Long Trip

It's been awhile since I posted. I've been in NY since the last post and it's been a blizzard of activity until it was a blizzard of snow.

Some things I noticed, remembered or stated the obvious:

1. The commute from Rockaway to Manhattan is the very reason I left Rockaway.

2. Playing with Walker and the Brotherhood of the Grape reminds me why it's called playing.

3. Dave Charles is laid back.

4. Tim Warner is intense.

5. Working off site gives you all of the work and none of the drama.

6. According to the owner of Bulletproof Comics, I have not aged in 13 years.

7. 2 beers a day is as bad for your gut as getting really drunk the first day.

8. I love blizzards. Mostly because I love giving up without guilt.

9. A snow day means the kids go outside for 17 minutes.

10. "True Grit" is the perfect movie for you and your Dad.

Going back to Chicago tomorrow.

Paul Stanley Says Things to Richmond

Here's Paul Stanley's crowd work. Some of it sounds like his blog. God, it's hilarious.

Please please please listen.

Thanks, Joe DeVito.

BONUS: Here's four videos of Pat Francis' impression of Paul. I first heard him on Jimmy Pardo's "Never Not Funny" and thought it was hilarious. Now that I hear how close it is to the truth, it's pure genius.

1:

Direct link.

2.

Direct link.



3.

Direct link.



4.

Direct link.

Jon Favreau Not Directing "Iron Man 3"

Inevitable after Iron Man 2 was bad in the exact same way that most of the Marvel sequels have been bad.

What is it with Marvel Studios? Do they not see the pattern they develop?

All of their successful franchise have run the same way.

1. Get talented director (Bryan Singer, Sam Raimi, Jon Favreau)
2. Leave them alone
3. Release movie embraced by both comic fans and general audiences (X-Men, Spider-Man, Iron Man)
4. Start messing with director on sequel by shoving numerous b-list characters into it
5. Run off original director (X-Men 3, Spider-Man reboot, Iron Man 3)
6. Release bad movie (X-Men 3, Spider-Man 3, tbd)
7. Reboot franchise

This is only marginally better than their other pattern:

1. Hire bad director (Mark Steven Johnson, Ang Lee, Tim Story, Gavin Hood)
2. Mess with director by shoving numerous b-list characters into it
3. Release bad movie (Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Hulk, Fantastic Four, Wolverine: Origins)
4. Reboot franchise

It seems that Marvel only has the interest of their characters at heart. Their goal seems to be to get as many characters into the public eye as possible so sales of books, toys and t-shirts go up. The movie is nothing more than a vehicle for their properties. Whether or not the movie is good on its own is irrelevant.

Sure, they want to make that first film good. Favreau himself proved that a good movie can make a b list character a list for years to come. But once he did that job, they wanted him out of the way as soon as possible. Directors like Raimi and Favreau understand story. Marvel understands crossovers. That's bound to create conflicts.

Think they will learn their lesson? Just wait until Avengers 2 when Joss Whedon walks off because they want it to star Jack of Hearts and Jocasta.

10 ways "Moonlighting" Really Screwed Me Up

Wal-Mart has the season sets for ten bucks each. This is not the second time I've seen these episodes. I rented them on Netflix four years ago and I found it was an an interesting show that got better with each episode until it was the best thing that had ever appeared on television. Then, with one infamous decision, it turned to complete crap.

Watching it again, I now see it as completely dangerous. I watched these episodes as they aired as an impressionable teen. It may have directly been responsible for my troubled romantic history.

These are the life lessons I should have known watching this show during puberty:

1. The perfect girl for you is not one you fight with all the time.
2. Everything that comes out of David Addison's mouth is a sexual harassment suit.
3. Nobody likes singing in the office.
4. Limbo contests even less.
5. No woman is going to wait for you to make a move for three years.
6. Murder is actually traumatic.
7. Never doing your job can hurt your career.
8. When you walk out on her, she's not following you on the next plane.
9. All-night benders in your 30's don't work.
10.The minute you get together, it shouldn't ruin everything.

Guthrie Govan

Ron Zabrocki is back to posting guitar players that make me feel bad about me.

This is Guthrie Govan. The fact that he's playing simple blues changes makes it hurt that much more.

Conan Meets Bruce Timm

Thank God Conan is back on the air.



Direct link.

Chuck Klosterman is Talking Zombies

For at least two pages.

Lennon

I've usually written about John Lennon at this time and I don't think I'll do it any better than I did five years ago. So instead of going through those motions again I think I just want to get my hands on the newly remastered signature box. If it's anything like the Beatles set last year, it will have me discovering his solo work all over again.

John would have been 70 years old today. That makes me think less about the tragedy and more that Paul McCartney should stop dying his hair.

CryBaby

God bless HD cameras. I'm still waiting on that Lemmy documentary but now there's a full feature on the wah wah.