Everything That Entertains Me

Review: Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (no spoilers)

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Sun, 02 Sep 2018 15:03:00 +0000

I am old enough to remember when watching a TV show meant you tuned in on the same day, at the same time as everyone else. The Dukes of Hazzard were on Fridays at 8pm. The Dukes were followed by the Hulk at 9pm and Dallas at 10pm. If you wanted to see every episode of a show you either tuned in that night or forever held your peace. Obviously that is no longer necessary. You can pretty much watch any show you like whenever it is you get around to it via DVRs, (those are still a thing, right?) torrents, or streaming services like Netflix or Hulu. Quickly becoming my favorite source for streaming show is Amazon Prime Video. They offer a wide variety of free options for Prime members and what isn't free is usually available for standard rental fees. Amazon, like the other streaming services, has a large variety of original programming and on Friday released the first eight hour-long episodes of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan.

Like the Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck movies that preceded it, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan is based on Tom Clancy's series of spy/action novels. The show has a very Homeland vibe but with a bit of welcomed humor and pleasant humanity thrown into the mix. It is a very serious show but not depressing or heavy as Homeland is at times. The cast is a group of mostly accomplished and talented character actors. John Krasinski (The Office, A Quiet Place) plays Jack Ryan and combines the righteous Ford and boyish Affleck to great effect. Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Selma) is James Greer and manages to play the gruff boss cop role without ever seeming like a cliche. Abbie Cornish (Three Billboards, Geostorm) is Cathy Mueller and effectively shows how you can both love someone and think being with them could be a huge mistake. Ali Suliman (Kingdom) plays a charismatic villain also named Suliman with such grace that I found myself rooting for him at times (and was somewhat horrified by it)! The cast is rounded out with solid to fantastic performances by Dini Shihabi, Haaz Sleiman, Nadia Affolter, and Cristina Umana.

The series begins near the start of Jack Ryan's CIA career on the very day he meets Jim Greer. This is not the warm and cuddly relationship from the Ford movies. Jack Ryan has only just met Cathy Mueller (destined to become Cathy Ryan) and at the start of the series is truly just a boring financial analyst for the CIA. We see Jack struggle to make the right decisions even when the easier choice is readily available. We see how those decisions torture him and damage his relationships. Suliman's story is told in parallel to Ryan's. We learn his story, his motivations, how hard he tried to overcome a difficult history only to fall onto a difficult and dark path. We actually see how Suliman's choices affect his family and what they are forced to do and endure as a result. But possibly my favorite thing about this series is that it tells a largely complete story. While we may be left with questions we can watch these eight episodes and walk away feeling greatly satisfied. This is well worth watching.

Video Games!

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 15:16:00 +0000

Kaizo TrapThis was insane and I couldn't stop watching it.
Posted by IGD Sunshine Magazine on Thursday, February 11, 2016

The Promotion

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 00:59:00 +0000

The Promotion

Suddenly I remembered why I stopped drinking. I was late for work. I had a headache and felt sick to my stomach and the jostling of the subway car was not helping. I scanned up and down the subway car looking for an empty seat or a sign that someone was about to get up but no such luck, so I hugged the doorway to the next car and mentally willed my stomach to settle. I guess I do not bounce back from a night of drinking as I did in my prime drinking days. Though meeting Ines made it all worth it, I think anyway.

I went to T.C.’s Lounge to meet an old friend in our old haunt. Erica had moved back to Florida years ago, got married had two kids, and got divorced since the last time we had been in the same room. T.C.’s had been our hangout of choice. We used to toss back jack n’ cokes and pump quarters into Area 51 until they locked the doors almost every night of the week. She was in Boston on her way to Maine for a vacation. Erica saved my life. I was in a bad place and she dragged me back from the brink. When she left Boston, it crushed me but left me better than when we met. It was good to see her again.

The bad news was T.C’s had removed the video games and pinball machines in favor of more seating. It had changed from a neighborhood joint into a high-priced bar for amateur alcoholics. Still, I adjusted rather easily and quickly re-gained my first drunken state in several years. Erica was not as enthusiastic and left relatively early after just a few drinks. I stuck around.

My old pal Quinton was still behind the bar and still put as little coke as possible in my Jack Daniels and knew not to poison my bourbon with fruit. I sat at the bar reminiscing with Quinton about the good old days when a goddess appeared at the bar, at the corner perpendicular to me. I do not mean to put too fine a point on it but she was smoking hot. She looked a lot like Selma Hayek without the uni-brow. Her sundress was white with a pattern of dark blue flowers and her boots looked stylish, at least all the girls are wearing them these days.

Quinton raised his eyebrows at me, checking that I had noticed her arrival. I gave him a nod. She clearly noticed this interaction and smiled.

“¿Qué volá contigo?” she asked.

“Nada“, I replied. “And that’s about the limit of my Spanish I am sorry to say. I’m Jean.”

“That’s okay; I was fucking with you a little. I’m Priya.”

“That’s cool. Where are you from, Priya?”

“Well, I was born here but my parents are Cuban.”

It went on like that for a while. We took turns buying drinks and I learned a lot about her and her about me. She was actually an awesome painter – oils on canvas. However, I guess being an awesome painter was not paying the bills. She had just moved here from New York to accept some corporate job purely for the money. Just then, I was happy she had. I told her all about my crappy job at Draft Kings. I had applied for a job as a writer, providing content for their web site, fantasy advice for gamblers and number geeks. What I actually did was whatever crappy jobs needed doing. Checking spreadsheets, typing memos, and delivering them to people who were working in the adjacent offices was most of my job. She seemed sympathetic and optimistically said it would probably work out eventually. I shrugged and changed the subject. I try to be a happy drunk and I usually do not complain to beautiful strangers but she had a way of drawing things out of me. It was probably those eyes. Maybe it was because I was drunk but I have no idea what color those eyes were, and I swear it seemed like they were changing color as she looked at me. She told me about her family and friends while we drank. We drank a lot.

