Random Movie Stuff

This stuff has been posted everywhere at this point but I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon.

The New Indy 4 movie poster:

Please don’t let this be like the Star War prequels.


Here's a couple of stills from the Whiteout film.



As I haven’t been paying attention, Will Eisner’s The Spirit is in full production right now. I feel like compete tool for not knowing this. In this pick we see Frank Miller on the set. It’s being shot in the same style as Sin City and 300. More info here (links at the bottom at page)




These comments by Jeffrey Dean Morgan on the set of Watchmen gives this old fanboy even more hope that the film version is in really good hands. Zack Snyder actually carries around a copy of the graphic novel on set all the time.

Reviews for I Am Legend are mostly positive (see here) but it looks like there’s a problem with the end of the film. From what understand they shot multiple endings for the movie. So maybe they never really knew how they wanted to end it. I’ll keep that in mind as I see the film, which unfortunately will not be this weekend.



-Swinebread

Dysgenic Dystopia

Over the weekend I watched Idiocracy. It’s the product of Mike Judge, the guy who made Beavis and Butthead, King of the Hill, and Office Space. The basic plot of the movie has average soldier Joe Bauers, portrayed by Luke Wilson, as part of an Army experiment testing cryogenic suspension. Instead of a year later, Joe wakes up 500 years later to a world ruled by idiots. It seems that all the “intelligent” people were too busy having careers to have kids and so the earth is taken over by rednecks and morons to great comedic affect… and boy the world is in bad shape.

Never heard of it? That’s because it was suppressed by FOX, the studio that financed it. Why? …because it, among other things, skewers corporate America, and uses many of the actual names of the corporations to do it. That’s right! This movie angered it’s own sponsors. In fact, I’m sure Gatorade pulled their name from the project as a generic sports drink figures prominently in the film’s plot and there are stories about extensive re-shoots for Idiocracy. You can check the links on wikipedia (link above) to read the many ways the film was censored.

It’s a funny movie even if it is predictable and very lowbrow, but it’s worth seeing simply because you’ll never, ever see corporate America pissed on so directly ever again.

Watch this youtube video before it gets pulled:


-Swinebread

Trip to Japan Part V

The next day we didn’t do much. It was low-key. My wife and I took a break and went shopping in the Saitama area. Luckily for me, shopping in a foreign country can still be and interesting endeavor. I guess the big highlight of the day occurred when we went to the Aeon shopping center. It’s a new complex built and organized in a similar fashion to an American shopping mall.

Here’s the outside of the AEON shopping mall. You can see the Saitama Soccer stadium in the background. It was built for the World Cup championship from a few years ago. My Mother-in-law and my wife both complained that stadium cost a huge amount of tax money and that the structure can only be used for soccer so it’s such a waste. I thought about that for a moment and said “I’d rather waste millions on a soccer stadium than a stupid war” My statement seemed make to make them feel a lot better about the whole thing… but not me of course.


It was fun to walk the aisles but what was the most fun was the store itself. Everything was so small but in a huge space. Here was the gigantic building with a very high ceiling but the shelves were all very short, what I might consider a child’s height in the states. Of course the average Japanese person is shorter than the average American, but my western biased mind felt they were wasting so much space that could be filled with products. I felt like Santa Claus in the elves’ town. On the other hand, not having huge shelves made the place feel very open.

Here are a couple of pics of two AEON employees preparing red bean paste for sale. It’s sweet and used in many desserts in Japan. We ended up buying some. I think the gal who sold us the red bean paste was overwhelmed by my appearance as she just filled the containers to overflowing, a very un-Japanese-like thing to do.


Another interesting aspect of the mall was that since it was so spacious, there were combo shopping cart/kid strollers available for families to use. It’s kinda’ a normal thing in the states but to see it in Japan made me realize what a novelty it must be here. I also saw folks in wheelchairs, which was nice. Life in Japan can be pretty hard when your disabled as next to nothing is accessible. This mall was very different as there was plenty of room to move around and it was a straight shot from the parking lot to the mall interiors. It reminded me that disabled folks in Japan put up with a lot of crap and here was the one place they could come and have a normal shopping experience.

The other “important” stop of the day was a second trip to Book Off. It’s a used Book, CD, and Video store. Book Off is one of the few stores created in the aftermath of the economic bubble that’s been wildly successful. Now there’s no point in buying everything new. My wife sold a bunch of old titles that she had left at her parents’ house and picked up some newer titles to take back to the states. When it comes to novels her tastes tend to run in the thriller and horror realms although she’s open to almost anything. Of course they had a fantastic selection of manga and I was happy to browse the aisles. My SO also bought some manga too as she grabbed several Black Jack digests and huge collectors digest of a comics about cooking and food, although I don’t know it’s name.


