Watchmen: The Comic

With the movie coming out in about a month, like many, I ran out and picked up the classic comic The Watchmen, so I could enjoy the book before seeing the movie. Now that I have finished reading it, I can see why so many are excited about this film – the trailer is incredibly faithful to the book – shot-for-shot, borrowing imagery directly from the comic – as it should be.

The Watchmen has been ranked among the top 100 novels of all time by Time magazine (that's all books, not just graphic novels). The story takes place in an alternate 1985 in which Richard Nixon is still President and the world is on the edge of nuclear armageddon. Superheroes, or "capes," have been outlawed and driven into retirement. A group of retired capes have suddenly become the target of an assassin. One by one they are targeted... Will they discover who is behind the plot, and why it seems to be tied to the growing escalation of rhetoric between the two superpowers? Will they be able to stop the inevitable march toward certain doom?

Each chapter weaves back-and-forth through time, from 1950s to present day, revealing each character's origin and how they fit into the larger plot. Dialogue and images interweave into a complex tapestry. The book reflects not only the anxiety and politics of the Reagan era, pre-Glastnost, but mirrors the present day War on Terror as well. What freedoms are we willing to give up for security? Are we happier in our ignorance? Do we need (or want) others to take care of us? Do we need superheroes? 

 

Soft Drink Branding

Pepsi and Coke are both changing their logos/branding this year. Pepsi has already released theirs. Looks familiar...

After twenty years of trying to forget the "New Coke" debacle in the 80s, Coca-Cola has finally decided to remove "Classic" from the label. No visual of the new branding is available.

Feelin' Mellow?

Today is the 5oth anniversary of Miles Davis' groundbreaking album, Kind of Blue. So if you're feeling especially mellow today, that's why.

You can read/listen about it here on NPR.

Animated films of interest

I am very excited about two new stop-motion animated feature titles and another (sort-of) animated film... the first being Coraline, from Henry Selick, the director of Nightmare Before Chirstmas...

There is also the film Mary and Max, directed by Adam Elliot, which apparently did quite well at Sundance. It is only the second feature-length animated film to come out of Australia, and is visually inspired by the photography of Diane Arbus. Mary and Max stars Toni Collette, Phillip Seymore Hoffman and Eric Bana. Looks fun and quirky - right up my alley!

Then there is Ari Folman's Waltz with Bashir...a very different film. Technically not animated, but roto-scoped (meaning movement is captured from a live action performance), and therefore ineligible for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It has, however, been nominated for Best Foreign Language film. Waltz with Bashir retells the actual story of a young Palestinian soldier surviving the Middle East conflict.

Happy birthday, Wolfy!

Today is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 253rd birthday. Mozart's father believed that Wolfgang and his sister were blessed by God (Amadeus means 'beloved of God') with their musical talents, and that these talents should be shared with as many people as possible. They toured all over Austria. Sadly, his frequent travel at a young age may have contributed to his early death – he contracted TB as a young boy and suffered illness often. In his short life, he created some of the greatest, and most moving, musical works of all time. You can learn more here at The Mozart Project.

First, a clip from Peter Shaffer's Amadeus (dir. Milos Forman):




'The Queen of the Night' from The Magic Flute, as performed by Luciana Serra:




'Papagena' from The Magic Flute, as performed by Roth and LeRoi:

Frost/Nixon

Frost/Nixon is the story of the famous interview between British talk show host David Frost and former President Nixon, in which Frost ultimately is able to coerce an apology from Nixon for his wrongdoings to the people of the United States. Frost is a playboy talk show host, more famous at that time for his fluff celebrity interviews than any actual journalism. Ultimately, his pockets prove deeper than the networks, and he is able to buy an interview with the scandalized ex-President. Nixon, meanwhile, is depicted as eager to rehabilitate his image...and get his hands on some cash. However, Nixon is not to be underestimated. From the very beginning, Nixon makes it clear to Frost that he expects a worthy adversary – any interview should be thought of as a battle – a battle he intends to win.

The film is brilliant in it's simplicity. Frost/Nixon is a fascinating character study of these two titans of intellect. Who will win? The "soft" media darling or the calculating politician? As expected in a Ron Howard film, all the actors shine in their portrayals, particularly the two leads, Michael Sheen and Frank Langella, who have reprised their roles from the stage play. While perhaps not the best film of the year, it is, nonetheless, a great film of an important moment in history and politics.

Ouch

The Lost premier turned out to be quite a ride.

