Blog - Page 577 of 633 -

Welcome to The 30 Dozen, a monthly exploration of the films that, like me, turn thirty this year. These are films that have been residing on my must-see list for ages, and those which I’m only now crossing off as together we each approach our third decade on this planet. As I examine one of these movies per month, I hope to glean from each some perspective on my approach of the big 3-0.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome The Revolution.

How I managed to exist this long without seeing Purple Rain is beyond my comprehension. If I fancy myself a connoisseur of anything (and I usually don’t refer to myself as a connoisseur because connoisseur is hard to spell), it would be cult movies and 80s music. Seriously, name an 80s one-hit-wonder, and I’ll give you the song. Ask me which was Corman’s most expensive film or the alternate title of Fulci’s City of the Living Dead, and you’ll have that information faster than you can wonder why you were seeking it in the first place. So how did the perfect combination of two of my favorite things go unseen by these eyes for so long?

Meanwhile, my ears had been savoring Purple Rain for as long as I can remember. I’ve always loved Prince’s music, and the soundtrack album for this film is pure magic. My affinity for this album has only intensified over the last few years with the infusion of karaoke into my life. Something about belting (read: butchering) his squealing verse interludes gives one an appreciation for the mauve-clad minstrel.

And now, the big moment. Pressing play.

…what is…

…did he just…why are they…

…why would any woman in the world go in for…

…ok, no way in hell is he about to…oh damn.

(Credits)

(Head-Scratching)

I guess what I was expecting was a 111-minute concert video. Surely, a narrative would be attempted, and surely Prince’s attempts at genuine performance would be the source of the movie’s renowned cult status. Right? Oh, so so wrong. Purple Rain is not a flimsy promotional mouthpiece for its star, but instead a deeply troubling psychological nightmare. If there is a theme to be mined from this carousel of sound and fury, it’s essentially a movie about how the male gender is a horrid, despicable race.

Prince stars as “The Kid,” who is equal parts raging rocker and loathsome Lothario. His story arc is a short trip from marginal professional success (being the number one headliner in a sleezy Minnesota rock club) to professional success AND a gorgeous girlfriend/emotional hostage. This is the classic boy-meets-girl, boy-abuses-girl, girl-can’t-seem-to-leave-abusive-boy tale. Prince’s courtship rituals are the rancid stuff of douche lore. And yet for each of his calculated assaults on gender equality, the stunningly beautiful Apollonia not only opts for reconciliation, but often assumes blame for his transgressions.

Take for example, the “purification scene.”

The Kid, enamored of Apollonia, sees her at a mall and, as most blue-blooded boys would do, steals a piece of her jewelry and then basically abducts her as she tries to retrieve it. Sounds like a winning first date, right? Ooooooh boy just you wait. He then takes her out to a lake (one that is decidedly NOT Lake Minnetonka) and demands that she “purify” herself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka. In a move that would give Freud cause to face-palm, she complies; stripping almost nude and leaping into the frigid waters. Prince then waits until she returns shivering to shore to tell her that they are not standing aside Lake Minnetonka.

How does he follow up this inexplicable prank? He jumps on his bike and takes off; rides away as she desperately re-clothes herself. Sure he comes back, but his return is met with her being apologetically sheepish for how ridiculous she must look being all wet. You know from the lake…into which he tricked her into jumping. THIS. IS. OUR. HERO.

And that is the start of their ongoing relationship in the movie. The word “relationship” takes on rather filthy and maladjusted connotation when viewed through this Purple lens. Even something as intimate and significant as coupling (you know, sexy times) becomes inextricably entangled in horrific manipulation. You see, Prince’s character has recordings of former girlfriends crying, that he then audio-reverses and uses as mood-setting sexy time music for his latest conquests. I can not imagine a more unhealthy relationship that doesn’t end in a bathtub full of lye and a scramble to establish an alibi.

Despite the aforementioned sexual head-gamesmanship, all hope did not seem lost for Apollonia. At one point, she makes a clean break from Prince and, as a result, actually begins to make great strides in her own musical career. Unfortunately it is here in our story of course, that Prince, in his half-pint possessive fury, rides up on his motorcycle and demands her to climb aboard. She does so immediately and, like some sociopathic knight in violet armor, Prince attempts to “rescue” her from…the incalculably better life she is now leading without him.

It was probably just my foolishly optimistic naivete that allowed for the believe of a happy ending for Apollonia (i.e. her Prince-ectomy). Her return to the suffocating, crushed-velvet-clad arms of The Kid were well foreshadowed during a scene in which, after having escaped Prince, she is driven out of a club in tears of jealous despair by his song about intense sexual congress WITH A WOMAN WHO DOESN’T EXIST!

Further evidence of the film’s sado-gleeful rejection of feminism are casually strewn about the mise en scene like all those Gothic candle-holders. Prince forces a female accompanying guitarist to play while on her knees before him in one of the most brow-beating intersections of sex and rock-n-roll this side of Tommy Lee’s vacation videos. Oh Oh Oh! And the puppet! At one point, Prince uses a puppet, and shockingly masterful ventriloquy, to thoroughly insult and marginalize his female band members. So he’s a disassociative personality disorder whose alter egos are ALSO MISOGYNISTS!

You also gotta love pick-up lines like this spoken by Morris Day…

“Your lips would make a lollipop too happy”
“In my bedroom…I have a brass…water bed”

I don’t want to say that Morris Day is the villain of the film, because that would intimate that a hero exists.

The levels of male-centric id indulgence in this film are so absurd that it just HAS to be satire, or reproachful commentary at the very least. One little problem: it is furstratingly unclear what it is Purple Rain might be satirizing. All that seems to matter is Prince’s ineffable aura of cool and his litany of phenomenal songs.

