Monthly Archives: June 2008

It’s on Days Like This I Am Damn Proud to Be Canadian.

Posted on by

[ Cool Mood: Cool ]
Toronto had its Gay Pride parade on the weekend, and in a first for Canada, the Canadian Military marched in the parade and set up a recruiting booth. The military wanted to make it clear that it was a place where your sexuality did not matter.

When I read this I burst into tears of joy. I have spent the last 20 years of my life working with young people. One of the number one causes of suicide in young people is the discovery that they are gay or lesbian. Often this comes after they reveal their sexuality to their loved ones and are condemned and rejected. They are afraid to live in a world that hates them so much.

When you add the fact that the firefighters were there, as were nurses, pilots, politicians, you name it. The Durham police even detailed a patrol car for the occasion, and you can see why I was crying with joy.

Today is a good day to be a Canadian.

King Kong: The Eighth Wonder of the World

Posted on by

As part of their “In Character” series about indelible American characters, this morning’s Weekend Edition offered this interesting overview on King Kong.

The piece begins with an interview of Kong creator Meriam C. Cooper recalling the difficulties of getting the film produced.

Quote:
But when Cooper first proposed the film in 1931, not everyone thought it was a good idea. In fact, no one was interested except David O. Selznick at RKO.

“David played one vital part. He was the only human being that backed me up 100 percent,” Cooper said. “He didn’t know what the hell I was doing. Everyone thought it was nuts. And everybody wanted me to put a man in a gorilla suit. And it would have been just horrible.”

Course as we all know, King Kong and its amazing Willis O’Brien effects was a huge hit and actually saved RKO from bankruptcy.

The feature goes on to discuss the racism in the film.

Quote:
Cynthia Erb is the director of film studies at Wayne State University in Detroit and the author of Tracking King Kong: A Hollywood Icon in World Culture. Erb says that “most people who know the film would say to one degree or another it is a racist film. At that time in the late 20s early 30s, the jungle genre like Tarzan was very popular in film. So there were a lot of movies set in exotic locations. And the depiction of natives was often patronizing, stereotypical, racist. I think it does happen with the Skull Islanders.”

Erb (which always reminds me of another ape contributor Edgar Rice Burroughs– one who was often criticized for his racism) further explains her viewpoint.

Quote:
“In my opinion, it always has this other dimension that focuses on King Kong as a victim and on the Carl Denham character as a real intruder, as a certain type who really intrudes and is very clueless about the space he is conquering. So for me that always kind of complicates the argument. There are certainly different ways of reading the film.”

I do agree with her. It is a complicated issue.

The report, also, discusses the poor treatment of women as well as the sexual undercurrent throughout.

The entertaining and informative ten minute essay– interspersed with interview clips from Cooper and Fay Wray– concludes with a proclamation that I wholeheartedly agree with.

Quote:
The remakes and a raft of other minor Kong movies over the decades only serve to highlight the power of the 1933 original. For film fans everywhere, Merian Cooper’s Kong will always remain the king, the Eighth Wonder of the World.

King Kong: The Eighth Wonder of the World was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

An Unexpected Sighting

Posted on by

I was reading Blake Bell’s critical retrospective Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko when I ran across this unexpected mention of my grandfather on p.75.

Quote:
The art direction, set design, lighting, characterizations, plotlines and dialog of movies had been a strong influence on comic-book artists from the beginning, and with its many theaters and ready access to research material, Manhattan was a movie haven. One of the most popular haunts for acquiring 8X10-inch movie still photos was Irving Klaw’s Movie Star News on 18th Street.

“Al Williamson once said he always ran into Ditko at Irving’s,” says artist Batton Lash.

So Irving Klaw was not only instrumental in the pin-up and fetish industries but served as a source for comic book artists. The latter was news to me.

An Unexpected Sighting was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

May We All Have This Complaint…

Posted on by

From the June 25th USA Today Book Buzz:

Quote:
Plum thumb:

It’s tough being a best-selling author. Just ask Janet Evanovich, who has discovered that signing books can be a real pain. Evanovich, who wrapped up a six-city book tour Monday, is sporting a brace on her right hand. Fearless Fourteen, her new novel starring New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, enters USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list at No. 1. The tour started June 17 at the MGM Grand Theater at the Foxwoods Resort & Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., and drew more than 2,000 fans. Huge crowds also showed up in Omaha, Denver, Dallas, San Diego and Los Angeles. “It’s at least 1,000 people at each signing, which goes on for at least five hours, and they all have four or five books,” Evanovich says. “The human thumb is not designed to do that six days in a row.”

