Yeah, about all that stuff I said in the last post…

The job is as far as I can tell still technically mine, but there is a lot standing in the way of my happily ever after:

- It’s unfortunate that I had to reach back to my customer service job to teach me anything, but in utilizing Western Union, I was taught that structured transactions over the course of one day - or, in my case, over consecutive days - can cause one’s bank account to be frozen. Nothing gets in, nothing gets out and you’re shit out of look if you wanna know how much you got left, but I’m pretty lucky in this regard; at least, I’m sure I have a pretty hefty chunk left over.

- Actually, I called my bank and I'm in the goddamn red. Whether or not this particular job situation is a scam as the woman on the phone theorized, a good job should take you out of debt, not put you further in, so I'm not sure if this is a business I want to be a part of. I'm applying elsewhere. People shit talk LinkedIn, but I'm fucking desperate.

- Without a functioning checking account, I can’t make a down payment on a new car (to say nothing of the automatic payments that are due), which pretty much means I’m still stuck with my rusted out shit box in need of a) an oil change, b) new brakes and c) a myriad of other issues that can’t be fixed with a simple reset of an engine light.

- The recruiter I’m talking to about all of this just now tried to tell me that this has never happened with any prior applicants to this job, which leads me to one of two disturbing but distinctive scenarios: a) he’s lying to me or b) he’s fucking lying to me and that’s just not cool.

- All this stuff may be settled by the time April rolls around or it may not, but that’s just too long to wait for a new job, a new paycheck, a new car, a new everything.

- Once again, the universe treats the piddling little stuff that I ask for as the hardest shit in the fucking world to deliver. I don’t think anybody screaming the N-word in my face for ten minutes on end could be more offensive than that.

- At this rate, I might actually end up eating dog food.

"I would not say such things if I were you!"

Yesterday, I attended the screening of The Princess Bride with music played by live orchestra. The seating was insane and the parking was a nightmare, but I made it. Damn good thing these things don't start on time.

- I'd heard about The Princess Bride with music by a live orchestra a few years ago. As much as my hometown sees, I feared it would be something I'd dream about, but never get to experience for myself unless I sacrifice hundreds of dollars in travel expenses (hint, hint, David Newman's Matilda).

- The conductor was an affable fellow, sharing stories about meeting Peter Cook (the Impressive Clergyman) and alternate casting choices like Arnold Schwarzenegger as Fezzik (...no) and Danny DeVito as Vizzini (as indelible as Wallace Shawn is in the role, I would actually like to see that). However, he totally reminded me of Elmer Fudd in "A Corny Concerto". 

- Mark Knopfler's music was re-orchestrated by Mark Graham, who's worked on a bunch of scores for Alan Silvestri and Alexandre Desplat, among others, so the sound was in good hands.

- Now, I'm not a hater of Knopfler's synthesized score nor am I a great fan, but there's something about the original execution that felt of the film, if that made any sense. In particular, I really missed the guitar trills for when Inigo shows off the scars that the Six-Fingered Man left him.

- Still, the sword fight music really popped with an orchestra, However...

- Maybe, it was the sound mixing or the placement of music where there originally was none, but there were moments of overscoring that drowned out the dialogue, in particular "I ought to be after twenty years.".

- "A few steps from here and we'll be safe in the Fire Swamp." Nicely played, Billy Goldman.

- During the Westley vs. Rodent of Unusual Size fight, I noticed two things: a) I kind of was hoping that the ROUS would've met the tip of Westley's sword sooner than it did and b) Buttercup was not much help in that fight. Maybe not useless the way, say, Tiffany Case was in the climax of Diamonds Are Forever, but still, she could've bashed the ROUS with the club. (Something to take away as a writer: just because the woman is a damsel, they don't have to be a damsel-in-distress.) Still, this was mitigated by the way she bargained for Westley's life with Count Rugen and Prince Humperdinck.

- Thinking about damsels reminds me of the double feature I did last year of 21st century movies where the young leads were cast as fairy tale villains. While Damsel had Robin Wright coldly glower (and not much else) as the wicked Queen, Ella Enchanted greatly benefited from Cary Elwes chewing the scenery as Edgar, though even now, I'm forced to wonder how - given that he had a talking snake sidekick and an almost permanent sneer on his face - no one pegged the character as a bad guy earlier.

- Following Westley recognizing Count Rugen as the Six-Fingered Man and him getting knocked out, there was an intermission. Maybe not that relevant, but I felt it was worth mentioning, mainly because of the cute girls in line ahead of me and the king-sized Kit Kat I picked up.

- I kind of wish I had taken down track listings of the pieces used. It's kind of a quirk of mine.

- The audience was laughing at a lot of the movie, which I can't say I was terribly upset by; this is a very funny movie. Still, my biggest laugh: "Give us the gate key." "I have no gate key." "Fezzik, tear his arms off." "Oh, you mean this gate key."

- Likewise, there were a lot of cheers when Inigo ended Rugen. Thinking about it, it's not hard to share the kid's frustration that Humperdinck lived because he was arguably worse: planning to kill Buttercup and turning the machine up to 50 on Westley. Even Rugen was horrified at this; he only wanted to go as high as 5. Granted, stiffing Inigo's father on the sword and murdering him were awful, but he could not have imagined the son carrying that hate in his heart.

- Overall, the experience was a good one. The movie still holds the power to enthrall young and old. The music...the orchestral execution was an interesting one, but it only emphasized how thin the score was on a melodic front. Besides 'Storybook Love', there wasn't anything to grab onto in terms of themes. Maybe, the swordfight theme and the little comic idea for Inigo and Fezzik. I'm glad I went, though. Don't get it twisted.

Random Thoughts - at the movies and beyond

Been too damn long since I did one of these in a non 'the year in movies' context...and yet, here I am talking about the movies. Is there much else in this world worth talking about?

- It seems that Dreamworks wants some of that sweet live-action remake money that's keeping the rides at Disney World operational, because they've just announced an adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon. Maybe, it'll hew closer to the book and maybe, it'll be a straight remake. One bit of good news: John Powell, who wrote arguably some of his best music for the animated features, is scoring this. Some people (let's call them 'whiner-babies') are upset that Powell is working on this instead of something more 'original'. Again, this is good news. If Powell wasn't scoring this, it'd likely go to Lorne Balfe or Tom Holkenborg or some other lesser Remote Control acolyte. Picture that in your mind and tell me that would be a world worth living in. P.S. I'm instituting the 'anyone who suggests Tom Holland for Hiccup gets punched in the brain' challenge. Who's with me?!