At first, sitting in a darkened room as the last credit scrolled into oblivion, I was stymied as to what this movie could possibly have to offer in the way of a perspective on my impending thirtieth birthday. What could I take away from this staggeringly bizarre rockstar vehicle? And then it hit me, Purple Rain terrifyingly adeptly sums up my relationship with film. Specifically, it’s a reflection of the relationship between my passion for film, and my career.

I am not Prince, that much was made evident by my lack of guitar chops and my inability to wedge myself into pants that are so tight as to be legally recognized as sausage casing by the FDA. But more to the point, I’m not Prince in this metaphor…I’m Apollonia. I’m desperately, dangerously in love with the medium of film (which will be the Prince antecedent until this figurative fever dream has ended). I love movies, I will never not love being a journo-pundit, but the sleep-deprivation, the logistical and technical irritants, and the mountains of stress of running a site and, before that, writing for several others have made my specific relationship with my favorite medium rather abusive. For all the time, energy, and money that it costs me to review/discuss film for a living, I can’t seem to bring myself to stay away.

Obviously this is not a perfect metaphor. For one thing, I would like to think my head is not so securely aloft inside my own colon as to think that my demanding professional schedule is AT ALL equal to actually suffering domestic and/or psychological abuse. However, seeing this film for the first time at this point in my life did indeed serve as a bitter reminder that at some point, and probably not one that resides in the distant future, something in my psychological wiring will have to change in order to maintain a healthy love affair with movies.

As it stands, no matter how much mental and physical strain is levied by my passion and my career, and no matter how often I tell myself I want to stop and do something else, film (like Prince) will always be able to spin a mesmerizing sensory web to keep me hopelessly ensnared. It’s a situation mimetic of the overall spectacle of this film. For all its cheesiness (at best) and unsettling views on sexual politics (at every turn), nothing else matters when the first chords of “When Doves Cry” strike up.

As monumental a cock as the lilliputian protagonist proves to be, Prince’s music remains transcendent. That, when all is said and done, appears to be the point of Purple Rain. Prince is the ruler of all creation and we are powerless to resist the siren shriek of his guitar. I feel that there is actually slight homophone-related confusion here. The purple reign of this diminutive demigod shall not be undone by matters as trifling as his character defects.

Elliott, from Inside the Locker and Highly Suspect Reviews here, welcoming you to “Go Geaux Anime!”, OneOfUs.Net’s new Japanese anime blog. Before starting, I wanted to answer one fundamental question for you, the reader:

Why does this blog exist?

Love. Mal said it best:

“Love. You can learn all the math in the ‘Verse, but you take a boat in the air
that you don’t love, she’ll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds.”

Damn right.

I have enjoyed animation for as long as I can remember. Some of my favorite memories are waking up early to watch Saturday Morning Cartoons, and watching them right until Soul Train came on.

For an entire generation of kids, this was the HARBINGER of Boredom

Eventually, my love of animation developed into an obsession with Japanese animation otherwise known as anime. When I love something I want to let others know about it. To those who aren’t already anime fans I aim to show you how great it can be. I want to provide you a guide through the medium, and hope you, in turn, find something you end up really enjoying.

To those who are already fans I will point out what is worth your time,show you some new favorites, and remind you of some forgotten classics.

I sincerely hope you enjoy “Go Geaux Anime! ” and end up discovering a new favorite show or movie you wouldn’t have otherwise found. I hope you feel like I do right now!

Go Geaux Anime! #1:

Frequently, there are shows with an interesting premise but for one reason or another you don’t give a shot, whether it has an intimidating number of episodes, a bad reputation, or it just seems silly. This leads to it being skipped over, and you missing out on what could be a very rewarding viewing experience. To that I say:

I wish this happened in real life

Lets dive right in!

QUESTION: Should you give Bleach a shot?
ANSWER: Yes, BUT make sure to avoid most of the filler, and if you are not into it after the first and third seasons bail out.

Plot and Origin

Bleach is based off of a Manga of the same name, written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. It follows the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, a seemingly regular teenager as he is drawn into the world of the soul reapers, also known as Shinigami. As the story progresses, the series unfolds an ever evolving mystery surrounding Ichigo Kurosaki as he battles villains and discovers more about his powers, himself, and the world, in which he now finds himself.

Reasons To Dive In:

A Rich Mythos

Bleach has an extensive and well-developed underlying mythos. It does an excellent job of making the world feel like a real and exciting place. For example:

–Zanpaktou: Each Shinigami has a unique weapon called a Zanpaktou, which is based off of each person’s soul and can have a variety of different powers. For the most part these powers match up very well with the characterization of the different Shinigamis.

–Kido: Think of it like a supernatural martial art. There are several different types, but my favorite(s) are those based on specific incantations. One such example is Hado 91:Senju Koten Taiho.

I promise you this is not a spell to summon a rave.

–Hadou #91’s incantation: Limit of the thousands hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness. Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky. The road that basks in light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together, there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders. Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, grey fortress tower. Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired”

The amount of thought that goes into crafting these different kidos is reminiscent of the amount of world building present in the Lord of the Rings series.

A Large and Well Conceived Supporting Cast:

Each of Bleach’s supporting cast are given an immense amount of back story and development in their own right. It is somewhat akin to Orange Is the New Black. No I am not drunk. While the show definitely has a main character, we learn the backstories of most of the supporting characters as well.

