Way back in this post, I expounded on the latest incarnation of eveybody's favorite enigma-solving and ghost chasing pooch - Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorportated.
This is a quick status update.
I’d spoken of how it has brought a much needed new element to the Scooby-verse - a narrative story arc. Well, it hasn’t lost sight of that. Far from it. It’s not only kept it up, but has layered it upon itself. What on earth do I mean? Simple.
I’d told you of how the Scooby gang had been receiving strange leads and clues from someone hailing as Mr. E. Well, we’ve since learned who he is. I don’t want to spoil it for you if you’ve yet to see the whole saga, but suffice to say it’s not a superfluous character. Rather Mr. E is imbedded into the tale already. And once we learn more of this pre-established backstory, it doesn’t stop there. We’re suddenly privy to a clearing up of what happened long ago in Crystal Cove’s past. Yet it still doesn’t stop there! We delve into the mystery that had been around long before, one that the mystery-solving team prior to Scooby’s took on and only partially succeeded in figuring out. Thus, we have fresh story with backstory in a backstory derived from a backstory. Wow. They really took their time developing this concoction. It may sound as if it were convoluted, but I assure you, it’s not. Well, it’s not so far as a Scooby Doo cartoon is concerned.
And all the while, they have not dropped any of the side issues among characters, nor ignored any of the great avenues to explore.
On the whole, they’ve managed to bolster the world of Scooby into something practically logical. And we all know how preposterous it had been in the first place.
I should mention that a friend of mine who has long moved away now and happens to be a big Scooby fan also enjoys the show, but he feels that the overlaying storylines get a bit thick and out of hand, perhaps even unnecessary or in the way. But by the same token, he didn’t pooh-pooh them or wish they were entirely absent.
And then there’s Zoey, who watches it peripherally when her kids do. She thinks it truly awful what they’ve done with the franchise. She specifically cited the Shaggy and Velma “romance” (which fails- no mystery there!) as one of the offenses. You might recall that I also raised an eyebrow at this notion, but kept on with it only to see how well it had been handled - and that it brought along with it a character development that had been sorely needed after so many manifestations. So I told her she’d have to see it all from the beginning and let it do its thing, since it most definitely relies on the power of the Story Arc to work.
So, to the entire team who brought us Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorportated, I say:
BRAVO! Bravo, indeed.
Okay, then, how about the Lost Boys? No, not the vampire movie inspired by Barrie's tale. The actual band of boys that followed Peter without question. Well, they're being called into question themselves now.
Fox Television and Imagine TV are bringing The League of Pan to the small screen. It'll be set in modern day and revolve around the Lost Boys ten years after they had left the Neverland. It's a re-imaginaning, of course. So I'm not going to point out that Barrie already told us about their lives and what happens to each of them in this instance. For it's probably not relevant. Unless time proves otherwise, this is a different lens entirely and not meant to be in cohesion with the original stories.
Could be fun. Wonder if Pan will show up, no? One report I read said that Wendy remains "snubbed and miffed" - whether that means she's an embittered character on the show or not, I don't know. I'm just cuirous how it will work as a drama each week. Do we really need to see "teenage"/young gent Lost Boys coping with modern day? I don't now either. Perhaps we should take heart, for Fox handled Barrie quite well in the past with Peter Pan & the Pirates. This time around the idea is brought to us by writer Brian McCauley Johnson.
But Barrie's tale is indeed rich for so much to be developed around it, harnessing the theme of coping with thedreams and realities of the choices we make. Let's hope this choice is a good one.
After seeing it, I thought the movie Napoleon Dynamite would work as a TV series. I, for one, wanted more of these characters. But a sequel seemed beyond the limits of what could be done. What on earth would constitute a good enough plotline to sustain a film? But a series? That’s an open invitation to explore many avenues of comedy without striving or requiring it to be so big. The mundane and quirky lives of these strange people can be showcased in perfectly sized vignettes. After all, the movie had been not much more than that to begin with, right?
Someone else thought so, too, and I am glad of it. For it DOES work. Very well. And they had the excellent idea of doing it in animation.
Buttercup had been skeptical at first, but given that it’s Napoleon Dynamite and has all the original cast voicing their characters, she’d been willing to give it a try. (She’d also laughed at the ads.) She wound up cracking up just as much as me. She now whole-heartedly agrees - it’s a marvelous TV show.
I’m not sure what it is about this wacky world. Much of it doesn’t seem as if it should be funny at all. It just IS. And I’m happy to say that whatever worked in the movie is still carrying the mojo for the cartoon. Plus, there's the added bonus of having the freedom to be THAT much wackier to [moon]boot. Instead of needing Jon Heder to pilot a jet ski and daringly make a sweet jump, Napoleon and friends can now just do it. Tina the Llama can be helping Napoleon with his exercises. Aaron Ruell doesn’t have to master the Fushigi Magic Gravity Ball... but his cartoon Kip self certainly can with no trouble. To great hilarity. And I must say that it’s a sheer delight to have Grandma be around. She’s just as I pictured her in daily life. (She’d been gone most of the movie.)
Water skiing, too!
Also, the opening sequence is just right. It's funny AND shows us all the main characters in a way that's not forced. And I adore the way Napoleon runs. How did they get that calm-psycho quality of Heder into a drawing? Not sure, but I'm sure it's there.
Hooray for everyone involved. I applaud. I wipe tears of laughter from my eyes and look forward to more episodes of this SWEET show.
Don’t you love it when a story gets better and better as it goes along? Yeah, me too.
That’s the case with Once Upon a Time. It's gotten stronger. I've since discovered that Lemonie is also a big fan. She's just invested as me. It's often shocking and always crafty.
