Before the blip in our programming, I had the opportunity to participate in another Attack of Opportunity. What movies inspire your fantasy game?
Category Archives: Fandom
Film Trepidation
I have written in the past questioning the “we won” thought process of geekdom taking over the world. I am happy that there are so many geeky things in the world now. I love that so many things have cropped up and made their way to the public eye. Seeing so many things creates this feedback loop wherein I start to wonder if I’m really seeing fandom or if what I’m seeing is a naked cashing in on something that has reached the level of ‘fad’ and will soon fade into the background again. I will say now that I work very hard at NOT being that fan. You now, the one that claims if you didn’t suffer enough or if you aren’t a fan of precisely the right thing or you haven’t been into it long enough that you’re not truly a fan. That’s a load of crap. If you took up your geeky hobby or fandom last week you’re still a fan. You don’t have to be a fan of the same things I am, nor do you have to enjoy them the same way I do.
As with anything that pushes to the forefront of popular culture, levels of quality come into question as well. Sure, I saw a full set of Dungeons & Dragons dice the other day at the dollar store. Does that make them good dice? Does that make them bad dice? I didn’t buy them ~ I have no idea what the quality is. What it does mean is that if there’s a kid out there that wants some new gaming dice and he can scrounge up a buck, he can buy some. I’m happy for that. The dice may or may not meet my quality standard, but my standard has evolved over time. I’m really digging for quality now.
I am looking for high quality when it comes to the game I hold dear and how it is represented. A while back I posted wrote a couple of pieces about sword and sorcery films. I listed the top ten, and then added to (or amended) that list when I went hunting for newer material. One film conspicuously absent from my list was the Dungeons & Dragons movie.
Insert heavy sigh here.
For anyone that doesn’t know about it, New Line Cinema put out a Dungeons & Dragons film back in December of 2000. I was really excited to see it. I wanted it… I was willing it to be amazing. My Jedi mind trick failed or my will was not strong enough or maybe the time just wasn’t right. I loath that movie. It’s terrible AND didn’t do much more than pile ridicule onto fans at the time. Bear in mind this was a full eight years before the MCU’s first film came out (Iron Man – 2008) and still a year before the first of the LOTR series hit theaters (Fellowship of the Ring – December 2001). This movie did every single thing I feared about putting D&D forward into the public view. Big names were in this film. Jeremy Irons won an Oscar. Seriously. I’m not a fan of Mr. Irons, but they got an Oscar winner in there. I was also not a fan of casting one of the Wayans brothers in the movie. It has nothing to do with diversity – I think there should be more of it. It has everything to do with putting a stand up comic in as comic relief and not writing *any* clever lines to help him. He was hands down the worst character in the film – and yes I’m counting blue lipstick guy. The movie was just not good. Seriously, on a $45M budget it made back less than $16M domestically. That’s a bomb. I think it speaks to the strength of the brand that they were able to get funding for another two films (and YES, the third one did drop direct to DVD). It didn’t help matters that the following year’s release of Fellowship showed what a fantasy movie could look like. LOATHE IT.
What brought all this bile up you might be thinking.
I saw a news story today that says Chris Pine is joining the cast of a new Dungeons & Dragons movie. Yes, that Chris Pine. The one from Wonder Woman and the Star Trek reboot.
I am filled with trepidation. A big name utterly failed to help the last one. There’s a lot of interest in D&D since the Stranger Things series came out… but… it could just go so very, horribly wrong. I find myself right back where I was twenty years ago. I so very, very much want this movie to be amazing. I want it to be “Fellowship” good. I have no faith in Hollyweird. The crusty old people pulling the purse strings will mess this up somehow. I say this based on the film adaptation of Ready Player One specifically, but not exclusively. There was an entire segment of that movie that could have (and should have) revolved around the D&D part that was written into the book. It’s not like D&D is unpopular right now. Rather than use that an entirely new section was written in as a homage to some other director and a film adaptation from 40 years ago (The Shining). My only glimmer of hope is that Joe Manganiello has also been said to be attached as one of the story creators. Joe has been very public about his love of the game and the fact that he continues to play.
