Florida, the Trippening Part Two: FUCK YOU

Here's my comment on the Delta Airlines FB page, without edit.

You've stolen a day of my vacation (PTO, which I can't get back), money from the person who was going to drive us, time from the already short visit between myself and my loved ones, and all the execs can say is "recovery has not been ideal and we apologize for that"? Try recovery has been nonexistant, and your loyal customers are the ones paying. I wasn't notified of this any earlier than a couple hours before my flight (for which I got up at 3:30am), and only then because my wonderful husband McKinley checked the times. At least we're not trapped at the airport. Just in our home since we gave our car keys to a friend for the week.

If  cant tell, Delta pushed our flight back by a day due to the massive shitstorm in their Atlanta hub. Bahamute found out about this at 3am Saturday, when we had to get up for our 6am flight. It's now set for Sunday 4/9 at noon. Assuming that isn't cancelled too.

I used PTO today, and I'm not even going to be able to leave the goddamn house. Everyone always said Delta was shit, but my past trips have been great. Guess I was wrong.

Ignore the animations, its the only version I could find.

Now, to wait until a decent hour so we can disappoint Bahamute's father with the news.

Fuck you, Delta.

Florida, the Trippening Part One: Prep

My annual family trip to Florida to see my father-in-law and other Florida family is about to take off.

Hope that pun wasn't too...PLANE for you! Hahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Yes, in just a few short days I'll be flying down for fun in the sun with family and friends. You may remember a  previous trip, where I visited a zoo, collected shells, and had an awesome time.

I'm excited to write about it, but at the same time my blogs may be a bit sparser, because I'm going to be having a lot of fun. It'll also be a nice break from the ceaseless pop culture blogs of late.

I'm so excited to be somewhere warm with people I love. If something crazy happens in the world of popular culture I'm sure I'll make time for it. But recently we've already had a new movie with Harley Quinn, the return of Zim, the IT trailer dropping, Wreck-It Ralph's sequel title, and Rick and Morty's surprise premier. What more can possibly happen?

Maybe the announcement of another season? At this point, anything is possible!

ZIIIIIIIM!

Invader Zim is returning with a new TV movie!

 Now, if you weren't a kid/teen/adult who watched Nickelodeon in the early two thousands, let me explain; Invader Zim was a short-lived, but very popular show about an alien named Zim trying to take over earth for his overlords. This is complicated by a neighbor boy Dib, who knows what Zim is, but can't get anyone to believe him due to his constant Mulder-esq spouting of conspiracy theories. Also, by GIR, Zim's insane robot assistant. Also, Zim is a bit of an idiot.

Like many of my pop-culture obsessions, I happened across Invader Zim long after it was popular/cancelled. I didn't have cable when it was on (still don't) but thanks to Netflix, DVD, and piracy, I too can enjoy the adventures of Evil Alpha 5/AKA Daggett Beaver/AKA Orthopox 13.

He's a cool dude.

 I love that studios are starting to bring back things we love, realizing there IS a market and we will watch them. Sure, that means you get a few Fuller Houses in the bunch, but I'll take it for more Invader Zim.

Also, because I can't resist, have some memorable show moments/memes:

Batman & Harley Quinn: Voices, quotes, and plots, oh my!

Kevin Conroy, aka The Best Batman tweeted an important announcement last night:

So, we finally know who will be voicing Harley in the now titled "Batman and Harley Quinn" movie.  The...who is this chick?

Oh, Bernadette from The Big Bang Theory. That's where I know Melissa  Rauch from! I like her on that well enough.

Rauch had this to say about her role: "I love that Harley is a badass and, beyond that, that she uses her humor as another weapon in her arsenal. She knows just how to diffuse a situation with her humor, and how to incite a situation with her sarcasm. It's a dream role."

Okay, good start. But will this Harley sound just like Bernadette? Apparently not: "I knew Harley had a higher pitched tone, and a bit of a New York accent — and I come from a New Jersey family where everyone could be former gun molls. So I wanted to give a nod to my background without being as shrill. In all honesty, I used to speak exactly like that — my acting school professors really worked the accent out of me. So it was fun to find those tones and accent again."

Hey, not too shabby! Apparently this film will center on Harley, Batman, and Nightwing (played by Loren Lester from the classic DCAU) fighting Poison Ivy (played by Paget Brewster) and Jason Woodrue, aka Plant Master, aka Floronic Man.

I know Woodrue from Swamp Thing, where he doesn't get along with the titular character.

At least he didn't wind up in hell, like the last guy who crossed ol' Swampy.

This is not the weirdest team up, plant villain and plant villain. They've even worked together in a terrible anti-pot comic.

See Linkara for a more in-depth analysis.

I'm more interested in the dynamic between Harley and Ivy, who have ranged from bitter enemies, to close friends, to straight-up lovers. Whatever is causing her to work with Bats is gonna be interesting at least.

Not that they haven't collaborated before.

I'll post more when I get it, but this a good start.

Seven Binging Sins

I'm watching another anime. It's about the seven deadly sins.

No, not that one. Not that one either. Wow, that's a fertile well.
(image from here)

It's Netflix's Seven Deadly Sins!