I have to applaud this past episode. Not only did it deal with my favorite character in the show, it taught me a thing or two without me realizing it.
Rumpelstiltskin.
Before I go on, let me ask... how much do YOU know about this fairy tale entity? Probably, like me, just the basics: Little guy who spins straw into gold who gets paid dearly for his efforts, a la a first born child and only guessing his name will negate such a grisly contract.
But is that it? Surely there’s more to this character. What’s HIS story? (The familiar one with him in it is really about the girl who’s forced to produce gold from straw.) How is he even able to create a precious metal from dried grass? Where did he come from? WHO IS Rumpelstiltskin?
It’s pretty darn great when one winds up sitting and digesting for a moment or nine after the episode is over. So charmed had I been with their interpretation and backstory, I went right to the computer to look him up [after I’d “digested.”] I’d been very pleased to discover actual lore about the character had been incorporated. Once Upon a Time has built upon a basic fact of him - why he is called Rumpelstiltskin (which is the same as what his name means.) From Wikipedia:
The name Rumpelstilzchen in German means literally "little rattle stilt". (A stilt is a post or pole which provides support for a structure.) A rumpelstilt or rumpelstilz was the name of a type of goblin, also called a pophart or poppart that makes noises by rattling posts and rapping on planks. The meaning is similar to rumpelgeist ("rattle ghost") or poltergeist, a mischievous spirit that clatters and moves household objects. The ending -chen is a German diminutive and designates something as 'little' or 'dear,' depending on context.
AH, so that’s why Once Upon a Time had the character use a walking stick in this episode... and why his counterpart in “our world” of Storybrook, Mr. Gold, has a cane.
Meanwhile, the “parallel story” in Storybrook proved just as compelling and just as delightfully inter-connected as has become par for the show.
I didn’t think it possible to make me love the uber-icky and twistedly awesome Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold more than I already did. But the writers here certainly know how to manipulate my emotions - just like the character himself.
creators Adam
Horowitz and Edward Kitsis came up with a
simple but elegant premise for a new TV show, Once Upon a Time.
I had hopes for this
show. Not necessarily high ones, but
lofty enough that I wondered if it would be able to reach them. As with most things, I waited patiently for
it to arrive.
After viewing the pilot,
I decided it to be worthy of another gander.
It didn’t blow me away, no. But
it didn’t smack of utterly lousy either.
In other words, it had potential.
So I gave it the chance it deserved.
Now many episodes in, I’m
glad that I did. It’s shaped up quite
nicely. I had wondered if such a simple
plot could be sustained to a satisfactory level without being just a gimmick,
and it turns out it can be. Quite well. What is this seemingly gimmick plot?
All the fairy tales are
real (but of course) and the Evil Queen has decided to take away all the happy
endings. She puts the most evil of curses
on the land and the people - sending them to a horrible place: our world. The characters are all now renamed and have
forgotten their true identities and lives, living in a little town called
Storybrook. Just before the curse ‘hit’
however, Snow White and her Prince Charming sent their infant daughter Emma away
via a magic portal. Yep, Emma wound up
here...ahead of everyone else. Turns out
she grew up and gave a child up for adoption.
Well, this child, a little boy named Henry, seeks her out as she is the
only one who can restore the stories in his “magical” book of fairy tales.
It’s rather clever in its
writing. The counterparts (such as
Queen/Mayor) work very nicely. And the
names are terrific. Miss Blanchard, the
schoolteacher... she’s Snow White.
Blanca/White. A recent episode featured
a maid named Ashley (sp?) and it’s learned she has two stepsisters and a
stepmother. Ah! Cinderella.
Cinder/Ash. Well played. There are plenty of other allusions as such
and it’s a joy to hear/see them come to light.
Since it’s on
Disney-owned ABC, they’ve been using the Disney names. Maleficent is mentioned, for instance, and
the dwarves have the monikers made familiar by the animated feature Snow White.
It has enough questions
that arise - such as who each character “is” or the mysteries surrounding the
great tome of stories that the boy Henry carries around. Where did HE get it? Who
would he be in the fairy tale land/s? Would
he be anyone since he’d been born outside of them? What needs to be done for Emma to restore the
fairy tales?
It's also interesting to see well-known characters behave differently. Not just as their real-world counterparts but, for instance, Snow White as an outlaw thief (in the fairy tale land.) For you see, part of what makes this show work is it doesn't singularize the focus. We're treated to backstory in the fairy tale realm... which can also directly parallel events in the 'real' world. Such as Rumpelstiltskin demanding a child for his services... but now he would have to go through adoption proceedings. It's fun to see how the two worlds mirror (ha!) or collide with each other, as well as the welcome oddity of seeing White with a sword. Thus, in both realms we're given new ways of looking at old stories. And the "look" of the storybook lands is "just right."
Maybe I’m just a sucker
for fairy tales... no, that’s not it. For
it’s very easy to rework them poorly. But
this one seems to be doing something right.
A goodly amount of magic has been peppered into this show. It doesn’t exactly sparkle with it, but it
shines through nevertheless.
So last night Buttercup and I watched this week's episode of Teen Wolf. She's my watching partner. I don't view it until we can get together in front of my big screen. For the record, still love the show. Even this far into the season (only one episode left as of now) scenes from (or references to) the movie source material manifest in amusing ways. Bravo to all.
But the real point of this post is a commercial that aired quite a few times. I caught it even in fast-forward. But then, with the big glowing word 'Wendy' on the screen how could I miss it?
