Stop Colorizing the Classics!!

Just a note to all you TV people... Stop colorizing old classics! I just saw an ad for the much-beloved Alistair Sim version of "A Christmas Carol" aka "Scrooge", and of course, it's the horrible colorized version they're going to show this year. Stop it! Do you networks think that all your viewers are such uncultured drooling morons, incapable of possibly sitting through anything not in "glorious color"?

Okay, I know what you're going to say - sure, maybe I can figure out how to turn the color down on my TV - maybe... but what a pain. It all seems so unnecessary.

Don't you jerks (I'm looking at you, CBC...) realize that many of these movies were shot the way their were with special use of the medium that the filmmakers had to work with at the time? Don't you see their utilization of contrast, of black and white, of depth and light - to create that timeless atmosphere and feeling? Do you really need to ruin all that by splashing a sickly artificial color tone on top of it? C'mon people, it looks like a pastel nightmare!

A Salute!

photo via Merchant of Venom.

I salute you, sir! Let's give the political correctness a rest, because, come on, who are we kidding - It's a Christmas Tree.

The Pumpkin Pie Shake!

Have you seen this?

I'm not known to be a frequent customer of Dairy Queen, but I've been making regular trips there lately thanks to their new offering, the Pumpkin Pie Royal Shake!

I don't know how to explain it, but it's basically like drinking a cold smooth pumpkin pie ...and I do love me some pumpkin pie after all!

I know pumpkin themed drinks and treats seem to be all the rage now, but you should go try this one! I would advise though, to wait a day or two between shakes - otherwise you'll probably get a little "pumpkin fatigue". Truly though, it is pretty awesome :)

And to you folks at Dairy Queen - if you appreciate the mention, I wouldn't mind at all if you wanted to send a little something my way :)

 

Crib TMNT?

I think I know what this means, but is it okay if I tell people that the Ninja Turtles are coming to play cribbage at this local seniors center?

Quit With The "WB & DC Comics Has A 'No Jokes' Rule For Their Movies" Rumor Already!

The latest rumor going around is about how Warner Brothers and DC Comics' are imposing a "No Jokes" order for their movies - suggesting that DC movies are going to be super dramatic, serious, and humorless.

WHAT IS THIS STUPID RUMOR BASED ON?! Apparently someone was asking SOMETHING about the several DC movies that are in the works right now, and the comment from inside WB was "No jokes".

Those spreading this rumor - DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND A LITTLE THING CALLED CONTEXT? What was the actual comment or question that this "No jokes" thing was a response to? I don't know! WHO KNOWS? Nobody has provided a QUOTE for the QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED to give any CONTEXT for this apparent "No jokes" answer from WB-DC.

Do people actually think that WB is giving the order to have "No jokes" in their DC movies? Tell me, which is more likely to be the case with this apparent "No jokes" thing;

1. Reporter: Wow WB, are you really going to be making 7 or 8 DC comics movies in the next few years?
WB: We are, no jokes!

or

2. Reporter: For the several DC comics movies you have on the schedule up to 2019, are they going to have much in the way of humor, wisecracks, or jokes?
WB: Oh, our movies will have no jokes.

All the debate about this supposed "No jokes" dictum by WB are just wasting everyone's time. Think about it! The story is just CLICKBAIT, people! Don't be stupid!

Yeah, I know that all anyone seems to care about these days is the headline and pageview count, and I know "professional" journalism is in a horrifying state in 2014 - perhaps even more so in the entertainment sphere - but please folks, take a minute to ASK QUESTIONS about a rumor before you kick it down the line! You'll do your reputation a favor in the long-run.

Ok, I'll Say It; Summer Is Horrible.

Yeah, I'll probably feel differently in five minutes, but you've got to let me get this off my chest.

Summer is horrible.

I get up in the morning and before I've done anything, I'm sweating. Sticky, greasy, smelly sweat. I'm just sitting in a chair, sweating. I've hardly even moved yet today, what did I do to deserve it? Go have a shower, get out, and then start sweating again. The air starts to get heavy. I feel strange, it's almost like being sick. I'm know not sick, but I feel like I'm sick. It's going to be a looong day.

