Disqus - Latest Comments for movieguyjon

Re: He Says, She Says: The Frighteners (1996)

movieguyjon — Fri, 09 May 2014 12:07:10 -0000

That's a tough one. Our tastes have a very wide crossover. I might try and pick some more "out there" ones that I need to defend...but I kind of thought I'd come across those by now. :P

Re: Exit Strategy

movieguyjon — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 01:21:07 -0000

Thanks! I'm definitely interested in getting this arc resolved. Somewhere along the line I decided to go off the rails and there's a part of me that's scratching my head, trying to figure out why. Heh.

Re: Multiplex #902: Would You Like to Play a Game?

movieguyjon — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 00:57:56 -0000

Definitely want to add my voice to the "this game needs to be real" chant so far in the comments. I would play the hell out of it. If you ever get to make a game like this, I would suggest forgoing the freemium model where you HAVE to pay in micro transactions to make any significant progress. I don't mean getting rid of IAPs completely (gotta be real, the money there is good), but balancing it in favor of the player. I've actually put more money forward on the games that have done this. :)

Re: Multiplex #903: Conference Call

movieguyjon — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 00:53:13 -0000

Ditto on the liking Norma more and more thing.

Re: Exit Strategy

movieguyjon — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 00:34:49 -0000

I've been planning to get back to it for awhile. The last couple strips were done this year and then before that I had a multi-year hiatus. The problem I've encountered is just time and parenthood. I've got the script for the next one written, just haven't fired up photoshop to work on it yet.

Re: Multiplex #881: Blue Screen of Death

movieguyjon — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 02:04:32 -0000

Heh. Was wondering when Jimmy would show up again.

Still haven't seen Her yet and am kicking myself for taking so long. Had a choice over the holidays to either see that or Inside Llewyn Davis and the later won out.

Re: Scribosphere Carnival #3 – Submit Your Ideas

movieguyjon — Sun, 06 Oct 2013 00:40:09 -0000

Gonna call this one a little early since I won't be at my computer tomorrow. I think writing about the criticism we take/don't take would make a great Scribosphere Carnival #3. Have at it, yo!

Re: Scribosphere Carnival #2 – Workflow

movieguyjon — Sun, 06 Oct 2013 00:33:29 -0000

Hey, it works! This past week was particularly busy, so I completely understand. I'm sure it will be all ups and downs from here on out! :)

Re: Scribosphere Carnival #2 – Workflow

movieguyjon — Sun, 06 Oct 2013 00:32:28 -0000

Just in the nick of time, too! :)

Re: Scribosphere Carnival #2 – Workflow

movieguyjon — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 23:50:21 -0000

Nice! Added to the post. You've got a nice setup there, sir!

Re: Scribosphere Carnival #2 – Workflow

movieguyjon — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 15:44:36 -0000

Sweet! I added that to the post and also responded. I liked what you said about the writing environment and wonder if that would make a good topic a bit later down the road. There seems to be the logic that you can "write anywhere," but my experience is teaching me that professionally and personally that's not necessarily the case.

Re: Scribosphere Carnival #1 – Time Capsule

movieguyjon — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 14:05:50 -0000

Hey there! Just read through this post as well as posted my own. Very much a newbie to this particular blogroll set up by Shawna. Been fun to read everyone's stories. Thought I would pop in and introduce myself. I don't comment nearly enough on peoples' blogs anymore, and I'm hoping this post series will get me out of my shell, so to speak.

Re: Writing The Malaise Away

movieguyjon — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 17:19:25 -0000

Well, true. I have things out there that are "technically" produced, and that is pretty killer. There are some attitudes about writing in animation that undercut that, though as a lot of indie animators just write the stuff themselves or they don't really focus on it and let the visuals tell the story.

In short: WHY MY GENIUS NOT RECOGNIZED?! :P

Re: Writing The Malaise Away

movieguyjon — Fri, 06 Sep 2013 11:35:15 -0000

It's interesting to note that films are rarely praised for their writing if they are successful, but almost always slammed if they are bombs or financial "disasters." The outliers are (of course) people like Tarantino, Sorkin, et al. Still, there's this sense that the writer has the ability to make a sucky product, but no actual agency to make something great. It's a weird dissonance that I come across when I see people talk about writing in film.

There are people who would certainly disagree with you about the whole "aspiring" versus "actual" argument when it comes to writing. Some would even say that the line of demarcation would be whether or not you are a working writer. "If you're not professional, you're aspiring." I kind of play the field with the distinction depending on who I am around or the types of people I interact with. But you do make a good point about having "written by" credit. That does count for SOMETHING, I suppose.

Re: The Story of Film on TCM or, Why My DVR is Contemplating Suicide

movieguyjon — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 13:34:22 -0000

I've been meaning to see The Story of Film for awhile - at your suggestion. I say we go all in. The DVR is going to hate us, but whatever!

Re: can you spot the bullshit in this description of Timur Bekmambetov’s Warriors of Oz?

movieguyjon — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 16:27:14 -0000

Well, I'm sure whoever they find will probably be in service of his "vision," and he probably won't get too progressive of a writer on something like this either. Really, the whole thing is as you say, an inability to imagine and envision a strong, female warrior.

