Thursday, January 03, 2008

Free Form Comments

Say whatever you want to in the comments to this post -- random, off topic thoughts, ideas, suggestions, questions, recommendations, criticisms (which can be anonymous), surveys, introductions if you have never commented before, personal news, self-promotion, requests to be added to the blog roll and so on. If a week goes by and I have failed to add you to the blog roll TELL ME TO DO IT AGAIN, and KEEP TELLING ME UNTIL IT GETS DONE. I can be lazy about updating the non-post parts of this site. Remember these comments can be directed at all the readers, not just me.

ALSO. You can use this space to re-ask me questions you asked me before that I failed to answer because I was too busy (but now might not be). That is often the reason I fail to get back to people, and on a blog, after a few days, the comments thread dies and I just kind of forget about it. Let's use this space to fix that, because it does need to be fixed; I look like a jackass sometimes, leaving people hanging. I will TRY to respond to any questions here.

AND you can use this space to comment on posts that are old enough that no one is reading the comments threads anymore. For example, if you thought of a great quote for the great quote commonplace book, but now no one is reading that, you could put it here.You do not have to have a blogger account or gmail account to post a comment -- you can write a comment, write your name at the bottom of your comment like an e mail, and then post using the "anonymous" option.

WRITING FOR THIS BLOG. If you think your free form comment here might be better as its own post, but you do not want it to be public yet, email it to me. My email address is available on my blogger profile page. If I think it will work on this site, your post will be published here with your name in the title of the post. You can propose what you will, I am always looking for reviews of games, tv, movies, music and books.

18 comments:

Scene -- said...

hey everyone, i'd like to plug my new-ish blog over at http://scene-guy.blogspot.com. recent posts include a defense of Juno, an endorsement of James Marsden, and an interview with Greg Pak. Drop by!

geoff, i name-checked you in my post about Marsden, as you were a sizable influence on it. hope that's alright..

Streeborama said...

I just wanted to mention that I Byrne-stole a bit of the Serenity Found book at the local book store. I wanted to give Geoff props for giving Matt Fraction and Casanova a shout out in his chapter.

Geoff Klock said...

toothpick -- looks good

Streebo -- I am a little crazy for that comic, yeah.

Patrick Sanders said...

Doc Klock:

Ever plan on blogging on the Venture Brothers? I'm just starting to get into the series.

Scene -- said...

i keep reading/hearing great things about Sweeny Todd...but I'm wary because I haven't liked anything by Burton in a long time.

What say you guys?

Streeborama said...

I keep hearing great things about Sweeney Todd as well. I'm going to check it out as soon as I get the chance.

Hey Geoff - I need some recommendations on RZA/Wu Tang.

Thanks.

Geoff Klock said...

For me, if you are going to have only one, its LIQUID SWORDS. Enter the Wu-Tang is great, and if you want a good movie soundtrack Ghost Dog is pretty fun.

Chad Nevett said...

Eagle: Try checking out Todd Alcott's blog as he's written on (nearly) every episode of The Venture Bros. and does a fantastic job. Just search the archives a bit. (Plus, his usual posts are awesome, too.)

Anonymous said...

I feel like -- because of the persona I have cultivated on this blog -- I am compelled to mention in this space that the greatest of all the "Alien/Predator" material out there is "Alien/Predator: Deadliest of the Species," a 12-issue maxiseries written by ... Chris Claremont.

(It has apparently been reprinted in Dark Horse's "Alien vs Predator Omnibus" Vol. 2.)

It is crazy, and the plot doesn't really hold up to close scrutiny, but it still RULES. And it involves a Predator/Alien hybrid, too. (Is that really a plot point of the new film? I wonder if it was taken from Claremont?)

Kyle Hadley said...

There were a few things in Sweeney that bugged me to the point of overshadowing what I liked about it, but the performances are all very good and Burton's London is quite breathtaking, in my opinion.

Geoff Klock said...

Jason -- Power Man and Iron Fist essential came out today, but I did not get it because I want it in color. Was that a mistake?

Anonymous said...