- The scuttlebutt online has it that one of Varese Sarabande's next CD Club releases will be Klaus Badelt's The Time Machine: Deluxe Edition. A complete release of a score from a forgotten composer whose main theme is pretty obviously lifted from Goldsmith's The Edge. Meanwhile, the likes of Leviathan, Mr. Destiny, Out for Justice, Hudson Hawk, Mobsters, Ricochet, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Christopher Columbus: the Discovery, Hot Shots! Part Deux, Demolition Man, Addams Family Values, The Hudsucker Proxy, I Love Trouble, Timecop, Terminal Velocity, The Quick and the Dead, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: the Movie, Sudden Death, Thinner, Free Willy 3: the Rescue, Kull the Conqueror, Mouse Hunt, Sphere, Paulie, Soldier, “Merlin”, In Dreams, Instinct, The Sixth Sense, Deep Blue Sea, The 13th Warrior, End of Days, "The 10th Kingdom", "The Mists of Avalon", Dragonfly, Ice Age, Blade II, Reign of Fire, Peter Pan, Goldsmith's Timeline, I, Robot, Fantastic Four or Serenity can't get goddamn arrested at the label. Oh, and I hear tell that they (or someone) are also planning Silvestri's The Clan of the Cave Bear. Fucking interns.

- Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, the Guy Ritchie action-comedy that was meant to be released in 2021, is  set for release on March 3rd. This news was revealed to me mere days after I decided to watch the film online after getting sick of waiting for it to come out. (A rather literal comparison, as the week I watched it, I was sick at home with Covid.) The main trouble with the film was that there were villains from the Ukraine, which…yeah. You’d think that re-dubbing the film to correct this problem would take no more than a few months. All told, the film was pretty good. Still, it’ll be nice to see it in a theater, official-like.

- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was released over the weekend. I have no desire to see it in a theater, though, (First time in 15 years. Thanks a lot, jackholes.) for a number of reasons. a) It looks to be a big, splashy narrative set in a vast, CGI-created world...which completely contravenes the small scale of the first two. The appeal of the first two movies lied in its heist movie plots. It's how you can tell them apart from the rest of the MCU. What difference is there between this and a Guardians of the Galaxy movie*...or Green Lantern, for that matter? b) Kang. Though this is supposedly a different version of the character than the one that stopped the season finale of "Loki" dead in its tracks, he has the same yen for dull speechifying, which...fuck off. c) No Michael Pena as Luis. For real, I'm calling it:

* - Now, this doesn't mean that the Marvel bubble has burst for me. Guardians of the Galaxy - Vol. 3 is very much a priority; unlike the makers of Quantumania, James Gunn knows exactly what these movies are supposed to be. Also, The Marvels is directed by Candyman's Nia DaCosta and enough said there. As for Quantumania, I might check it out on Disney+ later this year...but I make no promises.

- Composer Gerald Fried, whose credits range from "Star Trek" to "Gilligan's Island", passed away over the weekend. I'd considered an obituary post for him, but given that my scope of knowledge of the man doesn't stretch beyond a couple of pretty good scores from the 70s ("Cruise Into Terror" and Survive!, available together on a 2-CD set from Dragon's Domain) and the fight music from the Trek episode "Amok Time" which I only became aware of thanks to Jim Carrey in The Cable Guy, I decided against it. Besides, Jeff Bond (who's forgotten more about film music than I'll ever know) posted an unimpeachable tribute to the man on Facebook. How could I possibly compete?

- Today, I went to see Marlowe. Pretty good; no masterpiece, but better than the reviews would have you believe. However, here's the hook: I went to see the film at the Regal Elmwood. You know, one of the theaters that was supposedly set to close last week. I had considered asking around and hearing from the staff, who would surely be concerned about the potential loss of their jobs. Not just because I had other things to do, but I thought better of it, especially as the parking lot was getting rather full as I left. Honestly, there's no reason to yell 'Fired!' in a crowded theater.

Random Thoughts - Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers

Background: Loosely (and, boy, do I mean loosely) based on the Disney Afternoon show, Chip (voiced by John Mulaney) and Dale (voiced by Andy Samberg) are on the outs ever since Dale's grasp at success caused the cancellation of their show, "Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers". A number of animated characters - including former co-star Monterey Jack (voiced by Eric Bana, because Australia?) - have been kidnapped, leading the boys into a case every bit as unusual as the ones they pretended to solve.

Maybe, just maybe, I could’ve let this go as one more thing that people love for reasons beyond normal grasp, but it just won for an Emmy for Best Made-for-Television Movie. If I don’t say something, who will?

And this is just an ordinary joe’s read on things. I admired the show growing up and revisiting it in Disney XD’s marathon proved that the show held up. These are far from the ravings of a super fan. Speaking of which...

- Much like The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, this film features an eager young female law enforcement officer assigned to the case featuring the titular cartoon animals who happens to be a big fan of their show from back in the day. However, the big difference is that unlike FBI agent Karen Sympathy (Piper Perabo), who got something in the way of a character arc, I'm hard pressed to remember much about Det. Ellie Steckler (Kiki Layne).

- I'm sure you (fans of the original show) all remember Gadget Hackwrench. Sweet, somewhat scatterbrained inventor. Well, except for providing a flying apparatus to get to the big showdown, she doesn't have much to do here. Disappointing? Hell yes. But a girl with 42 kids probably shouldn't be exerting herself in this narrative. Wait, what? Gadget is married with children? That's odd. So, who's the lucky rodent she settled down with? Well...

- Zipper is also conspicuously missing from this story. Huh. Well, I'm sure that a fly who can get into tiny spaces too small even for the rest of the team wouldn't be all that helpful. I'm sure he kept in touch with his co-stars. (This is my long-winded way of telling you that Gadget and Zipper hooked up. Yeah. As random as anything else in this movie.) Still, this feels like a roundabout way to get Dennis Haysbert to say "Rescue Rangers away!" and I can't be entirely upset with that.

