TRAILER PARK

I saw TOTAL RECALL today and I'll give a full review in a different blog post. What I want to discuss here are some of the trailers I saw today and at a recent showing of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES.

MAN OF STEEL: I really want to be proven wrong about this but I'm going to go on record here and now and state that I have a very, very bad feeling about the Superman movie scheduled to be released next summer. Director Zack Snyder did a good job with both 300 and WATCHMEN but from what little I've seen about MOS, it looks like he's taking a wrong approach to the subject matter.

For one thing, Superman's costume is just wrong. The colors are muted and dark, the "S" symbol looks like something from the Golden Age (nothing wrong with that, if they're making a Golden Age Superman movie, but the new film is clearly set in present day). And the costume looks like it's made out of body armor material. Think about that for a minute and you'll see how utterly wrong that approach is. He's Superman. He doesn't need armor for Jor-El's sake.

The bad costume was one of only many things that were wrong with the profoundly disappointing SUPERMAN RETURNS. Superman's costume should be bold and bright. Those primary colors of red, blue and yellow should stand out from a mile away. And the "S" should cover his entire chest. See any interpretation of Superman by superstar artist Alex Ross to see how Superman should look. Better yet, go back and look at the first (and still the best) Superman film. No one has ever come close to matching the look of Christopher Reeve as Superman in that film. I not only believed a man could fly, I believed that he was Superman. Reeve remains the most perfect casting choice and spot on look for any comic book character ever brought to life on the big screen.

It also appears as if the film may give us a "grim and gritty" interpretation of the Man of Steel. No. That's just wrong. Superman is about hope. Superman is about dreams. Superman is about the goodness inherent in all men and rising to meet that potential. Do the words "truth, justice and the American way" ring any bells? Kal-El is not Bruce Wayne. He's not a tortured soul. He is an icon, a shining, bright beacon lighting the way for men (and women) of all nations. I don't want to see a "dark" Superman.

Time will tell if I'm right or wrong. And I'll admit, I'm basing this hunch off of very little actual information: one photograph, the teaser one-sheet and a very short trailer. Superman was my first superhero and in many ways, he's still my favorite. Please do him right or risk banishment to the Phantom Zone.

SKYFALL: I can't wait for the next James Bond film with Daniel Craig in the lead role for the third time. I loved him in CASINO ROYALE and even though QUANTUM OF SOLACE got mixed reviews, I enjoyed that film as well. I think Craig is the second best Bond of all-time, second only to the man himself, Sean Connery. The trailer looks terrific, plenty of action, intrigue and exotic locations, all of the hallmarks of the Bond film series. Best part of the trailer? When a new, young "Q" shows Bond a handgun that is coded to his (and his alone) hand print so that it cannot be fired by anyone else, Bond raises an eyebrow and says "You must be joking". Those are the exact words uttered by Connery to Desmond Llewellyn when being told about the ejector seat in the Aston Martin DB-5 in GOLDFINGER (which is still the greatest James Bond film ever made). Bring on Bond!

DREDD: I admit to not being a big fan of the British comic book series JUDGE DREDD and all of its various spin offs and permutations. I've read a few issues here and there but it just never lit my fire. I also never saw the reportedly dreadful first film version of this material which starred Sylvester Stallone. But this new movie looks like it might be fun in a mindless, B-movie action film kind of way. Dredd is clearly channelling the ghost of Dirty Harry in his dialogue and delivery of lines. Lots of firepower in this one. Looks like a potential guilty pleasure.

THE HOBBIT: It has recently been announced there will be not one, not two, but three movies based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien. Three films? Really? Well, thanks for the advance warning. That's three films I won't see on a bet. I never came within the same zip code of any of the LORD OF THE RINGS films and I'll likewise cross against the light to avoid these.

Oh, I know, I'm sure they'll be beautifully shot films, with tons of great special effects but the subject matter leaves me cold. I just don't cotton to this kind of fantasy stuff (says the guy who reads comic books and loves monster movies). I've never read any of Tolkien's books and have no desire to ever do so. Let me tell you a brief story to illustrate my aversion to this material.

