More meaningless lists

To update the current watch listings,

• Lucifer and The Witcher have been put on hold.  The former is fluffy entertainment that I will go back to from time to time, when I don't want to have to think.  The latter just didn't grab me although apparently everyone else with a Netflix subscription thought it was amazeballs.
• I haven't been back to Legion yet.
• Having watched both seasons of Castle Rock, I need to know if NOS4A2 is any good (to keep with the Stephen King theme).  I don't have HBO so I haven't seen The Outsider but I do hear good things about that.
• I got fed up with S3 of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina after four (?) episodes.  I find the title character insufferable.
• Legends of Tomorrow still makes me happy.
• I'm cruising through Locke and Key on Netflix.  I like it pretty well.  I read the first two (?) trade paperbacks of the comics ages ago but don't recall them well so I'm not sure how the show stacks up against the source material.
• I'm reading (again) The Expanse series.  I think I only read the first four books and have several more ahead of me to catch up on.  I'm also watching S4 of The Expanse.  I think it's really well done.
• And finally, I had to travel back east and managed to get caught up on my superhero movies on the planes: Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far from Home.  I still believe that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the best Spider-Man movie out there and also a contender for best superhero movie.  I did tear up a little at Endgame, however, as I'm only human.

Where the hell have I been?

Apparently I needed to take a l o n g break after October!  I haven't been paying much attention to what I've been consuming, mostly needing to turn my brain off and just veg in front of a screen of late.  I've watched a bunch of stuff, including:

• Batwoman which I rather like, just like I like the other Arrowverse shows (Legends of Tomorrow is my favorite, I think).  Like the others, Batwoman will have some growing pains but even the first season is improving as it goes.
• Crisis on Infinite Earths - since I was doing Batwoman, I figured I'd watch the Crisis episodes too, even though I haven't kept up with any of those shows besides Legends.  I'm a little in the dark as to Arrow - adult daughter from the future? - but I think I've figured everything else out.
• At the repeated urging of a high school friend, I've started Lucifer.  My friend says it has supplanted Buffy as his favorite show (!!!) so I'm giving it a go.  Tom Ellis is certainly charming, and I think it's getting better as it goes along, but I'm not 100% sold yet.
• I'm catching up on Legion episodes on Hulu too.  I never half know what's going on at any given time but it sure is pretty to look at.
• With this Hulu subscription, I've watched the first two Castle Rock seasons.  These are mixed, with some parts being very strong and others just ... meh.  I think S2 was better than S1, in large part because Lizzy Caplan (as Annie Wilkes pre-Misery) is SO AWESOME.  I also appreciate the fact that no one really tries to do a Maine accent (Tim Robbins skirts along the edge but never commits, thankfully) because I just don't think anyone who isn't a Mainer can do it.
• I've just started The Witcher, knowing nothing about the books or the games going in.  Reviews say that this show definitely gets better as it goes along, which is good because E1 was borderline incomprehensible.  I'm not sure I'm ever going to accept that godawful wig Henry Cavill wears, though.
• Finally, I watched The Shape of Water.  I'm a huge Guillermo del Toro fan but ... this movie won an Oscar for Best Picture?  Really?  Where was the plot (aside from being Beauty and the Beast)?  Pan's Labyrinth is a way, way, way better movie on all fronts.

It made sense

After charging through Runaways, I went to Marvel's Cloak & Dagger and I have surprised myself by liking C&D even more.  My understanding is that it's rather different than the comics source material.  As small children, Tandy Bowen (Dagger) and Tyrone Johnson (Cloak) are subjected to a blast of supernatural power in an industrial accident; at the time of the accident, Tandy's dad and Ty's brother are killed in separate incidents, but each death has a huge impact on their respective families.  Eight years later, Tandy and Ty's powers start to manifest and they are thrown together - by accident? by fate? - unwillingly at first, and then with relief and trust.  The show is set in New Orleans and gives a rich backdrop as the young superheroes figure out how to use their powers to save their families and their city, all the while facing real life issues like abuse, sexism and racism.