After we left Book Off, I noticed a different store that had a similar name to Book Off. It was called Hard Off. I had a lot of fun explaining why Hard Off wasn’t such good name for a company. My in-laws laughed about that for days.

We finished up our shopping excursions by swinging by a family friend that runs both a ceramic studio and an organic food store. She’s a great lady and she really wanted to talk to me as she’s been studying English for years. My wife and in-laws affectionately call her and her husband “the hippies” as they run an organic business, love 60s’ and 70s music and are big outdoor lovers. Naturally, they don’t look like hippies but I bet they’d dress a little like them if they could get away with it Japan.

We had a nice conversation in her ceramic studio and the place was full of adult students busily using potter's wheels and other tools as they prepped for a ceramic show that was coming next week. As my mother-in-law picked up her fired piece, my wife and I headed next door to the organic store. It’s a small place mostly stocked with fresh vegetables. But that makes sense, as food, like everything in Japan, is very expensive. Organic food has almost become a luxury but our family friend believes that it’s important to have healthy, natural foods to eat. Before we left, I mentioned that I think she would really enjoy Oregon and that I hoped she and her husband could visit someday.

Here’s my mother-in-law’s ceramic piece in its finished, painted form on display during the ceramic show the following week. The birds nest on top with eggs was my SO's idea.


That day, I think I managed to get another trip to 7-11 in there too.

-Swinebread

X-Mas Is Coming

We picked up our tree today. Here are a few of the ornaments we hung with care.

X-mas Spidey, I bought this ornament last year during after Christmas sales, so this is the first time it’s on the tree. I enjoy the Santa Spidey pose because it reminds me of 1980s X-mas comic book ads. That’s back when Marvel wrote stories about old webhead that I actually liked.

Mighty Mouse. “Here I come to spread some Christmas Cheer!”

We bought some little rabbits in kimonos while in Japan. They’re supposed to be used as cell phone decorations but I thought they would look great on an X-mas tree. This blue one is my favorite.

Of course you can’t have Christmas without Cthulhu right?


-Swinebread

Evil Dead and Gone?

I was thinking about how Bruce Campbell was being labeled the 13th coldest person in Hollywood by film threat (here) when I suddenly realized that, not only do these folks not know what the hell they’re talking about when it comes to Campbell (‘cause they’re spot on when comes to Nicolas Cage), but that Bruce is too old to play Ash again. Fans have been pining away for years for a sequel to Army of Darkness, which of course was really Evil Dead III, but as Campbell has stated on many occasions AoD didn’t make enough money, so there ain’t gonna be a sequel. Well, never say never, but a greater problem at this point is Bruce Campbell’s age. He doesn’t look like Ashley anymore, He looks like Ashley’s dad. A new Evil Dead/AoD film with Bruce as the lead would just be sad. It seems like it would be disrespectful to the character and to Bruce IMO.

BUT… after reading the AoD comics for a couple of years now by Dynamite Entertainment (which are fantastic by the way) I’ve come to realize that I really do miss the character on the big screen or the small screen for that matter. There’re too many untold Deadite stories and not enough fights between the forces of the book of the Dead and Ashley J. Williams. We need some sort of AoD film or video.

There are only two ways to do it at this point. One, you make an animated film or TV show. Or 2, you bring back Bruce Campbell in a supporting role as the old burned out chosen one that has to train the new dorky, inexperienced chosen one. Personally I’m leaning towards an animated project ‘cause then we could just have Campbell do the voice work and voilà, Ash is back. Maybe a trilogy of 3 movies would be cool although I know I would really prefer an animated TV show but I’m worried it would get cancelled. Better to compete the story then be left hanging. A live action film with an Old Ash has some advantages too in that we’d actually get to see Campbell acting again but also it’s closer to the sprit of the original movies. I’m seeing a Popeye – Pappy kinda relationship.

Well, that’s my Evil Dead 2-cents for a while. We’ll never get either project, but I guess, in a small way, I’m doing my own pining away for the AoD franchise. At least I’ve still got the comics right? ...And Campbell's "They Call Me Bruce" for that matter.

On an unrelated note did you know that AoD was called Captain Supermarket in Japan?!

-Swinebread

My New Comics

This week’s best cover is The Twelve #0.

Sword of Red Sonja: Doom of the Gods #3, Dynamite Entertainment.

