Writer's Block: Jumped the shark
Aug. 19th, 2011 07:49 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
Every so often, the question of the day is pretty good.
I gave up on The Simpsons long ago. That it keeps chugging along, apparently relying on the same stale formula of celebrity guests and rehashed plotlines, makes me sad. The new episodes don't ruin the old ones. But they do give me a sense that the people behind the show can't see how much they have sullied what was once the best show on TV.
Special mention for Supernatural, which is still good but struggled to bring it all together last season and maybe should have ended after the fifth year. I worry that it will become as painful to watch as Smallville did over a far too long 10 year run.
Every so often, the question of the day is pretty good.
I gave up on The Simpsons long ago. That it keeps chugging along, apparently relying on the same stale formula of celebrity guests and rehashed plotlines, makes me sad. The new episodes don't ruin the old ones. But they do give me a sense that the people behind the show can't see how much they have sullied what was once the best show on TV.
Special mention for Supernatural, which is still good but struggled to bring it all together last season and maybe should have ended after the fifth year. I worry that it will become as painful to watch as Smallville did over a far too long 10 year run.
Writer's Block: Live action hero
Aug. 10th, 2011 06:00 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
My favorite remains the 1978 Superman film. Chris Reeve's performance is the gold standard for superheroes, heartfelt and earnest but also likeable and light. And while the film is a bit silly, it gets to the heart of Superman and to why I love comic book heroes.
Least favorite? Probably the two Schumacher Batman films. No filmmaker has ever had less of sense of what makes a character work than Schumacher did.
ETA: The worst film, in terms of overall quality, was the second Swamp Thing film. Not that the first was great either, but Heather Locklear as Abby Arcane might be one of the worst casting decisions of all time. However, at least they kind of got Swamp Thing right, and Dick Durock was always at least passable in the role (and often good on the later TV show).
My favorite remains the 1978 Superman film. Chris Reeve's performance is the gold standard for superheroes, heartfelt and earnest but also likeable and light. And while the film is a bit silly, it gets to the heart of Superman and to why I love comic book heroes.
Least favorite? Probably the two Schumacher Batman films. No filmmaker has ever had less of sense of what makes a character work than Schumacher did.
ETA: The worst film, in terms of overall quality, was the second Swamp Thing film. Not that the first was great either, but Heather Locklear as Abby Arcane might be one of the worst casting decisions of all time. However, at least they kind of got Swamp Thing right, and Dick Durock was always at least passable in the role (and often good on the later TV show).