Previous Ramblings

February 10, 2008
White Tiger Issues 1-3, 5 of 6 issue limited series - I started out enjoying this mini-series and the direction of the new White Tiger. While not a completely fresh take, it was still pretty interesting. And there was obvious potential to have her merge into Daredevil's world. But then the endings of each comic seemed forced. Events would be progressing and it would seem like we had to suddenly have a major cliffhanger. So much that it was forced. It didn't feel natural. Add to that the character development wasn't solid. Plus it wasn't on my regular pull list and I missed a couple issues. Unfortunately I didn't care enough to track them down, which pretty much sums it up as interesting but not worth spending my money on.

December 29, 2007
I'm going to try somethign new here. Since my track record with blogging hasn't been great, I'm going to try writing about something that a little more involved in my daily life and something pertinent to the site. Comics. Namely I'm going to try to do comic reviews here instead. I'm more than a little behind in those also (surprise, surprise) so let's get started.
Supreme Power: Hyperion Issues 1-5 of 5 issue limited series - This started out kind of strong and interesting. Sort of the first assignment of what would become the Squadron Supreme. We got to be introduced to all of the characters and see some of their powers and how deranged or unbalanced they are. Unfortunately we then went to an alternate reality and spent most of our time there. Sure, the story is about the characters and the characters are going to change and adapt whether they are in their home reality or not but things never seem quite right in other dimensions. I always feel like all the changes will be thrown out the window once people land back at home.

September 24, 2006
I just found out that Charles Grant died last week. That really depresses me. I didn't know him directly nor did I ever meet him. But in the early 80s as a horror literature fan, Charles Grant was impossible to miss. He wrote a ton of books and I tried to read all of them. Of course they were always very well done. Then as editor for the Shadows series, he easily filled all my short stories cravings. I still have many of those books. I remember going into book stores and finding a new book with his name on it and being so happy. To me he always symbolized horror literature and his presence will be missed.
You can find a bibliography for him at http://ihgonline.org/grant.html and a brief obit-type write-up on Paula's DarkEcho blog at http://darkecho.com/blog/?cat=4.

August 30, 2006
Now that we're starting the fall season of TV, let me tell you what shows I'm looking forward to the most.
Prison Break - Already started and I'm again loving the surprises and shocks being dealt out.
Battlestar Gallactica - It feels like it's been forever since the season ended. I remember how things ended, who could forget the jump forward in time and the dramatic closing, but I'm looking forward to all the little moments that make the show great.
The Wire - Oh my God! Easily the best show on TV ever. There are other great shows but not this great! Don't miss it!
House - More cynical fun and dying patients. It's weird that I always want to know what the diagnosis is and the cause but not being a doctor rarely do I understand it.
Lost - Can't forget this mystery/conspiracy show that is so lovingly revealed.
And then the shows that I'm interested in and will watch but that I'm not eagerly anticipating and drooling for: Nip / Tuck - a little too over the top, Vanished - looks promising and a good start so far, Bones - enjoyable but it hasn't sunk its barbs into me that far, Standoff - another potentially promising one, Justice - it has my interest but not that much of it, Scrubs - not a huge comedy fan but this one is good, Medium - cheesy at times but still enjoyable, Heroes - haven't heard much about this one but could be good, Smith - looks like what I thought Thief on FX was going to be, let's hope it's better though.

July 05, 2006
Over the 4th of July weekend I went to the Day on the Meadow in San Jose. You can find full details on the event at Day On The Meadow but basically it is a day of bands playing while you sit on the grass and buy stuff from booths. Main headline was Violent Femmes who were great. The guy on drums, Victor DeLorenzo, was totally hyper. He stood behind the drums instead of sitting and literally bounced around them the whole time.
Dresden Dolls also played, best known by me at least for Coin Operated Boy. They were good but not quite as memorable as two bands that played before them.
The two bands that I remember and really liked were Smash-Up Derby and Kung Fu Vampire. Smash-Up Derby (http://smashupderby.com/) plays mashups. Basically take two different songs that have the same beat or that seem like they will go together and then interplay the vocals and music between the two and you get a new song. For example, Closer by Nine Inch Nails and I Like Rock and Roll by Joan Jett can be mashed into a damn good song. And then these guys do it live which is pretty damn impressive. Lately I've been totally loving mashups. Check out Party Ben for some good stuff.
My other favorite was Kung Fu Vampire (http://kungfuvampire.com/). These guys are a mix of a different music styles. It's sort of like Rage Against The Machine and Linkin Park but then they also have a cello, violin and keyboards. They have a great stage persona too with half the guys wearing a plain white mask, the whole Asia girl thing and then the lead singer in a circus ringmaster type uniform. Most importantly though their music is catchy and addictive. I definitely recommend seeing both of these bands when you get a chance.