At one point Quinton gave her a free drink and comped us a round of Cuervo shots in which he participated. He whispered something to her and flashed a big smile for which his reward was a stone face.

She whispered “Jamonero.”

I have no idea what it meant but almost as soon as she said it Quinton slipped and smacked his head on the bar. He was not seriously hurt but he was holding a towel full of ice against his head the rest of the night. He must have been drinking more than I thought.

I soon reached that state of drunkenness where I was only observing myself drink and talk to this woman. I am not a pick girls up at a bar type of guy, but I have a vague memory of leaving the bar with her. The rest of the night is a blank, right until I woke up this morning and noticed that sundress hanging over my desk chair. There was no sign of her however. Not a hair, not a single sign she had been there other than the dress. I tried to remember if I had seen her carry in luggage or something but I stopped thinking about it when I realized I was already an hour late for work. I skipped through the shower, dressed quickly and ran to the subway.

I was almost two hours late when I emerged from the elevator into the Draft Kings offices. Immediately, Frieda the receptionist informs me that they want to see me in the main conference room. I would need to find a new job I assumed. I psyched myself up to be indignant and thought about throwing a chair or two on my way out, definitely break something. The conference room blinds were shut, another bad sign, they wanted it to be private. I walked in with expletives loaded and violence in my thoughts. Instead of the team of executives I was expecting, there was just one person. Priya spun happily in the chair at the head of the conference table and beamed at me.

“You’re late!” she laughed.

I struggled to find words. Finally came up with this doozy: “What are you doing here?”

“Eric (CTO) and Tim (the COO) have both been fired and I’m your new boss.”

I flopped down in a chair near her. My head was still spinning and it was not just the remnants of alcohol. She continued to stare at me and her eyes were still weird but I started to relax. She was no less stunning in the bright sunlight glaring through the office windows. She was dressed in a simple black skirt suit that would have appeared quite professional if not for the blouse that was open a bit too wide.

“So, I’m not fired?” I really wanted to know.

“Nope, in fact you have been promoted to Director of Online Media. You can work out of Eric’s office for now, he won’t need it.”

Promoted, that was the last thing I expected when I walked in here.

“Did you know this was happening last night or is some of this because of last night?” I was far too shocked and hungover to be anything but blunt.

“Of course.” She said, not really answering my question. I was about to inquire further when there was a commotion outside the conference room. I looked at Priya and she rose to her feet and walked to the door with me. Everyone seemed to be running towards the elevators and stairs. I stopped a passing intern and asked for the scoop.

“I guess someone jumped from the roof. Someone said it might be Eric but…it’s kinda hard to tell.”

The intern kept walking. I turned to Priya but she was gone.

Eric jumped or was pushed is what the police indicated to us about an hour later. I was in my new office, Eric’s old office when I found out. It felt a little strange. All of his things were still in place. Deila told me all about it. She had not heard about my promotion. She came into his old office as if she expected to find Eric there. I had been standing behind the desk looking out at the street where the police were still preserving the scene. Eric irritated me but he was a decent person and I was sorry to hear he was gone. Deila, one of my few close friends in the office, had been close to Eric. I often teased that I did not know why she liked him so much but I felt horrible that she was taking his death so hard.

She walked behind the desk, put her arms around me, and sobbed into my chest. She explained that she and Eric had been seeing each other quietly. Deila worked as our medical specialist, advising us about the likely recovery times for various sports injuries. When it comes to gambling, the more information you have the better. I led her around to the sofa and stepped into the private bathroom to get her some tissue to clean up her face, which was a mess of streaked make-up. I thought I heard someone come in while I was in the bathroom. I returned just seconds later to find Deila desperately grasping her throat as blood oozed and squirted between her fingers.

I ran to the office door and yelled for help. Screaming that we needed an ambulance, I ran back to her to try to control the bleeding. Deila was hysterical and frightened and I tried to calm her as we waited for the paramedics. When they arrived, they asked how it had happened. I explained that I had not seen it from the bathroom and they left.

I was standing there looking at the bloodstained couch when Priya hooked her arm into mine. I had not heard her enter the office. I gently pulled away when the phone rang. They were not looking for Eric; someone transferred the call here to me. The police wanted to speak to me about an open case and would be in the office soon.

“Is this about Deila,” I asked.

“Deila? No. An Erica Nunez never returned to her hotel room and her family is concerned. You may have been the last person to see her.”

“Erica? Something happened to Erica?”

The person making the call did not have details for me and refused to answer any further questions. Jesus! I dropped to the couch, ignoring the blood. Priya sat on the arm of the couch and glared at me as I held my head between my hands.

“I cannot believe this day. What the hell is happening?” I asked the question aloud but I was surprised to hear an answer.

“Stop whining!” Priya shouted. “You have me now. Thanks to me, you also have your dream job. Stop thinking about those bitches and appreciate me!”

“I’ve known those girls for years and they could both be dead for all I know!” My temper was flaring and that almost never ends well. “You can either respect that fact or go fuck yourself.”

I stood up, Priya rose as well, and we had a bit of a stare down. “Do you mean that,” she asked. “What I’ve done for you means nothing?”

I just shrugged.

Priya clenched her fists in front of her and let out a blood-curdling scream. A long, nasty looking dagger appeared in her right hand and a change came over her. Suddenly, she seemed much older. Her hair seemed to rise in the air as if electricity was surging through her. Layer on layer of gray rags replaced her neat business suit. A haze seemed to fill the air as if she were sucking all the light from the room. She came at me screaming and swinging the knife wildly.

I wrestled her for control of the blade. She was uncannily strong. She managed several shallow cuts before I snatched it away from her. Her eyes were clearly glowing red and looked almost aflame. She dug her nails into my face savagely and I drove the dagger into her abdomen. She hissed and was gone. I was standing there covered with blood with a dagger in my hand when the police arrived.

