Elsewhere on the Internets: Cownt Tales Review

Here's what else I've been up to online lately:

What Looks Good for August



Last week's Gorillas Riding Dinosaurs was a look at cool adventure comics coming out in August. There's a lot of great stuff, but what I'm most looking forward to is Fantagraphics' English translation of The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec. Though one of the commenters has read it and lowers my expectations somewhat, I'm still very curious to read the source material behind the upcoming film. (Also in the comments, Kurt Busiek talks about his experience with the toys that inspired Moonstone's clunky-robot series Zeroids).

After the break: some quick reviews, the Teen Titans vs Ebenezer Scrooge Scrounge, and is Cownt Tales a Comic Worth Reading?

Oh, look! New Blogger templates!

I'm going to try this one out for a while. I love the map and it better fits the color scheme of my banner.

TV News: Camelot and Rubicon

Camelot



Starz is working on a King Arthur series starring Jamie Campbell Bower (RocknRolla, New Moon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) as Arthur, Tamsin Egerton (St. Trinians, and who incidentally played the young version of Morgan le Fay in The Mists of Avalon) as Guinevere, Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love, FlashForward) as Merlin, and Eva Green (Casino Royale) as Morgan le Fay. No word on Lancelot yet. [/Film]

Rubicon



I was trying to be excited by The Event because it's a conspiracy thriller starring Jason Ritter. I'm still going to give it a shot because of Jason Ritter, but the trailer for it made me a lot less excited about the story. And the above trailer for AMC's conspiracy thriller Rubicon looks so great that I'm even less interested in The Event now.

I haven't dug into AMC's Mad Men or Breaking Bad yet, but they're so well-talked-about that I have high expectations for the network's shot at a genre that I'm more into. [The Ausiello Files]

Pass the Comics: Well, You're a Big Jerk...

Where Prowls the Beast!



Golden Age Comic Book Stories ran a huge batch of Angelo Torres comics, including this Lost World-type one (about halfway down the page).

The Scarlet Letter
 


It gets even better, so hop over to Kate Beaton's site to finish the strip and read a couple of other literary* comics as well.

*Assuming that "literature" includes Hagar the Horrible.

Two Flash Gordon publishers

After I posted about Dynamite's adding Flash Gordon and Mandrake the Magician to their publishing roster, Ardden Entertainment left a comment announcing that they still also have the Flash Gordon license and are planning a new volume for the Fall. Here's the press release:

Ardden Entertainment LLC is excited to announce the launch of FLASH GORDON: INVASION OF THE RED SWORD for an Autumn 2011 release.

Coming off the heels of Ardden’s critically-acclaimed FLASH GORDON: THE MERCY WARS mini-series (called “good, old-fashioned fun, freshly polished” by Publishers Weekly), Ardden plans on continuing an expansion of the characters and situations created in the first story arc, which was directly inspired by Alex Raymond’s groundbreaking comic strips.

FLASH GORDON: INVASION OF THE RED SWORD chronicles the invasion of Mongo by a splinter group of the CIA, as first introduced in FLASH GORDON: THE MERCY WARS #1. The group’s name, “The Red Sword,” was first created by Alex Raymond.

“When preparing to write the first four six-issue arcs we have planned for FLASH GORDON,” says FLASH GORDON writer and Ardden Co-Publisher Brendan Deneen, “I re-read every single one of Alex Raymond’s original comic strips. There was a treasure trove of material in there, including an arc where Flash, Dale and Zarkov end up back on Earth. While there, they battle a mysterious group called ‘the Red Sword.’ I thought that was the perfect name for the invading force in our second arc.”

“Like everyone else,” Deneen added, “I’ve heard about Dynamite’s plans to launch their own FLASH GORDON series. I look forward to some healthy competition. I hope they’re ready, too.”

This sounds like the Phantom scenario all over again, so I'm curious to see this story develop.

Splice (2010)

My feelings about Splice changed a couple of times as I watched the movie, pretty much in conjunction with the act changes.

In Act One, a couple of scientists named Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) have created a new life form from the DNA of various animals. It’s able to produce chemicals that could revolutionize disease research, but unfortunately, they’re a bit too successful and the pharmaceutical company that’s funding them wants to move forward with synthesizing drugs rather than continuing to see what else the life form can produce. Fearing that they’re about to lose their only chance to continue their research, Elsa and Clive (mostly Elsa, but Clive’s complicit in his inability to say “no” to her) carry on in secret. They create another life form; this one containing human DNA in addition to the animal components. The experiment quickly grows beyond their ability to control it though.

As all of this is going on, I’m identifying mostly with Clive. Elsa’s taken control of the experiment and is the alpha personality in the romance between the two scientists, so Clive feels more out of control than she does. He’s the voice of reason and his constant message to her is that they need to stop this before it goes too far. Elsa ignores him however and forges on.

After the break: The modern Modern Prometheus and how it all falls apart.

