Wednesday, February 6, 2013

GOD BLESS YOU, MR. VONNEGUT


I recently read And So It Goes, Charles J. Shields' thorough, fair and engrossing biography of Kurt Vonnegut.  If you’ve followed this blog more than casually, you know that Vonnegut’s work has had a huge impact on me.  After journeying with KV (or perhaps I should say Shields’ vision of KV) from cradle to grave, from literary obscurity to unexpected global fame, I was moved to write something about that impact.  Then I remembered that I already did that, six years ago, when Vonnegut passed away.  Nothing I write now could say it better, so I yield the floor to my 2007 self.

*** 

Kurt Vonnegut died last night.  He was a writer whose work imprinted very deeply on my mind, heart and soul.  (He, of course, wasn’t much of a believer in souls.  In fact, he was a proud, defiant un-believer.)  Vonnegut’s influence resonates through my work, especially Moonshadow:  my alien tricksters, the G’l-Doses, are clearly distant cousins of Vonnegut’s Tralfamadorians and Moon himself may be a distant cousin of Billy Pilgrim (if you don’t understand the references, immediately one-click yourself a copy of Slaughterhouse Five, one of the great American novels of the past century).  It was Vonnegut’s heart that resonated the deepest:  for a man who claimed to be an atheist, he was a profoundly spiritual writer, because he was a profoundly compassionate one.  Vonnegut may have cursed homo sapiens as a race of brainless, destructive buffoons, but he understood that, with rare exceptions, most of us are doing our best in a strange and sometimes difficult world.  He loved humanity dearly and that love oozed out of the pages of his best books.

It would be easy to send such Vonnegut off on his own journey to Tralfamadore with the words most readers associate with him:  “So it goes.”  I’d prefer to end with words I've quoted often over the years.  Words spoken by the lead character in my favorite Vonnegut novel, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater.  When Eliot Rosewater is asked to baptize newborn twins, he improvises a memorable welcome to Planet Earth.  It ends like this:  

“There’s only one rule that I know of, babies—:  ’God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.’” 

Others may remember him for his brilliant humor, his social commentary, his anger and outrage, but I’ll remember Kurt Vonnegut for his extraordinary heart.

Be kind.

©copyright 2013 J.M. DeMatteis

47 comments:

  1. William Shatner says JJ Abrams is 'a fool' for not employing him in either STAR TREK or STAR WARS franchise:

    http://news.yahoo.com/william-shatner-j-j-abrams-pig-directing-both-212408728.html

    And he's right! Who wouldn't want to see Shatner take up the Dark Side of the Force and give those Skywalker kids Hell? :)

    --David

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    1. I think, at this point, I'd rather see Shatner in STAR WARS than STAR TREK...just because it'd be so different!

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  2. I'm agreed. I think Shatner has accomplished about all one could hope for with STAR TREK, even though I'm not especially happy with the way he went out. But with projects like $%^ MY DAD SAYS he's proved than he's more versatile than he's given credit for. Shame the show got canceled as it was finding its voice (which, oddly enough, was removing the son from the equation!).

    --David

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    1. Well, there was still the OTHER son, so the title still would have worked.

      The show I really miss is BOSTON LEGAL. Shatner at his absolute best.

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  3. So, O was watching the Simpsons yesterday, as I am one to do, and following it was an animated short starring Maggie Simpson. Among other things it features the return the the "Ayn Rand School for Tots." Now I am not particularly fond of many Ayn Rand's teachings, but that isn't the point. The last time I recall really hearing about her was during the election when the president commented on Paul Ryan's fandom of it. Now I don't recall if it was him or pundit who said it, but the implication was that his reading it as and adolescent had something to do with it. And this was later mocked by the other side, but I am not sure it should have been.

    I think anywhere where ideas are exchanged in mass format, be it written, musical, cinematic, what ever, can affect you and shape you when you are younger. Not sop much seduces you to an idea, but play off of ideas you already have and expand them in certain directions.

    Thought? Opinions? People who had that effect on you and how?

    Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
    Jack

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    1. There are many people who affected my young consciousness. I wrote about some of them, focusing particularly on Rod Serling, here:

      http://www.jmdematteis.com/2009/10/citizen-of-zone.html

      What's interesting to me is not so much the impact these people have but WHY. I think, as I say in the essay, that they touch a place in us where WE ALREADY BELIEVE (OR KNOW) IN THE WORLDVIEW PRESENTED IN THEIR WORK. In my young mind I believed that the world was like THE TWILIGHT ZONE—a living, interactive magical place where the fantastic and the mundane intertwined—but I couldn't necessarily articulate that vision. Serling and Company did and I was a fan for life.

      What that says about Marco Rubio and Ayn Rand I don't know, but that's been my experience.

      You know, of course, that Steve Ditko is, according to reports, a loyal Randian.

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  4. Have you ever read any of Ditko's Mr. A? It isn't just reported. Oddly this is why I don't buy the "Ditko created Dr. Strange and Lee stole the idea," theory. That origin does not mesh with Ayn Rand.

    Not only do I remember that post, I remember when it was on Amazon.com. What does that tell you? Seriously, What? I don't see a point myself.

    Actually though, I meant later in life, like 17-22. For instance I remember quite a bit of talk about Dostoyevsky. The why and how I don't quite recall though. Also, there had to be more, right? Though it is always good the have the twilight Zone referenced. It's like there Simpsons, there is a reference for every occasion,

    Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
    Jack

    P.S. Agreed about Boston Legal.

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    1. Yes, Jack, Dostoyevsky rocked my world—and shook my soul—when I discovered him at age seventeen. His pain, his questions about the dual nature of the world, his aspirations for a spiritual life, all rejected mine. Did he create my world view? No. Did he reflect and deepen it? Absolutely.

      As for Ditko: yes, I know about Mr. A. As for the creation of Doc Strange, I've always felt that it was hugely influenced by the book and movie, LOST HORIZON. Strange even looks a little like Ronald Coleman, the star of the classic 1930's Frank Capra movie version. Same mustache!

      And please know that I deeply appreciate that you've been out there since the Amazon blog days.

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    2. And to get back to the subject of the above post: I discovered Vonnegut in (I think) my late teens and he, too, had a big impact. The tension in his work between his cynicism and his huge, compassionate heart reflected a tension in my own heart.

      As for BOSTON LEGAL: God, I miss that show!

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    3. That is more the kind of idea I meant. Not the forging of your tender years, but rather the shaping of your later-youth. That is the point when unconsciously you are through trial and error deciding what kind of adult you will be. These choices wouldn't set you off, but rather play off of ideas you already had and aloud you to focus them, maybe even pushed them further. I guess the real question is, why did you ,like these things so much. Not what it is about it you liked it, but what was it about you that made you like them.

      As far as the Amazon thing, I appreciate you switching to here. For some reason I remember it being very frustrating. Is that accurate? There was some issue right? It wasn't just my memory messing with me right?


      Boston Legal: Not even any reruns? come on T.V., let's get our acts together shall we.

      I've never seen LOST HORIZON. Is it worth it? I do love old movies. I just think vilifying the good Doctor for wanting compensation for his skills would be pretty
      far from the idea of Atlas Shrugged.

      Now, quit loafing and get too work on the projects all of comicdom are waiting for, "The Uncannily Eponymous Frog-Man" 13-issue Maxi-series and "The Glorious Brother Power the Geek" ongoing for Vertigo. You aren't getting paid to goldbrick!

      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

      Delete
    4. Who told you about the Frog-Man series, Jack? That was supposed to be top-secret!
      And we're not announcing the Geek series till San Diego! : )

      Yes, LOST HORIZON is well worth your time. I loved both the book and the movie. They're a little dated, but magical nonetheless.

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    5. I'll look into LOST HORIZON, and get back to you on the relationship with ol' Doc Strange. whether you like it or not.

      As far as my knowing goes, I just know what the people want., But, you betrayed yourself, you would never reveal it in San Diego, you have made it clear on this site that cons that big are not to your preference, and more importantly that is far to small of a venue for this news. I already know it will be announced simultaneously on every 24 hour news channel and every nightly news program and News paper on March 22nd. Also the skywriting over the U.S.'s top 35 largest cities.