May 14, 2006
I attended the World Horror Convention in San Francisco yesterday and it was an interesting event. I've been to the San Diego Comic-Con many times in addition to numerous other comic book conventions. As a result I was expecting something along the same lines. Not as large as Comic-Con but I was hoping for a dealer room the size of an average comic convention. In that regard, I was a bit disappointed; there were only something like 30-40 dealers there. All of the dealers had primo stuff and I ended up finding and spending twice my expected amount on books from my Books To Get list. (I'm sure all of you have something similar; if not, check out my Amazon wish list for a sample.) But I was still hoping for a little more. Then I attended a couple of panels and book readings which I enjoyed; my favorites were a reading by Michael Laimo and the gross out contest. Everyone there was extremely friendly, very personable and incredible to meet and talk with despite me being only a fan. And that was probably the only negative: the convention is weighted more towards the horror author than the horror fan. Events seemed to be focused on networking, self-promotion, marketing your material and other similar items. Nothing wrong with any of that but it did leave me as a horror fan feeling slightly on the outside. At the same time though, it also left me feeling as part of the in-crowd, a small part but still a part. It made me want to invest more of my time to horror. Not just reading it but more on reviews. And igniting hope in me, more creation, i.e. writing some myself.

March 03, 2006
I've been traveling a lot for work lately and I've got to point out that airline travelers are some of the rudest folks out there. And I'm not talking about people who are only distracted by not knowing where to go or who are waiting for a co-worker to catch up. I'm talking about people will bump you and constantly nudge you while you are getting on or off planes. People who place their bags in the carrier bins sideways with no thought that they are taking up the entire space when they could turn it and take up a third of it instead. And then when getting off the plane, they drop bags out of the same carrier bins on top of you and not apologize. People who leave old Burger Kings bags and wrappers on chairs when trash cans are within sight. And my biggest pet peeve, people who stand around in front of the gate when boarding, blocking anyone else from passing by. Look, if you are zone 4 or even zone 3, stand on the side and let folks in zone 1 and 2 load first. I've seen mothers with babies trying to maneuver stroller and bags while no one moves out of the way or even offers to pick up a dropped pacifier. Being polite and saying "Excuse me." takes nothing. Helping someone who is over burdened will alleviate their stress and make you feel good. Stop being so fucking self centered and realize that there are others around you deserving respect.

January 01, 2006
Clear Channel has converted a second station in the California Bay Area from rock to Mexican music. What the hell is up with that? Sure, they have the right to have whatever format they want, just like I have the right to no longer listen to them. My frustration is that the Bay Area has now gone from three rock stations down to one. Oh, I can find classic rock and more adult / soft / contemporary rock stations than I want to count. However if I want a station that plays the newest rock or alternative music, then I only have one choice: Live 105. Guess I need to convince Infinity Broadcasting to not change or I'm screwed for listening to the radio. I'll have to finally "grow up" and listen to talk radio instead. (Ok, realistically I would rely on stations on the Web for new stuff and use my iPod for music when commuting. Listen to talk radio? Gag!)

October 26, 2005
Obviously I'm a huge fan of using your imagination and enjoying other worlds / universes. And I'm glad when someone can dedicate themselves to putting their idea to paper; I know from trying that it is not easy writing and spending the time to complete it. What I do have problems with is taking someone else's creation and hijacking it. Fan fiction where you "fill in the blanks", that's fine. Undoing or ignoring the author's work in favor of your own, not ok. Specifically I'm thinking here of all the folks "re-writing" J.K. Rowling's latest Harry Potter book. This is pure bullshit! Rowling has spent the time and effort to imagine and create the entire Harry Potter universe. And then additional effort to market the books and control the quality of her creation. And then because somebody doesn't like the direction she took with the latest book, they feel they have the right to "re-do" it? Fuck that! Do what everyone else does in a case like that and bitch and moan about how stupid the creator was and what they could have done better. I've spent hours bemoaning exactly that with Star Wars and the travesties that Lucas created as Parts I, II and III. What I don't have the right to do is "re-write" Attack of the Clones the way that I want it and then distribute that as bible. I hope that Rowling sues the pants off all these posers.

