"American Psycho," #1 is an Interesting Expansion on the Film

"American Psycho," is a great film (based on a book). It is kind of in the horror genre but is more of a dark comedy. It follows a gentleman named Patrick Bateman who is a narcissistic sociopathic serial killer, but he fits in perfectly within the world of business due to how empty and vapid he is. A new comic-book sorta-sequel (it draws from the movie) has just started with the same title, "American Psycho," and it has me intrigued. 

I'm not super familiar with writer Michael Calero, but have been a big fan of artist Piotr Kowalski and colorist Brad Simpson since their work on, "Sex," with Joe Casey. The comic starts sort of weaving another character into the story (detective Donald Kimball) as he witnesses the events of the movie from a different perspective and it is made clear his character was actually quite possibly a serial killer too (and more aware of what was going on than the flick would hint). That was perfectly alright if a bit revisionist when it comes to the movie. However, my interest was really piqued when we jumped to 2011 and witnessed some 20-somethings at a nightclub including a girl named Charlene Carruthers who seemed to have her own psychotically violent urges. A few more twists and turns occur and I'm really curious about the 2011 element of the story and how that is influenced by the events of the movie in the 80s.

While I was a little thrown by the rewriting of Donald Kimball's character, if it serves the 2011 part of the story then perhaps tweaking the classic flick could be for the best. I noted back in 2020 how, "American Psycho," was uncomfortably prescient of what our World has morphed into. Therefore, a comic exploring how social media and our obsession with status (as the series hints it will be examining in future issues) mirrors the chasing of clout in the 80s makes perfect sense using, "American Psycho," as a foil. Things are only going to get more twisted. Buckle up.

5 out of 5 stars.

Today is Friday the 13th!

Today we have been enjoying/living through a Friday the 13th--in the month of Halloween, no less! October 13th hasn't been particularly lucky or unlucky for me but for those who are particularly superstitious, your mileage can vary. I randomly know 13 is actually Taylor Swift's lucky number and one reason the official release of her new movie about the latest music tour she did was today. She's doing pretty well lately, so I guess luck is in the eye of the beholder to some degree? Besides the concept of luck, "Friday the 13th," is the title of a run of some great (and mediocre) movies with popular slasher character Jason Vorhees. We've got a prequel series on the way about where the franchise (mostly) takes place, Camp Crystal Lake, so that's fun. I hope everyone has a good and spooky (if they want) day. Now we gear up for what is usually the scariest holiday of the month, Halloween!

Flashback & Film Friday: "Demolition Man," at 30

I adore the movie, "Demolition Man." It is a bit of a sci-fi flick, has a lot of social satire, features plenty of action, and is good fun. It actually turns 30 this year. The movie's focus is how Officer John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) is framed by his archenemy, Simon Phoneix (Wesley Snipes), for a bunch of civilians dying in an explosion. They both find themselves frozen as punishment. Then we arrive at 2032 and Phoneix breaks out and starts a crime spree--something no one can handle as society has become watered-down, dull, and boring. Hence, Stallone's Spartan is thawed out and sent to capture Phoneix.

Some people argue the movie leans right and is a Libertarian's example of what they fear society becoming. There are tons of rules, people can't eat anything unhealthy because it is against the law, and swearing gets you a fine. Other people have claimed this movie is clearly Liberal in its focus, with the rebels who live underground and who claim to be, "Free," actually miserable and starving to death. In the end, the writers have said they weren't trying to be especially political with the true villain being a corrupt politician who doesn't represent any specific party and just wants power no matter what kind of dystopia he has to oversee for it. The real, "Evil," isn't left-wing or right-wing, it is any kind of extreme.

Besides Stallone and Snipes doing a great job in, "Demolition Man," it also was the breakout role for Sandra Bullock, and has Dennis Leary as the leader of the underground-dwelling rebels. Between a great cast, plenty of fun fights/explosions, and lots of humor, "Demolition Man," remains an underrated classic. You can buy/rent a copy on DVD or I believe it can be streamed on Amazon Prime. I'd highly recommend checking it out.

5 out of 5 Stars.