Ok, sure, but what about all the great things you can do in the summer, like going to the beach? Yeah, the beach! The beach is great! The oppressive unceasing sun beating down on your already blistered red skin, inducing a paranoia to inspect that weird brown spot on your elbow every five minutes. The dry, aching, cracked lips. The boiling, soupy, eye-stinging salt water that leaves a pale brown foam and makes your hair all crusty. The horrible infestation of sand that gets EVERYWHERE; in your butt crack, in your armpit hair, in your eyelashes - and boy, if you get it in your shoes, IT AIN'T EVER GOING AWAY.

And this is not to mention the people at the beach. Folks shamelessly walking around letting all their flappy folds of flesh hang out EVERYWHERE. But not only that; even normally attractive people look gross and old at the beach. The harsh unforgiving light of the summer sun accentuates every pimple, bump, and crease, and the salty water washes off all the makeup and makes your hair look thin and straw-like. On the beach, you look like greasy month-old ham with sweat-caked dog hair on top.

"Oh, well why not just go inside and turn on the air conditioning?" Well, that's great if you have it, but what if you dont? Any hey, it's not like electricity costs any money! Summer blackouts from the overload on the power grid, what could be more fun?

Well at least I can go out and enjoy the life and the energy of those cool summer nights, right? Sounds great! But NOPE. This potentially wonderful nocturnal reprieve from the blistering heat is ruined by the most aggravating of creatures; That's right, the mosquito. The bane of my existence for 3 months every year. SLAP and SCRATCH and BLEED, SLAP and SCRATCH and BLEED, SLAP and SCRATCH and BLEED. AAAAARRRRRGH! My arms and legs make it look like I picked a fight with an alley cat in heat!

Want to hang out at a friend's evening backyard party? TOO BAD, THE MOSQUITOES ARE OUT! Light some candles or spray yourself with all the toxic chemicals you want - it won't help, you'll see. "These mosquitoes are eating me alive! We'd better go inside!"  Well that's fine, but I ALREADY SPENT ALL MY TIME INSIDE OVER THE WINTER!

At least everything is a wonderful lush green now. Oh wait, it was already lush and green in the spring! At least I could go out in the fresh fragrant spring air without MY LUNGS HEAVING WITH HUMIDITY, without MY SKIN SCORCHED AND INSECT BITTEN or without MY SMELLY CLOTHES STICKING TO MY GREASY SWEAT DRENCHED BODY.

Come to think of it, maybe that's what Summer really is; a twisted, mutated, steroided-out extreme version of Spring. AND IT JUST WON'T END.

But in case I haven't said it - Oh Autumn, with your crisp, fresh, invigorating touch. I love you. Come quickly.

Please, share your comments!

Parking Lot Humor

On a recent outing, I noticed these in a couple of parking lots;

Amen.

Classy!

 Not "show accurate" but I can understand why they didn't put "Police Box" on there...

Think About It: "Tolerance"

"Tolerance."

Have you ever noticed that whenever someone implores you to be "tolerant", they always place within that request an expectation for you to not tolerate something? Think about it.

What are these people really saying when they demand you to be "tolerant"? Are they really "tolerant" of your view if they expect that you should change it? See what I mean?

What do people really mean by "tolerance"? Tolerance of what?

The same holds true for "close-mindedness". You'll notice that whenever someone dismisses your view because it's "close-minded", that they're actually being "close-minded" to the possibility you could be right.

So where does that lead us? What should we be tolerant of, and intolerant of? Should each person just be tolerant of whatever they feel like they should be tolerant of? Should you be tolerant of something simply because another person tells you you should, or because the majority opinion of the day says you should?

Is it actually a question of "tolerance" at all?

Who's standard should we use to determine what to be tolerant of and what not to, after all? I do have an answer, but you're probably not going to like it...

Think about it.

The Appropriately Named Calgary Marathon Winner!

Okay, how cool is this?

(from the Calgary Herald) 
"Kip Kangogo’s daughter won’t know it for a few years, but she received a priceless birthday present on Sunday. Emma turns one in Lethbridge on Monday and her dad, running just his fourth marathon, won the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon just for her with a record race of two hours, 19 minutes and 47 seconds."

Kip Kangogo? Yes, he can.

Top 10 Coolest Batman - Doctor Who Mashups!

Batman & Doctor Who. Two very cool things that you wouldn't think of going together, but like peanut butter and chocolate, these two things make a great combination!

10. DC & BBC, make this happen! 

By Brad Matthews

9. A Batman/Doctor Who animated film? How cool would that be?

By Dan Gallagher

8. What the Doctor would have to deal with if he didn't have his sonic screwdriver...

by Marc Keller

7. Could you imagine a dark, moody episode of Doctor Who where the Doctor and Batman have to take on some Weeping Angels?

