My latest article is up at The Federalist The show is also creative in how it handles the villains. Rather than an increasingly ridiculous series of accidents and coincidences, we have one accidental event (Electro), which directly leads to another (the electricity discharged during Electro’s rampage gives Doctor Connors’s Lizard formula an unexpected boost, sending it … Continue reading The Federalist Spider-Man
Gee, I’m Glad It’s Raining
I discovered this tearjerking number by the late Jim Varney, which he sang for the film Earnest Goes to Camp and haven't been able to stop listening to it. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1QMDzyv1FE
On Being the Prodigal
Our Lord doesn’t specify how long the prodigal son was away in His parable, but one must imagine it to be a fairly long time, given that he had the chance to spend all his money, enjoy the company of harlots, live lavishly, and so on. I bring it up because I think that parable … Continue reading On Being the Prodigal
Why I Love ‘Independence Day’
When Independence Day came out, it was a huge hit, but ever since then it’s kind of become the poster-child for the big, dumb, CGI-fueled blockbusters of the late 90s. And, yes, in a way it is, but…well, that’s kind of beside the point. The Story: On July 2nd, a massive alien craft appears … Continue reading Why I Love ‘Independence Day’
Friends and Monsters Part Three
I finally published the last part of my My Little Pony-Godzilla crossover story! Sample: Godzilla's arrival in Manehatten was accompanied by a massive tidal wave as his bulk displaced enough water to swamp the docks and flood the whole waterfront. He strode ashore, streaming seawater off his flanks as his feet crushed the wharves and warehouses. … Continue reading Friends and Monsters Part Three
RIP Adam West
More sad news: Adam West, forever immortalized in the infamously cheesy 1960s Batman show, has passed away at the age of 88 after a brief battle with Leukemia. Mr. West was one of those actors (like Bela Lugosi) whose career was made and destroyed by a single role. He never recovered from being the Caped Crusader, … Continue reading RIP Adam West
Great Humor, Great Morals, and Why Having Your Heroine Be a Music Box for an Episode Makes for Good Writing
So, this week's episode of My Little Pony was pretty fantastic (full disclosure: I actually saw it a week or so ago. You see, since FiM is produced in Vancouver, Canadian audiences get to see episodes up to two or even three weeks before the rest of us. The magic of the internet, however, allows some leeway … Continue reading Great Humor, Great Morals, and Why Having Your Heroine Be a Music Box for an Episode Makes for Good Writing
Shared Universe Thoughts
Expanding on what I said below on The Mummy, I would be all in favor of a new Universal Horror shared universe, but only if it were actually horror. You know, creeping dread, unsettling suggestions, icy fingers down your spine...any of this sound at all familiar? Then you could build up to having big set-pieces where the … Continue reading Shared Universe Thoughts
Saturday Sundry
-Been back from California for a few weeks, trying to make up my mind how to proceed. I'm leaning towards a year or so of paying work and self-production before I invest thirty-five-thousand-plus-expenses for a degree in filmmaking, but I'm not sure. -My reaction to terrorist attacks are pretty much the same: horrified, angry, sad, … Continue reading Saturday Sundry
California Impressions
As a lifelong film buff, California has, to my mind, a rather mythical air. Not because that's where films are made, but because, by and large, that's where they're set. Walking around California, therefore, feels rather like walking around in a movie, if you know what I mean. Arriving amid the palm trees, Spanish-style buildings, … Continue reading California Impressions
Serpent's Den 