The two leads playing Tandy and Tyrone have great chemistry together.  But I think what I like the best is the series' focus: the Runaways show spends so much time with the parents that we miss out on time spent with the kids.  With C&D, there are only two main kids (as opposed to six), plus a smaller cast of secondary characters.  Tandy and Ty seem more real, somehow, for superpowered teenagers.

I haven't heard yet if there is going to be a S3 (S2's ratings were markedly lower than S1) but there will at least be that crossover in Runaways S3.  I sure hope there's more - I'm really enjoying these street level teenaged Marvel heroes.

Iron Fist in 150 words or less

I finally finished slogging through Marvel/Netflix's fourth individual Defenders series, Iron Fist.  It took me forever because Danny Rand, as played poorly by Finn Jones, was a petulant child and was in no way convincing as the Greatest Martial Arts Warrior Ever.  Every now and again it was funny (Davos: "Wow, you really are the worst Iron Fist ever."), and per usual Rosario Dawson killed it reprising her through-line role as Claire Temple.  But I really only finished it to be a completist and now am eager to see The Defenders, if only to watch Jessica Jones roll her eyes and call Danny Rand out for being a whiny little bitch.

In absentia

Good lord n' butter, I went on an unintentional hiatus here.  The Walking Dead finished up its mediocre season and I just went AWOL.  Well, I'm not back in any big way yet but thought I'd check in to prove that FMS has not been entirely abandoned.

Upcoming:  Season 2 of AMC's Preacher starts back up on Monday, June 19, and I am all excited about getting back into that brand of batshit-crazy.

Ongoing:  I have been trudging through Netflix's Marvel's Iron Fist and I have to say that it is tedious in ways that none of the prior three Defenders series - Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage - were.  The main character is a doofus, really, who is supposed to be the greatest martial artist on the planet.  Finn Jones in no way makes me believe that Danny Rand is an amazing fighter.  And I'm supposed to care about the sibling shenanigans with a big billion-dollar corporation?  The prior three "street level" heroes were all just scraping by: a blind man; a broken, abused, alcoholic woman and a wrongfully-accused black man and now I'm supposed to care about a poor little rich boy?  No thank you.  Seriously, the best part about Iron Fist is whenever Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) is on-screen, rolling her eyes at what a twit Danny Rand is.

In print:  I've caught up on all The Expanse novels (and am also enjoying the television series on SyFy) and now what am I going to do?  When does the next one come out?  I guess I'll have to track down the novellas and short stories (or else just hope Joe Abercrombie comes out with something soon).

What about you?  What are you reading/watching these days?

Season's greetings

Since I am still resolutely avoiding finishing out the True Blood recaps, all I've got for you a premieres list of new and returning television shows in which I will be indulging.  Clearly I have too much time available to watch television.  (Also, judging from the length of this list, I better buckle down if I want to get through at least one Farscape season before regular t.v. starts up again.)

American Horror Story - 9/14 and I have no idea what this season's theme is (ridiculous show)

Gotham - 9/19 and yes, I am going to give it another shot although it may have to go

The Good Place - 9/19 with Kristen Bell, a resurgent Ted Danson and pretty good initial reviews

New Girl - 9/20 although I may take this off the list and just catch up on-demand

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - 9/20 although I will be mourning Agent Carter for the duration

Last Man on Earth - 9/25 which Mr. Mouse watches with me (yay!)

Luke Cage - 9/30 (on Netflix) can't wait can't wait can't wait

The Flash - 10/4 and I hope they crossover a LOT with Supergirl

Arrow - 10/5 and I've forgotten where we left off story-wise but don't imagine it much matters

Supergirl - 10/10 and I will be paying close attention to the stunts because Jessie Graff kicks ass!

Legends of Tomorrow - 10/13 but this is another bubble show for me and is totally on probation

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - 10/21 and my new favorite, now that I binged S1 this summer

The Walking Dead - 10/23 and yes, we will be picking up the grim recapping right away

There are a couple other shows (on SyFy? Falling Water?) that I don't know much about other than marginally intriguing trailers, so we'll see how the season shapes up.  Mr. Mouse will be complaining that Better Call Saul and Fargo aren't back yet ... we'll add those in when they get here.  What will you be watching?

