This that and the other thingamig
Aug. 21st, 2023 08:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. Looked at the articles thrown at me by my browser - which are admittedly better than the ones thrown at me by my work browser (which are mainly ads for television shows and movies on streaming channels, psychological and health advice such as 10 Things That Show You are a Horrible Person, or 10 Bad Foods You Should Stop Eating, or 10 Habits That Annoy Other People all with pictures of twenty-something folks who look alike as if they jumped out of the same modeling catalogue (ie. how to drive me crazy in eight minutes or less.)
These are a bit more creative...
* 11 Songs Inspired by JRR Tolkien
* Eight of Literatures Most Powerful Inventions and the Neuroscience Behind How They Work
* Heat is Not a Metaphor - as the hottest summer on record draws to a close how do we make sense of the signs of climate change..
In Hawaii - Concerns over Climate Gentrification Rise in the Aftermath of the Maui Fires
Girl Trends and the Repackaging of Womenhood
Well maybe it's more interesting. The advice stuff is all about money. For some reason Firefox feels the need to throw money advice at me, while Microsoft Edge feels the need to throw eating and psycho-analysis at me.
Stupid marketing bots.
2. I'm tempted to just link you all to John Scalzi's post on current news trends. Why write it myself, when he already did it and possibly better?
Here's the gist or my take on these current events, in case you aren't interested in reading Scalzi's.
* I'm thinking that the Georgia indictment and ensuing case may actually (and rather ironically) be the straw that breaks the camels back as it were or what does in the Doofus and his cronies. Apparently he had to pay $200,000 in bail or 10% of that, and one of the stipulations of the bail is that he not attack verbally or otherwise any witness or anyone testifying or bringing the case to trial or any of his opponents. (We'll see how long he lasts.) In short they gave him a gag order. (As an aside? Go Georgia! In case you aren't keeping track? There's four jurisdictions with criminal indictments against the Doofus. New York - Fraud and Corporate Income Tax Evasion, Washington DC - Insurrection, Attempt to Overthrow an Election and potentially Treason, Florida -Potential Espionage and Mishandling of Official and Top Secret Government Documents, and now Georgia - Voter and Campaign Fraud, Attempt to Overthrow an Election. He has up to 30 indictments against him in each jurisdiction (and they are both State and Federal. The President can't pardon State, only Federal convictions. Only Governors can pardon State convictions. And the Governors of Florida, Georgia and New York hate the Doofus.) At any rate - Lando was right, the Doofus is going to be plagued with lawsuits for the rest of his life, and he'll leave a legacy of debt and lawsuits for his entire family.
* They are calling it Hurriquake on FB and Xitter. Mother was worried about niece who is up in Sequoia National Park. (I told her not to worry - the folks on social media who live in that area appear to be fine and are saying that there hasn't been much damage.) Yes, California being California, decided to outdo us all and have a Hurricane and an Earthquake at the same time. But hey, the rain went north which will help the Canadian Wild Fires.
* The latest? Someone poured fresca in one of the servers - the one that housed all the old archive photos and posts dating back to 2014 - so they are lost. Also, the whole threat to remove the "blocking" button resulted in yet another mass exodus to BlueSky, by those banking on invites, causing its servers to crash. (BlueSky is owned by Jack Dorsey who sold Twitter to Musk. IDK, if I'd trust BlueSky - me, not Scalzi)
3. I've moved onto the Will Patton section of the audiobook, The Killers of the Flower Moon. The first section was told mainly from the perspective of Molly (Osage Indian and her tribe) - and they were all being killed off, one by one, in a variety of ways. By the end of that section - it becomes apparent that Molly was also being poisoned.
Here they talk about the beginnings of the Federal Bureau of Investigations aka the FBI. Apparently the American Justice System was a corrupt mess in 1925. Actually so was the US Government - with Congressmen and Senators being bribed right and left. Warren G. Harding (the President at the time) decided to put Edgar J. Hoover in charge of the FBI. (Now Harding and Hoover could give Trump a run for his money in regards to corruption.)
If some nitwit tells you how great it was back in the good old days of the 20th Century? Pull out a history book and whump them over the head with it.
4. Well, I finally figured out why Xitter was campaigning for Sandra Bulluck to give back her Oscar for The Blind Side. The Consequences of Hollywood Embracing the White Savior Trope - in movies like the Blind Side
I didn't remember the movie that well either. I did remember how controversial it was - just not the particulars.
The Oscar-winning film, starring Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy, chronicles Oher’s life as a homeless child who ends up living with the Tuohys and eventually plays college football at the University of Mississippi. The movie is based on Michael Lewis’ 2006 book, “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game.”
Oher filed a petition with a Tennessee court on Monday to end a conservatorship that he alleges the Tuohys tricked him into under the guise of adoption. He has been under the conservatorship since he turned 18, and now, at 37, he said he had only recently learned that the arrangement does not create familial ties. He alleges the Tuohy family made hundreds of thousands of dollars as part of the deal they negotiated for his life story, while he was paid nothing.
5. Weird ranking of Superhero Flicks - that I do not agree with
50. 'Chronicle' (2012)
While director Josh Trank's "Fantastic Four" was a fiasco, this standout coming-of-age/found-footage thriller delved into why teenagers with superpowers is realistically not a great idea, with Michael B. Jordan, Dane DeHaan and Alex Russell as the immature youngsters given the gifts of gods and not treating them with care.
49. 'The Last Dragon' (1985)
A kitschy '80s cult kung-fu movie with ninjas, martial artists who glow and DeBarge on the soundtrack is going to make the list, period. Taimak stars as the Bruce Lee fan who rescues a New York VJ (Vanity), takes on a bad dude named Sho'Nuff (Julius Carry), plus can dance and karate kick to the rhythm of the night.
