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A review of Disney's A Christmas Carol requires something Christmas-y. Since I pretty much used up every Chirstmas-themed fractal I created in older posts I decided to make a new image: therefor I give you Christmas Wreath '09 (since there was already another image with that title). Enjoy it as you read the review.-A Christmas Carol was written by Charles Dickens way back in 1841 but it has stood the test of time and been re-made time and time again since the author first did readings in Victorian England and America. It has been remade for the big and small screen at least a dozen times (and that doesn't count movies "based" on the story like Scrooged). As a matter of fact Disney has gone to this particular well at least once previously (with Mickey's Christmas Carol in 1983). That version was "hand drawn" animation but their latest entry has gone The Polar Express route with computer animation.-The good news is that this Christmas Carol looks MUCH BETTER than The Polar Express: the bad news--the process still isn't perfect (especially with secondary characters). Still, the film has a look that is nothing short of fantastic that should be seen on the big screen (the bigger the better in fact!) A lot of the shots are literally breathtaking (and could never be done live). When the animators take time, the Characters don't look like animated wax dolls, Sadly, only the leads get this treatment--secondary characters still look like video-game avatars (albeit good ones). -I won't bother to review the plot for you here: unless you've been living under a rock you know the story... This Christmas Carol has all the scene (including a bit that has never made it into any other filmed or televised version of the story) and much of the dialog is transferred word-for-word from the original. (In my book that's definitely a good thing--and speaks well to the power and relevance of the original work>) -Frankly I was less than impressed when I heard that Jim Carry would be providing several voices for the film (Scrooge at all ages and all three Ghosts) because he is notorious for taking things way, Way, WAY over the top. Here he keeps his performance low-key (for the most part) delivering Scrooge's lines completely straight and without a hint of smirk. OF course there is some physical comedy: it wouldn't be a Jim Carry movie without that (and it works in the context of the story and medium). Gary Oldman (Bob Cratchitt), Bob Hoskins (Fezzywig), Colin Firth (Fred) and Robin Wright-Penn (Fran) also lend their voices in small roles as does Cary Elwes.-
If I had any complaint regarding this Christmas Carol it would be the needless insertion of "action" sequences (no doubt stuck in the "pump up the volume" even as it dumbs down the story). Yes, it was cute to see the flyovers of London (at least the first time) but by the third it got a bit "ho-hum". Yet their was an extended sequence where a shrunken Scrooge flees (what I called) the Coach Devour that so completely DID NOT belong in the story that it completely pulled my head out of the movie. (Robyn liked that part better than me.)-So in conclusion: is this a worth effort? Yes! Is it a Christmas Carol for the ages? No. This is hardly a perfect effort but the movie has a lot going for it--and it could well become part of family Christmas traditions for years to come. Everyone, but the smallest children (at least those who are easily frightened) would enjoy seeing it.-FINAL GRADE: B+
A comment on a series about space aliens requires something with a star theme I think. "V" is about aliens coming to Earth so Starshower seemed like an appropriate image for this commentary.-Anyone who reads this blog knows I'm an unabashed Science Fiction fan (not quite to capital-letter Fandom but close). I want Science Fiction to succeed on the big screen: more than that I want good S.F. to succeed. That's why I was so uncertain when I found out that somebody had the idea to resurrect the "classic" series "V" and bring it back to television.-"V" began life nearly a generation ago as a pair of big-budget miniseries and later became a TV series. After a year the franchise came to an ignominious end--crushed under the weight of production expense and the sheer cheese on screen. Still, the show was loaded with eighties hotties so tasty you could eat them with a spoon (and whatever happened to Jane Badler and Marc Singer anyway?) and pretty darn good FX (at least for TV at that time). With the success of Battlestar Galactica on the Sci Fi Channel (now SyFy) decided to bring back another classic.-The basic premise hasn't changed: "friendly" aliens from a distant planet show up on Earth and make nice. The visitors are welcomed with open arms but the alien visitors have sinister intentions. (In the original series the Visitors were using Earth as a gigantic cattle ranch.) Most (if not all) of the old characters have been jettisoned or re-imagined to the point that I didn't recognize them. The FX are top notch and the show is both well written and acted, I found the many intertwining story arcs and characters to be interesting.-I wanted to like the show--and I was captured while I was watching it--but then the show ended and it came completely unraveled (for me at least: the TV viewing public game "V" super high ratings). A program like this requires verisimilitude (which is to say it has a sense of truth. The viewer has to have a sense of "yeah, that could happen": they must willing suspend their disbelief. As for me--I could never quite manage that no matter how hard I tried.-My big complaint is this: why could a group of aliens who have the ability to safely travel interstellar distances (which would require impressive technology even for "generation" ships) NEED to use subterfuge to conquer humanity? And--while I'm on the subject of wondering things--why do the aliens use Earth-type guns with bullets? (Surely they'd have something more advanced...) Why was it that an entire FLEET of truly gigantic spaceships escape ANY kind of detection as they approached Earth? Was there some sort of reaction by government bodies? (Honestly, I can't see Military types all over the globe simply letting these things drop in without some sort of challenge...) I can swallow (or at least ignore) a lot of things (remember verisimilitude?) but these things simply bug me beyond all reason! -Will these questions be addressed in the context of the series? I don't know: I hope so. Still, I'll keep watching the show--for a while at least. And I'll keep hoping for the best even as I fear the worst...-'nuff said.
