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RIP Shel Dorf

November 4, 2009 /

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The reaction in the film geek/geek film press has been minimal, but Shel Dorf, the founder of what we now call Comicon but was for years known as “the San Diego Comicon” passed on yesterday from complications of diabetes. While comics blogger Heidi MacDonald covered his passing nicely, for the most part the only coverage has been a terse AP story which has been picked up at a few places.

By all accounts Dorf, whose  reputation was as an relentlessly positive and upbeat booster of the arts of comics, was unhappy with what the con is today — for better a worse a multimedia extravaganza and entertainment biz mecca, emphasis on “biz,” where comics themselvees come far down the list of priorities after toys, videogames, and movies. However, his creation is perhaps the single most discussed media event of the year on a lot of web sites and I would have thought his passing merited a bit more discussion. Anyhow, I can personally attest to the part of the AP story that mentions how he helped new talents in the comics field. One of those cartoonists was my good friend, Randy Reynaldo, with whom he bonded over their mutual admiration for comic strip legend Milton Caniff, for whom Dorf worked as a letterer for many years.

As a grown-up geek who grew up with pretty deep love of the comics form, I have no problem with comics derived movies — in fact, some of them are like dreams come true for my inner 13 year-old. (Others are nightmares.) I just wish the comics themselves from which they came got more respect as something more than a source for movie ideas.

It should also be said that Dorf and his cohorts in the early con days recognized the intimate link between comics and cinema, and included all kinds of movies from very early on. A slightly chubby 13 year-old kid who would take refuge in a back room where 16mm prints of obscure genre films, cartoons, and trailers, played continually remains particularly grateful to Mr. Dorf.

Comic-Con, External Entertainment, External Movies, Movies, News

Dancing with the Stars 9.15 — Round Seven Results Show

November 4, 2009 /

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The competition actually feels like its winding down. Two celebrities will make their exit tonight and I appreciate the efficiency. With his usual partner Lacey Schwimmer out with the flu, Mark Dacascos and Anna Trebunskaya couldn’t deliver last night. Sadly, Mark’s stint is probably done on this show. After the first elimination, the couples with the next lowest scores will compete in a dance-off to determine who stays.

Michael vs. Kelly? I think “yes.”

I’m not really into the group dances. I’d rather just listen to the great music and have the pros flail around for two or three minutes. This group tango from last night was well done, but it’s still fresh in our minds. At least put them in a ring of fire, or something.

Who is Colbie Caillat? I’m sure her band needs those three guitars. All that simple ornamentation just screams “bad.” I think musicians like Caillat and Taylor Swift should ditch the bands. A single acoustic guitar can go a long way.

The only thing more useless than Colbie Callait’s backing band just took the stage. It’s “Dancing with the Star’s” own Mark Ballas and Derek Hough, performing as the singing duo Ballas Hough.

So this is what sewage sounds like. I thought this type of crap died with the Backstreet Boys in the horrific Boy Band Genocide of 2002. I was wrong. This song should play at Osama bin Laden’s funeral.

Rod Stewart, as I live and breathe. Although he’s one of the older rockers that should have hung it up a long time ago, he’s obviously done some great work in his time. Take a listen to The Jeff Beck Group’s “Beck-Ola” if you want to hear Stewart in all his raspy glory.

Ha! Michael Irvin was just eliminated and he cited his hard work on the show as inspiration to help those struggling in this economy. I love it.

Now Aaron Carter will face Mark Dacascos in a dance-off to determine tonight’s final elimination. Carter is going to flip out if he loses, causing many seconds of uncomfortable air time.

Dance-off

Mark Dacascos with Lacey Schwimmer (cha cha)

Nope. Again, Mark didn’t do enough dancing. I don’t know what the actual steps are to this dance, but it just seemed like he did cartwheels the entire time.

Of course, the judges thought it was great.

Aaron Carter with Karina Smirnoff (jive)

Honestly, Aaron Carter doesn’t deserve to be in this position. Kelly Osbourne hasn’t impressed the judges in weeks, yet America keeps giving her votes. I don’t get it.

Nevertheless, he just topped his performance from last night.

The judges are going with Carter.

Reality TV, TV, TV Reality

Movies for sale

November 4, 2009 /

I’m thoroughly fried this evening having done my Southern California thing and driven 180 miles basically to run family errands, but there is some more stuff going on that’s worth a mention.

* The American Film Market opens tomorrow. In case you haven’t heard of AFM, it is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: an event at which foreign buyers come to pick up the rights to mostly American films in various states of production. It’s an pretty important slice of the film financing process and one big event of the year in the foreign sales departments of film companies. (I actually worked in one of those myself in another life.)

One project on offer: a new version of one of the least performed of Shakespeare’s plays and one of the few this ex-English major has never read or seen: a contemporary “Coriolanus” being directed by Ralph Fiennes and starring Gerard Butler, who could use a little Shakespearian cred. Also, a film of an obscure classical play can definitely benefit from some star power. On the other hand, the script is being credited to John Logan of “The Last Samurai.” Ah, reminds of “Romeo and Juliet” … “with additional dialogue by Sam Taylor.”

* Not only “Scream IV,”  but “Scream V” and “Scream VI,” may actually be coming, says writer Kevin Williamson.

* Desperate for some more potent Oscar bait in the wake of the demise of “Amelia,” Fox Searchlight may apparently be moving up the release of “Crazy Heart” a country-music drama starring Jeff Bridges which, Steven Zeitchik writes, is being touted as “The Wrestler” goes country music. Sounds good to me, but in some ways that movie was already made back in ’73 with Rip Torn.