"Was that a mistake?"
*** I don't think so. Even if you are willing to settle for black and white (which I was), you'd want "Essential Iron Fist." That's got the classic Claremont/Byrne Iron Fist material.

"Essential Power Man and Iron Fist" picks up where that left off, after Byrne and Claremont (I think) had both moved on. I can't speak to where the quality goes after that, 'cause I haven't read it.

But the stuff in "Essential Iron Fist" surprised me with its goodness. It is not my favorite Claremont work, but it's got some fun twists. It kind of reminded me of shows like "Alias," where every new installment was revealing some new twist related to characters' pasts. It's definitely fun, in its own goofy, kung-fu way.

Anonymous said...

I wasn't aware Juno needed defending. Wonderful film and Ellen Page is awesome in it. I am worried about this coupled with Jamie Lynn Spears and Engaged and Underaged somehow romanticizing teen pregnancy though.

Anonymous said...

Toothpick: Read your defense of Juno- I agree. You totally summed up the films greatness and where its heart truly lies.

Scene -- said...

scott: thanks for dropping by and for your comments. you're right, juno's one of the higher rated films of the year and didn't really need defending -- but a lot of my friends didn't seem to enjoy it, hence the post. hope you continue to visit.

Streeborama said...

RE: Essential Power Man and Iron Fist.

I picked up the first Essential Iron Fist book because of the classic Byrne/Clarmont stories of the Iron Fist run. My favorite Iron Fist or PM&IF stories were always the ones steeped in the Kun Lun mythos. Those mythos were a prominent feature of the early Iron Fist run but they were seriously undervalued during the bulk of Power Man and Iron Fist. Most of the PM&IF run seemed like it was trying to be a hip version of Daredevil or Spiderman. Most of the stories revolved around an ever changing cast from the Villain of the Month club. Most of them were forgettable - but whenever El Aguila or the Daughters of the Dragon were around - things were always interesting. There were a few stories that popped up from time to time that focused on the Kun Lun mythos. Issues 74 and 75 featured a return the Kun Lun and Iron Fist fights a ninja - so what's not to love? The art by Kerry Gammil is the best of the series. His clean pencilwork handled the action well with powerful, yet graceful, dynamic figures. His art was not unlike a more conservative version of Neal Adams. Gammill worked well for the series - but he was all too frequently replaced by lesser guest artists.

I think Ann Nocenti was the writer for several years - but then Kurt Busiek wrote a few stories as well. The villains were usually street level and kinda boring. Sabertooth pops up as a recurring villain along with the Constrictor a few times - but otherwise a guy called Chemistro was the highlight. The next big Kun Lun story came around issue 99 and 100. The artist was Luke McDonnell - I believe - and his figures were big - but very stiff in comparison with Byrne and Gammill.

The Kun Lun elements disappeared from the series for the next year - but they returned in full force during the final year of the original series. These Kun Lun stories from issues 119 ( I think) to 124 expanded on the Kun Lun mythos. It all revolved around Iron Fist growing weaker, becoming evil, and fighting the Shou Lung (sp) dragon. The art here is the best since Gammill with Mark Bright who was coming unto his own here. Bright was a good example of the 80's era Marvel penciler. His work handled the dynamic action of the Marvel characters without making them too bulky or stiff. His line detail was usually somewhere in between prime John Byrne on Fantastic Four and later John Byrne on Doom Patrol. Bright would go on to draw the classic silver and red armored Iron Man. His run continued all the way through the Armor Wars and ended with Iron Man's next suit of armor a good thirty or so issues later.

Geoff:: I think you were right in waiting on this one. You can probably pick up the best single issues of Power Man and Iron Fist out of the back issue boxes.

Christian O. said...

Hey, quick question, House of 1000 Corpses is a joke, right? I mean, it's suppose to be funny, right? Because I honestly can't see it as a thriller.

Streeborama said...

Christian - Yes, House of 100 Corpses is a wacky 10-in-1 sideshow of rural American horror. It is a joke - albeit a disturbing one. My last girlfriend was totally creeped out by HO1C. I think it had something to do with the bunny suits at the end.