Northlanders #1, Vertigo (DC Comics). Another comic I’ve been waiting for is finally here. Info from Northlanders.net NORTHLANDERS tells the epic tale of SVEN, an exiled Viking prince who’s been living the decadent, high life in Constantinople – the 11th century’s answer to Las Vegas – but now must return to the desolate lands of his birth in the frigid islands of the North Sea to reclaim his vast inheritance. Intending only to take his money and run, he finds more than he bargained for as his former family and friends are enslaved at the hands of Gorm, his ruthless uncle. What follows is a bloody quest to not only free his people, but also a young man’s struggle to discover where he belongs in a rapidly changing world…and what awful sacrifices it will take to make a Prince into a King

Howard the Duck #3, Marvel Comics.

Black Summer #4, Avatar.

The Infinite Horizon #1, Image.

Jonah Hex #26, DC Comics.

Omega the Unknown #3, Marvel Comics.

Wrath of the Titans #3, Blue Water Productions.

Sinbad: Rogue of Mars #2, Blue Water Productions. One of the titles I really wanted. The 1st issue never showed up so I might wait until my store reorders it before I dive in.

The Twelve #0, Marvel Comics. From wikipedia: Writer J. Michael Straczynski said in July 2007 that the story concerns 12 superhumans randomly kidnapped by the Nazis during World War II in order to study their powers for the Nazis' "Master Race" efforts. The superhumans were put in cryonic suspended-animation until the present day, when a construction project in Berlin, Germany inadvertently uncovers them. The series explores the culture shock of people from the 1940s being revived in the present day. "I wanted to explore their reactions to us, and our reactions to them ... what was good about the World War II period that we lost, and what was not so good about it that we've eliminated in all but them". Issue Zero reprints a 3 golden age stories.

Dominion #3, Boom Studios. I never got the 1st TWO issues of this title either. Grrrr. More waiting.



-Swinebread

Trip to Japan Part IV

A video billboard with an odd animation at Shinbashi

We got a late start on our forth day in Japan but beyond meeting a mutual friend, my SO and had no firm plans. We took the bus to Omiya station and I was lucky enough to get a seat this time so I wasn’t banging my head on the overhead handrails. The weather was even warmer than the day before and so of course that caused me to get completely overheated. When we finally walked out of the bus at the train station, I felt as if steam was rising off my body… and maybe it was.

Before we boarded or train to Shinbashi in Tokyo we respectfully navigated the throngs of people. My wife doesn’t come back to Japan often and so she was surprised to see a homeless woman that she had passed many times on her way work years ago. My SO said, “I can’t believe it. She’s still alive-ing” I declined to correct her English, as her accidental portmanteau seemed strangely appropriate.
Shinbashi Station

Our trip into Tokyo was becoming a familiar one and I passed the time watching the Japanese who were watching me. I was wearing sunglasses so it was an easy thing to do. When we arrived at Shinbashi the first thing I noticed was a big steam locomotive. It was decked with X-mas lights and it scared the piss out of my wife when the steam whistle blew. The second thing I noticed beyond the giant video screens was that a camera crew was going around asking folks questions. My SO told me that Shinbashi is a popular spot for news crews to quickly pick up opinions for the evening and morning newscasts.

The old train at Shinbashi Station. I’m sure the X-mas lights look better at night.

A quick interview for the news at Shinbashi Station

Soon our friend showed up and after happy greetings were we’re off to a nice lunch at a Chinese restaurant. We talked about old times when our friend was an exchange student in Oregon with us, and we talked about new things like dating and cultural changes. At one point we exchanged gifts. Part of our gift to our friend included a love talisman that we had just bought the day before at Jindaiji, but what our friend really liked was the American candy. We also gave her a bag with left over Halloween candy including Reese’s peanut butter cups, for her to pass out at work. She took a big, long whiff and proclaimed, “ah this smells like America.” I laughed of course because she was totally right.

During the meal the Japanese police were investigating something across the street. I was sure that they were going to arrest someone but eventually things calmed down and they left. Their appearance did get me thinking though. The Japanese police looked so small, skinny, and old compared to US cops. They really reminded me of elderly war veterans wearing their dress uniforms. It seemed to me that they were overdressed for the job. American police have much more practical uniforms while on the beat. Also, so many other folks wear such similar outfits that I couldn’t tell the difference between a parking lot attendant and a uniformed police officer. In fact the only guys who looked tough were some security guards that were escorting bags of money. As these guys walked through Omyia station, they wore combat boots and helmets. Because only cops are allowed to wear guns, these guards were armed with clubs and large combat knives. Their outfits kinda’ gave them a whole Mad Max vibe. Now, I’m sure that the Japanese police could take me out in two seconds flat; they just don’t look like they could…