Yes, I know that's not seven. And those aren't all sins. It's complicated.

The Devil is a Part Timer had a similar sense of playfulness, but was even lighter in tone than this. It's nice to watch a fun series about holy wars, perverts, and people getting the crap kicked out of them that can get dark too.

It's not as non-consensual as it looks!

There are  28 episodes so far, and I'm only on episode 12, so I'm trying just as hard to avoid spoilers for you as for me. But the basic idea is that the girl getting groped is a princess trying to find an order of banished Knights known as the Seven Deadly Sins, who are in hiding for murder, treason, etc. The princess is trying to save her family/kingdom from the Holy Knights who are really screwing things up by being general assholes. Pretty standard for anime, or even a basic hero's quest.

There are less loincloths, however.

The draw comes from the characters and the visuals; the animation is bright and cheerful, and the characters are engaging and fun. I've already found a brown-haired firecracker I'd love to cosplay.

Literally a giant badass.

 The ending credits give you a pretty good feel for the 'bounce' the show has (though there are a few minor spoilers for things established in the first three episodes. Be wary!)

It has dark spots too, but even the one episode which was mostly angsty had a lot of  action, and felt organic. It's like Fullmetal Alchemist by way of Dragon Ball Z; great action sequences and lots of fun, but not afraid to get dark if needed.

On a scale from Goku driving cars to the end of Nina, I put this series tone at a firm Dragon Ball Z Abridged Frieza Saga when Killin dies.

Twenty year old spoilers!

I'm super excited to watch more later. This is what binge watching was invented for!

April F*cks

So, on 4/1/17, they released the first new episode of Rick and Morty with no warning.

Predictably, the internet has gone insane. There are spoilers ahead, BTW. Like, major ones.

There's also new promos, which are fun. Frankly, the episode was good, smart, dark, and filled with the crazy turns that I never see coming. And now I want more.

I also want some of that damned sauce. I'm not alone, BTW; go sign the petition.

Now, we do have months to wait until the next episode (no release date yet, just 'summer'). So just remember the reason why we're all here...

One day there won't be movie news, I swear;

Okay, so there's a lot of things I found out about that I need to unpack. Hang on.

An animated Joseph and the Amaxing Technicolor Dreamcoat movie.

The 'Live Action' Lion King CGI movie.

And originally this was about the teaser teaser trailer for IT was here, but now the actual trailer is out,and you all know my feeling about it. So, moving on!

 There are more things to esoteric I'm not able to even form a cohesive blog about them at this point.

"I cannot be everywhere at once, people!"

Okay, quick rundown: not sure how I feel about Joseph. I'm in a minority of theater people who genuinely like the show, but there's already a filmed version.

Nothing intensely fantastical happens; it's not like Prince of Egypt where you could show miracles and the sea parting. So...why?

As for the non-live action Lion King (full CGI since there are no humans), again, I have to ask why? James Earl Jones is coming back...or will they just be re-using the original audio? Hell, why not just record Donald Glover over Ferris Buller, re-release the original, and call it a day?

I present our Simba!

Presented below were my thoughts before seeing the proper trailer. Make of them what you will, they remain unedited.


Okay, no more bullshit. This is the real deal, people. I'm gonna watch the footage AS I WRITE THE BLOG. Be right back.

SON OF A BITCH, IT WAS A TEASER FOR THE TEASER!

Apparently, the actual teaser premiers tomorrow. Damnit. At least we got some pictures.

 Pretty standard, this could be any point in the movie.

 The werewolf attack in the house on Neibolt street, near the climax, for sure.

Probably Mike showing the kids photo proof that Pennywise has existed as long as the town.

"You kids wanna buy some drugs?"

Aaaaaaand a poster. It's...fine. It's creepy, and it captures the feelings IT should evoke, but after that teaser for a teaser, I just can't muster the excitement. Tune in tomorrow when I'll have another IT Spot, dealing with the trailer.

The IT Spot; Tease

The teaser trailer for IT has been released.

Okay, lets take this apart. There will be spoilers, but if you've seen the old IT and just watched this trailer, you're fine.

The things that bother me are as follows:

• Pennywise looks too scary at the outset. He is supposed to look normal, at least at first. No kid is gonna trust that clown. I prefer the accuracy of the Tim Curry Pennywise where the creepiness was only intensified by how much more 'normal' Pennywise looked. The point is that even normal clowns look creepy.
  

• Is the kid's timeline not set in the 1950's. I saw a modern(ish) copier behind Ben. Their clothes, cars, bikes and other tech looks like it's from the 80s/90s. This isn't goddamn Stranger Things (despite the presence of Finn Wolfhard). The things kids and adults say in the 1950s are very different from what people would say 30 years later, so most, if not every line will need to be changed. This isn't a change in medium sort of issue; you can re-create either time period with similar difficulty. This feels like it's being done so the adults can exist in 2017. That is lazy. I don't want cell phones and iPods in IT

• Why the hell didn't Bill stutter? His name is literally Stuttering Bill. The stutter existed before Georgie was killed, albeit in a lesser form. In fact, Georgie's death made it that much worse, and it occasionally fades when Bill gets worked up; it's gone but begins to resurge when he's an adult. This is a point that cannot be let go, and if it has, the whole point of his character, and eventual beating of IT are going to be weakened so much that this film will lose and credence with King fans. 

