#btw their voices play a big part of most of these stars' appeal

[currymanganese]

Don't have to, they did it for themselves 💐

⚠️ Stop! Have you sexualized that old man today? ⚠️

[popwasabi]

“The Farewell” Review: Asian Family Dramedy Finds Bittersweet Humor in Grief

Directed by Lulu Wang

Starring: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin

It’s been a while since I’ve gone out of my way to see a film that didn’t feature super heroes, dog-loving hit-men, or giant atomic-breathing fire lizards but a chance to see Awkwafina flex her comedic and dramatic chops while supporting Asian American creative voices was too good to pass up in “The Farewell.”

Director Lulu Wang’s film, based on “an actual lie” that her family went through, is a mesmerizing bittersweet and often hilarious take on the cross section of immigrant family values and the love that holds it all together. It’s the kind of story that will make you want to hug your parents and relatives extra tight, while laughing your ass off and shows a new angle to the family dramedy through Asian American voices that Hollywood rarely touches on.

(Since I’m sure most of you NERDS don’t watch Indie films, here’s the trailer to get you up to speed.)

“The Farewell” tells the story of an Asian American woman named Billi struggling to find purpose in her life out in New York. When she learns that her Nai Nai (grandmother) is dying from cancer she is told she is forbidden from telling her about her condition as per Chinese tradition. Under the guise of a wedding for her cousin the family uses it as an excuse to get together to be with Nai Nai one last time but the secrecy does not sit well with Billi and now she finds herself struggling with keeping the truth as it slowly eat her inside.

The best thing about “The Farewell” is that it doesn’t choose a side in its East vs West dynamic that may feel apparent in the film’s trailer. In fact, it’s more closely East AND West when it comes to the message of the story. The film doesn’t aim to vilify Billi’s family for hiding the truth from their matriarch but rather simply state this is how it is in China. It doesn’t try to state that this is the right way of thinking either, of course, as plenty of the film’s dramatic frictions comes from this lie but the film balances this East and West ideology very well by ultimately choosing not to take a side and simply show how this family loves one another which is ultimately more important to its narrative.

Though the film has an ultimately tragic premise it is here that much of the movie’s great comedy comes from and often at hilarious levels. It doesn’t simply make comedic scenes take place between the family drama it actually melds the two perfectly as humor comes directly from the tragedy. Often while viewing this film in fact you might find yourself wondering if you should laugh or cry and sometimes, you’ll end up doing both and the film is better for it in this way.

(That look we all gave when we tried to avoid spoiling “Endgame” to friends a couple months ago before they got a chance to see it.)

The film does such a wonderful job of making good, bittersweet humor out of this familiy’s struggle with tip-toeing around the truth that you’ll simultaneously want to sympathize with them and laugh at/with them at the same time. The humor can be both outrageous, dry and sometimes even dark in this way and makes for a very complex viewing experience. It’s a great balancing act that projects both emotions in perfect harmony from start to finish that’ll have you crying from laughter and sadness.

It’s the cast though that makes all this work perfectly as they form a believable loving but slightly dysfunctional family from various parts of the world. Tzi Ma is great as Billi’s father who struggles in his own way with his Chinese principles and his newer American beliefs. Diana Lin reminds me almost too much of my own mother, who is both loving and haranguing toward Billi throughout the film. And Zhao Shuzhen will make you wish she were your grandmother as her undeniable charm keeps the story humming along at a delightful and loving pace.

But it’s Awkwafina (real name Nora Lum) of course who shows off her impressive range here as both a dramatic and comedic talent that brings this all together here. Her catchy one-liners and star-making performance in last year’s “Crazy Rich Asians” was one of the film’s big highlights and she’s no less charming in “The Farewell” as well. 

Awkwafina carries this film as the audience’s primary western point of view but again it never turns to condescending of cultural traditions as our main character struggles internally throughout the film but never vilifies what is going on either. It’s a highly nuanced performance that shows Awkwafina’s star is indeed rising and deserving of recognition when awards season eventually rolls around.

(Side note: If I ever get famous I want to party with Awkwafina haha)

So, now it’s time for me to get on my soapbox again for a minute. If there was any doubt that diversity and showcasing minority artistic talents is important just look at all that’s changed in the wake of last year’s “Crazy Rich Asians.” I mean, just look at this picture of the theater I went to see this film at this past weekend.

It was a full house and it wasn’t even the showtime I originally wanted to see it at because the previous one had sold out too! And this wasn’t a crowd of predominantly Asian folk seeing this film; viewers of seemingly all backgrounds came out to see this wonderful family dramedy. It’s further proof that these films about the Asian American condition are relevant and more importantly have mass audience appeal.

On the surface a film like “Crazy Rich Asians” (especially compared to the complexities of this film) feels like a pretty standard rom-com but by getting it in theaters past all the countless bull shit, nay-saying it effectively broke down the door for new films that featured Asian Americans. In just a year’s time Henry Golding has already starred in “A Simple Favor” and is set to star in two more before the year’s end. John Cho was able to make his directorial debut with “Searching” and is set to play Spike Spiegel in Netflix’s “Cowboy Bebop.” Ali Wong’s “Always Be My Maybe” was a huge streaming hit as well on Netflix last month. And Marvel Studios is finally ready to have an Asian American super hero make his debut in Shang Chi later in the MCU’s phase 4.

