40 years ago, DC Comics launched Shazam!, and welcomed the former Fawcett Comics icon, Captain Marvel, whom they had put out of commission some years earlier with a lawsuit alleging that Fawcett had infringed on DC's copyrights for Superman. Of course, Superman and Captain Marvel would meet a few times before the decade was over, and Shazam! ended its run after 5 years, right around the same time its TV spinoff for CBS ended. Since that time, DC has tinkered with the classic tale of Billy Batson, boy newsreader, and "The Big Red Cheese", but not to the extremes that they have now, in a serial running in the back pages of the current Justice League series.
Geoff Johns' plot carries over a concept introduced in last year's Flashpoint "event", in that Batson spent some time in foster homes before his fateful visit to a subway station and destiny. Now, I cannot say for sure that Billy will still take that walk into the subway terminal, but where I have a problem is with the attitude Johns has given the lad. Belligerent, self-centered, mean-spirited. Kind of the opposite of the Billy we've known for years. The foster home where Billy was placed in the beginning of the story, as I've discovered, has the same group of kids that appeared in Flashpoint, and they happen to be a diverse group, including an African-American girl who has an immediate crush on Billy, only to be sent running in tears when Billy lashes out at her.
I get what Johns is trying to accomplish here, putting some meat behind the original tale, and giving Billy some character depth, but the angry young man attitude doesn't fit Billy, and never really has. The other mistake is titling the serial, "The Curse of Shazam!". Curse? Somehow, I doubt that very seriously.
There is an old expression more commonly associated with Spider-Man: "With great power comes great responsibility". Billy Batson will learn that lesson before this story is over, but the radical reboot of the Captain Marvel/Shazam! mythos is just too much for me to have to deal with. There is another old expression I'd like to apply here. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. In this writer's opinion, Captain Marvel wasn't broken, from a creative standpoint, and the "Marvel Family" is meant to be just Billy, his sister Mary, and their friend, disabled newsboy Freddy Freeman. Why can't they just leave it that way? Again, I get the need for cultural diversity in the 21st century, but why mess with an icon?
Monday, April 30, 2012
Weasel in a Dunce Cap: Jack Berghouse
Mr. Berghouse gets the double whammy of both a Dunce Cap and a set of weasel ears this week. Why? Read on, MacDuff!
Mr. Berghouse's son was expelled from Sequoia High School in California earlier this week after the lad was caught cheating on a test in an English Honors class. He was copying from another student, who, oh, by the way, was also expelled. The younger Berghouse had signed an honesty pledge at the beginning of the season, but, as his dad said, there was another policy document attached to the pledge, which supposedly allowed for 2 strikes before expulsion.
Berghouse decided the only sure way to settle it was to file a lawsuit. Now, that was Dunce Cap worthy all by itself, because he's unwittingly trying to justify his son's actions. The school board says that the "two strikes" policy was outdated and is in need of updating. The honesty pledge overrides it as it stands presently, so Berghouse is wasting time, money, and brain cells with foolish litigation. Clearly, the Berghouses didn't completely comprehend the policy as stated, else we wouldn't have this mess. A hearing is scheduled for May 17. Problem is, the school year ends on June 8, which means the younger Berghouse will likely be headed for summer school to make up the time lost, with interest.
So why is Jack Berghouse a Weasel? He's fighting a losing battle, and getting 15 minutes of cheap publicity that few will remember later. I've got this feeling he's already been well acquainted with dunce caps, though........
Mr. Berghouse's son was expelled from Sequoia High School in California earlier this week after the lad was caught cheating on a test in an English Honors class. He was copying from another student, who, oh, by the way, was also expelled. The younger Berghouse had signed an honesty pledge at the beginning of the season, but, as his dad said, there was another policy document attached to the pledge, which supposedly allowed for 2 strikes before expulsion.
