It's a Monday. But at least the weather for the most part was pleasant. Over cast most of the day, until I got home, but in the low seventies. I took a long walk to McNally's Book Store, and back. Picked up a book that I'd been eyeing the last time I was there. ( Read more... )

Entertainment Items of note

1. To anyone who watched Angel the Series (and more importantly still remembers it well enough to answer this question) - someone on Facebook thinks Angel was turned human by Wolfram and Hart then turned into a vampire again because he had to fight the monsters in LA. They are referring to the fifth season. To my recollection, the only time Angel ever became human was in I Will Always Remember You. Granted it has been some time since I've seen Angel the Series, but I'd think I'd remember that? (Considering how many metas and reviews I wrote about it.) Anyone remember Angel turning human in Season 5? Or is this person completely deluded?

2. Buffy Revival - it's not a Reboot, although people keep calling it a Reboot, and people keep fighting over whether it is one or not, which I find amusing, because they've managed to completely confuse the fandom.
At any rate, Charisma Carpenter has finally clarified that she is not in it, she's not been contacted, and has no idea where they are with it, nor is she in contact with anyone involved. She's only made it known that she'd like to be in it.

I think the people who have been contacted and may be involved are Gellar's friends: Marsters, Hannigan, and Seth Green. They appear to know something.
But I could be wrong. Those are the three she still appears to be close to on some level and in contact with.

3. Alien Nation - the newest thing by Noah Hawley - who is best known for the television series: Fargo and Legion (he also worked on Bones for a bit). No, Ridely Scott isn't involved at all. And I could tell - after seeing the first two episodes. Scott is scarier. I can't watch Scott's Alien.

Once again, folks are fighting over whether it is a reboot. (It's not. It's an expansion on the previous series. Similar to say the Star Trek franchise.)

The first two are intriguing? But I'm on the fence about it. It's biological sci-fi leaning towards horror. [Anyone else see it?]

4. Alan Cummings reports loving filming Avengers Doomsday
( excerpt )
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Music and Religion

Finally, I decided to listen to the Superman 2025 soundtrack, Punkrocker, Nine Inch Nails...I need album recs. I only really have listened to Downward Spiral and Pretty Hate Machine.

Also Jimmi Hendrix's Machine Gun, rec'd by a Franciscan Priest on loan to a Unitarian Church during a sermon on how to tell the Jesus story. (Yes, I was intrigued by all the contradictions in that sentence as well.)

Mother: Wait. What is a Franciscan Priest doing at a Unitarian Church?
ME: No clue. But I find it intriguing. More intriguing than the wannabe Rabbi playing Unitarian Minister actually. Plus he's doing bible studies.
And is a Jimmi Hendrix fan. What are the odds? [And having done the wannabe Rabbi's bible studies, I'd like to try the Franciscan Priest's bible studies.]

I like contradictions. I'm contradictory. These are my people.

Much like The Fantastic Four film - I was on the fence about seeing this film. It had mixed reviews, and I didn't exactly love the last few Superman films I'd seen. Also, James Gunn's last cinematic effort, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol III gave me a headache. (Although I'm thinking that may have been more of a Star Lord and Rocket issue than a Gunn issue.)

As you may or may not know, Superman 2025 is the eleventh Superman film in a long and winding series of films, dating back to 1948, with the most recent being Zack Snyder's highly controversial Man of Steel (2013). (That's not including all the television serials and animated films and serials.) Superman was originally created by two Jewish immigrants way back in 1938 - when fascism was on the rise in Europe, and Hitler was in the midst of persecuting the Jews. They created Superman as a sort of inspiring hero during those dark times, he was an immigrant to the US, an alien, who was kind and helped others no matter what. A beacon of hope.

I've seen various people in comics and in film try to do a more nihilistic take on the character of Superman or a nihilistic commentary on the character - and it never quite works for me. I understand the desire to do it - and why a lot of folks don't like the original version, but Superman at his core is a hopeful character and a kind one. What lies at the center of the Superman story, at its very core, is hope. Get away from that - you lose the story. If you veer too far away from that - you are kind of losing who the character is and why, which is what happened with the previous take on the character, and why Gunn for the most part wisely goes back to the source material and the Salkind's version. It's worth noting that Gunn cleverly references both Salkind's take on Superman and Snyder's. Snyder's science fiction take, and version of Lex is kind of melded with Salkind's.

Superman 2025 directed by James Gunn, written by James Gunn, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster - is the first film in James Gunn's Gods and Monsters arc for DC's rebooted film verse. Clocking in at just over two hours, it clicks by at a good pace, and I didn't notice the time fly by, but, there are one or two fight scenes I'd have trimmed, but I feel that way about most action films.

It's important to note that unlike all the previous films, with the exception of sequels, this does not start with Superman's origin story. It starts in the middle of story - Superman has lost a major battle, his first, the film tells us why and what later on. A lot of action happens before the film even begins. We're in the middle of it and it works, because we've all seen the origin tale multiple times, over twenty to be exact, so it's not really needed. They refer to it, we're told what it is, so in case you were hiding under the proverbial rock for the last 80 years, you know.

Unlike the Fantastic Four Film - this film is harder to discuss without substantive spoilers. I tried, I gave up.
( spoilers )

All that aside? I loved the movie. It kept to the core values of the source material, and the original intent of the writers. The filmmakers told their story with just the right amount of humor, and humility. And it put a smile on my face. Lifted my spirits. And gave me hope.

After watching it, I had an overwhelming urge to break into a jig and cheer, instead I just posted online that I loved it to little bitty pieces. I enjoyed it so much, that I've watched it twice now. And will most likely down load the soundtrack to listen to - tomorrow at work.

It also taught me a valuable lesson - be careful with reviews or read them with discretion. Many of the reviews I read turned me off of the film - leading me to believe, erroneously so, that it was too busy, head-ache inducing, with a low-brow and crude sense of humor. This couldn't be further from the truth. I don't know what film they saw? But it wasn't the same film I saw - and I've watched it twice now.

Reviewers, myself included, are human and tend to critique the film through their own lens. We often tell a story with an agenda in mind, either hidden or overt, and that includes reviews. I've learned, the hard way, not to determine what to watch, read or listen to based solely on someone else's view of it. More often than not, I have to see it for myself. We never see the same films as others do, because we see them filtered through our own mind and baggage. And more often than not, we only see what we want to see.

Well, I kind of got some stuff done today?

Finished watercolor, made bed, took a brief walk, read a little of my current book, cleaned out some spoiled food from the fridge, took out the composting, took out the garbage, talked to mother, read DW correspondence list, watched the latest episode of the Gilded Age, two episodes of Alien Earth, and rented Superman on UHD on Prime.

By the way? I loved the Superman movie. That is far and away the best Superman movie that I've seen to date. I adored it. I may watch parts of it again. (And I've seen all of them. I've also seen all the television series. And most of the cartoons, and animated films. I've also read a few of the comics here and there.)

I'll do a review later, when I've more time to ponder it, and write it. Assuming anyone wants a review? I may do it anyway. I was certainly looking for folks reviews.

Off to bed.