Alan Rickman will be known to most for his brilliant performance as Severus Snape. For many of us, he was Snape.
I leave you with a beautiful fan-video made by MsSardonicus in 2012 as my small tribute.
Thursday, 14 January 2016
A Tribute - Alan Rickman
We've lost another hero.
Alan Rickman will be known to most for his brilliant performance as Severus Snape. For many of us, he was Snape.
I leave you with a beautiful fan-video made by MsSardonicus in 2012 as my small tribute.
Alan Rickman will be known to most for his brilliant performance as Severus Snape. For many of us, he was Snape.
I leave you with a beautiful fan-video made by MsSardonicus in 2012 as my small tribute.
Comics Wrap Up - Calling Out For a Hero
TV Trailers
I don't actually watch Daredevil (I don't have Netflix, dammit!) but this trailer looks pretty damned cool.
Film Trailers
This week gave us a triple dose of teasers from the incredible, impossible, Deadpool. I love Deadpool. I know I say that a lot - but it's no less true!!!!!
Film
My very first popcorn review was on suitably comic-based fare.
Batman (1989) (UK - USA) was the first of the run of Batman films, previous to Christopher Nolan's more recent Dark Knight trilogy (UK - US.)
You can read my review right here.
Graphic Novels
This week I read STARVE Volume 1 (UK - US) - and oh boy, is it a doozy! Hard to summarise, but basically - wow. Never looking at chefs and reality shows the same way again!
Keep an eye out for my full review, which will be with you within the next week or two my lovely people!
I also read Adulthood is a Myth: A 'Sarah's Scribbles' Collection (UK - US) - my review for that will be posted in February (I know, I know, that feels like a million years away - but this is what happens when I read eARCs people; I loved it, I can tell you that!)
Other Stuff
I reviewed the non-fiction book Death, Disability and the Superhero by Jose Alaniz (UK - USA).
This is a study of the representation of death and disability in superhero comics (as the title implies >.< ) and you can read my full review here.
Like This Post? Try These:
I don't actually watch Daredevil (I don't have Netflix, dammit!) but this trailer looks pretty damned cool.
Film Trailers
This week gave us a triple dose of teasers from the incredible, impossible, Deadpool. I love Deadpool. I know I say that a lot - but it's no less true!!!!!
Film
My very first popcorn review was on suitably comic-based fare. Batman (1989) (UK - USA) was the first of the run of Batman films, previous to Christopher Nolan's more recent Dark Knight trilogy (UK - US.)
You can read my review right here.
Graphic Novels
This week I read STARVE Volume 1 (UK - US) - and oh boy, is it a doozy! Hard to summarise, but basically - wow. Never looking at chefs and reality shows the same way again!
Keep an eye out for my full review, which will be with you within the next week or two my lovely people!
I also read Adulthood is a Myth: A 'Sarah's Scribbles' Collection (UK - US) - my review for that will be posted in February (I know, I know, that feels like a million years away - but this is what happens when I read eARCs people; I loved it, I can tell you that!)
Other Stuff
I reviewed the non-fiction book Death, Disability and the Superhero by Jose Alaniz (UK - USA).
This is a study of the representation of death and disability in superhero comics (as the title implies >.< ) and you can read my full review here.
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Wednesday, 13 January 2016
Are We Losing Our Imagination?
You may think - wtf are you talking about C R? Our imaginations are fine and dandy.
But are you right? Studies have shown that kids have less imagination than they did in the 1970s.
Are we losing our ability to imagine things?
Shakespeare's plays were originally performed in broad daylight. There were no microphones to boost the actor's voices. There was no set design to speak of.
Effects were limited to the most rudimentary of noises and props that could be flung together on a relatively small budget in the 1500 and 1600s.
Needless to say, there was no soundtrack, no opening credits, and very rarely was there scenery.
This wasn't the case simply for a few rich snobs who thought they were chocolate because this was 'art' and they could afford theatre tickets - oh no, this was the entertainment of the masses.
The audience had to imagine more.
So, without all of the bells and whistles, the audience had to engage more with the story, and with the acting, albeit they had were quite harsh critics (throwing rotten vegetables at bad actors - an early way to lessen food waste >.< )
Imagination is a muscle.
Imagination has been compared time and time again to a muscle. If you use it, it grows and develops; if you don't, it wastes away.
