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1. Only managed to watch the first 20 minutes of Marvel Agents of Sheild last night, before my mother called - and well that was the end of that. But it was long enough to come to the following conclusions:
* If Buffy was marketed and created for tween girls, SHIELD is obviously being targeted towards tween boys - mainly the ones into comic books and video games. [And unlike Buffy it's not as smartly written or cast, leading me to believe that MARVEL (aka Stan Lee and Joe Quesada et al) are far more involved than Whedon is. I know Whedon had creative control with Buffy - because he'd created it and the executive producers wanted his vision. Here...not quite the same deal, all you have to do is read all the credits at the beginning.]
* Another thing I've picked up which is a wee bit odd, is apparently it takes three people to write each episode. Can't Maurissa and Jed be trusted to write one by themselves - without either Jeffrey Bell or Joss Whedon holding their hand? [Granted many tv episodes are written by many writers - we just don't know it. But crediting three writers...is a wee bit odd.]
* Could someone please explain to me the appeal of Agent Coulson? Because I'm just not seeing it. He looks like an accountant not a covert operative and reminds of a grown-up/much older version of Tom Lenk aka Andrew Wells (Buffy). (Which I guess may explain the appeal...if you happen to be an accountant or identify strongly with this sort = your fantasy come true. So never mind.) Personally, I found Buffy's version of geeky world-weary leader more interesting.
* Also...it may just be my imagination but I think someone is dialing it up on the CGI or Photoshop? Note to whoever is doing the editing on this? You do not use CGI and Photoshop on people's faces - it makes them look like expressionless mannequins. I know, I know, it's tempting to smooth out all the blemishes, bad skin, wrinkles etc on peoples faces - but you must learn a wee bit of restraint. Otherwise everyone looks like they've had facelifts or botox.
2. The Backlist is doing well in the ratings. Not at all surprised. It's the best pilot I've seen so far, next to maybe Sleepy Hollow.
I rate the pilots as follows:
1. The Backlist
2. Sleepy Hollow
3. Hostages
4. Michael J. Fox Show
5. Trophy Wife
6. Lucky 7
7. Marvel Agents of Shield
8. The Crazy Ones
9. Brooklyn Nine Nine
Those are the only ones I've seen and can remember. The only ones I see making it to next year are Backlist, Sleepy Hollow and...maybe Brooklyn Nine Nine or Trophy Wife.
3. Book Meme...
Finished Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner - which I've rec'd to two people. Mother read it before I did. And downstairs neighbor - who was depressed because he had to read and review another James Franco novel. I'm amused that the guy who used to play Todd Manning on OLTL is now playing the role James Franco created on General Hospital and even had named after himself. And he's better in it. (Not hard to do. Franco is overrated.)
Working on Ready Player One and I don't remember the author's name. It's on the Kindle. It's easy to forget author's names when you read books on the Kindle. It's okay. Has footnotes in places -- annoying and unnecessary. Also is a bit too...something, cool? Smug?
I don't know. But I find the world-building interesting, particularly the idea of stacked mobile homes because the energy crisis drove the people to the outskirts of cities. Not video game fan so some of it is lost on me, that said, I was a teen in the 1980s - so the 1980s pop culture stuff...definitely works for me. I also find it hilarious that a lot of 20-somethings and teens are into the 1980s like whoa. (We were into the 60s, which frankly was a far more interesting decade culturally and politically speaking. The 80s...well, it did have some great tv shows and the teen movies were better then than now, so too was some of the music for that matter...but probably shouldn't go there). Heard two teens today discussing which decade was better 80s or 70s. LOL!
I was thinking today...if my teen self were transported from the 1980s to 2013, my first question would be - "Okay, Where are the flying cars??? Cell phones are interesting. But flying cars?? Where are they??" [ Everyone back in the 1980s was convinced we'd have flying cars in the 21st Century. ]
* If Buffy was marketed and created for tween girls, SHIELD is obviously being targeted towards tween boys - mainly the ones into comic books and video games. [And unlike Buffy it's not as smartly written or cast, leading me to believe that MARVEL (aka Stan Lee and Joe Quesada et al) are far more involved than Whedon is. I know Whedon had creative control with Buffy - because he'd created it and the executive producers wanted his vision. Here...not quite the same deal, all you have to do is read all the credits at the beginning.]
* Another thing I've picked up which is a wee bit odd, is apparently it takes three people to write each episode. Can't Maurissa and Jed be trusted to write one by themselves - without either Jeffrey Bell or Joss Whedon holding their hand? [Granted many tv episodes are written by many writers - we just don't know it. But crediting three writers...is a wee bit odd.]
* Could someone please explain to me the appeal of Agent Coulson? Because I'm just not seeing it. He looks like an accountant not a covert operative and reminds of a grown-up/much older version of Tom Lenk aka Andrew Wells (Buffy). (Which I guess may explain the appeal...if you happen to be an accountant or identify strongly with this sort = your fantasy come true. So never mind.) Personally, I found Buffy's version of geeky world-weary leader more interesting.
* Also...it may just be my imagination but I think someone is dialing it up on the CGI or Photoshop? Note to whoever is doing the editing on this? You do not use CGI and Photoshop on people's faces - it makes them look like expressionless mannequins. I know, I know, it's tempting to smooth out all the blemishes, bad skin, wrinkles etc on peoples faces - but you must learn a wee bit of restraint. Otherwise everyone looks like they've had facelifts or botox.
2. The Backlist is doing well in the ratings. Not at all surprised. It's the best pilot I've seen so far, next to maybe Sleepy Hollow.
I rate the pilots as follows:
1. The Backlist
2. Sleepy Hollow
3. Hostages
4. Michael J. Fox Show
5. Trophy Wife
6. Lucky 7
7. Marvel Agents of Shield
8. The Crazy Ones
9. Brooklyn Nine Nine
Those are the only ones I've seen and can remember. The only ones I see making it to next year are Backlist, Sleepy Hollow and...maybe Brooklyn Nine Nine or Trophy Wife.
3. Book Meme...
Finished Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner - which I've rec'd to two people. Mother read it before I did. And downstairs neighbor - who was depressed because he had to read and review another James Franco novel. I'm amused that the guy who used to play Todd Manning on OLTL is now playing the role James Franco created on General Hospital and even had named after himself. And he's better in it. (Not hard to do. Franco is overrated.)
Working on Ready Player One and I don't remember the author's name. It's on the Kindle. It's easy to forget author's names when you read books on the Kindle. It's okay. Has footnotes in places -- annoying and unnecessary. Also is a bit too...something, cool? Smug?
I don't know. But I find the world-building interesting, particularly the idea of stacked mobile homes because the energy crisis drove the people to the outskirts of cities. Not video game fan so some of it is lost on me, that said, I was a teen in the 1980s - so the 1980s pop culture stuff...definitely works for me. I also find it hilarious that a lot of 20-somethings and teens are into the 1980s like whoa. (We were into the 60s, which frankly was a far more interesting decade culturally and politically speaking. The 80s...well, it did have some great tv shows and the teen movies were better then than now, so too was some of the music for that matter...but probably shouldn't go there). Heard two teens today discussing which decade was better 80s or 70s. LOL!
I was thinking today...if my teen self were transported from the 1980s to 2013, my first question would be - "Okay, Where are the flying cars??? Cell phones are interesting. But flying cars?? Where are they??" [ Everyone back in the 1980s was convinced we'd have flying cars in the 21st Century. ]