• Why did Georgie still have both his arms when his ghost/projection is talking to Bill? Pennywise better rip his damned arm off. Pennywise is brutal, savage. If he just kills Georgie and leaves him in one piece, we've got problems right from the start. There is a lot of colorful imagery King attached to the missing arm; the blood on the yellow slicker, the horror of the adults and kids seeing the body (or the ghost). It should be addressed. I hope it is.
  

The things I liked:

• The wax on the tabletop is Gulf brand. That's a small detail from the book, but if they're paying attention to this, it gives me hope that they're paying attention to other things. 
  
  
  

• Georgie running down the street, and whanging his head on the sign. THAT is authentic. The sheets of rain, the fact that he's totally alone, even though he's in the heart of the suburbs; these are important items that set the tone. Look at how small and alone he is! This is a well-framed shot, and shows the film makers know how to shoot a movie. 

 

• The projector thing, instead of just regular physical pictures that Pennywise comes to life in. This is one of those 'The change is for the better due to the medium' changes. This is a change that I understand, endorse, and appropriate; the effect is creepy, the acting looks good. IT WORKS!

 

•  The kids, from what little we've seen, seem to be capable actors, and look correct for their parts (Bev's hair and other updates to fit the non 1950's aside). The child actors from the original miniseries were far better than their adult counterparts (who we still have no idea about for these movies).

• The look of things. The sewers are on point. The house of Neibolt street looks amazing, and the whole atmosphere puts off the perfect 'even when things are right, they're wrong' vibe. This is perhaps the most important thing about Derry, and it gives me hope. Look at the sunflowers in the yard. Seems strange that something so bright and cheery would exist there, correct? This is another small detail that harkens back to the novel, and another small spot of hope.

The first time I saw this trailer, I was unhappy. I watched and watch and watched this over and over again for this blog, and my original ending to this post was one of being unhappy, but still trying for optimism.

Then I saw this shot, and really looked:

This is something that wasn't in the original mini-series. This is a series of burned hands grasping around a door with fire behind, as Mike Hanlon looks on. This is a reference to a horrifying story in the book. A story I won't spoil here, but one that adds to the horror that is Derry, Pennywise, and human nature in ways that outshine most other things I've ever seen in a film. But it's not connected to the main plot in an 'important' way. I assumed it would be cut, and never looked back.

But it's there.

It's been changed. There's no scene where Mike sees the story first hand in the book, he learns it from his father. But IT HAS BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER FOR THE MEDIUM.

I've never had so severe of a 180 based on a trailer in my LIFE, people. I was ranting to Bahamute last night about how the changes were going to destroy the story I hold so dear to my heart. Even the start of this blog I've left unchanged, so you can have a hint of my anger and distress; I changed while I was taking the pictures for it.

I was wrong.

This does mean, that I, like the film makers, apparently can see the forest and the trees. 

At this time, I'll still need to see the movie to know for sure. But my hope and faith is back. I think I can even deal with the time period changes now. This one shot shows the film makers understand the story.

And that's really all I want.

Electric Boogaloo

After years of waiting, my favorite computer animated film Wreck-It Ralph is getting a sequel!

Accurate representation of my feelings.

Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 is the title. The fans have known for a while that this sequel was going to delve into the world of online gaming. Plus, everybody is coming back; possibly even Alan Tudyk.

This asshole.

I'm actually really excited about this; there's so much for Ralph and the gang to explore beyond arcade gaming, and the possibilities for stories are rich and exciting. Characters I love dealing with new challenges? Yes! That is exactly what a sequel should be!

It doesn't hurt that the director Rich Moore also directed the first one, and worked on The Simpsons, The Critic, and Futurama.

In context, this is a very classy joke. Don't believe me? Better watch it to be sure.

And just won an Oscar.

So once again in regards to not getting my hopes up...

Media blitzkreig

So, some more trailers have dropped; notably, Spider-Man Homecoming and Baywatch.

Both have lots of red spandex.

There's a bunch of others that I haven't mentioned like Pirates of the Caribbean 5, Transformers 5, and The Justice League.

To be frank, at the time of writing, I haven't even seen the trailer for Justice League. There's just so much coming out, it's actually overwhelmed me. I have officially reached the point where I'll just wait to see a trailer in front of whatever youtube media I'm catching up on.

And that's just 2-5 minute trailers overwhelming me. I still haven't seen Kong Skull Island, and it has a bunch of my favorite actors in it. I never ended up seeing Kubo and the Two Strings, Hidden Figures, or La La Land.

I did see this, though. Neat!

Partly I can blame 12 Angry Jurors since many of my nights have been taken up by assistant directing. I have a pretty long vacation coming, and my father in law has Netflix. Maybe it's finally time to catch up on some backlog.

I'm also quickly running out of Law and Order SVU and Devil is a Part Timer episodes. What combo of drama/anime to tackle next...