(Ali Wong is just delightful if you didn’t already know btw.)

This is what I mean whenever I say Hollywood needs to give these films a chance because look how much has changed with just one movie. Who knows if a movie like “The Farewell” would’ve had a chance at even minor independent film stardom if a movie like “Crazy Rich Asians” hadn’t been given a chance to shine first on the big stage.

These movies and these people deserve a chance to tell their stories because they are relevant, they are poignant and more than anything they are good fucking stories! “The Farewell” is easily my favorite film of the year and I am grateful to “Crazy Rich Asians” for making it a possibility to be here. And if you think diversity still doesn’t matter then kindly just go fuck yourself because Asian Americans, these films and these beautiful, heart-wrenching and often funny stories are here to stay whether you like it or not.

(Seriously though can we like hang out, Ms. Awkwafina?)

“The Farewell” is well worth searching for a theater that’s playing it on the limited release circuit and will have you laughing and crying at the same time before and after the credits roll. It’s a film that will undoubtedly leave a mark no matter what cultural background you come from because the love in this story is relevant to everyone.

So, go see this movie and don’t forget to bring your Nai Nai too.

 VERDICT:

5 out of 5

*Me after the credits rolled.*

[nicomoviewatchinpsychopath]

Sonic the Hedgehog Movie Review

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG: VIDEO GAME BASED MOVIE IS FORMULAIC BUT OFFERS PLENTY OF FAST-PACED FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY AS WELL AS LONGTIME FANS! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

The world’s fastest hedgehog hits the big screen in Sonic the Hedgehog

PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND SEGA

The blue blur (or Blue Devil as the movie calls him) makes his big screen debut in Sonic the Hedgehog, based on the beloved Sega video game franchise of the same name. Believe it or not out of all the video game franchises, my favorite is and always will be Sonic the Hedgehog and have been a proud supporter of the hedgehog since childhood.             

Granted, it wasn’t until after Sega became a third-party developer for consoles like PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo when I became a fan of the blue hedgehog, but ever since I got my hands on the Nintendo GameCube port of Sonic Adventure 2 as a kid, my Sonic fandom was pretty much instant. I’ve played many of the video games both old and new, watched all the cartoons, read the comic books published by Archie Comics at the time, and I owned several action figures, plushies, and other Sonic merchandise throughout my childhood…in fact I still have most of those even to this day.             

I’ve been clamoring for a Sonic the Hedgehog theatrical movie for years despite video game film adaptations usually being critical and/or box-office poison. But given the popularity of Sonic especially during the 90s when he was rivaling Nintendo’s Mario franchise who already had a theatrical film released in 1993, I’d assume one would have been made back then or at the very least in the early-late 2000s when Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, and Sonic Heroes as well as the hit Saturday morning anime series, Sonic X were released, I was so eager for a Sonic movie that a couple of friends and I got together and made movies of our own when we were kids (They sucked BTW!).             

After years of waiting and Sonic making a few big screen appearances prior in Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph movies and Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One, the beloved hedgehog finally gets a movie of his own which leads us to today. The film is directed by newcomer Jeff Fowler in his directorial debut, produced by Neal H. Moritz (Fast & Furious franchise, XXX, 21/22 Jump Street), and executive produced by Tim Miller (Deadpool, Terminator: Dark Fate) and is a live-action/animated hybrid (Yep, just like Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Smurfs), which had me very worried when it was announced back in 2014 and was even more worried and disgusted when the first trailer came out last year which had an absolutely atrocious design for Sonic, fortunately they fixed it.

So, how does Sonic’s first movie hold up? Honestly, while I can’t call it the Sonic movie I wanted as a child, I had a fun time with it. It isn’t a perfect representation of its source material and the plot is pretty generic, but the charm of the film’s leads, humor, and subtle references to the games that inspired it are enough for me to overlook that flaw.             

The film follows Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz-Parks and Recreation, The Other Guys, The Walk), blue anthropomorphic talking hedgehog from another dimension with extraordinary speed who travels to Earth to escape from those who want to capture him and harness his power. However, when he accidentally causes a power outage while hiding out in the town of Green Hills (Get it?), Sonic is targeted by the government and the tyrannical mad scientist, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey-Ace Ventura 1 and 2, The Mask, The Truman Show) who plots to use Sonic’s power for world domination.             

This forces Sonic to team up with Green Hills sheriff, Tom Wachowski (James Marsden-X-Men franchise, Enchanted, Westworld) who agrees to help Sonic on his adventure to find his missing bag of magical rings that have the power to get him home. Of course, while getting into all sorts of trouble along the way.             The film also stars Tika Sumpter (Ride Along 1 and 2, Get On Up, Southside with You) as Tom’s wife Maddie, Adam Pally (Happy Endings, The Mindy Project, Iron Man 3) as Wade Whipple, and Neal McDonough (Star Trek: First Contact, Band of Brothers, Justified) as Major Bennington.             

Overall, Sonic the Hedgehog probably isn’t the movie longtime fans wanted, but it still manages to be an entertaining and fun adaptation in its own right. It’s easily one of the best films based on a video game alongside Pokémon: Detective Pikachu and The Angry Birds Movie 2 and shows that we’ve come a long way since the dark days of Uwe Boll’s directing career.

