The Critic and Sir Toby having a celebratory toot!
I was looking through the stats on my page recently and I happened to notice that in July, this blog had 1,000 visitors.Wow! I figured that was something worth celebrating. I don't think our mascot Sir Toby was a fan of the noisemaker, but we all had fun in the end.
I want to give a big THANK YOU to all my readers of this blog, past and present. When I got the ball rolling on this back in 2010, I had a lot of reservations. I knew I wanted to do something more specific than just a free-form personal blog, but I worried there were already too many "review" sites out there. The goal was an outlet for my writing and to keep it fresh by focusing on things I'm passionate about that might interest others, but I was worried about keeping up the momentum. I had no idea where this blog was going to lead me, but soon others were excited about my project and giving me help, ideas for content, and practical encouragement to keep writing and updating.
Even when due to personal reasons I was unable to update for an extended period of time last year, The Insatiable Critic was still getting a decent amount of traffic. I've had a tremendous amount of support from some great people, many of whose pages you can visit under my "Friends of the Critic" section. To those people and others, I will be forever grateful.
In fact, it still amazes me to think that in the time this blog has been live, it has had 15,000 views. I only hope that the numbers continue to grow. YOU are my inspiration, dear readers, to keep being, well, insatiable! Here's to you. Cheers!
Truth: I’m a sucker for urban fantasy. I love the idea of Thor
shopping at Rite Aid, for example. We as mere mortals are
constantly intrigued by the notion of bringing mythical creatures out of their legendary
realms and placing them into our mundane human existences to spice up our
lives.
Mist,
Susan Krinard’s premiere into this genre, is equal parts funny,
passionate, and thought-provoking. It is obvious she has a deep knowledge
of Norse mythology, and she makes a concerted effort to write her immortal
beings in a realistic way – that is, how someone might actually act if they had
been around for, well, EVER and had seen it all. You’d probably be rude and
have a perpetual sense of self-entitlement too if that were the case.
The story kicks off with our heroine Mist, a
no-nonsense Valkyrie living in modern day San Francisco. All she wants to do is
create her custom-made swords for avid collectors in her smelting workshop,
spar with her (supposedly) human boyfriend and attempt to live a mundane
existence for a change. Her world of grocery shopping and paying rent
like the average Joe gets turned upside down when the man she’s been seeing
turns out to be not what he seems – and it has grave complications for the
world she came from as well as the world she lives in.
Narrator Emily Durante gives a stellar performance. What
drives the plot of Mist is the complex relationships the characters
have with one another, and Ms. Durante's understanding of this adds an extra
layer of enjoyment to the book in its audio form. She finds her way around the toughest Norse name pronunciations and manages to
stay consistent with character voices and tone throughout. Her youthful voice
can transition from hard-as-nails Mist to seductive Freya to cunning Loki in a
snap, and the way she can believably fill the characters’ dialogue with the
appropriate emotion in a given scene makes listeners want to hang onto every last
word. It is also worth mentioning that the author’s depiction of shape-shifter
Loki and Durante’s interpretation of his voice are both very, very sexy.
The dimension Krinard gives to her characters, highlighting
their passions, fears, and insecurities makes for a compelling plot involving superhuman
beings dealing with very human problems – of love and acceptance, establishing
identity, and perhaps most prevalent, seeking how to continue to be valid
in an ever-changing world. Even minor characters are significant, and she
never loses track of anyone despite the complex storyline.
The plot of Mist brings home the point that even
the strongest of beings still want to be acknowledged and loved, and some will
do most anything to attain those goals. Definitely a story that will give listeners food for thought long after it is over, and leave them hungry for the next installment!
Hey everyone! As promised, I've posted the video of Marina Sirtis, best known for her role as Counselor Deanna Troi onStar Trek: The Next Generation, during her panel at ConnectiCon 2013 on July 13 in honor of YouTube's Geek Week!
Ms. Sirtis talks about her experience with the show, the movies, crashing the Enterprise, bad wigs, and even does a hilarious impression of Patrick Stewart. Witty, outspoken, and hilarious, Ms. Sirtis proves herself to be far more than her reserved, demure Troi portrays, and all the while doing it in great shoes.
One of my favorite conventions to attend is ConnectiCon in the capital city of Hartford for a number of reasons - it is close to where I live, located right off the highway, and has convenient garage parking which is not outrageously priced. Also, the physical layout of the building makes it easy to get around, with handy escalators for its three levels of geeky fun and water coolers around every corner.