After we parted company with our friend from yore, we were undecided about were to go next maybe Ueno? But before we got there I noticed a poster for the Chōjū-giga at the Suntory Museum of Art, which is in Roppongi. As luck would have it, this national treasure just happened to be on display while my wife and I were in Japan. The Chōjū-giga is a series of four emaki or picture scrolls. Emaki are a medieval form of art that’s unique to Japan. Picture scrolls present stories that combine both words and images in some fashion and are read by rolling out the scroll horizontally. Often they depict epic tales or recount historical events. Obviously this is the origin of modern Manga. The Chōjū-giga is unusual for an emaki in that it has no words, is mostly ink only (no color), and that the subject matter of the 1st scroll is totally anthropomorphic animals. So a guy like me, who loves Loony Tunes, Captain Carrot, and comics, would clearly be very excited about seeing these scrolls.

The Suntory Museum of Art





I had seen photographs of the scrolls many times in fact I bought a magazine about them the first time I was in Japan, but to see them in real life was simply amazing. The brushwork was exquisite and real joy just to take in. It’s a shame that we don’t know whom the creator(s) of these masterpieces are although there is much heated debated among art historians. One of things I noticed right away was that some of the moving characters had zip lines. That’s when I realized that I was looking at the first “genuine” comics ever. It’s hard describing affect the Chōjū-giga had on me but this was truly the highlight of the whole trip. These scrolls are easy to get into and enjoy because they’re rooted in light entertainment rather than high-art. The second scroll, which depicted humans, for example, had an elaborately drawn farting contest.

A rabbit with zip lines

A scene from the first scroll of the Chōjū-giga

part of the farting contest


The museum was jam-packed but luckily I was so tall, I could simply look-over everyone else when I needed to. What was also nice was that an English audio guide was provided, so that I was able to get the most out of the exhibit. At the end of our time there, my wife was nice enough to purchase a book that contained complete images of all the scrolls presented in the exhibit, a wonderful experience indeed.

My Ticket

After the high of the Suntory Museum of Art, my SO and I headed out to look around. The Roppongi district has lots of foreigners compared to other parts of Tokyo and this was the most non-Japanese (except for the airport) I had seen while on my trip. Part of the reason is that there are lots of embassies there but also Roppongi is very trendy and has many dance clubs.
A street in Roppongi. Notice the slimness of the buildings.They’re that way so that they can fit the expensive patches of ground they’re built upon.

My wife was very interested in seeing Roppongi Hills, an ultra modern commercial and housing project that had been completed after she left Japan. So we walked over to this new center that includes the Mori building before heading back to Saitama.

A spider sculpture outside of the Mori building in Roppongi Hills. There sure were moneyed folks walking around here.

-Swinebread

Japanese Band

While I'm trying to find time to write my next installment of Trip to Japan. I thought I would post this flyer that I picked up at Fuji TV for a Japanese Band. I know nothing about them but they sure have an interesting look especially that gasmask guy.



-Swinebread

Trip to Japan Part III

The weather was glorious on our third day in Japan like springtime. We took the opportunity to travel to one of the greener parts of the Toyko area, Chōfu. This part of the megalopolis has Jindaiji Temple, the second oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo. So we headed out from Omiya by train.

After my SO and I left the train station in Chōfu, we boarded a bus. I kept hitting my head on the overhead handrails and I’m sure that the folks riding with us were laughing on the inside regardless of their stoic demeanor. As we got closer to Jindaiji Temple my wife realized that we weren’t on the correct bus. The one we were on didn’t go directly to the temple but luckily it did stop on a nearby connecting road. So we would have to huff it for a few extra blocks. It turned out to be all right anyway because there was this very odd, cubed shaped house across the street from the bus stop. The strange window arrangement made it impossible for me to figure out how many floors it had or how the inside of it could possibly be arranged.
Strange Huh

After the Bizarro house, we turned onto the road that leads to the Temple and I immediately noticed a drastic increase in the number of trees. In fact there was an obvious decrease in temperature due to the shade. It was very comforting for an overheated Oregonian like myself. What also became apparent as we walked down the street was that there was traditional looking restaurant after restaurant with water wheels. My SO explained that this area is famous for soba noodles.

Before we arrived at the Temple complex, my SO came across a small shrine dedicated two of the Seven Gods of Fortune, Ebisu and Daikoku. I like the Seven Gods a lot maybe because they’re just the kinda thing that would have the fundies pulling their own hair out with cries of idolatry. They also remind me of belief systems that were a part of the western experience long, long ago.