As mentioned before, the plot is nothing special and rehashed from other kids’ movies however what sets this apart from things like The Smurfs or Masters of the Universe is that Sonic and Tom do have a strong chemistry together. It’s amusing to see them interact with each other on their road trip, cracking jokes, getting into trouble, and over the course of the film they learn more about one another thus making you care more for them over ANY Smurf or Chipmunk. 

While there are a few jokes that don’t quite stick the landing, the humor for the most part not only made me laugh but there were moments in this movie where I laughed hard. Whether the film was poking fun at the entire Sonicfranchise, a particular running sequence that’s obviously a reference to the Quicksilver scenes from the X-Men movies, or Sonic breaking the fourth wall similar to Deadpool, I was laughing while also admiring how clever some of these jokes are, and let’s not forget Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik, but we’ll get to him momentarily.

The redesigned Sonic is a lot better than what we could have gotten, he doesn’t have those ugly small eyes, questionable muscular arms and legs, or the terrifying human teeth anymore. Now, his appearance is more faithful to the source material recreating the hedgehog’s cartoony nature but is different enough to stand out from the rest of the character’s previous designs and be its own unique creation, this is a really good design for Sonic and had the filmmakers went with their original version, this movie would have crashed and burned even harder than Sonic ’06.

Besides Sonic being more appealing to look at now, he’s also just as entertaining to listen to, Ben Schwartz while he’s far from being a replacement for Roger Craig Smith, Ryan Drummond, Jason Griffith, or even Jaleel White, does a solid job providing Sonic’s voice and captures the cocky, arrogant, but good-natured attitude Sonic is known for having. He actually almost sounds like Ryan Drummond’s Sonic voice without sounding like a cheap impersonation.             Moving on to Sonic’s new friend that doesn’t have two tails, James Marsden as Tom, his performance is decent even though he doesn’t quite make as big an impression as Ben Schwartz’ Sonic and especially Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik. With that said, he gets some funny lines once in a while and as mentioned before has good chemistry with Sonic, so yeah, believe it or not James Marsden was partnered up with another CG animated character and this time came out with his dignity unlike his performance in Hop.             

Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik owns every scene that he’s in, he’s no Mike Pollock and is a radically different Robotnik than from the games, but Carrey’s energetic and wildly animated personality shines through and gives a million percent whenever the crazy evil genius is on-screen. He’s certainly a lot better than Dennis Hopper as Koopa from the Super Mario Bros. movie.

Hopefully, this movie will be a hit during its theatrical run because I’d love to see a sequel especially if it introduced other Sonic characters like Tails, Knuckles, or even Shadow. Don’t make this like the recent Power Rangers movie, I need my big screen version of those characters!

Whether a fan, newcomer, or just looking for something fun to take the kids to, Sonic the Hedgehog should make everyone happy. It’s not perfect but it has enough action, wit, and charm to make it worth checking out. You’ll be “Up, Over, and Gone” before you know it.

For more movie reviews please visit: https://moviewatchinpsychopath.blogspot.com

[himluv]

Blogland,

Sorry this book review is so late. It’s been a while since I finished the audiobook, so there are only minor spoilers below. Beware that I am a bit Dresden critical in this review

Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Stars

Harry’s back in Chicago for less than six hours and he almost dies at least twice. The stakes are high in this book, as they always are whenever Mab is involved. There’s a lot of tension and fallout between Harry and his friends/family over what he did in the last couple books. It’s been a long year, and everyone in Chicago has felt Dresden’s absence.

So what’s he up to? Oh, you know, the usual stuff. Preventing a horde of spiritual inmates from escaping into the world and rending it asunder. All while coping with a power grab from Maeve and dodging the Summer Lady and her Knight. Oh, and it’s Halloween, so all kinds of weirdness is afoot.

Blessedly, this book is full of characters I want to spend time with. Thomas, Murphy, Butters, Molly, Mouse, and Bob all play major roles. Which is for the best, because Harry is on a slippery slope and it won’t take much for him to be on the fast track to unlikable.

I think that’s good tension, story-wise, but as a reader it is exhausting to read book after book of Harry internalizing all this supposed temptation. Dude. Molly has been your apprentice for years. You’ve known her for more than a decade. We get it, she’s hot. But you shouldn’t still be distracted by the fact. Move on.

The sexualization of every single female character is a big part of why I’ve stepped away from this series for a moment. I get that the White Court Vampires are inhumanly gorgeous. They are succubi, they are literally supposed to preternaturally sexy and tempting. And I have zero beef with Dresden spending a paragraph or two describing and coping with the Raith sisters’ insane sex appeal.

She’s looking at something slightly to her left. So of course she angles her body toward the right…

But Molly? Dresden has known her since she “was in a training bra” (which is his super cringe-y way to say he’s known her since she was a kid, btw), she’s the daughter of his BEST FRIEND, and yet every single book we get a paragraph or more to see just how incredibly hot she is and how Harry constantly has impure thoughts about her that he has to beat back with a mental baseball bat.

There’s a word for that…. Oh. Right. Gross.

And it’s not just Molly. Murphy is starting to get this treatment too. Now, she gets a lot more respect from Dresden’s narration, mainly because Karrin would kick his ass if it was ever otherwise, but now that they’re addressing the sexual tension between them and talking through the idea of the two of them dating, suddenly Murph is reduced to physical descriptions and lips that “taste like strawberries”.