I discovered the Conan the Barbarian stories by legendary Texas writer Robert E. Howard when I was in O.Henry Junior High School back in the early '70s. I loved the Conan stories then and now and to this day, I'll read anything by REH at the drop of a hat and know I'll enjoy it. The man was a born storyteller.

One day, a kid in one of my classes (and I forget the young man's identity), saw me with a Conan paperback book and said that if I liked that kind of stuff, I really should read THE LORD OF THE RINGS. I took him at his word and picked up a copy of the first book. I read about the first twenty pages (maybe), threw the book across the room (figuratively speaking) and swore never to pick it up again.

Why? False advertising for one thing. It was nothing like Conan. There was no action, no swordplay, no nothing. It was BORING! There were a bunch of little guys with big, furry feet living in a hole in the ground and talking. And talking. And talking. And talking. You get the picture. And there are three books of this stuff? I don't think so. Give me a sword-swinging Cimmerian any day over this crap by Crom!

I know I shouldn't base my dislike of this material based on an initial reaction from more than 40 years ago. Millions of people have read these books and seen these films and loved them dearly. I get that. I think my chief problem now is the time commitment involved to read four books (THE HOBBIT and the trilogy) about something I'm lukewarm about to begin with. I could read half a dozen or more other books that I know I'm interested in in the time it might take me to wade through this epic. I treasure my free time and chose to spend it on what I want to read, not what I think I should read.

THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS: Here's another one I'll avoid like the plague. A martial arts action movie from executive producer Quentin Tarrantino (can't stand him), an oh-so-annoying rap music soundtrack (ugh) and the whole mess is directed by someone or something called RZA. What in the name of the wide world of sports is going on here? Looks like a loud, sloppy, mess of a movie. Pass.

MY NEWSTAND

In addition to watching films and reading books and comics, there half a dozen magazines that I read from cover to cover on a regular basis. The subjects of these publications are comic books, monster movies and World War II. Here are the mags in alphabetical order.

ALTER EGO. This fine, full-color magazine focuses on the Golden Age of Comics, which, contrary to popular belief, was more than slightly ahead of my time (I'm a Silver Ager through and through). The mag features in-depth interviews with comic book creators of the past and sadly, there aren't many of these men and women left to talk to these days. There's great artwork, interesting articles and a lively letter column. It's edited by Roy Thomas who had a hand in the original iteration of ALTER EGO as a fanzine in the early '60s. Thomas, who had a long and distinguished career at both Marvel and DC, remains to this day my all-time favorite comic book writer (sorry Stan!). Jack Kirby is my all-time favorite comic book artist in case you're interested. ALTER EGO is highly recommended for anyone who has an interest in the history of comic books.

BACK ISSUE! A sister magazine of ALTER EGO (they're both published by TwoMorrows Publishing), this magazine is similar to AE except with an emphasis on Bronze Age comics (roughly the '70s through the early '80s). I was in high school and college during the peak of the Bronze Age and even though it's not my favorite era of comics, there were tons of cool books published during that time. BACK ISSUE! is also full-color, chock full of interviews, art and articles and comes highly recommended.

COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE When I bought my first subscription to this publication it was then called THE BUYER'S GUIDE FOR COMIC FANDOM or simply, TBG. Back then, in the early '80s, TBG was a bi-weekly newspaper for all things comic book related. In addition to news items, reviews and articles, there were tons of ads from dealers and fellow collectors. I used to advertise in the mag on a regular basis and got to know a lot of fellow collectors around the country through trading, selling and buying comics with them. In the days before the Internet and eBay, this was the way these things were done.

Over time, TBG became a weekly newspaper and changed it's name to THE COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE. Under the editorial guidance of Don and Maggie Thompson, the publication became indispensable and the arrival of a new issue in my mail box each week was always eagerly awaited. Things changed over time. Don Thompson died way too young, the publication was purchased by Krause Publications out of Wisconsin, new editorial blood was brought in (although Maggie, God bless her) is still there. The publication became a monthly, full-color magazine about ten years ago with a heavy emphasis on a price guide, features about all of the comic book based films and entirely too much attention paid to third-party graded comic books (CGC, the grading company, was a major advertiser).