Happy 10th Birthday, Dr. Manhattan

thenewfrontiersman.net

Another passing

Andrew Wyeth died at the age of 91. He was the youngest son of the famous illustrator/painter N.C. Wyeth (illustrated Treasure Island). Perhaps Wyeth's most famous work is Christina's World, above. Using tempera paint instead of oils, his paintings tend to have a more tactile feel. Apparently his father, who taught him, didn't care for the darker color schemes and melancholy subject matter. After N.C. died in a tragic accident, Andrew's work only grew darker. Andrew denied that his work was dark; he considered it more contemplative.

Andrew's sister, Carolyn, was also a successful painter. His son, Jamie, is a well-known painter in his own right. It's nice to think that the Wyeth legacy will live on through his son's work.

Obit here on MSNBC.

 

On to Fantasy Island

Ricardo Montalban (a.k.a., Khan Noonien Singh) passed on to the great Fantasy Island in the sky today. He was 88.

Update 1/15: Aintitcool has a great obit and collection of clips of Montalban here.

Obama and Lost encourage you to Read More About It

Two related articles of interest on NPR: Two media forces have been credited for increasing interest in reading books – Barack Obama and the hit TV show Lost. According to publishers, when Obama has been seen carrying various books, they report a surge in sales for that particular book. Obama apparently prefers mostly non-fiction – biographies of Lincoln, FDR and Thomas Friedman's Flat and Crowded. Lost draws on several literary sources, and pays homage to them throughout the series – including The Third Policeman, Slaughterhouse Five, Turn of the Screw, Watership Down, The Watchmen (which I just started reading), and Stephen King stories. Lost has an official book club (you can read an article about it here). Publishers have been jokingly referring to Obama as the "next Oprah."

Click here to read/listen about Obama's influence on reading, here to read/listen about Lost's influence.

Terry, the bi- bi-polar polar bear

Top 25 Warner Bros. cartoons

Jerry Beck of Cartoon Brew is writing a book about the top 100 Warner Bros. cartoons of all time. He invited all Brewers to post their own lists of favorites in an effort to create a master list for his book. This is not an easy thing - there are hundreds of shorts to choose from! Here is my list. I only did 25, and I am probably leaving some out. (I am kicking myself because I forgot Witch Hazel... and I couldn't think of a favorite Sylvester and Tweety short. Oh well.)

Long-Haired Hare
Bully for Bugs
Rabbit of Seville
What’s Opera, Doc?
One Froggy Evening
Duck! Rabbit! Duck!
Buccaneer Bunny
Fast and Furry-ous
Super Rabbit
Easter Yeggs
Duck Dodgers in the 24th-1/2 Century
Duck Amuck
Zoom and Bored
Steal Wool
Bugs Bunny Rides Again
Mouse Wreckers
Terrier Stricken
For Scent-imental Reasons
Herr meets Hare
Bugs Bunny gets the Boid
Robin Hood Daffy
Walky Talky Hawky
From A to Zzzz
The Dover Boys
The early BB/Clampett cartoon where Bugs dresses as a mermaid (title?)

For my favorite, I listed Long-Haired Hare, one of Chuck Jones' many friendly jabs at opera. Just listening to this cartoon with sound only is funny. Bugs' impression of Leopold Stokowski is brilliantly funny, even if you don't have a clue who he's parodying.

Rent

Saw the musical Rent last night at Playhouse Square, featuring two of the original cast members. Really amazing cast and music. The story is based on Puccini's opera La Bohéme, covering a year in the lives of a group of bohemian artists – black, latino, white, gay, straight – struggling to succeed while dealing with poverty, drug addiction and AIDS.

It is important to note this is definitely not Gilbert and Sullivan or Rogers and Hammerstein. The people sitting in front of us left during intermission, expecting more traditional fare, I expect. While perhaps a bit jerky in spots (characters were broken up and back together again so often it was hard to keep track) and the sound was a bit too loud so it was sometimes difficult to understand the lyrics, overall a great performance. The actors were all over the stage, climbing and jumping as they were singing without missing a beat. Despite the heavy subject matter, it did have some great humorous moments as well. The audience was encouraged to clap (and at one point even sing) along. A lot of fun!

The Real West Wing

The West Wing was possibly my favorite television show ever. Here it is updated for the late 00's.

Want to buy American... but not from the Big Three?

Want to buy American but uncertain about buying from the Big Three? Want to buy something with minimal environmental impact? Click here to find out some alternatives manufactured in North America on msnbc.com. My favorite is the Tesla, which I saw featured on TV earlier this year... Besides the fact that it's the coolest looking, I like history behind the name.

Click here to learn about Tesla Motors.

Hal-le-lu-ia...

My sister-in-law had this on her blog. I am shamelessly stealing it and posting it here. Too funny!