Random Bullshit

Last weekend before I start my new job, so I will have to revel in leisure. Last night watched Superman Returns blu, and I have to say, I do not dislike this movie the way most nerds do -- I actually feel it is pretty damn good. I love the Richard Donner feel of the whole thing. I wouldn't place it above Superman I or II, but definitely above III and IV... and I think Routhe is excellent at portraying the goofy Clark and the serious Supes of the Chris Reeves era. I absolutely adore the throwback credit sequence at the beginning with the John Williams score. And Kevin Spacey may even be a better Lex Luthor than Gene Hackman (whom I adore.) He captures the slightly-goofball yet still-menacing nature of those Hackman performances perfectly. This is a real valentine to Donner's near-perfect Superman films... Singer seemed to go with the old "if it's not broke, don't fix it" and I respect that. He did go out on an edge plotwise, and in a certain way you have to do that to make it exciting and new, and here is where he made some missteps. Supes as potential home-wrecker does not suit his character well. I mean this is the guy who has never told a lie, and he's dangerously close to splitting up a happy home throughout the movie. Also, Lois's abandonment of Supes seems equally out of character. And if Supes has only been gone on his trip to the remains of Krypton for 5 years, well... Lois's son seems like he's 5 years old, so she wasted no time hopping into the douchebag who played Cyclops in the X-Men movies' bed. Fuck that. But, aside from the plot missteps, I think Singer did a whole lot right with this movie. Even when I was shaking my head at the characterization my eyes were glued to the screen. The worst thing about this movie is Lois... she needed a different actress and to be written in a more likeable way, and they should not have entered this risque love triangle plot. I still like the movie a lot, though. As I said before -- not as good as I and II, better than III and IV (though I do love those two, as cheesy as they are.)

Not sure if I will go see the special theatrical screening of 12 Angry Men tomorrow or not. Great movie, I love Fonda, and I'm sure the presentation will be unmatchable... but I have not screened the DVD that I recently bought yet, so I may hold out for the sake of saving $11 dollars ($5.50 a ticket for me and the fiance) and just get my money's worth out of the DVD. Especially with our home entertainment system being fairly worthy right now.

My friend Jeremy and I were bitching about the lack of good blockbuster music right now, and really for most of the past summer, and that is really resonating with me lately. I guess I am waiting for Wayne to get out, he seemed to breathe a lot of vitality into the commercial recording scene when it needed it and his abscense is felt. Drake's album, although very good, did not have a summer blockbuster vibe to it at all, Nicki Minaj's album singles have been underwhelming thus far, and I can't think of too much exciting going on outside of that. I can pretty much summarize this summer in All I Can Do Is Win, Miss Me, California Gurlz, Young Forever, and O Let's Do It Remix... in other words, only slightly exciting at points, but mostly dull compared to previous summers.

Snapped up a $10 blu of Bram Stoker's Dracula at Kroger, and the same deal can be had at Target -- if you do not own this movie yet and have blu capability I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this. Easily the best movie to star the great Gary Oldman in the central role. I don't know if it is still running but last week they also had Casino blu marked down from $20 to $10 at target, which is a steal for what is, in my opinion, only second to Goodfellas in the Scorcese catalogue.

I still have yet to screen my blu of Omega Man that was also $10 at Target, so I may do that this week. It is simultaneously the most erroneous script adaptation of I Am Legend and the most fun film version of it. It is a blast. I slightly prefer the legendary Vincent Price adaptation Last Man On Earth, but this is great 70's budget exploitation. For me it stands with Planet Of The Apes and Soylent Green as THE Charleton Heston B-movies.

I am very much enjoying J. Michael Strazynski's run on Superman and Lex Luthor's takeover of Action Comics, as well as Grant Morrison's H.G. Wells style Batman stories that are going on in DC comics right now. In Marvel some okay stuff is happening, Daredevil has taken over The Hand and erected a castle in the middle Of Hells Kitchen and straight up killed Bullseye (finally.) Pepper Pots in Iron Man just had a repulsor surgically implanted in her chest and has a new suit of her own to return as Rescue. Steve Rogers is back and has a group of Secret Avengers doing spy/espionage type shit.

Finaly Fantasy XIII has been blowing my mind. I think that is about all I have had going on.

Can't wait to go see Machete next week... fuck yes.