Mini movie review: Captain America: Civil War

#teamcap

That was fun and way better than Avengers: Ultron.  Although there is a lot going on in CA:CW, it didn't seem over-stuffed and it finally felt like you got to spend some time with the characters.  Yes, some didn't get much screentime (Clint, Vision, Scott Lang) but we definitely got to know some of the others (Scarlet Witch) better.  The newest Spiderman got just enough time to be completely engaging - and to act like the enthusiastic teenager I believe Peter Parker is supposed to be - and T'Challa ... Man, I was ambivalent about the Black Panther movie before but now I'm excited for it.

Bits and pieces

Things do fall off around here when I don't have a regular recapping gig, don't they?  Plus schedules tend to get out of whack around the holidays and everyone is flitting about, hither and thither.  Mr. Mouse and I haven't done too much hither and thither-ing, luckily, and our holiday plans are contentedly at-home.  We just finished watching the second season of Fargo, which is the one of the few scripted shows we watch together (Better Call Saul will be the next, when it returns in February).  If you haven't been watching Fargo (or Better Call Saul, or Justified, for that matter), you really should.  This second season had a much higher body count than the also-excellent S1; it was also funnier and just full to bursting with a talented cast.

I also recently watched Jessica Jones which I absolutely loved.  I had thought to say something profound about it, but sites like the A.V. Club and The Mary Sue are full of well-written recaps and articles; just google it and you'll find oceans of discussion.  It isn't easy to watch with its discussion of sexual, emotional and psychological abuse, but it is an important discussion.  Krysten Ritter is phenomenal in the title role, ably portraying the complex, damaged Jessica.  If the only thing you've seen David Tennant in is Doctor Who, you're in for a shock:  he is charming, yes, but also terrifying as the sociopathic, abusive victim.  The rest of the cast is really good too and it's refreshing to have most of the major players be women.

In stark (pun intended) contrast to Marvel's strong, grounded Netflix offerings is Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron.  I watched it last night and, as much as I love Joss Whedon's work, this one left me underwhelmed.  And exhausted, frankly, from all the CGI battles.  After watching the more realistic fights and stuntwork in both Jessica Jones and Daredevil, the AoU CGI just left me cold.  I appreciated the small character moments and humor - Natasha and Bruce; Hawkeye getting some actual lines; everyone giving Captain America a hard time for being an old fogy - but it all just seemed overstuffed and a bit frantic.  I will say that James Spader knocked it out of the park with his Ultron voice work.

What's next around here?  I'm watching S2 of Sherlock and also the Tenth Doctor on Doctor Who, and next up in my DVD queue is the remainder of S4 of Game of Thrones (so far behind!).  I just finished S2 of Penny Dreadful which I ADORE and am anxious to continue on with S3.  There's always something - and I'm always up for suggestions.

Mini movie review: Big Hero 6

Netflix had a distribution goof and ending up sending me two DVDs at once, 3 Extremes and Big Hero 6.  Last night I rather felt like I needed to see something light and fun, rather than creepy Asian horror, and the animated Disney picture fit the bill.

Based on an obscure Marvel comic (even more obscure than Guardians of the Galaxy), the Disney version of Big Hero 6 follows teenage tech-wiz Hiro who, after kicking serious ass in back-alley robot fights, is convinced by his older brother Tadashi to channel his big brain towards more useful things.  Hiro invents some amazing microbots and everyone is all amazed and happy, until Hiro refuses to sell his invention to a slightly shady tech company.  Shortly thereafter, Tadashi dies in a lab explosion and all Hiro has left of his big brother is Baymax, an inflatable robotic "health care companion."  Hiro and Baymax start to investigate Tadashi's death and learn that a frightening, kabuki-mask wearing figure has stolen Hiro's microbots.   Soon Hiro recruits his brother's former lab mates as a tech-supported superhero team to defeat the kabuki guy.