"Sittin' On Top of the World," AKA When a New Song Sounds Retro

Music artist Burna Boy has a new song out with a guest verse by 21 Savage titled, "Sittin' on Top of the World." It came out this year but upon hearing it I could've sworn it was some tune from the late 90's or early 2000's. I didn't know why, but it made me think of songs that had a bit of rapping and a bit of singing back then like, "What's Luv," by Fat Joe and Ashanti or the, "I'm Real," remix with Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule. There must have been a reason I thought this so I did some Googling and sure enough, "Sittin' on Top of the World," samples a song from 1998. "Top of the World," is a tune by Brandy featuring Mase. As a child of the '90s I knew the song and it must've implanted itself deeply enough in my brain that a brand-new production by Burna Boy funnily enough evokes my memories of past songs. 

I don't think Burna Boy is engaging in weaponized nostalgia as he isn't trying to outright make us think of that older ditty--he probably just saw the sample worked perfectly for his song. Still, it is a bit of a paradox that a brand-new song made me think of old ones. Younger folks probably didn't have this occur to them as the 90s were decades ago now (I cringed typing that and thinking about how I'm old), but props to Burna Boy for making something new out of something from the past.

Keith Giffen Has Died

Keith Giffen has died. Co-creator of Rocket Racoon, Lobo, and more. He was a masterful comic-maker, and Giffen was 70. I learned of his death late today, with the cause apparently having been a stroke he had on October 8th leading to his passing on the 9th. I'm saddened to learn of his death as Giffen made some stellar comics. He was always clever, further shown by how at his own request, his family put up a Facebook post Giffen had prewritten himself discussing how he was deceased. Observe:

I'm sad he's dead but laughing at how darkly hilarious Giffen is to request that be posted. It just shows he was truly a master of words to the end. He will be missed.

Television Tuesday: Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe

What happens when a dating guide service slowly turns into an expensive lifestyle program and then morphs even further into a cult? Well, you get the Twin Flames Universe. A fascinating three-part documentary series on Amazon Prime, "Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe," features a journalist named Alice Hines delving further and further into a troubling, "Movement," spearheaded by Jeff and Shaleia Ayan.

Jeff and Shaleia seem like a fun married couple at first. They're a bit nerdy, kind of quirky, and tell great jokes. They start a community dedicated to the idea of Twin Flames and how your perfect soulmate is out there. They offer to help people get that special soulmate. Then these people who pay for Jeff and Shaleia's help get into legal trouble for stalking or other issues. Hence, Jeff and Shaleia start a matchmaking service within Twin Flames. However, 80%-90% of their, "Members," are heterosexual women. So they keep pivoting, demanding money, and presenting themselves less as friendly guides and more are religious figures who talk directly to God and are equivalent to Jesus Christ in their wisdom and power. Alice Hines explores all of this and just when you think things can't get any more disturbing or creepy the rabbit hole keeps descending further into creepiness.

As a, "Time," article about this documentary discusses, Twin Flames Universe still exists. It has locked things down more and their Facebook group is private, but they're still out there fleecing people for money. Is it a scam? Is it a religious cult? Could it be a bit of both? I'd recommend watching all three episodes of, "Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping the Twin Flames Universe," and finding out just how far folks will go for love, power, and (of course) money.

5 out of 5 stars.

Chuck E. Cheese Has Modernized and is Quite Fun!

When I was a child I loved going to Chuck E. Cheese. Back during the height of the pandemic I actually got some Chuck E. Cheese pizza to go but hadn't been in one to actually play since my own youth. Well, we were invited to a birthday party by some friends for their son and went today. It was lots of fun!

The Chuck E. Cheese we went to actually was not the one closest to our house, but up in Saint Charles. It had recently been renovated and looked pretty spiffy. There was a trampoline area that Clarkson loved jumping on and all the tickets were digitized. Instead of the animatronic band, there were huge screens (the size of a wall) that broadcast Chuck and his other animal friends singing songs and dancing around. One weird thing was when each character said the date of their birthday for a skit and Helen Henny randomly said she was born May 27th--the same day as me! There weren't ball pits anymore but tons of arcade games. The variety was impressive.