Now, this is a story all about how
Ichigo’s life got flipped-turned upside down
And I’d like to take a minute
Just sit right there
I’ll tell you how I became a warrior in a land out of thin air

Entire episodes are spent on seemingly minor characters; telling you where they come from and their principal motivations. This may seem basic but with the amount of other characters this series boasts, it is indeed an impressive achievement. With a fully-developed supporting cast of characters each viewer will inevitably find his or her favorite and be excited when their character is featured.

An Ongoing Mystery

Throughout the entire series, there is a sense that you are not hearing the entire story; that essential parts are being withheld, not only from you the viewer, but the main characters as well. I will not say what it is here because:

and duh.

But I will say the twists and explanations are deeply satisfying and make it worthwhile to re-watch certain key episodes and arcs.

Potential Drawbacks

Mediocre Animation Quality

While Bleach is by no means ugly, it is not breaking any new ground, visually. Due to the production schedule a lot of traditional shortcuts were taken (static backgrounds, “anime mouth” (From time to time, mouths of characters do not sync up with their speech), etc.) and it shows. It does not have the production quality of a Pixar movie, and is instead more on the level of a better than average Cartoon Network show.

Common and Embarrassing Anime Tropes

Bleach contains some of the more common and embarrassing anime tropes. These are the types of things that make exposing the general public to anime difficult. For instance Bleach woefully features:

–Fan Service

According to Wikipedia, Fan Service is: A term originating from anime and manga fandom for material in a series which is intentionally added to please the audience. It is about “servicing” the fan – giving the fans “exactly what they want”. Fan service usually refers to “gratuitous titillation”, but can also refer to intertextual references to other series.

Fan service in Bleach takes the form of female characters wearing overly revealing outfits for no other reason than to draw in viewers. For example there is the character of Matsumoto, a vice captain and ostensibly one of the most powerful characters in Bleach’s universe. She is put in outfits like this on a regular basis:

No “augmentation” was done to this image.

Now, while Bleach has no where near the level of fan service as Highschool of the Dead, it is still something you should be aware of before you start watching.

This is one of the milder forms of fanservice present in High School of the Dead

Now I am not a prude, far from it, but I am an adult. The problem with fan service is that not only does it objectify women, which of course is bad, it makes it harder for the average fan to take the show seriously. It makes it harder for me to stay invested in the show, until it gets back to the story.

–Unrequited and Unaddressed Romance (spoilers!)

Ichigo has a childhood friend , Orihimie, with whom he is very close. Throughout the series it is hinted at that there may be mutual romantic interest, but it is never explored. I don’t think Bleach should have been a romance series , but it should been explored. By not addressing it, it left me and a lot of viewers hanging. Imagine if on The Office the whole Jim and Pam storyline was never addressed, but constantly hinted at. That is what we have here.

–By the Power of Grayskull!

To access the power of their zanpakutou, each shinigami, normally utters a certain phrase and strikes a certain pose. This occurring a few times is fine and actually quite enjoyable, but it starts getting laborious the 20th time. You are left wondering, like during Power Rangers, why their opponent doesn’t just attack while they are powering up. These power-ups only take about 10 seconds on average so they are not the long sessions that populate DBZ, but there are a bunch of them.

Next time: Eat. More. Fiber.

Again, these power-ups aren’t all bad, but they are just done so much that they make the overall product seem silly at times.

Too Much Filler

Bleach has some engaging and tight story arcs, it also has a lot of episodes which are essentially meaningless to the plot.

Instead of moving the main story line along, the filler , generally, consisted of bad to mediocre side stories. So instead of getting even more great content, the viewers were left with subpar stories to hold us over until we could get back to the main narrative that we really wanted more of.

The good news for new viewers is that you can look at my watching guide below and avoid most if not all of the filler! Lucky You!

No, that was not a reference to this “movie”.

Where to Watch:

Hulu – Free with ads (all 366 episodes) – http://www.hulu.com/bleach

CrunchyRoll – No ads 6.95 a month – http://www.crunchyroll.com/bleach Episodes 266 and on are free with ads

Watching Guide:

Litmus Test – A few episodes you can watch to try it out.

Episodes 1-5;8;38-39;56-57 (Note there are spoilers in episodes 38-39 and 56-57)

A Movable Feast – What to Watch to Make Sure You Will Enjoy it

Bleach Season 1: Agent of Shinigami Arc – Episodes 1-20

Bleach Season 3: Soul Society: The Rescue – Episodes 42-63

Hitting on All Cylinders – What to Watch once you know you like it.

Bleach Season 2: Sneak Entry Arc – Episodes 21-41
Bleach Season 6: Arrancar: The Arrival Arc – Episodes 110-131
Bleach Season 7: Arrancar: The Hueco Mundo Sneak Entry arc Episodes 132- 151
Bleach Season 8: Arrancar: The Fierce Fight arc – Episodes 152-167
Bleach Season 10: Arrancar vs. Shinigami arc – Episodes 190-205
Bleach Season 11: The Past – Episodes 206-212
Bleach Season 12: Arrancar: Decisive Battle of Karakura arc – Episodes 213-229
Bleach Season 14: Arrancar: Downfall arc – End of the Main Storyline – Episodes 266-316

Worth A Look – What to watch once you finished the main storyline.

Bleach Season 16:Lost Agent Arc: Episodes 343-366

Bleach movies 1-3

Gotta Catch Em ALL – For those who want to see everything.

Go back and watch the seasons not listed above and read the associated manga. There are various video games based on Bleach you can check out as well.

Well Done Fan Art and Cosplay

http://quality-bleach.deviantart.com/art/The-baboon-king-185003045

http://www.deviantart.com/art/Bleach-While-Stars-Shine-On-71486860

http://wen-jr.deviantart.com/art/Bleach-Cat-and-Hornet-145334814

Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments! Till then I’m out!