The animation in Big Hero 6 is impressive:  the detail in the fantastical, futuristic Asian-fusion city of Sanfrantokyo is amazing; the movement of Hiro's hair is so realistic.  The character development is less impressive and despite the death of Hiro's brother being the central motivating event, this movie does not so much tug at the heartstrings; it wants to be soulful but ends up a bit lightweight.  Baymax is easily the best and funniest character, both in his physical comedy and his speech.  My favorite bit was when his battery ran low: not only did he deflate but he sounded drunk.  Kudos to voice actor/comedian Scott Adsit for bringing him to life.

Big Hero 6 does not reach the heights of the best animated Disney/Pixar films but it was entertaining, funny and well put-together.  Sometimes that's all you need.

Daredeviling

POSSIBLE LIGHT SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T WATCHED YET.  IF THERE ARE ANY OF THOSE LEFT.

I know, I'm supposed to be finishing up Ultraviolet but I have gotten completely sidetracked with Netflix's Daredevil. I haven't been totally binge-watching it - limiting myself to two or three episodes a night because (1) it lasts longer that way and (2) I fall asleep if I try to stay up longer than that.  I feel not binge-watching it probably is a good thing too: I just love it but it is extremely violent and quite often graphic.  I'm talking on-purpose self-impalement through the eye and pulpy decapitation via repeated car door slams, in particular.  I don't think these two instances were necessarily gratuitous because in the first example, it showed how scary the Kingpin is that a minion would rather off himself gruesomely than deal with the aftermath of betraying the boss; and in the second, the character doing the decapitating has, up until this point, been remarkably smooth and controlled and the sudden switch is all the more terrifying.

I think Daredevil is very well cast.  It's grim and dark (both literally and emotionally/figuratively) and yet still human and funny.  Some of the action/fight scenes are simply amazing, including this one spectacular one-take shot with Matt Murdock vs. many, many Russians in a long corridor.  I've seen up through E8 and am hoping to get through the rest of the season this weekend.  Avengers ... Ultron is just going to have to wait.

Bad Haiku about: Superhero Movies (VIII)

So ... Thor: The Dark World.  Yeah.  There sure was a lot of stuff crashing and breaking and blowing up, huh?  As much as I enjoy seeing gargantuan bulked-up Chris Hemsworth with his shirt off, this one left me kind of cold.  Thor is just so ... stolid.  The best scenes, of course, were the ones with Loki - when is he going to get his own movie?

asgard in ruins

thor stands mjolnir in hand but

never trust loki

That's all I've got.  Perhaps Guardians of the Galaxy, when I finally see it, will prove more inspiration for bad haiku.

Bad Haiku about: Superhero Movies (VII)

I watched Iron Man 3 the other day and liked it pretty well - would probably have really liked it if I had been able to focus on it and not be distracted by other, non-movie stuff.  I liked how it felt smaller in scale than the others (if "smaller in scale" can at all apply to a movie that cost $200 million to make).  I thought the chemistry between Tony Stark and the kid was fantastic - and kudos to that child actor for keeping up with Robert Downey Jr.  I liked seeing Pepper Potts and Colonel Rhodes get to kick some ass for a change.  I liked the VAGUE SPOILER reveal with the Mandarin: I didn't see it coming and Ben Kingsley looked like he was having a blast with it.

rampant explosions

still sad seeing iron marks

explode for clean slate

Good grief.  That has to be the absolute worst of the bad haikus yet.

Bad Haiku about: Superhero Movies (VI)

The skiing conditions were sub-par last Sunday so instead I took myself to a matinee of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  There's nothing I can say here that hasn't been said elsewhere - pretty good movie, Captain America is a decent, solid man confused and conflicted by our confusing and conflicted times, slight commentary about current drone warfare, blah blah blah.  I liked it - and liked the Winter Soldier's screechy techno-ish score - but found it a bit of a downer.  I know it's all a build-up to the next Avengers movie and so on, but still, I like my superhero movies to be uplifting and, you know, quippy.

