Media – Page 34 – Fortune And Glory

June 11, 2017

South City Comic Con 2017

I like going to this convention because it reminds me of the one we used to go to when I was in high school. It feels more intimate than a San Diego Comic-Con or even WonderCon.

I stopped by the recently opened Dunkin’ Donuts beforehand and grabbed a donut and coffee. They have really good coffee.

About 10 minutes before 10 I walked over to the line, of which there were two, so I walked to the front of the line to ask if this line was for presale ticket holders or for ticket purchase. It was the presale line.

Amusingly enough, the purchase line went quicker than the presale line, because they had 4 people at registers for ticket purchases, while the presale line had ONE person checking tickets and crossing names off a list. Not a big problem, except for the mouth breathers behind me griping about the other line moving quicker.

All told, I was in line for about 5 minutes.

As I waited in line, I peered over the registers and saw Dirk Benedict at his autograph table.

In 1978, he was THE MAN, at least to me. Battlestar Galactica was on TV, I would watch every episode, in the days prior to VCRs, and I liked Lt. Starbuck more than Captain Apollo.

So did my sister, Jen.

Flash forward to 1999, when I first met Richard Hatch at some convention in San Francisco. I later saw Hatch at a couple-few WonderCons, and San Diego Comic Cons, either on a panel or at a table signing stuff.

Flash forward again to today, and I finally got to meet THE MAN.

I stood in line and listened as Dirk Benedict was talking very casually with the guy in the picture. Dirk’s a very chatty guy. The next guy, in front of me, also got to talk to Dirk for a minute or two, and the guy asked me if I could take a picture of the two of them with his iPhone, which I did.

Then came my turn. I said hello and shook his hand, and then Dirk said that he liked my glasses, because they were like his, and he quickly whipped them out and posed for me with them on.

I then mentioned my meeting Richard Hatch back in 1999, and he remarked that Richard did many more shows than he ever did. He only does maybe 3 or so a year. He then said that he missed Hatch, saying that he was a great guy, and he was sad that they wouldn’t be doing panels together anymore.

He signed the picture shown above, and then I asked his assistant if she would take our picture, and she did.

This is actually the second photo taken, because Dirk wasn’t happy with the first one, which actually looked much like this one.

I said thanks, as did he, and I moved on to the dealers room.

I really didn’t see much in terms of cosplayers.

Seriously, this was it, though I did see a guy dressed as the Green Power Ranger as I got ready to leave. I didn’t get his picture.

I wasn’t really looking to pick up anything, but I couldn’t pass this up:

King Tut, my all time favorite Batman ’66 villain!

I made it around the dealers room in less than 20 minutes. I saw a few cool things, like this:

This vendor was asking me and a couple other vendors where he should get Dirk Benedict to sign his Colonial Warrior helmet

He was also selling a very nice display piece of the Galactica herself

I was out of there by 11:00 am, about the same amount of time I spent last year. I had another event to attend, Games Day with friends.

It was a very good Sunday.

June 10, 2017

Batman ’66

We seem to have reached the age where life stops giving us things and starts taking them away.

With the passing of each of my childhood idols, so too does a bit of that childhood dies.

The main reason that I decided to attend Silicon Valley Comic Con 2017 was beause they announced Adam West and Burt Ward as guests. I couldn’t pass up the chance to meet these two in person. the 1966 Batman movie is, to me, the best of the Batman films, even the newer ones by Nolan and Snyder, and the ones from the 1980s-90s.

Because they were more in line with what comic book movie heroes should be, IMHO.

The actual meeting was very impersonal. I said that I was honored to meet them, but they hardly looked at me, just posing for the camera as they took direction from the con staff, as they did with all the fans before and after me. It was a tad disappointing. But at least I got a photo taken with them.

Years ago, however, Glenn and I attended a Creation Con (I think) in San Francisco (I think) and attended a panel with Adam West. It was just him, telling tales of his life and times as the Caped Crusader. The one story I remember was of him and Van Williams (The Green Hornet) going hunting, which they did a lot) and the look on peoples faces when they saw Batman and the Green Hornet (or Bruce Wayne and Britt Reid) emerge from the woods with rifles.

Rest in Peace, Mr. West. Thank you for all you did for your fans.

June 4, 2017

35th

I just finished watching Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan for the umpteenth time.

This time it was for the 35th anniversary of it’s theatrical release.

I wish I had know that it was going to be part of one of Cinemark’s Movie Classics program last Fall. I haven’t seen this in the theatre in… 35 years.

Looking back on that day in 1982, when my classmates and I took MUNI down to the Regency I theatre on Van Ness Boulevard, I can’t recall everyone who was there.

Stupid aging.

And to this day, like every time before, I still cry when Spock dies.

It’s gotten worse since Leonard Nimoy passed away.

This remains my favorite Star Trek film. Period.

June 2, 2017

And, Scene…

This was recently posted on Facebook, as three of the best scenes in the DC Extended/Cinematic Universe. I agree wholeheartedly.

First flight: I’m one of the folks who believe that Man of Steel is basically “Superman: Day One” where he’s still learning about his abilities, and watching him take flight for the first time is inspiring. The tag line of the 1978 film was “You will believe a man can fly,” and here’s Clark, eventually believing in himself in order to fly.

Warehouse fight: Though it was an amazingly choreographed fight sequence, I was actually playing the Batman ’66 fight music in my head while I watched it, and it WORKED. I even imagined large onomatopoeia every time a punch or kick landed.

