If I could wear a Halloween costume…

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Scott D. Southard

As an adult, it takes a certain amount of courage to put on a costume. Let me correct that… it takes a certain amount of courage and alcohol to put on a costume.

A costume draws people’s eyes towards you almost like being on a stage except it’s more personable. There isn’t the protective separation because of spotlight and distance. It’s real, you are a dude dressed up and they can see you… and talk to you.

I have always been impressed with people that have the strength to put on a costume. I look at them with a certain amount of awe, even those that attempt the cheaper creations. Of course, there is nothing like a great one though. For example, there is a woman down the street that on Halloween will dress-up as the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz and she has the look and cackle down perfectly. It can take a fan’s breath away… and also instinctively take two steps back in fright.

For me, I never feel more like an introvert than at this time of the year. I go into my shell as I hand out candies; always being sure to give a little bit more to the kids who look truly great.

Oh wait, does that make me a bad person? The fact I judge a kid’s costumes and award accordingly?

Possibly.

Actually the more I think about it, the more I am embarrassed I admitted that. Because even those in a bad costume are braver than me at that moment. But if I was to dress up… Continue reading →

Film Review: The Dark Knight Rises

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Scott D. Southard

I have a new film review up at Green Spot Blue. This time it is for The Dark Knight Rises, the third installment in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy.

Here is a snippet from the beginning of the review:

The Dark Knight Rises is not for the faint of heart.

It is cruel, it is relentless, and it is harsh. The harshness of the film seems to seep into every scene of the film.

The camera angles are tight, making you feel like you are always in a close and cramped space; the music is aggressive, driving and primal (I can’t imagine anyone listening to this music for pleasure); and there are very few light moments in the entire film. Even the interactions between Batman and Alfred are terse (and usually their relationship was the sunnier moments in the early films).

My first reaction upon leaving the theater is that I am surprised that this is only PG-13, seriously who was bribed to keep this at PG-13? Did the production company really think kids would want to buy toys after watching this film? That is a pipedream, in my opinion. In any other decade it would have probably been R. There is a lot of death, destruction and outright viciousness in this film. I can’t even imagine letting my son (who loves Batman) see this until he is at least 14, maybe 15 or 16. This is a Gotham City without hope and without Batman; a peaceful world created out of a lie, a timebomb.

You can read the rest of my the review here at Green Spot Blue.

One of My Favorite Finds of Last Year: Graphic Audio’s DC Titles

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Scott D. Southard

I have a new review up on GreenSpotBlue today. This one is a find I am really excited about, as you will see from my review. In many ways, Graphic Audio are bringing life to an artform I thought was dead and that is, in my humble opinion, awesome. Here is the beginning of my review:

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This may sound like the beginning of a bad country song, but when I found Graphic Audio, I was not looking for love just a way to pass the time.

See, in 2011, my daughter was born and after the experience of her older brother I knew I needed something to help keep me awake and focused during late night feedings… or even afternoon feedings (something about holding a sleeping baby that knocks me out every time). Continue reading →

10 Best Superhero Films

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Scott D. Southard

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