Apparently Macy's (yes, the store) has a forthcoming series called Wendy. And you guessed right - it's a take on the famous Barrie tale. Here, Peter Pan is called Pete. It's updated, you see. Am I enraged? No, of course not. Why? As I've said before, I applaud reinterpretatons or reimaginings. Take a spin on this amazing story. It's only when it's meant to be contiguous to Barrie and fails that irks me. Anyway, it looks like fun. Kind of a Melrose Place meets Peter Pan.
I'd not been able to find much of it on the ol' interwebs. But looking again I found all the answers posted by some nice person named Lauren on 'Yahoo! Answers' here.
Essentially it's a web series showcasing their lines loosely based on the "timeless story" (as it says.) Macy's paired with Alloy Entertainment. It premieres September 25th.
Well, I’m happy to be able to report that yet another “reboot” has been totally worth it. Cartoon Network has released a new version of the 80’s cartoon Thundercats. And it’s to purr about.
I liked the original show, but I wouldn’t say I’d been a true fan of it. But that doesn’t affect my opinion of how well it compares. For both Bart and Buttercup, who would count themselves among those enthralled with it, also really like this new take on it.
For one thing, the animation is superior. But that’s really no difficult task.
What I like best about the new Thundercats is that it begins further back in time. Nutshell: A handful of surviving Thundercats (including the heir to the throne) are forced to leave their planet of Thundera, only to be pursued and thwarted by the “villains” of other anthropomorphic animals as well as a mysterious and freaky mummy-like character named Mumm-Ra who wants the “Eye of Thundera” which is embedded in the Hero’s sword.
The first go around, we only briefly saw their home planet and knew virtually nothing about their ways, customs and culture. To be honest, this is one of the reasons it never really shined for me. I wanted that backstory to be able to care about the characters.
The second go at it, we (as I said) begin much earlier in the tale. Thus, providing a richer understanding. We even now see Lion-O’s (the Hero) father, the king. But in terms of making them more understood beyond cat-humans, this cartoon series has done something rather interesting. The Thundercats are not exactly the great beings we once thought them to be. It’s their kind (cats) that oppress the other animal-beings...hoarding the resources and enslaving them. They’re the bad guys in this one! Of course, Lion-O does not like this once he discovers the truth and speaks out against his father. Nothing really new here, as this is the same plot as Fritz Lang’s Metropolis from 1927. But it works rather well.
Another reason the original seemed a bit flat to me is that the “villains” (animal-based humans and Mumm-Ra) seemed arbitrary. They just were there, and hated the Thundercats, wanting that sword’s “eye.” Now there might be something I’m forgetting which helped explain them beyond “bad guys.” But even if it did, it had obviously not been memorable. Here, though, it’s different. We see that Mumm-Ra is an ancient evil once thwarted by the Thundercats and that the Eye belongs to him - once again painting the ‘cats to be not so stellar on their morals. I’ve already mentioned their abuse of the other creatures. There’s more to it than all this, fortunately, but I’m not going to bore you with it.
They’re also so much more cat-like than they were the first time, which only makes sense (and had bothered me before as well.) They’ve taken some liberties, such as making Tigra and Lion-O brothers, changing up relationships and such... but hey, it’s a reboot. It’s not supposed to be exactly the same. So far the changes are welcomed. The character design is such that they’re easily recognizable as their 80’s counterparts but they’re more sleek and tweaked just enough to be “new.” Oh - they also gave the Thundercats - get this - THUNDER & lightning to use! Cool.
Snarf 2011
80's Snarf
They even managed to keep the most annoying character, Snarf (annoying in voice [always saying 'Snarf Snarf'] and intrusiveness), and tone him down to something not so damned irritating. (Reboot Snarf doesn't talk [as of yet that I've seen] beyond a version of his trademark 'snarf' but it doesn't sound the same. The difference, for instance, between a cat's actual meow and our saying "meow.")
And so, because this version cares much more deeply about the story it would seem [even to the point of trying to make sense of one of the more ridiculous bits in the original: The Ro-Bear Berbils [cyborg bears with tufts of fur from their metal] by having a glimpse of them as a relic from a time of technology now thought to be mere myth, proven wrong when Mumm-Ra awakes and joins forces with the others who have been developing this mythical weaponry ever since...] ANYWAY, I’m liking it very much - mostly due to the bonus of actual storytelling this time!
Back in May of last year, we discovered that a cartoon series of Napoleon Dynamite would be forthcoming. As I said in the post, I'd been on board from the start, as I really wanted to see more of these characters and places.
Well, fortunately the outcome is looking pretty Sweet.
The cast does return to reprise their roles. Can't ask for better.
Due to the recent San Diego Comic-Con, we now have clips of the show. Before I saw them, I'd been a good boy and held off until I watched each and every video interview with the actors (5 of 'em) to hear their take and thoughts on the cartoon-izing of Napoloen & his crew. And with each one, my anitcipation grew. I really liked what they had to say about it.
And then came time to watch the clips. I laughed as much as I did with the movie. Looks like it's going to be great, folks.
Hooray for more Napoleon Dynamite.
He'll be back to entertain us with his wackiness "midseason" on FOX in 2012.
Here's one clip so you can see what I mean... you can find more here. [It's not the site I originally found them on, so it doesn't have the individual cast interviews.]
Sometimes I’m what I call a “peripheral fan.” That means that I generally appreciate something, but I am not ga-ga for it, nor do I seek it out regularly. But I know enough to get by and will gladly watch (or read or whatever the case may be) that ‘something’ every so often.
Well, one thing I am a peripheral fan of is Doctor Who.
