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Messages - Apestrife

#916
Anyone else who watched/liked it?

While it, in classic later day 24 fashion, let things happen to fast and to often, I thought it wrapped up the series really nicely.

I especially like the way the season put some holes show's "bubbles". For example Jack saying that he hates "those who think the end justifies the means" (which sounds quite ironic, coming from him.). Only thing missing was Jack acknowledging how tired he is of [spoiler]moles[/spoiler] :D

While [spoiler]the death of Audrey[/spoiler] felt a bit tiresome at first, coupled with the end of the show it almost felt meta how [spoiler]Jack finally got some rest, even if it means dying in a russian prison.[/spoiler] instead of feeling formulaic. Since it happened to many times to the character, I think it almost felt like it had to happen again-of sorts. Kind of what Grant Morrison did with his Oroboro-Batman.

And for the series, I think 24 is quite a mixed bag when it comes to the seasons. First season (closely followed by 7th) is still my fav. while the third "trilogy" (s. 7-9) is my favorite.

S. 5 is VERY awesome but 4 and 6st comes of as lame drama torture porn, something methinks also think s.2 does.

While 7-9 got some torture, at least it shows what it does to people. While [spoiler]Renee Walker's[/spoiler] arc isn't as (probably nowhere as) good as it should have been, I still think it's cool the show at least tried instead of trying to make it look good. Jack's moral compass took some (for me at least) desired hits along the way also, not always making him right. Season 9 even seems to comment on this with [spoiler]Ritter saying field ops isn't science[/spoiler] even if Bauer's bad assary is of such legend that it could be in it's universe.

And I also felt that 7-9 got the mystery feel 1st had. Bauer feeling as big on mystery as he was dangerous. No need to spell everything out why, but more on how for example Bauer's Batman-like guilt paves way for action and thrills. And while [spoiler]Chang Zhi[/spoiler] in s. 9 didn't feel rich like the Drazens in s. 1, I felt that it was handled a lot more exciting than in s. 6, which was cool/good thanks to [spoiler]a drokkin "nucular" weapon going off in LA, and Jack blowing up in the face of Heller in the end.[/spoiler]. Season 7's [spoiler]Tony Almeida[/spoiler] probably is closer to soap opera than The wire, but I also think the character and it's arc shined (also somewhat foreshadowing some of Bauer's journey).

But with that written. The show is somewhat of a guilty pleasure of mine. At times feeling like an absurd ticking clock scenario The man on U.N.C.L.E. on crack. I'll probably binge-watch the first season and then seven, eight and nine when the latest/last (hopefully) hit's blu ray. See if it really holds up and isn't just happy tv memories for me.

How about you? Your thoughts?
#917
Quote from: 2T(fru)T on 19 July, 2014, 10:05:19 AMwell I don't nee to see it now...spoiler tags! ::)

Damn, I'm sorry about that. What I wrote off as the "ending" is part hyperbole and part my own reaction to the title actually/really, not THE ending of the film.

But you are entirely right that the "--back door..." bit I wrote was quite ass of me writing without a spoiler this soon after the premiere, since it does (even if only a little) allude to how it ends. So thanks for putting it in a spoiler!

Seriously! Do watch the film, don't mind what I posted. And again, sorry!
#918
Quote from: TordelBack on 17 July, 2014, 12:30:02 PM
Quote from: locustsofdeath! on 17 July, 2014, 11:49:21 AM
Quote from: Richmond Clements on 17 July, 2014, 10:59:47 AM
I had read this piece before seeing the movie and thought it badly written.
I was at a midnight showing last night - part of a double-bill with Rise, and re-reading this after actually seeing the movie (which is brilliant, and watched back to back with Dawn, is a remarkably different beast) this blog seems almost to be deliberately misreading just about everything in the two movies.

That blogger is bananas.

Nonsense!  He's opened my eyes at last to a hidden world of secret signs and subliminal messages!  Now I realise that Art Spiegelman is a vicious anti-semite, and as for that George Orwell, what he has against people who walk on two legs is anyone's guess...

Only good thing about that blog is that the frustration it gave me gave me a really good reason to not only take a very long walk, but also a longer swim...
#919
Besides the unlimited ammo in the rifles and the convenient "Oh okay buddy, I'll leave quietly through the back door now." ending between Malcom and Caesar before the apes kills off the humans. I quite liked it actually! While I didn't bring any popcorn with me to the theatre, it really was a good popcorn movie with a good message. I really liked how it showed the effects of negativity, how dangerous it can be when there's bad blood between people in desperate times.
#920
General / Re: Forthcoming Thrills!
12 July, 2014, 09:46:05 AM
Quote from: 8-Ball on 11 July, 2014, 10:18:36 PM
Urban Warfare? Oh, very good.

Haha, I didn't spot that at first. Goes with the titles of the Wyatt penned stories. Up, Rise. Under, Belly. A bit punny.
#921
General / Re: Forthcoming Thrills!
11 July, 2014, 10:01:18 PM
Dredd: Urban Warfare out 15 Feb 2015

Looks like a collection of the Dredd sequel comics. The movie tie in, Underbelly and Uprise.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dredd-Urban-Warfare-Henry-Flint/dp/1781083177/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405112205&sr=1-2&keywords=DREDD
#922
Quote from: Bat King on 11 July, 2014, 02:16:05 PM
It isn't a draft, it's the final copy - Jock's art is prior to casting so you'll see interesting differences in what some characters look like. It isn't all the same angles that an artist may have used if he'd done the art after the film. I should stress the 'may'.