A lot of people claim they love, respect, adore, play Dungeons & Dragons but I don’t see it. They’re going to screw this up… again. I don’t want them to, but I fear they will. I so very, very much want this to be amazing. I’ll have to revisit this post after I see the movie. It’s scheduled to release in the US in May of 2022.
I’m almost certain we’ll be back in movie theaters by then.
Reflections On 20 Years
This article was originally published in the November issue of the Watch The Skies Fanzine.
It’s a mind blowing number when I sit and really think about it. I have taxed my brain and attempted to remember how exactly I heard about the science fiction reading group at the big book store down the road from my house and I don’t recall. One of the clearest early memories I have of the group was getting the opportunity to chat with the author of a book called Red Moon. He had an endlessly fascinating set of stories about Soviet era space medals and theories on that program. That was way back in May of 2001. Red Moon stands out, but I still have physical copies of all the books from that year and I remember reading all of them. I can give details about what was in them and tell you if I enjoyed them. Not too shabby for something that started so long ago, but that’s not all.
Over the years WTS has grown and changed and had manner of excitement. The books have been our constant. The good, the bad, the ugly we read and discussed our random (or not so random) selection each month, and then dove into whatever other subject struck our fancy from the world of fandom. We’ve had authors, artists, editors, cosplayers and actors stop in to visit with us. Live readings, staged events, book signings and parties. We’ve gone to the movies and watched old movies at members’ houses. Myriad members have come and gone, but many have stuck around and have become long time friends. We have helped at conventions and worked at charity events. We have celebrated and we have mourned. Our group has stuck together.
When trying to decide what to write about and how that sense of togetherness was the stand out piece. The most important thing I have found is my tribe. My people. I go out of my way to be at every meeting I can. I am upset and out of sorts if I can’t actually get to a meeting to see and hear from my friends… my science fiction family. It means a lot to me.
We’ve moved locations. Severing ties with the book store of origin we’ve relocated two (maybe three?) times. We’ve landed at a library now, and that seems fitting. We’re in the middle of a pandemic as I write this. Our group is undeterred and meets virtually now. It lacks some of the more personal aspects of meeting in person, but it sustains us. I suspect that even when we are able to meet in person again we will attempt to keep some form of virtual presence available.
We publish a fanzine. This is one of my favorite aspects of the things we do. It gives us a place to put our news, celebrate the work of friends of the group, talk space science, recommend movies or even get some advice. The fanzine has provided me with valuable lessons on working to a deadline and given me the confidence to put my art forward. Not all of my cover art for the fanzine is display worthy, but I am proud of having produced more than 140 pieces of art for it. That experience gave me a supply of work to display as part of a convention art show and helped me get one of my pieces published. We have an archive that allows us to look back on all of this.
Looking back is not the only thing I want to do here. I also want to look forward. We have a lot of history, but we also have a mountain of potential. Being part of the library book club groups gives us new channels to attract more members. We’re still hunting up amazing works of fiction to read and discuss every month AND still getting out there in the fandom community. I’ve thrown a couple of suggestions out there to extend our reach in the coming year. I’ve got requests out for new voices to join the fanzine. Hopefully we’ll get to return to in person meetings. I really hope we get to return to in person conventions as next summer the World Science Fiction Convention will be in our back yard when it takes place in Washington DC. I look forward to another twenty years of this crazy, awesome family we call a fan group.
Finally, but most importantly, Watch The Skies would not be the same without the true foundation of it all. I want to put a special thank you here for Jeff Young. Jeff is the leader, editor and book seller extraordinaire who is our anchor point. Without Jeff this group does not survive, and I for one am delighted that he hasn’t chucked me yet. Jeff, thank you for all you do. It matters.
Here’s to twenty more!
You Should Be Watching
This was previously published in Watch The Skies fanzine – November 2020
As we wrap up our final fanzine of 2020 I wanted to move away from some of the things I have been recommending lately that definitely skew younger and generally more positive. Saying you ‘should’ be watching this one will be considered a stretch by more than a few folks.
The Titan is a cerebral science fiction film that appeared under the radar back in 2018. Starring Sam Worthington, Taylor Schilling and Tom Wilkinson. The film, set in the relatively near future of 2048, is the story of scientific research to save the human race by expanding into space. Normally when you see this theme it involves either finding a Goldilocks planet (and getting there) or going to a distant planet and changing it to meet our physical needs. This film does neither of those things, but rather comes at the problem of adaptability by attempting to change the biological function of the people going to the planet.