October 21, 2005
It is so easy to get behind on things when traveling. I'm easily three to four weeks behind on a good number of TV shows and still trying desperately to catch up. Some quick comments on ones that I have seen.
Nip / Tuck - Matt's character is now just annoying. It's not like hatred where the actor is doing a good job and everyone hates him. It's where I no longer care for him, the petty stupid actions he does or anything. I'd be happier if he was killed by the transvestites he beat up, left for Paris to find Ava or even only seen infrequently like his younger sister. Hell, give me the younger sister instead of Matt.
Battlestar Gallactica - Awesome finale! It was firing on all cylinders. From the pleasure of finding more humans to the desperation of saving Adama's men at the end. Simply wonderful! I can't wait until January when it picks up again.
Rome - I really enjoy the show when I'm watching it but I'm not dying to watch every episode. I haven't missed any but this is one where I'm four weeks behind still. Oz and The Wire were both must see within 24 hours.

August 31, 2005
I saw the two hour season premiere of Prison Break last night on Fox and really enjoyed it. It's not as intense as I was hoping for but I think in that regards I was spoiled by Oz. And nothing on broadcast TV is going to ever live up to that. However, the final scene of the second episode did have my wife and I cringing and going "Oh, fuck!" I was concerned that it was going to be a one trick pony with the whole focus on breaking his brother out of jail but there seems to be a good amount of side stories to go along with it. Plus it was nice to see a lot of familiar faces: Dominic Purcell whose previous series John Doe ended too soon, Robin Tunney who I remember from The Craft, Stacy Keach, Jessalyn Gilsig, Chelcie Ross who is way too much the bad guy for me to think of him as a bishop, and Peter Stormare who is cast perfectly as a prisoner with a little bit of power. Here's to a successful and complete season.

July 22, 2005
While watching from DVR the premiere of Battlestar Gallactica (highly recommended and the next episode promises to be great!), I saw that Sci-Fi is rebroadcasting Firefly. A quick check on the Web this morning and it looks like they are going to broadcast all 13 episodes in the right order. Awesome! Firefly is one series that I loved and which should not have been canceled. I am very much looking forward to Serentiy and will not miss the Firefly episodes leading up to it.

July 21, 2005
Two years ago I saw the Sci-Fi channel's special of Battlestar Gallactica but for some reason I never got into the series when it launched. Fortunately my friend Harold convinced me to give a couple of the repeats earlier in the year a try and now I'm hooked. It's been in my DVR ever since, being recorded so I can catch up on something good that you shouldn't miss either. I'm not always on top of my show watching (still haven't seen the premiere of season two from last week) but it will be watched and revered as good science fiction and as an engaging story.

June 07, 2005
Slightly late but a quick comment on the season finale for Desperate Housewives. Disappointed. The whole episode comes across as a big Deux en machina. It's weird because they really were building up to the ending nicely but it didn't really come across that way in this episode. Bree's husband dying doesn't ring true; I'm sure they did that on purpose so the writers can decide later if he is really dead or if it is a trick by the other doctor. Aside from the individual events, what would have been really cool is if the housewives solved the big mystery (Mary Ellen's death) and tied up some of the smaller loose ends and then next season, the show can focus on a different street completely. Leave Wisteria Lane behind and move to a different street in a different city with a whole new set of housewives. It would avoid the ridiculous factor of yet even more crazy stuff happening on one street. It would leave a few threads dangling but there is never going to be a complete closure with everything that has been spawned on this street. The viewers would have to adjust to new characters and the writers could not be lazy and rely on previous character development, but it would create a huge potential for ABC. They could create DH specials or spin offs. ABC would not have to worry about fighting on the set because each season would include a new cast. Plus it would be something unique and different to appeal to more viewers. Conversely, they could do something like follow Susan, her daughter and Mike as they move to some new street. Then come season three, they follow a different character as she moves elsewhere. But instead, I'm sure we'll end up with more of the same tried and true formula.

