Talk about whatever you want to here -- random ideas, thoughts, suggestions, questions, recommendations, criticisms, demands (to be added to the blog-roll), self-promotions (what are you doing on your blog, for example), introductions (if you are a lurker, tell us who you are and what your thing is), surveys (Mitch once put a survey on your top ten fictional crushes, which was fun), and updates on your life. Don't forget you can talk to each other, as well as to me.
On my end, two quick things.
1. After three months of waiting, Oxford has sent out formal requests to my examiners to examine my thesis. They have unofficially said yes, so all that stands between me and a D.Phil is them sending in a formal acceptance, reading the thesis that will be sent to them upon formal acceptance, and finding a date on which to examine me (at which point I will fly to Oxford, do the examination, and if I pass, receive my degree; the dissertation defence is largely pro forma, and I am not worried about not passing).
2. Everyone is welcome to talk about the stunning LOST finale, which has imbued everyone -- even those who felt it lost its way -- with a sense that this show is an uninhibited work of television genius, and that the next three seasons will be awesome. I am going to put my review up tomorrow, though I am not sure how much I have to add to what has already been said.
By the way I did not see Studio 60 last night. I was out and there was no one to record it, and I decided I did not care that much. I will grab it online or something later. I paid my dues with that show -- I watched it out of loyalty to West Wing, Sports Night, and A Few Good Men, but after howevermany unwatchable episodes I owe Sorkin nothing now. He does not owe me -- I will call it even -- but I am not in a rush to see this.
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17 comments:
Geoff, I just picked up Steampunk. I think it's remarkable and fun and really, really confusing. Do you have any pointers of what I should be picking up on?
Sometime, in the far future, an issue by issue analysis would be quite awesome.
What about the Heath Ledger joker pic? it's pretty freaky. The smile as scars? That's not totally unimaginative (albeit stolen from lee bermejo)
Over at my blog, I had some interesting dialogue with another Blogger on the bus ad for "Die Hard 4".
1:Congratulationson your doctoral news.
2: I watched LOST again last night, and it got better. I paid especially close attention to Jack's flashback - there are subtle clues - I don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen yet.
3: I'll be DV-Ring the Studio 60s - what can I say - I'm a completist (or a masochist)
Oh, and I don't know if I've asked - have you ever eaten at Trattoria L'Incontro on 31st and Ditmars (it's by your comic store)? Fantastic food - it's our (wife and I) favorite restaurant.
I'm going on vacation tomorrow, finally, after only having 3 days off this month. I posted my vacation reading list on my blog, www.demonweasel.com, and all should feel free to add it, link to it, and bask in its calming waters.
VoE -- I just find the art facinating. I feel like Bachalo is forced by editors to be more simple, and this is him unleashed in all his crazy glory. You really have to study each page, not because his pages are muddy, but because they are intricate and rewarding.
Scott S. Ewww...
Marc: please review Studio 60 for us here, in the Friday Free forms on on your blog or whatever -- just a few words along the lines of "continues just as it was" or "Suddenly West Wing Sorkin is back in the house."
As for the resturant, I do not think I have been there.
For the record, how many people live close enough to meet up by subway? I feel like at least me and sara and mitch and marc and marc's wife and anyone else who is close enough ought to meet at a bar sometime, especially if we are all in Queens (are we?).
Thacher: thanks.
What does everyone think of the new pic of Heath Ledger as the Joker?
P.S. I don't watch Studio 60 but I do watch 30 Rock... its much better from what I hear.
While Geoff's Comment on the Joker comment was brief, I think I agree. The Joker should be Grotesque, not "Ewww... Gross"
I also heard other things to make me think they may make the Joker more 'serious.' He's not supposed to be... he's the goddamm Joker. I mean, even at his Darkest he's always a Jolly guy!
Doppleganger scott who also posts about the joker pic: i think it's totally cool! if all of christopher nolan's films are about some kind of trauma, i think a scarred grotesque gross out joker will be fascinating.
I don't know how to hyperlink, but i just finished this article and it's totally awesome. It's about why tragedy beat comedy as the prevailing theme in western art. also gets into genre:
http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=9276
...still waiting for credit for turning you onto Casanova...you heard it here first :p
The first of the burn-off episodes of Studio 60 was...adequete. It wasn't terrible, but it even with Allison Jenney playing Allison Jenney it wasn't near the level of old time Sorkin...