I just wanted to say that I think Doctor Who is pretty damn ingenious. if you’re not aware of him, you’ve been in a virtual closet. He’s been around since 1963. At any rate, here’s a good description, as per how it appears on Wikipedia:
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a mysterious and eccentric humanoid alien known as the Doctor who travels through time and space in his spacecraft, the TARDIS (an acronym for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space), which normally appears from the exterior to be a blue 1950s British police box. With his companions, he explores time and space, faces a variety of foes, saves civilizations, defeats alien, human and technological enemies of sorts, helping others and righting wrongs, as well as improving the way people, aliens and robots choose to live their lives.
What I really like about this show is the built-in aspects that allow for ease of production. One could argue that they’re cop-outs, I suppose, but when it’s woven into the fabric of story with such wonderful coloration, it’s hard to easily dismiss it as anything but adding to the overall fun.
Not mentioned in that summary is that the Doctor has died many times. But you see, he’s actually a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Gallifreyans will “regenerate,” and can do so 12 times, for a total of 13 incarnations. What fun! But what that means in practical terms is that 13 different actors can play him over the course of, er, time. Not only is that cooler/fairer to actors, but it also, of course, enables the story/character to go on for many years. (But not forever... they’re on the 11th Doctor now!)
Another deliciously conspicuous “cop-out” is the TARDIS itself. It’s supposed to have a “cloaking device,” by which it seamlessly blends into its surroundings so as not to disrupt space-time (or expose the Doctor.) Well, we only see it as a 1950s-style British police box. The reason? It has a malfunction of its Chameleon Circuit and is thus stuck in that shape. Not only is this convenient for filming and budgetary concerns, it present quite a “joke.” It’s rather funny on its own, but to have it negating one of the very technological wonders of the Doctor’s device... that’s especially humorous. [Note: My friend Nightfogger who is a devoted fan of the Doctor who read this post before it went up informs me: "We do get to see the TARDIS as other things a few times (a harpsichord, a stone pillar) but it always ends up back as the police box."] See, I'm just peripheral. :)
And since he can travel in time, well, that allows for any number of scenarios. One of my personal favorites is when the TARDIS lands on the deck of a ship at sea. It frightens the hell out of the crew and passengers and they all jump overboard, thus instantly and forever abandoning their vessel. The Doctor looks over and sees the name of the ship: Mary Celeste. He comments on that mystery being solved. (Click the ship name if you aren’t aware of it.) But how great is it to not be limited to a particular time or place? From one episode to the next you can be in the future or the roaring 20’s.
So there you have it. Wacky “devices” nicely tucked into a witty, sometimes funny and always poignant storyline. No wonder it’s the longest-running science fiction television show in the world as well as the most successful science fiction series of all time.
In this day and age (21st Century, no less) we think we have "seen it all."
But here's something unprecedented.
I especially like it because it has to do with novels.
When it comes to adapting a narrative book into the moving picture medium there's generally a choice between making a film or a TV mini-series. Sure, there are variants such as making a book into two films, or producing a regular series out of it. I've often expressed that I think Peter and Wendy would work best as a mini-series. And truth be told, I think my What If It's a Trick Question? lends itself better to episodic television, just given the nature of the piece.
So what's this about unprecedented?
Stephen King's popular series The Dark Tower is being brought to the screen. So? How about...BOTH. Yep, both the big silver screen and the "small screen" of TV (which is kind of a weird term nowadays given the size of many TVs). After much debate and stops and starts on how best to handle King's epic as a "movie" they eventually came up with a solution.
It will first appear as a film, with theatrical release. It will then come to television (with the same actors from the movie) and continue on for a while as a series/show. It will next (contiguously) move back into another film (theater) and... you get the idea. It will be three movies, with a television series (as part of the the continuing saga) as bridges between the flicks.
I can't say (who can?) how well it will work or turn out... but nevertheless, it is highly intriguing. And at any rate, historic.
Ron Howard will be directing.
I will shamefully admit that I have not gotten around to reading The Dark Tower. But I probably will now that it's going to be adapted so "never before seen"ly. Besides, my fan Anon adores the series and (if I recall correctly) compared WIIaTQuestion? in terms of 'epicness' (to some degree). I should probably read it, then, no?
Back on July 20, I gave my initial thoughts on Cartoon Network's new Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated in this post. I've now seen seven episodes of it. I thought I'd give an update.
It turns out that, yes, the obvious had been/is true - this Scooby Doo adventure is contiguous. The never-be-seen-in-a-Scooby-show idea of creating a story arc not only is happening, but it's being done to fantastic results. It's an arc that is always lurking, but not in your face. They're doing a great job of stringing a thread through each episode, while still creating stand-alone pieces. Of course, that cannot entirely be the case, but the referential bits to other shows are not so clandestine that someone just jumping in will wind up lost for that episode. But don't let that fool you - it's not as if they're over-simplified either. I'm quite impressed with how the overall elements are woven into the single stories.
I'll be honest - twice now it has thrown me for a loop. It utterly suprised me with a twist or two. That's a rare thing in a Scooby show, don't you think? It's a nice and even balance to the "I can guess what the mystery is" of the original series. Since it can often be a bit of a let down when you already are already steps ahead of the Scooby gang, how exciting and cool is it to have an myserty that spans over all of them that you are hard pressed to solve? P.S. - That "Mr. E" charatcer is heating up!
On to my other concerns... the kids' parents and their "relationships."
It turns out that having their parents/siblings does lend itself to some poignancy. Whereas before we wondered what the deal with thse "teens" had been driving around aimlessly in a van finding people in costumes everywhere they go, we now have a 'base' for them. They go to school together and the like, so having their parents concerned (or not) with what they are doing creates a dimension also unhithero seen in Scooby cartoons. Sure, their folks might be just a peppering (which led me to wonder why they even had them) but the truth is that it is a spice nevertheless. And it's becoming an acquired taste.
