The "M" Stands For Mighty Part Thirteen

We're at a pivotal point with Mighty Max this week!  We get a conclusion to one of the major dangling plot threads, proving that even a "monster of the week" show can have some semblance of continuity.  We're also at the last episode I'm going to do for a while, as is does feel like the end of the first "season."  I'm not sure what will be next, it might be the second season of My Little Pony, or perhaps try to dig up some more The Neverending Story episodes.

It's a pretty safe bet I won't go for anything with Mario in it.

Maybe I'll just gather up a stack of random DVDs and pick one at random.

If anybody has a request, let me know!  I'll see what I can do to accommodate it.  And remember, the more painful it is, the more I'll resent you for it when I'm done.

But anyway, let's get right into the episode, because I can't wait to watch this one again.  It's one of the few I can honestly remember almost every scene from, and my inner cartoon fan (the younger version of it, anyway) is almost giddy.

"The Maxnificent Seven."  I see what you did there.

Warm Bodies

Hollywood has actually done a pretty good job converting the classic plays of Shakespeare over to more updated, modern styles.  For instance, 10 Things I Hate About You is pretty high on my "I enjoyed this" list, though that might also have to do with the fact that Julia Stiles is in it.  You have films like Forbidden Planet, My Own Private Idaho, O, The Lion King, all doing a really good job bringing his classic works into the modern day.  In fact, it's hard to think of any that were just simply a bad telling of his stori-oh wait.

...so, yeah, there is that.

Now, if any story has been done to death, it's Romeo and Juliet.  Two young people fall in love, their parents disapprove, and either love wins in the end or everybody dies.  If I just spoiled the plot, then shame on you.

So, how do you keep the story line interesting and fresh?  By taking the "Romeo dies" part and putting it at the beginning!

Here's my review of Warm Bodies.

Erik Eats Cereal: Apple Jacks

Maybe I was just strange when I was growing up, but I liked to actually know what it was I was putting into my mouth when I was eating.  Frequently, when my parents would serve me a new dish, I'd ask, "what is it?"  Then, upon receiving a response like moussaka, tetrazini, or polenta, I'd then repeat my question, "okay, but what is it?"

I think that might be why I was always leery of Apple Jacks when I was young, because there seemed to be a genuine conflict between the packaging and the advertising.

For instance, let's turn to special guest Julia Stiles:

Okay, so Apple Jacks don't taste like apples, right?  That's fine, Froot Loops don't actually taste like "froot," so I can live with that.  So what do they taste like?

Ask Erik: Episode Forty-Seven

Here at Ask Erik, we've spent a lot of time reading books and comics, watching movies and TV shows, and browsing through the Internet in the hopes of finding the answers to life's biggest mysteries.  Who had the original idea for a lottery?  Why do some cottons itch but others don't?  Why can't American TV programs do short seasons with clear beginnings, middles, and endings like British TV?

I mean, seriously, why would I watch Under The Dome when the mystery is "will they get out of the dome" and I can figure they probably aren't going anywhere if there's going to be a second season?  I mean, unless it's a metaphorical dome, but that'd be stupid.

Having instead amassed a vault of useless knowledge stored in his head, Erik instead tackles your questions and tries to find the answers you care about (or a reasonable facsimile).  Or, if you don't care, he'll at least try to make you laugh and forget you just wasted time you could spend doing anything else.

To Erik: You seem to like things that are "insane" but not "stupid."  What's the most insane comic you ever read?

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Anybody who read my review of the first Uncharted game knows I was less than generous with my language.  In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's in my top three worst game playing experiences, right up there with F-Zero for the GameCube and ... Well, third place is up in the air.  But I really hated playing that game.

So, with most second parts of stories being the best part of the trilogy (Godfather, Spider-Man, Nolan's Batman movies, Back to the Future, etc.), will this one change my mind and get me to like the characters, story, and whatever else it decides to throw at me?

Well, I'll spoiler this much: I didn't hate it.

The "M" Stands For Mighty Part Twelve

I think we all know my little speech by now, and I don't think anybody would deny that the late 80's and early 90s were a new golden age for animated television.  Every show did its best to claw out a niche in tightly packed schedules, knowing that if their ratings managed to slip for even a barest moment, they'd be thrown out for a few reruns of Bugs Bunny followed by the next big thing.

I mean, I think the Country Bears cartoon show only lasted one episode, at least that's how I remember it, anyway.

One that constantly falls under the radar of people looking back nostalgically is Mighty Max, a show that has so far managed to pay an homage to the Aliens franchise, Norse mythology, and now John Carpenter's The Thing.

You know, for kids!

Podblast! Eban Schletter's Fantastical Musicorium

Every now and again my attention gets grabbed by something small.  It might be the origin of those YKK zippers that seem to be on every article of clothing owned by everybody everywhere, or a single minor actor or actress that I recognize from more than one thing.  Every now and again, though, it's music that catches my ear, and when I discover that someone's doing something new and exciting with an instrument that's not really in the public eye, I get intrigued.

For instance, I've been following the news story of the man whose rare bamboo flutes were either destroyed or lost by customs agents, putting him out of a job with quite some interest because I find the fact that he could make them fascinating.

Another instrument I find interesting is the theremin, an instrument that seems extremely corny until you hear it performed by someone with great skill.  Such is Eban Schletter, the most unusual name I'll probably ever put on my blog.