I Dream of Dollhouse

Well, we've finally done it--the Mrs. and I finally got around to watching the series finale of Dollhouse, "Epitaph Two". (We would've done it sooner, but we had to track down on DVD the episode "Epitaph One" in order for "Epitaph Two" to make sense.) I'm sad to see the show end so soon but given its troubled production history and low ratings, I'm just glad that the show made it to the air at all.

Dollhouse, Joss Whedon's most ambitious work so far, was unlike any other science fiction TV show I can remember: In contrast to other shows in the genre which take sophisticated technology for granted (space travel, artificial intelligence, advanced medical tools, etc.), Dollhouse traced the development and abuses of a new technology and its impact on both individuals and society at large. It explored themes similar to movies such as A.I., Dark City, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Total Recall and pushed them into wild, disturbing new directions. Furthermore, it had an unflinching amorality which permeated the entire series, much like Dexter, Profit, and the animated series Aeon Flux. Top it all off with a haunting opening theme song by Jonatha Brooke (which you can listen to in its entirety here) and you have one of the most thought-provoking, morally complex, and emotionally challenging science fiction TV series ever to air in the U.S.--yes, even more so than the recently re-booted Battlestar Galactica series. Check out io9 for in-depth yet spoiler-heavy articles here and here.

Oh, those lovely, creepy programmable doll people, how we hardly knew ye . . . .

The Economics of Video Game Geekery

I've frequently heard over the last few years that in the realm of electronic entertainment, video games are flying circles around movies in terms of revenue. While I can understand why this is, what I have yet to comprehend is the economics behind product longevity when it comes to video games. Read on . . .  

For example: Because DVD sales are dropping, you can find a wide range of movie titles that are available for less than $20. (In other cases, less than $10.) In many cases, these movies are a few years--or even a few decades--old and, chances are that whenever the next big video format arrives, these same titles will be made available in this new format (complete with whatever bells and whistles that come with this new format). So you didn't get the 30th anniversary edition DVD of Jaws when it was first released? No problem--you can either get it brand new and for cheap at several DVD outlets, or you can wait for the 40th anniversary edition on a new video format that will probably include a whole new set of giant, man-eating shark-related ultra-super-high-definition goodies.

On the other hand, there are the video games. For as profitable as they are, they certainly can be hard to acquire once they've gone out of initial production because the prices seem to skyrocket after their initial distribution. For example, take Stubbs The Zombie in Rebel Without A Pulse (as seen above). I've heard nothing but good things about this game, which is not only a spot-on parody of zombie movies but it also gives you a chance to play as a zombie (quite a rare feature in the sub-genre of zombie video games) and start your own undead army of cannibalistic corpses. But when I recently tried to pick up a copy at Amazon.com, I found that new copies of this game run anywhere between $33 and $74, depending upon which vendor is chosen and how many new copies are left.

The same goes for Star Trek Elite Force 2. I played the first Star Trek Elite Force and it was an amazing game; it played almost exactly like an episode of Star Trek from a first-person perspective. (In fact, I would even go so far to say that while Elite Force is the older game, it probably captures the overall Trek experience better than the brand-new online Star Trek game. Go figure.) However, I missed the Elite Force sequel, which is now going for as high as $238. At prices like this, I can't see how long particular video games can maintain their appeal outside of a handful of hard-core fans.

Video games may have proven their worth economically, but it remains to be seen how well they can maintain their appeal over time. For example, even though stop-motion animation is not used often in the production of new movies, that doesn't prevent people from finding, watching and enjoying stop-motion classics such as the original King Kong and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. In contrast, enjoying some of the older video games appears to require a lot of money--not only to get the games themselves, but to get the necessary software and hardware to play them.

That said, there are video game emulators out there (such as Stella for the Atari 2600 and MAME for arcade games between the 1970s and the 1990s) that can be downloaded (either for free or for a fee) so that older games can be played on newer machines. However, how these emulators will factor into the ongoing history of video games remains to be seen, particularly since the emulators only cover certain game systems and formats. It could be that they could become essential to the future distribution of video games, for both old and new titles, particular since some have speculated that the future of video games may not belong to the dedicated consoles anyway. We'll just have to wait and see. Whatever happens, I just hope that I don't have to pay $238 just to play a single game.