- For an ostensible comedy with a dazzling array of comic talent on both sides of the camera, this was incredibly not funny. It was almost like a Transformers movie in how many misfired gags there were: the ‘Whale Rap’; Seth Rogen’s CGI characters filling the screen and doing a creepy laugh, for some reason; Chip believing that Ellie is a suspect because she mentioned that her grandmother taped episodes of the show for her and according to Chip, old people can’t work VCRs and what’s the deal with airplane food? Have you seen this? Who...are...these people? And the nadir: the constant focus on the creepy design of Sonic the Hedgehog from the original trailer for the 2020 movie. Pro tip: You can't just point your camera at random bullshit and claim that it's comedy. You're not goddamn Tim and Eric.

- To be honest, I did laugh once: when the boys were arguing and their voices changed from those of the celeb performers to the distinctive, high-pitched tones of Tress MacNeille and Corey Burton.

- As it turns out, the scheme was masterminded by a now-middle aged Peter Pan (Will Arnett). After the success of his movie, puberty hit him like a truck and suddenly, the studio didn't want jack to do with him. Now, why does this sound so familiar? Because it happens to be the actual backstory of Peter Pan's original voice actor, Bobby Driscoll (if you are ever feeling too happy, just Google Driscoll for the whole sordid tale, but be warned: it's super depressing). I’m giving the writers the benefit of the doubt on this one, for two reasons: a) Driscoll’s tragic fate isn’t common knowledge; it’s something the studio would likely have done their best to bury and b) you’d have to be one sociopathic, shit-sucking mother grabber to have full knowledge of that story and still make a joke out of it. Given the roughly hundred years of lore in Walt Disney Pictures, it is impossible to know every single aspect of their history, much less their movies, but even so, a much better version of this villain was done in Meet the Robinsons. (A major event in a young boy's life makes him isolated and weird and as an adult, he lashes out at the world that rejected him. Yeah.) Trust me, it’s better than you remember.

- As I mentioned, people have compared this (erroneously) to Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Given that the movies chasing this dragon include Cool World, Looney Tunes: Back in Action*, the aforementioned The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and both Space Jams, maybe it's about time for studios to retire live-action/animation hybrids. Roger Rabbit really was one of those lightning-in-a-bottle type of things and nobody seems to want to put in the work to match it. (If anything, this film didn’t try as much to be like Roger Rabbit as it was trying to emulate 21 Jump Street: taking the piss out of an old TV show with a variety of funny people...but it even missed this mark. Now that I think about it, the film seems much closer to CHiPs or Baywatch, films that tried for the Jump Street vibe, but just seemed to look down rather intensely on the source material, and that contempt could be felt in the end product.)

- Post Malone's cover of the theme song. So, the copy of the song that he was asked to emulate had a glitch, resulting in only the first half of it being clear and instead of admitting that he never heard the second half (or, I don't know, checked YouTube for the full theme), he decided to fake it and hope that would be good enough?

- Much like with Space Jam: a New Legacy, this film is stuffed to the gills with characters from past media and other studios...and no way did they come cheap. What was even the budget on this thing?

And I can hear some of you groaning, ‘You’re wrong! It’s The Lonely Island! They won’t let me down!’. Heroes are fallible. It’s a simple fact of life. Even Lord and Miller shat the bed with that one show with Max from "Happy Endings" as a time-traveling dope. Like the man said, pobody’s nerfect.

* - I remembered this being very much on Roger Rabbit's level when I first saw it in 2003, but a recent re-watch kinda broke my heart. Don't get me wrong; there are some strong laughs in this movie, easily identifiable as aligning with Joe Dante's sensibilities and not the studio's corporate interests. Good luck finding anything as witty as a black-and-white Kevin McCarthy (the one people actually like) carrying a pod and mumbling 'You're next, you're next...!' in subsequent live-action/animation hybrids.

Random Thoughts - Here's what's been going on with me.

- Still waiting to hear back on the many jobs I applied for, including a typist position with the department of law at City Hall. I'm really hoping to hear good news from them, even though I was late for the interview (not entirely my fault; simply put, there are too many goddamn cars parked near City Hall and not enough parking spaces).

- Because I couldn't get enough money together in time, my Bank of America card was charged off, which is to say, I can't use it anymore and I still owe the debt, which is roughly a prime number followed by a few zeroes.

- Part of the money I'd planned to use on the BoA payment (which came from selling CDs I didn't want anymore) had arrived in the mail after it was too late to do anything about it. Figuring that the money shouldn't go to waste, I decided to deposit it in the bank, then wait about half an hour and take it back out to spend on a movie - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Now at the time, I have five dollars in my bank account. I try to take the money back out, only to find my transactions declined due to insufficient funds. Given my nervousness about the credit card situation, I get super-paranoid; 'Did Bank of America commandeer my bank account to pay off the debt? Isn't this illegal?' Figuring it's not worth the trouble (and that I have a right to peace of mind), I go home, without a new movie in my eyeballs. I guess it takes them a while to process deposits, because I was able to take some of the money out today.

- Halloween came and gone with more trick-or-treaters than the last few years combined...but still not very many. Looks like I'm not the only one who's paranoid.

- I had hoped to get some money by pawning some stuff I wasn't using anymore, like a mini-DVD player and a TV/VCR, only to find that pawn shops don't take that stuff anymore. How the fuck are you even still in business, then?!

- I get an e-mail from Capital One about my next payment, only to find that the total balance and payment are significantly lower than they've been in months. I can actually make this without too much hassle. Heh, I might even be able to buy stuff with it again, one day.

- As a chaser to this bit of good news, I contact Bank of America's recovery department fearing the worst. Instead, I find that (for now, anyway) I just need to make a (reasonable) payment per month. For the longest, I've been wondering about God having a plan for everyone and how I hope that this isn't it. Now, I still need a job, but I'm actually looking to the future with hope.

Random Thoughts - 'cause I know you've been missing this.

- Cannot believe it about Anton Yelchin. I enjoyed him in so many movies: Charlie Bartlett. Fright Night. The Beaver. Star Trek. Hell, even the underwhelming Burying the Ex and Terminator: Salvation managed to not ruin him. I will miss him so much.

