My First Step Into a Much Larger World

This past weekend I took my first step into a much larger world. I went to Star Wars Celebration VI. I went at the urging of the awesome Amy Ratcliffe, Star Wars fan of the highest order. Plus, since I’ll be a Star Wars sketch card artist as of the release of September’s Galactic Files card set, I wanted to do some recon for possibly setting up at the next one.

(Well, the next domestic one. The next Celebration will be in Germany. The week after Comic-Con. That might be pushing it, even for me. And I drove from Orlando to Atlanta to follow up Celebration with Dragon*Con.)

  I have to say, it was pretty awesome. The people are great, and some of the costumes were just out-and-out amazing. There was a great feeling to the whole event. And it’s amazing how Star Wars has continued to find fans through the years. Kids who couldn’t have been old enough to see Phantom Menace in the theatre still get hooked into the way first-time fan who lived through the craziness of premieres and toy lines did.

It’s also cool to see what a unified show can do. The three main stages each had their own specific host. The large theatre had a DJ and warm up act keeping people energized. You can’t really do that at Comic-Con with their universal table and chairs setup.

I was really impressed by the displays that the fans set up. I got to be in a Bacta tank, run from Roxy the Rancor, get rousted by Stormtroopers. stop a trash masher, and even sit in a snowspeeder… my favorite Star Wars vehicle.

There were more than a few things to buy, too. I kept myself from buying the Cup O’Jawa coffee mug and the Mos Eisley Spaceport glass, but, um, I did get them on t-shirts. There was an incredible amount of art at the show, too. Lucas really created a visually enticing world. There’s always something interesting there that’s begging to be drawn.

I got to see some pretty incredible stuff, too. There was the premiere of the new season of Clone Wars (the second premiere of the show that I’ve seen). I saw the 3-D trailer for Attack of the Clones and even a minute of Revenge of the Sith, which really does look great in that format. I got to see Carrie Fisher on stage talk about… okay, well, it’s probably best not to dwell on one that too much. Still cool.

And for one brief moment, I got to be in the same room with George Lucas. Okay, it was an auditorium, but it was still something I never really thought would happen when I first watched Star Wars those many years ago. That was kind of awesome.     If I had to pick a highlight, though, it would be James Arnold Taylor’s one man show.

His show’s about an hour long, and he does over two hundred voices for the first fifty-eight minutes or so. It’s interesting and funny and amazing. He dissects the process of doing impressions person by person along with a video presentation and it’s just amazing.

But the last two minutes are the thunderclap. That’s when he tells you about being exposed to toxic mold at the apex of his career and how it killed his voice, and how it took two years to make a comeback that no one thought he could. It’s one of the best “follow your dreams” moments since Kermit the Frog sang Rainbow Connection. 

I’m a sucker for passion. It’s what fuels me and gets me out of bed in the morning. Well, that and coffee, but mostly passion. And I love being among passionate people. Celebration was definitey the place for that. Amazingly crafted costumes, detailed reproductions of sets and ships, dioramas and Legos like you wouldn’t believe, it was all on display.

So, next time they throw one of these Celebrations in America again, or even Canada, I bet you’ll find me there.

How Eugene Son Ruined the Iron Man Movie For Me

Eugene Son is a friend of mine. He's kindly put me up in his house when I had some meetings with some Hollywood-types. He's a talented writer. And yet, he ruined Iron Man for me.

It's really ironic, too, since he's actually written the Iron Man, cartoon.

First, let's cover the important stuff. I'm out here in Dallas, as opposed to with the Usual Suspects in Ohio, and I saw Iron Man with Christine and Jesse. The movie's great, really. Performances are superb (it's nice to see adults playing the characters), effects are great, and it's another one of those "wow, the movie's really good when they actually follow the original story" movies. So go see it, after you pick up your free copy of Love and Capes #7.

And things really are bigger here in Texas. Here are three shots of my Stilt-Man like legs from while I was sitting in my seat at the theatre. Taken way before the movie, don't worry. You know what that is? It's called leg room: something I'll apparently have to pay extra for on airlines and can't buy at Playhouse Square. It's a joy to not sit for two hours with my knees pressed against the seat in front of me.