Now, the thing about Shaggy and Velma being a secretive couple... although ultimately it still doesn't sit right with me, I am warming up to it. Why? Because it's not just "there." It factors into the storylines, such as their strain affecting the outcome of a successful capture or creating a 'mystery' among the gang itself. (e.g. perhaps Fred wonders why Velma isn't where she's supposed to be - and it's because she's been spying on Shaggy instead...) So, it's not just a wacky add-on, it's a full-fledged story element. Daphne has always been sweet on Fred... but now, there's depth to it. When have you (besides the movies) ever seen a Scooby character be anything more than 2-Dimensional in terms of personality? Yep, it's done here in Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated. Not just in their potential hook-ups, but of their lives in general. This Scooby gang learns and grows and holds grudges and... you get the idea.
Lastly, it pays homage wonderfully. It's just like watching old-school Scooby, but fresh and with 21st Century markings. They even make fun of the original in a loving way, such as variants on the "And I would have gotten away with it to, if it weren't for you meddling kids." So far (I think) none of the 'villains' has actually said those words. Instead they tweak it so as to be included but different. For example, one of them had been known to be studying Latin earlier in the episode. So they say it in Latin instead, with the remark of something like 'Loosely translated that means: I would have succeeded if not for you interfering young people.' (Not exact, of course.)
So on the whole, what had been a little scary about the new version has been unmasked.
Looking forward to more - and finding out the answers to the mystery of the old-tyme Mystery Incorporated! (I speak of a clue from Daphne's locket...)
Way back on February 25 2010, I said I might eventually get around to giving some other reasons I love the cartoon series Johnny Test.
The truth is... I still can't get enough of him. I often have little Jonathan Test as the wallpaper on my computer and my phone. I look forward to Mondays because that [currently] means another episode/segment. My TiVo still faithfully records them and every so often I'll watch a episode I haven't seen in a while. Just the other day I realized that there is only ONE episode where Johnny isn't wearing his blue overshirt* for a large chunk of the story... and that doesn't include when he's dressed otherwise. [i.e. in the episode the rest of his standard outfit is intact sans the blue shirt.]
*perhaps it's a jacket, but I think of it as an overshirt since I tend to wear shirts like that myself
ANYWAY...
Some of my not getting back to it on here is due to forgetfulness, some of it chalks up to laziness and a smaller chunk of it seems to be that I must have been particularly "hopped up" on Johnny that day, since I've come to realize that my other reasons aren't really all that interesting. But, I'll state them now just to get it over with...
I bet you could see this one coming... in some ways he's like Peter Pan. Johnny Test falls under the heading of the 'puer' mythos. (That's really just Latin for boy.) He's a boy hero who gets himself tangled up into all sorts of adventures which often turn dangerous or deadly and in most cases they are by his own doing. Besides diving headfirst into recklessness, Johnny, like Pan, can be insentitive to others' feelings. He's in it for himself, and to hell with everybody else. But don't be fooled by either of them. Given the right circumstance, Johnny and Pan will care. (If you need a Pan example, why else would he bring Wendy with him for the Lost Boys? [Yes, sure, okay, it had been for himself, too. But even so, there's a part of Pan that will do the right thing when it comes down to it - such as saving Michael Darling from the sharks to appease Wendy... or how about saving Wendy and the boys from Hook?]) Likewise, Johnny will not stand for others mistreating his sisters, even if he himself does it. You'll also find him being nice on purpose from time to time. I suppose I just like the "semi-heartless boy" idea. And as Dukey (Test's talking dog) says in an episode [wherein Johnny's "bad" self is extracted from him and accidentally runs amok and "good" Johnny is utterly, annoyingly sweet]: AIH! I don't like Good Johnny. I'm not crazy about a totally Bad Johnny. But a caring yet mischievious Johnny is what I love.
(And yes, I slapped together the "Johnny Pan" pic.)
Another reason is his hair. Yes, really, his hair. Over and over on the show he's referred to (even in front of him or to him) as the "flame headed boy" (or some variant thereof). I like characters aflame, it seems. I used to draw little wisps of flame with feet. And in What If It's a Trick Question? Jeremy's favorite video game features an imp with flames for hair. Now, granted, Johnny's hair isn't moving like fire. But the idea is there, and that appeals to me.
Okay, see... I said they weren't that interesting.
If there's another reason, I'll be sure to burden you with it when I remember.
I’m a fan of Scooby Doo!... well, some Scooby Doo. “Old School” Scooby for sure. And some of the “old new stuff” as well. I also really enjoyed the live-action movies (the ones that came to theaters, not the made-for-TV kind), although Monsters Unleashed should have been the first movie released. The rest of it… no thanks.
Cartoon Network has brought Scooby-Doo back to television in the cartoon form with Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated. I admit that given the “newer” Scooby Doo out there, I’d been a little more than skeptical of it. But at the same time I wanted it to be good, since we can always use more good Scooby.
Well, I’ve watched two episodes now and I haven’t quite made up my mind. This Scooby ventures into territory where no Doo has gone before (at least to my knowledge… which does not include most of the new animated movies. [I’d seen most of one and dismissed them.]) I’m not sure if I like the changes or not. I’ll get to the uncharted parts in just a moment.
First, the animation. I think it’s wonderful. They certainly look “old school” in terms of their (desirable) “flatness” (and retain their original outfits unlike some manifestations) and yet they reside in a pseudo-3D environment with obvious computer enhancement (but not CGI in the sense of Pixar). It works. Sometimes the blending of these two styles is distracting and sloppy, but not here. It’s a very pleasing and seamless world. Bravo.
