Entertainment
The Buffy Project Begins: Welcome to the Hellmouth Craptacular
My project to watch and blog Buffy the Vampire Slayer has begun. I watched the first two hours, which I assume constitute the original two-hour premier. My expectations were low. They were not exceeded. It wasn’t that the opening show was bad, per se. It’s that it was an opening show at all. I remember [...]
New Project – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Many of my friends know that I like to watch TV shows from start to finish. Netflix has made this easier, so I get more opportunities to see new shows. I decided it was time to choose a new show, that I’ve never watched before. What’s more, I’d blog the experience. This meant that the [...]
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Review
I’ve reviewed a movie or three, and a couple new music releases in the past, but this has never really been a review blog. This, though, will be my first time reviewing a Broadway musical.
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is still in the preview period before the official opening. Initial reviews weren’t so great. Due to that fact, and some accidents during previews, the show was shut down for three weeks for a major retooling. I was able to see the show on the second night after the retooling, so I had high hopes.
The show opened with Peter Parker telling the story of Arachne, who was punished for blaspheming against the gods in her weaving. As the report progresses the scene transitions to Arachne, hanging above the stage while dancers hang from cloth strips, swinging while more strips slide upward until they have woven a backdrop to the scene. It was stunning. It was so stunning that the crowd gave a standing ovation. That’s right, the OPENING SONG received a standing ovation.
The story is one with which we are all familiar. Peter Parker is a geek who is picked on by the jocks at school. During a school field trip he is bitten by a spider from a scientific experiment in the laboratory of Dr. Norman Osborn. Through a series of events he becomes a crimefighter, while also developing his relationship with Mary Jane Watson.
What’s great about this show is that it flows very well through the life of Peter Parker. The villains are handled as comic relief to offset against the much more serious story of Parker and his relationships.
When the music or story felt weak, which was rare, it was during the parts which were needed to establish parts of the story to come. Overall the music was excellent. The story was very well done, and familiar.
The wire-work ranged from the subtle chat on the balcony, hanging over the stage, to the spectacular flying battle. The work in the opening scene was simple, yet complex in a way that set the stage for the brilliance that was to come.
It was a great show. I am glad to have been able to see it after the retooling, and would gladly see it again. Now, where’s the soundtrack?
Muppets – Beaker sings Dust in the WindMike Baker on Homeless Soccer, aka The Clip That Hooked Me on Red Eye
I discovered Red Eye, late night on Fox News and watched it now and then, but it was this clip that made Red Eye a daily watch for the wife and I. When you see it, you’ll understand why.
Multi-Camera Office Lip-Sync BrillianceOne Reason I Love Fox News “Red Eye” at 3am
This is making the rounds because “Attack of the Show” featured it. I’ve been wanting exactly this clip, plus the “Homeless soccer fat chicks” comment for some time. I’ll have to settle for just the one, for now.
Warcraft Economics – Auctions, Profiteering, and Helping Others
I love to play World of Warcraft. Questing, killing beasties, gaining achievements, and Player vs Player are just entertaining things to do on a nice relaxing evening. One of the great things about WoW, as it is known, is that there are so many different ways to play the game. One of my most enjoyable [...]
iTunes and iPod Tips – Ratings, Smart Playlists, and More
I’m not alone, I’m sure, in having a huge music collection. With iTunes and my iPod, this translates into a collection of thousands of tracks. Working with such a large collection is a horrible process without some organization. Early on, my wife pointed out the smart playlist option in iTunes, which made life much easier. [...]
Great Time-Lapse Video, Basketball to Hockey in 2 hours
I’m not a big sports fan, by any means. This video was fun to watch, though. It involves two sports that aren’t NASCAR, and some tight scheduling. I understand that there’s one sport (that isn’t NASCAR), called Basketball, that is played on a specialized surface. In this case, it’s wood. There’s another sport (that isn’t [...]