I chose Overflight as today's fractal because it reminds me of a balloon in the air. You'll have to read the post to see why that is important.-Recently I've discovered I'm becoming more concerned about my own mortality. I realize that my life will end in a (relatively) short time so I need to start getting to the business of what I want to do before I finally "kick the bucket". I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to see Spamalot (which I did) so now--here is the rest of my list (which may or may not change).-O1) SEE A BROADWAY SHOW ON BROADWAY: there's nothing like the experience of seeing a Broadway-style musical on the Great White Way (or so I've been told). It doesn't really matter what I see as long as I see SOMETHING. The list is in no particular order.-And while I'm on the subject of Broadway here's something else I'd like to do that's related... 02) SEE MAMA MIA: I've been wanting to see this show for YEARS but circumstances have always conspired against me. (Either I had no money when the show came to town or I was out of town when a company came close to me.) I liked the movie (in spite of Pierce Brosnan's vocal stylings) but it just ain't the same as seeing the show on stage.-03) TAKE AN ALASKA CRUISE: I've always found cruising to be a great way to travel and I think a cruise to Alaska woudl be a great way to see the state.-04) SEE FALL FOLIAGE IN NEW ENGLAND: I've always been entranced by the rolling hills of New England covered in red, orange and gold. I'd really like to see that for myself.-05) VISIT NEW ZEALAND: the photos look spectacular and my half-Niece Audrey lives there. There's nothing like a resident to give you an insider's tour. Her husband sounds like a pretty awesome dude and I'd like to meet him at some point.-06) TAKE A HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE: just something I think would be cool to do--and since we live near Temecula (which has a lot of hot-air balloon companies) I actually have a pretty good chance of making this happen sooner rather than later.-07) VISIT A CORN MAZE: it's just dumb but I want to do it. Dunno why.-08) SKYDIVE: I've always wanted to do it since I was a kid. Of course I'd probably chicken out if/when I got the opportunity but I still want to do it.-09) SEE BRYCE, ZION and MONUMENT VALLEY: because they are so beautiful.-10) SWIM WITH DOLPHINS: what more needs be said?-11) GET MY NOVEL PUBLISHED: OK, first I have to write one but still...-12) VISIT IRELAND: I'm a self-confessed "transnational". I may have been born half-French but deep down in my heart I've always been an Irishman. Yes, I'm coming out of the ethnic closet and saying loud and proud--I'm Galic! That's why I need to visit the "auld sod" once before I die.-13) ADOPT A MASTIFF: not that Robyn would ever let me do that but it's on the list.-14) TAKE A TRAIN THROUGH THE CANADIAN ROCKIES because I like trains and it would be a beautiful trip. And while I'm on the subject of trains... 15) RIDE THE SILVERTON-DURANGO RAILROAD at least one way--probably only one way.)-15) RECORD AN ALBUM. If I'm going to do this I really need to get to it before my voice deteriorates any further.-16) RE-CONSTRUCT ALL THE "URBAN-ASSAULT CAROLS" I WROTE: maybe these parodies weren't all that good but I enjoyed writing them--and folks seem to enjoy them. Somehow they got lost and I need to find/re-write them.-17) LEARN TO BALLROOM DANCE: I love to dance but I suck at it. Besudes, it's great exercise! All I really need to do is persuade Robyn to do it with me.-18) SEE MARY-CHAPIN CARPENTER IN CONCERT: dunno why I love her so much but I do. I think seeing her live--especially in a small venue--would be really cool.-19) SEE THE ROSE PARADE IN PERSON: I can't remember a year when I haven't NOT watched the Tournament of Roses Parade from start to finish. Just once I'd like to see the event live and in person.-20) BE SHOT BY A JEALOUS HUSBAND ON MY 100th BIRTHDAY. What better way is there to shuffle off this mortal coil?--nuff said.