The characters in the film are all forced to look at and deal with what physical adaptation means, how that effects many of the aspects of life and how to change their lives here before departing the planet. There are a number of times where one could draw comparisons to somebody like Frankenstein attempting to manipulate the core of what makes us live. There are also a number of questions about what actually makes us human. Do humans have to breath oxygen? Are you still human if you can’t speak? If you can’t see the way others do? If you can’t remember the people you love?
The movie is not action based. The characters are diverse. The special effects and body prosthetics toward the end of the film are very well done. Yes, there are a number of plot holes and unanswered questions when we get to the end of the film. I can’t say that this was one of the best films I’ve seen, but it certainly meets the criteria of giving a lot of things to talk about. If you have access to Netflix, you should be watching The Titan.
You Should Be Watching
This was previously published in Watch The Skies fanzine – October 2020
It’s October and ‘spooky’ season is here. This year is looking like it’s going to play out differently than years past. I suspect there will be a greater number of folks than normal staying in and looking for some entertainment that matches the spirit of the season.
I happily recommend the horror / comedy Vampires vs. the Bronx. This movie is the story of three friends living in a neighborhood that is rapidly changing. They’re faced with routine challenges of daily life combined with the encroachment of a corporation that is trying to buy out all the business and people they know. The heroes are attempting to save the local shop they’ve grown up in from being pushed out. While canvasing for an upcoming party they discover the truth – vampires are behind the big business and need to be stopped!
The story is a fun romp. The villains are clearly the villains, the hero is clearly the hero. The issues kids deal with are part of the story as well. It’s nice to see a horror story that doesn’t immediately discount the use of cell phones and their place in our current society. It is reminiscent of Stranger Things, but on a lighter, shorter story arc. There is danger not just from the vampires, but also from day to day life. If you’ve got a tween or an early teen this is definitely a film that should be checked out for the Halloween season.
You Should Be Watching
This article was originally published in Watch The Skies fanzine – September 2020
I gave sincere consideration to putting the Netflix movie Project Power in here this month. It seemed like pandering to me. Diversity is extremely important. Representation in science fiction, fantasy and comic book based stories matters. Project Power is a great science fiction action movie – go watch it – but it’s not what I’m going to emphasize today. Today we talk about the Spanish movie Unknown Origins.
Unknown Origins is the story of a detective who must find a serial killer. The serial killer is recreating comic book origin stories as his murder scenes. The detective’s best hope in cracking the case comes from the nerdy comic book loving son of a fellow officer. It’s part buddy cop film and part love letter to comics and cosplay. As the story unfolds we get to dig deeper in to the lives and relationships that drive each of the people involved in this case while trying to solve the mystery.
This movie has a lot of very fun moments in it. I’m not going to give any specific examples as I don’t want to give any of the best lines away – and there are a couple of very good lines in there. It’s not a long movie, clocking in just around an hour and a half, but it packs a lot of stuff into a very short time. The creators have a few bits that land in the area of stereotype, but then they knock the edges off of them and give a few touching moments in the film. It definitely has a viewpoint that could be called ‘defensive’ as far as comics and cosplay goes.
The mystery itself is very, very well written. I thought I had it all figured out and was completely wrong. I had used some of the clues laid out in the movie, but I didn’t pick the right ones. I asked my wife to tell me her theory as soon as she thought she had it figured out. She used a different set of clues that were laid out in the background and came up with an incorrect answer as well. I have seen at least one other review out there that said they’d figured out the mystery right away, essentially as soon as they saw that one character. Perhaps I need to watch more mysteries, but to me it was refreshing to have a mystery that kept us guessing right up to the big reveal.
I recommend watching this movie in the original Spanish with subtitles. I watched the trailer with English dub and it just lost something in the translation. I also recommend hanging around until the very end. There’s a post credits scene, just as there is with any good comic book film!
Dunes
No, I’m not going to the beach. No, I’m not going to the desert either. I really don’t like that kind of heat and I definitely don’t like that much sand. I’ve been to the desert before. I don’t like it. “It’s a dry heat…” is the common refrain. Yes, so is my oven. I don’t want to climb in there either.