A Parasitic Extraterrestrial Bloodbath You Can Dance To

I was looking around YouTube the other day to find some tracks from the Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem soundtrack to listen to (because I was to cheap to buy a copy of my own) when I found this video. I think the song is called "No Peace on Earth", but it's in Russian so I can't tell you if I'm right--I can't even tell you the name of the band itself. According to the person who posted it, MoscowGolem, this was part of the Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem soundtrack when it was released in Russia. Be sure to watch the video: The song has got a great beat, and the video cleverly incorporates footage and themes from both AvP movies into the band footage. For example, there are a few shots of the Russian band rocking away while viewed through heat-sensitive Predator vision. Nice!

Cool Toy Alert!

While I know this post won't appeal to everyone, I had to make mention of this awesome pre-sale going on right now at Entertainment Earth for the DC Mego-style figures coming out next month. I grew up with a collection of these figures and have watched them become gold on Ebay over the years (which kept me from filling in any holes in the collection).

I purchased the Green Arrow figure from Mattycollector.com the day it went on sale, so I can tell you if the others are based off of this (which they are) then these are close to the original feel, though not just like it. The figure feels a lot more fragile out of the box than the original Green Arrow from Mego. Still, it's a cool concept and I'm glad I grabbed one while it was available. He even came with a bow and arrow this time instead of just the quiver and hat. Unfortunately you can't shoot the boxing glove arrow, but whatever.

These figures will probably sell out quickly, even though they are pretty pricey. They run about $22 a piece, which makes them something more for collectors than casual toy buyers. They're definitely a lot more expensive than the original ones years ago!

The thing I really like is how they've kept the retro feel of them by keeping Lex Luthor and Sinestro in their 70's appearance rather than bringing them into the modern look. As far as I know, this is the first time Green Lantern has been offered in this style. I don't know why Mego gave Green Arrow a figure and not his partner, but who am I to question?

I'm really psyched to get Superman back. It's not because I'm a huge fan, but I still remember playing with him when I was a kid. I vividly remember that day in the back yard when I was throwing him into the air and pretending he could fly. One time I threw him into the air and he didn't come back down again because I had misjudged my throw and he ended up on the roof (where he might still be to this day). It was a sad day in my childhood and I'm looking forward to adding this new version to my collection to take the place of his predecessor.

If you're a toy collector, this is something you've waited for since they announced it last year. Grab one on pre-order because it's doubtful they'll last and I don't think they'll make it to any retail stores.

Here's where you can order them:

Superman

Green Lantern

Lex Luthor

Sinestro

And he's not available right now, but keep your eye out for Green Arrow again in the future.

Duckman: This Is What The Hell You Should Be Staring At

Being the devout lover of oddball animation that I am, I've been spending the last few weeks catching up on Duckman, one of the best--and most overlooked--prime-time cartoon shows from the immediate post-Simpsons era of the mid-1990s. While it only aired in obscure time slots on the USA Network from 1994 to 1997, Duckman was an animation pioneer in many ways:

• It featured two characters, the androgynous talking teddy bears Fluffy and Uranus, who were killed in horrible, absurd ways in almost every episode, years before South Park did the same to thing to Kenny.
• It featured an episode-length parody of/tribute to Star Trek, complete with original Trek cast members, years before Futurama did the same thing.
• It featured an episode-length parody of Hope/Crosby "Road To . . . " movies, years before Family Guy did it too.
• While it was excessively raunchy in episode after episode, it never veered into the unbearably nauseating--quite an accomplishment for a show with a title character who is deeply involved in auto-eroticism.
• It never relies on endless streams of non sequiturs to carry its episodes. Then again, you could argue that the entire world where Duckman takes place is just one big non sequitur unto itself. Your call.
• While it was cancelled way before its time, it at least avoided the state of ongoing, on-air living death that has befallen The Simpsons for almost a decade.
• While not a pioneering fact, you should at least know this: If anyone ever asks you what the true meaning is behind Donny Darko or Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, tell him/her to watch the third season Duckman episode, "The Once and Future Duck". It's the alternate timeline tale to end all alternate timeline tales--and in less than a half hour to boot!

