Five Things I Am Into Right Now, September 2012

Autumn is around the corner, and in my neck of the woods the leaves are just starting to change colors and my son is already talking about his Halloween costume.

He wants to be The Flash this year, but next year he wants to be Captain America with a shield which he threatens to throw around; so it’s good for everyone (especially the dog) he is The Flash this year. My daughter is Princess Leia, because I thought it would be cute and she is too young to argue; and I made sure to pick it up before the mom got a chance to say no. Yes, I am happy with this action on my part, and I will do it again in a heartbeat.

Okay, I must admit I skipped on my list last month. And that is okay, seriously, I had no time, focusing most of my attention on writing my book while listening to Fiona Apple. Yeah, Fiona’s new CD (The Idler Wheel…) is definitely becoming my mental soundtrack for this opus, but I already talked about the CD enough on this site. You don’t need to read me praising it again… Oh, what the heck– it is my favorite CD of the year so far and you should buy it.  Onto my list: Continue reading

Five Things I Loved About The Avengers

I have a new film review/editorial up at GreenSpotBlue.com today. This time it is on The Avengers.

Here is the beginning of the article:

While I would probably not let my son see The Avengers until he is eight, the film definitely awakened the kid in me. I can’t remember the last time I came home with such a buzz from a show. (Maybe seeing The Fellowship of the Ring for the first time?)

Everyone in the world is reviewing this film right now, all finding their own things to praise and critique; that is all right and I wish them the best (I would be surprised if any negative review would keep anyone away from this event). I am going to take a different approach and give you my five takeaways from the film. It is like me pressing the “like” button on Facebook but for a film. (I’ll do my best to avoid spoiling the newbies too much.)

1. The HULK

To be honest, as a kid I never got the Hulk. I was more a Batman/Superman kind of kid. I liked the idea of Superman’s power when I was young (and flight, of course; who doesn’t want to fly?); Batman came later when I realized Batman was just like me. Okay, me with a heck of a lot of money, less parents, and a lot of fighter training, but still, overall human.

You can read the rest of the article (and more on my five points) here. I hope you enjoy it.

Joss Whedon: Our Outsider Makes Good

I became a fan of Joss Whedon around the sixth season of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. I’m sure that honest admission at the start might already turn off some readers, but let me add that after getting hooked I bought all of the boxsets of the other seasons and used them to help draw in others, while using all of my skills at peer pressure and bribery (and sometimes even blackmail).

I was living in LA at the time, studying writing at the University of Southern California, and I was startled by the news story that his show was able to jump stations. Now, I remembered the movie and couldn’t believe that this was the same thing we were talking about. That idea? Really? All I remembered about the film was that it starred PeeWee Herman. Yet, the idea, and the accomplishment of such a TV production feat impressed me and led to me turning on the show and giving it a shot.

That old blind Scott feels like a very different person from the Scott writing this. I want to shake my head in annoyance at him, throw something at him or even bitch slap him. In the least, there should be some ridicule and taunts. Continue reading

10 Best Superhero Films

A new film editorial is up at Green Spot Blue! It is on superhero films, so grab a towel, make a homemade cape with a pin and enjoy. 

Here is the introduction to the article:

I have never drunk the kool-aid, but I have sipped it.

That is my experience with comic books.

I did some occasional collecting when I was 12; and from time to time may read a graphic novel. Oh, I can do pretty well on some trivial pursuit questions when they come up, but I am no avid fan and I admit it. What I do love about superheroes and comic books is the mythology and when I am around my friends who are more in tune with that “world,” I will usually ask a hundred questions, trying to discover the new imaginative twists and turns (good and bad) the characters have taken. (Did you know they had zombie superheroes a few years ago!?)

The thing is that now I have a toddler; a toddler with a Superman picture on his wall, Batman bed sheets, and a Flash T-shirt. While he can not see any of these movies until he is much older, I am going to put my film critic hat on and share my opinion on this still evolving meeting of the artforms.

You can read the rest of the article (and my list) here- http://www.greenspotblue.com/world/2011/8/12/movies-10-best-superhero-films.html

13-Year Olds, Superheroes, and Money: This Year’s Summer Blockbusters

An article on summer blockbusters by me.  Here is the intro: 

Every year, reviewers complain about the summer blockbusters and every year it seems to become more and more exactly what the reviewers are complaining about (destruction, violence, non-stop action films, superheroes, over-the-top/cookie-cutter stories, etc.), but this year seems to knock the rest out of the ballpark.  There is just more of everything. And while I agree with some of the criticism heaped upon studios for their choices of what to produce and distribute, I understand where they are coming from. Continue reading