By Gabriel Hardman

6. That Dalek didn't stand a chance...

By GaugeX

5. Fantastic cover, now I want this artist to draw the rest of the book!

By Elvin Hernandez

4. I'd pay money to see this...

by djtoad

3. Yes, there's even a video!

 2. You've got to love this strip... makes a lot of sense, actually :)

 

 

by nebezial

1. I love this piece, everything about it is just great, isn't it?

by dryponder

Do you know any great Doctor Who/Batman mash-ups I've missed?

DC Comics and The Big Bang Theory; The Opportunities

CBS's wildly popular "The Big Bang Theory", while not my cup of tea, seems to have a really nice relationship with DC Comics.

 
The characters are always visiting the local comic shop where a treasure trove of DC comics and merchandise are displayed quite conspicuously. They frequently wear DC-themed t-shirts and merchandise, and on special occasions, even dress like DC characters. I get the impression that they even mention DC comics characters and events pretty frequently.

That in mind, I had some thoughts about how DC could further exploit and respond to this cozy relationship;

- Thanks to Sheldon, the Flash symbol is one of the most visible graphics in America right now. Now, The Flash in CW network's upcoming The Flash tv show features a symbol on his chest that mostly resembles the classic version, but instead of the red color in it, they should go back to the more recognizable classic white and also make the symbol a little bigger. Brightening the costume's red color slightly might be nice too. Perhaps we can hope this recently-revealed costume is just the Flash's prototype suit anyway?

- With Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg all confirmed to be showing up in the upcoming untitled Batman vs. Superman movie - Warner Brothers should capitalize on The Big Bang Theory exposure also, and strive to get the Flash (whether it's Grant Gustin or someone else) and a new Green Lantern on the big screen (if only as cameo), and in the movie-going public's consciousness sooner than later.

- WB should also pull some strings and get the Man of Steel himself, Henry Cavill, to make an appearance on The Big Bang Theory. If you're thinking that Cavill is too big for the small screen - well, when we're talking about the huge audience The Big Bang Theory garners - virtually nobody is "too big". Besides, he's a really nice guy and I don't think the female audience would mind seeing him either. I'm sure the writers could come up with an entertaining reason for him to meet up with Sheldon and the gang. Like I said, I don't really care for the show, but even I would tune in for that. Didn't I hear that Henry Cavill and Kaley Cuoco were seeing each other a while back?

- Finally, DC could even put out a Big Bang Theory comic mini-series (perhaps make it very tongue in cheek and include DC characters), and add some promotion to entice people to read other DC titles.

Anyway, what do you think of my ideas for DC to make the most of their Big Bang notoriety? What are your ideas?

Ninja Turtles - Fixed!

I came across this great image where a guy took the Ninja Turtles from the upcoming movie and made them look a lot more like the Turtles we already know and love. Check out both Michelangelo and Leonardo below. The difference is quite striking, It's a HUGE improvement.

Bear on a Wire

You've gotta love the ambition of this poor bear....



 And as a bonus, check out this friendly guy!

Peter Furler Band - "Sun and Shield" Album Review

Peter Furler's newest album (or rather I should say "The Peter Furler Band's" new album) "Sun and Shield" has just hit the streets, and Furler has certainly taken things in a new direction.
 
When they were saying this was going to be a more "raw" sounding record, I was bracing myself for a letdown just in case. Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about. When listening to these songs, you can quickly tell that Furler is definitely showing his continued maturity as an artist.

This collection has a much more "indie" feel, moreso than most of his previous solo album or his work in the Newsboys. More raw and stripped down indeed. Think "adult-contemporary punk".

If you're tired of the dubstep & electronics-heavy sound that is so prevalent today, this album should be a welcome change of pace for you.

This record has lots of vocal and musical/instrumental surprises to keep you humming and tapping your toes with each new track...

Lyrically, it also feels very alive and very fresh. It's chocked full of Furler's patented "encouraging-while-also-challenging" themes, and thankfully these songs don't rely on worn-out lyrical cliches or tired CCM motifs.

Oddly enough, the title track "Sun and Shield" - while a good song and perhaps most friendly to "CCM hit radio", might be the least interesting one on the album.