Break out the tuxes, pop the champagne, and tighten up those goddamn acceptance speeches because it’s time for the Oscars! This year, you can watch The 596th annual Academy Awards with OneOfUs.Net.

As the Oscars are a very prestigious affair worthy of the utmost respect and dignified observance, HA, our live coverage will be a much smaller, more intimate affair than the previous gatherings.

A quartet of familiar site pundits will sit down to weigh in on the nominees in each of the major categories and discuss the 2013 year in film.

Of course, there will be crudeness, arguments, and more drinking than even what will undoubtedly be going on over at Michael Fassbender’s table.

Tune in to this post on Sunday, March 2nd at 7:20(ish)pm CST, and feel free to engage our commentators in the live chat. And the award for most McConaughey impersonations during an Oscar live-cast goes to…likely OneOfUs.

…or how Ash and Fern watched Oscar movies for 10 hours in sweatpants.

If you recall, one of my new year’s resolutions this year was to watch ALL of the Oscar Best Picture nominations. Well, I’m proud to report: I did it! After a lot of hard work and effort, I made my goal…ok, more like after a lot of sitting and eating popcorn, I made my goal, but it’s pretty much the same thing.

It all started the way it usually does. Fern and I caught a few of the main ones we really wanted to see like Her; I talked my husband into seeing the one he would enjoy like American Hustle; I caught a few on afternoons that I had to myself like Gravity and The Wolf of Wall Street.

Then comes the lull. It happens every year. I start off really well, seeing the front runners, even a few that don’t end up in the final race, and then I get busy at work. Life doesn’t allow for my usual intake of cinema, and I think there’s no way I can fit them all in. This year, however, a hero came into the picture. That hero’s name is AMC Theaters. For those of you who don’t know, the past few years, AMC has had an event where they split all the best picture noms into two Saturdays and just have a marathon viewing session. Unfortunately, last year, our schedule just didn’t allow for it, but this year Fern and I were lucky enough to be able to spend over 10 hours in a theater having our emotions thrown over 150 years of time and space while taking in four of the pictures we hadn’t yet seen.

amc-theater — *Best Theater isn’t an Oscar category, but it ought to be just for you, AMC.*

It actually started out really well. Philomena was the first movie up, and we were both really pleasantly surprised. Judi Dench was wonderful and extremely funny throughout as the mother looking for her long lost son. Steve Coogan was refreshing as her pessimistic, cynical opposite. It was a heartwarming picture without being too saccharine. There was just enough teeth and edge to it, not that the rest of the day was going to lack any of that.

Enter the emotional roller coaster part 1: Dallas Buyers Club. Oh, Jared Leto. Oh, oh, oh…Jared Leto. Don’t get me wrong. Matthew McConaughey was great and definitely earned his Oscar nom, but Jared Leto…wow. His character pulled at our heartstrings throughout the entire show, but for me the best acting came when his transvestite character forced himself into a suit and tie to go beg a favor from his high-brow, business father. Family tensions and drama at their highest, but the real dramatic tension came from an issue that is even more at the forefront of society now than it was then in the 80’s: America’s healthcare system. I was only a child in the 80’s, so I can’t say that I speak to how the public viewed groups such as the FDA, but I know that as a whole, my generation is extremely suspicious of how things really get done in such a politically fueled bureaucracy such as it. This movie does it no favors, showing exactly how low it would go when it came to giving out, and keeping in, approvals on products. A poignant piece, even 30 years removed.

Speaking of being a few years removed, but still stinging today, the next movie that was sat through was the oh-so-overwhelming Wolf of Wall Street, because nothing says movie-watching excess like a 3 hour long movie about…well, excess. I had already watched it once, but since it was wedged in the middle of the day and Fern hadn’t seen it yet, I allowed myself another look at Scorsese’s production on how the other half (or less than 1%) lives. And a production it is. I wouldn’t be surprised it someone had the idea to turn it into a big-band-number-filled musical complete with Leo tap dancing while he throws midgets and screws hookers. Think of the choreography and visuals you could have with showgirls throwing cocaine and dollar bills up in the air. I’m telling you, Neil Patrick Harris would kill this role on stage! P.S. If anyone steals this idea, I want in on the team. I’ve got million dollar ideas, I’m telling you.

Finally, our day wrapped up with 12 Years a Slave. I must admit, it was everything the reviews promised it would be. Historical, violent, and full of great performances. The way Chiwetel Ejiofor simmered with fury throughout while still holding his gentlemanly composure was incredible to me, and Michael Fassbender was as disgusting as possible. However, I was most impressed by the smallest performances in this movie, especially the females. Anyone who’s been following any press at all has heard about Lupita Nyong’o’s performance as Fassbender’s favored slave Patsey. It’s a quiet role, but that’s what makes it so gut-wrenching. Watching her eyes go dead as she is taken advantage of is almost like watching the horror take place in person. Her quiet, but insistant pleas for another slave to kill her might have been over done if any other actress were playing the role, but she does it in such a way that it’s not dramatic, but truthful.

Besides Nyong’o, I was impressed by the other women who played the plantation owner’s wives. Even in their frilly dresses and perfectly coiffed hair, you could see how well they portrayed these women who were hardened to this way of life and took their places in society seriously. Even Liza J. Bennett, who plays the wife of an understanding master, pulls off her ignorance to the society below her with amazing mix of grace and apathy. Finally, I think that Sarah Paulson has been overlooked for her role as a scorned wife. The simmering hatred of the slave that her husband favors more than her is enough to make everyone in the theater worried about her wrath. It also brings an interesting question of what public perception is of her character. Seeing that most reviews glazed over her, I can’t tell, but I would be interested to see if there are people who despise her because of her “racism” but would sympathize with her hatred if the other woman was of the same skin color.