Yep. Strawberries. After a crazy midnight ride through Chicago with the Wild Hunt and an even longer day coordinating movement against bad guys and helping Dresden, Murphy’s mouth tasted like strawberries.

I call bullshit. What did she do, pop an altoid right beforehand? Does she have a secret strawberry stash in her Harley’s saddlebags for just this exact reason? Please.

The most modestly dressed Molly is ever portrayed, but it’s all skintight. Because sitting criss-cross applesauce in jeans that tight is even possible.

This is a little bit of a tirade on my part, and I apologize, but this really took me out of the story. I was walking through a parking lot, listening to the audiobook in my headphones, and I went from cheering that they kissed to screeching at how preposterous that was. It made me so mad. It was a stupid little superfluous line and it ripped me from the book completely.

But, there are some really good elements in this book. Thomas is in peak form, giving Harry the patience, care, and good sense of humor he probably doesn’t fully deserve. Murphy is realistic and a total badass when it comes to standing up to Harry when he’s wrong and holding her own once she’s made a decision.  Molly has truly come into her own, and seems to have coped well from her time as the Rag Lady. And even Butters has grown into a character with some semblance of spine.

She changes her appearance at will, but pale and icy blonde tend to be the favorite interpretations.

And, surprisingly, Mab was fantastic. I have never once liked Mab, in all fourteen books. I still can’t really say that I like her, even now. But by the end of this book I saw Mab as more than a force of cold devastating power, as more than just a mad, tyrannical queen. For the very first time, I saw Mab for what else she is; a mother, a woman, a person.

And man, that was a powerful moment.

Mab concept

I’ll be frank, this was my least favorite Dresden book. It dragged. It was fifteen discs, and only the last six were actually fun or enjoyable. Everything before that felt like needless preamble. Another big problem is that Harry isn’t as likable to me as he used to be. I struggle with him. He says, thinks, and does things that make me sigh and roll my eyes.

Increasingly, my enjoyment of this series is reliant on the side characters. And that is a dangerous thing for a series. I shouldn’t like the secondary characters more than I like the main character, especially in a first person narrative. I guess I just have very little patience for Harry right now.

Which is why I’ve taken a bit of a break from the series. I keep meaning to start Side Jobs, but I can’t seem to muster the will to do so. With Brief Cases coming out in less than a month, I really need to finish Skin Game so I can read the book when it comes in at the library. So, I’ll be changing my reading page once more to reflect my decision to listen to the fifteenth book in the series, and then the first short story collection.

I’ll be back this weekend with the review for Blackfish City. I’m excited to talk about it with you all!

Until then, Bloggos,

  BZ

  P.S. It should be noted that, once again, James Marsters narration was fantastic! I absolutely love his voice and his efforts to give each character something unique in their tone or cadence. I always know who’s speaking, even before the narration explains it to me. It’s the main reason I keep coming back to this books. So thanks for that, James.

    Book Review – Cold Days (Dresden Files #14) by Jim Butcher Blogland, Sorry this book review is so late. It's been a while since I finished the audiobook, so there are only minor spoilers below.

[ive-just-begun-to-care]

Popularity

Warning: Lengthy essay ahead!

Long-debated questions: Did The Monkees' push for musical stardom hurt their careers?  Did it hurt their popularity?

 I'm gonna say "no."  And now I'm gonna explain why, based on my own observations. (BTW, there's quite a bit of rambling here, because the fans and audiences I'm referring to here are not hard-core fans.  Most people I know like The Monkees, but they're not in love with them, like we are. Maybe I've just always lived in a Monkees-deprived part of the world, I don't know.  So my observations might be a little skewed.  If any of you have had different responses from the fans, please let me know!)

 First of all, let's look at the typical man-on-the-street's responses upon hearing the names of each Monkee, without knowing they are Monkees:

 Michael Nesmith.  "Who?"

Peter Tork.  "Who?"  or maybe "Did he invent those big paper napkin dispensers in restaurants?"

Micky Dolenz.  "The name's kinda familiar..."

Davy Jones.  "Oh, yeah, everybody knows him!"

 Even people who grew up with them are like this.  They may remember the songs, but not so much the guys, or even most of the episodes.  Maybe "Fairy Tale" and the Frankenstein's android, but that's it. In fact, I have a friend that has the whole series in her collection, and when she sees Richard Kiel in another show, she's like, "Oh, it's that 'Doo-rah, doo-rah' guy!"  And then she asks, "What show was that from, again?"  *rolls eyes*

 Funny, isn't it?  Back in the sixties, so many people- including Davy and, originally Micky- thought the show was more important than the music, but people today remember the music better than the show.  So I don't think the Monkees dabblers- the ones who hear a "greatest hits" collection, watch a dozen episodes, and think they've seen it all- or the TV fans- the ones who agree with Davy and Kirshner, that the boys should have just minded their business and concentrated on the show- were ever gonna remember them as anything but four zany guys who could sorta sing and play.  It's only the really big fans, the ones that get into the back story and take the time to learn about them, who seem to see them for the talented young men they were.  I suppose that's true of any show, and equally true of any group- but the Monkees were both actors and musicians, and there's two different factions in the fandom because of it.