But back to Iron Man. And, here's something rare, it's a non-spoiler alert. You know how picky I am about spoilers, and I'm pretty sure I can reveal this one part of a scene and not ruin the movie. But, if you're still paranoid, I understand. Bookmark me and check this when you've seen it.

So here's the thing: Tony Stark, who in this movie lives in LA, which works really well, really wants a cheeseburger. I understand this desire. I, too, have really wanted a cheeseburger. So, a scene laer, we see him with a sack from, wait for it, Burger King.

Okay, I'm not going to bash the King's product, as I've been known to enjoy it from time to time. It's a fine fast food burger. But, if you're a Los Angeleno, or even an occasional one like me, there's only one place to go: In and Out Burger. Why do I know this? Because Eugene Son took me there for my first taste of the fast food burgery and fry perfection that is In and Out burger.

No way in the 'verse that he goes to BK. Ain't happenin'. And that's how Eugene ruined Iron Man.

That said, see it, it's great. It's the first comic book movie that I've seen where I really wouldn't change a thing. And the writer side of me always wants to tweak things. So check it out. And, like everyone else has said: stay through the credits, True Believer!

Phoenixes Other Than Jean Grey

I saw Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix last night. I won't spoil anything, although I really think that anyone who cares has probably already read the fifth book.

Order of the Phoenix is my least favorite of the series so far. For the most part, it was a bunch of characters who should be talking to each other not doing so. They also tended to act to advance the plot, more than acting in character. The book also ends with one of the longest bits of exposition I've read in a while.

And I understand and appreciate what Rowling was doing. Harry's a teenager and one who's had a ton of bad happen to him. He deserves to become petulant and sullen at some point. But appreciating the attempt and thinking that it works are two different things.

(I want to take a moment hear to plug like crazy Creative Screenwriting magazine's podcasts. They're a how do and how come of how movie scripts come together and how they come to film. They did a podcast on Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Men's Chest, which while I liked okay, it just didn't click for me after I saw it. When I heard the podcast from the writers, I had a new appreciation for what they did, or at least tried to do. I still don't think it succeeded, but that's okay. It's always better to attempt to reach too far rather than not far enough.)

So, having said that, I really liked the movie of Order of the Phoenix. Paring down the script as much as they needed to make it a two hour film helped get rid of the characters-not-talking issue I had. There's a lot of story that got lost or just a brief nod, admittedly, but it holds together nicely. And, I have to say, I think the music really stepped up a notch, being the first one since the John Williams score to stay with me after we left. The military-esque march as they're flying over London sounds great, and heralds the beginning of a war, too.

I think the Potter films leave a fair amount of room for the director, too. The first Chris Columbus film was pretty well just shooting the book, and with the warm gold fill light and loving pans, and worked pretty well. The second got a little too Chris Columbus-y (how many shots of kids screaming at the camera can we have?). But the third felt like a Potter story and yet Alfonso Cuaron brought a new flavor to it. The fifth one had the same "still Potter, but with different seasoning" to it.

The fourth movie? It felt like it was just going through the motions (…walking through the part…) and had no character to it. It was kind of stale. So I was glad to find I liked the fifth as much as I did.

Being the fifth movie in a series, I probably don't need to recommend it much. Either you're on board or you're not. But, if you are a fan, I think the fifth installment will do right by you.

Bah Wah Grah Na Weep Ninny Bong!

Transformers was an interesting experience. I was incredibly jazzed for a movie that I had absolutely no expectations for. How weird is that? I really wanted to see this film, and didn't care how it was going to turn out.

I've talked about how I like seeing certain movies with my group of friends. This one was funny, that way. My closest two friends and I all had wives or girlfriends who absolutely did not want to see this film. I didn't want to take up a weekend with it. So I suggested the Tuesday night pre-premiere (before they announced a Monday release). It was perfect, I figured... they could put their kids and wives to bed around nine and head out to see a 10:00pm show. The next day was Independence Day, so none of them had to work. Why, it was artful in how perfect it was.

What I didn't expect was how perfect it would be. When all was said and done, we'd bought twenty-one tickets. Two of my brothers came. A couple of friends brought their kids, despite the lateness (and more power to them for that). My cousin was there. A whole batallion of Dulzers showed up.

