30 Second Movie Review:The People Vs. George Lucas

I thought the prequel trilogy and everything GL has done to the original Star Wars films pissed me off.Man am I out of my league,there are people out there destroyed by George's actions.

This is a cool documentary that serves as both a hate filled diatribe to the man many of us grew up loving,and still do even after all the hateful words have settled.GL is a man who sits atop the biggest franchise in history,yet feels that it is his and he can do what he wants and show it how he feels it should be shown.The question of when does art belong to the masses who embrace it is asked and it is a good question.If we all grew up loving what we saw,yet the creator was never truly happy poses the question is it alright to tinker,or is it now the masses property?

Well this film gives us many passionate nerds and their opinions and raises some interesting ideas.My personal opinion remains Lucas has always been more of a savvy businessman than storyteller,as cemented by the fact that two of the three original films were co written and directed by other people.Yet the entire new trilogy was all Lucas all the time,and was pretty terrible at best.GL will remain a subject of nerd fascination and repulsion for the rest of time,and this doc does a good job of explaining why.Check it out.

The D Is Silent

QT has had me since 1992 or 93 when I first saw Reservoir Dogs on VHS

Who Watches?

We are now officially living in a time where there are more original Watchmen comics being published.Today's release of Darwyn Cooke's Minutemen series is the first new story featuring the characters from DC's series released since 1987.

Alot of fans have their undies in a bunch over this.It is sacreligious,unneccesary,a sin.Dragging a dead horse through mud,etc.I have no problem with this for a simple reason.Watchmen is one of the greatest stories ever told.Comics,books,whatever.It has proved that it is as relevant today as it was 25 years ago,and will continue to enthrall new readers for the rest of time.There is nothing that these prequel stories can do that will change that.Good or bad.I don't feel that there will be a great moment that will make me see the original story in a new light,and I don't think that there could be anything bad enough to stain it either.I still enjoy the original Star Wars trilogy on it's own(admittably creakier as I get older)merits.The terrible prequels didn't impact my feelings on the original at all.I greatly look forward to seeing Ridley Scott's Prometheus,which is a film set in the Alien universe,many years before the story of the original film.Great or terrible,it cannot take away from my enjoyment for Alien.To me The Matrix ended when Neo flew up to the screen,doesn't matter that two whole movies followed.

We live in a time when well enough can't be left alone.And it won't.In 20 years when TV is looking for a hit show they will reboot or continue Lost or any number of things we love.The reason is simple,money is to be made and people get curious.If you don't want to read the new Watchmen stuff,don't.Ask me and I'll tell you how it's been because I have faith that these creators can tell intersting stories.

Fun Cover Song

Me and Lin saw the always awesome Weezer at the Mohegan Sun Arena the other night,and here is some footage from an unexpected,yet great cover song.They also encored with Talk Dirty To Me by Poison and killed it.

30 Second Movie Review:Tower Heist

The comedic version of the Ocean's films.This looked terrible from all previews.

I liked it.Ben Stiller,Matthew Broderick and Casey Affleck play people ripped off of their life's savings by a businessman played by Alan Alda.They devise a plot to steal money they believe is hidden in the penthouse of one of New York City's most luxurious apartment buildings to make good on what he owes.Along the way they get help from Eddie Murphy's thief character.

Not much too say other than some good laughs,a fun heist sequence and a surprising ending.Way more fun than I expected.

Gay Scott!

DC has reintroduced original Green Lantern Alan Scott into it's New 52 and have decided to change the character to a gay man.I have no issue with sexuality at all.Some of my favorite characters in comics and other fiction have been gay(Midnighter,Apollo,Agent 355,Northstar,ok well not Northstar)and it bothers me none.

What bothers me is taking an existing character (from the 40's!!)and making him gay to what seems to me to pander to what DC thinks the homosexual consensus would like to see.In my opinion I think if I were looking for equality in comic book characters I would appreciate a newly created gay character,as opposed to this type of stunt.Marvel is marrying Northstar and his boyfriend in a issue soon,and I have no real issue with it,despite the fact that it is also being sensational for it's own sake(to a point).At least Northstar is a longtime Z list character who came out of the closet about ten years ago,and in todays day and age,marriage is the next logical step.And the major difference between Alan and Northstar is that Northstar really needed an additional little oomph to beef up his character.Alan,despite being a younger,different version from the old DC timeline could have grown into his own character without this.This move seems reactionary on all cylinders,to Marvel,and to what they think will please the masses.

I am not going forward in buying or reading Earth-2,the series that stars Alan Scott.I'm not doing it for hatred of difference but as a show of no support for the carelessness with which DC has shown a CLASSIC character.There is no need to reintroduce anyone as gay or black or Native American to appease anyone.Just do what you should do and CREATE new characters with these traits,leave mine alone.

30 Second Movie Review:Mission Impossible:Ghost Protocol

A fourth movie in a series being the strongest?Wow.

Brad Bird directs his first live action film(after animated greats such as The Iron Giant and The Incredibles),and shows a flair for action.Tom Cruise does his own stunts,including an exhilirating scene featuring a climb up the world's tallest building.So what if the plot is just about the same as the first film?The IMF is disavowed and have to stop the bad guy on their own.Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner add some better than usual support for Cruise,and the humor quotient is kicked up a bit.

Overall a really good action film,very enjoyable.Now if only the makers of the Pirates films could have taken notes on how to make a good movie late in a series..