48. 'Blue Beetle' (2023)
Karate kid Xolo Maridueña kicks fools in the face regularly on Netflix's "Cobra Kai," and his star heads to the next phase of the stratosphere as Jaime Reyes, a recent college grad (Gotham Law, baby!) who gets taken over by an alien scarab, gains superpowers but more importantly takes on baddies with his loving Mexican American family.
47. 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow' (2004)
It's a crime this innovative steampunk throwback adventure was never a thing but it just was before its time. Alongside A-listers Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie, Jude Law plays the heroic title pilot who has to save the world in a narrative with giant robots, flying zeppelins, a "Wizard of Oz" jones and digitized Laurence Olivier.
46. 'Ant-Man' (2015)
Marvel deserves a lot of credit for its big swings, like director Peyton Reed's superhero heist film with a guy who can shrink and ride ants. The immortal Paul Rudd is the secret sauce, as the ex-con cat burglar given these crazy abilities − though instead of doing it for the attaboys and kudos, he just wants to be a good dad.
45. 'Watchmen' (2009)
Say what you will about Zack Snyder's DC movies but this faithful adaptation of the seminal "Watchmen" source material is the best thing he's done outside of "300." His signature visual style – with slo-mos and hero shots aplenty – lend themselves well to the alt-history epic and the deconstruction of the caped do-gooder.
44. 'Fast Color' (2018)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw headlines the emotional and grounded take on the superhero genre as a former drug addict on the run from those trying to study her telekinetic abilities. The post-apocalyptic scenario adds some flavor, as does the narrative of generations of women mending what’s been shattered between them.
43. 'X-Men: First Class' (2011)
So many X-movies are just X-tremely bad. Not so this groovy 1960s-set adventure that doubles as an origin story for the team of superpowered mutants, putting them at the center of the Cuban Missile Crisis and going deep on the relationship between frenemies Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender).
42. 'Joker' (2019)
What's this doing here? Well, Batman's a kid in it! And, yeah, Joaquin Phoenix is pretty good, too. He won a best actor Oscar for what's essentially a supervillain origin story that is brutal and cynical and even toxic, though it takes some real chutzpah to ask an audience to have empathy for the devil.
41. 'Shazam'! (2019)
Zachary Levi is a natural to inhabit the body of a teen boy in a souped-up body. Like "Big" meets "Superman," the family-tinged fantasy tracks the wish-fulfillment high jinks of a kid trying (and often failing) to be a hero, leans into the importance of family and is the rare mainstream film that touches on the foster-care system in a tangible way.
40. 'Dick Tracy' (1990)
Al Pacino chewing scenery like a buffet. Madonna slinking around. Dustin Hoffman mumbling a lot. There's so much to adore about the colorful gangland comic-book movie, and at the center of it is Warren Beatty as the hard-nosed detective with the radio watch, bright yellow overcoat and unshakable righteousness.
39. 'Spider-Man' (2002)
OK, so Tobey Maguire didn't look like a teenager. The sight of the OG Spidey swinging around New York City in Sam Raimi's origin story still holds up, as does J.K. Simmons' newsman J. Jonah Jameson chomping cigars and an unhinged Willem Dafoe tearing up Manhattan as the superhero's most dangerous enemy, the Green Goblin.
38. 'Hellboy II: The Golden Army' (2008)
There is only one Hellboy, Ron Perlman, and the big horned guy with the Right Hand of Doom is a joy to behold in director Guillermo del Toro's fantasy sequel. Del Toro loves his monsters and he unleashes all sorts, from nasty tooth fairies to goblin blacksmiths, as Hellboy is tasked with stopping an army of clockwork mechanical soldiers.
37. 'Blade' (1998)
Neither Spider-Man nor X-Men were Marvel's first big success at the cinema. That honor goes to Wesley Snipes' fanged vampire hunter, who took out gore-covered bloodsuckers and had all the swagger in a cult flick that boasted B-movie antics, '90s style and set the stage for the heroes who came after.
36. 'Robocop' (1987)
In a futuristic and extremely crime-ridden Detroit, cop Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is killed in the line of duty and brought back as a cyborg warrior by a shady corporation. Director Paul Verhoeven's violent '80s action film is also a well-crafted social satire that tackles themes of capitalism and identity and only gets better with age.
35. 'Iron Man' (2008)
Robert Downey Jr. snagged a heck of a career revival playing Tony Stark, an arms manufacturer who gets a high-tech heart and a conscience – plus one really sweet suit of armor. Jon Favreau's action-packed character study turned out to be a game-changer, kicking off what would become the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
34. 'Sky High' (2005) - [Why is this on the list???]
The Disney high school comedy still works as a superhero gateway for kids. Michael Angarano is the teen son of hero parents wondering if he'll ever gets his powers in this clever take on young adolescence and family legacy, and Kurt Russell's square jaw was born to play a dude named Steve Stronghold.
33. 'Flash Gordon' (1980) -[Again, why? why?]
New York Jets star quarterback rockets to a strange planet, tussles with a guy named Ming the Merciless, gets in a love triangle, and teams up with a bunch of hawkmen. (Follow that, Aaron Rodgers!) The campy space opera is lustier than you might expect from a comic-strip do-gooder, and that Queen soundtrack rocks as hard as it ever did.
32. 'Deadpool 2' (2018) [One was Better, Two has issues.]
Ryan Reynolds' masked "Merc with a Mouth" broke the fourth wall "Looney Tunes" style and blew up the genre with a bunch of Acme dynamite in the 2016 original. The zanier time-traveling meta sequel ups his hallmark lampooning game, while also methodically redefining how funny and completely messed up these flicks could be.
31. 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' (2017)
Tom Holland proved that having a young dude play teenage Peter Parker is definitely for the best. Instead of an origin story, Peter is thrown into the stressful situation of navigating high school life, being a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and crushing on the daughter of Michael Keaton's villainous Vulture.