- Now, it is a rare thing for me to write a screenplay all the way through. Not so much in completing one; I've done that, a few times. What I mean is that I find myself skipping around, because I'm really eager to finish one scene first, even if it comes later than the scenes I have yet to write. Just the other day, I wrote the climax of my horror movie. It's in a word document, but it tops out at a good 15 pages. I'm pretty proud. Less so of the fact that I'm writing something that would've been a dime a dozen in the 80s and 90s, but will have to fight about 200 Blumhouse clones to get noticed in today's horror society.

- Speaking of chasing a dream of screenwriting, usually there's an Amateur Offerings Weekend post at Scriptshadow. This past weekend, though, there wasn't. The last few weeks, I was submitting my script for notice, only to get nothing. My usual bout of whining (I'm man enough to admit that) was met with the usual 'here's what you're doing wrong'. It seemed like I was getting nowhere, with one response in particular nearly prompting me to go on a Syndrome-like path of revenge...then someone else responded and inspired me to try a new angle in getting the script out there. Here's hoping it works.

- Has it really been so long since I used microfiche? That's what I asked myself today when I tried to use it. I loaded it into the machine, but it was going far slower than I remember...then I was forced to ask for help and the librarian showed me that I needed to put the microfiche under the glass to get it to go faster. I doubt I'm getting old; it's just that the microfiche is falling further into irrelevance.

- I had planned to write something about how it's been making the news that the scumbag that shot up the gay nightclub in Orlando was, himself, so far in the closet that he was finding Christmas presents, to be capped off by a sarcastic, 'Film at eleven.', but I'm sure that exactly no one cares about my barely-informed blathering.

Random Thoughts - "Shall we give it to him, folks?"

"Yeah! Let's give it to him!"

- Only seen two nominees for Best Picture...three by tomorrow.

- Despite my hopes, The Grand Budapest Hotel received a Best Picture nomination, but not a nod for Ralph Fiennes. Whatever my misgivings about the film, he was incredible.

- Nothing for Chadwick Boseman's terrific turn in Get On Up (or the movie, for that matter). Pretty much what I said above: flawed as hell movie with a whirlwind performance at the center.

- The Lego Movie was shut out of Best Animated Feature. I'm rather cool with this. A good movie, but not quite the masterpiece that people hold it up to be. I was shocked, however, to find that the three best animated features I saw last year made the cut.

- Alexandre Desplat receiving two nominations for Original Score: The Grand Budapest Hotel (very deserving) and The Imitation Game (local release schedules of arthouse movies being what they are, I'm struggling to play catch-up, but I'm sure it's amazing).

- Absolutely nothing for The Drop. At the least, one would assume a tributary nod for James Gandolfini.

- Maleficent snuck in with a Costume Design nod.

- Despite the fact that I'm a fan of its composer, I'm disappointed that "Everything is Awesome" earned an Oscar nomination. It's hardly one of the best movie songs of the year. (I honestly liked Rio 2's "Poisonous Love", A Million Ways to Die in the West's "A Million Ways to Die" and Muppets Most Wanted's "I'll Get You What You Want (Cockatoo in Malibu)" much more.) Hell, it's not even the best song in that movie! (Darkness! No parents!)

- Unbroken, which seemed to have Oscar sweep written all over it, was reduced to a few technical nods. (The most important was cinematography and that's all I'll say.)

- Nothing for St. Vincent and yes, before anyone says anything, it did seem to be begging for consideration, but good acting is good acting. In particular, a nomination for Melissa McCarthy would've been a boon for her career. At this point, recognition for playing a normal person can only be a good thing.

- First time nominations for Patricia Arquette, Steve Carell, Benedict Cumberbatch, Felicity Jones, Michael Keaton, Rosamund Pike, Eddie Redmayne, J.K. Simmons and Emma Stone.

- Bradley Cooper nominated for an acting award for the third-straight year. Is that a record?

- Longtime Wes Anderson cinematographer Robert Yeoman scores his first nomination. A long way from shooting the likes of Dead Heat and The Wizard.

- Nothing for Big Eyes, The Fault in Our Stars, The Gambler or Kill the Messenger, either. Huh.

- Something I only just now figured out: Bruce Banner was nominated twice for Best Supporting Actor this year. How do you like that?

Random thoughts - a stomach of vomiting butterflies.

Got a lot on my mind.

- Based solely on my resume, I am being courted by an insurance company, but the assurance of not letting things wait has devolved into a game of phone tag. Somehow, I don't think I'll be it.

- My laptop - that was practically like another limb - died on me. I took it to a repair shop, but he isn't 100% sure what's wrong with it. I'm waiting to hear back from him. Meanwhile, just in case, I'm awaiting a new one I won from ebay.

- There are far more stupid people than smart people working and shopping at the store. I'm not feeling too much remorse about giving my two weeks notice in the next couple days...

- ...but this leaves the uncomfortable question of money once I quit my job. I have a number of responsibilities and while there are a number of options open to me, I fear that they will not come soon enough.

- And, wimp that I am, I'm still figuring out the best way to spring news of my trip to Fan Expo Canada on my parents, while broaching the aforementioned points of a) not having my current job and b) not yet having a new job.

- Also, I'm still struggling with several aspects of that trip: what I need to cross the border, whether I should be concerned about my still-busted-but-crazy-expensive-to-replace speedometer, where exactly I want to go assuming I even make it to Toronto.

I think I'd feel a lot better if I had more confidence. Where do I even get that?

Random Thoughts - just postin' stuff.

- In planning my trip to Chicago (hard to believe I'll be attending c2e2 at the end of the month), I've learned that my hotel is next to a restaurant called Yolk. I looked up the menu and...well, I just can't wait. I've printed out the menu; I'm planning on doing my own version of March Madness, choosing 20 different breakfasts and narrowing them down to three.

- Recently, I've gone through all the receipts I've accrued in the last couple years of buying soundtracks. It makes me that much more glad I've decided to ration my purchases to spending $100 every couple of months (but if something threatens to go out of print, I'll have to bend).