Overall, the writing is clever, the animation is strange and grotesque, and the voice cast is top-notch. What's particularly worthy of notice is Jason Alexander's work as Duckman himself. It's a rare thing of beauty when an actor's particular vocal talents effortlessly match the animated role for which he/she is cast, and this is one such instance. Alexander's performance perfectly articulates the unhinged libido, raging temper, and barely concealed insecurities of Duckman; if you watch this show for any reason, this is it. It's uncanny how spot-on it is.
So, if you haven't seen Duckman yet, by all means do so now. All four seasons were released on DVD in 2009, so be sure to load all of 'em up on your Netflix queue and go get ducked up.

Terminator Terminated?

In case you haven't heard by now, Deadline Hollywood has reported that the rights for the Terminator franchise have been acquired by the Santa Barbara-based hedge fund Pacificor, which out-bid both Sony Pictures and Lionsgate to the tune of $29.5 million. While io9 has subsequently reported that Pacificor is in talks with Sony and Lionsgate about future installments of the Terminator franchise, the overall future of this time-travel epic is still quite uncertain.

Personally, I don't see this as a bad thing. Don't get me wrong--I'm a rabid, drooling fan of all things Terminator, largely due to the fact that the idea of futuristic killer robots (especially ones that wear human flesh like cheap suits for the purpose of infiltration) never gets old for me. I loved Terminator Salvation, particularly because it had some of the best Skynet machine designs since Atari's Terminator 3: The Redemption video game in 2004. Furthermore, the ending where Skynet--while wearing the face of Dr. Serena Kogan (Helena Bonham Carter)--explains to Marcus (Sam Worthington) why he's the perfect Terminator, while the prototype T-800--which looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger had just walked right out of the first Terminator film from 1984 and into the fourth one in 2009--terrorizes puny humans just gave me chills up and down my nerd spine.

Then again, if I ruled the world and had oodles of money to burn, I'd love to see the production crew of the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles TV show wrap up all the loose ends from the season two finale. Heck, TSCC executive producer Josh Friedman could scribble down all of his ideas for season three on a used cocktail napkin and I'd pay top dollar for it right now.

Alas, I don't think Terminator will be going anywhere for a long while (if at all), and I think that's a good thing. It's not that the franchise is out of ideas; it just lacks a consistent, designated caretaker to nurture the franchise to proper maturity and conclusion (and of course, merchandising). At the current state it is in, a caretaker is the last thing it will get--all the more reason for Terminator to either lay low or not "be back" at all.

I've long noticed how entertainment companies of late have been treating franchises less as works of creative storytelling and more like real estate to develop (and then demolish and re-develop, ad infinitum), but putting an entire franchise up for the highest bidder is pretty degrading and I doubt it will get any better. It's bad enough that Jim Cameron lost the creative rights to Terminator in the first place; it has since gone to Carolco, then to Halcyon, and now to Pacificor (a hedge fund, of all things). I can't possibly see how this is a good thing. Even if it had gone to Sony or Lionsgate, things wouldn't have been much better. Lionsgate was considering a full reboot of the franchise, so I shudder to imagine what Sony had (has?) in mind.

I could be wrong. Maybe Pacificor, Sony and Lionsgate could come up with the best time-travelling killer robot movie and/or TV series ever made. We'll see. Besides, if the Pentagon and Congress get their way, we'll be seeing aerial Hunter-Killer drones deployed all over the world in the near future anyway--much like they are now in the Middle East. By that point, horribly mishandled movie/TV franchises will be the least of our worries. Yay us!

Welcome to Titans, Terrors, and Toys!

Hello, and welcome to Titans, Terrors, and Toys, a blog I'm putting together as part of my ongoing appreciation of the horror and science fiction genre and the fan cultures that keep them interesting. This blog will take a nostalgic look at stuff from the past, make informed observations about events in the present, and eagerly contemplate future possibilities for horror/sci-fi entertainment. In short, I'll be rambling a lot, and hopefully some of it will be amusing and enlightening (if not coherent). So pull up a chair, grab some popcorn, and enjoy!

No Powers? NoProblems (part 2)

We looked at some of these a while back, but here are a few more. These are the heroes who don't have anything more going for them than spandex and cool moves, yet we still see them go toe-to-toe with heroes like Superman and the Hulk. The funny thing is that you probably never notice they don't have any powers because they're in the fight just as much as the big guys.