 My observation is that the TV fans don't really seem to think of them, at least not all of them, as anything special.  My Monkees-watching friend favorably compares Micky to Jerry Lewis, and she sorta appreciates Davy's talent ("he's kinda funny, for an English guy"), but doesn't think Mike is funny at all, and thinks Peter "became" funny as time went on!  She also doesn't really like Mike's or Peter's voices.  She does, at least, think Peter is very talented musically. In her eyes, Micky is the funniest, Davy was the sweetest in real life- and, BTW, she's seen Daydream Believers, and she believes every word of it- Peter is the best musician, and Mike was nothing but a you-know-what-kind-of-hole.  And I seem to get similar reactions from other fans. And from the ones who have only ever heard the songs, I get all those "Who?" responses I mentioned above.

 And I've had TV fans ask me, "Well, what have they done since that was so great?"  Everybody remembers Davy on The Brady Bunch.  Some younger people remember the Boy Meets World episodes.  I mention that Micky was turned down for the role of Fonzie, and then later became a director in England, and they're like, "Oh, well, that's what happens when you get typecast."  I say that I heard Peter went broke and became an algebra teacher, and they're like, "Well, he wasn't that great of a singer, anyway."  And I mention all the things Mike's done, and I get, "Oh, so he couldn't stick with anything, huh?  Nobody liked his music?  So all that garbage he pulled in the sixties didn't get him anywhere, did it?" And at that point, I give up.  You can't make people listen.  And then if they know anything of their personal lives- well, never mind.  I'm not here to discuss the hypocrites in the fandom.

 Now, can we just take an honest look at the way the television world works?  Mike and Peter were never going to big-name TV stars, and if the world didn't like their music, then "The Monkees" was going to be the only thing they were known for.  Excellent actors that they were, they were primarily musicians.  If "The Monkees" had lasted ten seasons, and all four boys had stuck it out that long, the world in general still would not have remembered them as anything but their TV personas.  They had no ambitions of becoming leading men or sitcom stars; they just wanted respect for their music, especially Michael.  TV, especially a crazy sitcom, was never going to give them that.

 As proof of this, let's look at what "The Monkees" did for Micky.  He was typecast so bad, he could hardly get any other acting jobs after that.  And nothing serious.  To quote Daffy Duck, "You're typecasting me to death! Comedy, always comedy! 'Hoo-hoo!  Hoo-hoo!  Yak-yak!'"  Come on, anybody that can do crazy comedy that well can do serious drama, too. Like, one of my favorite Robin Williams movies is Bicentennial Man.  But for some reason, nobody ever gave Micky that chance.  He couldn't even get into comedies!  He had to go to England and start directing, and we lost a wonderfully talented actor.  Thanks a lot, Hollywood.

 You wanna know what I think is the real reason everyone remembers Davy?  Cuz he was so darned cute.  No, really! Talk to anybody that's not a huge fan like us.  They can't tell you a single one of Davy's lines, not even "little metal bottle caps" or "you must be joking" (well, maybe they remember that one).  They know "Daydream Believer" and the stars-in-the-eyes.  That's about it.  And they usually complain because every other episode is about Davy falling in love.  But they still remember him for it.  It was his sex appeal that sold him to the public, because that's the way the producers worked it out.  So even if he did become the most well-known, it was still a raw deal, because it was for the wrong reason.  Look at the Brady Bunch episode.  He got to sing, and Marcia was in love with him because he was cute.  His looks and his musical talent- but no recognition of his acting talent or respect for him as a member of The Monkees.  (I mean, if they respected the Monkees, might not they have brought Micky in on another episode, considering how popular the Davy episode was?)

 So, in answer to my original question- no, the music did not hurt their careers or their popularity.  Their acting careers did fizzle out, not because of their mistakes, but because they were Monkees.  It was gonna happen.  That's just the fate of a sitcom star, especially a one-of-a-kind sitcom like theirs. Reminds me of what Don Adams said- "I was gonna be completely typed as 'Get Smart,'" and he was.  Bob Denver was Gilligan, Fran Drescher is The Nanny, Vicki Lawrence is Mama- they get into these larger-than-life characters and they have so much trouble getting back out.  And the exact same thing happened to the Monkees.

 The main problem with the music is, I think, the fact that The Monkees WERE born out of a TV show.  People don't take them seriously.  "Oh, they were a group on a show.  They were just supposed to tour to promote the show.  The music was cool, but it didn't mean anything on its own."  At least, that's the reaction I usually run across.  Because of that, they were never gonna get respect for their music, unless they did push to be seen as a legitimate band.  If the general public knows them for anything, it's usually their music that comes to mind.  I asked somebody if they remembered the TV show "The Monkees," and he broke into "I'm a Believer."  It's the music that sticks in people's heads.  So you know what?  I think the push for musical fame may actually have helped them.

 We'll never know for sure.  This is just how I see it.  And, like I said, my views are skewed because I run across so many people who hate The Monkees (or at least, Mike and Peter), or who think of them as only a TV show, or who know nothing about them, or who just plain don't understand them and don't really want to, either.  It's only online that I've been able to find people who can actually remember more than just a handful of episodes, and who actually still listen to their albums.  I thank all of you for supporting my love of the best group of musicians and mayhem-makers in the world, and I would once again like to invite you to share your opinions and your experiences within the fandom.

[morelovelyandmoretemperate]

All from A to Z :)

Oh my Lanta. Really? I mean, I’ll do it, but wowza. Thank you, anon. :D

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

I’m not honestly a huge shipper. I prefer bromance to romance... if I HAD to pick a ship or two? Demitri/Anastasia from “Anastasia”, and Mr. Darcy/Elizabeth Bennet from “Pride and Prejudice”. Always get me every time.