March 29, 2005
Wow! Saw the season finale for HBO's Carnivale on Sunday and it still is in my thoughts. The episode gives you everything that it was leading up to: the confrontation between Ben Hawkins and Brother Justin, the fate of Sophie and her mom, joy, heartache and an ending that still leaves you wanting more. Spoiler alert in case you haven't seen it yet and are going to. I will admit that although Sophie's transformation into the next embodiment of the dark force was not a total surprise, it doesn't follow the pattern previously established. Hawkins, the force for good, was the son of Henry Scudder, the previous dark force. And Brother Justin, the dark force was the son of the Russian / Management, the previous force for good. Assuming the pattern stays constant, Sophie should be a force for good. But if Lodz is right and Sophie is the omega, then she could be the embodiment of both good and dark. This would imply that she could be on either side. So the next season could focus on Sophie and her path from the dark to the good. Spoiler alert over I have seen mention that HBO has not quite decided yet if there is going to be a season three or not. So if you like the show, send them an email or postcard and express your interest in Carnivale returning.

February 24, 2005
Argh!! A couple of days late but I had enough with ABC and their friggin' commercials! Watching the live broadcast of "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" is now so incredibly painful. It seems like we're going to commercial break every five minutes! I was using my DVR as a safety measure in case I missed the live broadcast but I'm now not going to even bother trying. I'll do whatever I want and watch the recording. It will alleviate any frustrations from the constant breaks for ads.

February 02, 2005
Another pretty interesting couple of weeks for Carnivale. Things continue to happen at a rapid pace which is very nice. I do have a complaint though in that they are giving away too much in the previews for next week. Two weeks ago we saw a preview where we saw the crone and then this week there was a huge build up as to what the crone looked like. Well, duh. We already saw a glimpse of her. And then in the previews for next week, we actually see Sofie's mom sitting at the table and get to recognize her just before Ruthie mentions that she is seeing her mom. If they would have left out the scene with Sofie's mom, then we could have had the revelation of "So that's why Ruthie keeps smelling smoke and seeing someone in black." Instead we're hit over the head with it during the preview. Considering that the show goes to such pains to reveal things slowly and with a lot of development, being slammed in the face during the "next week's episode" preview is especially frustrating.

January 11, 2005
Wow! We found out almost more in the first episode of the new season of HBO's "Carnivale" than we did in almost the whole first season. And it was told to us with a minimum of delay and build up. Lots of exposition and explanations. While I'm pleased to have all my guesses and thoughts from the first season confirmed, I'm hopeful that we won't be spoon fed answers the whole time. Guess I'm kind of coming across as a complainer either way: I wanted more answers and less build up last season and now want more build up and less answers. Really I don't want to lose the feel and magic that comes across through the series. If the producers can capture the same magic that "X-Files" had at the beginning, that would be perfect!

November 29, 2004
I started watching "Desperate Housewives" a few weeks back and after one episode of not liking it that much, I am now liking it. It's a fun take on a bunch of weird things happening in one neighborhood. I'm sure that anyone reading this has already seen it so I'm not telling you anything new because I'm sure that you're enjoying it too. My only complaint is that it plays at the same time as HBO's "The Wire." If it wasn't for Tivo, my wife and I would end up having to duel over the remote every Sunday. Now I just catch up on McNulty, Stringer, Barksdale and others on Monday while keeping the peace on Sundays.

September 25, 2004
Damn. It's been way too long since I've updated this. Let me touch on a bunch of things. "Six Feet Under": A good season that had it's weird parts but then ended really strong even though it was more of a teaser than a closer. "Charmed": Loved seeing John DeLancie ("Q") as an elder. Would have been better if he snapped his fingers to disappear but that would have been a bit much. "Entourage": HBO has done it again and created another series that they've quickly hooked me on. Unfortunately it had a way too short season. "Nip / Tuck": Still really enjoy the show but it is getting to be borderline over the top at times. Sean was getting a little too harsh with Julia for a little way so I'm glad that they toned his anger down; equally glad that they haven't made things simple and gotten the two of them back together again.