- Getting back to c2e2, there seems to be even less that interests me than at New York Comic Con (even though they are both run by the same people); i.e. no panels about upcoming films. Still, there's trivia contests, Patton Oswalt and the sure-to-be-awesome cosplay, so, yeah, I'm sure to have a good time.

- Well, ABC's evil plan worked, the cocksuckers. The ratings for last Friday's episodes of "Happy Endings" were not good. The show's cancellation is imminent, but at least the show went down swinging; both episodes were hilarious.

- Speaking of dumbshit network execs slitting the throats of golden geese, Cartoon Network seems content to burn off its remaining episodes of "Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated", which managed to be the finest SD incarnation yet. But the network can't promote "Incredible Crew", "The Amazing World of Gumball", "Ben 10: Omniverse", "MAD" and "The Looney Tunes Show" enough, so that's what matters, yes?

- Not sure what happened to Script Frenzy, but I think I should knock out a script in 30 days anyway. If only I knew what I was going to write.

Random thoughts - doing Los Angeles.

- With all the places I wanted to go to this time out, I knew for certain that I would need a car, so I rented one. It came with (for a few bucks more) a GPS. Made the trek so much easier.

- At the get-together of film music fans (and the Fans of Film Music panel), I met film editor Marshall Harvey (The 'burbs, Matinee, Small Soldiers). Nice guy and, in typical 'me' fashion, I never thought to ask how someone would become an editor or, Heaven forbid, if he needed an apprentice.

- Also, I must mention the house the get-together was held at. The owner has a mind-boggling collection of soundtracks (disc and vinyl), as well as a passel of movie memorabilia. Needless to say, I was envious.

- However, his house was at the bottom of a very steep road. I parked the car at the top of the street and I was genuinely afraid that the brakes would disengage and slide down the street, incurring damage to the car and other vehicles. As I made my way back up the street, all I could do was walk because, hey, it was a hill. Therefore, if a coyote or serial killer marked me for death, I seriously would've just lied down and let nature take its course.

- Took the Starline Tours around Hollywood. See the city, hop off if you wanted to stroll around, then hop back on. Pretty sweet deal for $20. (However, if you take this tour - which I recommend highly, by the way - and you decide to see more and get some air on the upper level of the bus, don't forget to duck. You'll know when to do it.)

- Comic book stores are awesome #1: At one point, I was forced to hop off as I was running low on juice for my cell phone (can't take pictures if there's no power) and finding nowhere to charge it up. I happen upon Golden Apple Comics ("If you don't shop here, you are not a nerd." - "Writing Movies for Fun and Profit"). Not only was I able to pick up some cool titles, including "Fanboys vs. Zombies" #5 that I managed to miss back home, but the nice girl behind the counter agreed to charge up my phone. The odd thing about her? With her red dress and reddish hair, she was very resemblant of the title character of Ruby Sparks. I didn't dare push the issue, though.

- Comic book stores are awesome #2: Emerald Knights Comics (which used to be across from Dark Delicacies on Magnolia Boulevard) was hosting a signing of talents from "Green Lantern: the Animated Series", including composer Frederik Wiedmann. It was at 1:00, but the people running the place allowed me to hang around for some 45 minutes prior. Good thing, because the sunny weather was murder. I managed to pick up a handful of titles, including the nearly-impossible-to-find 3rd and 4th issues of "Supurbia".

- Of course, I had to go to Amoeba Music my first night out. Still a mindblowing experience. The soundtrack selection was as incredible as ever and on the second level of DVDs, there were still more soundtracks to be found.

- The Fans of Film Music Panel (or Panels, I should say) was a blast. Informative and entertaining. The highlight: George S. Clinton mentioning a disagreement he had with Zalman King on "Red Shoe Diaries". I dare not spoil the details, though.

- Roomed at the Ramada Burbank as I did three years ago. Still a very nice place.

- One more note: as I was driving home Friday night, I found that there was a Toyota Corolla behind me. So far, so unimpressive, right? Behind the wheel of said Corolla was...I'm still not sure, but it was either David Strathairn or Alan Rickman. He was behind me for quite some time. I couldn't help but feel giddy that I had encountered a celebrity, if only for a brief time.

Random Thoughts - The Taste of Buffalo '12.

- The Spanish Yellow Rice with Pigeon Peas (from Papi's Family Restaurant) was, once again, too damn delicious to be a 'healthy option'.

- Maybe I needed a bigger portion, but the BBQ Bleu Burger (BW's Barbecue), while filling, fell short of great.

- New to the Taste this year were a quartet of food trucks. One of them served a burger topped with peanut butter and bacon and bore the apropos name 'the WTF Burger'. Ultimately, I opted for the Rocky Road Brownie (R&R BBQ Food Truck). Not even the presence of marshmallow fluff could ruin the overall deliciousness.

- The Potato Cheddar Casserole (Carmine's Restuarant), while a little too hot, was marvelous; best-in-show, for sure.

- I also tried the Seafood Bisque (The Original Soupman). I think I might want to visit the restaurant, especially as I have a coupon.

- As I did every year, I snagged a Junkyard Dog (Ms. Goodies), but the overabundance of hot sauce brought down my enjoyment...as well as the day. (Of course, this could've also been the fact that I was wearing pants on a 90-degree day and that I was lugging around a raincoat for a storm that never came.)

- The Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pie (Danny's Restaurant) has become a tradition, by now, and it was as good as ever.

- I remembered enjoying the Spring Rolls (Saigon Cafe) last year and gave them another go, but the creamy sauce I was expecting was replaced with this clear topping that wasn't as good.

- The next day, with a pair of shorts and renewed energy, I returned. First stop: the Vietnamese Fried Wontons (Papaya Restaurant). Delicious with or without the dipping sauce...and so good that I returned for seconds before I left for the day.

- Speaking of seconds, I returned for more Potato Cheddar Casserole.

- It had been a while (a container of Perry's Ice Cream many years ago), but I really enjoyed the Cake Batter Ice Cream (Anderson's).

- The Crab Cake & Sicilian Cigar (Bing's) was delicious, and I'm surprised that the mixture of respective toppings (Remoulade sauce and melon salsa) grew on me.

- Of course, I couldn't leave without a Chocolate Brownie (Zebb's Deluxe Grill and Bar) or two.