At the end of the day, we were exhausted, my nails were all bitten down, my sugar intake was through the roof, and we slept well that night. I spent the next two nights renting Nebraska and Captain Phillips to round out the whole deal. At the end of it all, I came to two conclusions: Oscar nominees are exhausting, and movie marathoning isn’t for the faint of heart.

bolivian-movie-marathon-sets-new-guinness-record-1347295540-5349 — *We were not as happy or clean as these people by the end of our marathon.*

P.S. Here’s Ash and Fern’s picks for Oscar winners, and let us know if we win your pool! We will gladly accept any prizes!

Best Actor

Ash: This one is so close to me, it’s crazy. I think I’m going with my gut and picking Leo, not only for his performance in this movie, but it might be one of those “you really should have already won one” kind of things. My favorite performance however was Bruce Dern. If you’re from the heartland, you understand how well he hit the nail on the head.

Fern: Leo has had a special place in my heart since Titanic and I think he should have multiple Oscars at this point in his career. But while I will be THRILLED if he wins, I think Matthew McConaughey will take it this year. (And for the record, I think either of these guys would deliver an epic acceptance speech.)

Best Actress

Ash: Judi Dench, however I will admit I haven’t seen Blue Jasmine but I’m going to try to before Sunday. I’ll let you know if I change my mind for Cate, but I wasn’t as impressed with Amy Adams in American Hustle as everyone else was. I think she’s done much better work…like in Her.

Fern: Agreed. She nailed it, made Philomena a surprisingly enjoyable movie. She deserves the win.

Best Supporting Actor

Ash: Jerod Leto…duh

Fern: It’s unfortunate that Michael Fassbender’s super creepy performance had to come up against the perfection that was Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club. But here we are. This is the easiest pick of any category for me, and we will soon know what it’s like to live in a world where Jordan Catalano has an Oscar.

Best Supporting Actress

Ash:I really, really loved June Squibb, but I’m pretty sure Lupita Nyong’o has got this one.

Fern: We know the Academy loves some J-Law, but I think Lupita’s got this.

Best Director

Ash: Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity. This was a hard category this year, but Cuaron’s vision and execution were exquisite.

Fern: Ok here is where I have to explain something. I haven’t seen Gravity. I get nauseous during the little roller coaster video that tells you to turn off your phone at the theater. I couldn’t fathom sitting through hours of someone floating in space. Also it sounded really boring to me. Maybe it’s awesome, maybe it isn’t. I’ll never know. So with that out of the running, I’m going with Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave.

Best Animated Movie

Ash: Didn’t see them all, but Frozen was just so good! (I might be a bit biased with my Disney love, though!)

Fern: The only one of the nominees I saw was Despicable Me 2 and the only thing I remember from that experience is the trailer for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2. “There’s a leek in the boat!” Soooo…I’ll defer to Ash’s pick on this one.

Best Original Screenplay

Ash: Her. Period.

Fern: YES.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Ash: I feel bad giving an opinion on this category when I’ve never read any of the things the movies are based on, but I’m going to have to sayPhilomena on this one. Such great dialogue and interaction between the characters makes the story so entertaining and endearing.

Fern: I’m in the same boat. Reading takes patience I just don’t have. And takes up time when I could be napping or watching TV. But I’ll go with 12 Years a Slave since I’m picking it for pretty much everything else.

Best Picture

Ash: I can’t explain how much I want Her to win this, but I know that’s not going to happen. My gut feeling says Gravity will pull it out over 12 Years a Slave due to the whole “movie experience.”

Fern: I’m with Ash. I want Her to win more than anything, but I think that’s a dream. I think the buzz for Gravity peaked a little too early and 12 Years a Slave will take home the big one on Sunday.

And anything technical, we say just give it to Gravity. Anything else–we really don’t know what we’re talking about.

One final thought from Fern: The two best movies I saw this year were Her and Inside Llewyn Davis. Clearly I will never understand the politics behind the Oscars. I am glad Her got the Best Picture nomination it more than deserved and hopefully will at least walk away with a statue for Best Original Screenplay. Unfortunately Inside Llewyn Davis was all but ignored with only a couple of nominations in more minor categories. I know Best Actor is an incredibly tough race this year, but you’ll never convince me that Oscar Isaac doesn’t deserve to be on that list. And there was room for one more Best Picture nominee. I’m just saying.

After a myriad of Windows Vista related issues I am back with a brand new year of video content, including ‘In Conversation’ where I begin a conversation on a given topic and open the floor to you guys.

This week, a very prominent question in today’s artistic community. Should actors always be paid for work they do? Check out the video below.

Remember, the video is only the beginning of the conversation. Get involved down below.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Sometimes movie titles succeed in not only describing the plot of said cinematic offering, but also in characterizing the career of its headlining star at that particular moment in time. Such is certainly the case with the film Non-Stop, and its star, dynamo of kinetic box office energy that is Liam Neeson.

But would Neeson be able to bring his violent brand of magic to this Die-Hard-on-a-plane? Or would this vehicle face a catastrophic disaster before landing? The Unusual Suspects were willing to secure boarding passes and climb aboard Non-Stop to let you know whether the skies were friendly enough (or rather if they were unfriendly enough, it is Neeson after all).

Brian and J.C. give their thoughts on the film with Chris serving as their flight attendant. We called him our stewardess, but he got upset. Give a listen to the review, make sure your ears are in the upright, unblocked position.