Movie News: I'm Too Sexy for My Lines

I've been a bad blogger for the last couple of days, so I'm sorry about that. I'm under deadline for a story in which Western Bigfoot has to solve some grisly murders, so that's been distracting (in a good way).

Pirates of the Caribbean 4 ship and casting news



/Film has a couple of pictures of something that sure looks like it was made for Pirates of the Caribbean 4, as well as casting news about Jack Sparrow's sidekick for the film.

After the break: TCM goes Under the Sea, Cinematic Titanic goes to Tiki Island, and Christopher Nolan goes to MI6. Also, Thor and Muppets updates.

Lost: The End

I'm way late talking about this, so just some quick thoughts on the end of Lost.

I've held off buying the DVDs because I wanted to see how the show ended before deciding if I wanted to own the whole thing. I won't be buying the DVDs.

The SPOILER-filled why not, after the break.

Stagecoach (1986)

1986’s Stagecoach was a made-for-TV movie, but more importantly it was a gimmick movie. The gimmick being that it featured a bunch of Country music stars in its biggest roles. Willie Nelson (who was also a producer and performs the theme song) plays Doc (though not Boone, as we’ll get to in a minute), Waylon Jennings is Hatfield, Johnny Cash is Curly, and Kris Kristofferson is the Ringo Kid. They even have John Schneider who had a respectable, post-Dukes of Hazzard Country music career going around that time. He plays Buck, the stagecoach driver. Jessi Colter and June Carter Cash even have supporting roles and David Allan Coe plays one of the Plummer brothers. (Kirks’ son from Wrath of Khan has an important role as a cavalry officer, but he didn’t sing as far as I know.)

The movie’s set in Arizona again, so it’s nice to hear the characters talking about the familiar town names from the original: Tonto, Apache Wells, and Lordsburg. And of course Geronimo’s back. As I mentioned in the post on the ’66 version, the Indians finally get some consideration in ’86 other than just being the force of nature that propels the story forward. There’s some irony there though, because early on Buck talks about Geronimo as just that: a force of nature who is as much a part of the desert as cactus and tumbleweeds.

Geronimo and the other Indians still get no speaking lines. There’s not even an Indian wife for the trader at Apache Wells this time. But Willie’s character is a supporter of Geronimo’s right to fight for his home. He admires the Apaches for their courage and tenacity and wastes no opportunity to express that whenever the subject comes up. It comes off a bit preachy, but after having the issue ignored in the previous versions, I’d rather have it raised in a flawed manner than not raised at all. Perhaps we’re due for another remake in which Geronimo and his men are made full-fledged characters to further complicate the already multifaceted drama.

After the break: the drama doesn't stay multifaceted for long. SPOILERS abound.

Stagecoach (1966)

I didn’t expect much from the ‘60s version of Stagecoach. Not with Bing Crosby and Red Buttons in it, I didn’t. In fact, I half-expected it to be a musical comedy. But it sure rid me of that notion quickly. Like in the very first scene.

After a credits sequence that lets you know we’re in the Black Hills instead of the American Southwest, the story opens with an extremely violent Indian attack on a military camp. I forget exactly how the ’39 version handled this, but I do recall its taking a while before getting to Tonto and introducing the main characters. There was some set-up about Apache war parties, downed telegraph lines, and the US Cavalry’s response, but I don’t recall its being this bloody. In the ’66 version, the opening massacre is as graphic as anything I’ve seen from that time period with tomahawks sticking out of peoples heads and tons of red paint.

Since the locale has changed, the names of the towns have changed too. Tonto and Lordsburg have become Deadwood and Cheyenne respectively. And since this is no longer Apache territory, but Sioux, Geronimo has become Crazy Horse. I have mixed feelings about this, all born from the trip my family and I took to South Dakota and Wyoming last year.

After the break: More on the locale shift and lots of detail about other changes between the two versions, including plenty of SPOILERS.

My Favorite Song: Bridge Over Troubled Water

Let me begin by saying that my answer this week is totally bogus. If we were having an actual conversation about favorite songs, I'd tell you that I'm very happy not to have to pick a favorite. And then I'd spend as much time as you cared to talking about the wide variety of songs that we both liked and how different songs hit you just right at different times of your life or even just at different times of the day.

But, since I have to pick one, Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" will do nicely. It's been a favorite of mine for decades thanks to its stirring production and the simple encouragement of its lyrics. It's moving on a couple of levels. It makes me think about those who have my back, but also challenges me to have the backs of others. Fortunately, I don't often find myself in need of a friend like Paul Simon (who wrote the song) describes, but I do often wish that I could better be that friend.



When you're weary
Feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all

I'm on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can't be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

When you're down and out
When you're on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you

I'll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

Sail on, Silver Girl*
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way

See how they shine
If you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind

*Contrary to popular belief, "Silver Girl" isn't a reference to a heroine needle. It was Paul Simon's teasing nickname for his then-girlfriend (later his wife) who freaked out when she found some gray hairs.