Late yet again...but with good reason! We are totally having a blast and Day 3 is technically over as well, but let's take it one step at a time...so here are the highlights of Day 2:
Firstly, we got into the Watchman panel and watched exclusive footage! The whole cast was there, with Zack Snyder and Dave Gibbons. It was reassuring to hear the actors really did their research for the roles. The technology has finally caught up with the vision and while Zack admits to adding/omitting material, he didn't shy away from the darker themes. I think the movie will be beautiful and am really looking forward to seeing it brought to life.
Some people slept in line for the Watchmen panel (thank goodness not us!)
The massive Hall H, seating 6500
Director, Co-Creator/Artist, and Cast of Watchmen!
Secondly, got some great stuff at Artist's Alley (scans to be posted later). The crowds were insane at the big name booths, but small press and artists were pretty roomy, which suited us just fine. There's nothing like talking to someone whose work you admire, getting that connection with them, and taking home some of that talent personalized for you.
Third, the panel for The Goon was utterly hilarious. Eric Powell and two guys from Reno 911 put on an awesome skit complete with 30-story Godzilla cock and holy water exorcism. He's a really funny guy and the panel was a riot.
Eric and some Reno 911 buddies:
Last but definitely not least...the big screen debut of Dr. Horrible in glorious HD! The whole cast showed up, though they didn't run a panel because it was 10:45 PM and no staff was there to moderate. We had watched the Acts online, but seeing it on a big screen with two hundred fans and the cast was definitely an experience to relish.
The cast of Dr. Horrible and a lovely Joss Whedon NPH kiss!
Day 3 was pretty damn cool too. More on that later. All I can say is: this Con fucking rocks!
After an hour delay at Newark (what else is new) and a 5 hour flight, we made it to San Diego safe and sound. We were lucky to have the hotel booked through the BMS travel company, as it's on the free shuttle route and just six blocks from the Convention Center, meaning it probably sold out at the Con site in seconds.
Badge pick-up was a breeze. Took 5 minutes.
The line for Preview Night - now that was something else! We had nothing better to do (no car, tired) so we waited in line 4 hours to get into the doors opening at 6 PM. It actually wasn't too bad. There were freebies to read and free WiFi at the Center. It was also cool to see people from all over the country (your home city is printed on your badge).
Around the bigger vendors (NBC, WB, SciFi, Gentle Giant) it was a complete zoo. I don't know the official counts, but the crowd was completely suffocating and downright rude at times.
But outside the big names, towards the small press, artists, and exhibitors, it was pretty neat. Row after row of nerd heaven. Coming early did have its advantages. We were first to snag 1 of 10 personal commissions by Rebecca Guay. I actually love exploring the independents, as you often see beautiful art for very low prices. We grabbed a couple books and prints. Unfortunately, my camera ran out of battery and Vic forget to change his settings from RAW to JPG. So no pics to show yet, except for the funniest catch of the evening. We walked by this guy's booth and he had a sign claiming "free crappy drawings" so naturally we were intrigued. He said "think of a word" and I said "unicorn" and poof! there was the masterpiece you see.
Preview night didn't have people in costume - there should definitely be more today and a ton over the weekend. We will get our cameras all straightened out in time, promise!
We leave for the San Diego Comic-Con tomorrow!
** Giddy **
Yes, I watched a midnight showing of Dark Knight.
Yes, it was awesome. Yes, Heath Ledger steals every scene he's in. Yes, I believe in Harvey Dent. Yes, the fights were rough, the gadget pr0n spectacular, the special effects slick, and yes, Christian Bale proves again he is perfect both as Bruce Wayne and Batman.
There were a few things I would change regarding pacing and editing. But overall, this was a fantastic rendition of the darker Batman writings, along the lines of The Killing Joke and The Long Halloween.
Also...despite my misgivings, the Watchmen trailer looked really good. Really, really good. Even if they completely fuck up the story, at least it will be oh so pretty!
Wow, July is already half over! Summer always goes by so fast.
This summer has been particularly good for movies. I think I've seen more in the past month than I did all of last year. It helps that most have been comic book based :)
Ironman: Like everyone else, I was blown away by how good this was. Easily the best movie of the year so far. Well paced, well acted, well produced, and very enjoyable!
Incredible Hulk: Satisfying portrayal with nice fan service bits and lots of Hulk smashiness. If Ironman hadn't come out this year, I think this would have been better received. A solid film, but not enough to meet the high bar that Marvel set beforehand.
Wanted: Pleasantly surprised! It had zilch relevance to the comic (too bad, because the comic was good) but the reckless fuck-you attitude and bold style really clicked with me. It's impossible to disagree with Angelina Jolie toting guns in tight leather, and the main actor is absolutely brilliant. The action is over the top and the premise incredibly silly, but it was damn fun!
Hellboy II: Gorgeous and visually inventive, the first 3/4 was great, but the resolution was disappointing, not consistent with the universe or characters at all. Two minutes after it ended, I already wrote a better way to reach the story's climax. Too bad.
Dark Knight tonight...
We've been pretty happy with the Roku Netflix player. It's tiny, easy to setup and use, and the streaming is quite smooth. There's no additional subscription charge, just $99 for the unit. All you do is add to your "Instant Queue" and it shows up on the player, ready to stream. While not perfect, the interface is good for a first run. Buffering takes some time, but considering the high quality, it's actually not bad. It automatically resumes programs and you can fast-forward / rewind / pause to your heart's content. The "chapters" are a little weird and you can't view special features or change languages like a regular DVD. I'm hoping they upgrade to include those features (they are supposedly upgrading for HD soon as well). It hasn't been a huge problem for us, since we've been mainly watching TV episodes.
The selection could use a boost (I guess it depends on what deals Netflix can arrange with studios) but we've been pretty satisfied catching up on 30 Rock, Doctor Who, and random documentaries, like 3 hilarious hours of Kevin Smith and a deep introspective of the Helvetica font. There are a number of respectable shows, including Dexter, The Office, Heroes and Weeds, as well as classics like Knight Rider, The Hulk, and all nine episodes of The Tick! I haven't paid much attention to the movie list, but at first glance, seems pretty decent.
I think Netflix has done a good turn on this one. As long as they can keep the choices growing, I really hope this endeavor is a huge success for them!
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
The beauty of our constitution is how the interpretation of 27 words by nine old farts can open a can of so many wriggling seething worms.
There's no problem with Obama declining public financing. He has that right.
What irks me is his reasoning that public financing is "irreparably" a "broken system" so that is why he must decline its use. Bullshit. Why doesn't he just tell the truth: he can raise (and spend!) more money outside of public financing and that is what fuels a presidential campaign. I guess that would be too honest. Underneath the pretty words, he's a politician after all!
Not that McCain is handling it any better. Attacking Obama for breaking a promise, instead of conceding the guy just has a better fundraising machine? It's not helping his case.