The magazine is still being published. It's gone back to being published on newsprint with some color in each issue. The page count has been drastically reduced and it takes me about twenty-minutes to read each issue (in the old tabloid days, I'd barely finish one issue before the next arrived). With so much of the material that made CBG indispensable now readily available online (buying/selling comics, hundreds of comics related websites, etc.), I feel that the magazine has become almost completely irrelevant. It simply doesn't have anything to offer that I can't get somewhere else.

I know that CBG will not survive as a printed magazine for many more years. The odds are against it. I struggle over the decision to renew my subscription on an annual basis. Do I pull the plug and disconnect now or wait until the inevitable end? I've decided that I've come this far for this long and as long as CBG keeps being produced as a printed publication, I'm going to continue to support it. We've been through too much together (good and bad), to give up now.

FAMOUS MONSTERS This is the new iteration of the legendary monster magazine that played such a vital part in shaping the raw clay of my youth. Printed in full color on slick paper the new FM contains a nice mix of features, spotlighting new films as well as the classics of days gone by. It's not Forry Ackerman's FM but nothing ever will be again. The new mag goes out of the way to acknowledge its' indebtedness to FJA, while at the same time blazing a new path for us monster kids who just can't get enough of this stuff. Recommended.

SCARY MONSTERS A throwback to the monster magazines of yesteryear, SCARY MONSTERS delivers a ton of material in a black-and-white format that is chock full of stills and articles. Many of the features are written by fans who provide some great "monster memories". There's a somewhat heavy emphasis on television horror hosts of the '50s and '60s and the overall tone of the magazine is light, breezy and fannish. Nothing wrong with that. I enjoy it and recommend it.

WWII HISTORY This a very well done magazine that contains a variety of articles in every issue. Almost every aspect of the war is featured in regular departments: Profiles, Ordnance, Insight and  Top Secret along with book and video game reviews. The feature articles cover all theaters of combat, from Europe to the Pacific and all points in between. Battles on land, sea and air are documented and all of the major players in the war receive equal time, both the Allied powers (U.S., Great Britain and Russia) and the Axis (Germany, Italy and Japan). I learn something new in every issue. If you're a hardcore war buff or a newcomer to this endlessly fascinating subject, WWII HISTORY comes with my highest recommendation.

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING NEWSPAPER

The Austin American Statesman has undergone yet another redesign (number 50 in a series of 500, collect them all!). This reworking, like all of the previous redesigns, has managed to take something that was already bad and make it even worse. I swear, not one of these makeovers have been an improvement.

The font size appears to have shrunk and that's not just these 56-year-old eyeballs talking. There's an inordinate amount of white space and the stats in the sports page are next to impossible to read. Hand me that electron microscope so I can check out the box scores! New header photos of the columnists take up too much space and most of them are not flattering to the subjects.

And don't get me started on the mistakes. There's at least one error per day somewhere in the Statesman, sometimes on the front page. If you're reading a section of the paper that's error free, just keep reading. I guarantee you'll find one sooner or later. The physical size and shape of the paper have been reduced and I swear the newsprint itself seems thinner and cheaper. If the folks at the Statesman are trying to drive readers online, they're doing a damn good job of it.

More than once I've considered cancelling my subscription or just not renewing when the notice comes due. But I have yet to do so despite my gripes. Why? It's simple.

I've read the Statesman as a printed-on-paper publication for most of my adult life. It's part of my daily routine. It's comforting to step outside my house in the morning and find the paper waiting for me at the end of the driveway. I scan the headlines while I eat my breakfast, then read the sports section and life/arts while I enjoy my morning cup of coffee. I do this almost every day and have done so for many, many years.

Full disclosure: back in the mid-90s, I freelanced for the Statesman for a few years and it was a richly rewarding experience. I met and interviewed many interesting people, wrote a variety of stories and worked with good editors. It was a fun time.

Print newspapers will disappear in my lifetime. I have no doubt of that. But until they do and as long as the Statesman is offering a print version, I'm going to support it. I still have that choice. I still have that option. When it's all online and/or digital only, that choice, that tradition, that habit is gone (or at least radically changed).

I can gripe all I want to about the paper. I've paid for that privilege and I'll continue to do so.

