Pop Notes: Sing Street; Miss Sharon Jones; Riverdale; Jack Flanders
I caught a good family movie - with the family, of all people! - over the holidays. "Sing Street" is now playing on Netflix and is delightful in much same way as "The Commitments." In fact, it's sort of a "Kid Commitments," but a nice film in its own right.
It tells the story of a young teen, Conor, and his friends who are growing up in tough circumstances in post-punk Dublin. Music is their hope and salvation, and each week brings them new sounds and looks via "Top of the Pops." Conor and his pals try them all on for size. Their band isn't too bad, and the film's original songs do a dead-on job of catching the styles of the era while providing simultaneous laughs.
There's a little cussing here and there, but it's a good film for pre-teens and older. Despite being set nearly 40 years ago, its themes of alienation, adversity and acceptance still resonate.
Another great music film now on Netflix is "Miss Sharon Jones," a documentary about the powerhouse Dap Kings singer and her struggle with cancer. I saw it, and Sharon herself, shortly before her passing late last year, but I figure it still plays as an inspiring story about an amazingly talented and brave woman - just with a sadder ending. Lots of fantastic musical performances, too.
Anyone else annoyed by the prospect of "Riverdale," the CW's upcoming "dark" take on Archie Comics?
All the images and materials I've seen from the show are willfully provocative in a silly, not interesting, way.
I enjoyed Mark Waid's "realistic" update of the Archie universe (my daughter is fan). It places Archie and friends in a world more like our own, but retains elements from the classic comics, including its humor and upbeat perspective. But things like Afterlife with Archie and this new TV series just seem dumb.
Subverting Archie's archetypal characters doesn't take much imagination or skill. Will doing so yield any interesting or compelling stories? I doubt it. It's just a stunt that provides a few moments of intrigue and soon becomes a bore. Why not just watch "Twin Peaks" or "Buffy" or "Walking Dead" or any of the other series this show steals from, instead?
The new show also may ultimately be harmful to the comics. Right now most Archie series are kid-friendly and a way to potentially get younger kids interested in the medium. They are available in grocery stores and book shops, not just comic book shops. But if Archie, of all things, becomes something for teens and "grown-ups," we stand to lose that, too.
Finally, a plug for ZBS Media and it's new, final, Jack Flanders audio adventure series: "League of the Velvet Chairs."
Robert Lorick, the super-talented actor who voiced the intrepid Jack for more nearly 50 years died last year. This new series features Lorick's last recorded work and, according to Jack's creator, Tom Lopez, serves as a tribute to Jack and Lorick alike. You can hear samples and order it here.
It tells the story of a young teen, Conor, and his friends who are growing up in tough circumstances in post-punk Dublin. Music is their hope and salvation, and each week brings them new sounds and looks via "Top of the Pops." Conor and his pals try them all on for size. Their band isn't too bad, and the film's original songs do a dead-on job of catching the styles of the era while providing simultaneous laughs.
There's a little cussing here and there, but it's a good film for pre-teens and older. Despite being set nearly 40 years ago, its themes of alienation, adversity and acceptance still resonate.
Another great music film now on Netflix is "Miss Sharon Jones," a documentary about the powerhouse Dap Kings singer and her struggle with cancer. I saw it, and Sharon herself, shortly before her passing late last year, but I figure it still plays as an inspiring story about an amazingly talented and brave woman - just with a sadder ending. Lots of fantastic musical performances, too.
Anyone else annoyed by the prospect of "Riverdale," the CW's upcoming "dark" take on Archie Comics?
All the images and materials I've seen from the show are willfully provocative in a silly, not interesting, way.
I enjoyed Mark Waid's "realistic" update of the Archie universe (my daughter is fan). It places Archie and friends in a world more like our own, but retains elements from the classic comics, including its humor and upbeat perspective. But things like Afterlife with Archie and this new TV series just seem dumb.
Subverting Archie's archetypal characters doesn't take much imagination or skill. Will doing so yield any interesting or compelling stories? I doubt it. It's just a stunt that provides a few moments of intrigue and soon becomes a bore. Why not just watch "Twin Peaks" or "Buffy" or "Walking Dead" or any of the other series this show steals from, instead?
The new show also may ultimately be harmful to the comics. Right now most Archie series are kid-friendly and a way to potentially get younger kids interested in the medium. They are available in grocery stores and book shops, not just comic book shops. But if Archie, of all things, becomes something for teens and "grown-ups," we stand to lose that, too.
Finally, a plug for ZBS Media and it's new, final, Jack Flanders audio adventure series: "League of the Velvet Chairs."
Robert Lorick, the super-talented actor who voiced the intrepid Jack for more nearly 50 years died last year. This new series features Lorick's last recorded work and, according to Jack's creator, Tom Lopez, serves as a tribute to Jack and Lorick alike. You can hear samples and order it here.
"Twin Peaks" revival starts May 21 on Showtime
"Twin Peaks" is back more than 25 years later.