This is about the latest film adaptation of Dune for the big screen.
I know that many folks won’t remember so I’m going to start off with pair of links. Around five years ago I found this film that was all about the version of Dune that never got made. I wrote up a bit about it, but have since reconsidered certain aspects of my stance on that film. It is worth knowing the story of the first attempt to get this movie made because a lot of other films rose from the ashes of that attempt. I posted it here.
Second, I wrote about how loaded 1984 was in terms of movies. I was fourteen that year and it was absolutely the sweet spot for movies for me. There were easily a dozen movies that have had a lasting cultural impact. We’ve got access to a huge number of these films still and a number of the franchises are still going. I wrote it up here, and on that list was a little film called Dune. And they’re making it again.
So, here we are in 2020 (the year of suck) and there’s another version of the movie being made. I get it, Dune is a huge, sweeping story with lots of space (see what I did there, space… ok, I’ll stop) for story telling and interpretation. There is at least one, perhaps two generations of people that have not seen the 1984 adaptation and that’s a lot of money to leave out there. Computer graphics have rocketed forward (… I… I clearly can’t help myself) and give a huge number of options that were certainly not available when the earlier film was made. There are reasons why somebody would want to make another version of Dune.
This relates to another conversation that I’ve had off and on with other fans as well. When you come to something, either film or book, in your life’s journey really matters. I’m not going to attempt to argue for never recreating a film nor will I argue against mining the same thing over again. There are a handful of instances where the version of something I really like is actually a remake of something much older that I didn’t know existed. I don’t like the original as much as the remake version that was the first one I saw, “my” version. It happens.
I wish they’d spend the money on something new. Yes, I know there are all those fans that haven’t seen the old one in a theater. I’m not sure banking on those fans to go to the theater is such safe money these days. It seems like those days of red carpet premieres might be gone for good. Who knows?
I showed the trailer for the new movie to my daughter and one of her friends. I wanted the opinion of young fans. My daughter was aware of the older version (though she told me that she definitely didn’t ‘hang around’ while I was watching it) and her friend had never seen nor heard of the story at all. My wife watched along with us, then I asked for opinions.
“Well, they’ve got money. They’ve got some very famous actors in there.”
“It’s so dark. Why can’t we see any of what’s going on. It needs to be brighter.”
and lastly, from my wife, “I’ll have to see what they do with it. I like the old one, but it wasn’t nearly what the book was. I should pick that one up again and see what in my memory is the book and what has crept in there from the movie”.
I explained to the kids that they’d had money for the old one too. They seemed impressed that that “old guy” from that super old band The Police had been in the movie too. They didn’t really recognize any of the other folks, but they got the idea. Then I ran the video that I’m going to link below. The reactions amounted to, “OK, we see what you’re saying”.
My biggest issue with a remake is just that – it’s going back and using the same recipe. It’s going to have to work extra hard to be fresh and worthy. Things like how horribly dark all the movies are these days (a fad I hope) aren’t substantial changes and are decidedly not good. It’s not just my ‘old eyes’ either. One of the kids asked why she couldn’t see anything on the screen. that kind of dark just doesn’t help the aesthetic at all. It’s a desert planet – the sunlight might make it, I don’t know, super bright? Just a thought.
I was happy to find that somebody had made a video cut using bits of the old movie version and putting them up side by side with the new version. This film person has a host of side by side cuts like that posted to his channel. I think looking at the side by side will show in terms far better than I am able to string together by way of text what bothers me about remakes. Not only have I seen it, but there are in fact parts of the “update” that are not necessarily better. Check it out for yourself and see what I mean:
What do you think? See the new one? Stick with the old one? Watch them both and compare them at length?
10a.
I’ve never been particularly good at indexing.
10a is in reference to my top ten list of sword and sorcery movies that I posted back in (checks notes… wow, that long ago?) June. I listed sword and sorcery movies that are my favorites. I was, and am, happy with this list.
As things go on the internet, more than one person declared that I was somehow “wrong”. I’m still not sure how I can be wrong about what *my* favorites are, but there you have that. It was also pointed out that a significant number of my choices were from the 80s. By significant they meant 80%. The other two on the list were even older (50s and 60s).
