goblin cartoons

I saw Where the Wild Things Are today. I absolutely loved it. It was a beautiful arrow shot right into my heart.

As different as it is from the book (which I’ve always loved), it really does capture the spirit and essence of the book. But more than that, it captured the essence of my childhood. I wasn’t like Max all that much, behavior-wise–I was about as far from a “wild thing” as you can get. But I was a lot like Max in terms of sadness, loneliness, hope and imagination. In many ways, I felt like I was watching a movie about me. Not that my childhood was bad, just that there’s a lot more sadness and loneliness and wishing for better worlds than most TV shows and movies choose to really explore.

Like childhood, Where the Wild Things Are is both really simply and really complex, with lots of simple problems and very few simple solutions. It’s gorgeous and gritty and cluttered and goofy and sad. I think it’s a brilliant film. Also, anyone who says it’s not for kids is not giving children the credit they deserve.

You all know that I’m colossal geek, right?

Young Frankenstein is one of my all-time favorite movies. On Saturday night, we decided it was time for Morgan to see it. (She’s already seen Blazing Saddles and loved it, even if she didn’t get all of the jokes.) So, we got some tasty burgers from Five Guys and settled in to watch Young Frankenstein.

Morgan liked it, of course. But while we watched the movie, thoughts started drifting through my head…Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, the brilliant, eccentric scientist…Inga, his young, pretty, blonde assistant and lover…Igor, the sarcastic trickster…the Creature, big, strong and impulsive…

And because I’m a colossal geek, I spent about an hour putting this picture together (using Heromachine and The Gimp):

It kind of makes sense, don’t you think? Or is that just geeky ol’ me?

I love fan-made media. My friends and I all did fan-made stories and comics when we were kids, and I absolutely grok the urge to create your own stories using characters and settings that you love passionately.

I particularly love well-done fan-made media. This fan-made mock trailer for an imagined Green Lantern movie, starring Nathan Fillion, is so well-done, I jizzed in my pants. I love Green Lantern, and Nathan Fillion would be perfect as Hal Jordan. Yo, Hollywood! Please make this movie and do it well!

I saw the new Star Trek movie today. What can I say? I loved it! I think it’s fantastic! It’s exciting, dramatic and funny, full of adventure and wonder. It makes just the right number of homages to the original series and movies, while allowing this cast to make the roles their own. (Karl Urban and Zachary Quinto are particularly good.) If this cast and crew make more Star Trek movies, I will happily and enthusiastically see them (even the odd-numbered ones).

I saw Watchmen this afternoon. I think it’s an outstanding adaptation of the comic and I think it’s a terrific movie. I think it’s perfectly cast, especially Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. Yes, they changed the ending of the comic, although the effect is still the same. And honestly, I think the film ending works at least as well as the comic. Actually, I think the film ending is better than the comic. I never thought anyone could successfully adapt Watchmen to the big screen. I was wrong.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

Wil Wheaton got to see Watchmen and says it’s “fucking awesome.” So, I’m not at all worried about how the movie has turned out and I can’t wait to see it.

WATCHMEN!!!

I’ve been as skeptical as anyone about the upcoming Watchmen movie. Maybe I’ve been burned too many times, but I just don’t trust Hollywood to make a superhero movie, especially adapting an actual comic book story, without screwing it up. But with that in mind, I have to admit, the footage I’ve seen looks pretty amazing. I really hope it doesn’t turn out to suck.