Yes, as per the Newsarama item, I will be writing a one-shot “Spike” comic for IDW in August. Long time “Buffy” fans will appreciate the concept that Spike winds up squaring off against none other than Hallie the Vengeance Demon, who has a rather unique connection to Spike that was hinted at during season six of BtVS. This story will actually address that connection, shedding some interesting light on Spike’s origins.
PAD
Kath and I finally got a chance to see “Constantine” yesterday.
Now of course, the moment you move away from Constantine being British, you torpedo any chance of comics fans feeling like a comic book character has just stepped off the page onto the screen (as was the case that first moment when, for instance, you saw Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.) So it’s easy to say, Well, he may be a tortured individual with many of the trappings of John Constantine, but he ain’t Constantine. And that’s a fair enough criticism.
So basically we’re left with the question: Is it a good movie in and of itself? To that I would say definitely yes. The pacing is lethargic at times, but it’s that rare item: A special effects-heavy film that doesn’t make you feel like you’re drowning in special effects (like, say, “Van Helsing.”) This is accomplished through canny now-you-see-it, now you don’t stunts such as Gabriel’s wings being visible long enough to register and then vanishing.
Bits and pieces of various Hellblazer storylines are scattered throughout the story and yet, remarkably, it’s a pretty smooth combination.
Reeves does a good job, I thought, of Constantine’s angst over trying to bargain his way out of a dismal fate he’s brought on himself, and Tilda Swinton practically steals the film out from under him as Gabriel. (“You’re dying young because you’ve smoked thirty cigarettes a day since you were fifteen. And you’re going to hëll because of the life you took. Face it, John…you’re f*cked.”)
Bottom line, “Constantine” portrays an epic battle between heaven and hëll on a remarkably grounded and accessible level.
PAD
The success of “Fat Actress,” which debuted last Monday, depends entirely upon whether you like Kirstie Alley’s somewhat scene chewing acting style. In half hour doses, I do, which is why she’s perfect for sitcoms.
But what infuriataes me is that the National Eating Disorders Associations out of Seattle are bìŧçhìņg about the show in a way that questions whether they watched it at all.
At one point in the show, a supposed LA weight loss expert (played by John Travolta’s real life wife) gives the stunned Alley all manner of insane weight-loss suggestions, including eating a cigarette and binging and purging with a feather so as not to ruin her manicure. Alley reacts with incredulity at these suggestions (which you have a feeling there are women in LA who are actually doing it.) Later on she smokes a cigarette, tastes it and kind of goes “blaaah” and at another point stares at a feather, then shakes her head and puts the feather down.
But the NEDA is claiming she actually followed all the horrific advice she was given. Newsday even claimed she was shown sticking a feather down her throat to vomit when she clearly didn’t.
What next? I’m wondering if the NAACP is going to lodge a protest because a horny Alley goes on the prowl for a black lover since black men ostensibly, as the song goes, like women “with back,” prompting an annoyed black woman in a soul food restaurant to lament all these dámņëd white women prowling around for black men.
PAD
The previous thread on this topic seems to have gone hopelessly off the rails, so let’s try it again.
This is the thread for discussing developments in the “Funky Winkerbean” strip that parallel real life cases of a comics store owner/manager getting arrested for selling adult comics to an adult.
What’s interesting is that, within the context of the strip, the woman who alerted the police apparently had an ulterior motive…namely she wanted to torpedo the restaurant above the comic shop because she didn’t like that her daughter was going to have the wedding reception there.
If this sounds preposterous, let’s remember some stuff:
A real life comic book retailer wound up being arrested for selling adult comic books to adults because one woman felt that the store was charging too much for Pokemon cards and vowed revenge.
A real life second hand dealer of used comics was arrested after a complaint was filed against him by his ex-father-in-law (over an issue of “Elfquest,” of all things) because the dealer had custody of his son from the marriage and his ex-in-law wanted to get back at him.
You’d be amazed how often personal enmity or self-interest enters into these cases. Unfortunately, they often get left by the wayside once prosecutors get going on the “save the children!” angle.
PAD
As has been mentioned elsewhere, “Funky Winkerbean” is dealing with the hazards of selling comics in an increasingly reactionary world. Interested parties are invited to check out the beginning of the storyline here:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/funky.asp?date=20050303
Idiots are invited to suggest the strip is due entirely to me being alarmist.
PAD
Several people have written to me bringing my attention to a completely insane incident where a student in Kentucky has been thrown in a juvenile detention center for writing a short story in which zombies overrun a high school. More details can be found here…
http://www.lex18.com/global/story.asp?s=2989614&ClientType=Printable
What I keep thinking about was that when I was in seventh grade, I had an assignment to write a ghost story, and did a story where the ghost of a student exacts horrific revenge upon an obnoxious teacher. If I’m in seventh grade now and write that same story, next thing I know, I’m going to wind up talking to police and social workers.
PAD
Featuring the return of Sachs & Violens. Whad’ja think?
PAD
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