- At a certain point, I just wanted to get rid of my tickets. I decided to sample the Cheesy Chicken Pasta (MaGavin's Restaurant and Pub). It wasn't ready yet and I figured I could move on, but then, it was. I'm glad I waited. Very tasty.

- Following that, I tried a Brasciole Slider (Orazio's Restaurant). Again, an issue of portions, but pretty good.

- The Lobster Crab Dip with chips (Jack Astor's Bar and Grill) was - literally - finger-licking good.

- I picked up a Chocolate Chip Cookie (DiBella's) that I, after a couple of pieces decided to save for later.

Yes, I haven't been posting here in a while. Laziness is the strongest reason, followed closely by not having anything to post about. There was a 'Lost in the stacks' post I was planning, but it fell by the wayside when the latest issue of the comic I was to write about was pushed back to August (which is when I shall post the entry). I have been stumbling upon three short run comics that are strong contenders for future 'Lost in the stacks' columns.

I think I've sent more tweets than I've written blog posts all year (I don't feel like counting; it's probably neck and neck).

I've been planning a new feature here about soundtracks that I'm pretty sure no one else has. It's gonna be some time before that gets off the ground.

Also, in going through my old posts, I've found that my 'why I love movies' post is three years old. I should really update it and get it posted.

As soon as I find the list and finish drafting it, I'd also like to post '10 warning signs that the writers didn't care'. Yes, it's a post about animation.

I guess that's it.

Random thoughts - the Oscar nominations.

The time is upon us. Let's get right to it.

+ This year, there are nine nominees for Best Picture. I've seen a mere four (The Artist, The Help, Hugo and Moneyball).

- Nada for Young Adult. It took an AV Club story to remind me of this film, especially of Patton Oswalt's understated (and neglected) turn. I guess he can live with being a funny em-effer, but it still stings. (He seems to be taking it well enough, though.)

+ Loco boy makes good, part 1: editor Kevin Tent has finally been recognized with a nomination for The Descendants. He is (like me) a native of Western New York.

+ Loco boy makes good, part 2: Another first-time nominee: costume designer Mark Bridges, for The Artist...and a native son of Western New York.

- Biggest disappointment: no nomination for Albert Brooks in Drive. The one Oscar nomination the film would've genuinely deserved and it doesn't happen. What a crock of shit.

+ The Original Score category: The Adventures of Tintin (John Williams), The Artist (Ludovic Bource), Hugo (Howard Shore), Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Alberto Iglesias) and War Horse (John Williams). And not a Dragon Tattoo to offend the eye.

- Only two nominees for Original Song. No "The Living Proof". No "The Ballad of Rango". No "Pretty Bird" (rendered ineligible for some bullshit reason).

+ From Craigular guy to Oscar nominee: Jim Rash, Dean Pelton on "Community", co-authored the adaptation of The Descendants. I was so thrown to learn that it was the same guy.

? Best Animated Feature: two outside-the-box European features, two Dreamworks films and Rango.

- Nada for 50/50. Wasn't too crazy about this, but I figured it was a lock for Original Screenplay, as did many others.

- Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close managed to squeak in with a Best Picture nomination (and a Supporting Actor nod for Max Von Sydow), despite uproariously nasty reviews.

- Can you believe that Gary Oldman and Nick Nolte have never been nominated until this morning? Weird.

+ Academy-Award nominee Jonah Hill...it sounds strange, no matter what, but he was pretty good in Moneyball.

- Nominee for Original Screenplay: Bridesmaids by Annie Mumolo and...Kristen Wiig. This is probably the statement that sends my readership into the negative numbers (assuming it's not already there) but I don't much care for Kristen Wiig. There it is. I gained a near-instantaneous dislike of her when I thought she was the 'Bitch please' girl. (Twas actually Michaela Watkins, who seems to have fallen into obscurity...so I guess karma works.) Wiig falls into two categories for me: insufferable on SNL and incredibly bland in films to the point where her roles could be played by literally anyone (Extract, MacGruber, How to Train Your Dragon). If you factor this...thing into the mix and, well, I'm not exactly angling for membership in her fan club. (In the interest of fairness, she was fairly amusing in Paul and she made a good impression in Whip It, suggesting to me that her talent is at the whim of the writing. I haven't seen Bridesmaids, so I can't judge fairly.)

+ Speaking of Bridesmaids, the film's other nomination went to Melissa McCarthy. Maybe, if the nods for The Help cancel each other out (as they are wont to do in situations like this)...nah, it might still go to Berenice Bejo. Hey, it's anybody's race.

Random thoughts.

- Watching the show "New Girl". Is it just me or does Jess's ex-boyfriend look exactly like child Mystique from X-Men: First Class? Seriously, take away the red hair and blue skin and the resemblance is uncanny.

- The schedule for this year's New York Comic-Con (which I am so totally going to) is up. Much like the schedules of NYCCons past, there don't seem to be as many delights as there are at San Diego Comic Con. Still, worst case scenario, I'm in New York City, bitches!

- The expression "I hate to write, but I love having written." (Emily Dickinson, in case you're wondering) keeps popping up with the many fanfictions and screenplays I'm powering through.

- Jack and Jill has apparently received a PG rating. Okay, could someone explain to me how the fuck that works? I don't want to go into too many details (because if I overanalyze a movie where Adam Sandler plays his own sister, my head will explode), but...it's an Adam Sandler movie: groin hits, swearing, toilet humor. Maybe, if this were the early 80s, I could see it, but nowadays...huh?!

Random thoughts - the last couple of days.

(Just ignore the two posts below this one...and, no, I don't feel like deleting them.)

- Had the Tortilla Scramble at IHOP yesterday. Holy piss. This may well outstrip last year's Loaded Minion Taters breakfast...and that one had tater tots in it. Tater tots!

- While waiting for a seat (and enjoying my meal), I caught sight of a heavenly pair of hooters. Of course, some chick didn't flash me, but the top she wore left little to the imagination (i.e. cleavage for days).

- Apparently, Borders is on its way out. Everything must go and all that. My indecisiveness caused me to waste more time than I expected and I only ended up getting a "Mutts" collection. (Hopefully, I can be more organized the next time I stop by.)