Have there been NO sword and sorcery films since the 80s that are worthy?
It’s a complicated question. Being that the list is MY favorites, uh, no. Simple answer. The simple answer is not always the best answer though. It’s been something that’s rattled around in all that empty space at the back of my noggin since the question was asked. I’ve started to look for, look at, and consider other fantasy movies and have found two others that I rather enjoy. They don’t crack the top ten but I’ve found worthy sword and sorcery is out there.
Seventh Son (2014) is the story of the seventh son of a seventh son who is recruited in the battle against the queen of all evil witches and her minions. Julianne Moore plays the queen of witches, Mother Malkin. Jeff Bridges plays the professional monster hunter Master Gregory. There are a couple of small plot twists in here that I won’t give away. It’s a challenge to say more about the plot after that… it’s a little thin. It is however filled with shape shifting monsters, sword and staff fights and magical spells. The computer generated effects don’t generally get in the way of the movie. All in all, fun to watch (and up on Netflix at the time of this writing).
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) is the story of a rogue boy taken from the streets and brought into the life of a prince by the man who becomes his father (the king). This prince must then unravel the mystery of who is behind the threat to his adopted father’s kingdom and stop the villain before he unwittingly destroys the world. There’s not a ton of magic in this movie, but the magic is central to the plot. Jake Gyllenhall plays the parkour prince really well and having Ben Kingsley as part of the cast is always a giant plus in my book. It is a movie inspired by a video game (and at one time held the world record for most expensive film in that category) but don’t let that be a knock against it. It was a well done movie that is not overwhelmingly stuck in the psuedo-European model of swords and sorcery (and available on Disney+ at the time of this post).
I’m going to continue to hunt for good sword and sorcery films. I do love that genre so. Are there any you think are worthy that I’ve completely neglected?
It’s how old?
This post could have also been titled, The past, exclusion, anachronism and genre. It’s a conversation that has come up more than once with others and in more than one context, so I thought I’d try to lay out some thoughts to get them in order here.
The past and exclusion:
I’ve been involved in genre stuff for a long time. OK, a long time for me but not long enough for others. Even as somebody who’s supposed to be the perfect person to ‘fit in’ at 50, straight and white, I find that I still don’t fit within certain groups in the science fiction landscape. This came up again after the most recent Hugo ceremony where a famous author apparently made a speech that excluded wide swaths of folks and made a bunch more feel angry about how it was all presented. The term “microaggression” came up. For that I defer to somebody much more in the know – an author I would recommend you read when you get a chance! See his post about said microaggressions here.
That feeling, that nagging tiny comment that seems to slide off the chosen group but digs directly into your subconscious is something I deal with frequently. That probably sounds a bit odd, but it’s true. I often feel as though I’m just outside “the group” or that I’m part of the group in question, but only in my particular slice of it and don’t get into where everyone else is.
The microaggression part is in reference to science fiction authors. It is an odd club and one that has for a long time had some twisted form of gatekeeper. This is not the only place where I’ve felt as if I am the outsider. Running conventions has always been on that list too. Fandom in general if I’m being honest about it. That’s where the anachronism part comes in.
Anachronism:
There are a lot of times when I think I have landed just a decade or two later than I was supposed to. I seem to be interested in things that were really big, but really big in the past (recent or otherwise). The fanzine is an example of that. In the 70s and 80s the fanzine held a vital place in the genre landscape. Connections were made, thoughts were shared, and in some cases careers were launched. I’ve helped out with a fanzine for two decades now, but find that ours started about two decades too late for that “control group”. Even when I have reached out to those groups I’ve gotten no reply. WE were here long ago ~ you “newbie” are unwelcome here. It’s rarely said directly, but the feeling is certainly there. It’s something that truly bothers me about a genre that’s supposed to be so progressive (hint – it’s totally NOT).
That lead to another discussion about older works in science fiction. Do you really need to read the works of the people given grand master status? Should you pick up and push through something that was written thirty years before you were born? Maybe. Maybe not. Does your familiarity with these works, chosen by folks that believe they control who’s in and who’s out, matter? Other authors have taken on this topic and put forth decent opinions about it. I tend to like this take on the subject, but I don’t think it fully expresses where I am.