30. 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' (2022)
In the wake of Chadwick Boseman's death, Ryan Coogler's sequel became a soulful and profound look at life, legacy and dealing with grief. It gave Wakanda a female-centered story to tell – with Letitia Wright's Princess Shuri taking on the Panther mantle – and a standout Marvel antagonist in Tenoch Huerta Mejía's charming Namor.
29. 'The Lego Batman Movie' (2017) -[Again, why? why? I admittedly don't like Legos, and do not find Legos attractive - the appeal is lost on me.]
Batman (voiced by Will Arnett) has to overcome his loner tendencies in "The Lego Batman Movie."
The joyously bonkers animated comedy tackled Batman (voiced by Will Arnett) in a fun new way, showing him as a complicated mess who can’t get out of his own way long enough for the greater good. The brick-built bro-dude Dark Knight shreds a mean guitar and also learns the importance of friendship.
28. 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' (2010) - [Why? Seriously this is fanboy nerd list. No one else would put this on this list.]
Mixing video-game boss battles with coming-of-age tropes, Edgar Wright's electrifying musical action comedy cast Michael Cera as the Canadian title slacker, who falls for enigmatic Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). To date her, he has to literally fight her seven evil exes and along the way earn the power of self-respect.
27. 'Wonder Woman' (2017)
Gal Gadot had already appeared as the Amazon warrior but she came into her own in this World War I adventure. Her relationship with a pilot (Chris Pine) opens her heart to humanity, and the sight of her bravely walking across the battlefield of "No Man's Land" has become an emotional touchstone in the annals of comic-book movies.
26. 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' (2023)
How many Spider-people is too many? Trick question: There's never enough. The snazzy animated sequel sends the Brooklyn teen (voiced by Shameik Moore) into the multiverse to grow up some more: He learns he's part of a huge connected web of folks, yet puts all that in jeopardy to save a loved one.
25. 'The Suicide Squad' (2021) [Sigh, just no.]
James Gunn is now in charge of DC's movie future, and this violently subversive retooling of the supergroup was a successful job interview. The director's love for quirky characters and a dark sense of humor blended well with stars like Idris Elba, John Cena and Margot Robbie (whose Harley Quinn has never been more gloriously wacky.)
24. 'Captain America: The First Avenger' (2011)
Cap was punching Nazis in comic books way before Indiana Jones, and Chris Evans captured that appealing righteousness onscreen in the stirring World War II origin tale. When the super soldier puts up his dukes and says, "I can do this all day," you believe him – and Evans did, for several more Marvel movies afterward.
23. 'Superman II' (1980) - [Again, no. Off the list. It's cringe-inducing in places.]
The one where Supes gets beat up by a trucker. In order to be with his beloved Lois (Margot Kidder), Christopher Reeve's Man of Steel has his powers removed and that's of course when General Zod (Terence Stamp) and his crew show up wanting to take over Earth and Gene Hackman's top-notch Lex Luthor reappears as a pest.
22. 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' (2023) - [UGH. No, definitely not.]
James Gunn's swan song with his motley crew of cosmic misfits couldn't have been better, with Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and Co. scrambling to save their raccoon buddy Rocket (Bradley Cooper) in a sprawling heartfelt adventure that, in its own profound way, tackled issues of animal cruelty and abuse.
21. 'Batman Returns' (1992) [Really???]
If "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie, then so is the art deco Tim Burton sequel that pitted his Caped Crusader (Michael Keaton) against the ghoulish and freaky Penguin (a never-scarier Danny DeVito). The real gift in this holiday-tinged Bat-bonanza: Michelle Pfeiffer's purr-fect Catwoman, a fierce and alluring vision in black leather.
20. 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' (2021)
"Spider-Verse" doesn't have a monopoly on multiple web-slingers, and Tom Holland's third Marvel solo film – and alternate-reality smorgasbord – teamed him with past screen Spideys Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. (The welcome return of Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin and Jamie Foxx's improved Electro were awesome, too.)
19. 'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)
Be honest, who's still catching their breath from half the Marvel heroes horrifically turning to ash? The Avengers and other good guys rally to try and keep Thanos (Josh Brolin) from collecting the all-powerful Infinity Stones. They fail, miserably, and the consequences lead to a cliffhanger not soon forgotten.
18. 'Batman Begins' (2005) [Eh, Infinity War should be above this one.]
The British came to Gotham City and redefined the Dark Knight for a new generation of Bat-fans. Christian Bale nailed the delineations between rich guy Bruce Wayne and his vigilante alter ego, and director Christopher Nolan's outstanding redo of the Caped Crusader's origins was a twisty masterstroke.
17. 'X-Men' (2000)
Marvel's mutant squad made an auspicious big-screen debut that paid tribute to the deep comic themes of them not being accepted by humanity and saving the world anyway. It was also a straight-up blast, especially with Halle Berry's weather-manipulating Storm and Hugh Jackman's mutton-chopped, clawed wonder Wolverine.
16. 'The Batman' (2022)
Robert Pattinson's younger riff on the Dark Knight leans into the "World's Greatest Detective" angle from the comics. Director Matt Reeves also populated a neo-noir Gotham with reinvented, realistic Bat-villains: serial-killing Riddler (Paul Dano), vengeful Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz) and power-hungry gangster Penguin (Colin Farrell).
15. 'The Rocketeer' (1991) -[This movie bombed for a reason, folks.]
In the thrilling ode to the days of pulp serials, Billy Campbell threw on a jetpack and aerodynamic helmet as the 1930s title character, a stunt pilot whose airborne exploits put him on the radar of the FBI, Howard Hughes (!) and Nazi spies. And none of that's helpful in mending fences with his beloved squeeze Jenny (Jennifer Connelly).
14. 'Unbreakable' (2000)
Bruce Willis starred as a Philadelphia security guard who realizes he has superheroic abilities in the 2000 movie "Unbreakable."