- 'Apparently', part two: Papa Johns doesn't sell pizza by the slice. I'd still like to eat there someday...and is it too much to ask to get a Sonic in this town?!

- Saw X-Men: First Class today. Matthew Vaughn continues to be awesome. That is all. Also, the cameos brought a smile to my face.

If only I could feel this happy on work days...

Random thoughts - horror movies edition.

- "You have to have faith for that to work, Mr. Vincent!" from Fright Night might well be one of my favorite line deliveries in all of film.

- I caught My Soul to Take the other day. First of all, it didn't need the 3-D. Second, I'd sum it up as a) not great, b) not terrible and c) too dull to count as a proper guilty pleasure (kind of like The Last Airbender, now that I think about it). The strange thing is some of the comments I read at Shock Til' You Drop stating that "Wes Craven shouldn't be allowed in Hollywood" and that he should "stop making movies". Okay, how fucking old are the people making those comments? 15? 16? Isn't there a "Jersey Shore" marathon that merits their attention?! Granted, this was only a step or two above Cursed, but you'd think that horror fans would be grateful for something that isn't a remake, torture porn or, say, Fakeboring Nightvisioncrap 2.

- No matter what happens, I will never cease to be amazed at how many cinematographers got their start doing horror films: Peter Deming, Russell Carpenter, Robbie Greenberg, Peter Levy, Tim Suhrstedt, Dean Cundey, Peter Collister, Steven Poster, Mark Irwin, John Lindley, Robert Elswit...

- It's always a kick to read comment threads that talk about watching movies on television, particularly if they mention the likes of USA in the 80s. Just one more reason that I believe I was born too late to really enjoy this stuff.

- As I've mentioned a bit too much, Critters used to scare me as a kid (and still does, however fleetingly)...but seeing a clip of Critters 2 in watercooler's review on YouTube puts me in mind of that episode of "Doug" where he was too chicken to sit through a horror movie...then a further watercooler review of Critters 3, featuring a clip of the Krites eating dish detergent, farting and throwing pastries, put me in mind of the end of the "South Park" episode, "Passion of the Jew": that something that once filled me with fear had flown so completely off the rails.

- I saw The Exorcist on TV a couple of years back. Maybe it's because I hadn't been to church in a while, but I wasn't anywhere near as creeped out by it as I probably should've been. It was certainly well-made, but, in me, it didn't inspire the desired reaction.

- For some reason, I really think that The Nightmare Before Christmas ought to be screened every year on November 28th. Think about it.

Random thoughts.

- Define irony: The Lorax, who speaks for the trees, appearing on a gift card for Borders. Audrey, you crazy Once-ler, what have you done?

- Remember last fall in my review of Christopher Young's score for Drag Me to Hell when I made that statement about disproportionate punishment? Given that it premieres on Cinemax tonight, I've thought of another layer to keep me from ever defending this movie: As I've worked in customer service for close to a decade, I've run across a number of customers who thought they were in the right, even though, nine times out of ten, they were dead wrong. The movie features a woman who, when you get right down to it, was simply doing her job. I don't think I could be held responsible for my actions if I was persecuted for doing my job.

- Went to the flea market for the first time in God knows how long. It was kind of nice feeling a sense of community and seeing all the vintage items available. However, being the finicky person I am, I couldn't bring myself to buy any of it.

- For some reason, I always get seduced by comic books with either limited runs or ones that come out haltingly/stop abruptly. As such, I think I could review some of them. I always say that, but I stumbled onto a new limited run comic that could use some coverage.

- This was the week of my vacation and nice as it was to get away from work, it was fairly uneventful. Not uneventful in the sense that I did nothing, but more in the sense that I did the same old crap I do during work weeks. Now that I have a license, I wanted to go on a day trip to Toronto. Maybe next time?

Random thoughts.

- What must it be like to do something or make a deal that earns you enough money that you'd never have to work again? With my limited imagination, I'd probably travel around the world, buy a bunch of weird/cool things, wine and dine some cutie or blow it in Vegas for shits and giggles. I'd get bored, eventually. I just know it.

- I say this because I read a script review yesterday that mentioned how John Hughes, in spite of being in the above situation, kept on writing. Also, the comments section linked to a column written about him in Spy Magazine in the early 90s. I'll admit that not every egg that Hughes laid was golden, but could the author have been more of a vindictive doucher?

- At that same script review site, I got wind of another script set to go into production about an alien invasion. Things were going fine until the ending. I'm not going to spoil it for anyone who might want to see the film, but when did we, as a society, start to embrace these 'snatch the happiness out from under the protagonist' conclusions? As if real life isn't full of this kind of horseshit?! Oh, no. Films like Mirrors, The Collector and Drag Me to Hell say, 'Sorry you got to the finish line only to be trapped/horribly maimed. kthxbye.' When I make horror films, I'm gonna be a little kinder to my protagonists. Someone's got to balance out the universe.

- "Jack, you just digested the bad guy." Every time I listen to the Innerspace soundtrack (track 25, "Stop the Car"), I feel the need to say that when the track ends. You think that's the strange part? Wrong. The strange part is that, more often than not, I'm able to work up the burp that Jack does right after Tuck's line (quoted above).

- I've mentioned the Ain't It Cool News talkbacks before, but one of their most recent has me crying with laughter every time I read it. Apparently, a new Star Wars series is in the works. It's said to be a sitcom, which inspired several talkbackers to concoct a bunch of Star Wars-related titles. Just thinking about the plot summary for "Married...with Younglings" makes me smile.

Random thoughts.

It's been far too long since the last time I did this.

- Had the weirdest dream last night: all mention of vampires had been wiped from existence...and, because of it, some of my soundtracks were missing. Also, all mention of "Danny Phantom" was erased. Hell if I know what that means.

- Honestly, can you believe that people are bitching about the Futterwacken in the new Alice in Wonderland? "What is that, breakdancing?!" "Oh, it ruined the film." To those people, I wholeheartedly and sincerely say this: how about laying off the diapers and giving big boy pants a chance?

- Still, if only to silence the haters, I do agree that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp need a vacation away from each other.