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or sexual–that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

Mmm... Spirk (Star Trek) and McKirk (Star Trek). Damnit, I didn’t want to get sucked into this hell hole, but here I am.

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will.

Sherlock/Anyone. I just don’t see romantic relationships there. I mean I can see how people get the Johnlock thing going, but honestly... I don’t ship him with anyone. Again, bromance before romance for this one.

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.

Dean Winchester/Lisa (Supernatural). But that might be because that storyline was pretty weak.

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what?

Some of you may well remember that there is a little known one-shot lurking out there inspired by @faragonart‘s Hiccup in Aperture Science drawings from... Jeez, like a year and a half ago? Not sure. But it’s out there. It’s cracky as hell.

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?

Been in the Teen Titans fandom for... jeez uh... 13 years? Harry Potter is closely behind at 12.

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it?

Again, not super shippy. When I was a wee tot I adored Robin/Starfire on Teen Titans, but the older I got the more I was like “I just don’t see it.” I do love me some Harry/Ginny (Harry Potter).

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

Usually tv shows. Almost always. Sometimes movies. Rarely books.

I - Has Tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why?

Tumblr has turned me off of so many fandoms before I ever even saw the show, because I was sick of it before I ever got a chance to enjoy it, including but not limited to: Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, Voltron, Troll Hunters, Hannibal, etc.

J - Name a fandom you didn’t think about until you saw it all over Tumblr. (You don’t have to care about it or follow it; it just has to be something that Tumblr made you aware of.)

Supernatural. Honestly had no idea what it even was before I saw it on here, and then of course I got obsessed.

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

Ooohhh. Sherlock is one of my faves, just watching him become more.. human, is great. Jesse Pinkman and Walter White (Breaking Bad)... there are so MANY.

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

John Winchester has a pleasant sounding voice when he isn’t screaming at his children? Does that count?

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls). I want to be her.

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

Jesse Pinkman character analysis and canon compliant Harry Potter learning to deal with his upbringing.

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

“Reflecting Light” by Sam Phillips- Luke/Lorelai (Gilmore Girls)

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).

I actually developed a relatively in depth baby bots AU for Portal in one of @faragonart‘s streams. The idea was more or less that in an effort to tame Glad0s, they scientists desperately tried to bring the human part of her (whatever was left of Caroline) back into control by appealing to her maternal instinct with android baby bots, creating first Virgil (who was too soft spoken and non-assertive, and brushed aside before being reassigned to maintenance) then Wheatley (who was too curious and outgoing, and caused her to become increasingly hostile against him to the point that his memory of it was wiped, and he was left with nothing more than an inherent fear of her), and finally having no choice but to bring in Caroline’s actual daughter: Chel. If anyone wants more than that, I have it all written down somewhere and I’ll hunt it down and share.

Q - A fandom you’ve abandoned and why.

Ooooh. LOST. Too weird, my dudes. Far too weird. And Grey’s Anatomy.

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?

Merlin/Arthur, Sherlock/John, Harry/Hermione, this is a looong list.

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

Hmm... alright, so @orhowfar and I were watching Anastasia a few weeks back and I went dark af and just proclaimed that I think Dimitri was abused by the staff of the palace. He very clearly gets manhandled rather aggressively on a fairly frequent basis, and his self esteem is virtually nothing. So we came up with this whole big thing where his favorite of the nobility was always Vlad, who had kind eyes and a big belly and would sneak him sweets when he assisted, and after helping the princess escape and being knocked unconscious (by a blow to the head from a gun which 100% broke his nose btw have you ever noticed?) He finds himself with nowhere to go. He runs into Vlad and there’s a moment of pure panic because Vlad knows how bad things are right then, but they both just nod, and wind up taking care of each other. Vlad becomes something of a father figure to Dimitri. He notices pretty early on that Dimitri doesn’t like contact unless he’s initiated it, something that carries over into adulthood, despite his best efforts, but it does get better. Vlad just makes sure to let Dimitri come to him as often as possible instead of reaching out first. Etc. etc. it was a LONG thing.

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending?

Hiccup’s hair looks the way it does because he won’t sit still for a haircut- he’s always off doing something or other- so his father will just randomly grab a handful of his hair and slice through it with his knife to keep it manageable. Hiccup barely notices until after Stoick’s death when his hair is suddenly longer than it’s been in years and then he remembers and ouch.

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

Merlin- self sacrificing, intelligent, lovable little dork with immense power.

Dean Winchester- self sacrificing, intelligent, lovable little dork with virtually no self esteem or self preservation skills.

Jesse Pinkman- self sacrificing, intelligent, lovable little dork with virtually no self esteem or self preservation skills who is far too broken and has seen far too much but is desperate for love.

V - Which character do you relate to most?

It varies... I related to Jesse Pinkman more than I probably should have but... given current circumstances.. yeah. I understand Lorelai Gilmore on a spiritual level as well.

W - A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom.

“Bad guy is reformed and becomes besties with the gang”. Get away from meeeeeeeee.

X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.

One character slowly humanizes another through little acts of affection and teaching and both learn from the other and become best friends in the process.

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)?

Hmmm... does The Office count? I see a lot of The Office second hand.

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go! (Prompts optional but encouraged.)