Yeah, it's a bit of a somber affair, but woo boy, M. Night Shyamalan's love letter to comics works exceedingly well with a pair of origin stories and a couple of Hollywood icons. Bruce Willis is the train-wreck survivor turned reluctant, quasi-immortal hero, while Samuel L. Jackson stuns as the totally breakable bad-guy mastermind.
13. 'Logan' (2017)
James Mangold's Western-tinged adventure strips away the superhero trappings to get down and dirty with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine in his twilight years. Even an old man Logan is still a brutal warrior, though rather than dustups, the drama focuses more on a surly X-Man realizing he needs loved ones in a thoughtful exploration of age and mortality.
12. 'Spider-Man 2' (2004) - [Sigh]
Not that Sam Raimi's first Spidey outing was shabby by any stretch, but the sequel set a high bar for superhero movies for a good while. Tobey Maguire's hero wrestles with personal problems in a more emotional story line and Alfred Molina shined as an entertaining Doctor Octopus with plenty of metal tentacles and gravitas.
11. 'The Incredibles' (2004)
The best Fantastic Four movie – even considering there were three actual "Fantastic Four" movies. Director Brad Bird's animated Pixar gem took the family of superheroes theme to new heights, with strong main characters appealing to a wide base of filmgoers. (The MVP: Craig T. Nelson's relatable and embattled dad Mr. Incredible.)
10. 'Black Panther' (2018)
Ryan Coogler's first journey to Wakanda became a phenomenon for Black culture, with kids doing "Wakanda Forever" salutes and Chadwick Boseman turning in a performance befitting a king. His death has given new weight to all his roles, none more than the dignity, grace and quiet power he brought to T'Challa.
9. 'The Avengers' (2012) [This is an incredibly overrated film and doesn't date well.]
Let's face it, we've been spoiled by all the superteam blockbusters during the past decade. But even after "Justice League" and its ilk, the OG "Avengers" still holds up as a banger. Marvel's shawarma-chomping A-listers have to put differences aside to stave off an alien attack on Manhattan. Until it all falls apart again in ...
8. 'Captain America: Civil War' (2016)
Cap vs. Iron Man is the main event, of course, and the heroes-batting-each-other airport showdown is an all-timer. What makes this one special is how it deals with the real-world ramifications of superpowered beings among us, and the watchable messiness of good guys divided down political and personal lines.
7. 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' (2018)
Spidey is often the superhero that little kids connect with first. And wielding eye-popping animation and a coming-of-age narrative, the daring first "Spider-Verse" embraced that universality with Shameik Moore's Miles Morales, a multicultural Brooklyn kid navigating self-confidence and identity issues with entertaining moxie.
6. 'Batman' (1989)
Do we want to get nuts? Yes, Michael Keaton, we would like to get nuts. In Tim Burton's striking and gonzo Bat-flick, Keaton was a slightly crazy Bruce Wayne who you'd believe was a nighttime vigilante – and the right guy to be taking on a Joker that oozes Jack Nicholson's signature kooky charisma.
5. 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019)
After the events of "Infinity War," Earth's mightiest survivors go on a spiffy time-travel heist in order to bring back their friends and the rest of the galaxy that got whisked away. That, and the numerous MCU movies prior, was merely prelude to a monumental brawl against Thanos for all the marbles that may never be surpassed in sheer epicness.
4. 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014)
The not-quite-Avengers-yet crew has to save the universe in "Guardians of the Galaxy."
Always remember, James Gunn made the world fall in love with an alien tree and a talking raccoon. As much as the first "Guardians" is full of big stakes and save-the-universe derring-do, it's the themes of family and friendship, and little oddities like a convo about how "Footloose" is the most heroic movie in the cosmos, that make it sparkle.
3. 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' (2014)
It's not just a great superhero movie, it's just a great movie. An ace political thriller, the flick taps into timely themes of privacy concerns, an enemy growing from within, and military might used in ethically questionable ways. And if that timeliness doesn't impress you, maybe Cap wrecking a bunch of heavies in an elevator will.
2. 'The Dark Knight' (2008)
The late Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning performance as a chaotic, unpredictable Joker completely hijacks Christopher Nolan's breathtaking Bat-sequel, and will likely never be matched. Dealing with this colorful psychopath, Christian Bale's hero wrestles with personal choices and his gig as Gotham's resident protector in a white-knuckle affair about the fine line between good and evil.
1. 'Superman: The Movie' (1978) -[ Eh, it's dated. It does not quite hold up well, and the special effects etc are clunky with age. I'd put the Dark Knight and others above it. ]
Richard Donner's masterpiece covers the action-packed bases, from an exploding Krypton to disastrous quakes on Earth – you know, a job for Superman. What sets it apart from all the rest of the superhero pack is Christopher Reeve's magnificent showing as the ultimate Man of Steel. This alien is nurtured to be the best of us, embracing humanity and falling in love (see: Supes and Margot Kidder's Lois going on a stellar first-date flight). Reeve brings so much heart to a role where, with just little shifts in posture and mannerisms, he effortlessly switches from bespectacled Clark Kent to the legendary boy scout. Simply put, Reeve was super, man.
Movie watching and ranking truly is a subjective sport.
Off to bed, hopefully. I'm reading Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James at night.
These are a bit more creative...
* 11 Songs Inspired by JRR Tolkien
* Eight of Literatures Most Powerful Inventions and the Neuroscience Behind How They Work
* Heat is Not a Metaphor - as the hottest summer on record draws to a close how do we make sense of the signs of climate change..
In Hawaii - Concerns over Climate Gentrification Rise in the Aftermath of the Maui Fires
Girl Trends and the Repackaging of Womenhood
Well maybe it's more interesting. The advice stuff is all about money. For some reason Firefox feels the need to throw money advice at me, while Microsoft Edge feels the need to throw eating and psycho-analysis at me.
Stupid marketing bots.