Police officers found Erica’s body in an alley in the Fenway with her throat slit and signs of a sexual assault. The police suspected the very blade I had been holding was the murder weapon. They arrested me on two counts of murder and clearly suspected me of a third since it was apparently too much of a coincidence to believe that Eric killed himself.

I told them about Priya. No one believed me. The receptionist had sent me to the conference room by Eric’s request not Priya’s. No one else in the office had ever laid eyes on her. The dress was still in my apartment when the cops searched it but by itself, it did not mean anything to my case.

A jury of my peers found me guilty of three counts of murder and sentenced me to life in a secure psychiatric facility. I have been here ever since. I did see Priya again. She forgave me eventually. She visits me every night in my padded room.

Avengers:Age of Ultron is a Failure

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Sun, 03 May 2015 16:51:00 +0000

I loved every minute of the first Avengers movie. It was action packed with just enough narrative-driven drama to make it compelling. In fact, I have enjoyed watching all the Marvel Studios productions since the first Iron Man film. My brother and I have been collecting and reading comics and going to movies together for decades now. We have frequently discussed what makes a comic-based movie or television show successful and why so many have failed prior to this outstanding run by Marvel Studios. In our minds, there are Three Keys to a successful translation of superhero comics to the big screen:

1. It Must Have the Look – The sets and costumes need to be good translations into reality but must also be clearly identifiable as the characters from the comics. (Good – the first Iron Man movie; Bad – the Fantastic Four Galactus or even Dr. Doom for that matter)

2. The Special Effects Must Be Excellent – If the things the characters can do fail to capture the power and grace of the action within the comics, the translation will be weak at best. (Good – Again, the first Iron Man movie; Bad – one web shooter TV Spider-Man)

3. Do Not Stray Far From the Source Material – Small deviations are to be expected, but the further you get from the actual comic-book stories the worse the movie. (Good – Netflix Daredevil; Bad – Catwoman)

You can certainly find a few pieces that broke one or more of these rules but were still good movies if not good translations. You can also pick out one or two projects that followed these rules and were still terrible. However, let us talk about Avengers: Age of Ultron.

I was excited to see the Avengers sequel and bought tickets more than a week in advance so I could see it on opening night. I even bought less than premium seats so I would not have to delay my screening any longer than necessary. When I had a gout flare-up the night before that was severe enough to make me miss work I barely considered returning my tickets and seeing the movie another day. I wanted to see this movie and I wanted to love it. The fact that the sequel shared a title with one of the worst comics I had ever read was not even a blip in my enthusiasm.

I hated it.

To be brief and non-spoiling, the story was not compelling. The action sequences utilized that quick-cut, frenetic pace thing that has become popular in action movies. The same sort of editing used in the Man of Steel action sequences. I am sure some people enjoy that style or moviemakers would probably stop doing it. I find it makes following the action nearly impossible, unless just knowing there was a fight and it was quick and brutal is enough for you. The character moments that have been a major attraction in the Marvel Studios Brand, were clunky and ham-fisted into place and did nothing to advance the story or make the action more compelling.

I don’t plan to ruin the story for anyone (I am not sure that is even possible) but I am about to go into specific story elements that you may not want to read if you still plan to see the film. Maybe you can read the rest next week.

Spoiler Alert

The story begins with the Avengers in one of those frenetic action sequences I mentioned earlier. Our heroes are murdering and maiming Hydra Agents by the dozen as they attempt to regain the scepter that Loki used in the first movie from the evil Baron Strucker. Strucker plans to surrender himself along with most of his large cache of weapons, so that his secret project can continue un-noticed by the Avengers. However, apparently the Avengers are too smart and capture him and all his weapons even those hidden with the scepter in his secret lair within the secret lair. Thor plans to return the scepter to Asgard for safekeeping. Despite Thor’s ability to instantaneously travel between dimensions, he will wait three days so that he can take part in the celebratory party that Tony Stark is throwing at Avengers Tower.

This gives Tony Stark time to study the specter and discover that there is a computer program, an artificial intelligence, hiding inside it. He plans to use it to power-up his own Jarvis A.I. and put Jarvis in charge of policing the world using the Iron Man robots that Jarvis already successfully utilizes to help the Avengers fight human Hydra agents with regular guns. Bruce Banner thinks this is a bad idea but helps him with the integration of this new A.I. with the old Jarvis A.I. because then he can live in peace without Veronica (whatever that is) looking over his shoulder. They think it best to keep this a secret from the other Avengers.

Everything goes wrong and the A.I. escapes into the internet and takes over factories so it can build its self a giant robot body. We meet the man who will become Klaw along the way and Ultron (the name Stark gave the program) steals a bunch of Vibranium and teams up with Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, creations of Baron Strucker. We knew they could not be mutants because of the X-Men contracts. Quicksilver is essentially the character from the comics but Joss Whedon mixed up the Scarlet Witch with Jean Grey. She has the ability to read and control minds and utilize telekinesis. When the Avengers show up, she puts them into a dream state where they either remember their past or see a mildly depressing version of it. The Hulk goes wild. The Avengers, devastated by this loss and the public reaction, go into hiding on a farm. This is Hawkeye’s farm where his pregnant wife and two kids are living!

Thor, so bothered by his nearly eventless dream, seeks out Jane Foster’s father. Doctor Foster helps Thor find a mystical dream pool so he can electrocute himself in it and re-live this boring dream sequence. Meanwhile, back on the farm, the Black Widow and the Hulk are in love. Cap and Tony Stark are having a wood chopping competition. Hawkeye’s wife interrupts to ask Tony to fix their tractor. Nick Fury is hiding in the barn near the tractor. They go in the house to have breakfast as Fury promises to do something dramatic. Suddenly, the Avengers know how to find Ultron.

The Avengers chase Ultron from New York to Slovikia (a made up country) along the way Ultron creates the Vision out of Vibranium and captures the Black Widow. The Vision can toss around Thor’s hammer. The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver switch sides because Ultron is bad. Ultron reveals his evil plan to lift and drop the country of Slovikia and thus destroy the planet. Nick Fury makes a dramatic appearance. The Avengers stop Ultron and someone dies (because Joss Whedon) and most of the Avengers decide to retire from the superhero biz.

