Saturday, June 23, 2007

I'm watching Batman on MeTV right now...

I've always thought this 1960s era Batman was the standard. When Batman came out in the movies theaters in 1989 thru 1995 and even with the animated series of the early 90s that aired on FOX Kids, I've always thought the 60s Batman was the standard. I don't remember when my standards changed.

I was more riveted by the animated Batman and Iwould later go see Batman Forever in 1995. I decided to get the three Batman movies already out on video. I even got to purchase from Best Buy, the animated Batman's feature film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. These were some great movies.

Hmm I should pull them out one day. I've already seen Batman Begins once too many times since I got that movie on DVD.

As for the 1960s Batman, well, I was watching them in the era when the darker and much less camp Batman was the style. I could still watch Adam West and Burt Ward on the FX network in the 1990s. These days I can settle for watching them every weekend on Channel 23 in Chicago.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

I forgot to review the Doctor Who TV movie

Let me start this post off this way. I don't know when I first discovered this show. I don't know what possessed me to find episodes on YouTube last year.

Whatever happened, I'm glad I did and I've been hooked ever since. And this Doctor Who TV movie was among maybe some of the first episodes I saw at YouTube too. It was pretty good but I was sad that I missed it when it first aired.

In 1996, that was when this movie aired on FOX, I was solidly a Star Trek fan. There were other sci-fi series I was fond of such as Babylon 5, Space: Above & Beyond (which was cancelled in 1996), Sliders, Seaquest DSV and others that I can't recall but they were around in those days.

It gives me a sense of nostalgia to not just consider what I've seen, but what I've missed. There are a lot of things I have nostalgia for, especially places I've been or wanted to go. Things that I used to see on TV or listened to on the radio. Now I have a cerain nostalgia for Doctor Who.

This TV movie was supposed to jump start a new Doctor Who TV series. It didn't happen, ratings didn't justify it, if I read correctly. If I had hoped there would be a series I would have watched, but then that would have been assuming I was a fan in the first place. At that time I couldn't say that I was a fan.

I was a fan of the aformentioned Space: Above and Beyond. Missing a few episodes between the first episode and the last, I really loved that series. Despite my viewership and of others, the show found itself cancelled after a full season.

I knew Doctor Who existed just as I knew Star Trek existed and I had to rediscover both. The internet helped me rediscover Doctor Who and Star Trek: The Next Generation helped me to rediscover the original Star Trek. What I did know though was that Star Trek used to be rerun on Channel 32 (WFLD-Chicago) at one point while one could see Doctor Who episodes on Channel 11 (WTTW-Chicago). And when these shows aired I couldn't say I was at the age where I could understand what was going on.

Anyway, I've meandered long enough. I've seen enough old episodes of Doctor Who to notice that the production values in the movie was doubled what I imagine many fans were used to. Which was great for a possible revival that finally happened in 2005.

In addition Paul McGann was a very loud and emotional Doctor. It was certainly fun watching him and like today's Doctors I can't imagine any of the old ones engaged in the action that McGann was. Even better though was the regeneration, Sylvester McCoy played the seventh doctor and it was safe to say that he went out the way I would have expected him too (that is to say, he went out in an eccentric fashion). Sad to see him go because I enjoyed Sylvester McCoy's portrayal of the Doctor.

We see the seventh Doctor become the eighth Doctor. Start kissing the woman who had unintentionally caused the death of his seventh incarnation. Engage in toying with history by giving people advice. Offering people jelly babies while at the same time engaging in a sleight of hand to take away a policeman's firearm.

And Eric Roberts as the Doctor's archenemy the Master was a very dark and scary portrayal. Somewhat playful but there was no doubt that the Master was evil. When you think about it though his portrayal at times seemed more like a comic book movie than I would have liked.

Anyway get this on DVD when you get the chance. You don't want to spend money then find it on YouTube. Maybe we might see the movie on TVLinks one day. They've started adding old Doctor Who episodes recently.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Doctor Who: The Movie (1996) - Part 1

Here I go with another Doctor Who post. This is the start of the Doctor Who movie that aired on the FOX network in May of 1996. A sign of things to come before Doctor Who returns as a TV series almost a decade later. Or at least I look at it that way.

Monday, June 04, 2007

I've ignored a favorite of mine here

Star Trek!!!!

One of my favorite Star Trek movies has an anniversary today!!!

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was released today 25 years ago. And it had been a fast 25 years. Perhaps I need to pop in that movie again just to mark this occasion. Then I should review it here. I haven't seen this movie in years.

Here's a video from the TrekMovie Report. Here's Star Trek 2 in 5 seconds...

Friday, June 01, 2007

I've just realized something...

I miss comic books. This thought occured to me when I went downtown and visited Graham Crackers Comics on Michigan and Madison. That's where I bought a majority of my books.

I would like to be able to buy comics again and see what's going on with Vertigo Comics, Action Comics, Detective Comics, and Marvel Comics. See what's up with my favorite Superheroes such as Batman, Superman, Green Latern, and so on and so forth. So many stories I have missed out on.

What's going on with them?