2. I'm tempted to just link you all to John Scalzi's post on current news trends. Why write it myself, when he already did it and possibly better?
Here's the gist or my take on these current events, in case you aren't interested in reading Scalzi's.
* I'm thinking that the Georgia indictment and ensuing case may actually (and rather ironically) be the straw that breaks the camels back as it were or what does in the Doofus and his cronies. Apparently he had to pay $200,000 in bail or 10% of that, and one of the stipulations of the bail is that he not attack verbally or otherwise any witness or anyone testifying or bringing the case to trial or any of his opponents. (We'll see how long he lasts.) In short they gave him a gag order. (As an aside? Go Georgia! In case you aren't keeping track? There's four jurisdictions with criminal indictments against the Doofus. New York - Fraud and Corporate Income Tax Evasion, Washington DC - Insurrection, Attempt to Overthrow an Election and potentially Treason, Florida -Potential Espionage and Mishandling of Official and Top Secret Government Documents, and now Georgia - Voter and Campaign Fraud, Attempt to Overthrow an Election. He has up to 30 indictments against him in each jurisdiction (and they are both State and Federal. The President can't pardon State, only Federal convictions. Only Governors can pardon State convictions. And the Governors of Florida, Georgia and New York hate the Doofus.) At any rate - Lando was right, the Doofus is going to be plagued with lawsuits for the rest of his life, and he'll leave a legacy of debt and lawsuits for his entire family.
* They are calling it Hurriquake on FB and Xitter. Mother was worried about niece who is up in Sequoia National Park. (I told her not to worry - the folks on social media who live in that area appear to be fine and are saying that there hasn't been much damage.) Yes, California being California, decided to outdo us all and have a Hurricane and an Earthquake at the same time. But hey, the rain went north which will help the Canadian Wild Fires.
* The latest? Someone poured fresca in one of the servers - the one that housed all the old archive photos and posts dating back to 2014 - so they are lost. Also, the whole threat to remove the "blocking" button resulted in yet another mass exodus to BlueSky, by those banking on invites, causing its servers to crash. (BlueSky is owned by Jack Dorsey who sold Twitter to Musk. IDK, if I'd trust BlueSky - me, not Scalzi)
3. I've moved onto the Will Patton section of the audiobook, The Killers of the Flower Moon. The first section was told mainly from the perspective of Molly (Osage Indian and her tribe) - and they were all being killed off, one by one, in a variety of ways. By the end of that section - it becomes apparent that Molly was also being poisoned.
Here they talk about the beginnings of the Federal Bureau of Investigations aka the FBI. Apparently the American Justice System was a corrupt mess in 1925. Actually so was the US Government - with Congressmen and Senators being bribed right and left. Warren G. Harding (the President at the time) decided to put Edgar J. Hoover in charge of the FBI. (Now Harding and Hoover could give Trump a run for his money in regards to corruption.)
If some nitwit tells you how great it was back in the good old days of the 20th Century? Pull out a history book and whump them over the head with it.
4. Well, I finally figured out why Xitter was campaigning for Sandra Bulluck to give back her Oscar for The Blind Side. The Consequences of Hollywood Embracing the White Savior Trope - in movies like the Blind Side
I didn't remember the movie that well either. I did remember how controversial it was - just not the particulars.
The Oscar-winning film, starring Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy, chronicles Oher’s life as a homeless child who ends up living with the Tuohys and eventually plays college football at the University of Mississippi. The movie is based on Michael Lewis’ 2006 book, “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game.”
Oher filed a petition with a Tennessee court on Monday to end a conservatorship that he alleges the Tuohys tricked him into under the guise of adoption. He has been under the conservatorship since he turned 18, and now, at 37, he said he had only recently learned that the arrangement does not create familial ties. He alleges the Tuohy family made hundreds of thousands of dollars as part of the deal they negotiated for his life story, while he was paid nothing.
5. Weird ranking of Superhero Flicks - that I do not agree with
50. 'Chronicle' (2012)
While director Josh Trank's "Fantastic Four" was a fiasco, this standout coming-of-age/found-footage thriller delved into why teenagers with superpowers is realistically not a great idea, with Michael B. Jordan, Dane DeHaan and Alex Russell as the immature youngsters given the gifts of gods and not treating them with care.
49. 'The Last Dragon' (1985)
A kitschy '80s cult kung-fu movie with ninjas, martial artists who glow and DeBarge on the soundtrack is going to make the list, period. Taimak stars as the Bruce Lee fan who rescues a New York VJ (Vanity), takes on a bad dude named Sho'Nuff (Julius Carry), plus can dance and karate kick to the rhythm of the night.
48. 'Blue Beetle' (2023)
Karate kid Xolo Maridueña kicks fools in the face regularly on Netflix's "Cobra Kai," and his star heads to the next phase of the stratosphere as Jaime Reyes, a recent college grad (Gotham Law, baby!) who gets taken over by an alien scarab, gains superpowers but more importantly takes on baddies with his loving Mexican American family.
47. 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow' (2004)
It's a crime this innovative steampunk throwback adventure was never a thing but it just was before its time. Alongside A-listers Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie, Jude Law plays the heroic title pilot who has to save the world in a narrative with giant robots, flying zeppelins, a "Wizard of Oz" jones and digitized Laurence Olivier.
46. 'Ant-Man' (2015)
Marvel deserves a lot of credit for its big swings, like director Peyton Reed's superhero heist film with a guy who can shrink and ride ants. The immortal Paul Rudd is the secret sauce, as the ex-con cat burglar given these crazy abilities − though instead of doing it for the attaboys and kudos, he just wants to be a good dad.
45. 'Watchmen' (2009)
Say what you will about Zack Snyder's DC movies but this faithful adaptation of the seminal "Watchmen" source material is the best thing he's done outside of "300." His signature visual style – with slo-mos and hero shots aplenty – lend themselves well to the alt-history epic and the deconstruction of the caped do-gooder.