Union Jack

Now here's a guy who's gone up against vampires, terrorists, and other super-baddies, but has never backed down. Armed only with a silver-bladed knife and a revolver, Union Jack's latest incarnation (Joey Chapman) carries on the tradition started in World War 1 by Lord Falsworth.

Another cool thing about the character is the fact that he's one of the few that hasn't changed costumes that much over the years. Considered the UK's version of Captain America (even though Captain Britain would make a better choice to me), this hero proves you don't have to be super-powered to fight evil. It was even brought to the forefront in his "London Falling" miniseries as he was teamed with powerful heroes and actually made leader of the team.

Catman

While this guy might not be classified as a hero per se, he's done enough in "Secret Six" to show he has the potential to be quite the hero. He has superior tracking skills, incredible fighting abilities, and a really nasty looking blade. The thing that makes him different is his leadership style.

This is one guy who actually leads his team. He doesn't always make the right decisions necessarily, but at least he sticks to his decisions and runs with them. Unfortunately, when you're leading a group of psychopaths, it doesn't always go smoothly. Still, you've got to give him credit for keeping most of them alive this long.

Moon Knight

The Fist of Khonshu makes the list with the most gadgets, vehicles, and other toys of all of them. He even has more secret identities than anyone else!

For a while, Marvel took him down this incredibly dark road where he killed everyone he fought in an attempt to make him some super-dark version of Batman, but now it appears Marvel has changed their mind and doesn't mind having a hero who doesn't kill.

Even though he doesn't kill, he's probably the most brutal hero on this list. The criminals definitely know not to mess with him again.

Adam Strange

This was a suggestion by a reader from our last list.

I've never really understood the value of this character, but there's no denying he's just a normal guy doing a bang-up job in the hero world. He teleports to Rann on the Zeta Beam and has managed to keep a fairly normal life for himself there with a wife and child.

The recent Rann-Thanagar War was a pretty cool storyline that saw him leading the fight against Hawkman's home world. He also had a pretty big role in "52" with Animal Man and Starfire as they tried to get back to Earth. And keep in mind these are just recent adventures...he's been around for over 40 years!

Green Arrow

Yet another example of a "normal" guy keeping up with the super-powered titans around him, Green Arrow has been a member of the JLA off and on for years. He's faced off galactic threats and even those closer to home. And let us never forget that he's the man who shot Deathstroke in the eye during their fight in Identity Crisis.

He's an incredible archer with a hot temper who never seems to back down from any fight. He's been the yang to Hal Jordan's yin for years. He's one of those heroes that you just take for granted has some super power because he always holds his own in every fight. And yet, through it all, he's just a normal guy with some mad archery skills.

Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)

I know it's weird to finish out this list with a dead hero (especially since his lack of superpowers didn't help his death by gunshot), but you have to give credit where it's due. While Green Arrow held his own around other heroes in the JLA, Blue Beetle held his own in the JLI around guys like Guy Gardner, Booster Gold, and Martian Manhunter.

Another "gadget guy", it was Blue Beetle's last adventure that took the time to turn him from a comic relief character into one bad dude. He single-handedly snuck into Maxwell Lord's fortress and found out the truth of what he was doing. Forget Batman's stealth, Beetle had potential too from what we saw there! Unfortunately, they finished him off rather permanently and the Black Lantern version we're seeing is a pale imitation of the real thing. Of course, with so many heroes dying in "Blackest Night", you know DC will have to bring many of them back in the end. Here's hoping Ted Kord is one of the lucky ones.

Looking Back at the "0*"s - The Busiest Hero of the Decade

So in closing out our look at the past decade, who would be considered the busiest hero of all? Well, Hal Jordan came back from the dead, and so did Barry Allen. Superman got kicked out of Metropolis, and Aquaman died and came back again. Martian Manhunter bit the dust as well, and Dick Grayson moved into the cowl and cape of the Dark Knight.

But of all these heroes, the busiest 10 years had to belong to one man: The Batman.

Let's see why... 


His sidekick came back from the dead

After Jason Todd was killed by popular vote in the 90's, the possibility of him ever becoming cool again would have been blasphemy. He remained this ominous failure in Batman's life that always reminded him he was human and could fail from time to time. Like Bucky to Captain America, Batman had the shadow of Jason over him at all times.

Then one day he came back. During the "Hush" storyline, Jason Todd was briefly thought to actually be Hush himself (a really cool plot twist). Later we found that he wasn't but had been working with him to throw Batman off. Now, the weird thing was how he died a teenager but came back as an adult...but whatever.

