Tuesday, March 17, 2020

AM I BLU (RAY)?

Superman: Red Son is out today on DVD, 4K and Blu-Ray.  Here are a couple of new clips to whet your appetite!





Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

30 comments:

  1. I'm so happy to see that you're still posting on this blog. Please stay safe in these trying times.

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    1. You, too, Eve. I think the road ahead is going to be very bumpy for a while, but we ARE going to get through this.

      Take good care...

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  2. Here you are, Dematteis...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9mhXUHdvAg


    Jack

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    1. I know that one well, Jack. I'm a huge fan of X-MINUS ONE. Such a wonderful show. Great pop culture comfort food in these strange times.

      I hope that you and your family are safe and healthy!

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    2. If you don;t mind Dematteis, please delete my previous post. I am unhappy with it.

      However, I will give these offering to you, given that you are so familiar with X-Minus One.

      Hopefully ONE of these will impress you..

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1RjYfodIy8

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnbE1IBCGQ8


      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAf_tMxc2RA

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyBZnLuNJ7k

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxC5BEJMb9A

      https://www.comicskingdom.com/phantom

      Warning, the following is a scene from Doctor Sleep. It is a great scene. I would watch it if I had not seen it, but if you are sensitive to such things don't watch. But I would, and it will make you wan tt see teh whole thing.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw4OiJv6P98


      Jack

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    3. Consider it deleted!

      I'll take a look at these links later today.

      Take good care, Jack! Hope you and yours are safe and healthy!

      Delete
    4. So Dematteis, your saying that if comics really are supposed to be a reflection of society to extreme it would HAVE to push class as a distinction of character?

      That despite not being intended to be rivals the Batman/Superman and Iron Man/Captain America, it was inevitable that those would become the default philosophical opponents, even if others shared such views?

      Well I do think you are forgetting the HUman Torch and Spider-man rivalry... of course while less not as noticeable, there was a difference and the rivalry less severe. That is an interesting wrinkle.

      It is true that class is the basis for many real world problems that are not connected in other places.

      But are you saying that borderline authoritative billionaires, with perhaps too much ego may have smoothed the resistance to such real life personalities being less questioned, or that it is simply representative of a strain of post-Reaganomics thinking?

      I suppose you are right that people like Elon Musk and... others... have formed a cult of personality that will defend any question.

      SO then was framing Iron Man in Captain America: Civil War as being equally valid a mistake?

      He was forcing other people (enhanced individuals, which he is not) to suffer for his mistakes (Ultron destroying a country), supported unconstitutional measures, and arrested Captain America before it had been ratified by the U.S. (U.N, is not a law making organization).

      It went beyond sympathetic, it was giving equal validity, if not more.

      AND in Endgame he did say something to the effect of people were "too concerned with their rights." Which is a weird thing for a hero to say, especially since his plan he was referencing would not have stopped Thanos.

      But again, I am not sure if you are saying that is reflecting the world, making things less difficult for a certain outcome, following a subconscious thought process in our society, or all three. I am afraid I will need you to elaborate.

      hmmmm.

      You and your family stay safe and healthy Dematteis... or else.


      Jack

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    5. I don't recall saying any of that, Jack...but that's the point, right? : )

      I'm watching the Daredevil mini-doc you linked to right now. Also looking forward to digging into the Phantom strips. Thanks!

      We are all doing our best to stay safe and healthy. You do the same!

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    6. Wow. What a wonderful, soft-spoken, thoughtful, low-key interview with Stan!

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    7. I have more of such interviews with Stan logged away.

      I am interested in seeing your thoughts on the rest of the links.

      Jack

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    8. All interesting...and the DOCTOR SLEEP clip was actually pretty amazing. Great acting. Made me want to see the movie.

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    9. Doctor Sleep was a movie that had such a hype train in front of it, and almost universally good reviews, but almost nobody saw.

      I don;t know what your history with The Shining is, but for me I saw the movie, and later read the book. I still appreciate the movie, but realized how much better the characterization was in the book.

      Jack Torrence may have been a very flawed man, but in his heart of heart was a man who loved his family. That didn't come across the same in the movie.

      The Doctor Sleep movie bridges the two pretty well, at least in my opinion.

      There is another great scene on the youtube, but it is literally the climax of the film.

      The clip I DID choose I think showed this is a character driven film above all else.


      Now more Stan links...

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSiyxvlv_-g

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUbPPeGM9Go


      And, something that might lead you something to watch during this quarantine...

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqmAr14yWaY

      Finally, while I am sure you are as thankful as anyone to Doctors and nurses right now, and that is great. However, don't forget the administrative staff who make it run, grocers, manufacturers shifting their output to work at cost in making medical supplies (which despite some inaccurate info some persons in the government said, began weeks ago)and that includes the small ones, and of course those who work in elder care.