44. 'Fast Color' (2018)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw headlines the emotional and grounded take on the superhero genre as a former drug addict on the run from those trying to study her telekinetic abilities. The post-apocalyptic scenario adds some flavor, as does the narrative of generations of women mending what’s been shattered between them.
43. 'X-Men: First Class' (2011)
So many X-movies are just X-tremely bad. Not so this groovy 1960s-set adventure that doubles as an origin story for the team of superpowered mutants, putting them at the center of the Cuban Missile Crisis and going deep on the relationship between frenemies Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender).
42. 'Joker' (2019)
What's this doing here? Well, Batman's a kid in it! And, yeah, Joaquin Phoenix is pretty good, too. He won a best actor Oscar for what's essentially a supervillain origin story that is brutal and cynical and even toxic, though it takes some real chutzpah to ask an audience to have empathy for the devil.
41. 'Shazam'! (2019)
Zachary Levi is a natural to inhabit the body of a teen boy in a souped-up body. Like "Big" meets "Superman," the family-tinged fantasy tracks the wish-fulfillment high jinks of a kid trying (and often failing) to be a hero, leans into the importance of family and is the rare mainstream film that touches on the foster-care system in a tangible way.
40. 'Dick Tracy' (1990)
Al Pacino chewing scenery like a buffet. Madonna slinking around. Dustin Hoffman mumbling a lot. There's so much to adore about the colorful gangland comic-book movie, and at the center of it is Warren Beatty as the hard-nosed detective with the radio watch, bright yellow overcoat and unshakable righteousness.
39. 'Spider-Man' (2002)
OK, so Tobey Maguire didn't look like a teenager. The sight of the OG Spidey swinging around New York City in Sam Raimi's origin story still holds up, as does J.K. Simmons' newsman J. Jonah Jameson chomping cigars and an unhinged Willem Dafoe tearing up Manhattan as the superhero's most dangerous enemy, the Green Goblin.
38. 'Hellboy II: The Golden Army' (2008)
There is only one Hellboy, Ron Perlman, and the big horned guy with the Right Hand of Doom is a joy to behold in director Guillermo del Toro's fantasy sequel. Del Toro loves his monsters and he unleashes all sorts, from nasty tooth fairies to goblin blacksmiths, as Hellboy is tasked with stopping an army of clockwork mechanical soldiers.
37. 'Blade' (1998)
Neither Spider-Man nor X-Men were Marvel's first big success at the cinema. That honor goes to Wesley Snipes' fanged vampire hunter, who took out gore-covered bloodsuckers and had all the swagger in a cult flick that boasted B-movie antics, '90s style and set the stage for the heroes who came after.
36. 'Robocop' (1987)
In a futuristic and extremely crime-ridden Detroit, cop Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is killed in the line of duty and brought back as a cyborg warrior by a shady corporation. Director Paul Verhoeven's violent '80s action film is also a well-crafted social satire that tackles themes of capitalism and identity and only gets better with age.
35. 'Iron Man' (2008)
Robert Downey Jr. snagged a heck of a career revival playing Tony Stark, an arms manufacturer who gets a high-tech heart and a conscience – plus one really sweet suit of armor. Jon Favreau's action-packed character study turned out to be a game-changer, kicking off what would become the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
34. 'Sky High' (2005) - [Why is this on the list???]
The Disney high school comedy still works as a superhero gateway for kids. Michael Angarano is the teen son of hero parents wondering if he'll ever gets his powers in this clever take on young adolescence and family legacy, and Kurt Russell's square jaw was born to play a dude named Steve Stronghold.
33. 'Flash Gordon' (1980) -[Again, why? why?]
New York Jets star quarterback rockets to a strange planet, tussles with a guy named Ming the Merciless, gets in a love triangle, and teams up with a bunch of hawkmen. (Follow that, Aaron Rodgers!) The campy space opera is lustier than you might expect from a comic-strip do-gooder, and that Queen soundtrack rocks as hard as it ever did.
32. 'Deadpool 2' (2018) [One was Better, Two has issues.]
Ryan Reynolds' masked "Merc with a Mouth" broke the fourth wall "Looney Tunes" style and blew up the genre with a bunch of Acme dynamite in the 2016 original. The zanier time-traveling meta sequel ups his hallmark lampooning game, while also methodically redefining how funny and completely messed up these flicks could be.
31. 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' (2017)
Tom Holland proved that having a young dude play teenage Peter Parker is definitely for the best. Instead of an origin story, Peter is thrown into the stressful situation of navigating high school life, being a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and crushing on the daughter of Michael Keaton's villainous Vulture.
30. 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' (2022)
In the wake of Chadwick Boseman's death, Ryan Coogler's sequel became a soulful and profound look at life, legacy and dealing with grief. It gave Wakanda a female-centered story to tell – with Letitia Wright's Princess Shuri taking on the Panther mantle – and a standout Marvel antagonist in Tenoch Huerta Mejía's charming Namor.
29. 'The Lego Batman Movie' (2017) -[Again, why? why? I admittedly don't like Legos, and do not find Legos attractive - the appeal is lost on me.]
Batman (voiced by Will Arnett) has to overcome his loner tendencies in "The Lego Batman Movie."
The joyously bonkers animated comedy tackled Batman (voiced by Will Arnett) in a fun new way, showing him as a complicated mess who can’t get out of his own way long enough for the greater good. The brick-built bro-dude Dark Knight shreds a mean guitar and also learns the importance of friendship.
28. 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' (2010) - [Why? Seriously this is fanboy nerd list. No one else would put this on this list.]
Mixing video-game boss battles with coming-of-age tropes, Edgar Wright's electrifying musical action comedy cast Michael Cera as the Canadian title slacker, who falls for enigmatic Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). To date her, he has to literally fight her seven evil exes and along the way earn the power of self-respect.