They did not even manage a cool post-credits sequence.

Guardians of the Galaxy May Be the Best Marvel Movie Yet!

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 15:41:00 +0000

When my brother called me that Friday afternoon to ask if I was interested in seeing a movie I said yes. I always say yes to movie invitations. However, Guardians of the Galaxy was not the movie I wanted to see. I was still a little miffed that my brother (and primary movie-going partner) had gone to see the Planet of the Apes sequel without me. But when you get right down to it, I am a comic-book fan and I have seen all the Marvel Movies (at least the ones that have been released to movie theaters – I am still looking for that un-released Fantastic Four movie) and Guardians of the Galaxy was not going to end my streak. So I brother grabbed me up after work and we headed to AMC Woburn.

In our teenage years, my brother and I used to head to the Woburn Theatre for their late Friday night shows after our shifts at the various restaurants at which we worked. We would see a 1:00 AM showing of Jurassic Park or whatever action movie was the most hyped, after a marathon session of NBA Jamz (“He’s ON Fire!”) in the theatre arcade row. Eventually this theatre started to be run down (besides they had removed the arcade games) and we stopped going there. Years later, we would show up there occasionally because we both worked in the area and it was a convenient location for the small windows of time we had between jobs and family and the whatnots that sucks up so much time when you get older. When there was time, we preferred the Fenway Theatre or the Boston Common. Tonight my brother wanted us to see the movie I was not excited about at the theatre with the worst seating, the stickiest floors, and the least interesting concessions.

Why is that me, the comic book fan, was not excited about the Guardians of the Galaxy movie? I had somewhat enjoyed the comic in the past but it was far from a favorite. I have been avoiding the most recent incarnation written by Brian Michael Bendis. I have a Bendis problem. He is at worst a competent writer but he his style tends to repeat little patterns that annoy me. His ticks do not mean I avoid anything he writes but when he is writing books, in which I have only a lukewarm interest I just ignore them. I tend to think Bendis is at his worst when he is trying to be funny. The GoG comic was supposedly a humorous adventure book by Bendis. The trailers I saw for the GoG movie all focused on the humor and not the adventure and I was afraid it was going to descend into the camp that had ruined many a comic book movie and TV show. Fortunately, I could not have been more wrong about Guardians of the Galaxy or the AMC Woburn.

The completely refurbished theatre looked great. The concessions were All-New (like Marvel Comics) and looked good. They even had some half-healthy options. By far the most impressive change was in the seating. Gone were the broken and uncomfortable fold-down seats of the past 30 years. The seats were now giant, plush recliners with cup holders and wide aisles between them. I remember thinking before the film began that even if this movie sucked at least I would be the most comfortable I had ever been in a theatre of any sort. The movie was fantastic. I literally enjoyed every single moment of the film. It was funny, but not in a campy way. It had adventure with purpose and characters with heart. I was especially impressed with Batista as Drax and Vin Diesel as Groot. These characters could have gone bad very easily and made this the movie I was expecting but they both knocked it out of the park. I even downloaded the soundtrack to my Nexus 5 and listened to it for week while riding back and forth to work.

As we were leaving the theatre, I heard several people commenting about wanting a baby Groot toy. I want one too and I saw that one is being released soon (unfortunately it does not sing and dance). As we were getting into the car with smiles on our faces my brother remarked that the Guardians of the Galaxy movie captured what Marvel Comics are like better than any movie ever had and I agree with him. His comment may be difficult for a non-comics reader to understand but it only underscores how much I would like everyone to see and enjoy this movie.

Non-Comic Fans and the Amazing Spider-Man!

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Sat, 03 May 2014 20:57:00 +0000

I saw the latest comic book movie last night - Sony's Amazing Spider-Man 2. It was fine. It had the requisite action and one-liners but Sony has yet to master the Marvel Super-Hero magic that the Marvel Studios films have been producing the last few years.

The thing that amazes me most is how many non-comics fans are coming out to see these films. There were people who were apparently shocked that Gwen Stacy had died by the end of this film. No one who was a reader of the comics for more than a year could fail to know that. A few weeks ago I was truly stunned when during the (infinitely better than Spider-Man) Winter Soldier movie, the crowd was stunned at the reveal of the Winter Soldier's true identity. That reveal wasn't as ingrained in Captain America's history as the Gwen Stacy story but again anyone reading Captain America comics since the last film could hardly fail to know this.

I am not at all bothered by non-comic fans are coming out to see these movies, I just wish the industry was doing more to draw this movie audience into the comics.

Ferengi Rules of Acquisition

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 18:55:00 +0000

Just saw and liked this linked to at the end of this article by my facebook friend and writer - Hannibal Tabu.