Genre:
I frequently enjoy any number of those old works. Reading the words of Ray Bradbury were amazing to me when I was a kid. He was truly gifted. His prose is smooth, evocative and moving. Sneaking out of the house to go to the local carnival is not a thing that any child I know today will relate to. Tattoos are not seen in quite the same context as when “Illustrated Man” was written. I like to dig into the history and see where so many amazing ideas came from. It gives context to so many things, as any study of history will… but that’s just it, they’re history. They are not entirely irrelevant, but their relevance is limited. Do they have the tug of nostalgia or the faint whiff of ‘this was big‘, of course they do. They were big and important or nobody would remember them. Movie makers have dug into many of those old works and adapted them to great success. None of them have had the cultural impact of a certain boy wizard, but even his influence has already started to change and fade. Things grow and change. It happens.
It has happened with gaming. My dearest lifetime hobby has undergone a vast change in the forty years that I have been playing it. Dungeons and Dragons is not what it used to be. Guess what? It shouldn’t be! If it had been static all this time it would have been relegated to the dust bin a long time ago. It has grown and changed and become something that looks a lot like what I have always loved, but is something new. Should I scoff or brush away people that don’t remember what it was like to have to poke chits out of a piece of cardboard because polyhedral dice were not a thing when I started? They haven’t “paid their dues” … that’s an amazing amount of bullshit all in a few simple words. Thing is, it’s an easy feeling to get. It’s easy to be resentful of people that didn’t go through challenges and to be protective of what you endured pain for.
The simplest answer is no. Whatever my feelings about genre fiction or role playing games might be, they should never be a limiting factor of how others enjoy them. Being the curmudgeonly old bastard yelling about kids and lawns is the fastest way to ensure that what you love dies. IF you’re driving people away from your hobby because they “don’t fit in”, first check your bias and privilege and second, you’re directly complicit in said death. Science fiction is supposed to be about the future. Fantasy gaming is supposed to involve your imagination and dreams. If you can’t see the future or evoke your imagination and are mired in the past, perhaps it’s best if you step aside. The best response, as far as I can tell, when somebody likes something new and shiny (that is entirely a remake of something from way back when particularly) is to say something like, “Oh, really? If you like that, I bet you’ll love this…”. The most important part of that whole statement being a welcoming and social attitude. Helping folks find more of what they love by aiming them at the things you’ve found that you love can be a fantastic way to make a personal connection and the absolute best way to get what you love to live on for a long time to come. I want science fiction and role playing games to be around for a long time to come. I hope I can share some history with you as we go.
You Should Be Watching
This post was originally published in Watch The Skies fanzine – August 2020
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts.
I will admit that hearing a statistics type description for this show might make it sound unappealing. It’s an animation with a Y-7 rating, meaning it’s generally aimed at an audience of ten year old kids. That does not tell the story at all.
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts is a Dreamworks production that currently has two seasons on Netflix. It is the story of Kipo and her adventures in a post apocalyptic world. Humans do not dominate here as they did some two hundred years ago – they are now the bottom of the food chain and have moved into underground ‘burrows’ to survive. On the surface of the world mutations have created outlandishly over-sized plant life and many powerful ‘mute’ factions. If you want to survive in the world you’ve got to stay on your toes. You’ll need to deal with all manner of mutes roaming around and staking out territory. The world is a dangerous place for humans.
Kipo’s adventure begins when she finds herself suddenly outside of her burrow. She begins to wander the surface world and has to deal with a knowledge loving wolf pack, timber cats that love pancakes, giant two headed flamingos, mod frogs, scooter skunks, deathstalkers and of course a giant six armed monkey. That really just scratches the surface of the weird. Kipo is also musically inclined. There are a number of episodes that contain songs, musical inspirations for characters and (yes, sadly) even Karaoke. Eventually Kipo teams up with a number of other surface folks to help her along her journey as she attempts to find her way back home.
This show is light, fun and relentlessly positive. Each episode clocks in under a half an hour so it’s also a great show to squeeze in when you might not otherwise get to sit and watch something. It is genuinely the sort of show that feels like a perfect fit for the current times. Grab some popcorn and turn this show on when you want to smile!