Yeah, but dat Liam Neesons though!

Howdy there, Us Nation. Steak Plissken here.

For the last ten years, Austin has been the focal point of a most exciting movement. Staple is Austin’s independent media expo. Indie artists of all ilks, but especially those trying their hand in the comic industry, gather each April to show off their work and to converge with like-minded blue-collar creatives.

OneOfUs.Net is proud to be an exhibitor at the tenth annual Staple Independent Media Expo this weekend (Saturday and Sunday) at the Marchesa Theater. We will be there for the majority of Staple’s hours of operation (11am-6pm on March 1st and 12pm-6pm on March 2nd).

As part of our ongoing Infestation feature, Chris Cox and I, along with several other revolving members of the OneOfUs crew, will be at table 47B. We will be chatting up the site, doing some live recording (including interviews with some of the most notable names of the convention), and (in true OOU fashion), giving away some RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME prizes.

Like what, you ask? How about this phenomenally cool geek art print from our friend Zach Martin? It’s entitled “Best Friends Forever,” and you want to be friends with it.

If you’re in town, come check out Staple and bid a friendly hello over at Table 47B. One day passes are just $10 or you can gain admission to both days for only $15. Check out the official website for more details.

Let’s Staple together!

Welcome to a new (potentially) recurring series entitled “I’m All Out Of Love”, in which I take a pop culture subject (film series, director, actor, television show, etc) and dissect how my ‘love’ of them from early on slowly dwindled and what my current stance on them is.

The Simpsons has been an international institution for 25 years now. Anyone who was either alive in the 90s or born in the 90s has not only been aware of The Simpsons, but also know who a majority of the main characters are. Even if you’ve never seen a single episode of The Simpsons before (which would perplex the hell out of me), you’d still probably know who Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie are based on how engrained they are in pop culture. As for me, I was not only aware of The Simpsons in my youth, I was OBSESSED with them. I had stockpiles of merchandise, I was buying every season on DVD, I made sure I was able to get home every Sunday evening in time for the show to start or at least had the VCR ready to record it (this was before DVR, kids). Then, at a certain point, all of that stopped. The fervor died and my desire to keep up with the show just faded. Many might attribute this to the long standing opinion that The Simpsons‘ quality has weakened in its old age, but I think there’s a bit more to it than that. However, before we can analyze why my desire for the show dulled, let’s look back at the initial glint.

The Spark

Given that the show has been around longer than I’ve been alive, I couldn’t watch every episode as it aired. So, my first exposure to The Simpsons came during its run in syndication. Back before either DVDs or internet piracy, syndicated television was a goldmine for anyone who wanted to cash in on the success of shows that had hit the 100th episode mark. So, since The Simpsons managed to hit this back in 1994, it was naturally a staple of syndicated television for a long while. I can still remember coming back from elementary and middle school, turning the channel to UPN 44 (back when that existed as a network) and watching a solid two hour block of Simpsons episodes while ignoring/rushing through my homework. Some of my favorite memories from childhood were me watching episodes new and old with my family or friends and seeing all of them laugh at different moments. It showed that the show could make audiences of all ages, nations and ethnicities laugh at something.

But specifically for a kid, The Simpsons was a show that helped dip my toes in the mysterious world of mature content; it was bright and colorful enough a cartoon to gain my young interest, yet it dealt with subjects I wasn’t aware of at all at the time, like sex, alcohol and politics. Hell, as a big pop culture connoisseur, The Simpsons‘ pension for pop culture references served as my first exposure to a lot of films, television and music. Would I had watched Citizen Kane as early as I did had it not been for the show’s recreation of the classic opening shot in the episode Blood Feud? Would Twin Peaks be on my radar if I hadn’t heard it mocked for its bizarre tone in Lisa’s Sax? Would my continued fascination with The Beatles be as strong as it is if I hadn’t wanted to know why The B-Sharps performed on a roof at the end of Homer’s Barbershop Quartet? The answer to all of those questions is a definite “probably”, but I still consider the show to be a gateway drug to many a pop culture facet, which only strengthened my love for the show as time went on.

The Love Affair

the-simpsons_111493_6 — “This oughtta shut her up.”

There was a point in my life where I watched The Simpsons on a regular rotation. Whether it be through syndication, DVD release or watching the new episodes as they aired, I would constantly cycle through my favorite episodes of the series, which were plentiful. The humor was always so wild, so unpredictable. Even if I had seen an episode dozens of times, there was always something new I could discover. The show was never too afraid to diversify its sense of humor, going for the juvenile, the surreal, the satiric, the macabre, the clever or just the plain silly at any point. I honestly wouldn’t have such a diverse sense of humor if I wasn’t exposed to episodes as jam packed with laughs as Marge vs. The Monorail (“No, the world needs laughter.”), The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show (“He’s totally in my face!”) or Treehouse of Horror V (“DON’T MIND IF I DO!”) from an early age.

My love for the show didn’t just have to do with its humor, though. A big part of what held a show like The Simpsons together is how it treated its characters. Everyone from Homer to Apu to Ned Flanders to Mrs. Krabapple had familiar traits of ineptitude, yet always found some sort of solace with who they were and attempted to make peace with the fact that they weren’t perfect people. Some of my favorite episodes aren’t the ones that existed mainly to fire off as many jokes as possible. They were the ones that focused on who these characters were as people within a half hour, which made them all the more relatable and gave life lessons I could latch onto in between the laughs. Lisa’s Substitute taught me to believe in my own abilities. Rosebud made me realize that it’s better to pass on objects of the past that could bring joy to others. Lisa’s Wedding showed me that, no matter how silly the people in your life are, their willingness to accept and love you is what really matters. The emotional moments made the show more than just hysterical; they made it impactful.

