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| JC + SC... now in HD! Courtesy Mom B. All rights reserved. |
The new year has been fairly good for us so far, starting with a great night out with some of my improv friends for New Year's Eve. Along with a spirited Beatles sing-a-long, we couldn't resist doing a few improvised musical numbers (consider it early rehearsal for our January 18th performance at the Spectrum Playhouse in Lee, MA).
I was also excited to hear about a film short that my friends Mike and Lex had been busy working on at the end of last year. No strangers to theater (both on-stage and directing), movies are a relatively new venture for them... however it sounds like it was supported in the very best, independent way, with help from fellow artists, friends and family.
On New Year's Day I felt a little "under the weather," so reading and watching movies was about all I had the motivation to do. Sarah and I rented Gayby, an independent feature about two single friends who decide to have a baby... it was an interesting, romantic comedy about a couple that aren't really romantic (Jenn is straight, Matt is gay). With a clever, well-written script, the movie explored some of the issues that such a scenario might hold for these two individuals. We didn't realize how independent the film was until the end credits, which included a thank-you to those who supported the film through the donation website, Kickstarter. It was an impressive debut for writer/director Jonathan Lisecki, and I appreciated the comic book references (the character Matt, played by the charming Matthew Wilkas, works at a comic book shop).
The next day I was supposed to head back to work, but found myself with some car issues...
On the way back from picking up my car (which suffered from a case of exhausted sparkplugs) I stopped by a comic book shop myself... to promote the Alex Ross exhibition, of course! I also managed to pick up a couple new titles... the book I am especially intrigued by is Hawkeye, which explores the off-duty exploits of the long-time member of the Avengers (also seen in last year's movie). I have always liked the "down on his luck" archer hero, and I have to say that this new book, written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by David Aja, is a perfect bullseye! It is presented in a very subtle, comedic style, and the artwork is just exquisite... somewhat different from typical superhero comic book fare. My first thought, in fact, was that it all unfolds like a good independent movie. Some of the other titles I picked up haven't been quite as successful, and I realize that great art is still dependent on strong storytelling in this medium. Really, the same holds true for television.
We both enjoy The Big Bang Theory, but there aren't too many other shows I consider worth sitting through... clever writing seems to be sacrificed for shock value and crass jokes nowadays. With a lack of quality options, we decided to tune our new HD television into the Me-TV Network, which runs old-time TV classics (Sarah's new favorite is I Dream of Jeannie... :) ). Things really started cooking when we got to The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show— I didn't really grow up with these programs (which were airing right around the time I was born), but we have been enjoying them! There is a noticeable difference in the quality of these sitcoms from what is airing today— a little more intelligent and sophisticated... often dealing with cultural issues of the day. The Odd Couple airs right after these two programs, proving that 1970s TV, like film, might indeed have been a "golden age" (the crazy fashion and design choices don't hurt either)!
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| Hawkeye #1. ™ & © Marvel & Subs. |
On the way back from picking up my car (which suffered from a case of exhausted sparkplugs) I stopped by a comic book shop myself... to promote the Alex Ross exhibition, of course! I also managed to pick up a couple new titles... the book I am especially intrigued by is Hawkeye, which explores the off-duty exploits of the long-time member of the Avengers (also seen in last year's movie). I have always liked the "down on his luck" archer hero, and I have to say that this new book, written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by David Aja, is a perfect bullseye! It is presented in a very subtle, comedic style, and the artwork is just exquisite... somewhat different from typical superhero comic book fare. My first thought, in fact, was that it all unfolds like a good independent movie. Some of the other titles I picked up haven't been quite as successful, and I realize that great art is still dependent on strong storytelling in this medium. Really, the same holds true for television.
We both enjoy The Big Bang Theory, but there aren't too many other shows I consider worth sitting through... clever writing seems to be sacrificed for shock value and crass jokes nowadays. With a lack of quality options, we decided to tune our new HD television into the Me-TV Network, which runs old-time TV classics (Sarah's new favorite is I Dream of Jeannie... :) ). Things really started cooking when we got to The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show— I didn't really grow up with these programs (which were airing right around the time I was born), but we have been enjoying them! There is a noticeable difference in the quality of these sitcoms from what is airing today— a little more intelligent and sophisticated... often dealing with cultural issues of the day. The Odd Couple airs right after these two programs, proving that 1970s TV, like film, might indeed have been a "golden age" (the crazy fashion and design choices don't hurt either)!
Yesterday we headed outdoors... braved the elements to help our extended family move, go skiing, and then back inside to watch another movie with Sarah's folks later in the evening: the classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, one of my all-time favorites. It's funny, we had just been talking about actor Bob Hoskins ("watching" the British comedy Mrs. Henderson Presents the night before... well, Sarah watched it, I fell asleep... surprising since it dealt with the real-life story of a 1930s burlesque show-!).
Back to Roger Rabbit, what a joy it was to watch this movie again! I had fond memories of the film when it was originally released back in 1988, right before the advent of computer generated imagery. No, this part-animated/live feature was done the old fashioned way... hand-painted animation, puppeteers, robotics, and a little lighting help from George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic. But where this film differs from Lucas' infuriating Star Wars prequels from the late '90s, is that you actually feel like the animations and live actors are interacting. I think a lot of the credit must go to director Bob Zemeckis (Back To The Future), who I greatly admired for his creativity and technical skills... at least back then. It seems that the late '80s were also a strong time for filmmaking, where more organic, technical achievements more than held their own. Seriously, watch something like The Polar Express or Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and tell me if it succeeds on the level of our friends Roger and Jessica Rabbit. Bob Hoskin's detective character, Eddie Valiant, is fun too...the film noir, detective-style writing adds to this cinematic delight.
So when it comes to visual storytelling, I guess it's important to remember what has been working in the first place, while being open to explore new technological advances.On that note, has anyone seen The Hobbit? I'm sort of curious... but that comes more from my memories of the great storytelling that my elementary school teacher shared with us back in the day ("precious" indeed)...
P.S.-Sarah is just settling in to watch one of her NEW favorites, Dowton Abbey. A modern-day classic? Ok, maybe I'll give it a shot...
Related Links:
www.gaybyfilm.com
"Conversing on Comics with David Aja," Comic Book Resources/Robot 6, December 28, 2012
http://metvnetwork.com
"California Films: Who Framed Roger Rabbit," KQED, January 5, 2013
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