I chose Medal as today's fractal mainly because Spamalot has now taken the prize as my favorite musical. Besides--I really couldn't think of a better fractal for this review and I had no idea what to make for a new image.-Seeing Spamalot live on stage was one of the first items on my personal "Bucket List": I would have loved to see the show on Broadway and I was scheming to make a trip to Las Vegas when it took over from Avenue Q in Las Vegas at The Wynn Resort. That never quite happened but the inclusion of this year's Broadway Season at the Orange County Performing Arts Centre was the main reason we bought season tickets this year. On Saturday October 17 we finally got to see the show.-Spamalot is basically a re-telling of Monty Python and the Holy Grail--a low budget comedy movie that was made back in the early 1970s. It's a comedic retelling of the legend of King Arthur filtered through a peculiarly "Pythonesque" lens. All the humor fans loved is still here--along with a whole range of production numbers that bloom literally out of nowhere. (It IS a send-up of Broadway as well as the Arthurian legend after all.) All the scenes you loved from the movie are here--the French Taunters, the Vorpal Bunny and the Black Knight all turn up. So too does the music from the movie--Always Look On The Bright Side of Life and Brave Sir Robin.-With the exception of King Arthur (played to pompus perfection by John O'Hurley) and the Lady Of The Lake all the Actors play multiple roles. With the exception of O'Hurley they are all "no names"--or at the very least names I don't recognize. Still, they manage to make that "Python" convention work for them: they keep the pace lively so you never quite get a chance to fixate on the show's weak points. (More on that later.)-The Broadway Musical gets the Python treatment as well: huge production numbers pop out of literally nowhere (but at least that gives them an excuse to get a collection of scantily-clad chorus girls on stage.) The Song That Goes Like This exposes the structure of the "big" ballad that has anchored virtually every Broadway Musical since 1980 (and even manages to take a few shots at Andrew Lloyd Webber). In the end the "Fourth Wall" is gleefully shattered as the cast realizes they are IN a Broadway Play and a big, gushy "Broadway Wedding" finishes off the show.-There are a few spots that expose this as a "touring" production. Effects that were HUGE on the New York stage come off as small and a little cheap--but maybe that was an homage to the original material. (After all, the "Pythoners" only had a shoestring budget to work with.) Still, these moments are few and far between so you can forgive the show that. I also could have done with the cast waiting for the audience to finish laughing before they went on with their lines--but if they had the show probably would have run for an extra hour.-Spamalot is a must see for fans of Python and Broadway both. Yes, it's just a whipped-up confection of nothing but it's just FUN and a wonderful theatrical divertisment. GO SEE IT!!!-FINAL GRADE: A
I chose In The Garden as today's fractal image because I saw a movie "in the garden." (Actually, it wasn't really a "garden" but read on and you'll see the connection.)-I've been hearing about "Victoria Gardens" since we moved to the I.E. but never gotten a chance to visit. Turns out the place is something of an upscale shopping center (at least by Riverside/San Bernadino standards). The colors are Tuscan-inspired (like most shopping centers these days) and the buildings have that textured contemporary style you see all over these days. The designers decided to do something different in their plan though--they put one-lane streets through the shops and lining them with parallel-parking spaces (to give the feeling of an old-style "Main Street." IMHO, this is a decidedly mixed blessing: parking close to your location (assuming you are lucky enough to find a space) costs and there are police patrolling the area looking for expired meters. Then you have the problem of pedestrians who simply don't pay attention to the cars--and that can lead to trouble.-We had a bit of a heart-stopping experience while we were trying to find some place to park. A young lady was busily texting away--looking neither left or right and not taking her eyes off her Blackberry (or whatever she was using) stepped out in front of us and we nearly ran her over. Luckily we were a bit lost so Robyn was creeping along so we were able to slam on the brakes and avoid an accident. (I don't even think this chica realized hwo close she came to being run over. Still, it threw a bit of cold water on our enthusiasm and we ended up not wanting to explore as much as we had intended.