The opening is wonderful. It's slick, true to the characters and fun without being too cutesy. I even like seeing Velma with a laptop computer - it works. The theme is good, too, quite unobtrusive... with no lyrics. This might been seen as veering from the original, but hey, the original themes were always a LITTLE silly, no? (Yes, that had been their charm, but this proves we can do without the lyrics.)
Next, the voices. On the whole, very good. Mindy Cohn has been doing Velma for quite some time now. Her rendition is quite on the mark and I’ve come to accept her as Velma. Matthew Lillard, who portrayed live-action Shaggy, provides the voice here as well. Excellent job, just as in the movies. Daphne is fabulous, too, as the comparison in my head is negligible if different at all. Brava, Grey DeLisle! Frank Welker has done justice to Scooby Doo, but his Fred, on the other hand, seems like it's gotten a bit too nasal over the years. However, it’s not like it isn’t acceptable. Oh - and Patrick Warburton is the Sheriff. I adore Warburton, but honestly, he’s too damn ubiquitous.
Okay, now for the “uncharted territories.” All of the ‘kids’ parents are in it. If they’ve ever been shown before I didn’t know about it. I don’t really like it. I found it much more compelling with the er, mystery, of what the deal is with these ‘kids.’ We’d heard about (and seen) their extended relatives on the show before (such as Daphne’s cousin) but this is outright killing the mystery of their home life. Plus, all of their parents seem to ignore them, too busy in their own affairs. Velma’s mom, for instance, puts her horses ahead of her daughter. Fred’s dad wouldn’t help because he just got into the reclining position in his favorite chair. Similar put-offs happen with the other two as well. The way I see it is if you’ve got them as negligent, then why have them at all? (And what's with Daphne having four or so nearly identical sisters?)
Another change (at least to my knowledge) is that Fred’s dad is the mayor. Adds a nice twist, since the kids poke their noses into other people’s business all the time and such a reputation can be construed as counter-productive to a public official. So far, however, it hasn’t really come into play.
They’ve also added a sassy African-American "chick" with quite an afro who is a DJ that the kids will hang out with… pretty cool, but not sure of the point of it yet.
The final change that doesn’t quite sit right with me (and again, if this had been done before it had not been so in Old School) is that Velma and Shaggy are an item. Or they want to be, and Shaggy tries to keep it a secret from the others, especially Scooby. We all know that Daphne has the hots for Freddy, but do we really need to pair off Velma and Shaggy? In this version (and probably others, although I never got that impression from the Old School) Freddy seems oblivious to Daphne’s advances, too wrapped up in his precious ghost trap designs. I’m just not ready for a romance between Velma and Shaggy.
All righty, now for the alteration that intrigues me in a good way. They’ve added an element to the Scooby Doo universe that we’ve never* had before: A story arc. I had just about dismissed the show as not having to be seen (for even though it’s not bad as I said, I try not to pick up more stuff to watch if I can help it), the first episode ended with a phone call. It had been about the locket that Daphne found in the episode that didn’t connect to the mystery at hand. The caller told them to beware, that they should have left the locket alone and that they are in deep trouble. My proverbial antennae perked up. And to follow suit, the second episode is indeed called “Chapter 2.” There’s also now a (cough) mysterious fellow named “Mr. E.” He sends them hints and such [with a big wax seal of an E.] For instance, in the second episode he sends them an alligator handbag that leads them to the place of the next mystery at hand and later, they found the engine of the Mystery Machine fixed, with a note from Mr. E saying their adventure has just begun. Whether or not he is the caller, I’m not sure. I guess I have to keep watching to find out. But I really like the idea of a "story arc Scooby." It seems to be (unlike the other changes) just what this show/premise needed to make it fresh again. For it’s certainly what led me to watch another episode.
All in all, they’ve put a wild spin on a classic, and it just might be worth it.
*Conceivably The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo! counts in this vein, but I don’t think it really does, since that did not use the standard gang nor “solve the mystery” episodes. 13 Ghosts is one of the “no thanks” of Scooby shows.
A while back I had an idea for a TV show... and now it's being done. The thing is, I'd been told by many that it's a bad idea. Are you ready for Napoleon Dynamite: The Series?
Ready or not, it's coming. And it's a cartoon. The thought of it being animated crossed my mind, but truthfully I had wanted it as live action. Of course, live action is not entirely feasible and animation makes a great deal more sense. Fortunately, most (if not all) of the original actors will be reprising their roles.
Why did I think a Napoleon Dynamite show to be a good idea? Simply because I wanted to know more about the characters. Specifically the minor ones, like Trisha and her parents. Episodes of this wacky town would allow for expansion of all facets of it. I'm hoping the creators see the potential to develop their other oddballs, too.
When the ads for the movie aired, I had asked, "WHO on EARTH would ever go SEE that?" I'll be honest. It looked stupid. But then there'd been the great fan base that sprang up for it. Still, I'm not always a fan of what's popular, so I still had decided I need not bother. However, my friend Lemonie and best friend Laughter asked me if I'd seen it. They sang its praises. I thought perhaps I'd just been missing something, that whatever had been great about the movie didn't show through in the ads. Fortunately, this had just been about the time of the re-release with the added ending. So Bart and I went to see it. I'm happy to say I'd been grossly wrong. We adored the movie. I loved everything about it. From its subtle humor to its compelling characters and quirky lines. I've now seen it quite a few times. And when I show it to people who have not seen it, I warn them and apologize in advance. Of/for what? The fact that it makes me laugh. A lot. That they'll be wondering what's so damn funny when nothing funny seems to be happening. But I can't help it. For instance, when Napoleon is standing there waiting for the bus. There's just something hysterical about his very presence there. Hats off to Jon Heder for that. Maybe it's partially due to the fact that I can generally identify with Napoleon. I'm not that strange, no. But I certainly hear my own drum like him.