Okay, Mickey Rourke‘s character was a lot nicer, but the underlying spirit isn’t all that different.

Actors, External Entertainment, External Movies, Horror Movies, Movie Dramas, Movies, News

Martin & Baldwin to host Oscars

November 3, 2009 /

Sometimes a story is just simple enough for a blogger with no time and a brain full of mush from a long day of nonwriting related mishegas. So, courtesy of Anne Thompson and THR, comes the news that this year’s Oscar hosts will be Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.

Do I think this will be good? Well, I’ve always thought Martin was the funniest, classiest host in my entire lifetime of Oscar watching. And, like pretty much everyone else on the planet, I laugh pretty much just looking at Baldwin. I should add however, that this has been the kind of day that, when I saw the name’s “Martin and Baldwin” leap out at me from some place, my first thoughts were of Martin Lawrence and Stephen Baldwin. They, too, would make an interesting team, but I think these two will do better.

Actors, External Entertainment, External Movies, Movies, News

This Tuesday in TV-DVD – Nov. 3, 2009

November 3, 2009 /

* The Rockford Files: Movie Collection, Vol. 1: It’s like I said in my review: if these movies aren’t necessarily up to the standards of the original series – and let’s face it: they often aren’t – it’s so good to see James Garner, Stuart Margolin, and Joe Santos back in their familiar roles that it hardly matters.

* The Shield: The Complete Series Collection: Similarly, I’ll let Jason’s review speak for this set. “From its great ensemble cast and the memorable group of characters they portrayed, to the writing team’s ability to consistently hammer out quality and controversial storylines, ‘The Shield’ is by far one of the best cop dramas ever produced. Nay, one of the best dramas, period. It may not have gotten the attention it deserved during its seven years on the air, but its release on DVD will ensure that the legacy lives on for many years to come. If nothing else, you can expect it to be heavily referenced when the next great cop drama arrives on television, because while ‘The Shield’ may not have invented the wheel, it definitely burned the rubber off the tires enough times for people to take notice.” I have no doubt that he’s right. And one of these days, maybe I’ll even get a chance to sit down and watch it myself.

* Will Ferrell: You’re Welcome, America – A Final Night with George W. Bush: Adam McKay described Ferrell’s one-man Broadway show as “one of those great projects where you really walk in not at all caring about what the critics are going to say.” That’s probably a good thing, given what Jeff Giles, has to say about it. (To be fair, though, even McKay admitted that, although “the director of our special, Marty Callner, did an amazing job, nothing ever matches the live experience. The people who saw it live had a totally different reaction to it.”)

* Mission: Impossible – The Final TV Season: By the time this, the show’s seventh season, rolled around, you needed a formal checklist to cite all of the people whose departure left fans saying that it “hasn’t been the same since.” There’s no Martin Landau, no Barbara Bain…even Leonard Nimoy was gone by this point. But, hey, the big three – Peter Graves, Greg Morris, and Peter Lupus – are still around, with Lynda Day George serving as the season’s predominant femme fatale. Now that the whole series is available, when are we going to get the 1988 revival released on DVD?

* Spin City: Season Three: Shout Factory must’ve blown its whole bonus-material budget for the show on the Season 1 set, because we haven’t seen a single special feature since, but at least the comedy keeps on coming.

* Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The Complete Season One: Your mileage on this show varies by how much you can stand of George Lucas’s prequels, but at the very least, it looks and sounds good.

* Walt Disney Treasures: Zorro – The Complete First Season / Walt Disney Treasures: Zorro – The Complete Second Season: Once upon a time, when Antonio Banderas was merely a twinkle in his father’s eye, Guy Williams was dressed in black and bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase “cutting Z’s.” As usual, you can count on Disney to hook you up with a plethora of classic bonus material.

* Doctor Who: The War Games / Doctor Who: The Black Guardian Trilogy: What the…? Our man Ross has written full-length reviews for both sets? I am shocked. Shocked. Sounds like “The Black Guardian Trilogy” might be pretty good if you just skipped over the middle part of the trilogy. As for “The War Games,” while Ross says it’s “difficult to recommend…to people unfamiliar with it,” it’s a fantastic set for fans, and “the transfer and restoration work are just freaking gorgeous.”

* Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Collection: Dance your cares away, worries for another day, and let the music play down in Fraggle Rock for as long as you can stand to watch. But given that it’s a Jim Henson production, you can probably stand to watch for a very long time, indeed. Actually, this isn’t the first time we’ve been offered a complete-series set for this show, but as someone who owns the notebook-styled version that came out last year, where the DVDs fall out way too easily, I can assure you that you’ll be a lot better off if you pick up this one instead.

* G.I. Joe: Resolute: I haven’t seen this Cartoon Network series, nor have I seen the new movie, but I don’t think I’m going too far out on a limb to suggest that this might be better than the movie. Or, at least, that’s the buzz, anyway.

Other releases this week:

* Ruby-Spears Superman:
* Here’s Lucy: Season 2:
* The Donna Reed Show: Season 3
* Art 21: Season 5
* Edge of Darkness: The Complete BBC Series

And – ho, ho, ho! – a trio of holiday releases for the kiddies:

* Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Christmas Carol Adventure
* Thomas & Friends: Holiday Express
* Merry Sitcom! Christmas Classics from TV’s Golden Age

Doctor Who, External Entertainment, External TV, News, The Shield, TV, TV Action, TV Comedies, TV Dramas, TV DVDs, TV Sci-Fi

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