The Batfleck Problem

To: the reader

Re: Batfleck

As many of you know, Ben Affleck has been cast as Batman opposite Henry Cavill in the "Man of Steel" sequel.

Personally, I am on the fence with this one.  I think Affleck would be capable of portraying Bruce Wayne with the necessary playboy charm with one arm tied behind his back.  And as long as he can keep his snarky smirk in check, I think he could be an admirable Batman.

However, two obstacles stand in his way:

1. Christian Bale

In my humble opinion, we have just been witness to the definitive portrayal of the character.  I remember crying when I saw "Batman Begins". As a fan, I felt like they had finally gotten the character right; the blend of aggression, determination which took decades to mold in the comic book, were accurately put onto the screen for the first time.

A large part of that was Christian Bale and the research and confidence with which he attacked the role.  He took Batman seriously and in doing so made the character his own.

And therein lies the problem: Batman (on-screen) belongs to Christian Bale.  For many, including myself, it will be tough to see anyone else to play Batman.    Especially someone who is difficult to take seriously, like Ben Affleck.

2. Ben Affleck

The other thing standing in Ben Affleck's way is Ben Affleck, himself.  "Sir, your reputation proceeds you."  And that reputation is tied tightly to films like "Daredevil", "Gigli", and all of the View Askew movies he's made.  

"Daredevil" had a lot of problems.  The story sucked and there were WAY too many inside references, but I would argue that Affleck was not one of those problems.  I felt he portrayed Matt Murdock fairly, but being the star of an otherwise bad movie means one must suffer the poor feedback upon themselves.  And that is what has happened.

"Gigli" was an unmitigated disaster which suffered in every way possible.

Then you have his work with Kevin Smith.  I don't know about you, but it always felt to me like it was all Affleck could do to keep himself from smiling.  And whenever he was playing a tough guy ("Mallrats", "Dogma") he always did it with a smirk which made him less intimidating, hindering his performance. It's that lack of serious portrayal that I think of whenever I picture Ben Affleck.

But all if these are older sources.  Affleck has stepped back from the limelight.  No longer is he half of "Benifer" (well, he kinda is, but it's with Jen Garner instead of Jennifer Lopez).  It has been along time since he has made a blockbuster.  He's a father now.  And, he has directed.

In my opinion, that's the key: he has been to the other side of the camera.  He gets what it takes to get an accurate performance out of an actor, something I'm hoping he can do with himself.

Will Ben Affleck put up the new "defining portrayal" of Batman?  I doubt it.  Will he put on an accurate, competent portrayal of the character?  I think he certainly could.

We will find out soon enough.

With love,

The Genious

The importance of writing drafts and editing and crap, part deus

When it comes to the fine art of writing, there are few people whose opinion I respect more than my wife's.  So, when she decides to share some of her wisdom with me, you all had better believe I am going to be all ears.

Last night she shed some of that wisdom while we discussed the blog I posted about Walt Disney World.  For the most part, the conversation focused on using drafts as a way to better focus my writing, and making the language I use more active so as to better engage the reader.

As a lazy and impatient writer, I hate drafts.  I desire nothing more than to get it done and get it out there NOW!  However, I know how beneficial drafts can be, especially for someone like myself who tends to write in a steam-of-conscious kind of style. More often than not, I lose my focus and allow my writing to become distracted. (Oo! A birdie!)

I also lean too much upon " to be" in all it's vile, evil forms, which makes my writing as exciting as a jaunt through waist-deep mud.  I'm quite good at picking up on and fixing someone else's passive-style (or used to be) so I need to get into the habit of doing that for myself (you know, like do a draft or two before publishing). 

So, I came up with an experiment: Last night I published a post wherein I expounded upon the same topic.  I released that monster to the world raw and unedited then slept on it.  Tonight I looked over the entry, did some touching up of the language and have now  re-submitted it for your viewing pleasure.

Success?

The importance of writing drafts and editing and crap, part uno

My wife is a professional writer.  Well, she's not, but she could be because she's really good.  

Anyway, tonight we discussed my previous blog and how I could have improved it.  We talked mostly about writing more actively and using drafts.  

I don't like drafts.  I'm lazy and impatient and want to put it out there NOW!  I know how beneficial they are, especially for me because I tend to write in a stream-of-conscious style.  I could use some focus, you know?  (Oo! A birdie!)

I also use "to be" in all it's vile, evil forms way too much.  I'm quite good at fixing something passive if I read it (or used to be) so I should do that with my own writing (you know, like do a draft or two before publishing). 

So, I have come up with an experiment: I'm publishing this unedited.  I'll sleep in it, then tomorrow will read it again with fresh eyes and re-submit it for your viewing pleasure.

For now, adieu!

My obsession with Disney World

I have a mild obsession with Walt Disney World.  And by "mild" I mean "massive".

I love the place.

I went once when I was a child and it is one of my top childhood memories.  My family was there right around when "The Lion King" came out so "Hakuna Matata" was playing everywhere we went.  I was amazed by everything, and marveled at all of the "magic".  My favorite ride was The Haunted Mansion, mostly because of the end when a ghost rides in the car with you.  How did they do that?

Since then, I wanted to return.