The event has grown into its tagline of "A Massively Multi-Genre Convention" since 2005 when it first opened its doors in the then-newly completed Connecticut Convention Center. The souvenir program book IS a book, with its hefty binding holding 120 pages packed with guests, activities, and panels. And as always, the tabletop gaming scene is impressive in its diversity and scope, a core staple of the con since its early years. As you can see from the photo reel of the con goers and guests, there was everything from Attack on Titan cosplayers to Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. What used to be a slightly more diverse anime convention has truly evolved into an event for the individual geek in everyone. My only regret? Only having gone for Saturday!
The Critic, Casey, and Marina Sirtis!
One of the real highlights for me and my companion, Casey, was meeting Marina Sirtis, a classically trained British actress who is best known for her role as Counselor Deanna Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Smart, funny, and outspoken, her Q&A panel played like a stand-up comedy about the highs and lows of TV and movie stardom. One of my favorite episodes of Next Generation is called "The Child" where a formless being from another distant galaxy decides it wants to experience what it is like to be human and chooses Counselor Troi to be its mother. Sirtis's role was so sincere I was surprised when she mentioned she had no children. I asked her what the experience of making that episode was. It was interesting to me that she had to pause before giving her answer - obviously it was not one of the "standard" questions she usually got. After a moment, she gave a very funny story about how all the men on the set - including Patrick Stewart - were unusually kind to her when she had to wear her fake pregnant belly while shooting, giving up their seats for her as they would to someone who really was pregnant! Then she said that when she was holding the tiny baby, covered in mayo and raspberry jam to look like a newborn, she had that sensation of love and bonding, as if it really were a child of her own that she had given birth to. She also said that particular episode has special significance for her - there had been talk of cutting her character after the first season, and of course she was very worried about the future of her TV career. When she was told that the first episode of the second season would be a Counselor Troi episode, THAT particular episode, her relief was tremendous.
Another great panel was with Jim Cummings, who has pretty much done every voice of every Disney character ever. Okay, I exaggerate, but he's done a lot, such as Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and Darkwing Duck. It was a real pleasure to get to hear his take on the last scene Gone With the Wind with Rhett Butler having the voice of the Louisiana cajun firefly, Raymond, from Disney's Princess and the Frog, with fellow voice actress Lauren Landa (known for her work as the English voice of Kyoko Sakura in the anime series Puella Magi Madoka Magica) as Scarlett.Talking to him afterwards, Casey and I found out he actually lived in New Orleans in his youth and helped design Mardi Gras floats. Casey, who was born and raised in New Orleans, got to have a brief chat about what Mr. Cummings calls "the good eats" down in the Big Easy. My only issue was that the panel room was TINY for someone of his fame - it definitely should have been held in the ballroom area where Marina Sirtis's Q&A took place.
Charles Dunbar (left) and Aleks Prince (right) during the horror panel
The panel that wrapped up the day for me was presented by my colleague and friend Charles Dunbar and his companion Aleks Prince with Are You Scared? A Look at International Horror Films. As someone who has cautiously made her way into the horror genre, having had a low tolerance for blood and gore as a youngster, I came to the panel hoping to get some good ideas for films to watch that I might not have heard of. The panel used its 1.5 hour slot well by delving into the subgenres of horror as well as how different countries around the world put their own spin on what goes bump in the night; including clips from each discussed feature. One French film discussed that I'm particularly interested in seeing is Peur(s) du Noir (Fears of the Dark), an animated feature created in 2007 that is a series of short stories that revolve around one central theme - greatest phobias coming to life. The co-presenters had a good balance with one another that allowed each to give their individual perspective without overloading the audience with information. The short clips also gave me a good sense of what films to personally avoid - for example, the three minutes I saw of Susperia, an Italian film made in 1977, was just way too gruesome for the likes of me. But much like the con itself, whether it was gore, suspense, psychological or just downright weird, everyone left with something new to watch and think about.
Best cosplay on Saturday - entirely handmade!
As shown in the photo reel above, there were also some incredible costumes - this woman shown on the right cosplaying as Esther Blanchett from the anime series Trinity Blood handmade every part of her costume over the course of a year and a half, right down to the hand-painted roses on her dress! Talk about dedication.
All in all, the day and the con exceeded expectations and left me wanting to stay for more.It is gratifying to me how it has evolved over the past several years due to the dedication and hard work of fans and volunteers. I look forward to what the con will have in store for 2014, and this time, I'll stay for the whole weekend!
Image courtesy of Universal Studios and Illumination Entertainment
Sugar and spice and everything nice - that's what Despicable Me 2 is made of.
There were moments where the film became SO sweet I was tempted to dart into the bathroom to check for cavities. Which isn't to say it wasn't entertaining, but much of the gothic charm from DM1 got sacrificed for lighter fare - and I blame Lucy Wilde.