Nothing Lasts Forever

simpsonsbartlaurie — “You won’t be needing THIS.”

I can’t exactly pinpoint when my interest in the show truly started to drain. Many a Simpsons hater cites anywhere between season 9 and season 12 as the point where the show “became terrible.” Honestly, I never really thought the show became outright “terrible” as much as it became far more inconsistent. With the show now running 25 years at about 22 episodes per season since season 2, it can’t help but eventually reach a point where the consistent rate of laughs dwindles. I do agree that the first season where the problems started to creep up was season 12, which has this disjointed mix of genuinely hysterical or emotional episodes (Trilogy of Error, HOMR) and ones that show evidence of the show’s decline (Simpson Safari, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes). The latter category which has plagued many a season mainly consists of episodes that focus on big guest stars over story, recycling of old jokes and (worst of all) having the well established characters degrade into very exaggerated one dimensional versions of what they were.

That last problem I think is what ultimately hurt the show most for me. Take Homer Simpson; initially a lovable dolt of a family man who might screw things up yet usually has his heart in the right place, Homer soon turned into a self centered moron that cared more about his next weekly scheme than his loved ones. The Homer from episodes like Lost Our Lisa (where Homer strives to find Lisa after finding out she’s lost in the city due to her inexperience with the public bus system) was eventually replaced by the Homer in episodes like Co-Dependent’s Day (in which Homer drives while drinking wine with Marge and pins the eventual accident on her, causing Marge to be frightfully worried about being an alcoholic). This sort of problem has plagued many a beloved character over the years, including Mr. Burns, Bart and Ned Flanders, to the point where the third’s surname has become the namesake of this very trope over at the website TVTropes.com; “Flanderization.” Once episodes featuring all these negative traits started out numbering the genuinely good ones, I stopped following the show all together.

Looking Back

Bart's_Friend_Falls_in_Love_84 — “Well, ’tis better to have loved and lost yatta, yatta, yatta. Let’s go to the arcade.”

Currently, I have no ill will towards The Simpsons. How could I, with a show that consistently entertained me for a solid decade’s worth of episodes? I’ve gone back to the old episodes I love multiple times and I’ll still catch a new episode here and there, a few of which end up surprising me in terms of how funny and even touching they can be. Probably the best thing the show has put out in the last ten years was The Simpsons Movie in 2007, which pooled together the show’s best writers and displayed a story that brought the characters back to what they were; lovable yet heavily flawed. Hell, even the recent theme park ride at Universal Studios based on the show managed to do that in spades. A few recent episodes that I felt managed to do the same include Moe Baby Blues, Eternal Moonshine of the Spotless Mind and Holidays of Future Passed. Still, most modern day Simpsons episodes have displayed a track record for being something worse than horrendous; generally being boring. Watching a couple of current episodes in row is kind of like visiting an older relative in adulthood; you see a few hints of the person you loved so much when you were younger, but your enjoyment of them is dulled by the fact that all their stories & jokes feel too familiar and they just aren’t as spry as they used to be.

As I said before, The Simpsons feels like more of an institution than a TV series at this point. The show’s been around longer than I’ve been alive, so my generation has just sort of accepted the fact that the show continues to exist. It’ll be a sad day when The Simpsons eventually aires its final episode, but there definitely won’t be a single utterance of “it was cancelled before its time.” Even when it does pass, the show’s cultural impact won’t dissolve with it. I still have friends that post Simpsons gifs, YouTube clips and memes on Facebook, showing that the jokes still resonate with viewers all these years later. Even if it’s lost its touch, I’ll never really lose affection for The Simpsons and I’ll still proudly quote it whenever I feel its appropriate.

Fair enough.

But what about the rest of you out there? When did you feel The Simpsons lost it’s bite? Or do you still feel the show is delivering quality content? Post your thoughts in the comments below.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

After barely surviving last week’s remake battle royale, the supreme sports nerds of Inside the Locker gear up for their next Totally Accurate, Desperately Necessary Movie Elimination Tournament!

This time, for our March Madness style gauntlet, we’ve assembled the Sweet 16 of celebrated Die Hard Rip-offs. That’s right, we have come together to decide once and for all (this week) which of these films is the very best…and being not quite as good as Die Hard. The sixteenth seed went to the listener-voted NIT entrant The Rock. How far will that underdog advance?

First Showing’s Jeremy K. Kirk once again joins us, but this time decides to take on the mantle of competitor and hands his judge’s robes to Elliott. The results were incredibly interesting (like Virginia Commonwealth in the Final Four interesting) and produced our most raucous reactions to date. But who shall win it all?!

Yippee-Ki-Yay, master forgeries!

DIE Hard Rip-Off Elimination Tournament (29:58)

The starting bracket is pictured below. If you want to see the results (and spoil the fun before you even listen to the show…for shame), click on the image to reveal a filled-in version of the bracket.

Next Week’s Tournament: Sword-and-Sandal Films

Follow us on Twitter. If you don’t we will have to dispatch Nightmare Bear to your bedroom window. He will cleanse you with his frozen hellfire.

The Show Account–@ITLCast
Brian–@BriguySalisbury
J.C.–@jcdeleon1
Elliott–@ITLElliott
Adam–@the_beef
Jeremy Kirk–@JeremyKKirk

Robocop has quite the expanded universe. But there is one thing yet to be tapped into in their cinematic universes.

