Sunday Night Cartoons

I used to look forward to my saturday morning cartoons, including X-Men, Beetlejuice, Batman Adventures, and a bunch of others throughout the years. It signaled two days away from school and all of the irritations that came with that.

Now, at 26, I watch my Sunday night cartoon line up. Adult swim keeps that kid alive in me. Sure the humor is a tad crass, and more for adults, but some of the best cartoons from my younger years were spiced with underlined adult humor that I'm just NOW starting to understand.


I just finished the latest episode of the Venture Bros, which once again solidifies why that cartoon is one of the BEST animated shows to come out in years.

For those of you who haven't been privy to the five year old adult swim show, currently in its third season, The Venture Bros is the ongoing tale of former boy adventurer (parodying a number of sixties cartoons, mainly Johnny Quest.) Rusty Venture, who is now a bitter, middle aged man living in his father shadow, a famous scientist. The show also spotlights his prone to death twin sons Hank, and Dean ( A mix of Johnny Quest and Fred from Scooby Doo) and their pinnacle of 70's muscle car masculinity body guard, Brock Samson.

Without going into further details about the previous episodes (You need to get season 1 and 2, soak those in, then fall in love with this cyni-ass of a series) let me say that this show constantly lampoons the 60's and 70's fad of hyperadventuristic famly-esque cartoons, movies, and comic books while still maintaining an intriguing storyline, and incredibly addictive character development.

You're well aware that the show is mocking so many generic elements, but you still keep coming back to learn more about these characters, their growing interactions, and direction of the constantly twisting plot.

Its a wonderful escape of humor and storytelling.

If you're a cartoon fanatic, you need to pick this one up, if you are looking for a laugh, give the show a chance, if you're thinking to yourself "Cartoons are for kids"...please pull the stick out of your ass.

Super Heroes and Comic Book Flicks

I was, for a three month period, pretty consistent with my blog entries. My life has been fairly busy as of late, and in my downtime I've become less reliable to head up things that I deem constructive. Writing these little bastards felt entertaining as well as a worthwhile use of time. They also are pretty testing. I don't like reading blogs that wreak of self aggrandizing writings, not that they don't have a place or offer a good read, its just that blogs that have a pattern of focus always seem like a reliable visit. My pattern was bitching or praising recent flicks.

Why don't we continue that trend?

The comic book movie and super hero genre is Summer '08's whore, and I'll be in that red light district for the next couple of months.

The kickoff, in my opinion, was the release of Iron Man, directed by Jon Favreau (Star of Swingers, director of Elf)


and starring Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man was never a comic I followed, or was interested in. I don't mean that in a negative way. I didn't hate the comic or the character, it just wasn't one that grabbed my attention. Maybe it was because he was a rich guy in an armored suit, and for many years if the protagonist hadn't powers, then they had to be a vigilante to be interesting. Later I found that there were many characteristics to Iron Man and his story that were dark and fascinating.

The Iron Man flick was entertaining from beginning to end. Stark's character, an uber intelligent, rich, Howard Hughes-esque weapons mogul turned do-gooder, peace activist super heroe left so much for Downey to play with. Robert Downey Jr. has been, once again, walking up the ladder in hollywood thanks to a slew of intriguing roles both major and independent. If you haven't seen him in Shane Black's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, go out and rent it, net flix it, download it, whatever, just see it.



We watch as Stark, post being attacked in the desert by terrorists, creates several stages of the Iron Man suit, joined by hilarious tests, all the while he escapes the lime light previously depicting him as a death dealing, out of touch playboy. Jeff Bridges plays Obadiah Stane, who becomes the Iron Monger, Stark's former partner and secret rival.




The movie is rich with clever dialog, awesome action (the flight scenes are worth the entire flick) and great effects. There is very little character development other than Tony Stark's. His sassy sidekick Pepper Potts is played by Gwenyth Paltrow, and servers very little purpose in the movie other than to be a formidable female character.

