Middlegirl Bonding
Jul 21So I’m enjoying the hell out of The Middleman. The combination of oddness and earnestness, of clever quips and trout-happy zombies and twentysomething drama…it all hits me exactly the right way. I need to check out the comics, but I’m waiting ’til the show goes into reruns — that way (by my screwy math, anyway), I’ll be Middleman-less for a shorter period of time.
One of my favorite parts of the show, though, is an element I wasn’t expecting: the relationship between Wendy Watson and her performance artist roomie, Lacey. As initially presented in the pilot, Lacey seemed like a fairly predictable character construct: kinda flaky, kinda annoying, easily distracted by the square jaw and pillow lips of The Middleman. I was anticipating lots of over-the-top performance art moments and eyeroll-provoking antics. What’s been developed in subsequent episodes is a lot deeper and loads more interesting. She’s a little wacky, but she’s not just wacky. She cares about Wendy, she misses her neglectful mom, and she’s more observant than people give her credit for. She has a soul. And the friendship between her and Wendy is really great — I think it would have been easy to make Wendy constantly fed up with her or just kind of above her various hijinx, but instead, they have a real bond. They feel like real friends, like Buffy and Willow — different people, but with a core of sameness that bonds them.
It’s tough to find a girl friendship on TV that feels that way. It’s nice to see on this show. Keep it up (and please, please don’t have a guy come between them).
Two Thoughts on "Batman R.I.P."
Jul 19I’ve been snarfing down all the great content posted across the internet about Grant Morrison’s current Bat-epic, “Batman R.I.P.” There’s some terrific work being done out there by minds far more expansive than my own.
But here’s two thoughts that struck me as I re-read Batman 678. On this, the second day of my 32nd year on God’s green earth, I share them with you.
Feist on Sesame Street
Jul 18Don’t get me wrong – Canada loves her to death and is very proud. But it’s kind of hard to decide if this is the greatest thing ever or a shark jumping moment. I will optimistically argue it is a boon… but after selling a bazillion albums and all the Apple exposure, it feels like a bit much.
Trailer Made
Jul 18We fankids get so invested in trailers. They present a lot of different issues for us to…decide on. Are we pants-pissingly excited for this film or are we just…pissed? Does this actor look like a good match for such-and-such comic book role? Does Mulder look too old? Does Nite Owl look fat enough? The judgments start from the very first frame.
And yet, sometimes trailers aren’t a very accurate gauge. The Phantom Menace had a fantastic trailer, and we all know how that turned out. So, you know, just to give a hypothetical, is it really worth our time to get into an IM argument with someone over exactly how kick-ass/un-kick-ass the Watchmen trailer is?
Apparently, it is, because that’s what I spent yesterday doing! (For the record: I think it looks cool, Husband Jeff not convinced.)
Things got a little dicey, though, because my opponent tried to present The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen as an example of a “good” trailer that made for a shitty movie. I was so offended by this, I went and looked up said trailer, because in my opinion? This is one case where the trailer told you EXACTLY how shitty the movie would be.
Every bad call, every wrong decision pulsates through its 1:26 running time. The muggy quips that fall flat, the clunky CG, the hamminess of The Connery. It’s all there, right down to the part where the name is too long for them to say out loud, so they shorten it to “The League.”
Here’s hoping that the Watchmen clip (which I still think is super-swell) is an equally accurate barometer of the film’s ultimate quality.
(On a semi-related note: did you know you can follow Rorschach on Twitter? Get to it!)
D&D Diary: Character Creation
Jul 17
Inspired by the super-streamlined 4th edition rules, my husband and our good pal Seth decided it was time for a new Dungeons & Dragons game. I was initially not interested. Like, at all. I’ve been around D&D-ers all my life, I’ve watched the game in action…but to be perfectly honest, I’ve never actually played. Somehow, it always seemed to end in tears or people fighting or whatever, and that did not appeal to me (kind of surprising, considering all the Trekkie fan club drama I got into in high school…but that’s another post).