-Luckily, the AMC Theater was fairly cose to where we parked (and good signage helped direct us there quickly and efficiently). Couples Retreat was starting in about half an hour so we decided to see that. The plot is pretty predictable: four couples travel to paradise to "work on their relationships" which end up worse than when they arrived until things magically work themselves out and everyone ends up happily-ever-after. Vince Vaughn (one of the writers) plays video-game salesman Dave as a rehash of his character from Four Christmases (a snarky, self-involved schlub with an impossibly-hot wife). Jon Favreau is happily cheating on his wife (who is happily cheating on him). Jason Bateman is Jason--a control freak who is so uptight he creates "Power Point" presentations for everything. Faizon Love plays recently-divorced Shane (and how many fat black men do you know named Shane?) is still trying to get over his wife while hooking up with 20 year-old hottie Trudy. (And again, how many 20 year-old black girls do you know who are named Trudy?)-The movie starts slowly (so much so I fell asleep) and none of the characters are either original or all that likeable. The plot was completely contrived and there was nothing unexpected anywhere in the film: still, good charactes and lively acting can overcome the lamest plots--and they almost make it here. Still, once the movie got to Bora Bora the action picked up (and the scenery was nothing short of spectacular). Yes, there were a lot of laughs but I felt I was laughing AT characters rather than WITH them. There were some funny secondary characters who have good bits during the movie but they don't make a lot of impact.-In the end, I kinda liked the movie. Robyn liked the movie but didn't love it. Still, the audince (most twenty-to thirty-somethings) really seemed to enjoy it. If you are a fan of Vince Vaughn you should definitely run out to see Couples Retreat or you just have a pleasant afternoon to waste it's worth the price of a matinee ticket. Leave the kids at home because the language is raw and the situations might be a bit raw for youngsters.-FINAL GRADE: B-
Today's post begins with a new fractal image called Ancient Artifact. I chose it mainly because it reprents something old--dare I even say classic. This image was one of the first I created with the reinstalled Mind Boggling Fractals program which breathed new life into my creating fractals. Maybe the post will help breathe some new life into classic literature.-Saturday morning Robyn and I were on our weekly shopping trip to Costco. We'd also decided to get our flu shots there that day (since they are less than anywhere else we could go). But we got to the store early (so we could find parking) and the flu shots didn't start for a while so we had time to kill. Being bibliophiles we both drifted over to the book section to see what was there. (Usually we don't find much since the store tends not to stock the type of material we're interested in reading but sometimes we unearth a gem.) This time we ran across a title called Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.-Those of you with at least a nodding acquaintance with English Literature know that Pride and Prejudice was one of the classic "Regency Romances" by Jane Austen. Once upon a time you couldn't have escaped a high-school lit. class without reading at least ONE Austen novel (or at least the Cliff Notes thereof). Now she, and her compatriots have rather fallen out of favor with everyone but a few young leadies of a certain temperment and Miramax Films. Still, these lush, potboilers were once considered high art and I think we may have lots something now that Jane and her cohorts have fallen out of fashion.-Seth Grahame-Smith, author of such dubious classics as How To Survive A Horror Movie and The Spider-Man Handbook came up with an ingenius way to update Pride And Prejudice--by adding zombies! I mean--really people--what musty old classic WOULDN'T be improved by a judicious addition of those loveable shuffling, undead brain-eaters? I can think of one--with the possible exception of Goodnight Moon (which is plenty creepy enough in its own right.) He also kicked up War Of The Worlds (by H.G. Wells) by adding "blood guts and zombies" there too--but for some reason thought "Sea Monsters" would be a better fit for Sense And Sensibility.-Personally, I think Seth is on to something here--or maybe just ON something. (Since I've never met the guy I can't make a value judgement.) Mister Grahame-Smith may have unwittingly created a literary cottage industry for himself by reinvigorating the classics. Of course zombies--lovable as they are--could grow stale afte a while. Why not go a bit further afield? On the off chance the author might really be "on something" I have thoughtfull provided a few suggestions for further novels. (Of course, proper remuneration should be forthcoming--but that's only a formality.) Without further ado--I submit these possibilities...-TOM SAWYER VAMPIRE HUNTER: there's no reason why Mark Twain's loveable scamp SHOULDN'T encounter Vampires in Hanibal Missouri. After all--they seem to be everywhere else...-HUCKLEBERRY FINN: THE ALIEN ABDUCTION TAPES: OK the anal probling might be a bit much for a few readers--but a few readers would really like it.