- A bit in last night's newspaper told of a new keyboard with no lettering on the caps. Apparently, it's to allow for the brain to memorize the positions of the keys. To paraphrase two lines from "Futurama": That's a stupid idea. You're stupid...and you should feel bad!

- The more I see of Hot Tub Time Machine, the more excited I get for it. A while ago, I heard of John Cusack showing animosity towards one of his best films, Better Off Dead. In HTTM, he gets into it with an asshole skier. I should also mention that Cusack is one of the film's producers (and, therefore, has a say in what the final product will look like). His opinion toward Better Off Dead has to have improved significantly. I mean, why else would he take on a role like this?

- The trailer for Predators looks awesome...and, sadly, I seem to be the only person who finds the multiple Predator sights bit fucking hilarious.

- Seeing Amanda Seyfried a) in the trailer for Chloe and b) on the cover of Glamour, I can't help but think, 'They had her play the mousy nerd in Jennifer's Body?!' Fuckin' Hollywood...

Random thoughts - "You're not the boss of me now!" edition.

The last year or so, I've been watching reruns of "Malcolm in the Middle" on FX, local television and Nick-at-Nite. Today marks the show's tenth anniversary. The list of observations about the show is shorter than I would've liked, as I've been busy with other pursuits, but here goes:

- In the episode "Cheerleader", Hal gives a speech to the boys about how relationships will go between women and men in their family. In hindsight, as he illustrated how insane and clingy a guy would get, I couldn't help but think, 'Did he call it with Malcolm or freaking what?' (cf. "Butterflies" and especially "Malcolm's Girlfriend").

- The episode "Living Will", where Hal was tasked with the choice of letting a neighbor live or having his life support cut off, ended with a scene where Lois and Hal talk about the solution he came up with. Strangely, they never mention what the solution was or how it was arrived at ("And everything you needed was available at Radio Shack?" "Everything but the hat."). To me, this'd be a cop-out on any other show, but it totally fits on this one.

- I'd have to say that, in watching the show, there was only one aspect of the show that was truly irredeemable - Jessica. Nothing against the actress, but I could never stand that frizzy-haired, manipulative C-word. As far as I'm concerned, the character (and, for that matter, the show) reached its nadir in the episode "Secret Boyfriend". The episode indulges two of my greatest pet peeves of TV watching: a girl who likes the main character, but not when anyone's looking and a girl who treats the main character like crap, but (we're led to believe) that's because they're too chickenshit to tell them how they really feel. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I fucking hate that shit.

- Sara Paxton ("Malcolm Dates a Family"), Emma Stone ("Lois Strikes Back"), Ashley Tisdale ("Jury Duty")...it's amazing how many ingenues appeared on this show.

- The episode "Stilts" features Malcolm getting a job as a Lucky-Aide greeter on stilts, replacing the alcoholic Sam. When Sam comes back wanting his old job, the two of them are on stilts. The first time I saw Sam shuffling his feet like a boxer on stilts, it may well have been the hardest I've ever laughed at anything on television (and the moment that made me a fan of the show).

And, to extend this post a bit, here are twenty of my favorite "Malcolm" episodes, alphabetized for your protection:

Billboard - The boys manage to turn defacing a billboard of a stripper into a woman's rights protest.
Highlight: Reese's fantasy

Block Party - Apparently, the neighborhood throws a big party whenever Malcolm and his family go on vacation. Unfortunately, they came back early this year.
Highlight: Reese and Dewey's scam

Bride of Ida - Because of tyrannical Grandma Ida, Reese and Malcolm find themselves in a contest of manhood.
Highlight: any of the manhood trials and any of Dewey's 'accidents'

Buseys Run Away - When Dewey leaves his special class, his classmates disappear.
Highlight: the look on Lois' face when Dewey bites her leg

Chad’s Sleepover - Despite Hal's objections, Dewey invites one of his classmates over.
Highlight: "Pictures of things belong on the things they're pictures of."

Dewey’s Dog - Dewey finds a stray and uses it to get revenge on Malcolm and Reese.
Highlight: the appearance of Craig

Forwards Backwards - Reese and Malcolm get into a war of oneupmanship and pranks.
Highlight: any flashback to a prank and the goofy music by which it's accompanied

Hal Coaches - Hal tries to inspire Dewey's soccer team to victory.
Highlight: Malcolm becoming obsessed with a 'Sims'-like game

Halloween - Hal is convinced that the house is haunted after hearing about the murders that took place there long ago.
Highlight: "It's Jamie, isn't it?"

Living Will - Hal is tasked with deciding the fate of a neighbor: keep him on life support or pull the plug?
Highlight: Hal's from the neck up coma and the entire subplot with Craig

Lois Strikes Back - Lois gets revenge on the girls that humiliated Reese.
Highlight: "Tell me how I get."

Malcolm Dates a Family - Malcolm falls for a girl, but ends up beloved by her family.
Highlight: the entire subplot with Lois fighting a double-tipping restaurant, especially its conclusion

Malcolm’s Girlfriend - Malcolm gets a girlfriend...and grows fixated on her.
Highlight: the party at the end

Monkey - Craig's helper monkey soon tries to kill him.
Highlight: Hal vs. the monkey; sort of a pisstake of the middle segment of Terror Tract

Opera - Dewey is inspired to write an opera based on a spat between Hal and Lois.
Highlight: the tree landing (you'll know it when you see it) and pretty much any moment of the opera

Reese Joins the Army - Hal is accused of insider trading, Lois flips out and Reese...well, guess.
Highlight: the method by which Hal is acquitted

Reese’s Apartment - After going too far in an argument, Reese leaves home and gets his own place.
Highlight: the various reactions to Reese's latest act of malfeasance

Robbery - Lois and Craig are trapped at the mercy of two armed thugs.
Highlight: Lois' reaction to Craig's confession of love

Stilts - Malcolm gets a humiliating gig at Lucky Aide as a greeter on stilts.
Highlight: the aforementioned stilt fight

Watching the Baby - While watching Jamie, Hal tries to get diapers and Reese and Malcolm are approached by popular girls.
Highlight: Dewey's bedtime story

Not much more I can say but I hope that the rest of the show finds its way to DVD. Fox has clearly lost interest (schmucks), but maybe Shout! Factory can lend a hand.