Cap is a good guy

but Black Widow was

the best part for sure

That Anthony Mackie/Falcon was pretty darn adorable too - glad he's joined the party.

Mini movie review: The Dark Knight Rises

Talk about movies that are too long!  I was shifting in my seat on the couch l  o  n  g  before The Dark Knight Rises was over and I can't imagine having been trapped in a theater seat for the duration.  This movie is by far the gloomiest and dourist of the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy, redeemed (just barely) by the hopeful scenes at the very end (which I'm not going to discuss in any sort of detail because everyone else on the planet has already seen this movie and knows what I'm talking about).  I was disappointed that there was hardly any Batman in it at all.  Bain doesn't have the charisma the Joker had - although who could, really? - and a lot of his dialogue was unintelligible due to the face-concealing, voice-distorting mask.  Anne Hathaway's Catwoman wasn't as terrible as I expected but is clearly inferior to Michelle Pfeiffer's iconic iteration.  I did like the mini-Inception reunion with Joseph Gordon-Leavitt and Cillian Murphy; I find it fun when directors return to the same well of actors for different films.  In all, TDKR is a decent entry into this trilogy, and it left me wondering what will happen next, with Christian Bale and Nolan saying they're out for good.  The Dark Knight is far and away the best of the three, however, and practically untouchable as far as costumed superhero movies go.

Mini movie review: Kick-Ass

I'm going to give Kick-Ass a solid C+.  Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is a high school geek and superhero comics fan who wonders why real people don't dress up like superheroes and right wrongs.  Despite his friends pointing out that real people don't generally have superpowers or bajillions of dollars to spend on hi-tech crime fighting gadgets, Dave buys himself a green and gold wetsuit, picks up a baton and starts rescuing gang members from beatings.  The news notices him; the girl he's crushing on notices him (although she thinks he's gay); the vigilante father-and-daughter team of Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage, overacting like there's no tomorrow) and Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz, markedly cuter in her Hit Girl costume) notice him; the local mafia boss thinks he's responsible for killing his drug dealers and stealing his money and drugs.  Dave joins up with Big Daddy and Hit Girl but gets seriously cold feet when he realizes how bloodthirsty they are.  When they're put in a tight spot, however, Dave has to really be a superhero.

This movie is very violent and anyone not comfortable with watching an 11-year old girl stab and shoot bad guys to death while dropping an impressive number of F-bombs should not watch it.  I was okay with it, although the first instance was a little shocking, and liked the action/fight sequences quite a lot.  Dave doesn't really go through much growth: he wants to do good, but is overwhelmed by the pain and brutality of what he's involved in, but he's really more interested in hooking up with this girl.  Moretz is grating unless she's murdering thugs and Cage, well, I don't really know what to say there.  I don't know how the movie version of Kick-Ass corresponds to the original comics but I think I'd like to find out - I'm thinking the comics are better.  The movie is fine but doesn't put as much of a spin on the superhero genre as I was hoping.

Thoughts on The Avengers

Marvel's The Avengers.  I finally saw it, at a well-attended but not packed 3:00 p.m. matinee.  I liked it quite a lot.  It seemed a little frantic in spots in the third act when all action broke loose, but it was funny and well-assembled, with great character moments.  I don't have anything to say that hasn't been said on the interwebs a million times before, but here are just some random thoughtlets:

• Joss Whedon is, has been, and will always be my master.
• I loved the giant, floating, armored space moray eels!
• Always nice to see some Whedonverse alums getting screen time: Enver Gjokaj (from Dollhouse), Ashley Johnson (from two S1 episodes of Dollhouse) and Alexis Denisof (apparently he was one of the alien dudes in the movie, but we all know him from Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse).
• I'm thinking of going on Kickstarter to raise money to get Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo to do a pillow fight.  How much you think it'll take?
• Mmmmmmmm - Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo in a pillow fight ...