Berghouse decided the only sure way to settle it was to file a lawsuit. Now, that was Dunce Cap worthy all by itself, because he's unwittingly trying to justify his son's actions. The school board says that the "two strikes" policy was outdated and is in need of updating. The honesty pledge overrides it as it stands presently, so Berghouse is wasting time, money, and brain cells with foolish litigation. Clearly, the Berghouses didn't completely comprehend the policy as stated, else we wouldn't have this mess. A hearing is scheduled for May 17. Problem is, the school year ends on June 8, which means the younger Berghouse will likely be headed for summer school to make up the time lost, with interest.
So why is Jack Berghouse a Weasel? He's fighting a losing battle, and getting 15 minutes of cheap publicity that few will remember later. I've got this feeling he's already been well acquainted with dunce caps, though........
Sunday, April 29, 2012
It's time to restore the music to MTV--whether the suits like it or not!
It can be argued that MTV began its decline from being a music channel all the way back in the mid-80's, when they began acquiring reruns of various series. It was one thing if it was repeats of The Monkees or the animated Beatles cartoons, since they fit the mission statement. Monty Python's Flying Circus didn't, but MTV acquired it anyway. The Best of Saturday Night Live, in a one hour format instead of 90 minutes, could be excused as long as the musical segments were left intact.
Their first, and until recently, most recognizable, "reality" show, The Real World, marks its 20th anniversary this year, but is MTV beating the drums to talk about it? Not yet, and I'm not really sure if they care. Instead, MTV would rather shove Jersey Shore, Teen Mom (and its attendant, tabloid-ready controversy), & 16 & Pregnant (ditto) down the viewers' collective throats, and banish what few music videos are on their playlist to early morning hours, not caring a whit about long-time viewers who likely have washed their hands of the channel they grew up with.
After all the hype surrounding a series version of the 1985 movie, MTV's Teen Wolf is anything but a comedy, and is geared to attract the "Twilight" crowd. I'm not even sure if it's returning for a second season. The channel has acquired off-network reruns, not only for itself, but also its sister networks, but in most cases, they just don't fit in. Consider the following:
That 70's Show: Until recently, the series aired in a 2-hour block from 5-7 (ET) each afternoon. MTV shares cable rights to the series with ABC Family, but the real reason it's on MTV is to help fulfill the contract corporate parent Viacom signed for the show, which also airs on sister network TeenNick at last check.
And, over on MTV2:
Martin, Living Single, & The Wayans Brothers: All three also air on sister networks BET & Centric. Again, it's about fulfilling a contract.
Saved By The Bell: A recent acquisition. Rights are shared with TBS, which farmed out Bell to its sister network, Cartoon Network, for a brief, and I do mean, brief, run on [adult swim] a ways back that caused some consternation on the internet with folks who already have axes to grind with the administration mismanaging CN.
Boy Meets World: The former ABC series previously had cable runs on Disney Channel & ABC Family, and likely is also airing on TeenNick. MTV2 is advertising that World & Bell will form a early afternoon block weekdays, to further drum home the point.
Earlier today, I was channel surfing, and found Married....With Children airing on VH1 Classic. Yep, another case of fulfilling a contract that was drawn up for another of the Viacom channels, in this case, Spike. Unless it's a music themed episode (i.e. with ex-Herman's Hermits frontman Peter Noone), it doesn't really belong.
While VH1 & VH1 Classic trumpet their Rock & Roll Picture Show package and try to confine it to music-themed movies (i.e. "Purple Rain", "Grease"), MTV & MTV2 specialize in horror movies or teen comedies with rock soundtracks. Meh, whatever.
So what needs to be done? Viacom must be making enough money off MTV Networks to allow the present business model to continue, but by doing so, they've alienated viewers who've supported the channels for years, since before Viacom bought them in the late 80's. The current administration needs to be shown the door. It's either that, or someone has to come along that cares enough about MTV's rich history and is willing to restore said history, such that they'd be willing to relocate Jersey Shore permanently to Spike (a more appropriate place at this juncture), cancel the exploitive Teen Mom and its ilk, and concentrate on restoring the mission statement.