-A TALE OF TWO CITIES AND NUCLEAR TERRORISM: yes, it walks away from "creatures of the night" but a good "nuclear attack" story can be a nice potboiler-TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD AND A ZOMBIE: really--what else do you need to say?-THE OLD MAN AND THE SEAMOSTER: that one is just obvious.-THE HOUSE OF SEVEN VAMPIRES: lets face it--Nathaniel Hawtorne needs all the hel[p he can get! Adding some ghouls or a zombie infestation to THE SCARLET LETTER wouldn't hurt either. (Anything but that ridiculous Demi Moore update!)-Why limit the idea to classic literature? Why not expand the idea to classic theater. Here are a few suggestions...-ROMEO AND JULIET: THE NIGHTSIDE CHRONICLES. Vampire Romeo falls in love with beautiful werewolf Juliet in this truly star-crossed romance. Likewise HAMLET would be vastly improved by having the dead characters "rise" and ravage the audience in traditional zombie fashion.-Since I'm mining Shakespeare why not reimagine a modern classic into ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE ZOMBIES? You KNOW that would totally work on ANY stage!!!-Last but not last Disney has taken over Broadway--why not add a little zombie mayhem to MARY POPPINS or a sea monster attack in THE LITTLE MERMAID? Or how 'bout if TARZAN had been raised by a tribe of vampires? That would be truly cool!-Any or all of these would make WONDERFUL additions to classics of drama and literature. Think about it.-'nuff said.
I chose Spinz 9 as the image for today's rant for several reasons. Like my story, it is long and convoluted and the color and shape suggest an orange. You'll find out why that's important in the next paragraph.-In the current economic climate you would think businesses and institutions would want to be raising their customer service standards rather than lowering them. Such doesn't seem to be the case with the Orange County Performing Arts Center, at least if you go by the experience we just had...-Earlier this year we got a flyer from the PAC touting the new Broadway Series. Since the package included Spamalot, Dream Girls and Young Frankenstein it was a foregone conclusion that we'd be buying. (They're also doing In The Heights, Xanadu and Spring Awakening but we don't care about those so much--and none of this information is relevant to the story anyway.) We ordered our tickets on Monday September 7. Then began the wait for our tickets...-Since the cash was withdrawn from our account with such alacrity we thought surely our tickets would arrive in a timely fashion. One week passed--no tickets. Two weeks passed--still no tickets. Three weeks passed (with the show being two weeks away) and the tickets STILL hadn't arrived so we decided we needed to call the PAC to find out what was up. I was a bit surprised to find they didn't have an 800 Number to call but since their primary customers are local I could sort of accept it. Still, we called and promptly reached "Voice Mail Hell". None of the choices they offered us related to our problem and there didn't seem to be a way to connect to a live operator. Not really having a choice we made a random choice and hoped for the best. It took HALF AN HOUR for someone in the Box Office to pick up.-Our Customer Service Agent Marquell (sp?) was nice enough and was willing to help out. Still, she couldn't tell us if, when, or where our tickets had been sent (although she WAS able to tell us we that our tickets had been paid for). She asked for a confirmation number (which I gave) but never asked for my name and address: I found this particularly surprising since I am clear NOT Robyn. She assured us that the tickets would be printed and sent out promptly. She then went on to tell us that should the tickets NOT arrive by October 16th we'd have call back YET AGAIN and they would have a set of tickets waiting for us at "Will Call."-Needless to say I found this less than 100% satisfactory: they didn't offer us a special number to call so should we have to phone them YET AGAIN I'll have to go through "Voice Mail Hell" a second time! I don't know if you've ever picked up tickets at "Will Call" but it's not fun: there's only one window and lines can get long. Also, for us at least, "Will Call" isn't convenient to our seats so we'll be fighting crowds to get to our seats. The PAC made no offer to call US back to make sure the problem was resolved (which makes me wonder whether the Center has so many ticketing errors that they CAN'T stay on top of the problem. Still, I suppose I should be grateful it wasn't any more difficult.-The Ahmundsen in Los Angeles and the Lyceum in San Diego both offer the same series and it really isn't that much further for us to drive, The experience left a bad taste in our mouths and we'll be thinking long and hard whether we want to buy the next series. We can only hope customer service improves...-'nuff said.
A review of Disney's A Christmas Carol requires something Christmas-y. Since I pretty much used up every Chirstmas-themed fractal I created in older posts I decided to make a new image: therefor I give you Christmas Wreath '09 (since there was already another image with that title). Enjoy it as you read the review.