27. 'Wonder Woman' (2017)
Gal Gadot had already appeared as the Amazon warrior but she came into her own in this World War I adventure. Her relationship with a pilot (Chris Pine) opens her heart to humanity, and the sight of her bravely walking across the battlefield of "No Man's Land" has become an emotional touchstone in the annals of comic-book movies.
26. 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' (2023)
How many Spider-people is too many? Trick question: There's never enough. The snazzy animated sequel sends the Brooklyn teen (voiced by Shameik Moore) into the multiverse to grow up some more: He learns he's part of a huge connected web of folks, yet puts all that in jeopardy to save a loved one.
25. 'The Suicide Squad' (2021) [Sigh, just no.]
James Gunn is now in charge of DC's movie future, and this violently subversive retooling of the supergroup was a successful job interview. The director's love for quirky characters and a dark sense of humor blended well with stars like Idris Elba, John Cena and Margot Robbie (whose Harley Quinn has never been more gloriously wacky.)
24. 'Captain America: The First Avenger' (2011)
Cap was punching Nazis in comic books way before Indiana Jones, and Chris Evans captured that appealing righteousness onscreen in the stirring World War II origin tale. When the super soldier puts up his dukes and says, "I can do this all day," you believe him – and Evans did, for several more Marvel movies afterward.
23. 'Superman II' (1980) - [Again, no. Off the list. It's cringe-inducing in places.]
The one where Supes gets beat up by a trucker. In order to be with his beloved Lois (Margot Kidder), Christopher Reeve's Man of Steel has his powers removed and that's of course when General Zod (Terence Stamp) and his crew show up wanting to take over Earth and Gene Hackman's top-notch Lex Luthor reappears as a pest.
22. 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' (2023) - [UGH. No, definitely not.]
James Gunn's swan song with his motley crew of cosmic misfits couldn't have been better, with Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and Co. scrambling to save their raccoon buddy Rocket (Bradley Cooper) in a sprawling heartfelt adventure that, in its own profound way, tackled issues of animal cruelty and abuse.
21. 'Batman Returns' (1992) [Really???]
If "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie, then so is the art deco Tim Burton sequel that pitted his Caped Crusader (Michael Keaton) against the ghoulish and freaky Penguin (a never-scarier Danny DeVito). The real gift in this holiday-tinged Bat-bonanza: Michelle Pfeiffer's purr-fect Catwoman, a fierce and alluring vision in black leather.
20. 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' (2021)
"Spider-Verse" doesn't have a monopoly on multiple web-slingers, and Tom Holland's third Marvel solo film – and alternate-reality smorgasbord – teamed him with past screen Spideys Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. (The welcome return of Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin and Jamie Foxx's improved Electro were awesome, too.)
19. 'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)
Be honest, who's still catching their breath from half the Marvel heroes horrifically turning to ash? The Avengers and other good guys rally to try and keep Thanos (Josh Brolin) from collecting the all-powerful Infinity Stones. They fail, miserably, and the consequences lead to a cliffhanger not soon forgotten.
18. 'Batman Begins' (2005) [Eh, Infinity War should be above this one.]
The British came to Gotham City and redefined the Dark Knight for a new generation of Bat-fans. Christian Bale nailed the delineations between rich guy Bruce Wayne and his vigilante alter ego, and director Christopher Nolan's outstanding redo of the Caped Crusader's origins was a twisty masterstroke.
17. 'X-Men' (2000)
Marvel's mutant squad made an auspicious big-screen debut that paid tribute to the deep comic themes of them not being accepted by humanity and saving the world anyway. It was also a straight-up blast, especially with Halle Berry's weather-manipulating Storm and Hugh Jackman's mutton-chopped, clawed wonder Wolverine.
16. 'The Batman' (2022)
Robert Pattinson's younger riff on the Dark Knight leans into the "World's Greatest Detective" angle from the comics. Director Matt Reeves also populated a neo-noir Gotham with reinvented, realistic Bat-villains: serial-killing Riddler (Paul Dano), vengeful Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz) and power-hungry gangster Penguin (Colin Farrell).
15. 'The Rocketeer' (1991) -[This movie bombed for a reason, folks.]
In the thrilling ode to the days of pulp serials, Billy Campbell threw on a jetpack and aerodynamic helmet as the 1930s title character, a stunt pilot whose airborne exploits put him on the radar of the FBI, Howard Hughes (!) and Nazi spies. And none of that's helpful in mending fences with his beloved squeeze Jenny (Jennifer Connelly).
14. 'Unbreakable' (2000)
Bruce Willis starred as a Philadelphia security guard who realizes he has superheroic abilities in the 2000 movie "Unbreakable."
Yeah, it's a bit of a somber affair, but woo boy, M. Night Shyamalan's love letter to comics works exceedingly well with a pair of origin stories and a couple of Hollywood icons. Bruce Willis is the train-wreck survivor turned reluctant, quasi-immortal hero, while Samuel L. Jackson stuns as the totally breakable bad-guy mastermind.
13. 'Logan' (2017)
James Mangold's Western-tinged adventure strips away the superhero trappings to get down and dirty with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine in his twilight years. Even an old man Logan is still a brutal warrior, though rather than dustups, the drama focuses more on a surly X-Man realizing he needs loved ones in a thoughtful exploration of age and mortality.
12. 'Spider-Man 2' (2004) - [Sigh]
Not that Sam Raimi's first Spidey outing was shabby by any stretch, but the sequel set a high bar for superhero movies for a good while. Tobey Maguire's hero wrestles with personal problems in a more emotional story line and Alfred Molina shined as an entertaining Doctor Octopus with plenty of metal tentacles and gravitas.
11. 'The Incredibles' (2004)
The best Fantastic Four movie – even considering there were three actual "Fantastic Four" movies. Director Brad Bird's animated Pixar gem took the family of superheroes theme to new heights, with strong main characters appealing to a wide base of filmgoers. (The MVP: Craig T. Nelson's relatable and embattled dad Mr. Incredible.)