"Shame", the title to the 4th track, is also a theme that comes up a few times throughout this album, and as you listen to it you can almost feel the resonating reverberations of Newsboys "Not Ashamed" album from so long ago. In a way, it's like Peter Furler's journey coming full circle, if you will.

The track "Yeshua" (which features longtime Christian artist - and Peter's father-in-law - Mylon Le Fevre) starts out in way that you might think it will be just another bland worship song, but it doesn't unfold that way, it's stylishly devout and one of the album's nice surprises.

If we're talking about whole songs, other notably surprising standouts on this album include "Dare I Say", "It's Alright (For Lazarus)" and "The Overcomer"

You can tell these are very personal songs for Peter Furler, though they still retain plenty of catchy melodies, bouncy tempos and satisfyingly swaying melodies - just not necessarily in a "Newsboys" way. In short, songs that are indeed personal, but not what anyone could call depressing. These songs are not a chore to listen to.

For longtime Newsboys fans, you'll be pleased to know that Phil Joel is on this album a lot. So much so that I actually wonder why he's not on the cover as a full-fledged member. In any case, Phil's background vocals are thankfully as good as ever here.
 
"Sun and Shield" as an album feels like a nice cohesive experience, not just a collection of singles. If you were thinking of just checking out one or two songs from this offering, I recommend that you rather get yourself the whole album to enjoy all the songs in their full context. Trust me, the journey will be worth it - it'll make you smile, and maybe even cry. All in all, it feels like a really well-balanced album. 4 out of 5 from me.

"Sun and Shield" marks an intriguing, fresh direction for Furler, and given his penchant for blazing his own trails, I'm very interested to see what Furler comes up with next.

My Dad Said It #4

"They came up with a cure for Alzheimer's disease - they just forgot where they put it!"

Whovians! A Springfield Punx Update

As many have requested, I've drawn the new 12th Doctor (Peter Capaldi) for my Springfield Punx blog. You can go visit the site and see him (and much more) now! Thanks for the support!

http://springfieldpunx.blogspot.com/

JLA Adventures; Trapped in Time - Quick Review

JLA Adventures; Trapped in Time is a new animated DC film that was released just last week, in what's being called a "stealth release" as nobody seemed to know it was coming until days before it's release. This movie (to this point anyway) seems to be a Target exclusive.

Having seen this new film, I leave you with the following bullet points & review;

• It's called "JLA Adventures" - That's "JL" with an "A" at the end, as in "America". They dropped it for the "Justice League" animated series, and ever since it seems they have been shying away from that "A", but I like it.
• This one is aimed at a slightly younger or "all ages" audience. It's not "kiddie" or "dumb" necessarily, it's just not as "hardcore" as the regular DC animated films of recent years.
• In tone and in look, it's kind of a cool melding of the Superfriends, Young Justice, and Justice League animated series. You get the Lex Luthor led Legion of Doom and some high-flying adventure. You get a look at the future and a little teenage angst with the two Legion of Superheroes characters. You also get the JLA and all their gadgets, tactics, and teamwork to take down the enemy.
• Flash seems particularly similar to his counterpart in the Justice League cartoon. He, along with Robin, are the main source of comic relief.
• If you liked Diedrich Bader as Batman for "Batman; The Brave & The Bold" then you're in for a treat, because he's back as the Dark Knight in this!
• The costumes look great, taking inspiration from the New 52 versions but remaining clean and unique. I thought Robin's new outfit was especially cool.
• In any good time travel story, you have "rules" to deal with concerning paradoxes and potential alternate timelines and stuff. In this movie, they deal with it through a haunting character that is actually the living embodiment of this, acting as sort of a "time lord" (if you Doctor Who fans will forgive the expression). I thought it was a clever and interesting way to approach it.
• I know this is largely aimed at a younger audience with limited attention spans, but it does feel a bit too short. I might have liked another 15 minutes in the second half to fill the story out more.
• The way it ends leaves you with the impression that they want to do more original films in this series/universe.

All in all, it's a mixture of things we've seen before with some fairly cool new stuff as well. If you miss the Justice League or Justice League Unlimited cartoons, this should scratch that itch for a while.

I'll give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Have you seen JLA Adventures; Trapped in Time? Comment below to share your thoughts on it!

Window washers at a children's hospital

 Love it!

via https://twitter.com/StayChiIl/status/297481516890595329

My Dad Said It #3

"If they had known how William Shatner would turn out, they would have called him Captain QUIRK! HA HA HA!"