Counting the after-movie trip to Steak and Shake, it was just five hours of pure fun. And, on a perfectly clear, cool night with the 80's Transformers soundtrack blaring on my convertible driving down an empty street, it was also the hardest time I've ever had driving closest to the speed limit.

So how was the movie? Does it matter, really?

It's decent. Enough of a plot to hang things on, decent characters and decent acting, great effects, great action, and everything I could have hoped for. There was a fair amount of clever to it, too, from working in a catch phrase to quoting the Transformers movie, to one character's interesting way of communicating.

Sure, there was a plot hole or maybe two, but none glaring enough that it took me out of the film, and none I couldn't explain away. I really don't have any complaints about it. Except, well…

Jazz. He wasn't my favorite toy, but he was one of my favorite characters in the cartoon. "Do it with style, or don't do it at all" was his catch phrase, and I really liked that. And, in the cartoon, he was voiced by the late, great Scatman Crothers, who could take the Autobot's few lines and give them a great spin. Darius McCrary voiced him in the film, and while he's a fine enough actor (I liked him in Committed) but, well, he's no Scatman.

Still, if that's my biggest problem, that's no problem at all.

My First, Best Destiny

I'm back from the Licensing Show, and will hopefully write much more about it tomorrow. Really quick, though, it was a good show and I think good things will come from it. One of the coolest parts, though, was that the CBS/Paramount booth had a replica of the bridge and command chair. And I, um, may have gotten my picture taken in the center seat.

Pirate Law

Okay, would someone please explain this to me:

I just got back from seeing Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End… and liked it a lot. The first still is the best, but the third is close behind, and is, in fact, so good and pays off threads from the previous film that I now like the second movie better than I did a few hours ago.

But that's not my question, as you may have noticed from the obvious lack of a question mark in the preceeding paragraph. What I want to know is Why did almost everybody at the 8:00pm premiere leave during the credits?

You can be forgiven for not staying through the credits in the first film. You didn't know there'd be something after. But, when the second one came out, you probably saw the first film on TV or DVD or someething and knew there was a bit after the credits. So by the third film, you sure as shootin' better have figured out there's an ending coda.

Still, nearly everyone left.

Any other showing, I'd be far more forgiving. But, if you made time in your schedule to wait in line, and in many cases dress up in pirate gear (not my case, though, let's be clear) to go see the very first showing, you're probably a fan of the movies. And if you're a fan, how do you not know there's something coming at the end?

So, if you walked out, let me tell you what you missed: A scene so poignant and earth-shattering that my life and my soul are forever changed. A scene so brilliant and so well executed that even if you do eventually see that scene on DVD, or if someone tells you about it, you will still never know the pure bliss that came with seeing that scene, right there in that moment.

Or, it was just a really nice scene and I'm lying to you. Pirates do that.

Avast Me Hearties!

Tomorrow night is the premiere of Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End. Some friends of mine and I are going. We were planning on the midnight show, but then they announced the eight and, hey, we're not stupid.
The occasion of the third film isn't just an excuse to run a picture of the smokin' hot Keira Knightley though. I wanted to point out the unique ad campaign they're using to sell the previews: See it before the secrets get out.
Now, that's part of why I like to see things opening week. That and being with a crowd that really wants to see the film, and not just "something, and Shrek the Third was sold out." But it's the first time I've seen an early premiere sold this way, and I think it's clever, and really shows an understanding of the audience.
As for what the secrets are, I dunno. I've stayed off the parts of the interweb that might spoil anything. My prediction, though, is that Captain Jack, as captain of a vessel, will perform Will and Elizabeth's wedding ceremony.
In other news, I have the Love and Capes shirts prototypes. And they look shweeeeet.

Spider-Day

One of the big events on my summer schedule was the premiere of Spider-Man 3. (And, yes, I know that May is technically spring.)   I really liked the first one and loved the second one, so I had high hopes for the third installment.

But, before I blabber about the movie, let me tell you why the premiere was fantastic.

I've got a great group of friends and family. And for stuff like this, we all get together. I've seen every Spider-Man movie on opening night with them. (And every Star Trek, Star Wars and a few others.) As they've gotten married and had kids, and I've become more entwined with my career, it's a little tougher to pull these things off. Sometimes it's like planning the Normandy invasion, but it's worth it.