In 1981, Mark Goodman was the first one to utter the phrase, "you'll never look at music the same way again". In 2012, unless things change, you may not want to look at MTV and its sister networks the same way again.
Their first, and until recently, most recognizable, "reality" show, The Real World, marks its 20th anniversary this year, but is MTV beating the drums to talk about it? Not yet, and I'm not really sure if they care. Instead, MTV would rather shove Jersey Shore, Teen Mom (and its attendant, tabloid-ready controversy), & 16 & Pregnant (ditto) down the viewers' collective throats, and banish what few music videos are on their playlist to early morning hours, not caring a whit about long-time viewers who likely have washed their hands of the channel they grew up with.
After all the hype surrounding a series version of the 1985 movie, MTV's Teen Wolf is anything but a comedy, and is geared to attract the "Twilight" crowd. I'm not even sure if it's returning for a second season. The channel has acquired off-network reruns, not only for itself, but also its sister networks, but in most cases, they just don't fit in. Consider the following:
That 70's Show: Until recently, the series aired in a 2-hour block from 5-7 (ET) each afternoon. MTV shares cable rights to the series with ABC Family, but the real reason it's on MTV is to help fulfill the contract corporate parent Viacom signed for the show, which also airs on sister network TeenNick at last check.
And, over on MTV2:
Martin, Living Single, & The Wayans Brothers: All three also air on sister networks BET & Centric. Again, it's about fulfilling a contract.
Saved By The Bell: A recent acquisition. Rights are shared with TBS, which farmed out Bell to its sister network, Cartoon Network, for a brief, and I do mean, brief, run on [adult swim] a ways back that caused some consternation on the internet with folks who already have axes to grind with the administration mismanaging CN.
Boy Meets World: The former ABC series previously had cable runs on Disney Channel & ABC Family, and likely is also airing on TeenNick. MTV2 is advertising that World & Bell will form a early afternoon block weekdays, to further drum home the point.
Earlier today, I was channel surfing, and found Married....With Children airing on VH1 Classic. Yep, another case of fulfilling a contract that was drawn up for another of the Viacom channels, in this case, Spike. Unless it's a music themed episode (i.e. with ex-Herman's Hermits frontman Peter Noone), it doesn't really belong.
While VH1 & VH1 Classic trumpet their Rock & Roll Picture Show package and try to confine it to music-themed movies (i.e. "Purple Rain", "Grease"), MTV & MTV2 specialize in horror movies or teen comedies with rock soundtracks. Meh, whatever.
So what needs to be done? Viacom must be making enough money off MTV Networks to allow the present business model to continue, but by doing so, they've alienated viewers who've supported the channels for years, since before Viacom bought them in the late 80's. The current administration needs to be shown the door. It's either that, or someone has to come along that cares enough about MTV's rich history and is willing to restore said history, such that they'd be willing to relocate Jersey Shore permanently to Spike (a more appropriate place at this juncture), cancel the exploitive Teen Mom and its ilk, and concentrate on restoring the mission statement.
In 1981, Mark Goodman was the first one to utter the phrase, "you'll never look at music the same way again". In 2012, unless things change, you may not want to look at MTV and its sister networks the same way again.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Musical Interlude: One Thing Leads to Another (1983)
The Fixx's first single from their 1983 album, "Reach The Beach", "One Thing Leads to Another", copped plenty of airplay on radio & MTV during the summer of '83. The catchy opening beat doesn't get out of your head, and the video? Wiggedy wack, man. Uploaded via the band's VEVO channel.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
On The Shelf: Cold War: The Damocles Contract (2011)
When I came out of retirement to resume collecting comics last fall, I placed some personal restrictions so I would not over-indulge, as I had in the past. That having been said, there was a miniseries from Idea & Design Works (IDW) that caught my fancy, and I resolved to wait until it was reissued in a trade paperback.