The revived series from co-creators David Lynch and Mark Frost will debut with two back-to-back episodes May 21 on Showtime. There will be 18 new episodes in all.
The revived series from co-creators David Lynch and Mark Frost will debut with two back-to-back episodes May 21 on Showtime. There will be 18 new episodes in all.
A number of cast members are set to return, including Kyle MacLachlan’s Special Agent Dale Cooper, Michael Horse who played Deputy Hawk, Benjamin and Audrey Horne, who were portrayed by Richard Beymer and Sherilyn Fenn, respectively, as well as FBI agents Albert Rosenfeld and Gordon Cole, who were played by Miguel Ferrer and Lynch himself.
Trailer for new Studio Ghibli series: "Ronja, the Robber's Daughter"
Streaming on Amazon Prime starting Jan. 27:
BBC spotlights Sherlock Holmes on the radio
Listen here.
Hear the evidence gathered clue by clue - as Sherlock Holmes enthusiast, Nick Utechin investigates how the Baker Street sleuth has been portrayed on radio across the decades.
Stretching from the Forties to the Noughties, this 3 hour showcase of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's great detective features some rare recordings of Holmes and Watson in action:
* The Adventure of the Speckled Band (17/05/1945)
Why did Helen Stoner's twin sister die in mysterious circumstances on the eve of her wedding? Stars Cedric Hardwicke as Sherlock Holmes and Finlay Curry as Dr Watson.
* The Red-Headed League (19/10/1954);
The strange case of an ad seeking only red-haired men... Stars Ralph Richardson as Holmes and John Gielgud as Watson.
* The Boscombe Valley Mystery (12/12/1966)
The sleuth probes a murder in Herefordshire, but the crime's roots are down under. Stars Carleton Hobbs as Holmes and Norman Shelley as Watson.
* The Return of Sherlock Holmes: The Solitary Cyclist (17/03/1993)
The sleuth investigates who's following music teacher Violet Smith. Stars Clive Merrison as Holmes and Michael Williams as Watson.
* The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Abergavenny Murder (18/05/2004)
When a man dies in his Baker Street apartment, the detective is bound to investigate. Stars Clive Merrison as Holmes and Andrew Sachs as Watson.
Pop Culture Roundup: Anime; Conan; Dick Tracy; The Spirit; DC Comics; Sherlock
Lists you can use: The 20 Best Anime Movies Not Made By Studio Ghibli.
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Thanks Boing Boing for alerting us to these free Kindle collections of the complete Conan and complete Sherlock Holmes.
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Via special arrangement with the Will Eisner Estate, the Spirit is now appearing in the Dick Tracy comic strip, which is illustrated by comics great Joe Staton. It's a win-win-win. I hope this get published in book form eventually. Thanks, Rip, for the heads up.
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Good news! I you have a 1978 DC Comics calendar (which I do), it'll work for 2017, too. Or, if you prefer just Batman or Spider-Man.
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Benedict Cumberbatch apparently shares a common ancestor with Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
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Thanks Boing Boing for alerting us to these free Kindle collections of the complete Conan and complete Sherlock Holmes.
-----
Via special arrangement with the Will Eisner Estate, the Spirit is now appearing in the Dick Tracy comic strip, which is illustrated by comics great Joe Staton. It's a win-win-win. I hope this get published in book form eventually. Thanks, Rip, for the heads up.
-----
Good news! I you have a 1978 DC Comics calendar (which I do), it'll work for 2017, too. Or, if you prefer just Batman or Spider-Man.
-----
Benedict Cumberbatch apparently shares a common ancestor with Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Cumberbatch, 40, and the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who died in 1930, were 16th cousins, twice removed, according to the website Ancestry.com.
Pop Notes: Pop '67; Kaluta and Fradon; Rogue One; Fisher and Reynolds
Hello and welcome to the New Year! I enjoyed a nice holiday from posting here at PCS. I hope you had some down time, too.
I've plugged it a couple times already, but I hope you'll check out our new side blog: Pop '67! It's a look back at pop culture 50 years ago. It's predecessor, Pop '66!, was a lot of fun to create, though it never enjoyed PCS-level readership.
And, speaking of 1966, our pal Booksteve mentioned that he's wrapped up his long-running 1966: My Favorite Year blog, too. Tune into his regular site for good stuff.
I enjoyed lots of good reading over the holidays, including the most recent issue of Comic Book Creator, one of the great many mags published by the folks at TwoMorrows.
This one featured lengthy, well-illustrated, interviews by two awesome, but very different, artists of the 1960s and 70s: Ramona Fradon and Michael W. Kaluta.
In my mind, these two exemplify the difference between a cartoonist versus an illustrator - not that one is any better than the other.
Fradon is a cartoonist - somebody with a perhaps God-given knack for telling stories in pictures. Her comic book art obeys all the fundamentals of anatomy and perspective, yet isn't overly "realistic." There's a sense she's depicting an imaginary, cartoonish world - not our reality.