      Seriously though, the sad thing is that I actually would love for that to happen. Especially Brother Power the Geek. It pretty much writes itself. You set it in the late 80's-early 90's, and have the Geek shuttling back and forth from home to home of his former hippie pals. He is an eternal symbol of their youth, but they are still grown. Some of them have moved past it and are glad, others still practice what they preached, and others still moved on but are constantly reminded of what they where and miss what they where. The Geek is viewed as a philosophical hero, naive, and even resented for reminding some what they can't go back to. Sort of the ultimate tale of growing up, with every possible avenue explored. You can go into all the both bright and dark corners of adulthood, all juxtaposed against the Geeks eternal youth and the fact that he being stuck in eternal youth has trouble grasping them on anything more than an intellectual level. Also the lack of realist views in the world would frustrate him. Darker concepts would of course horrify him more than it should someone of his age, but the non-violent types of darkness should just go right over his head. after all he is the Captain America of Hippies. And of course you can get into a whole thing involving whether or not he has a soul, and the question of what other possible routes would have affected him. All the great issues of artificial life are ripe for the plucking here.And let's not forget how an eternally young creature could affect the children of his friends. Of course you could also take all this and show him growing in a different way with leaps and bounds at times, showing things that may shock him and others since it lacks a gradual flow.

      All just thought though.

      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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    6. As Mr. Spock would say, Jack: fascinating!

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    7. And as the 3D Invisibles would say:

      There's a Vulcan holiday on a near star date and the chief science officer is gonna celebrate, we're gonna rock with Spock, beam me up, beam me up. Rock with Spock beam me up, beam me up rock with spock and the Enterprise crew. Scotty and Bones where eagerly waiting, they knew that spock would Fascinating.
      (I think IO go the lyrics right)

      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

      Delete
    8. And just to be fair to the other conversation, they might also say:

      Back in the Sanctum Sanctorum faithful Wong patiiently waits
      Meanwhile in another dimension in a place not really a place he confronts the Dread Dormammu, who seeks to rule our race.
      With Mystical shields he defends himself and the world he's fighting for, let Dormammu's power be contained by the Seven rings of Ragador
      By the flames of the faltine, by Cytorak's crimson bands, may you never enter Earth's dimension, so Dr. Strange commands.
      Praise be the eternal Vishanti, calm enters troubled men's hearts
      The day is once again saved by the master of the Mystic arts.


      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

      Delete
  5. The question of nature versus nurture is always fascinating.

    I tend to agree that the works we love the most reflect truths we always believed but couldn't yet articulate. Mostly because it's my belief (and my personal experience) that we become more and more our 'true selves' with time and reflection.

    That said, I'm not sure the observation applies to political thought, which strikes me as being much more superficial than mysticism. That's not to minimize the real impact of politics, but even the most super-opinionated fiction writers tend to succeed because they strike a chord that's much deeper than a political perspective. That's why I don't really see Objectivism in Ditko's Dr. Strange or his Spider-Man work until someone points it out, and even then I can't help but feel I've been tainted by the realization.

    When you break it down, Lee/Ditko's Spider-Man is about 'power and responsibility, not collectivism versus individuality. Dr. Strange is about one man standing between the world and forces they can't understand, which is oddly enough a humbling experience. Any character that succeeds on that level is bigger than the sum of their parts.

    The TWILIGHT ZONE is filled with intelligent political insights, but the real beauty is that we don't view MAGIC as Republicans or Democrats or insert affiliation here. Those distinctions fall away, much like time and space, as they give way to AWE.

    The Eternal Now.

    God.

    Best!

    --David



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    1. Beautifully said, David...and, going with our theme, your words very much reflect what I already believe! : )

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    2. Hey David, good to have you back in a conversation on here with me. It seems as far as the fiction thing goes, you and I are once again on the exact same page. We are going to have to get some more conflicting opinions or this place will loose all of its drama. I was just wondering who and why. And not just for Dematteis, for anyone.

      The point I was making about Dr. Strange was merely that since Ditko is often so overt in his views I think it is proof the Character was collaborative, apposed to the theory that Stan Lee stole all credit from Ditko and Kirby. That is all.