Overall, one of the best comic book transitions to the theater in a long time, and very much worth seeing on the big screen! Don't just rent this!

The Incredible Hulk opened last weekend and took the box office over M Night Shalamahamahmayhamahaymajsmdofaasdf 's The Happening. Many movie goers and comic fans were greatly disappointed in the last Hulk movie back in 2003.

I was just very, very, very bored by it.

It was long winded, and not at all cohesive.

The Incredible Hulk, starring Edward Norton, Tim Roth, and Liv Tyler was EVERYTHING opposite. Norton who plays alter ego Bruce Banner hulks out SO much during this flick, its easy to forget who Ed Norton is.

Mind you there isn't many scenarios you come up with to make him Hulk out other than throw lots'o'dem military people his way.

Norton is fun to watch, but doesn't do much for Banner's character. Its hard to see him transform into the tortured scientist, it mostly feels like you're simply watching Edward Norton running around the screen trying not to turn into the Hulk. Tim Roth plays the "Russian" antagonist who later becomes the Abomination, a creature just as strong as the Hulk, but sans those handsome good looks...you know let me just stop here. If you want to go see a very entertaining movie with lots of explosions, punches, kicks, chases, loud music, sound effects and CGI, this is the perfect choice. Its pure escapism and comic book corniness. It is not a SMART movie, but its also not a BAD movie. Hulk proves to be very entertaining and brainless, much like the character himself....well he's more scary and brainless...until those later comics where he retains his intelligence in the Hulk form.........nevermind, the point is Incredible Hulk is fun on the big screen, but is fine as a rentable experience.




Opening in the next two weeks are Wanted, based off of the ungodly vulger/violent comic mini series, and Hancock, a unique character made specifically for film.

For those interested in comics, Wanted is quite an experience.



The original series tells the story of young Wes who is revealed to be the son of a great super villain recently bumped off by a mysterious assassin. Wes is trained by the Fraternity, a club of Supervillains who secretly run the world. You see back in the 80's all the super villains got together and waged war on the super heroes, killing almost all of them, and either crippling or forcing the rest into retirement. From there they erased the Super Heroes from everyone's minds, and divided up the continents between villain groups. Wes is trained by Fox, a super villainous loosely based on Catwoman. In fact all the characters in the miniseries were parodies of DC villains (I don't recall any Marvel characters), for example one of the main antagonists being a rendition of Joker. This comic is wonderfully written, very unique, and depicts all their characters as awful, hideous creatures of personal satisfaction.



The film versioin cut out everything dealing with superheroes and supervillians, but left in the basic concept of Wes finding out he was the son of a major assassin, with Jolie playing Fox, and James McAvoy as Wes.

What stokes me about this movie is that (apparently) the scenes involving any special effects were shot with the Red camera, a very new type of HD camera that rocks my techno geeky side!

I don't know much about Hancock other than what the trailers have revealed, but it looks awesomely funny, as well as full of action. Smith is playing a superhero who drinks too much and doesn't give a rats ass if people like him or not. One trailer reveals that he hasn't a clue where his powers came from, or much about his past. Jason Batemen is a PR specialist who tries to fix Hancock's public image, and there seems to be a major fight scene some where during the flick. You're able to see Smith fighting somebody in that trailer. If that turns out to be Charleze Theron I'm going to drown myself in the tub of popcorn that will no doubly have way to much white cheddar salt.



Hancock's character is also a drunk, and this aspect has caused Iron Man director Jon favreau to second guess bringing Tony Stark's alcoholism into the sequel. This was a major plot point in the comic book, but Favreau doesn't want his audience to get an unoriginal idea....even though it IS an original idea, and Hancock is the one being unoriginal.

I digress....


21 MORE DAYS!!! 21 more days until the Dark Knight, and already it receives praise from my all time favorite movie critic Peter Travers, long time writer for Roliing Stone Magazine. My myspace page has been portraying a Joker image for over a half a year since the first trailer was revealed last fall, and will continue to do so until I see this flick at the IMAX, midnight on July 18th! If you haven't read the review, go to my last blog, and READ! GET PUMPED!