I was fortunate enough to go last May for a couple days and MAN did I make the most of it, hitting everything I wanted and getting to four parks in one day.  It was a fantastic tease.

But it was different this time.  Obviously I was older, so I was seeing the "magic" through different eyes.  I could see some of the strings and noticed some of those men who were behind the curtain spinning the gears.  It hit me then that that was what I wanted to do.  

I wanted to be one of those "magicians" (as I call them because I'm sure Disney has some fun and fancy name for their employees) who brought the wonder to the eyes of all the guests.  I wanted to make their dreams come true the way all those people did for me.

Part of this stems from my depression and how I struggle so much with making myself happy.  One sure-fire way to boost my spirits is to boost someone else's and by golly, is there any happier place on earth than Disney World?  (yes, DisneyLand, but that's not the point) I want to be a part of that: I want to be a part of someone's magical day!  I've been the part of many not-so-magical days at the hospital and always enjoyed the challenge of giving someone five good minutes in an otherwise crap day.  

Disney magic would be a new challenge. One that I hope to someday embrace.

...we'll see.

Moby Dick

Somehow, I guess I was just blessed, I never read "Moby Dick" in high school.  And no, it's not because I skipped the assignment.  I was never assigned it as a book to read.  Having now read it (listened, actually) I can say in all honesty that I would have more than likely skipped the assignment in school.

Do not get me wrong, "Moby Dick" is phenomenal.  Exceptional.  Well, the narrative was.  The tale of revenge upon a beast by a bitter man was one of the best stories I've ever read.  It was suspenseful, deep and very metaphorical.  The religious allegories and allusions made it all even more interesting to me.  I didn't understand them all and would love to have the opportunity to read it again so I could get a better grasp on them all.

However, I will never read "Moby Dick" again.  Why?  Because Mellville needs to learn how to focus!  Yes, it's all about whales, but, frankly, I don't need to know every aspect of every whale in the oceans. I mean, there is a whole additional book about whale classification right in there!  Also, Ishmael tells a whole separate narrative about Moby Dick in the middle of the book.

If the book had fewer tangents and stuck to the tale it was trying to tell, I would have enjoyed it much more.  Alas, I lost most of my interest and all of my desire to try it again.

Pacific Rim Review

I have seen "Pacific Rim". 

Here is my capsule review: Big bada boom.

Here is the longer review: Dude, if you like big ass robots fighting big ass fishy, rocky monster thingies, then MAN is this movie for you!!!  So big!  So much crashing and banging and smashing and wow!

There was a kinda story-ish thing going on, too.

In this world, the giant monsters have been attacking the earth for a while so the people made giant robot mecha things in order to fight the giant monsters.  Unfortunately, the monsters just keep coming and each time they are bigger and stronger.  So, the people decide to try one last-ditched effort to destroy the monsters.

Some there are relationships built and destroyed.  People die.  People love.  You know how it is.

But NONE of that is important because there are giant robots fighting giant monsters and THAT is what you are paying for.

Some critics thought it was too loud.  I disagree.  I saw "Pacific Rim" in XD ginormousness with humungo sound and speakers and I thought it was ok.  Hell, "Dark Knight Rises" was louder (apparently Batman and Bane hit harder than an 80-foot tall robot).

Seriously, if you like a good summer blockbuster-type movie where you can just sit back and watch some cool robot fights, this is your thing.  If you like, the Japanese-style mecha shows, this is right up your alley, too.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Review

Several years ago I read my first Neil Gaiman book.  It was a little story called "Stardust".  The movie was coming out and I thought it looked pretty cool so, seeing as it was based on a novel by a guy the comic book industry thought was akin to a god, I thought I'd read it before I saw it.

"Stardust" was, in no uncertain terms, breathtaking. Simply.  Right away, I was in awe of Gaiman's ability to put his fantasy world directly into our world and thus make it that much more accessible for his reader.  For Pete's sake, he gives you directions from London to the town of Wall (the town at the center of the plot) and to the gate in the wall that leads to Faerie (where the story takes place).  I had never read something like that before and it struck a strong chord in me, one that has kept me coming back ever since.

This ability to inundate reality with fantasy is on full display in Mr. Gaiman's new novel, "The Ocean a the End of the Lane".  The difference here is that this novel is firmly based in our very real world with all of it's brutality and heartbreak, and the fantasy serves as more of a support structure than the primary setting.

I have a tough time talking about "Ocean".  On the surface, it is a story about a childhood innocence and the conflict between a boy and his super-natural nanny, but in reality, there is so much more happening.  It's about relationships: between mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, children and adults, boys and girls, and (most importantly, in my opinion) fathers and sons.  The depth of these relationships are fathomless.  It's almost shocking how well developed each relationship is in the book when you consider how short the novel actually is (about 128 pages).

Despite the simple sounding description I gave above, the novel delves into some very adult, serious issues.  Gaiman dives into the topics of adultery, isolation, and abuse freely and demonstrates an ability to handle each subject honestly and brutally but with much respect so as not to be offensive when using graphic imagery.

"Ocean" is a short read, which is good, because there is a lot there and you will want to read it again to make sure you have it all.  I would recommend "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" to any fan of dark fantasy or anyone who has every felt alone, isolated, abused or unloved.  It will reassure you that you are not alone and that there are people out there who love you.