      I believe it was Stephen King who had one of his characters sat IN effect that all stories have some political or philosophical bend to them, that is just the nature of good story telling. They just get in there.

      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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    3. I agree with Stephen King, Jack. Even the simplest adventure story or romance novel has to have SOME point of view; even if the writer isn't putting it in intentionally. We all think and feel and have opinions and philosophies and they're going to hit the page whether we realize it or not.

      As for Stan: anyone who really knows the history of Marvel knows that his contributions—as writer, editor, art director—are incalculable. I bow to none in my admiration of the genius of Kirby, the great talents of Ditko, but I never got the need to run Stan down just to build them up. Or vice-versa, for that matter.

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    4. I know you don't, but many do. I think it has do do with the need for a medium about legends needing legends in the background. I just wanted to point out one reason why I don't buy it. Just seemed to fit.

      Also, isn't good versus evil a philosophical concept? And that is the basis for just so many stories some could say have no philosophical value. I believe Bill Denbrough said it in IT. However, although I do find his work enjoyable, I am not the ravenous fan many are, especially my siblings.

      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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    5. You're right on the money there, Jack. The minute a story sets up the good guy/bad guy dynamic, it's made a philosophical statement. You can't avoid it!

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    6. Also, I forgot, I always personally viewed Doc's story as being one of redemption, and learning how to be human again after loosing that connection, but that's just me.


      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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    7. Absolutely a redemption tale. When you think about it, he was a very edgy character for his time: an arrogant, unlikeable surgeon. Can you imagine a DC origin of the same era having a character like that as the hero?

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  6. By the way, what brought all this up WAS the mention of Ayn Rand, but also about that time I was postulating about why I love PKD so much. Just thought you should know the whole story. Everything I said was true, but... here was more.


    Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
    Jack

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    1. Speaking of Philip K. Dick, JackL My son and I have been running a two-man PKD book club for a few months. Just finished rereading THE THREE STIGMATA OF PALMER ELDRITCH and we're getting ready to read one that's new to me: THE WORLD JONES MADE.

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  7. The world that Jones Made is very good, in my opinion. Sort of beatniky in a way. I just finished confessions of a Crap Artist yesterday and am about to start Maze of Death. I however have a habit of reading multiple books at the same time, including multiple PKD books, which it may take longer to finish a book, but I find it more enjoyable. World that Jones made is very PKD, but in it's earlier stages. I'm also looking back at some of his short stories recently, including the one that may be a Disney movie.

    hopefully this can help with the club: http://www.philipkdick.com/works_novels.html I use it some times to plot out my reading. Seriously he wrote over 40 novels. This reminds me though, I really need to get back to his exegesis. I' don't think I've even made a dent. Shame.

    Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
    Jack

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    1. We started with NOW WAIT FOR LAST YEAR—which I'd never read and wasn't crazy about, then a reread of PALMER ELDRITCH (which was even better than I remembered it). It's great fun reading them simultaneously with my son and knowing that I raised a child (well, he's a grown man now) who loves PKD. I must have done something right! : )

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    2. Funny, my father hates Sci-fi. It was my oldest brother who turned me onto PKD. We had seen a movie based off of one of his works, and then for my 15th birthday he bought me a collection of his short stories. It's nice to know that no matter how contentious we get, me and both of my brothers still have tat in common.

      Now back to making dinner!


      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

      Delete
  8. "We are going to have to get some more conflicting opinions or this place will lose all of its drama."

    Ha! You're right! As luck would have it, my grad school training taught me to manufacture literary conflict where none otherwise exists. I could, for instance, make a compelling argument that the Lee/Ditko Spider-Man is really Stan Lee's thinly veiled criticism of JFK's foreign policy...and the Lee/Romita Spider-Man is an attempt to lionize his administration.

    Or it's about pie!

    Now it's your turn to say that Lee always supported Kennedy's handling of the Cold War, and that Spider-Man was clearly an indictment of Eisenhower.

    Or it's about cake!

    In all seriousness, I think it's pretty clear that Lee's collaborations gave us something very different than what he, Ditko or Kirby would have written alone.