No Man’s Land: no spoilers, it was simply stunning in it’s execution, from the visuals to the music. It’s the definitive introduction every super hero should be lucky to have when their story is told on the big screen.

From earlier DC movies, I can list a few similar moments:

Superman The Movie: the rooftop helicopter scene
Batman: Introducing the Batmobile
The Dark Knight: Batman rescuing hostages while subduing the Joker’s men
Superman Returns: shuttle/plane rescue

Here’s hoping we continue to get scenes like this in future films.

June 1, 2017

All the World’s Waiting for You

Great movie. Best of the Nolan/Snyder-verse DCCU films.

That said, I liked Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 better.

This movie has everything Man of Steel and Batman v Superman lacked. I liked both of those films. I like WW more than those two. It had a touch of the grittiness of the previous DC films, but much more heroism and heart.

There were a couple of surprises, and her origin was properly explained. Or was it? Seemed like they merged the her classic and New 52 origins in this story, and that’s fine.

Overall, it was entertaining and more fun to watch than other recent DCCU films.

Which I still enjoyed.

Except for Suicide Squad.

May 30, 2017

Tuesday

More ships for Attack Wing came in. Yay!

I still have a few more ships coming in. Yikes.

Also, update!

—

Sports gaming week overlapped into this week. I knew a schedule wouldn’t work.

—

Star Trek Attack Wing has me watching the Star Trek films again. Not that that’s a bad thing, of course.

—

Weird not having my usual shows on TV, until Fall.

May 25, 2017May 24, 2017

40

May 25th, 1977:

The day it all changed.

10 years ago I told the story of how it changed me, by making me a smarter kid. How I didn’t want to see it because it wasn’t Star Trek. How it became a cornerstone, if not THE cornerstone of all that was to happen to me over the next thirty years.

Things… changed in the ten years since then, and all for the better.

The biggest change was the acquisition of LucasFilm by the Walt Disney Company, and their subsequent announcement of a new trilogy of films.

Everyone I knew, including myself, took in this news with trepidation; the prequels sucked (IMHO) and these new films couldn’t be any worse, right?

Depending on who you talk to, the answer is yes or no.

The Force Awakens is both loved and hated by Star Wars fans, including myself. I love it for the return of on-screen stories in a universe that continues to shape and form my imagination, and I hate it for taking away Han Solo, one of my heroes from childhood, second only to Superman.

Okay, maybe third, after Spock.

Fourth, after Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man?

But I digress.

—

The popularity of Star Wars grew to a level that I would never imagine that it could, even in my wildest dreams.

Sports teams were having ‘Star Wars Day’ promotions during their regular season games. More and more merchandise appeared, in places I never thought it would appear. And a film came out that almost edges out the original from 1977 as my favorite of the franchise.

Who knew that this paragraph from the first film’s opening crawl could become a full length film? A film that would actually give the original more meaning, as it became a sequel to this new film?

Rogue One became just that. It was the ultimate fan film, made by a lifelong fan, for lifelong fans. Director Gareth Edwards described this experience as similar to playing with Star Wars figures as a kid, but on a much larger scale.

—

Another change in 10 years was the introduction of the Star Wars animated series on TV, which in one case changed the way fans would view the prequels.

The Clone Wars (2008) took place between Episodes II and III, mapping out the story of the main characters from the prequels, and their adventures between the films. It also focused on the Clone Troopers, and the War itself against the Separatists. They introduced Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex and others, who would become new favorite characters for fans.

But for me, the biggest thing that this series brought to the table was showing Anakin Skywalker as a hero of the Republic, and his friendship with Obi-Wan Kenobi, which made his fall in Revenge of the Sith that much more tragic.

—

Following that series was Star Wars Rebels, which is about to start it’s fourth and final season. It bridges the gap between Episodes III and IV, introducing us to yet more characters who become fan favorites, including Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren. We see the beginning and the formation of the Rebel Alliance, meet characters who become more important in the Original Trilogy, and reunite with characters from previous series and novels.

I’m really gonna miss this series when it goes off the air. But hopefully there’s something else coming down the pipe from Dave Filoni and the Animation Group.

—

That brings us to now. While we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the premiere of Star Wars, we also look forward to December of this year, with the release of Episode VIII The Last Jedi.

Vanity Fair has a special issue out today (5.25.2017) with a cover story on the new movie, and photos by Annie Leibowitz. The one I shared here is the one that resonates the most with me.

It’s going to be VERY hard to keep it together while watching this movie later this year.

—

All of this is due to today’s filmmakers being inspired by an indie film from the mind of George Lucas.

Happy 40th Anniversary/Birthday/Life Day, Star Wars, and thank you for everything.

May 22, 2017

Supergirl Finale

S2 E22: “Nevertheless, She Persisted.”

This entire season was head and shoulders better than the 1st season. There was the introduction of so many great characters, including the Man of Steel himself, Kara’s cousin Kal-El a.k.a. Superman/Clark Kent. And Mon-El, who grew on me as the season went on. Maggie Sawyer. Lena Luthor.

This finale was great, with a real roller coaster of emotions for a DC fanboy like myself. Winn’s reaction to Superman recognizing him, the fight between the Kryptonians, Cat Grant doing Cat Grant things, all of it was fun to watch. It’s still a toss up on who is more my spirit animal in these CW DCU shows, Cisco or Winn.

They appear to be setting up something that I’ve been hoping to see, involving the future of the DC Universe. Meanwhile, they’re setting up something more recent from the comics as well.

I’m looking forward to next season already.

May 22, 2017