Kaluta's work, on the other hand, hearkens back to the great book illustrators of yesteryear. Though his comic art conveys movement and action, it looks more like the real world. He's also a master of creating a singular image - such as a comics cover or poster - that tells a story in its own right.
Kaluta admits in his interview that storytelling is something he had to learn, while Fradon says it's something that's always come naturally.
We're very lucky to have them both. Who'd want to be without Fradon's Aquaman or Metamorpho, or Kaluta's Shadow or Starstruck? Combining these two profiles in a single magazine highlights the delightful diversity found among the great comics artists.
Good stuff, highly recommended.
Like the rest of the world, I also saw "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" over the holidays.
I have to admit I was disappointed, and not simply because this is a darker story than the other Star Wars films. It boiled down to the story being unnecessary - I think we've gone back to the Death Star well enough times (before, during, after) - and the characters being a bore.
I wanted to like Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso. She has a compelling screen presence, but the character gave her nothing much to work with. The two males leads had little personality, either, and the snarky droid seemed trapped in the 1990s.
Unlike "The Force Awakens," which introduced us to new characters who were fun and who I'm eager to see return to the screen, I'm left not really wanting to see any of these folks again. And - I put a SPOILER up there didn't I? - I guess I won't!
Also over the holidays, I mourned the passing of Carrie Fisher and, the following day, her mother Debbie Reynolds.
I don't have much to say that others haven't. Like many, I grew up with Fisher as Princess Leia. I was there in the theater during the summer of '77 getting swept away like everyone else. And Reynolds will forever more light up the screen each time anyone watches "Singin' in the Rain."
It will be fun to see the upcoming documentary on these two, prepared without a suspicion that we'd be losing them both before it's release. And I'm glad we haven't seen the last of Leia, as Fisher reportedly had completed filming all her scenes as the character for the next Star Wars film.
I've plugged it a couple times already, but I hope you'll check out our new side blog: Pop '67! It's a look back at pop culture 50 years ago. It's predecessor, Pop '66!, was a lot of fun to create, though it never enjoyed PCS-level readership.
And, speaking of 1966, our pal Booksteve mentioned that he's wrapped up his long-running 1966: My Favorite Year blog, too. Tune into his regular site for good stuff.
I enjoyed lots of good reading over the holidays, including the most recent issue of Comic Book Creator, one of the great many mags published by the folks at TwoMorrows.
This one featured lengthy, well-illustrated, interviews by two awesome, but very different, artists of the 1960s and 70s: Ramona Fradon and Michael W. Kaluta.
In my mind, these two exemplify the difference between a cartoonist versus an illustrator - not that one is any better than the other.
Fradon is a cartoonist - somebody with a perhaps God-given knack for telling stories in pictures. Her comic book art obeys all the fundamentals of anatomy and perspective, yet isn't overly "realistic." There's a sense she's depicting an imaginary, cartoonish world - not our reality.
Kaluta's work, on the other hand, hearkens back to the great book illustrators of yesteryear. Though his comic art conveys movement and action, it looks more like the real world. He's also a master of creating a singular image - such as a comics cover or poster - that tells a story in its own right.
Kaluta admits in his interview that storytelling is something he had to learn, while Fradon says it's something that's always come naturally.
We're very lucky to have them both. Who'd want to be without Fradon's Aquaman or Metamorpho, or Kaluta's Shadow or Starstruck? Combining these two profiles in a single magazine highlights the delightful diversity found among the great comics artists.
Good stuff, highly recommended.
Like the rest of the world, I also saw "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" over the holidays.
SPOILERS for anyone who didn't see it!
I have to admit I was disappointed, and not simply because this is a darker story than the other Star Wars films. It boiled down to the story being unnecessary - I think we've gone back to the Death Star well enough times (before, during, after) - and the characters being a bore.
I wanted to like Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso. She has a compelling screen presence, but the character gave her nothing much to work with. The two males leads had little personality, either, and the snarky droid seemed trapped in the 1990s.
Unlike "The Force Awakens," which introduced us to new characters who were fun and who I'm eager to see return to the screen, I'm left not really wanting to see any of these folks again. And - I put a SPOILER up there didn't I? - I guess I won't!
Also over the holidays, I mourned the passing of Carrie Fisher and, the following day, her mother Debbie Reynolds.
I don't have much to say that others haven't. Like many, I grew up with Fisher as Princess Leia. I was there in the theater during the summer of '77 getting swept away like everyone else. And Reynolds will forever more light up the screen each time anyone watches "Singin' in the Rain."
It will be fun to see the upcoming documentary on these two, prepared without a suspicion that we'd be losing them both before it's release. And I'm glad we haven't seen the last of Leia, as Fisher reportedly had completed filming all her scenes as the character for the next Star Wars film.
New comics Jan. 4, 2017: Astro Boy Omnibus; Hulk Epic Collection
Click the links to order discounted items from Amazon.
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