10. 'Black Panther' (2018)
Ryan Coogler's first journey to Wakanda became a phenomenon for Black culture, with kids doing "Wakanda Forever" salutes and Chadwick Boseman turning in a performance befitting a king. His death has given new weight to all his roles, none more than the dignity, grace and quiet power he brought to T'Challa.
9. 'The Avengers' (2012) [This is an incredibly overrated film and doesn't date well.]
Let's face it, we've been spoiled by all the superteam blockbusters during the past decade. But even after "Justice League" and its ilk, the OG "Avengers" still holds up as a banger. Marvel's shawarma-chomping A-listers have to put differences aside to stave off an alien attack on Manhattan. Until it all falls apart again in ...
8. 'Captain America: Civil War' (2016)
Cap vs. Iron Man is the main event, of course, and the heroes-batting-each-other airport showdown is an all-timer. What makes this one special is how it deals with the real-world ramifications of superpowered beings among us, and the watchable messiness of good guys divided down political and personal lines.
7. 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' (2018)
Spidey is often the superhero that little kids connect with first. And wielding eye-popping animation and a coming-of-age narrative, the daring first "Spider-Verse" embraced that universality with Shameik Moore's Miles Morales, a multicultural Brooklyn kid navigating self-confidence and identity issues with entertaining moxie.
6. 'Batman' (1989)
Do we want to get nuts? Yes, Michael Keaton, we would like to get nuts. In Tim Burton's striking and gonzo Bat-flick, Keaton was a slightly crazy Bruce Wayne who you'd believe was a nighttime vigilante – and the right guy to be taking on a Joker that oozes Jack Nicholson's signature kooky charisma.
5. 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019)
After the events of "Infinity War," Earth's mightiest survivors go on a spiffy time-travel heist in order to bring back their friends and the rest of the galaxy that got whisked away. That, and the numerous MCU movies prior, was merely prelude to a monumental brawl against Thanos for all the marbles that may never be surpassed in sheer epicness.
4. 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014)
The not-quite-Avengers-yet crew has to save the universe in "Guardians of the Galaxy."
Always remember, James Gunn made the world fall in love with an alien tree and a talking raccoon. As much as the first "Guardians" is full of big stakes and save-the-universe derring-do, it's the themes of family and friendship, and little oddities like a convo about how "Footloose" is the most heroic movie in the cosmos, that make it sparkle.
3. 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' (2014)
It's not just a great superhero movie, it's just a great movie. An ace political thriller, the flick taps into timely themes of privacy concerns, an enemy growing from within, and military might used in ethically questionable ways. And if that timeliness doesn't impress you, maybe Cap wrecking a bunch of heavies in an elevator will.
2. 'The Dark Knight' (2008)
The late Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning performance as a chaotic, unpredictable Joker completely hijacks Christopher Nolan's breathtaking Bat-sequel, and will likely never be matched. Dealing with this colorful psychopath, Christian Bale's hero wrestles with personal choices and his gig as Gotham's resident protector in a white-knuckle affair about the fine line between good and evil.
1. 'Superman: The Movie' (1978) -[ Eh, it's dated. It does not quite hold up well, and the special effects etc are clunky with age. I'd put the Dark Knight and others above it. ]
Richard Donner's masterpiece covers the action-packed bases, from an exploding Krypton to disastrous quakes on Earth – you know, a job for Superman. What sets it apart from all the rest of the superhero pack is Christopher Reeve's magnificent showing as the ultimate Man of Steel. This alien is nurtured to be the best of us, embracing humanity and falling in love (see: Supes and Margot Kidder's Lois going on a stellar first-date flight). Reeve brings so much heart to a role where, with just little shifts in posture and mannerisms, he effortlessly switches from bespectacled Clark Kent to the legendary boy scout. Simply put, Reeve was super, man.
Movie watching and ranking truly is a subjective sport.
Off to bed, hopefully. I'm reading Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James at night.
no subject
Date: 2023-08-22 08:11 am (UTC)Actually maybe that should be two as Watchmen is more of an anti-superhero movie.
I saw Batman because of Jack Nicholson and though there were some star names in the movie I cannot temember why I went to see Superman; did, however leave with a bit of a crush on Christopher Reeve since I saw another couple of movies because he was in them.
I do get some very confused reactions, and love to see them when I have to ask if some character is Marvel or DC. It's a genuine question since I have never, knowingly, spent money on either ~ ever.
The only comics I was interested in growing up were the occasional Star Trek ones I came across, and the stories in the early Doctor Who magazines; which are only available in the US now :-( and I only discovered The Crow after the movie came out.
I would likely have loved the Buffy comics at the time; certainly love them much more than the post-series comics (though I have used two of the characters from those for stories) and I find it perversely amusing that the one main character I did not like (not including Wesley, since he was only there for what? half a season) was the reason why I stopped reading the post-series comics. The final four issues had already been paid for but, even though they were supposed to be Spike-heavy, the treatment of Angel was so bad I couldn't continue.
I even wrote a story that was almost a 'fix' for the treatment of Amy. Working through some stuff I suppose as I left that run with definitively altered attitudes to some of the characters, and a much diminished opinion of the creators.
More of a three/four panel comic strip fan I guess.
kerk
no subject
Date: 2023-08-22 11:58 am (UTC)The BOOM! Buffy comics - The Last Slayer, you might like? Tara didn't get killed by Warren, and Tara/Willow had a daughter who became a slayer - who after they died trying to save the world, is being raised by her watchers (Buffy and Spike).
no subject
Date: 2023-08-22 08:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-08-22 10:12 pm (UTC)Bullock optioned the Book - and fought to get it made and starred in it. (That's the story as far as I can remember it? I know she produced it.)