      Jack.


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    10. I read THE SHINING before the movie came out and, despite the eerie brillance of Stanley Kubrick, prefer the novel. As often happens with these things, both versions create a kind of uber-version in our minds that we can jump back and forth between.

      Yes, I am grateful to all those people you list. They're heroes, one and all. And we need a big parade for all of them once this cloud has passed.

      Take good care!

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    11. I ma not doubting you are grateful, just that there are so many people giving there all for us, it is easy for some to be forgotten when we list them.

      Since I agree with you about the Shining, I will say Doctor Sleep (the film) is very much a Stephen King story. I don't want to over hype, so I will leave it at that, and assume you can draw conclusions.

      Kubrik's film is a beautifully made rorshach test, that is why there are so many theories about what it "really" about. You can inject what is in your mind on the somewhat sterile setting.

      King wrote a painfully human book about a very flawed man, who loved his family, but fell before his own figurative demons and literal ghosts.


      More importantly:

      you know Hal, and Kyle, and Abin.
      Alan, John, Guy, and Simon
      But do you recall the most famous Lantern of all...
      Daffy the black feathered toon-duck:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfO5S1Iu_VU

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBzkAVEpHbA


      Jack

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  3. And now you know why... our space sector is his responsibility, and Sinestro is dethpicable!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzTl3a-MfA0


    In case you need something flirting with good news involving Covid-19

    https://www.thehubdetroit.com/unique-fabricating-of-auburn-hills-to-supply-1-million-face-shields-to-michigan-hospitals-in-april/

    Jack

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    1. Dylan and Cash are a great combo. I love their duet on Dylan's Nashville Skyline album (one of my all-time favorite Dylan albums).

      I'll flirt with good news any day. This should be happening everywhere, right now.

      Delete
    2. Dylan and Cash feel almost cosmically connected. Both have such raw, unique, and honest voices. They, and their enduring legacies, are a testament to what Americans want in their entertainment (or at least music), personality and something to say.

      Johnny Cash is the country musician that even people who hate country music like.

      DYlan, well... even John Lennon tried to be him at one point, Oh, don't pretend Working CLass Heroes isn't Lennon ding Dylan.

      You can eve feel Dylan's influence in 21st century acts...

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZNhJ4RJ4kU

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW_07a0zZlI

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15SrlluyTU0

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgxgyYlylsw


      As for the second part, well Ford, Chrysler, and GM , ventilators, and the like have begun mass producing masks, ventalators, and the like for a few weeks(no matter what inaccurate info from some politicians say)in large numbers, to be shipped across the country.

      The problem is that the business mentioned in the article does not specify, which is less common. Specialty shops have to adapt.

      Any place that has a decent amount of manufacturing and design would have similar shops. Only, that has been a shrinking prospect in most parts of America.

      The only real way to get as many shops producing as possible id to get the word out to suppliers and shops alike.

      That is the reality of manufacturing, and getting them switched over. The more that know, the more that can seek out the opportunity, after making them requires specifications and someone to deliver and make hospital connections.

      Hope that clears things up.

      Jack

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  4. Dylan was a big influence on Lennon. "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" and "I'm A Loser" are both examples of that.

    Johnny Cash was one of a kind. He transcended his genre.

    Thanks for the links!

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    1. To tie the two back together, Bob Dylan had a theory about Rock and Roll's early days.

      People often forget that Rock music started as an offshoot of R&B. However, Dylan says, in the the early 60s white records would be classified as Rock n' Roll, and black artists, no matter how much they would seem to be rock, were classified only as R&B.

      I don't know if that is true a not, I was not alive in the early 60s, and certainly not in the rooms at record companies when these decisions were being made.

      However, I will say, many 60s and 70s Black r&B performers didn't sound that much different then what was called Rock n' Roll both at the time, and in the decade prior.

      It seems like a choice was made in country music to begin to separate itself from Rock music in the 70s. It is somewhat odd when you consider how popular country styled rock was with bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Linda Ronstadt, and even teh Byrds at times.

      Country was also one of the forgotten elements to the early Rock n' roll equation.

      In the 60s it wouldn't be uncommon for self-described country musicians like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson to be found in even the most dedicated Rocker's record collection They as you said, transcended genre, into even the counter-culture's hands.

      I don;t know if it was specifically to break from that counter culture, or a narrowing of views on music that occurred int he 80s, but there is a break to separate them first in classification, and then musically (for the most part).

      Even things like "roots rock," "country rock," or "soul rock are harder to go mainstream. Maybe because they straddle that fence and aren't know where to play

      You probably wouldn;t even think of this as country by today's standards.. if not for the yodeling..

