Ha ha ha, ho ho ho, and a couple of WTFs

Yet another out of genera Oz adaptaion is on its way! Maybe! Better start holding your breath!

 I'm not going to get excited, upset, or anything about the Oz adaptation. If it ever sees the light (no producer is even attached yet). There have been dozens, if not hundreds of Oz adaptations. It's even been given the horror treatment before, in short stories, an RPG game, and a comic.

If it's good, we'll get another movie to put with Tin Man or the newest Wiz. If it's bad it can go with Dorothy and the Witches of Oz, and Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return.

The best line in the film is a shitty gay joke.

Oz is like Wonderland; there are countless adaptations, there will be countless adaptations, and throwing a dark spin on it will always be trendy. The MGM adaptation is my favorite movie, and direct all remake attempts on that have failed.

So why am I blogging about it now? So that in the years to come when casting comes out and trailers, and even the movie, I can look back and say: "Huh, I'm way too involved in this stuff."

I need to use my time better.

And finish my DHMIS post...

Ecto-Pathetic

So, several months after my initial Ghostbusters post, things haven't gotten much better. Dan Akroyd watched an early cut of the new film, pronounced it great, and the 'fans' have derided him for it. That's right, the man responsible for bringing us Ghostbusters is ALSO getting hate from the 'fans.'

Do I even need to say anything?

I'm pulling rank here, guys. I have the Ghostbusters comics, both movies, The Real Ghostbusters box set, and a semi-updated Ghostbusters Tumblr. I know more about the whole franchise than the average 'fan.' Aside from the new movie not possibly being worse than the worst parts of the existing franchise,  nobody has seen it yet. Trailers often misrepresent their films, and even if the trailers are totally accurate, the newest trailer looks FINE.

ALL the things I've said about the effects being undone, the best jokes not being farted out at a first glance, and the characters not being one-off copies of the originals has been validated. And even IF this movie was a Paul Blart-esc misma of lazy fart jokes and crummy effects (and I'm not saying it is) there's one thing everyone's forgetting:

IT WILL NOT RUIN YOUR CHILDHOOD.

Your childhood is over. It is unchangeable without benefit of a time turner, Terminaor, or DeLorean.

Also, this.

I've complained often enough about crummy entries in my favorite franchises to know that nothing can make me love the original incarnation less; Not a voodoo shark, not jump scares,  not midichlorians, not Rob Zombie (though I actually liked that one), not Rachel Berry, not an X-Rating, not censorship, not bad practical effects, not genera jumping, not even a shot for shot remake.

By all means, complain about bad movies, books, games, shows, and everything else you see that is sub par entertainment. There's no other way to make changes to the industry. BUT GIVE IT A CHANCE FIRST. Give it a chance. And remember, you still have access to the good. 

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!!?!! (I am!)

I sit on a glorious mountain of technological wealth (actually a saggy green armchair near the tech, but work with me people!). I gaze upon hundreds of movies and tv shows, internet reviews and skits, books procured over 28 years on this earth (or at least 18 years worth, my grade-schoold Calvin and Hobbes's have held up pretty well). I watch to find out who killed Laura Palmer (NO SPOILERS!) Read to see what horrifies Peter Straub, listen to the hilarious POV of Eugene Miriam, and even crush a few candies while doing it.

You may know him better as Gene.

I am entertained.

So what?

Am I sitting here, drugged by the various opiates of the masses, too caught up in fiction to care about fact? Am I a jaded Millineal who'd rather nod sagely at Jon Stewart than read the paper and find out things for myself? Is being entertained making me dumber, or a worse person?

No. Because all these wonderful (and sometimes mediocre) delights make me think.

Who killed Laura Palmer indeed? What is going on in Twin Peaks? Is it an X-Files like supernatural plot, or something psychological,  hankering back to the days of film noir and Hitchcock?

What scares Peter Straub? What scares the other writers in the collection? Why do their ears scare me? Or not? How can I learn from their mastery?

How can I relate to the experiences of Eugene Miram? Why does his absurdest humor make me laugh? What is absurdity in humor? Is it Bugs Bunny getting Daffy Duck shot in the face? Is it better as a visual medium? Does absurdity in literature work outside The Hitchhiker's guide?

 I don't know the answers to these questions. I don't think about them consciously as I watch, read, or listen (at least, not all the time. Sometimes, I am Abed).

Ultimately, it doesn't matter. What matters is knowing it's okay to just sit back and be entertained. Having something to talk about with friends, or strangers on the internet, or just yourself when nobody else cares. Being entertained is not the be-all end-all, but it isn't a crime either.

I will not feel guilty about sitting back and watching an episode of Law and Order in between editing chapters of my manuscript. I will not look at my DVD collection and sigh at my materialism. Many of the videos are presents from friends and family: a joyus reminder each time I see Bugs get one over on Elmer Fudd, or Michael Myers stab a teenager.

My friends get me.

It's okay to revel in escapism. It's okay to think critically about the things you view. It's okay to sit with friends and laugh and not think beyond 'Boy, this is fun!'

So if you'll excuse me, I have writing to do, and inspiration to view. Maybe not in that order.