Ferengi Rules of Acquisition

Once you have their money ... never give it back.
Never pay more for an acquisition than you have to.
Never allow family to stand in the way of opportunity.
A man is only worth the sum of his possessions. (From Enterprise, episode "Acquisition"; sloppy script-writing, as rule 6 (see above) was already given in DS9)
Keep your ears open.
Small print leads to large risk.
Opportunity plus instinct equals profit.
Greed is eternal.
Anything worth doing is worth doing for money.
A deal is a deal ... until a better one comes along.
A contract is a contract is a contract (but only between Ferengi).
A Ferengi without profit is no Ferengi at all.
Satisfaction is not guaranteed.
Never place friendship above profit.
A wise man can hear profit in the wind.
Nothing is more important than your health--except for your money.
There's nothing more dangerous than an honest businessman.
Never make fun of a Ferengi's mother ... insult something he cares about instead.
It never hurts to suck up to the boss.
War is good for business.
Peace is good for business.
She can touch your lobes but never your latinum.
Profit is its own reward.
Never confuse wisdom with luck.
Expand, or die.
Don't trust a man wearing a better suit than your own.
The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife.
Females and finance don't mix.
Never ask when you can take.
Good customers are as rare as latinum -- treasure them.
There is no substitute for success.
Free advice is seldom cheap.
Keep your lies consistent.
The riskier the road, the greater the profit.
Win or lose, there's always Hyperian beetle snuff.
Home is where the heart is ... but the stars are made of latinum.
Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies.
Beware of the Vulcan greed for knowledge.
The flimsier the product, the higher the price.
Never let the competition know what you're thinking.
Ask not what your profits can do for you, but what you can do for your profits.
Females and finances don't mix.
Enough ... is never enough.
Every man has his price. (DS9 season 6, episode 19 - "In the Pale Moonlight")
Trust is the biggest liability of all.
Nature decays, but latinum lasts forever.
Sleep can interfere with profit. (DS9 season 2, episode 7 - "Rules of Acquisition")
Faith moves mountains ... of inventory.
There is no honour in poverty.
Dignity and an empty sack is worth the sack.
Treat people in your debt like family ... exploit them.
Never have sex with the boss's sister.
Always have sex with the boss.
You can't free a fish from water.
Everything is for sale, even friendship.
Even a blind man can recognize the glow of latinum.
You can't make a deal if you're dead. (DS9 season 7, episode 8 - "The Siege of AR-558")
Wives serve, brothers inherit.
Only fools pay retail.
There's nothing wrong with charity ... as long as it winds up in your pocket.
Even in the worst of times someone turns a profit.
Whisper your way to success. (DS9 season 7, episode 9 - "Covenant")
Know your enemies ... but do business with them always.
Not even dishonesty can tarnish the shine of profit.
Let others keep their reputation. You keep their money.
Hear all, trust nothing.
Never cheat a Klingon ... unless you're sure you can get away with it.
It's always good business to know about new customers before they walk in the door.
The justification for profit is profit.
New customers are like razortoothed grubworms. They can be succulent, but sometimes they can bite back.
Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question is an answer.
Employees are rungs on the ladder of success. Don't hesitate to step on them.
Never begin a negotiation on an empty stomach.
You can't free a fish from water.
Always know what you're buying.
Beware the man who doesn't make time for oo-mox.
Latinum lasts longer than lust.
You can't buy fate.
Never be afraid to mislabel a product.
More is good ... all is better.
A wife is a luxury ... a smart accountant is a necessity.
A wealthy man can afford anything except a conscience.
Never allow doubt to tarnish your love of latinum.
When in doubt, lie.
Deep down everyone's a Ferengi.
No good deed ever goes unpunished.
[Quark's rule] When Morn leaves, it's all over.

Rules Without a Known Number

Exploitation begins at home.

Free Comic From Matt Hawkins (Top Cow)

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 16:46:00 +0000

Matt Hawkins, publisher of Top Cow, writes;

Hello there, most of you know me in some capacity I’ve been in this business for 20+ years and certainly been involved in a lot of crazy things in that time. Last year I launched a book called Think Tank with my friend and artist Rahsan Ekedal. We’re both very passionate about the book, WE LOVE DOING IT! And I hope that enthusiasm for what we’re doing carries through to the final read.

I’ve been very straight up with everyone about this book, we’ll keep doing it if it finds a large enough audience to sustain it. We’ve committed through issue 20 at this point, which is 16 more than I thought we’d get to, but we’d both like to do the book for a long, long time.

Why am I writing this now? Because this week the second trade paperback of Think Tank is in stores along with the 2nd printing of the first one. I’m not too proud to ask for your help.

All: There’s no point buying something without sampling it first to make sure you like it. You can read the entire first issue for free here:

Retailers: The 2nd printing of Think Tank V1 (OCT120494) and Think Tank V2 (APR130479) are both available at Diamond. Think Tank #9 will be in stores in a few weeks and continues the story. You’re the most important link in the chain. I’ve met a lot of you over the years, I’ve never asked for a favor like this. I appreciate you and understand the hard work it takes to run a small business. If you’ve never read the book, please read the first issue and recommend it to the readers you think would like it.

Journalists: The reviews for Think Tank have all been positive for a year and I have you to thank for that. I appreciate your support thus far. Anything you can do to highlight the new trade release in the weeks to come would be greatly appreciated.

Readers: For those that read and support the book thank you! If you have NEVER tried the book, download the first issue free and check it out. What have you got to lose?

If you like the book all I ask is that you recommend it to a friend.

That’s it! Thanks for a great 20 years, I’m looking forward to the next 20.

Best,
Matt Hawkins
Writer/Co-Creator Think Tank

More on the Archaia/Boom Merger

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 13:40:00 +0000

Comic Book Resources has the first interview with both Ross Richie (BOOM! CEO and founder) and Jack Cummins (Archaia President) since the deal went down last week.

Cummins: Thank you, Ross. [Laughs] What's left to be said?! Our creators will be happy to know that we are true to the vision and quality but leverage the business platform of BOOM! We are confident BOOM! will add to our ability to deliver our mission providing great stories in a sophisticated fashion. In addition, we feel our combined management teams will be great in leading the industry in innovation and quality while working side-by-side with creators regardless of the brand or imprint. We will each contribute to each other's success as a single team. At Archaia, we have been looking at ways to slowly re-introduce serial comics on select titles as a way to introduce certain properties. In one of the first discussions Ross and I had, we had a great discussion of the pros and cons of hardcover graphic novels versus serial floppies. It shouldn't be dogmatic, and it shouldn't be exclusive. You have to evaluate titles on a case-by-case basis.

The guys at Hideous Energy have a podcast with Archaia Editor-in-Chief Stephen Christy. I've had a tough time listening to it but maybe your computer has better speakers than mine.

Mickey Mouse Returns on Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 17:09:00 +0000

Mickey Mouse has a new animated series premiering on the Disney Channel on Friday, June 28th. As the Comics Alliance article mentioned, Mickey Mouse has been a neglected character when it comes to cartoon series. My niece and nephew love the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse but I am not even sure that counts. The Clubhouse show is great at teaching kids to recognize patterns and that sort of educational stuff but it isn't the blast of all-ages entertainment that Mickey Mouse has the potential to provide.