People in the 1800s didn't 'scare easy,' when they found Dracula and A Christmas Carol terrifying - they just had imaginations that were far more active than our own.
Likewise, visual effects that seemed realistic and cutting-edge in the mid-20th century now look unbelievable and, often, a little sad.
People weren't more gullible in the past, their imaginations just did the work for them.
We feed our imaginations on junk food.
No-one minds a bit of junk food now and then: but all day, every day? No wonder our imaginations are feeling the strain (and yes, I'm mixing metaphors - and I don't care!)
It's not only our imaginations feeling the effects of our instant gratification culture - our attention spans, lets face it, are down-right atrocious.
So, letting the media we consume (and let's face it, we consume a lot of it,) constantly do our work for us, is not good for either our attention spans or our imaginations.
But neither do we have to be saintly lords and ladies from the days of yore (you know, yore, what a bore, yore! Yes, I heard it. Clearly this is another side-effect of too much interwebs... and there may have been coffee... again.)
No, we don't have to act like we rolled out of bed in the 1500s complete with skirts and/or codpiece (I'm not here to judge.) I just think we need to cool it occasionally, and make our brains actually work for those yummy hits of dopamine.
In the long run, you'll be better off for it.
But don't let me have all the opinions! Do you agree? Disagree? Somewhere in between?
Do we need to rescue our imaginations from the pit of quick video-clips and reality TV? Or is it good riddance to bad abstract nouns?
Like This Post? Try These:
But are you right? Studies have shown that kids have less imagination than they did in the 1970s.
Are we losing our ability to imagine things?
Shakespeare's plays were originally performed in broad daylight. There were no microphones to boost the actor's voices. There was no set design to speak of.
Effects were limited to the most rudimentary of noises and props that could be flung together on a relatively small budget in the 1500 and 1600s.
Needless to say, there was no soundtrack, no opening credits, and very rarely was there scenery.
This wasn't the case simply for a few rich snobs who thought they were chocolate because this was 'art' and they could afford theatre tickets - oh no, this was the entertainment of the masses.
The audience had to imagine more.
So, without all of the bells and whistles, the audience had to engage more with the story, and with the acting, albeit they had were quite harsh critics (throwing rotten vegetables at bad actors - an early way to lessen food waste >.< )
Imagination is a muscle.
Imagination has been compared time and time again to a muscle. If you use it, it grows and develops; if you don't, it wastes away.
People in the 1800s didn't 'scare easy,' when they found Dracula and A Christmas Carol terrifying - they just had imaginations that were far more active than our own.
Likewise, visual effects that seemed realistic and cutting-edge in the mid-20th century now look unbelievable and, often, a little sad.
People weren't more gullible in the past, their imaginations just did the work for them.
We feed our imaginations on junk food.
No-one minds a bit of junk food now and then: but all day, every day? No wonder our imaginations are feeling the strain (and yes, I'm mixing metaphors - and I don't care!)
It's not only our imaginations feeling the effects of our instant gratification culture - our attention spans, lets face it, are down-right atrocious.
So, letting the media we consume (and let's face it, we consume a lot of it,) constantly do our work for us, is not good for either our attention spans or our imaginations.But neither do we have to be saintly lords and ladies from the days of yore (you know, yore, what a bore, yore! Yes, I heard it. Clearly this is another side-effect of too much interwebs... and there may have been coffee... again.)
No, we don't have to act like we rolled out of bed in the 1500s complete with skirts and/or codpiece (I'm not here to judge.) I just think we need to cool it occasionally, and make our brains actually work for those yummy hits of dopamine.
In the long run, you'll be better off for it.
But don't let me have all the opinions! Do you agree? Disagree? Somewhere in between?
Do we need to rescue our imaginations from the pit of quick video-clips and reality TV? Or is it good riddance to bad abstract nouns?
Like This Post? Try These:
Tuesday, 12 January 2016
Popcorn Review! - Batman (1989)
The
Film/ TV Adap: Batman (1989)The Bookish Inspiration: Batman comics and graphic novels
Main Cast: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger
Director: Tim Burton
BBFC Rating: 15
Amazon: UK - USA
Opening credits:
This is the first of the Batman series which comprised of Batman (UK - USA,) Batman Returns (UK - US,) and the ill-remembered Batman Forever (UK - US,) and Batman and Robin (UK - US.)