And so, I found myself wanting more. But a sequel just wouldn't work, that's for sure. Hence, my thinking a TV show would be good.
I, for one, am very glad they're doing it. It's got my vote.
I'm only a peripheral fan of Archie Comics. I like it well enough, but I'm not very well versed in it. I've been wondering why there hasn't been a live action series of it. Perhaps it would be too hard to get actors to look quite right? I'm not sure, but it just seems the perfect material for a TV series. Sort of a parody-response to shows like 90210 and Dawson's Creek. (Note: I did not actually watch either of those programs, to be honest.) Of course, if Archie & friends did show up on TV, I don't mean that the primary focus should be parody/staire of such programs. An Archie show should live up to the expectations and establishments of the original source.
It could work, I think. It's not like characters from that universe haven't made their way to the "little screen" as animation and also with the live action (and animated) Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Again, I didn't watch it per se, but I did catch some episodes here and there. If I'd been younger when it aired, I would have been all over it.
I believe an Archie movie has been in production hell for some time now. Perhaps it had been killed by the underachieving Josie & the Pussycats movie, which, also to be honest, I very much enjoyed.
I have to also put in a word for the radio program from the 1940's. I wind up hearing the Xmas episode when listening to "Old Time Christmas Radio" during, well, the Holiday Season.
Anyone else think Riverdale needs to hit the TV airwaves?
I just found out (and therefore do not have much information yet - but I didn't want to wait to report) that DQ Entertainment, among other projects including The Jungle Book, is soon releasing a a CGI Peter Pan series. It's apparently called The New Adventures of Peter Pan.
I'd be happier about it if it weren't for the fact that the description has the expression "New generation Wendy" (as it takes place in the 21st Century) and it also includes Captain Hook. The fairy's name is also misspelled (and she , too, should not be around like the Captain.)
Here's the blurb: The new adventures of Peter Pan brings alive the Magical World of Neverland and 21st century London. Neverland is defined by imaginations running wild, the place to go for big adventures, and a place ruled by a boy who never grew up. New generation Wendy and her brothers and their loving dog Newfie are joining forces with Peter Pan and Tinkerbell to face their long time foe captain hook and his pirates in a never-ending battle to save Neverland from unimaginable evils. For the record, the site did not captialize Captain Hook in the blurb, not me.
There's supposed to be a video of it released soon. I'll keep you posted. I wonder if they know that "DQ" will make people think of Dairy Queen.
UPDATE:
I've found a billboard featuring the new set of shows from DQ. WHY does Peter Pan have (essentially) Disney's outfit? Click to make the picture bigger... not that it will make Pan that much larger, however.
UPDATE 2:
Thanks to JAQ [Neverpedia] for finding the site's better image of their Peter Pan. He pointed it out in the comments. He also mentions how his outfit is actually leaves. Hooray for that, but it still seems Disneyesque to me.
It's almost horrifying to see the London Eye there.
Yesterday the Syfy channel had a marathon of the first season of their show Merlin. I wound up watching an episode and a half or so (before going to dinner) with Bart’s dad at his house.
First let me say that I don’t think it’s a great show. But then again, it’s not a bad show either. Interesting enough to watch and better than much of the fodder out there. I’d watched a few episodes prior to yesterday and so had Bart’s father. He felt the same way.
Bart chimed in eventually when he joined us. But Bart had questions. To be fair, so did we. In fact, we pounced on him to tell us the names of the ‘major’ women of Authurian legend. I couldn’t remember the name of the one female character in this show and Bart’s dad had been in the dark in terms of who she might be.
For you see, Syfy’s Merlin is not your typical King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The first time I watched I’d been utterly confused. Utterly. For they’ve shaken up the story quite a bit. In this version, Uther Pendragon (Arthur’s father) still lives. Arthur is his teenage son. Odd, right? For unless Arthur succumbs to heavy amnesia later on, he already knows his heritage and the “sword in the stone” - a staple of the story - seems negated entirely. Merlin (also a teen) plays servant to Arthur and he must study and practice his magic on the “down low” [as well as hide it from Arthur] because Uther has banished from Camelot. (He had a run in with Nimue in the past.) In fact, yesterday we watched an episode where Merlin is responsible for the creation of Excalibur (and winds up throwing it into a lake to protect it - but no Lady of the Lake reached up to claim it.) As you can already see, it’s far from the standard.
And that’s partially what makes this series interesting. It’s just changed up enough to make it fresh.
So anyway, there we sat, trying to figure out who the teen girl in the castle might be. We had a ton of fun (really) trying to figure it out (for as you can guess they don’t seem to say her name often enough) as well as sorting through and discussing what we knew about various Arthurian versions and variations. [Yes, we did figure out the character’s identity.]