    And isn't it funny that Kirby and Ditko ended up on opposite sides of Lee? Kirby went bigger and Ditko got more and more specific. But throw them all together and you get a universe that's both fantastic and grounded.

    I think you're right about Strange, who definitely ran the risk of being unlikeable. Peter at least had the excuse of being a teen! I find it compelling that Strange is actually humbled when he becomes aware of things even an arrogant neuro-surgeon can't conceive. In a lot of ways, his story reminds me of Saint Paul's.

    --David

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    1. That's what I really love about Doc's origin, David: it's both painfully human and genuinely spiritual. And perhaps that's why he remains one of my favorite comic book characters ever.

      Back in the early 90's the folks at Marvel, disappointed with the progress of the Marvel movies of the day, asked a few of us to take a crack at movie treatments. I wrote a Doc Strange treatment (I believe Roy Thomas wrote one, too) that I should post here one of these days. Sadly, I don't have a computer file, just the document, so it will entail a lot of retyping!

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  9. That would be great! If it's half as good as the DAREDEVIL treatment, I'm on board!

    Rumor is the good doctor will be showing up in THOR 2 and will be a part of Marvel's next cinematic phase.

    One can hope!

    --David

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    1. Yes, I read that Doc is definitely part of the next wave. Done right, it could be a powerful, memorable film.

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  10. I think he should have a secret cameo in every film so fans can play, 'Where's Doc Strange's astral form?'

    --David

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  11. You know I don't see a Dr. Strange movie working. I love the character, but if there is one thing Jonah Hex did it was show what happens to less superhero like characters. Just look at that affront to a classic character. It should have been so easy, just do a gritty western, but they added all that extra jive. I feel the opposite will be done with doc, he will be made more mainstream like. I hope I am wrong though.

    I actually remember I similar discussion with a friend of mine a few yearas ago. he is not only a comic geek, but also a former film student. i said the best way io see of doing a Dr. Strange movie is to take a character and make him similar and ground him more in the real world. let us call this character Henry Palmer (I really did just grab that out of nowhere) I say you place him in a world where Dr. Strange is a fictional character. This guy would have had problems like Dr. Strange, but instead of being an arrogant surgeon maybe he just got angry a lot. have Dr. Strange and more legitimate philosophical works guide him to a better place. He in turn becomes a kind of guru, helping people with there problems. He does this through both traditional philosophical works, comics, and a few other things. The main story would center around someone who comes to him for help that takes a more intense look. Hopefully this character could be female to fill the Clea role more easily, you know draw in real readers to the similarities. This person follows him as he lives his just-this side-of-enlightenment life, both in the everyday and the helping others, as they see that they also need a major life change like his. I also thought you could through in minor characters who followed his lead, like a man who lost his family, but turned to batman to help make him a turn it into something positive, and a guy who through Silver Surfer and Kerouac decides wandering and exploration is what gives his life meaning. And there you have the bare-bones look at "The Tao of Dr. Strange" Just an idea though.

    Just to clarify, I think a traditional dr. strange movie could work, I just think that the studios would ruin it.

    Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
    Jack

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    1. I may have to take the time to retype my DOC STRANGE movie treatment, Jack, and share it here at CP. Just for the sheer fun of it!

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  12. Well, Jack, the good news is that Marvel Studios has creative control over Doc Strange, so it's less likely they'll try to make him something he's not.

    And yes, JMD, please do!

    --David

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    1. I'll give it my best shot, David, but it's a LOT of retyping, so it may not show up here for a while!

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    2. Sadly, that does little to rest my fears. The way Doc has been turned into a guy who just throws bolts or a wannabe superhero, or a schemer by Bendis makes me wonder if that is what they will do. At least there is hope now though.

      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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    3. Marvel's done pretty well by their properties so far, Jack. I suspect they know that Doc is unique and needs very special handling. Time will tell!

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    4. Really? Daredevil.

      Seriously though, I don't hope they do poorly, but every property they have done is fairly traditional superheroey. Even Thor, which I more or less liked, lost some of its charm. Yeah they got Asgard, but I think it would have grabbed more people in a wider audience if it had Tolkien in the modern world. Yes, it had the Destroyer, but it seemed to lack a certain epicness once on Earth.