"The Damocles Contract" is the first of what is proposed to be a series of miniseries under the umbrella title, Cold War, written & illustrated by comics icon John Byrne, best known for his work at DC, Charlton, Dark Horse, & Marvel dating all the way back to the mid-70's. What Byrne has conjured up this time is a maverick secret agent in Michael Swann, who doesn't exactly do things by the book, but then again, neither does James Bond, and Swann is designed to look as if casting directors had chosen George Clooney instead of Daniel Craig to be the current 007. Swann isn't exactly a Clooney lookalike, but the attitude suggests the snarky take Clooney put into playing the Batman in "Batman & Robin" in 1997 (and, oh, was that ever a dud).
In "The Damocles Contract", Swann pretends to defect, along with a prominent scientist, in order to prevent some secrets from falling into the wrong hands. However, the professor's daughter is in fact defecting, and just comes off as very anti-Bond Girl. Byrne hits all the right buttons in terms of plot & pacing, and this has the feel of potentially being adapted into a movie down the road, one that maybe could draw the attention of Clooney, for one.
Byrne's most successful creation for Dark Horse, the Next Men, were revived last year, also at IDW, as part of the deal, and if you read that series originally, it may be a welcome return. Right now, I'll settle for the trades to get caught up.
Rating for Cold War: A.
Also available:
Perhaps the most famous pulp hero of all time, The Shadow has returned to comics. This time, Dynamite Publishing has the license, and brought in British writer Garth Ennis to script the series. Cognizant of the mistakes DC made in resetting the series in the present day in the late 80's, Ennis takes the Shadow back to the Golden Age. In stark, sharp contrast to the Shadow's 1st run at DC in the 70's, there's much more blood to be had, and it's worth every penny spent. The Shadow merits an A+.
IDW has acquired a license to adapt Popeye into a 4-issue miniseries, the first issue of which hits shops this week. A review is coming soon.......
"The Damocles Contract" is the first of what is proposed to be a series of miniseries under the umbrella title, Cold War, written & illustrated by comics icon John Byrne, best known for his work at DC, Charlton, Dark Horse, & Marvel dating all the way back to the mid-70's. What Byrne has conjured up this time is a maverick secret agent in Michael Swann, who doesn't exactly do things by the book, but then again, neither does James Bond, and Swann is designed to look as if casting directors had chosen George Clooney instead of Daniel Craig to be the current 007. Swann isn't exactly a Clooney lookalike, but the attitude suggests the snarky take Clooney put into playing the Batman in "Batman & Robin" in 1997 (and, oh, was that ever a dud).
In "The Damocles Contract", Swann pretends to defect, along with a prominent scientist, in order to prevent some secrets from falling into the wrong hands. However, the professor's daughter is in fact defecting, and just comes off as very anti-Bond Girl. Byrne hits all the right buttons in terms of plot & pacing, and this has the feel of potentially being adapted into a movie down the road, one that maybe could draw the attention of Clooney, for one.
Byrne's most successful creation for Dark Horse, the Next Men, were revived last year, also at IDW, as part of the deal, and if you read that series originally, it may be a welcome return. Right now, I'll settle for the trades to get caught up.
Rating for Cold War: A.
Also available:
Perhaps the most famous pulp hero of all time, The Shadow has returned to comics. This time, Dynamite Publishing has the license, and brought in British writer Garth Ennis to script the series. Cognizant of the mistakes DC made in resetting the series in the present day in the late 80's, Ennis takes the Shadow back to the Golden Age. In stark, sharp contrast to the Shadow's 1st run at DC in the 70's, there's much more blood to be had, and it's worth every penny spent. The Shadow merits an A+.
IDW has acquired a license to adapt Popeye into a 4-issue miniseries, the first issue of which hits shops this week. A review is coming soon.......
Monday, April 23, 2012
On DVD: Phantom of Chinatown (1948)
When is a movie both a beginning and an ending?