There was the pizza and we got some fries and boneless chicken wings too. At one point the screens celebrated our friend's birthday and Chuck E. Cheese himself came out to give everyone high-fives and do the dance party with folks. Clarkson wanted to be on the dance floor too but just wanted to kind of lay on it as opposed to dancing! Observe:

Chuck E. Cheese was fun when I was little and continues to be enjoyable now in a more modern incarnation. Clarkson had a lot of fun jumping in the trampoline area and hitting the buttons on the games. We will most likely go to the Chuck E. Cheese near us sometime soon too so he can have some more fun!

Promoting Fossil Fuels in, "Fortnite," Did Not Go Well

Shell is a big ol' fossil fuel company. It makes money off oil and gas--something younger folks worry about as the World's climate turns more and more into an apocalyptic Hellscape. Shell wants to appeal to younger folks who might otherwise buy electric cars or look into alternative fuels so Shell could've spent money diversifying into such tech. They didn't do that, though. They spent a ton of money paying influencers and video-game website IGN to make glowing web videos discussing how fun the Shell-inspired land in Fortnite (which they also put a bunch of money into) is. What's more fun than driving gas guzzlers in a video-game and fueling up at a virtual gas station? I mean, having an inhabitable planet might be more enjoyable, but shut up and take this check to talk about how much you love Shell! Obviously, criticism followed all this.

We Millenials are pretty skeptical and cynical about the World so I'm not surprised GenZ (as they are being called for now) are even more likely to question dumb B.S. like what Shell pulled. Did they expect putting millions of dollars into damage control in a video-game would salvage how bad fossil fuels are looking lately? I'd say this was one of the laziest-yet-most-expensive things an oil company could do, but I remember when British Petroleum (BP) made a big deal about changing their name to, "Beyond Petroleum," as if that made a difference. Masters of PR these companies clearly are not.

The moral of the story here is big oil paying influencers to say nice things about them is not going to solve how bad they look on the international scale. They're the bad guys and unless they put a concentrated effort towards doing things that don't destroy our planet, companies such as Shell and BP will be thought of as at best a necessary evil (I mean, lots of our cars do need gas) or treated with outright disdain.

Thoughts As Banned Books Week Comes to a Close

This week was dedicated to banned books. It is ironic that as information becomes more readily available efforts have increased to ban books or access to that information. Whether people want to keep children (or adults) from reading manga, fail to see the irony in banning a book about fascism such as, "Maus," or want to pretend LGBTQ people don't exist, efforts persist to ban books. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Throughout history those who tried to ban books/burn books/etc. were never the good guys. If you really are scared of your children learning about race or fail to see the irony in banning a title about censorship, ("Fahrenheit 451") then you're the problem. When they go to ban a book, that is a book you probably really should be reading.

Film Friday: "Barbie," is a Stellar Movie!

I finally had a chance to watch the, "Barbie," movie at home thanks to it being possible to rent on the good ol' interwebs. It really was as good as people said and quite different from what one would expect of a toy tie-in flick. Everyone is absolutely amazing in their roles and the cast is stacked. Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, Michael Cera, and more help this movie fire on all cylinders. It's hilarious, insightful, and makes you even choke up a bit at the end. Director Greta Gerwig took on a movie about a toy doll and made a masterpiece.

The general plot is that Margot Robbie's Barbie has to leave her World and go to the real World to address how she's been having strangely sad thoughts and developing odd body features like her feet going flat instead of their usual arch. Ryan Gosling's Ken tags along and develops a taste for the patriarchy in the real World and this leads to all kinds of trouble. That's a general summary, but there is a lot more to it. I also was amazed at how willing Mattel was to be poked at for fun and tip my hat to the company for giving everyone as much creative freedom as they did for this film.

"Barbie," made a ton (and I do mean a ton) of money at the box office and received glowing reviews. Besides some alt-right men whining about it online, it seems like basically everyone loved this movie. I know I was a fan. My only concern is movie studios will take the wrong message from this and try to churn out a bunch of toy tie-in movies while missing the point of what made this production great. Time will tell, but, "Barbie," will stand the test of time as a stellar movie!

5 out of 5 stars.