In this roundup, we see a much mellower and significantly less grumpy Gru (voiced by the ever-versatile Steve Carell) as the doting father of his three adopted girls, Margo, Edith, and the ever-quirky Agnes. The movie is successful in the gentle way it addresses the importance of mothers (for both the child and the father) without dimming the impact of Gru's role in his little girls' lives, but it fails in the introduction of the paramour herself, the aforementioned Ms. Wilde (voiced by an overly-enthusiastic Kristen Wiig).
At first, she severely grated on my nerves. But similar to how the semi-acidic taste of a Sour Patch Kids gummy segues into a more pleasant mild flavor, she does mellow out into something semi-palatable towards the end - but it's still not your theatre candy of choice (at least for my particular Gru-ish soul, sorry for any Sour Patch fans out there).
The writers try hard to make her quirky in the slightly sinister way that Gru is, but while he succeeds at continuing to be downright nasty at times - although a lot less than in the first film, to my disappointment - Lucy's bubbly, bright-eyed personality clashes mightily with Gru's purposeful Addams Family vibe.
Bottom line - its hard to buy the romance. It's easy to see why the girls adore Ms. Wilde, with her bright fashion sense and James Bondish gadgets, but it was hard for me to see what Gru finds so appealing about her (beyond her shapely physique, and the fact that Gru apparently hasn't had a date since The Mary Tyler Moore show was premiering). And well, maybe the reasons I mentioned are enough, but I would've preferred something more for dear Gru.
Ms. Wilde is not the only romance floating in the air, however. Margo, on the cusp of adolescence, falls for the cute guy at the mall that has a definite swagger akin to a young Johnny Depp. Gru, of course, has fits, considers buying a shotgun, and basically has every loving parents' personal nightmare of coming to terms with their sweet, adorable little child awakening to sexual desires and attraction. Even worse when that particular parent hasn't had much action lately in his fabulous G-monogrammed silk pjs. (Who wouldn't love a guy with some of those?) We even get a small glimpse into what a Minion may find attractive - yes, it's true, those adorable goggle-donning penicillin tablets, for all their silliness, long for romance to call their own as well.
All of these more profound themes are wrapped up in a crazy plot involving lots of gadgets, a poorly organized and executed Anti-Villain League, Minions bouncing around doing what they do best - causing mayhem, a villain who is more than he appears to be, and one very pissed off chicken. While the first movie had an elegant compactness in plot and execution, the thematic elements of DM2 seem jumbled. It all adds up to a lot of fun, but it is something akin to an under-baked cake - lots of good ingredients, but not quite able to hold its own in the same way as predecessor.
Still, it has something for everyone. The film boasts the best 3D effects of any feature I've seen so far this year, and the textures, from clothes to metal to food, are eye-poppingly realistic. And the deeper themes of the challenges of single parenthood, dating after a certain age in an incredibly judgmental society, and a parent coming to terms that he will someday have to share his child's affections with someone else make for a film that is just as enjoyable for adults as it is for children.
I've had about two weeks to catch up on sleep and clear my head from the
blitz that is AnimeNEXT to gain a little perspective, and overall the experience was very positive!
AnimeNEXT 2013, the annual convention celebrating Japanese pop culture and animation held in Somerset, NJ, did not start out auspiciously for me. My fearless companion Casey and I got on the road later than
we
meant to, charging through the pouring rain, and halfway there I realized I
forgot two
major components to a costume I was planning to wear. I got there
slightly less
exhausted than in years past, but still feeling the effects of a
too-busy week
and a too-busy weekend ahead. Thankfully, that appeared to be the worst
of it - upon arrival things moved along swimmingly, albeit
hectically, but that's pretty much the nature of the beast that is a convention.
First off, what you're all actually here for: the obligatory photo reel! A lot of cosplay and a little of esteemed associates of mine. Let me know if anyone
recognizes themselves; I will be more than happy to email a high-res picture to
you if you like what you see.
The panels that my team of colleagues and myself presented ended
up being well-attended by thoughtful and interesting people, with Collecting Original Japanese Animation Art drawing a small but interested crowd on Sunday morning. I also had fun showing off my prized Anthy cel from Revolutionary Girl Utena, and talking a little bit about the remastered series. For those of you who were there, here's the link to presenter Dr. Bill Ellis's online anime art gallery.