Not that it ever was a question if I where to buy it or not. Will order it quite soon. Will make for a nice companion piece to the film :)
#923
Is the screenplay close to what's in the film? No Dredd giving Anderson a kiss of life or such?
#924
Books & Comics / Re: Whats everyone reading?
11 July, 2014, 06:52:13 AM
Quote from: Third Estate Ned on 10 July, 2014, 02:09:40 PM
I've just finished Case Files 12 and enjoyed it very much. I wasn't sure what to expect, after having just read through Case files 4, 8 and 9 (the order I bought them in), which are considered pretty solid collections going on the recommendations threads on here. In fact, CF4 is probably the most enjoyable I've read so far for originality and variety of stories.

One reason I approached 12 with less enthusiasm was after reading a couple of Douglas Wolk's views on the results of the Grant and Wagner partnership dissolving. As he puts it: "The script seems a bit off, tonally." The examples he gives are a self-doubting Dredd, which seems to jar, and Dredd addressing Hershey in an offhand manner ("Get lost, huh? I want to sleep.") I should add, though, that those views aren't representative of the whole review that he gives on the link. Another reason was that I had read some reader's comment somewhere that it was the worst art he had seen yet in the Case Files.

Maybe it was the lowered expectations but I really enjoyed the whole collection. I enjoyed the art throughout. This is not a point of view based on the knowledge of what makes well-executed and competent comic art but simply on my enjoyment of reading it. At the risk of making a superficial comment, I think the advent of colour helps for me. I'm not saying colour art automatically improves the quality. What I mean is, when I first started reading 2000 AD it was already in colour and I had no prior experience of the B&W strips, so that's how my initial impressions of what the quintessential strip should be were formed. I find a colour MC1 more immersive.

As regards the examples of tone given above, I appreciated the variation. In the example of Dredd's respect for Chopper causing him to hesitate, the story emphasises that the Chief Judge forgives Dredd because he succumbed to humanity, which he regards as natural. Instead, upsetting Dredd, the intervention of his humane streak resulted in unprofessional and irrational judgment. I didn't find the tone was awry, I found the anomaly of the change was addressed in the story. The fact it is out of character makes it more engaging. I also saw Dredd's offhand manner simply a more informal exchange between two judges who know each other well who can permit themselves to drop their guard once in a while (especially from a hospital bed). I see where Wolk is coming from, and it is only a minor point of his to demonstrate Wagner and Grant had to find their feet before getting back on track, but I found that breaking from the template worked in this case.

What really surprised me was seeing Dredd smile twice in one collection and the only other time I remember him smiling is in this this picture.

Onto Case Files 7 and 10 next (I know this order might make no sense but it's out of budget necessities).

You got some great stories ahead of you. If you like Dredd devolping think you'll like CF14-16. Dredd got quite interesting in those.

Also in Brothers of the blood - Total War - America or the recent Origins - Tour of Duty - Day of Chaos.

If you like Chopper I'd recommend the book Chopper: Surfs up, and that you read "Soul on Fire" and "Song of the Surfer" in it. Pure brilliance. But I consider the rest of the book "else world" as in never happened  ;)
#925
Good prog.

Best thing being Sensitive Klegg. Got a great send off. Lovely.
#926
Prog / Re: Prog 1888 Brass Sun returns
02 July, 2014, 11:11:22 AM
Only thing I could think off after reading this weeks prog was, Sensitive Klegg won. How can such a sad story be so much fun  :|?!
#927
Books & Comics / Re: Whats everyone reading?
27 June, 2014, 09:18:24 AM
Really feels like a Batman tale that'll grow with every reading. While I thought the story at times was a bit to casual about showing torture or the killing of prostitutes, I loved the pulpy and insane elements of it. The zur-en-arrh stuff is nothing short of brilliant, realizing that it was all there from the beginning!

Hope the Absolute versions Batman and Robin and Batman Inc (out this Dec.) will see more reasonable sized releases (size, not page count) someday. Time and Batman and Return of Bruce Wayne should get collected together also, a bit like Batman & Son and Black glove did (who should be collected with RIP)...

But yeah, enough of my wish thinking about being able to make my shelf looking nicer ;)

I definitely think Grant Morrison will score higher on lists in the future. I also hope/think Azzarello, his Knight of vengeance and Joker got some serious and fascinating sadness to them. And I can't wait to see what he'll do with his and Bermejo's upcoming Catwoman book.
#928
Prog / Re: Prog 1887 Private Hell!
27 June, 2014, 08:28:51 AM
Quote from: sauchie on 25 June, 2014, 09:36:04 PM
Quote from: Apestrife on 25 June, 2014, 09:13:50 PM
Trauma town ended on a high note for me. "Time to wake up." was one of the coolest endings I'v read in a while now.

Psi dude picked the right judge to contact regarding putting him out of his misery. Dredd must have killed or jailed half the named judges with whom he's shared a page.

Would be cool if further stories called that into question  :D
#929
Books & Comics / Re: Whats everyone reading?
25 June, 2014, 09:31:03 PM
I just finished Grant Morrison's Bat-epic. While not the best story I'v read, it certainly was very interesting and NEVER boring  :D

Even if a bit wonky told at times (Final crisis and Return of Bruce Wayne especially being a bit complicated to fit in on the overall story) I think it's really cool how well it read, no matter how much stuff Morrison threw at me in the pages. Wouldn't mind 2-3 Omnibuses collecting everything.

Thanks to this I'm very much looking forward to read his upcoming Wonder Woman story. 
#930
Prog / Re: Prog 1887 Private Hell!
25 June, 2014, 09:13:50 PM
Trauma town ended on a high note for me. "Time to wake up." was one of the coolest endings I'v read in a while now. Really wish Anderson Dead End could'v ended in a similar simple but brilliant way, as both stories shared a similar threat.

Rob and Simon's Time Twister also excelled. A real gem.

Need to read Indigo Prime soon. Really hope it reads as well as it's nice to look at :)