Somehow, I’m having trouble mustering up much sympathy.

May We All Have This Complaint… was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

This is absurd…

Posted on by

If I didn’t already think that Stephen Sommers lacked any taste or talent, this bit from SFGate re-affirmed it.

Quote:
Actress Sienna Miller had to wear fake breasts for her role in forthcoming action movie “G.I. Joe,” because her own cleavage was not big enough for director Stephen Sommers.

Yes.. you read that correctly. “fake breasts” “own cleavage was not big enough”.

Quote:
Miller admits she was left slightly stunned when Sommers told her that her small chest had to be given an extra boost so she would look more curvaceous on screen.

She says, “(I wear a) tight black leather outfit. And much bigger boobs.

"They gave me these things that looked like chicken fillets. The director said, ‘I’m gonna be honest, I like girls with big boobs,’ and I don’t have them so we made them bigger.

"At least he’s honest. But I was mildly offended.”


Miller as The Baroness in G.I. Joe

Chicken fillets? If Sommers likes women with big boobs, why didn’t he hire someone else for the part? Course this is the man who successfully destroyed some 200 years of monster stories in his wretched film Van Helsing. Come to think of it he had a small chested star (Kate Beckinsale) in that one as well. Surprised he didn’t try to pad her out as well.

This is absurd… was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

B is for Burglar

Posted on by

[ Happy Mood: Happy ]
[ Currently: Breasfeeding my son ]
In the secon of the "Alphabet Books", Sue Grafton has Kinsey Milhone investigating the disappearance of a wealthy widow. What starts as a simple case becomes complicated as she peels back the layers. Kinsey gets caught up in mysterious break-ins, rude sub-letters, teenage drug dealers and bridge playing seniors. The climax is satisfying and nailbiting.

This book is better than the first one (which is a good book). I am looking forward to reading the third book.

Kyle Piccolo: Comic Shop Therapist

Posted on by

In the eponymous Web TV series, Kyle Piccolo of New York City’s Midtown Comics doles out pearls of life wisdom to his often socially inept customers and his sidekick Doucheus. Created by Alec Pollak, Neil Turitz, Eric Zuckerman and John Cassaday, Kyle Piccolo: Comic Shop Therapist offers a scarily realistic insight into the world of the comic shop. So far there have been only two episodes but I’ve picked up these two very important pearls of wisdom: Gods sell better at an angle and even though Reed Richards is the smartest man in the world, he too has relationship problems.

With some big time sponsors and witty scripts, I expect this one to be around for a while.

Kyle Piccolo: Comic Shop Therapist was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Specials – A Quick Review

Posted on by

[ Sleepy Mood: Sleepy ]
[ Currently: Breasfeeding my son ]
Tally Youngblood is Special.

Captured at the end of Pretties, she has been operated on by Special Circumstances and turned into a Special. Specials are the secret police of the city. Her teeth, fingernails and toenails have been weaponized. She can see in the dark. Her skeleton has been remade of superstrong ceramics.

Pulled into a secret plot to find and destroy the New Smoke, Tally finds herself embracing and yet fighting the new life she has been given. As the plot unravels Tally find that she is poised to take her world down a path of change, or she can enforce the status quo.

Scott Westerfield has once again written an exciting dystopian adventure for tweens. This one was a page turner. As an added bonus, he and the publisher are now sponsoring a fan fiction website. Very cool.

Undead and Unreturnable – A QR

Posted on by

[ Silly Mood: Silly ]
[ Currently: Breasfeeding my son ]
Christmas is fast approaching, and Queen Betsy has a lot on her plate. She has a wedding to plan to a groom that is not at all interested. Her half-sister is starting to take after her mother (the devil). Ghosts keep showing up and asking her to do things for them. Her best friend Jessica is dating Betsy’s ex. Betsy just found out from the newspaper that her step-mother just gave birth to Betsy’s new baby brother. On top of all this, there is the fact that she is the vampire queen to consider.

Part of the supernatural chick-lit trend in publishing, the fourth book of the Undead series is a fun, light read. Funny and fluffy, it is not going to change your life, but it is a fun ride for a few hours.

I have already ordered the next book from the library.