Going with friends is insulation. The esteemed cabal got together for Batman and Robin, a movie which has been called (in a cleaned-up version) “a sodomizing of my childhood.” It was horrible. When the movie ended, I thought “Man, things can't get any worse” and ran right into an ex-girlfriend.

That is, incidentally, why I never tempt “worse” anymore.

But, for as bad as Batman and Robin was, is, and always will be, the night was great. I was with my friends having fun.

No matter how bad the movie is, if I'm with them, everything will be okay.

So, did I need that insulation? Some of the reviews of the third Spider-Man movie were pretty cold. “Too long”, “too many characters” and so on. So…

Hey, I liked it.

It's not as good as the second film, but I like it better than the first. I'll try to do a quick, spoiler-free review, but I might mention a minor plot point or two, so be warned.

I think a lot of the negative reviews from comic book fans involve missed opportunities. I wasn't a fan of putting Venom in the movies. I think he's got way too complicated a backstory to make him work. Peter has to get the costume, think it's okay, use it, start to realize something is up, get rid of it, and then have Eddie Brock get it and become Venom. And, in a movie which also introduces Gwen Stacy, her father, and the Sandman, that's a lot of ground to cover.

I was surprised at how well everything worked. Heck, I was surprised by a lot of things, and that's saying something (and please don't read this paragraph thinking I'm arrogant). I'm a comics fan, and I know the source material. I remember avoiding all the reviews of the first film, lest I spoil anything. Then I realized that there wasn't much to spoil.

Hey, when Uncle Ben shows up, you know he's not making it out of the first reel.

Now, some of the better comic book movies can still surprise. There are a couple of moments in Batman Begins, especially involving the identity of Ra's Al Ghul, that still snuck up on me. Spider-Man 3 has some of these moments in it.

The action is great, the story is solid, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Now, it's not perfect. I think a great movie can overcome its imperfections   by getting you so into it, you don't notice things until you leave the theatre. In the second Spider-Man film, Doc Ock throws a car through a window that would have killed Peter, but needs him alive to find Spider-Man. Yeah, it doesn't make any sense, but I didn't notice it at the time.

Here, the movie has a couple of those “what?” moments that don't work as well. Here's an example from the first ten minutes, so it may be a spoiler, but it isn't a bad one.

The movie doesn't establish how much time passed between this one and the last one. At the end of the last one, Harry knows Peter is Spider-Man, and blames him for Harry's father's death. We don't touch on this until they run into each other at MJ's play.

Some of this may be the comic book fan in me. I know Harry's a threat, so I needed something to show that Peter determined that Harry was or wasn't dangerous? How was Peter so admittedly happy with someone who hated him and knew his identity hanging out there?

Worse yet, Mary Jane asks Peter “What happened between you two?” Did he never tell her? They've been dating long enough for him to consider marrying her, but he never told her about that? It seems kind of odd, especially coming from the guy who worried that Spider-Man could be attacked through his loved ones, not to tell his loved one about someone who actually knows his secret and, at least once, tried to kill him?

Now, Peter could be trying to respect Norman's wish not to tell Harry and decided to keep everything quiet. Maybe he didn't want to sully the memory of a dead man. But, I needed some explanation to cover that ground.

So there are a couple of moments like that. But's it's still a fine film.

What I always find weird, too, is that for as much as I am a Superman fan, I really relate to the Spider-Man films. I saw the first one the same day I was chastised by a friend for not being around much as I was desperately trying to finish up the first Raider graphic novel.   So the “I have to take care of this” moments resonate to me.

And, if you've seen it, yes, I am perfectly aware of the irony of me saying I relate to a movie in which Peter makes everything about himself. (In fact, I've had that whole conversation before. And I'm trying to take it to heart.)

But that's one of the things a lot of people miss about comics, and some of the Marvel movies in particular: they're about something. It's not just superheroes being super, but themes of forgiveness, responsibility and more.

The more I think about Spider-Man 3, the more I'm impressed with the threads that run through it. There's more than one symbiotic relationship in the film. The forgiveness theme plays well throughout it. And even some of the plot points are introduced well. Notice that in the first ten minutes, Peter has a conversation with MJ that introduces his knowledge of acoustics. True Spider-Fans will know why that's important.

Okay, I've taken enough of your time. If you've got an inkling to see the movie, go ahead and see it. You won't regret it.