And sadly, taking Danny, Matt and Jordan completely out of the episode actually makes the episode work better...
You have them trying to put on a show after a wild cat strike by the prop guys, the cue card guys and possibly the sound f/x guys. So the show-within-a-show is a disaster. Not helped by a bomb threat. Also you see Simon is a womanizing jerk. In a sub-plot that takes up a little too much time...
What else? Oh yeah, the rest of the cast wants Harry and Matt to either date or not date, but to just SHUT UP about it. So that was nice...
Other than the fact that it seemed to have a commercial break every 5 freaking minutes nothing else of note that I can remember. Oh wait. Stephen Weber was cool and awesome as pretty much always. I hope he gets a reoccuring role somewhere after this. Maybe the Grey's Anatomy spin-off? Put him on a drama with Tim Daly and see what happens? Sure its another show that is unlikely to last beyond a single season, but still. Tim and Steve working a drama together could be cool...
Scott: About 30 Rock you are right that the show is great; it should not even be compared.
Scott S: thanks for the link: I will read it soon if I can ever finish this grading.
Ping: Hey you came back. PING MADE ME READ CASANOVA AND FOR THAT HE IS AWESOME. Also he probably has done other things with his life too that deserve praise.
Lurker: thanks
The Podcast made me realize just how long it'd been since I came here.
I think I gotta get over the fact that I will never make up for my lost time and just move forward.
Just quickly:
All Star Batman continues to get better, I see more and more people won over by it with each issue. At some point it just clicks and people seem to get it. For me it was #3.
Ultimates 13 ended it on a low. It was a maudlin epilogue which took coolness points away from everything which has come before it.
At the Bristol Comic Expo we bonded (over booze)with Simon Bisley who did some truly grotesque sketches of me and my wife (goto Comicsketchgallery.com and search for ping33)
Congrats on the 2nd book Geoff, now forget this poetry nonsense and write another one on comics
"Lurkerwithout" brought up some points on S60, but I saw it from a different angle.
This was god-awful - the worst of Sorkin's career. No Matt, Danny or Jordan? Great way to treat your longtime fans who are the only ones sticking around at this point.
Some notes: enough with the "Nancy Grace" parody - too many times to the well already. And with SNL doing it also (and I can't remember who did it first) - too much. Especially when it's not that funny.
Another thing that's starting to bug me - the co-existence of SNL in the S60 fiction. TV isn't big enough, SNL isn't good enough and S60 (the fiction) hasn't shown enough promise to justify 2 late-night comedy shows.
Harry is making me homicidal with this schoolgirl shit.
How many times is Timothy Busfield's character (Cal, the director) going to break a table in one season.
There was some funny stuff - yes, Weber is gold on this show, but it's over. Better they air these for free than do a "Firefly"-style DVD.
Ping: actually, as you can see above now, it looks like my third book will be about LOST
we should meet in QNS. At my favorite bar. Because I can never go there enuff.
Also, G, we need to try L'Incontro, it's supposedly the best, and most expensive, italian joint in Astoria.
Astoria, and former Astoria, natives, feel free to weigh in on that one.
Well, crap, Blogger ate my comment. I linked to stuff on my blog, but I don't feel like typing all that again, so if you're interested in my comics and movie reviews, you can click the link to Warren Peace on Geoff's sidebar.
I also love Steampunk, and I'm considering doing a Klock-style issue-by-issue look at the series. Maybe someday. I've also considered doing this for Morrison's JLA. I imagine I'll get to it in a year or so.
Ping, those are some freaky sketches, especially the pornographic one of your wife. They're pretty cool.
Ping: I remember loving Bisley in the early 90s, with the Lobo and the great Doom Patrol stuff; I think that's why I love Doug Mahnke so much - he's like Bisley but scaled WAAAY down.
Matt: A tip: I had problems with Blogger losing my posts, too. Now, before I submit it, I highlight it and click "Copy". If I lose it, then I just use Ctrl + v to repaste it. And for longer posts, like to my blog, I write them in Word, then cut and paste. Nothing fancy, but much less frustrating.
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