In what’s obviously an earnest effort to resurrect the classic spirit of Mickey Mouse for the 21st century, the studio has enlisted a fantastic assortment of talents from shows like The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and Sym-Bionic Titan to honor the brilliant works of the past with an all-new series of genuinely funny and beautifully designed short films set to air on the Disney Channel this summer.

Boom! Studios Acquires Archaia Entertainment

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 21:02:00 +0000

Funny, I was thinking recently about the possibilities that could be created by two of more successful indie publishers merging . It definitely creates a larger presence in the Diamond Distributors catalog, maybe they can even get Premiere Publisher status.

Here's the press release borrowed from MultiversityComics.com:

BOOM! Studios Press Release

BOOM! Studios, the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comic book and graphic novel publisher and two-time winner of Diamond Comics Distributors’ prestigious “Best Publisher” Gem Award, has merged with Eisner and Harvey Award-winning Archaia Entertainment, the publisher of graphic novels including Mouse Guard, A Tale of Sand, Rust, Spera, Cowboy, and Gunnerkrigg Court. BOOM! Studios will be the surviving company and the Archaia brand shall be maintained as a distinct imprint of BOOM!.

The addition of Archaia positions BOOM!’s catalog of intellectual property as the largest independent company-controlled comic book and graphic novel library, behind only industry titans DC Entertainment (Warner Bros.) and Marvel Entertainment (Disney). BOOM!’s comic books and graphic novels pioneer a new business model, sharing intellectual property ownership between the company and the creators who generate the content. BOOM!’s Chief Executive Officer and founder, Ross Richie, noted, “Our creator-friendly model ensures that creatives are rewarded financially as they generate the franchises of tomorrow. Archaia operates with the same philosophy and objectives, which is one of the many reasons this combination is such a great fit.”

“We are thrilled and excited to join with BOOM!,” Archaia President and Chief Operating Officer Jack Cummins, who will continue in the same role, said. “BOOM! is very committed to maintaining the brand we’ve worked so hard to build and preserving our relationship with our creators, fans, and retailers. They’re fans of Archaia first and foremost, and are avidly working behind the scenes to expand our market penetration and carry our catalog deeper into retail channels. Archaia readers can expect the same editorial approach that has garnered industry-wide awards but we will have a much stronger platform to deliver our content in all forms and channels. I am personally looking forward to bringing our team together with the fantastic team Ross has built.”

Richie added, “Archaia has a terrific track record for creating award-winning, beautiful books with high production values. Jack Cummins, Stephen Christy, Mark Smylie, and the entire Archaia team have built an amazing publisher. With BOOM!’s resources, Archaia fans will see more of the books they love, while retailers will enjoy better business through stronger trade terms.” The companies also plan to put key items from the Archaia catalog back into print.

BOOM! Executive Chairman Scott Lenet of the venture capital firm DFJ Frontier noted, “We are excited to be investors in a profitable, growing company with a fantastic early track record of creating, curating, and marketing properties that audiences genuinely love. We have ambitious plans to continue to fund the company’s expansion in comics, graphic novels, and other media.”

August 2nd sees the release of the first BOOM! Studios feature film, the Universal Pictures-distributed 2 Guns starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, based on the Steven Grant comic book published by BOOM!. The company is currently preparing its second feature film for production: Jeremiah Harm, based on the comic book by Keith Giffen, Alan Grant, and John Mueller, will be directed by Timo Vuourensola of Iron Sky (jeremiahharm.com).

Archaia has optioned Royden Lepp’s graphic novel Rust to Twentieth Century Fox. Among Archaia’s other announced deals are the development of Lucid (Warner Bros.), Bolivar (Warner Bros.), and Feeding Ground (Pressman Films).

Recently, legendary creators including writer Paul Jenkins (Wolverine: Origin, Inhumans) and artist Brian Stelfreeze (Batman: Shadow of the Bat, Wednesday Comics) have announced to the industry that BOOM! is their new publishing home. This summer BOOM! also launched the first original comic book Clive Barker has ever created and written, Clive Barker’s Next Testament.

July sees the blockbuster release of Archaia’s Mouse Guard: The Black Axe, created by Eisner Award winner David Petersen, Cyborg 009 in partnership with acclaimed Japanese publisher Ishimori, and The Thrilling Adventure Hour based on the long-running stage play of the same name.

About BOOM! Studios

Founded by Ross Richie in 2005, Diamond Gem Award-winning “Best Publisher” BOOM! Studios (boom-studios.com) generates a constellation of best-selling Eisner and Harvey Award-winning original and licensed comic books and graphic novels with the industry’s top talent. BOOM! Studios is the home of Mike Carey’s SUICIDE RISK, Clive Barker’s NEXT TESTAMENT and HELLRAISER, Paul Jenkins and Humberto Ramos’ FAIRY QUEST, PLANET OF THE APES, Max Bemis’ POLARITY and Mark Waid’s IRREDEEMABLE. Steven Grant’s graphic novel 2 GUNS will be released as a feature film from Universal Pictures August 2nd, starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. BOOM!’s all-ages imprint KaBOOM! publishes Charles Schulz’ PEANUTS, Jim Davis’ GARFIELD, Cartoon Network’s ADVENTURE TIME and REGULAR SHOW, Mike Kunkel’s HEROBEAR AND THE KID and Roger Langridge’s Eisner Award-winning SNARKED.