Re: can you spot the bullshit in this description of Timur Bekmambetov’s Warriors of Oz?

movieguyjon — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 15:22:35 -0000

It may be a combination of that and an inability to write women characters. And the people who signed off on this probably don't understand womenfolk either and thought to gender-swap to make production easier.

Will I be watching this? No.

Re: Scorecard: March-May 2013

movieguyjon — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:27:56 -0000

The Elmo/Cookie Monster scene from those two is absolute brilliance.

Re: Scorecard: March-May 2013

movieguyjon — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:27:06 -0000

Some of it has been me not wanting to be away from Karina for too long, and some of it is energy. Right now the small screen in short bursts is about all I can stand. I think the next movie I will probably go see is Man of Steel. Was going to do Star Trek Into Darkness, but there just hasn't been much in the way of time, energy, or opportunity.

I'll get to more movies soon enough. :)

Oh, and Congratulations, of course!

Re: No Superheroes Today; But Some Musings On Gender

movieguyjon — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:28:16 -0000

1) This. Even as a writer, agency is tough. Have I given enough agency to my characters or not enough? Is there an imbalance? In novels I imagine it's rather tough to tell until you're well within the revision stage or get notes from an editor that point out some of these problem areas. And what if that's not really a concern of the person going over your work? A manuscript isn't the northern plain, but rather a dense forrest.

With screenwriting, despite the page count being significantly smaller there's so much to keep track of and that's before other writers get brought in to revise or a Director comes in and does his pass. The credits for Iron Man 3 have Drew Pearce and Shane Black credits. There's a lot that can change between two Hollywood writers, especially when one of them is known for Lethal Weapon, which came about in an age where this kind of conversation was not happening.

But yeah. I only envy the success of these guys, not the work of trying to cram in as much as possible and still try to get the characters right.

Re: No Superheroes Today; But Some Musings On Gender

movieguyjon — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:25:22 -0000

I'm going to address your points in order based on paragraphs.

1) It may take awhile to grok that putting a weapon in hand does not equal agency. Someone pointed out that despite Pepper only being in The Avengers for a short while, she was every bit Stark's equal and they were truly a team. Rhodey was nowhere to be seen. In this, he kind of takes what agency is left in the agency pool, leaving Potts her moment in the finale...who somehow still needed "fixing." There's definitely an "old way" versus "new way" at play in the film and it does make for some rather head-scratchy moments.

2) As far as I know, she cried over Tony Stark for most of Act 2. But to your earlier point, this wasn't Pepper Potts 3. But don't you think the Potts of Avengers would have found Tony? How does a partner to the most technologically advanced hero in the Marvel Universe not know how to find someone? Oh right, it requires agency.

3) I have an early guess that they're going to put Jane "in the refrigerator," like they did with Gwen Stacy in the Spider-Man comics. Incidentally, Jane's friend had more agency and dimension in the first Thor film than Jane did herself. What the heck was up with that?

Re: Is Pepper Potts No Longer the "Damsel in Distress" in 'Iron Man 3'? | Bitch Flicks

movieguyjon — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:30:10 -0000

This trope is so ingrained in us that sometimes I wonder if it's a little more difficult to abandon than we might think. Like I said, I do see this as a transitional period for comic book films in general. As these filmmakers start to realize that they don't have to bury these side characters under tired tropes, they will start to evolve. And with Whedon as an overseer on this whole Phase 2, we might see it all evolve sooner rather than later.

On a slightly different point, the audience at large isn't blameless in this whole struggle for female characters with agency. We keep funding the tropes and marginalizing the female characters in these stories without really thinking about it, and that sends a message to the businessmen/women out there that that's what we want.

Re: Is Pepper Potts No Longer the "Damsel in Distress" in 'Iron Man 3'? | Bitch Flicks

movieguyjon — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:24:14 -0000

It does seem like a bit of a step backward for Pepper from Avengers, and the points about her having all her "empowerments" given and taken by men was something I almost missed when I saw it. I admit to getting distracted by her character stealing the spotlight and being the one to defeat the bad guy after he and Stark essentially beat their chests and tried to "come at me, bro!" I think the idea of truly empowered women and women with agency in these comic book films is coming. Seems like we're in a painful transitional stage, though. I say "painful" because it's like "get there already, darn it!"

Re: Superheroes In A Cafe: The Flash and Bruce Banner

movieguyjon — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:05:15 -0000

I wanted the "gramps" and "old man" to be a Central City thing, and perhaps could have established that a little bit more or something. All I know is that "gramps" irritates me and I figured it would be great to have a superhero utilize such an annoying nickname for Bruce. :P

As for references, they're kinda dubious. Avengers HQ sounds good and even if one doesn't exist it would be a logical leap for The Flash. And I'm not sure Bruce would even be able to respond fast enough to explain one did or didn't exist. I pulled Stark Tower from the Avengers movie, so it may not be in the strictest cannon. But it's a sweet tower and I plan to use it. Unless those things weren't what you were referring to..

Re: Superheroes In A Cafe: Supergirl and Batgirl

movieguyjon — Sun, 12 May 2013 03:48:15 -0000

You haven't come off as a know-it-all at all, and the discussion has been enlightening and helpful. With stuff like this, it is fun to pick things apart and discuss. One thing I've noticed between doing this series and the Dave and Killer series is that with this one discussion is much easier since the source characters are steeped in such backstory.