      For that matter it seems like they follow what the comics are doing at that time, and yes there have been some good Dr. Strange stories in the last decade, but primarily it has been in the Avengers and the 12-issue then cancelled Defenders, both of which has I previously alluded where off mark for the Doc with me.

      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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    5. DAREDEVIL wasn't Marvel Films. That was before they started taking command of their own properties.

      Nothing's going to be perfect, nothing is going to totally please the die-hards (and I include myself among that group); but, overall, I think Marvel Films' batting average has been pretty darn good.

      And I really liked THOR. In fact I thought all three Marvel movies that came out that summer (2011)—THOR, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS and CAPTAIN AMERICA—were better than (and, yes, I know this is heresy) the Marvel/DC trio that came out in summer 2012: DARK NIGHT RISES, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and AVENGERS. Not that I didn't enjoy those three—I absolutely did (in fact, DKR was my favorite of the Nolan Batman movies)—but I enjoyed the Class of 2011 even more.

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  13. That's right< I forgot about the old Marvel system. And as I said, I did enjoy Thor. Doc is different. I hope Marvel can make him work. I do. And if it where any other situation I wouldn't even have this glimmer of hope I have now.

    DKR (which used to be my abreviation for the Miller Series) was my least favorite. Possibly because I feel that all trilogies end on the least. But over all, it was just quitter Batman. Bugged the living hell out of me.

    As far as not pleasing die hards, i will say this, I am a die-hard Captain America fan. And I was expecting that movie to be awful. But as soon as i saw that trailer on my couch I was yelling with 12-year old glee again.

    Here's hoping (god Knows I am) that me fears are baseless.

    Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
    Jack

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    1. I was dragged kicking and screaming to CAPTAIN AMERICA and walked out with a massive grin on my face. Pure entertainment in the very best sense.

      And let our greatest worry in life be about whether Marvel makes a good Doc Strange movie! : )

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    2. Oh yeah, and one more thing. To clarify and continue praise for Captain America: The First Avenger, it is not easy to have a jaded adult comic reader revert to a 12 year old. That's two well executed time reversal illusions they accomplished.


      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

      Delete
  14. I really enjoyed Affleck's Daredevil! A super fun flick that's aged well in my opinion. I'd go so far as to say it's every bit as good as the first Spider-Man and X-Men films. Shame it didn't get the sequel, because they set up nicely for BORN AGAIN.

    And I wouldn't say it's heresy, JMD. It's a tough call for me. I think CAPTAIN AMERICA, THOR, and FIRST CLASS were all great, as was AVENGERS.

    I wasn't blown away by DARK KNIGHT RISES or AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. I thought Bruce's character arc in DKR was too choppy to do the concept justice. It was like they mixed up all the beats from KNIGHTFALL--instead of having Bane ingeniuously take down a Batman who's in his prime, he's clearly outmatched from the beginning. ASM took too much time re-covering the origin, and suffered by comparison to Raimi who did it so much better. Note to Hollywood: simplify, simplify, simplify. Don't try to outsmart Stan Lee because you can't and won't.

    So overall, yeah, I'd say 2011 gave us more Marvel bang for our buck.

    Although there was 2012's SKYFALL, which is one of the best Bond films ever!

    BTW, watched HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA last night with the family, and really enjoyed it. I think you've worked with Tartosvky before, right? (Pretty sure I misspelled his name!)

    --David

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    1. You're right, David, I did work with Genndy Tartakovsky (I had to Google the spelling!): he was the producer of a (sadly) short-lived animated series called SYM-BIONIC TITAN that I wrote, I think, three episodes for. (Only one of mine made it to air.)

      I'm not a big fan of the DAREDEVIL movie—the fact that I worked on a previous version might cloud my judgment—although I thought it worked hard to remain true to the comics and it was an honest, sincere effort.

      I still haven't seen all of SKYFALL: halfway through the movie, my wife was called to work and we had to leave. Time to add it to my Netflix queue!

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  15. Things really pick up in the second half! I think you'll love it.

    --David

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