It happens when it is the last film in a series, but also a prequel to what came before. Such was the case with "Phantom of Chinatown", the last film in the Mr. Wong series produced by Monogram Pictures in the 40's. Horror legend Boris Karloff starred as detective James Lee Wong in the first 5 films, and "Phantom" was also meant to be a vehicle for Karloff as well, but plans changed, and "Phantom" was recast as a prequel to the earlier 5 films.
That opened the door for veteran Keye Luke, better known at the time for his work as Charlie Chan's #1 son, Lee, during the Warner Oland years of that series at 20th Century Fox. In what would be his only starring role, Luke imbues Wong with some energy and wit. The common link in the six films is Grant Withers as Captain Street, who was befuddled by the Chinese proverbs tossed around in this film.
The plot surrounds the poisoning death of a Dr. Benton, who had just returned from Mongolia with a rare find. Wong studied under Benton, giving him a personal reason to locate the killer. As with the rest of the films in the series, the pace is swift, leaving the viewer little time to breathe. Where this clocks in at a tidy 62 minutes, if it were to be remade today, it would be padded out to anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours.
Rating: A.
It happens when it is the last film in a series, but also a prequel to what came before. Such was the case with "Phantom of Chinatown", the last film in the Mr. Wong series produced by Monogram Pictures in the 40's. Horror legend Boris Karloff starred as detective James Lee Wong in the first 5 films, and "Phantom" was also meant to be a vehicle for Karloff as well, but plans changed, and "Phantom" was recast as a prequel to the earlier 5 films.
That opened the door for veteran Keye Luke, better known at the time for his work as Charlie Chan's #1 son, Lee, during the Warner Oland years of that series at 20th Century Fox. In what would be his only starring role, Luke imbues Wong with some energy and wit. The common link in the six films is Grant Withers as Captain Street, who was befuddled by the Chinese proverbs tossed around in this film.
The plot surrounds the poisoning death of a Dr. Benton, who had just returned from Mongolia with a rare find. Wong studied under Benton, giving him a personal reason to locate the killer. As with the rest of the films in the series, the pace is swift, leaving the viewer little time to breathe. Where this clocks in at a tidy 62 minutes, if it were to be remade today, it would be padded out to anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours.
Rating: A.
Maybe he wasn't "Tough Enough" after all
A year ago, WWE revived their Tough Enough reality series, with a great deal of promotion, fanfare, bells & whistles, you name it. When it was over, Andy Leavine was awarded a WWE developmental contract. Perhaps it was a sign of things to come when Chairman-CEO Vince McMahon struck Leavine on national television that night.
Once assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling to begin his full training, Leavine was given the stage name of Kevin Hackmann. However, he wasn't heard from much after that, and was forgotten. Over the weekend, Leavine was released by WWE, less than a year after winning his contract.
This is not unprecedented. 2004 winner Daniel Puder, more proficient in MMA than wrestling, made his only PPV appearance in the 2005 Royal Rumble, and was cut a few months later after toiling at Ohio Valley Wrestling. For all intents & purposes, Puder is out of the wrestling business and is more involved in other pursuits these days. He didn't even consider giving TNA a sniff, which was a smart business decision, given their erratic business practices.
For Leavine, it's a different scenario. No one really knows why he regressed instead of progressed in Florida. However, with some of the other contestants in the indies, capitalizing on the brief flirtation with the national spotlight for however long they can, Leavine may still get a call from TNA or even Ring of Honor, or follow the rest of the Tough Enough class of 2011 onto the hard roads of the independent circuits.
As it stands now, WWE only has 2 Tough Enough alumni left on their active talent roster: 2004 runner-up Michael "The Miz" Mizanin, who has racked up an impressive resume the last few years, with a WWE title, 2 US titles, and 3 tag team titles, all in the last 5 years, and Josh Mathews, who traded his tights & boots for an announcer's blazer & microphone, though he did get 2 matches in the ring in 2004. As for the rest of the winners:
Season 1: Maven Huffman retired from the ring a few years back while on the indy circuit after he was cut by WWE in 2006. He recently made the news for the wrong reason a week ago with a DUI bust. Nidia Guenard also retired after she was released in the winter of 2004-5.