This year, after twenty seven years since the original ‘Robocop’ gets the big budget reboot treatment. Opinion has varied dramatically on the quality of the film but general consensus is its very much a distilled version of a classic that doesn’t quite get why the original is so beloved. Regardless of how this new film is, there is one story I have always wanted to see be told on the big screen; ‘Robocop VS Terminator’. Now usually I scoff at franchise combining movies. I scoffed at Batman VS Superman, I scoffed at Freddy VS Jason and I scoffed at Aliens VS Predator. However, for me the idea of Robocop and Terminator in the same film makes sense.

Originally, ‘Robocop VS Terminator’ was four issue comic book written by Frank Miller which was then adapted into several video games. The plot, was as follow;

The comic book series begins with Skynet sending three Terminators back in time to Detroit to protect a turmoiled RoboCop from a lone human soldier also sent back to destroy him.

Discovering that the technology used to build him is partly responsible for the future development of Skynet, RoboCop sets out to take down Skynet in the post-apocalyptic future single-handedly. Part of the story focuses on his mind, the only part left of him, hiding and moving throughout Skynet’s systems, fighting back as best he can.

RoboCop’s human consciousness (Alex Murphy) waits for decades in hiding deep within Skynet’s “consciousness”, avoiding detection as the slaughter of humanity takes place. He waits for the opportunity when Skynet’s attention will be focused on other matters with the war against the humans for him to make a move. A human assault allows Murphy to create a Terminator body that resembles his old form. He makes his escape and is nearly destroyed by human resistance fighters. He identifies himself as an ally and after gaining their confidence begins to plot to destroy Skynet with them.

As the planning continues, the humans devise a final assault on the central location where Skynet is being housed. They realize that they do not have the manpower to complete their assault. One of the humans asks RoboCop how he was able to build his body. Upon explaining how he accomplished this, the human asks him why he couldn’t do the same thing many times over. The group begins their assault on the Skynet compound and it is evident that they will not succeed when a buzzing is heard from behind them. The original RoboCop has succeeded in not only replicating, but improving himself. A swarm of flying RoboCops descend upon the battle and turn the tide. While the battle rages on outside the facility, the original RoboCop sneaks into the facility and shuts down Skynet. He then surrounds himself in blob of the human flesh that covers the Terminators in order to travel back to the past before the appearance of the original Terminators.

Upon the appearance of the strange blob in the present, the people are confused and then terrified as the metal RoboCop tears forth from the mass of flesh and immediately blasts off into space. He finds the earliest iteration of Skynet, which in this story is a spy satellite, and destroys it. Upon the explosion of the satellite, he immediately disappears as the caption explains that this version of RoboCop would never have existed without Skynet.

The story ends with the RoboCop of modern times feeling a sense of peace without any inner turmoil from the beginning of the story, returning to the police headquarters for much-needed rest.

I like this comic however, it falls short of the potential of combining these two franchises together and gets a little “hokey” with human flesh blobs and countless Robocop’s flying in to save the day, although this was made interesting by Youtube creator AMDSFILMS in their Robocop VS Terminator fan edits.

So why is ‘Robocop VS Terminator’ ripe for a cinematic outing? I will tell you.

OCP is easily a legitimate possible precursor to Skynet.

OCP have demonstrated their interested in technology advances time and time again. It’s perfectly viable that after the success of Robocop but collapse of the Delta City plan, they decide to re-brand and become Skynet. Perhaps Skynet is already a department of OCP who collaborated in the creation of Robocop or even they are privatized by the military, controlled and consumed just as they did to the police of Detroit. It’s a story conceit that easily fits without having to try and shoehorn two franchise histories together.

Robocop as an early Terminator design
Little is known about the internals of Robocop. How does his face look under that skin? It could easily be an exoskeleton and such a revelation could be dark and shocking for Murphy. It ties into the idea of humanity and what it means to be human. A similar idea was present in early drafts for ‘Robocop 2’ when he is disassembled. We were to see that underneath his skin was a metal surface. If Robocop is an early precursor to the same technology then this very easily puts him at odds with the future resistance and could even lead to him being protected by Skynet.

Franchise
Even without retelling the origins or Robocop, we could have a number of films which chart the course of Skynet’s birth and Robocop’s attempts to figure out and stop the war that he himself is part of. It could build on the foundations of the early films in the respective franchise and play on the fact that there is already a built in audience for both.

Robocop vs Terminator could be nightmarish, satirical and violent if done correctly. In a world of reboots of lesser quality. Why couldn’t we put these two iconic characters together?

The 30 Dozen: ‘Purple Rain’

Go Geaux Anime!: ‘Bleach’

Go Geaux Anime! #1:

The Gathering: The Oscars Live This Sunday!

Ash & Fern: The Glitz! The Glamour!

In Discussion: Should Actors Ever Work for Free?

Movie Review: ‘Non-Stop’

One Of Us At Staple!

I’m All Out Of Love #1: The Simpsons

ITL Movie Elimination Tournament: Die Hard Rip-offs

The Show Account–@ITLCast
Brian–@BriguySalisbury
J.C.–@jcdeleon1
Elliott–@ITLElliott
Adam–@the_beef
Jeremy Kirk–@JeremyKKirk

Why I want Robocop VS Terminator to happen.

Go Geaux Anime! #1:

The Show Account–@ITLCast Brian–@BriguySalisbury J.C.–@jcdeleon1 Elliott–@ITLElliott Adam–@the_beef Jeremy Kirk–@JeremyKKirk

The Show Account–@ITLCast
Brian–@BriguySalisbury
J.C.–@jcdeleon1
Elliott–@ITLElliott
Adam–@the_beef
Jeremy Kirk–@JeremyKKirk