About Archaia

Founded as a niche publisher in 2002, Archaia Entertainment, LLC has become the world renowned Eisner and Harvey Award-winning graphic novel publisher of Mouse Guard, Cowboy, Gunnerkrigg Court, Rust, Spera, Mr. Murder is Dead, Lucid, Artesia, and An Elegy for Amelia Johnson. At the core, Archaia is known for its great content. From its unparalleled reputation for publishing innovative, imaginative, and indelible stories, to its numerous industry awards and nominations, Archaia has proven time-and-time again that it has built one of the industry’s most visually stunning and eclectic slates of graphic novels. This sentiment has also been shared by countless industry news sources, including Ain’t it Cool News, Graphic Policy, and Comic Related, which all honored Archaia as “Best Publisher” of 2010. Additionally, Archaia has built unmatched co-development relationships with some of the most recognizable brands in
Hollywood, including The Jim Henson Company where Archaia has built an entire graphic novel product line, including the multiple award-winning Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand and such beloved tales as The Dark Crystal, The Storyteller, and Fraggle Rock. (archaia.com).

The Suicide Squad from DC Comics

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:59:00 +0000

I have not had many positive things to say about DC Comics' Nu52 relaunch. Maybe I am just a bit old fashioned when it comes to comics. I like the long histories and the twisted continuity. I enjoyed the fact that there was a squad of former Robins that still had Batman's back. I loved the nearly omnipotent version of Superman and Krypto and Supergirl. I miss Wally West and Jay Garrett. I liked everyone's origin just the way it was. I was okay with fat Amanda Waller but I never had much use for the Suicide Squad.

The Suicide Squad is a secret government program that sends a squad of imprisoned Super-Villains on covert missions. The bad guys have bombs implanted into their heads to keep them in line and on mission when not caged. The Suicide Squad of course is under the command of Amanda Waller who until the Green Lantern movie was a very big gal but is now modeled after actress Angela Bassett. It is a very little thing but it annoys me. Anyway the book has always had its ups and downs and since the start of the Nu52 has been mostly down.

I owe some thanks to some recent articles praising the work of Ales Kot on various projects for smaller publishers. And also to the writers of MultiversityComics.com for praising the new direction Kot has taken since taking over the writing chores of the Suicide Quad with issue #20. Thanks to those articles I picked up the last two issues. I have to say they are worth every penny and well worth your time.

I will not give away the story but these two issues revolve around a potential change in membership and leadership of the squad. It becomes quite clear (if it was not already) that these are not the good guys we are dealing with and it is not even close. I do not know how long Kot can maintain this level of quality but he is certainly off to a damn good start.

The Man of Steel in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:05:00 +0000

Unlike the new movie I encourage reading the newest Superman comic.

I saw the Man of Steel at 12:01 AM on Friday morning. I left the Fenway Theater in Boston not only tired but conflicted over what I had just seen. Before getting to the movie, I want to rant about the need to show a dozen trailers before a Midnight movie. It was after 12:30 when the movie finally began. There were trailers for every big budget movie yet to be released. Maybe I was just tired and cranky. But when the price of the movie is fifteen bucks, plus parking and (God forbid you want a soda, bottle of water or a pack of Mike and Ike's) you might expect them to take it easy on the damn commercials. Then when the movie was finally over (finally because of the time and not a comment on the movie itself which I'll get to soon) the parking lot only had one open exit and only one working attendant so it took an hour just to leave the premises. I finally hit the bed around 4AM.

Overall, I thought the movie was okay, leaning closer to good than bad but with a lot of problems. The largest problem is that the movie tries too hard to please everyone and the result is that many movie fans and Superman fans will leave the theater disappointed, though not necessarily for the same reasons.The film is loaded with huge action scenes as well as some nice character moments. The cast is fantastic with huge actors like Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner filling what were relatively minor roles considering their usual top billing. I think it is the performance of the cast (the big stars and the relative unknowns) that make this movie at worst, watchable. Even the dialog is fine, he does not refer to himself as a friend or mention that he'll be around even once. It's the story and to some extent the characterization of the main character that is just tragically bad.

As any Superman franchise must, the film begins on Krypton. We all know that Kal-El was born to father Jor-El and mother Lara and at a very young age is rocketed away from the doomed planet. This version of the film gives us so much more than that and the result is that what should be our chance to connect with Superman's parents is lost. Our ability to understand the sacrifice they are making to ensure their son's survival is lost in a blizzard of explosions and fight scenes that seem entirely unnecessary.

When we finally reach the Earth, Kal-El is already Superman even if he is sans costume at times. He is traveling around the globe and saving lives in whatever fashion he can, seemingly uncaring about protecting any secret identity. Yeah, that is a problem for me. There is very little Clark Kent in the movie. Some fans of the character might argue that Clark and Superman are just two sides of the same coin. Both sides driven to do the right thing, one side with super strength and heat vision and the other side as a journalist who exposes injustice. Even if that is true the problem here is that the Clark side of the coin is rarely scene other than in flashbacks scattered throughout the movie. Those scenes are robbed of their power by being buried between long, huge and loud battles between Superman and the movie's bad guys. We never have the time to care about Superman or any other character.

Some fans will have a problem with the end of the movie, okay, the first of the three endings. But in this version of the character I do not feel it matters much. This is a Superman film in the same fashion that Matthew Broderick's giant lizard film was a Godzilla movie. If you know the character as well as I do, you also know that the alterations to his origins and costume do not matter nearly as much as getting the long established core beliefs and philosophy of the character right. This movie does not do it. And yes, I do miss the underwear on the outside look.

Sharing Games on the PS4 is Easy

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:12:00 +0000

Doctor Who - The Missing Pond Scene

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 13:52:00 +0000

The missing Pond scene that gives some of the missing emotional context of Amy and Rory's banishment to the 50's.

Neil Gaiman Qoute

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 22:31:00 +0000

Borrowed from the blog of Daniel Irizarri - my new favorite artist.

Start telling the stories that only you can tell, because there’ll always be better writers than you and there’ll always be smarter writers than you. There will always be people who are much better at doing this or doing that - but you are the only you.

Tarantino - you can criticize everything that Quentin does - but nobody writes Tarantino stuff like Tarantino. He is the best Tarantino writer there is, and that was actually the thing that people responded to - they’re going ‘this is an individual writing with his own point of view’.