Season 2: Jackie Gayda left the company around 2005, married Charlie Haas (now with Ring of Honor), and spent a little time in TNA as a valet for Jeff Jarrett before leaving on maternity leave, and never returning. Linda Miles spent a few months in 2003-4 under the name, Shaniqua, but was released in 2004 and was never heard from again.
Season 3: John Hennegan, better known now as John Morrison, was released last year after nearly 9 years with the company, counting his TE stint, with 3 Intercontinental titles, a ECW title, and 5 tag titles to his credit. Matt Cappotelli, after some rent-a-jobber appearances, won the OVW title, but retired after it was discovered he had a brain tumor.
USA Network & WWE haven't yet decided if Tough Enough will return again. If the ratings weren't that strong last year, I could understand the reluctance, but now there's the stigma attached, given how the winners have been cashiered out rather unceremoniously, with Leavine the latest victim. Under the right conditions, it could work, but as long as Vince McMahon continues to micromanage things behind the scenes, the right conditions aren't going to be there.
Once assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling to begin his full training, Leavine was given the stage name of Kevin Hackmann. However, he wasn't heard from much after that, and was forgotten. Over the weekend, Leavine was released by WWE, less than a year after winning his contract.
This is not unprecedented. 2004 winner Daniel Puder, more proficient in MMA than wrestling, made his only PPV appearance in the 2005 Royal Rumble, and was cut a few months later after toiling at Ohio Valley Wrestling. For all intents & purposes, Puder is out of the wrestling business and is more involved in other pursuits these days. He didn't even consider giving TNA a sniff, which was a smart business decision, given their erratic business practices.
For Leavine, it's a different scenario. No one really knows why he regressed instead of progressed in Florida. However, with some of the other contestants in the indies, capitalizing on the brief flirtation with the national spotlight for however long they can, Leavine may still get a call from TNA or even Ring of Honor, or follow the rest of the Tough Enough class of 2011 onto the hard roads of the independent circuits.
As it stands now, WWE only has 2 Tough Enough alumni left on their active talent roster: 2004 runner-up Michael "The Miz" Mizanin, who has racked up an impressive resume the last few years, with a WWE title, 2 US titles, and 3 tag team titles, all in the last 5 years, and Josh Mathews, who traded his tights & boots for an announcer's blazer & microphone, though he did get 2 matches in the ring in 2004. As for the rest of the winners:
Season 1: Maven Huffman retired from the ring a few years back while on the indy circuit after he was cut by WWE in 2006. He recently made the news for the wrong reason a week ago with a DUI bust. Nidia Guenard also retired after she was released in the winter of 2004-5.
Season 2: Jackie Gayda left the company around 2005, married Charlie Haas (now with Ring of Honor), and spent a little time in TNA as a valet for Jeff Jarrett before leaving on maternity leave, and never returning. Linda Miles spent a few months in 2003-4 under the name, Shaniqua, but was released in 2004 and was never heard from again.
Season 3: John Hennegan, better known now as John Morrison, was released last year after nearly 9 years with the company, counting his TE stint, with 3 Intercontinental titles, a ECW title, and 5 tag titles to his credit. Matt Cappotelli, after some rent-a-jobber appearances, won the OVW title, but retired after it was discovered he had a brain tumor.
USA Network & WWE haven't yet decided if Tough Enough will return again. If the ratings weren't that strong last year, I could understand the reluctance, but now there's the stigma attached, given how the winners have been cashiered out rather unceremoniously, with Leavine the latest victim. Under the right conditions, it could work, but as long as Vince McMahon continues to micromanage things behind the scenes, the right conditions aren't going to be there.
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