They have never once cast a decent Dick Grayson (Batman) and let me tell you why because when a child is of Romani descent they are not some little pale white boy with dark hair. They have a very specific look and I have yet to see it. Not to mention they never pick the right body type. Dick is an acrobat first and foremost; he just learned to adapt that into a fighting style. He would not be some top heavy bulky af ripped dude with giant shoulders and biceps and thighs as wide as a tire, he’d be lean and wiry and small. He needs to be fast, be able to get and keep himself airborne, and fold into all sorts of weird shapes (the kid is basically a damn contortionist). He’s strong as hell, but it’s not just big ass muscles, it’s... *deep breath* he’s not the body type they keep casting. Furthermore, that kid is definitely his own special brand of damaged and I get very tired of seeing the “so sarcastic and carefree” attitude given to him in movies and tv shows, but I also can’t stand the other extreme: the cold, clinical, calculating, trying to be Batman nonsense. That’s not who he is. He’s smart and capable, and certainly can be serious, he’s been playing a part in public for most of his life, just as Bruce does, but he’s also very careful not to become what Bruce has... I could go on about this for a long time... @cinemamind, help me? 

Thanks for the request, anon, sorry this is SO long...

[zdbztumble]

And ten for nineteen. I'm catchin' up, bitches!

...Ooh boy...

To get this out of the way immediately: I don't object to there being more than one Mewtwo. I don't object to the second Mewtwo being female. I don't object to Mewtwo having a Mega evolution.

I object to doing all these things poorly.

There's a second Mewtwo? Fine. Explain this! This isn't like Ash meeting other Lucario after Movie 8, or even meeting other Legendary birds after Movie 2. Mewtwo is a genetic experiment, with a fairly detailed back story. Even playing by the logic of the sci-fi/fantasy world of loose continuity that is Pokemon, the idea that another team of scientists would come up with a clone of Mew with the exact same genetic deviations as the clone paid for by Team Rocket is a stretch at best. And why does Ash seem to not know what Mewtwo is? Sure, he wouldn't know this individual Mewtwo, but he would know the species! BW is the series that mentioned Butterfree and brought back Charizard - continuity still counted for something then.

The second Mewtwo is female? Great. Get a good VA! I'll have more to say about TCPi's dub in a minute, but Mewtwo's is the only voice that I would fault on the actual performance. The VA seemed to aim for a stoic and thoughtful voice, but more often than not, came off as stiff and cold. It reminded me of a lot of acting you see in those sword-and-sandal B-movies from the 50s and 60s, where everyone in the cast takes the script way too seriously.

Mewtwo has a Mega evolution? Fantastic. Put effort into the design! Seriously, why does the Mega form look less powerful and intimidating than the base form?

But setting aside the big returning star, Genesect has a lot of problems. Chief among them is a major miscalculation in story. Only one of the Genesects is given a real personality and sympathetic characteristics. The red Genesect is a one-note dick, and the other three are just members of a hive. Because there's so little to them as characters, you can't claim that their eventual turn to Good is out-of-character...but it's not an earned development either. It's just arbitrary, and it holds no weight, because there's been no reason given to care about any of them save one. And, if I'm being honest, that one got kind of annoying, with his "I want to go home" catchphrase repeated with the same intonation so many times.

And, to get back to Mewtwo - once you get over the initial appeal of seeing one of the most iconic of the original Pokemon back in action and look at the plot, Mewtwo's kind of...there. She's involved in the action, and the effort to make her sympathetic to the Genesect's cause while wanting to protect the other Pokemon was a noble one, but between her poor casting and the weaknesses in the Genesects' characters, it just doesn't gel. And Mewtwo's actions don't really drive the change of heart for the Genesects, other than the red one. But his turn would have had more impact IMO had his hive been responsible for it. So, at the end of the day, Mewtwo just doesn't need to be there.

When it comes to the main cast, the Sinnoh trilogy developed a strong pattern: they'd stumble into a mess they had no connection with, the male travelling companion would be sidelined with nothing to do, the female travelling companion would get no meaningful story or arc of her own but would play back-up to Ash, and Ash would serve as a deus ex machina for the big conflict. I was fully expecting the same basic scenario here. I got two surprises: Cilan was given a "bring the cavalry" moment, and Iris didn't really back Ash up the way Dawn did, so she was the one who ultimately had nothing to do. Ash's part was about what I expected it to be, which is to say, underwhelming.

And now we'll come back to the TCPi dub. I've mentioned in past reviews of these Pokefilms that the big issue with TCPi isn't necessarily that the performances are bad, but that they're miscast. BW offers a perfect example for me to explain my meaning: Cilan. Out of all the post-OS travelling companions, he's the one I'm most interested in. And his personality and physical acting in the animation are very appealing. But his voice in the dub is just wrong. There's nothing wrong with Jason Griffith's performance; he makes a fine go of it as an actor. But a character like Cilan, looking like he does, speaking in the sort of flowery language that he uses, should have a more elegant and flamboyant voice, perhaps with a Mid-Atlantic accent. The very American voice - which sounds much older than a teenager, BTW - does not fit IMO. I have similar issues with Iris - in her case, the voice sounds too young, and too sweet, for the personality she's meant to possess.