Man, I really hope I'm not hyping myself up just to be disappointed.

Oh well, we'll end this blog with some Dark Knight Trailers! Enjoy and let's hope we keep getting genuine comic book movies that stay true to the original concepts, and not rape the hell out of it just because "Some people might not get it"!




TV SPOT 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67-poSYpVP0&fmt=18

COMCAST ALT TRAILER
http://wbads-07.vo.llnwd.net/e1/wbol/uk/movies/thedarkknight/the_dark_knight_u0xb20_know_your_limits_qt_med.mov

TV SPOT 8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sktZWzBKuFc&fmt=18

TV SPOT 9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwEeLJ5UqwY&fmt=18

The Dark Knight reviewed by Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers

Peter Travers is one of my favorite critics. His review of the Dark Knight is up.

Check it out:

http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/16155928/review/21477208/the_dark_knight

SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT--SHUT--SHUT--SHUT UP!

Phillip Seymour Hoffman is one of the greatest character actors today. Some may argue that he has one character, and just brings that incarnation to a bunch of movies. Of course I’ve heard that about Johnny Depp as well. I think there’s truth in the former assessment, as in not everyone is going to give a Lon Chaney or Daniel Day Lewis performance, but it’s also very unfair to degrade their performances by ignoring the originality character actors like Hoffman bring to the screen.

I just finished watching Punch Drunk Love, a film by present day auteur Paul Thomas Anderson , director/writer of Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood. I’d watched this movie way back in 2002 when it first hit theaters. It was half because of an Adam Sandler kick I’d been on for years and my growing curiosity of Anderson since watching Magnolia. There was a genuine intrigue due to rumors of Sandler’s unusual role.



I love seeing actors outside their normal flicks, like when Jack Nicholson played the quiet and confused Warren Schimidt in (ironically about the year) 2002’s About Schimidt. Sandler played the highly withdrawn Barry Egen, a slightly manic-depressive, definitely lonely, business owner with 7 condescending sisters and a secret mission to collect hundreds of Healthy Choice pudding cups to redeem the free 500 flyer miles mistakenly offered by the distributer. Like most of Anderson’s films, there is a single element that plays very little to the story line, but carries its presence like a supporting character. Magnolia had the frogs, Boogie Nights had the dick, There Will be Blood had oil, Punch Drunk Love, a harmonium (a type of piano). Egan meets a girl named Lena in what he thinks is a fateful moment, but turns out to be a set up by one of his sisters to get him dating. After an innocent mistake of calling a phone sex hotline, we follow Egan through an odyssey of blackmail, rage, and a search for love.

Sandler creates the neurotic Egan with grace. Egan’s burst of violent anger is much more delicate compared to his comic roles with similar actions. However, my favorite character is the minor role of Dean Trumbell played by Hoffman, a devious Utah mattress shop owner, which also fronts for his phone sex hotline. Hoffman’s character sends his goons after Sandler to force their blackmail scheme. A confrontation between Egen and Trumbell cause Hoffman to scream and erratic, "SHUT UP, SHUT UP! SHUT-SHUT-SHUT-SHUT UP," line, as he chokes through anger in reaction to Egen’s persistence.

Here you have Hoffman playing a character of huge contrast to Sandler: A man incredibly violent and angry opposed to Egen’s soft spoken and withdrawn character, who’s not quite sure how to handle his rage.

If you haven’t seen the flick, pick it up. If you’re only used to Sandler’s Happy Gilmore, you’ll be surprised to see a very different portrayal by the comedy favorite. For film buffs, you’ve probably already seen this, but if you haven’t its a must for the collection! Those looking for a rental, this is NOT formulaic, so you may be confused by the odd story pattern, however I really doubt you’ll bored.