Still, perhaps the Christopher Nolan films would not even have been made if not for the success of the 80s and 90s movies.
Premise:
Billionaire Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) dresses like a bat to fight crime, and faces off against Jack Nicholson's Joker (which was a very nice business deal for Mr Nicholson.)
Best bits:
This re-invigorated superhero movies - and Batman. Blowing aside the campy 1960s TV show, this allowed Batman to be more as he was in the comics - a little more dark, a little more brooding, a little less safe.
And the Gotham city architecture, the Batmobile, and the randomness of the Joker, all have Tim Burton's fingerprints all over them.
True, this isn't enough Burton for mega Burton fans (guilty as charged,) but there's enough in the little details and gothic fairy-tale to show that this is, indeed, a Burton film.
Nicholson's Joker is fab. I know that the defining performance is Heath Ledger's - I get that. But the blend of comic and sinister is pretty damned
Not so great bits:
The fashion and hair-styles look exceptionally dated - 80s much? The Batman suit? Well, they did their best.
I'm not a fan of Michael Keaton in the role, but that's more a personal thing than anything else - in my humble opinion, the character needs more quiet gravitas.
The love interest keeps being in peril, and having to be rescued. It's annoying.
Popcorn Worthy?
A very watchable film - with a bit more fun than the Nolan films, and more sense than the 60s TV series.
It nevertheless deserves to be judged on its own merits - and it's a pretty good film, certainly fine for a lazy Sunday afternoon, but maybe you'll want to save the popcorn for the Dark Knight trilogy (UK - US.)
Buy Now UK – Buy Now USA - IMDb
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Comics Wrap Up - We Could Be Immortals
Trailer Review! - Suicide Squad First Look
Monday, 11 January 2016
Oops
Sorry to anyone who read the rough draft of this week's comics wrap-up about 4 days early - I accidentally hit publish instead of save!
That'll teach me to multi-task with only one cup of coffee in me.
I've taken it down now - it'll be back up (and finished,) on Thursday.
That'll teach me to multi-task with only one cup of coffee in me.
I've taken it down now - it'll be back up (and finished,) on Thursday.
A Small Tribute
One of my favourite Bowie songs - and one that doesn't get played anywhere near enough. 'Within You' from the beautiful film, Labyrinth.
Review! - Death, Disability, and the Superhero by Jose Alaniz
Title: Death, Disability, and the Superhero: The Silver Age and Beyond
Author:
Jose Alaniz
Genre:
Non-fiction
A
few starting notes:
I
received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley.
NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair
and honest reviews.
As you will all be aware by now, I'm a total nerd. So a study of the representation of death and disability in superhero comics? Bring it on.
Premise:
An academic study of the representation of the disabled, and the concept of death, in superhero comics.
Best
bits:
I loved the exploration of ideas here - comics and graphic novels are a part of our culture, and so are just as worthy of study as film or literature. I was really interested by the various points raised, and the interpretation of various representations.
I was a little worried that this would go over my head - so was pleased that it turned out to be much more readable than I had feared. Unfortunately, many may still find it a difficult read.
Where the author is clearly engaged, the writing flows well and with little concern for being 'worthy,' or academic. These parts were, to me, by far the most enjoyable - the parts where there was pure exploration, rather than the weight of expectation.
Not
so great bits:
The need to be considered intelligent and academic sometimes leads to over-analysing and a more stilted tone. As mentioned, this is going to make it a difficult read for some people.
Some of the points I felt could do with more moderation and balance: I know that Professor X doesn't need to be knocked out of his wheelchair so often, but at the same time I would've liked an acknowledgement that at some point, a villain is likely to do this.
Villains aren't known for their manners or political correctness, and are likely to take advantage of Prof X's paralysis. It's the over-use of this occurrence which should've been more clearly highlighted.
Also, where was Hawkeye? Brief mentions. That's all. Yet, to me, his deafness is a huge point when discussing disability in comics. Not least because the movies write his disability out entirely.
Verdict:
An interesting study of the depictions of death and disability in superhero comics. Not for people who want a light read, this is nevertheless worth reading if you want something thought-provoking and a bit more intellectually stimulating.
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