I'll give this film credit for not having as many pacing issues as some of the others. The TRio's "why  are we even here" antics slow things down, as does lingering for too long on those construction workers, but the movie doesn't really have any dead spots and moves along at a brisk pace. There was some nice animation too. But there was some dodgy animation as well, the first time I've felt that about one of the Pokefilms. A certain laziness dogs this movie. It's most notable in the lack of character for the Genesects and any explanation for a second Mewtwo, but the whole idea of two groups of Pokemon coming to blows, with Ash and (a) Mewtwo being in the middle, is recycled. To be fair, it shares only the most bare of bones with the first Pokefilm, and those bones come to an incomplete skeleton at that. But when combined with the other flaws of this film, that borrowing of plot grows more noticeable.

I'll say this: I was more attentive watching Genesect than I was Pokemon Heroes, which left me bored more than once. But I was so attentive here because there was so much that seemed off. It's the one pokefilm so far where my honest opinion is that it's...just not good.

(And it has the most forgettable CotD to date. Seriously, all I remember about that guy is that he was on-screen for a certain amount of time.)

[killscreencinema]

Super Mario Run (Mobile)

Super Mario Run is the first official mobile game by Nintendo, despite everyone’s misconception of Pokemon Go having that honor.  The game was released last December, right in time for the holidays, when we all need mobile games the most.  If you’re anything like me and hate social situations, then you’re probably as liable as I am to find a lonely corner of the room, take out your smart phone, and smack your forehead against it in a desperate attempt to bodily dive into it in the hopes of escaping to another, more pleasant dimension. 

Or maybe you just turn on a game.  I dunno.

Some of you might think, “Hey Craig, why not just take a 3DS into situations like that?”  First - have you seen the size of those things??  They’re not as mobile as Nintendo would like you to think they are.  Secondly, while I do enjoy playing the 3DS, I’m not 12-years-old, so I can’t quite get away with playing a 3DS in certain public situations without looking like a weirdo.  Finally, while I do have antisocial tendencies, playing a 3DS in social situations is on a level I’m no longer on.  Oh, don’t get me wrong, I used to be there - I did bring a Super NES to a party once when I was 13-years-old and played it by myself in a secluded bedroom.  So you’ll get no judgment from me on whatever level of the antisocial spectrum  you happen to be on. 

I just know we could have used the game much sooner, like in time for Thanksgiving, especially after the results of the presidential election.  Nothing cuts short an uncomfortable conversation with a racist uncle like whipping out your cellphone, firing up a game, and having Mario’s cartoony voice shout “YAHOO!  LET’S A GO!”, emphatically interrupting your uncle’s diatribe on why Black Lives Matter is a terrorist organization. 

“Hey, are you listenin’ to me or are you playin’ some damn game?” he’d ask.

“Yes,” you’d simply reply over the tinkling sounds of coins being collected and Goombas being squished. 

“That’s the problem with your generation - always on your phones,” he’d sagely diagnose..  

“Yes,” you reply, while the invincibility star music plays.  “Racist Conversation Shutdown” Achievement Unlocked!  Thanks for the assist, Mario!

Anyway, Super Mario Run is an “endless runner” except not really because it does have an end, which is Bowser’s castle where Princess Peach is being held prisoner!  Yup, he’s kidnapped her yet again (he just can’t give it up, if you know what I mean, and I think you do) and it’s up to the plucky plumber and his friends to save her! The game plays like a stripped down version of The New Super Mario Bros, with way less power-ups (there are only mushrooms and stars) and level designs that cater to the endless runner format.

The game isn’t much of a challenge.  Hell, my 2-year-old niece could probably get really far in it, although she’s preternaturally good at video games (I’ve watched her dominate touch-screen games in a way that is worthy of scientist study).  It helps when the only control is jump, which is relegated to the bottom of the screen.  I’m going to give the game props for this – it certainly beats touchscreen controllers.

The challenge of the game doesn’t lie in beating the levels so much as beating them while collecting colored coins that are strategically placed throughout the stages.  There are pink coins, purple coins, and black coins, the latter of which being the most difficult to obtain.  During the adventure mode, you can also spend time building your own Mushroom Kingdom by using coins to purchase buildings and decorations.  However, a Mushroom Kingdom is nothing without servile Toads to populate, which is where the “Toad Rallies” come in.  In the Toad Rallies, you race against other players through various stages, and whomever collects the most coins wins new Toads!  This part of the game feels like the blueprints to a Mario themed RTS game, but with no RTS aspects whatsoever beyond kingdom building. It’s neat, but the stuff you buy to build up your kingdom is mostly for aesthetic appeal and serves no actual function (though some of houses unlock playable characters like Yoshi, Toadette, and Luigi).  

Hey, what, no Wario???  Hmm, then again, this is an endless runner, and Wario’s fatass is not known for his running abilities.  

Super Mario Run is not breaking any new ground in the franchise, but it’s a good start for Nintendo’s initial foray into mobile gaming.  I’m looking forward to seeing how their other properties translate into mobile gaming (there HAS to be way to get a new Punch-Out game to work for phones – maybe you touch Little Macs glove to punch, and then hold down for super punch?). If nothing else, Super Mario Run will spare you from looking like a big dork because you brought a DS to a wedding.

Btw, speaking of Mario, we covered the so-bad-its-good Super Mario Bros movie in my podcast Kill Screen Cinema.  It was a hilarious discussion and you can listen to it right there:

http://www.destinationcomics.com/killscreen-cinema/11-super-mario-bros/