Eventually Jason came on strong as Red Hood and then Red Robin, then even trying to become Batman before disappearing in the final battle with Dick Grayson. He'll be back, there's no doubt, but it was his return that really started the Caped Crusader reeling. 


He became a baby-daddy

Oh, we know he had those urges, but to think that Batman had actually done the nasty with Talia A Ghul was a little beyond him. Then we find not only did he make it happen in the desert, but that he was unsafe at the time! Years later, we find a young dude named Damien when Talia shows up on Bruce's door with a little surprise. Like my grandpa always told me: "You play, you pay."


Taught by ninjas in wonderful methods of fighting and killing, Damien wasn't your average kid. Batman had his hands full early on with this one.

The kid is currently Robin to Dick Grayson's Batman, but before he calmed down he was one mean little dude. He even tried to kill Tim Drake for the title of Robin! 


He's had two hit movies and a video game that finally didn't suck!

Not being mean here, but the steam had run out of hearing "We're going to make a Batman movie." After "Batman and Robin", we were pretty much through with that franchise...or so we thought.

Jonathan Nolan wrote a killer screenplay and Christopher Nolan directed the fire out of it. We ended up with the retelling of Batman's origin that made sense and was very true-to-life. With "Batman Begins", we saw light on the horizon. With "The Dark Knight", it was a nuclear blast.

The Joker wasn't just a funny bad clown, he was a serious psycho! For once we could understand why they had such hatred for each other, and if Heath Ledger had lived there's no doubt we'd have seen him return to the role that he'll always be remembered for. Will there be a third Batman film? Only time will tell, but I hope so. It's safe to say that Superman won't be "returning" anytime soon though.

On top of all that, we had the announcement of a new Batman video game. Again, there had been enough failures in this arena to keep most fans leery, and again we were slapped silly by the finished product. "Arkham Asylum" gave us the Batman game we'd always known was possible but had never seen. You actually got to try and scare the bad guys before dropping down on them and beating them up! How much fun was that! The icing on the cake was Kevin Conroy stepping in to voice the character. To me, he'll always be the voice of Batman I hear when I read the comic books. All in all, fans of interactive media had a lot to cheer for this decade!

Batman Becomes a Lantern...Three Times

You want tough? Batman fits the bill. And of course the question became why wasn't he ever chosen as a Green Lantern for Earth? After all, he's about as "without fear" as they come. Well, this was the decade we saw for just a fleeting moment what it would be like if he had a green power ring. Batarangs made of willpower...that would have been epic.

Now flash forward a little further and we see another aspect of Batman we hadn't paid attention to. He strikes fear into the hearts of criminals everywhere. He's been doing that for years! Who would have thought that was all it took to be a Yellow Lantern as well? And again, for just a brief moment, we are treated to the prospect of what he might be like if he could use that fear as a real physical weapon. Batarangs made of fear? Yes please!

But it doesn't stop there. Dead and gone, he's still a prospect for a ring. This time, however, he becomes a Black Lantern! As before, it's only for the briefest of moments (though this time he makes it three whole pages before it's gone), but we see just how tough this dude really could be. And this time it's Batarangs made of black lantern rings. The fun never stops!

While Hal Jordan may have been more Lanterns than Bruce, it's safe to say this guy is a close contender for the "most coveted Lantern" title by the guys handing out the colored rings.

He's Died...Twice!

This poor hero was so tough he had to be killed twice, baby! Once in Final Crisis, and once in Batman R.I.P., both by Grant Morrison.

Bruce was soon replaced by Hush, who has given the world a Bruce Wayne to see running around while Batman is supposedly dead. No doubt the confrontation when Bruce comes back will be awesome. 

And then we find out he's not dead, but is in a cave in the past (a fact that Red Robin recently found out in his own series). So he dies twice but doesn't really.

Of course, the recent announcement of "The Return of Bruce Wayne" miniseries sets us up pretty easily to know he's on his way back. Will he take the cowl from Dick, or will he pull a "Captain America" and let the sidekick have it? Time will tell.

And as for the future...well, my son came up with what he believes will be the next logical step:

 

And with that, we close out our look at the "oughts". Thanks for joining me through it all! Back to business as usual next week.