Soon we came to the Jindaiji Temple complex and like most Temples and Shrines in Japan the area was flush with shops and stands selling all manner of knickknacks, food, and gifts. My wife and I had worked up an appetite so we ducked into one of the many soba shops. Apparently this was the best season for soba. The noodles were very fresh as they were white in color, overtime soba noodles will turn a brownish grey. I dipped my soba into a cold sauce while my wife had soba that gets dipped into a hot soup. Both were very good and seemed to be just the right thing to eat on a mild fall day. I'm getting a mixture of daikon and onion to put in my dipping sauce

With our tummies full we walked down the path and up the steps to the temple grounds. I have been to quite a few temples and shrines around Japan so Jindaiji seemed small but it wasn’t crowded so it also felt intimate.
A 3-year-old girl in a Kimono is taken to the temple for a traditional blessing.

Temple goers purify themselves with incense before they approach the temple building.

Jindaiji Temple

Boys go to the temple to receive a traditional blessing when they’re 5 years old, but this kid was trying like hell to get outta’ there. His mother was doing everything but sitting on him to keep him there. I’m guessing that kid must have been scared of the Priest. Oh well, at least the priest had a sense of humor about it. I had to get this pic with the flash off so they wouldn’t notice that’s why it is so grainy.

One of the main reasons we went to Jindaiji was to see the Kitaro teahouse. Shigeru Mizuki created the Kitaro character in 1959. He’s a yokai boy, or monster boy, and deals with all manner of supernatural horrors out of Japanese mythology. Usually, he tries to find a way for both monster and human to leave in peace together. There have been many comics, TV, movies and even a live action film but none of it has ever been translated into English as far as I know, but on my first trip to Japan I was lucky enough find some bilingual Kitaro comics for Japanese wanting to learn English. So I was able to read a few stories but I want more. Most of the creatures are very different then western monsters and maybe the entertainment folks don’t feel they would translate to the states very well. For me though, the strangeness of the Yokai makes them that much more interesting. I picked all sorts of Kitaro goodies including finger puppets, canned drinks and postcards.

The Kitaro Teahouse

A close up of the Teahouse. Kitaro is on the left and his ratman buddy, Nezumi Otoko, is on the right. They both have umbrella yokai. On top of Kitaro’s head is an eyeball. It’s all that remains of his ghost father Medama Oyaji. The eyeball is also Kitaro’s guide and gives him all kinds of advice.

All the main character’s from Kitaro’s adventures.

The Kitaro Car, I'm not sure what they use it for, but it looks pretty cool

We left Jindaiji and headed to Shimo-Takaido Station in Setagaya. It’s a trendy area with lots of foreign students and accessible shops.

A street near Shimo-Takaido Station

My wife has a cousin who owns a coffee shop there called It’s Café. He’s got a Japanese blog here. It’s a nice cozy place not far from the station. We had a wonderful conversation and I had a yummy piece of pumpkin cake that tasted a lot like pancakes. We gave him a CD of Pink Martini’s album Hang on Little Tomato. He was very appreciative as he’s always on the hunt for new and unique music to play in his café. When we left It’s Café and Shimo-Takaido, I thought this would have been a great place to stay when I was a college student.

It’s Café’s location near Shimo-Takaido Station

It’s Café’s Storefront from the blog

For the last stop of the day my SO and I headed out to Odaiba to see the Fuji TV building. They’re the station with the eyeball symbol, so appropriately they have a huge ball suspended in the center of their rather amusingly designed building.

My picture of the building didn’t turn out so well as it was night, So wikipedia will have to do.

The lobby had all kinds of toys and gifts from Fuji TV’s various shows but the dog mascot was the big draw.

Here’s a view of downtown Tokyo from the Fuji TV ball. You’ll notice the Rainbow Bridge in the middle.

After an enjoyable self guided tour through Fuji TV, My SO and I headed out via monorail over the rainbow bridge to downtown Tokyo to catch a train back to Omiya.

My New Comics

This week’s best cover is Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash #2.


Terminator 2: Infinity #5, Dynamite Entertainment.

Jungle Girl #3, Dynamite Entertainment.

The Phantom #20, Moonstone.

Army of Darkness: From the Ashes #4, Dynamite Entertainment.

Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash #2, Dynamite Entertainment/DC Comics.

Marvel Zombies #2, Marvel Comics.

Marvel Atlas #1, Marvel Comics.

Criminal Macbre: My Demon Baby #3, Dark Horse Comics.

Magazine:
Back Issue #25 Twomorrows Publishing. Cool article on Deathlok, one of my faves.

-Swinebread