Movie review: Super

James Gunn's Super is one weird little film which, granted, I knew going in, but even so surprised me.  I don't know a lot about Gunn's previous work aside from Slither (which I adore) but I knew from reading reviews that Super was supposed to be dark, twisted, funny and violent which seem to be the director's typical M.O.  I had thought that maybe Mr. Mouse might like this film - he like dark comedies and he likes Rainn Wilson - but as I started watching it one night after Mr. Mouse had already gone to bed, I knew within minutes that I'd made the right call to watch it without him.

Super is the story of sad-sack Frank (Wilson) who, after his recovering addict wife (Liv Tyler) leaves him for a handsome, smarmy drug dealer Jock (Kevin Bacon - excellent and clearly enjoying himself), adopts a superhero alter-ego, The Crimson Bolt, who goes after petty criminals wielding nothing but a big ol' wrench.  Frank is slightly disturbed, however, and ends up administering indescriminate costumed beatings to people who cut in front of him in line at the movies.  Things intensify when Libby (a maniacal and tiny Ellen Page), a clerk at the comic book store where Frank "researches" superheroes without superpowers, figures out who the Crimson Bolt is and signs on as his kid sidekick, Bolty.  Bolty derives far, far too much pleasure from hurting people - she's effing nuts.  But nuts is sort of what Frank needs when he goes up against Jock and his crew.

The cast Gunn has assembled is impressive: in addition to the aforementioned Wilson, Tyler, Bacon and Page, there's Nathan Fillion as a Christian t.v. superhero, Gregg Henry as a detective, Michael Rooker as Jock's main henchman and Linda Cardellini in a cameo as a pet shop owner.  The film itself has a very small, low budget feel to it, not nearly as sophisticated as Slither.  It's not as funny either, although there are spots of humor here and there.  Wilson's Frank is truly pathetic, good-hearted and also mentally disturbed.  The violence is pretty shocking - which I know sounds strange coming from someone who watches so many horror/monster movies.  But Super is about a regular person facing real life issues - mental health, drug addiction, abandonment - and to watch him going through the thought process to conclude that violence is the only way he can deal is pretty grim.

Bad Haiku about: Superhero Movies (IV)

This is the last superhero movie for a little while, I promise.  X-Men: First Class.  Here's the thing: when this came out, in June 2011, everyone was all "Ooooooh! It's a good X-Men movie!"  But then we got to see Captain America, and we'd already seen Thor and IM2, and I just don't think XM:FC holds up.  Despite the strong cast (Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmichael Fassbender), and the sleek retro-60s setting, it's too origin-y, jumping around the world for little short scenes and never giving the audience much time to connect with anyone.  Yes, it was TONS better than the more recent X-Men fare - and I loved the Wolverine cameo, with the one f-bomb of the whole movie - but I'm thinking the Avengers line is stronger.

if fassbender was

really in charge i'd go with

magneto for sure

Bad Haiku about: Superhero Movies (III)

Wow - Captain America: The First Avenger is really quite good.  Not only is it a decent movie in its own right (not just good for a comic book movie) but it's a solid origin tale too, showing us how Cap came to be but not getting bogged down in the mythology and giving our hero something to actually do, not just come to be.  However, as much as I liked the movie - and I think it is for sure the best of the three pre-Avenger flicks I've recently seen - I think I find the superhero at the center of the movie to be the least fun.  Steve Rogers is basically the anti-Tony Stark: innocent, decent, focused, ultra-patriotic, altruistic, stolid, non-ironic, non-sarcastic and with very little sense of humor.  He's a good man, sure, but he's not so much a fun man.  I get that they can't all be quipping wiseasses (it would be exhausting if they were) but I find Captain America just a bit boring - and I can't imagine that he and Iron Man are going to be BFFs in the upcoming Avengers flick.

his shield a beacon

all-american hero

can he tell a joke?

Bad Haiku about: Superhero Movies (II)

As you can see, I'm trying to work my way through the back catalog before Joss Whedon's The Avengers comes out, whenever that is.  So I watched Thor the other night:

sweet well-muscled oaf

ride the Rainbow Bridge 'cuz I

can do CPR

Am I on a roll or what?