brain cancer! HA! Ain't that hilarious?!
Conservatives such as (deleted) are convinced that all this extra attention Limbaugh is getting will lead the GOP to a historic 2010 where they'll once again take control of the House and Senate. And suddenly, I agree!
Because losing both of my parents to brain tumors, I know more than most that Americans accept the use of insensitive jokes at the expense of dying people are totally okay as long as they're of the opposite political party. Right?
3.05.2009
ONE MORE REASON...
...The Daily Show is more powerful than half of the "real" news out there. They are able to completely tear CNBC a new one, with nothing more than humor and facts. They call them out for being wrong about the stock market, leading the way for people to lose everything they had built up over the past decade, and even straight out call them whores for Wall Street...and not have to worry about being "fair and balanced." Because sometimes, there is no "other viewpoint" to consider. Sometimes, you have to push back hard, and remind people of who the real assholes who got us into this mess are. (Psssst, it ain't just the homeowners...no matter what Rush Limbaugh says)
*updated with a video that might actually work now*
*updated with a video that might actually work now*
3.03.2009
G.I. JOE FAKE PSA'S
These are seriously 3 years old by now, but still make me laugh until my sides hurt...
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