If you’re wondering why the purist in me isn’t fuming about the mangling of the story, it’s because the tale of King Arthur happens to be one of those rare cases where it’s acceptable to change facts around. For there isn’t a definitive version. Okay, yes, there sort of is one, but it’s not (ahem!) set in stone as the absolute. Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Artur is often considered the primary work of it. But then we also have a following for T. H. White’s The Once and Future King. Arthur, you see, started out as a folk tale which various storytellers told and retold and along the way items or characters (or their relationships or their names) thus varied. No ONE author created and penned it. Precisely why we found ourselves saying things like “Well, did Uther get Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, then, or no?” "Is the Lake Lady Nimue ?" (Some tales combine these mystical women, others don't.) A very fun way of passing the time, as this new spin on the legend played on. Oh. One other thing -
Arthur is a “good looking blonde guy” who behaves like the popular high school jock. Merlin is a “hot in the geeky way guy” who’s a tad bumbling. All three of us held the opinion that the casting seems reversed. The guy playing Merlin should be Arthur and vice-versa. We are, of course, basing our opinion on the Arthur & Merlin we’re more used to… i.e. we usually know Arthur as being unsure of his prowess and Merlin being a confident protector. But then… this is not your typical Camelot.
(If you think hammering out Arthur is bad… try Robin Hood. See here.)
If you ask anyone who knows me, they’ll be quick to tell you I’m a pretty obsessive kind of guy. I mean, you only need to come to this site to know I’m obsessed with Peter Pan. But it is true. It’s not just Barrie’s creation… I tend to get uber-excited/interested from time to time.
However, for all of how it may look, I certainly know when I am truly obsessing. And quite frankly, I can’t recall the last time I’ve been THIS hooked on something. I’m talking about the cartoon series I mentioned in the previous post.
Oh sure, I’ve liked other shows a lot recently, such as The Mighty B! (which Laughter told me about) and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (which Bart and I recently “got into” when a friend of ours asked us to record it for her). But even with our absolute love for the delightful awfulness that is Sunny which we craved every week (and bought the complete series of) I didn’t have days where I’d get through the hours thinking, excitedly: When I get home, I can watch more! As you can see from the logo image, the show that I’m currently in love with is Johnny Test. I’d heard of it, knew vaguely about it (and I mean vaguely) but had not actually watched it until I accidentally caught one the other day (a couple of weeks ago now, I think.) Immediate response: MUST WATCH MORE.
Fortunately it plays often (as I said in the last post) so I set my TiVo to pick up episodes. The more I saw, the more I fell in love with the characters, the premise, the humor, with everything.
For those who don’t know, Johnny Test (his actual name) is an 11 year old boy with a talking dog named Dukey. Dukey is able to talk (and drink coffee and ski, and…) because Johnny’s 13 year old twin (though not indentical) sisters Susan and Mary Test are geniuses who genetically altered him. They have a huge “lab” upstairs where they create all sorts of fantastical sci-fi goodies. They use Johnny as their lab rat. Yep, Johnny is their test subject - naturally with comedic disastrous results. Usually Johnny will cause the trouble himself by over-doing it, breaking the experiment or trying it out not as intended.
I love the show for a number of reasons. The character design, their personalities, the cleverness of the wild inventions, the homages/parodies…
As I said in the last post, I found the show on streaming Netflix and happily watched episode after episode. Though I knew I whittled away the ability to see new ones, I couldn’t help myself. I’d move on to the next one immediately. Even when just a few episodes remained to watch, and I knew I’d not have any more to see after that, I still went ahead and clicked the buttons. To give you some perspective, I watched three seasons of it pretty much over the course of two days.
Johnny Test has been “criticized” as a rip-off of another cartoon series called Dexter’s Laboratory. I can’t say for sure, as I’ve never seen it. I can see why someone might say so, however. The animation style is similar and just from the ads for it (or even just the title) it’s full of madcap experiments gone awry. So yeah, similar. But I have to say nothing I saw of Dexter drew me in to want to watch it. The minute I stumbled across Johnny, I had a new friend (so to speak.) However, even with the little I know, I wouldn’t call it a “rip-off” since there are many stories with similar ideas and themes. At worst I’d think Johnny Test to be a variation on Dexter’s Laboratory. And it at first glance it seems to be different enough, with its own set of indigenous siuations and characters.
Johnny Test is my wallpaper on both my phone and computer. I’m eagerly awaiting the 3 segments [each half hour episode has two different stories] I have not yet seen. You see, there is a current season still airing and are just those three that I haven’t seen. (Although it might just be one… I’m unable to tell from the online descriptions whether or not I saw two of them.) One day TiVo will pick them up. And fortunately for my sanity, a friend of Bart’s who works at Cartoon Network has said that the response to Johnny Test has been very positive — so more episodes are on the way, as well as some merchandising. (I’d been sad to see that no figures or video games had been made. Put me down for each of those when available.)
Just thought I’d give a “shout out” to it. Bravo to creator Scott Fellows. I might be posting about Johnny Test again… after all, I’m obsessed, right? But seriously, there are a couple aspects of it that could be spoken about specifically — including a theory (or two) as to why I love it so much.
And I hope Scott Fellows and everyone else involved isn't angry at me for doing so, but I made a screen where Johnny is a fan of ME.
I am a fiction writer. Mostly I compose in the Urban Fantasy genre. When asked, I usually liken it to "The Twilight Zone" - extraordinary events emerging in everyday life. I graduated with Honors in Creative Writing from Knox College in 1993. Obviously I also scribble cartoonish drawings.
Here you will find my nonfiction - the place for me to share my thoughts with you, keep you posted on upcoming events and allow me to interact.
If you wish to leave a note, use my cartoon quill and ink.
Way back in this post, I expounded on the latest incarnation of eveybody's favorite enigma-solving and ghost chasing pooch - Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorportated.
I should mention that a friend of mine who has long moved away now and happens to be a big Scooby fan also enjoys the show, but he feels that the overlaying storylines get a bit thick and out of hand, perhaps even unnecessary or in the way. But by the same token, he didn’t pooh-pooh them or wish they were entirely absent.
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