PET PEEVE

I was listening to a newscast on KLBJ-AM radio yesterday afternoon. One of the stories concerned the tragic fatal accident on Ben White Blvd. where a pedestrian was struck and killed in traffic. The news reporter referred to the victim as a "guy". I believe the quote was something like: "the guy was hit in the westbound lane", or something to that effect.

Excuse me? "Guy"? Isn't that a bit too slangy, too casual, too informal, for a news report? What's wrong with referring to him as the "man" or the "victim"as I was taught in journalism school? I have worked in both the television news and the newspaper and magazine businesses and I don't recall ever writing copy in which someone was referred to as a "guy". This is lazy, sloppy journalism. Where's the news director or copy editor to catch this stuff and fix it before it goes on the air or into print?

I know, I know. To most of you it doesn't matter and I'm making a mountain out of a molehill but it bugs me.

OSCAR TRIVIA QUESTION

In the 1970s, Diane Keaton appeared in three films that all won Best Picture of the Year Academy Awards.

In the 1970s, Talia Shire appeared in three films that all won Best Picture of the Year Academy Awards.

Can anyone name these four films?

TRUTH IN ADVERTISING?

For the record, there is no creature referred to in the script as "Astro-Monster" in the Japanese Kaiju (giant monster) movie INVASION OF ASTRO-MONSTER (1965). This film was released in the U.S. in 1970 under the title GODZILLA VS. MONSTER ZERO and there is at least a designation of a "Monster Zero" in the screenplay. So what exactly is the Astro-Monster/Monster Zero?

Well, as near as I can figure out, it's King Ghidorah (aka Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster). The big guy has taken up residence on Planet X, a newly discovered planet in orbit around Jupiter. Two astronauts (one of whom is American actor Nick Adams), land there and meet the weird aliens who inhabit the planet. The aliens promise a cure to cancer if the Earth will help them rid their world of the menace of King Ghidorah. The help? Godzilla and Rodan who are captured on Earth and transported to Planet X to battle the three-headed monster.

The battle over, all three monsters are then returned to Earth where they proceed to attack various cities while under the control of the aliens (who, of course, turn out to be bad guys). There is much destruction and devastation before a way is found to free the monsters from the aliens' control, allowing them to fight the aliens and each other. The film ends with King Ghidorah flying off to who knows where and the fates of Godzilla and Rodan unknown. But don't worry. They're not dead. They both came back in subsequent giant monster films produced by Toho Studios.

INVASION OF ASTRO-MONSTER has fairly good special effects, model work and miniatures. The problem is that by this point in the series, Godzilla was already starting to be played for comic relief instead of the fearsome creature of mass destruction that was seen in the first two films, GOJIRA (GODZILLA) (1954) and GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN (1955). By the mid-60s', the Godzilla films and their brethren were clearly being produced and marketed to kids and, if taken in that spirit, make for some fun, entertaining movies.

I watched the original Japanese version of this film in Japanese with English sub-titles. I find that far more preferable to watching a horribly dubbed film in English. It's a bit funny to hear Japanese coming from Nick Adams' mouth but it's a more authentic experience.

INVASION OF ASTRO-MONSTER is classic Saturday afternoon matinee material. It's bright colors, fast moving plot and three giant monsters guarantee a good time. I can't watch Japanese giant monster movies on a steady basis. About one of these babies a year is just enough for me but I do enjoy them.

L'ENFANT TERRIBLE PART DEUX

I don't want to come across as beating a dead monster baby and give this film more time and space than it really warrants but I forgot to mention something about IT'S ALIVE that is important.

That's the musical score by maestro Bernard Herrmann. Sonically, the music prefigures what he wrote for Martin Scorsese's TAXI DRIVER (1976), which was Herrmann's last movie score. The music for IT'S ALIVE is not as good as the classic material he wrote for THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, several Alfred Hitchcock films (VERTIGO, NORTH BY NORTHWEST, PSYCHO)  and the wonderful fantasy films of Ray Harryhausen (7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD, JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS) but still, any Herrmann score is better than no Herrmann score. I just felt I should mention that important contribution to a minor film.