There are better writers than me out there, there are smarter writers, there are people who can plot better - there are all those kinds of things, but there’s nobody who can write a Neil Gaiman story like I can.
- A bit of writing advice from Neil Gaiman.

James Bond: SkyFall

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:37:00 +0000

James Bond returns in SkyFall - here's the trailer:

Detachment

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:47:00 +0000

I watched Detachment this morning via Comcast On-Demand. It was a very good movie and well worth the time and money it will cost you to experience this film. This movie will not sate your appetite for action on par with the newly released Avengers movie. It is a slow-paced methodical journey with a substitute teacher through a month-long stay at one of the more challenging high school environments.

The film stars Adrian Brody, Christina Hendricks, Marcia Gay Harden, James Caan and Lucy Lui. Adrian Brody is great as the substitute. We follow Brody's Henry Barthes through his experiences at the school and at home, with a lonely girl he allows in his home when it becomes obvious she has no where else to go, and to the assistant living facility that houses his Grandfather.

This film will not fill you with hope for the future. The characters do not all suddenly realize that the world is a wonderful place. We are lucky if even a few discover they can find their place in it. The lesson being taught is not that you can change and fit in with the rest of the world. This is not that type of movie. Instead, it is the lesson of accepting the lot you have been given and learning to make the best of it before you become permanently enveloped in the chaos that always surrounds us.

This is a great movie even if slightly depressing. I would give it four out of five stars if I rated movies that way. Hey look at that, I do.

Prometheus Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:51:00 +0000

Sound of My Voice - Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:13:00 +0000

My Cable Network

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:39:00 +0000

If I ever own a cable network it will be dedicated to programming for fans of SciFi, Fantasy, Horror, and Adventure. When baseball was out of season I figure I'd never watch anything else.

Here's my dream schedule:

Monday thru Thursday - (Because at this hour you need something that can entertain you but not keep you from falling asleep.)

12am to 1am - Original Doctor Who
1am to 2am - Original Star Trek
2am to 3am - Original Battlestar Galactica
3am to 4am - Original Twilight Zone
4am to 5am - Alfred Hitchcock Presents

This is my superhero block.

6am to 7am - Batman and Robin
7am to 8am - Superman
8am to 9am - Wonder Woman
9am to 10 am - Isis
10am to 11am - Shazam
11am to 12pm - The Incredible Hulk

12pm to 2pm - 70's Sci Fi Movie
1pm to 3pm - 80's Sci Fi Movie

6pm to 7pm - New Doctor Who
7pm to 8pm - Lost
8pm to 10pm - Recent Horror/SciFi/Fantasy/Adventure Movie

10pm to 11pm - Bionic Woman
11pm to 12am - Bionic Man

Fridays

12am to 1am - Original Doctor Who
1am to 2am - Original Star Trek
2am to 3am - Original Battlestar Galactica
3am to 4am - Original Twilight Zone
4am to 5am - Alfred Hitchcock Presents

5am to 6pm - Marathon Rotation (different shows from all era of SciFi/Fantasy/Horror)

6pm to 7pm - New Doctor Who
7pm to 8pm - Lost
8pm to 10pm - Recent Horror/SciFi/Fantasy/Adventure Movie
10pm to Midnight - Blockbuster Movie of the Week

Saturdays

12am to 1am - Original Doctor Who
1am to 2am - Original Star Trek
2am to 3am - Original Battlestar Galactica
3am to 4am - Original Twilight Zone
4am to 5am - Alfred Hitchcock Presents

5am to 6am - Batman Adventures
6am to 7am - Superman Adventures
7am to 8am - The Justice League
8am to 9am - Clone Wars
9am to 10am - Avengers
10am to 11am - X-Men
11am to 12pm - Spider Man

12pm to 4pm - Creature Double Feature

Old monster movies or new ones, I prefer the mix - Godzilla, Jason, Creature From the Black Lagoon, Chucky, Frankenstein, The guy that saw what they did, Dracula, Freddy

4pm to 5pm - Zena
5pm to 6pm - Hercules

6pm to 8pm - Classic Movie of the week
8pm to 10pm - Modern Movie of the week
10pm to Midnight - Blockbuster Movie of the week

Sundays

12am to 1am - Original Doctor Who
1am to 2am - Original Star Trek
2am to 3am - Original Battlestar Galactica
3am to 4am - Original Twilight Zone
4am to 5am - Alfred Hitchcock Presents

5am to 6am - Superfriends
6am to 7am - Starblazers
7am to 8am - Battle of the Planets
8am to 10am - Japanese Animated Giant Robot of the Week

10am to 11am - Original Green Hornet
11am to 12pm - Mission Impossible

12pm to 1pm - Star Trek TNG
1pm to 2pm - Star Trek TNG
2pm to 3pm Star Trek TNG

3pm to Midnight - Movie Marathon

A Twins Sequel in the Works?

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:46:00 +0000

When I read the sequel I sighed and hoped it wasn't what I thought it was. But after reading the brief article I was nearly on the floor laughing. It is completely ridiculous but somehow that's what makes it appealing.

From Bleeding Cool

Ivan Reitman has decided that he won’t direct, but he is producing, and looking for writers to develop, a sequel to his 1988 high-concept comedy, Twins. As per some twenty-odd years of jokes, the film is going to be called Triplets.
The Hollywood Reporter say that the big idea here is for the third, long-lost brother to be played by Eddie Murphy. How this will be explained, or more importantly, how this will be leveraged for laughs remains to be seen but it’s obviously a poster waiting to happen.

I propose that they shoot Quadruplets back-to-back with this one and get Uggie in before he passes away, bless him.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:09:00 +0000

I am definitely getting impatient for this one. I'm gonna need to watch the trilogy...again.

Goodbye Chuck!

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:15:00 +0000

Frank Miller VS Occupy Wall Street!

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Williams) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:32:00 +0000

Found this cool video on Bleeding Cool.