July 07, 2004
Another season of "Nip/Tuck" has started and I'm loving this season just as much as last years. And this is another year of not pulling their punches on anything. After three weeks, we have seen either Dylan Walsh's or Julian McMahon's ass (often both) in each episode. We have had surgery scenes that have me physically cringing and wanting not to look but unable to stop looking. Last week's self-surgery by Christian Troy freaked me out big time! But I loved it! The only negative has been Matt McNamara. What is the deal with his make-up? Folks, you don't need to cake it on so much! Leave him with a more natural look. The way that he ends up looking each week is more freakish than normal. Somebody please tell them to ease up on the make-up.

March 11, 2004
What's the deal with the TV station logos and promotions being played all over the screen? Initially when channels put their logo on the bottom right of the screen I was annoyed and didn't like it but since every station was doing it, I kind of had to accept it. However it is not getting to the point of being ridiculous! WB, TNT and USA seem to be the worst but everyone does it to some degree. The show comes out of commercial and for another 30-60 seconds you get the bottom third of the screen obscured with a promo for what's coming up next or for some special mini-series or special playing in another day or two. And if you're really lucky, read as cursed, you'll get a promo with sound so you can watch and listen as a car roars onto the screens and skids into a spin to hype "Gone in 60 Seconds" playing this entire weekend. Give us a break already and keep the commercials to their time slot and let us watch our shows in peace.

January 26, 2004
Even though "Charmed" is more of a guilty pleasure and something that I consciously try to avoid analyzing too much, I am going to have to complain. This season has been pretty ridiculous, focusing more on the silly and stupid than the fun. Every new episode seems to have to be based around some theme: Mata Hari, Amazons, Headless Horseman. There is little to no carry over between shows other than "what secrets is Chris keeping" and "let's protect Wyatt". And that is actually part of their problem: they have no master villain for the season. Previously they had to deal with Cole who was alternatively evil and good, depending on the week. But now they have no villain to defeat. Every demons that they face is now banished in the same episode. It's too easy for them. Is there no demon worthy of making the Charmed sisters stew for more than one week?!

January 09, 2004
With the end of the holiday season, I was really looking forward to new episodes of "Smallville" and "Angel" this week. Unfortunately they were not new episodes, well not really. Both were repeats but I hadn't seen this episode of "Angel" so it was a plus for me. It was kind of spooky but it loses some of its effect since I knew that Spike was going to turn out ok in the end and not sent to Hell. The fact that it was another demon/ghost doing the haunting simplified the story a bunch. Oh, it also did answer the question of why he was disappearing all the time, something that to tell the truth I hadn't noticed had stopped after that episode.

December 22, 2003
I read the other day that HBO has bought another season of "Carnivale." This is pretty good news since I did enjoy the first season but I honestly didn't think that it would be renewed. It was paced a little too slow; each week I would think "That was it? Nothing else happens?" This was especially bad when the events that happened were obvious to predict. I hope that the next season is more quickly paced and that more stuff happens. I'm not expecting another "The Wire" where a lot happens and it is even difficult to know everything that is going on. But considering the dual story lines in "Carnivale" I seriously expected Brother Justin and Ben Hawkins to at least meet each other if not have a big confrontation.

December 11, 2003
I've been pretty disappointed with the movies lately, or more accurately the movie offerings since it has a little while since I've seen one. I keep wanting to but then just as I'm making the plans to actually do so, a friend tells me it sucks. Or it gets bad reviews. Or I realize that it suddenly looks like a huge bomb. I can't seem to find something that I think I'll actually enjoy. This year has given me many highly anticipated films but very few films that actually meet that anticipation.

November 15, 2003
One of my favorite shows to watch on TV right now is "Nip/Tuck". Sure, there are the simple reasons to love the show: the sex, pushing the limits of basic cable, the sexy actors and actresses and just enough blood and surgery to satisfy your curiousity of plastic surgery without making you sick. (although I will have to say that I always seem to be eating when the surgery scene comes on) But there are plenty of complex reasons to love the show: the deep characterization that is dead-on for each person and surpasses any cliches, the complex issues that are not solved in the course of a single show, people learning by their mistakes more often than by things going the right way. By themselves, each of the ideas mentioned above could have a paragraph or more written about it. The only problem I see with the show is that the first episode or two introduced a daughter but she hasn't been seen since. I'm not sure if they are just not touching on her character for now or if they are planning on writing her out in someway. Either way, this problem is more of an absence than an "present" problem. Do yourself a favor and watch "Nip/Tuck"!