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BFbY9Vw8DM

      These Young ladies are at least trying to keep something of roots rock alive:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8QKE-Q43W0

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbJxWaE5NM0


      Since this has apparently become a quarantine, daily tradition, an \d I apologize for that,some interesting clip:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37YknwAr85Y

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY15_rcd-IQ


      Sorry for the links.

      Jack

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    2. A lot of early rock was "rockabilly," which fused country and rhythm and blues. Early Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, that was rockabilly.

      R&B and rock may have been separate categories, but the great thing about radio in the 60s (at least until FM took over) was that you could hear EVERYTHING: Marvin Gaye, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, the Supremes, the Four Seasons, Aretha, Dean Martin, you name it. All of it presented equally, which meant that kids listening to it were exposed to all kinds of music with equal appreciation.

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    3. The only question is why would anyone WANT to listen to the Beach Boys?

      The segmentation of radio and music is very odd, for sure.

      I have been at live venues that have had Garage rock, Rap, R&B, blues, folk, and jazz in one night. Though, I believe that may be a regional thing.

      Now, some levity in times of strife, abut times of strife:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ngETXxI5pg



      Jack

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    4. If you need some good news involving YOUR state, here you go...

      https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2020/04/06/ford-uaw-make-million-face-shields-nypd-nyfd/2951650001/

      https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2020/04/06/ford-motor-company-ships-1000000-face-shields-to-new-york-city/

      Hope that gives you a bright ray of hope right now.

      And to answer your quest, my five favorite Michael Keaton movies are:

      1. The Paper (the best)
      2. The Spotlight
      3. Porco Rosso
      4. Multiplicity (though it can flip with Proco, depending on the day)
      5. And... I guess... Birdman


      Hope you and yours are still doing as well as can be considering,'
      Jack

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    5. Those stories are truly a ray of light, Jack. Thanks for that.

      We're doing well here, all things considered.

      My favorite Michael Keaton movie? BATMAN RETURNS. I also really liked him in THE FOUNDER and MY LIFE. I remember seeing the latter in the theater and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

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    6. Well, Dematteis just remember those stories next time you are at one of your upper west side of Manhattan cocktail parties, and people start talking abut Unions being lazy, and condemning Detroit, and badmouthing the U.S. auto industry.

      It is a particularly impressive number since, despite claims to the contrary, the U.S. has not placed any orders or made any steps.

      However, the Willow run plant used to make a bomber every 50 minutes in WWII. So it may be a pace that can continue. Only time will tell.

      As for MIchael Keaton...

      Gung Ho almost beat out Birdman, but the praising done for certain aspects of Japanese business culture that were shown to be socially detrimental beginning just a few years later does not age it well.

      If you are not aware, in Japan the 90s are often referred to as the "lost decade." Many of the very aspects they show as being good may have caused the problem...s. It is a fascinating subject.

      Porco Rosso on the list is strange for me since I usually almost hate anime. Hate. HATE. Don't worry there is a reason based on the actions of Americans, not the Japanese

      However, I do quite enjoy this one. here is a beautiful musical score from it...

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htq2EUgcrKE


      I will admit I had an ulterior motive in answering to your Michael Keaton question you had been wondering since back in the Amazon.com blog days.

      It was to trick you into giving me your house. However, in retrospect, there may some pieces missing from the final results.

      Jack


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    7. I just hope Steve Rogers is staying inside. He is nearly 100, had asthma as a child, and was part of government testing that gave massive changes to his natural form.

      Risks.

      I guess Peter Parker was covering his whole body/face for decades, and social distancing by being despised by the whole city for decades.

      Be like Spidey.

      Jack

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    8. Yeah, I don't think it worked. Definitely something missing.

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  5. Re: Spidey. I've been thinking what a perfect mask that is for our times. We should all be wearing Spidey suits. And crouching, alone, on rooftops, far away from everyone else!

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  6. I remember watching GUNG HO repeatedly back when the cable movie channels basically alternated between two films all day long. I think I watched it every time for like a month and a half.

    Keaton's performance in BATMAN RETURNS is brilliant. He actually requested less dialogue in the film (or was that BATMAN '89, I can't remember) which just goes to show how committed he was to his and Burton's vision for the character. Most A-list actors want more dialogue, after all!

    One of my absolute favorite scenes in BATMAN '89 is when he comes face to face with Joker as Bruce Wayne. Bullets are flying everywhere, and he's so consumed with his hatred for the Joker he drops the Bruce Wayne personality for a moment and just walks straight toward the Joker's car. And Joker is so caught up in his own theatrics that he completely misses the significance of that moment and just waves him off. He sells the way his (seemingly) split personalities melt into each other so well.

    --David

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    1. People forget what a game changer that first Batman movie was, David. It has its flaws, but it was a superhero movie done with an air or seriousness rarely glimpsed before.

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