Anime Under the Radar was a particular
success. (It even got a very nice review here.) Because I learned my lesson last year with the unreliability of the Doubletree
Hotel’s Wi-fi, I had downloaded and embedded the videoopening of Attack on Titan, which played in
its full-throttle glory with no hitches whatsoever. Dr. Ellis successfully
showed a few entertaining and touching sequences from the ridiculously obscure
Maeterlinck’s Blue Bird and Ai to Yuki no Pig Gril Tonde Buurin and Dylan Ferrara discussed the virtues of Chuka Ichiban! Cooking Master Boy with enough time at the end to ask the audience to
share their favorite obscure anime series. I’ve made a list of them here in
case anyone wants to check out some of these titles:
Our Home's Fox Deity
Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Saikano: She the Ultimate Weapon
Angel Beats
Detroit Metal City
Touch
Beck
Monster
Great Teach Onizuka (GTO)
Girls und Panzer
Ottoman
I also attended Disabilities in Anime and Manga panel, presented by Ro Pirog, which was an interesting overview of Japan's fascination with characters with disabilities and what the reality of how disabilities are viewed and treated in Japanese culture. I included a short video clip of it here for your enjoyment:
The Bronies Uncensored panel drew a large crowd despite being held at 11:30 at night, who were well-behaved and asked fun and insightful questions. It was interesting to see the new My Little Pony series and the cultural phenomenon of Bronies put into an academic light, relating both topics to contemporary myth and queer studies. Here's a short clip that gives the flavor of insight balanced with some good, geeky humor this panel had in spades:
The best part of the con for me this year ended up being
part of my staff duties – video interviews with guests! Hopefully the AN crew
will be getting those on YouTube soon; but I had the fun task of interviewing
the J-Pop band Moon Stream, who rocked the con on Friday evening, voice
actor/DJ Greg Ayres, and voice actress Michele Knotz. It was fun hear what it is about AN that attract the guests, and why some such as Ms. Knotz and Mr. Ayres (who comes all the way from Texas!) keep coming back. Also, it was interesting to discover how both Ms. Knotz and Mr. Ayres continue to evolve their craft over the years to keep their talents relevant and fresh in the rather fickle market of anime, which has experienced its share of highs and lows in terms of audience interest and engagement over the last decade or so.
Greg Ayres and I putting on our con faces
I also found myself wondering in the post-con comedown - after seven years of attending, what keeps ME coming back to AnimeNEXT? As I face the reality of turning 30 next month, I wonder if I’m growing “too old” to be
a part of these cons. They are so much work to prepare for and they take so
much energy. But then I get there and I see the awesome
responsibility that so many people take on, all volunteers, mind you, to keep putting on this show year after year, and the interesting guests and panelists that are drawn in, and I realize the passion and efforts behind all of this is awe-inspiring. I did see improvement this year over last year - despite the uptick in attendance from 9,800 to probably over 10,000, I found it was much easier to get from point A to point B than in years before, due to dutiful con staff making a noted effort to keep crowds moving along and not allowing a giant cosplay photo shoot to commence in the middle of a narrow hallway. There was a better overall gauge of what panels would draw bigger vs. smaller crowds and assigning them accordingly, and the staff was better at holding panelists accountable to time in order to allow the next round-up to get set up and ready to roll.
My only regret is not having more time to wander the hallways, the Artist Alley, and the Dealers Room to soak up the experience from more of an outsider's perspective, but between the interesting panels, awesome guests, and fun events, AnimeNEXT continues to remain one of my favorite experiences year in and year out.
This exchange between Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby really says it all about Gatsby, Australian director Baz Luhrmann's overpuffed pastry of a reboot of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic work capturing the glitz and depravity of the roaring 20s. It is not so much the film the audience wants to see, but the film that Luhrmann wants to see.
The first 45 minutes of the film are basically Moulin Rouge: Gatsby Edition, (referring to Baz Luhrmann's 2001 feature) with jittery camera work and way, WAY too much going on, all gauze and diamonds and confetti cluttering up the scenery. It is not until Gatsby comes onto the scene, with Leonardo DiCaprio "old sporting" it up every chance he gets, that the glittery scrim that obscures much of the first part of the film gets pulled aside and the audience gets a chance to see into the heart of the story. There's no denying it is a rich visual spectacle, but one that I enjoyed more when the cameramen decided to cut back on the caffeine.
One thing is clear - Luhrmann is obsessed with writers, and that's a good thing because it is the writing that gives Gatsby his greatness. I recently started rereading it, and I realized its not Luhrmann's fault - it is virtually impossible to make a movie worthy of the book because it is the way the written words weave the incredible, sorrowful beauty of the plot - how the quest for a dream can go so wrong - are so much a part of the soul of the book itself that when you take the story out of the book context, something gets lost in translation, more so than usual. Its like reading a book in English when it was originally written in Spanish - you get the flavor, but not the full body. (I'm not a huge fan of the 1974 film featuring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, either.)
But there are lovely moments, such as when my favorite quote from the book “In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars" appears across the screen as we see Nick, played by the eternally fresh-faced Tobey Maguire, typing the words diligently into his typewriter (a la Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge). The words flit across the screen in a pale blue color to flit away and disappear.
It's those tiny, singular inspired moments that makes the film worth seeing, but not enough to make it truly shine. In the words of Gatsby: "Nice try, old sport."
