Nerd Church - Just For One Day

This week, we lost people who we felt we knew.

True, most of us had never met them - but does that matter? We admired them. We respected them. In our way, we loved them.

I think that the world will always need heroes - whether real or fictional. And sometimes, when the actor is passionate enough, the singer unique enough, their image becomes inseparable from their creations.

David Bowie re-formed his own image so many times that he may well have been a timelord of sorts. We didn't know him, true. But we were given enough of a glimpse of the man to know we admired him; and his characters.

The people that he managed to become through his music and costume showed us all that we really needed to know.

Don't get me wrong - I don't think he was actually Ziggy Stardust, or the Thin White Duke, or any of his other personas.

But they were a part of him, and he a part of them: and they enchanted us, spoke to us, told us something about ourselves.

And then there's Alan Rickman. We will never be able to imagine Snape without Alan Rickman's heavy silences, meaningful looks, or deep and powerful voice.

To me, Snape's memory from the last Harry Potter film is a class in 'how to act,' - that scene stole the show. It's already iconic, and I'm sure it'll only become more so in time.

So yes, we mourn people we did not know personally - because we know how beautiful they were. We know that the world has lost incredible men. We mourn them because they spoke to us, in one way or another.

Nerd Church is a weekly post discussing moral, ethical, and topical issues in a friendly, nerdy, and non-denominational, setting (non-nerds also welcome.) Feel free to write your own posts - on this or any other topic (but please link back to this blog.) 


Like this post? Try these:

• Welcome Back to Nerd Church
• Nerd Church! - Four Tales of Incredible Courage

The Writer Diaries (or, 2016, I'm Gonna Getcha)

As I've mentioned on probably more than one occasion, I love both reading and writing.

Of course, I consider this blog writing - I'm here putting the words from my head into type, aren't I? But I'm also keen to up the amount of writing of various other sorts that I do.

I've decided that I'm going to make myself write more in 2016. Not in a loads-of-pressure, have-to-do-this-or-else kind of way: because that sucks. No, this is in a 'wow, this is fun! And I can do this, and then that, and then...' kind of way.

So yeah, I'm gonna have fun, I'm gonna write stuff, and lord knows what I'll do with said stuff once I've written it, but that's a problem for the future (I'll jump off that bridge when I come to it.)

Expect more 'Writer Diaries' posts in the next few months!



Like this post? Try these:

• The Writer Diaries (or How to Destroy a Blank Page)
• The Writer Diaries (Or What I Learned From NaBloPoMo November 2015)
• The Writer Diaries (Or, I Blog From the Heart, How 'Bout You?)

Friday Fics Fix! - FrostIron Strikes Again!

I have a serious FrostIron problem - as regular readers of this blog may have noticed. I can't help it, ok? I ship the ship.

I ship. The ship.

(Fangirl translation for the non-fangirl/fanboy fluent:

A ship is a wished-for romantic, often sexual, relationship, between two characters. Usually, these are characters of the same gender.

Occasionally there's a straight relationship in fanfiction - but it's not common.

'I ship the ship' means that I have bought into this relationship to what is probably an unhealthy level.)

So, yeah. FrostIron is Tony Stark and Loki's fandom relationship. I read far too many fics of this ship. It may even be my otp.

(Translation: 'One True Pairing' - that one (or many) ship(s) that you will defend and obsess over to your dying breath - melodramatic, yes. But this is fandom.)

I also read far too much Omegaverse for my own good/sanity/chances of not losing my soul to the fandom (yay!) I've explained Omegaverse before, so please read that post if you want to know more.

I am not explaining that again.

This week's fic then isssss (dramatic pause...)

of hormones and tinfoil hats by Arvensis5 and plumadesatada

This (oddly enough, given what I've been harking on about for the majority of this post,) is FrostIron Omegaverse. It is also excellent.

Given that my definition of 'excellent' when it comes to fanfiction has become a little blurry (you try reading this much warped fanfiction and not becoming just a little lenient and/or lightheaded!) it is still very good by any standards.

Seriously, this has been thought through, carefully executed, and well-written (barring the odd typo.) And it definitely makes you want to give Loki a big ol' hug!!! (Sigh, the feels.)

It also includes some pretty rockin' corresponding fanart.

Given that it's Omegaverse (and fanfiction in general,) there's a refreshing lack of explicit sex; there are a few depictions of the aftermath of torture though, so reader beware.

Given the title, I really would've loved if there were more tinfoil hats involved. But oh well, beggars can't be choosers and all that jazz (yay, mixed clichés!)


Like This Post? Try These:

• Friday Fics Fix - There Is Omegaverse (And I'm Taking You All Down With Me)
• Friday Fics Fix! (In Which the Blogger Falls Off the FrostIron Wagon)
• Friday Fics Fix! (In Which There is Much Loki)

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.

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:

• Review! - Death, Disability, and the Superhero by Jose Alaniz
• Popcorn Review! - Batman (1989)
• Comics Wrap Up - We Could Be Immortals

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:

• Are Target Audiences Holding Books Back?
• What Makes a Good Book Review?

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


Liked this post? Try these:

Comics Wrap Up - We Could Be Immortals
Trailer Review! - Suicide Squad First Look