Back Down Disney's Black Hole

Not quite as memorable as the Millennium Falcon, the Cygnus
 rests on the edge of a... BLACK HOLE!

Prior to enacting their modern creative approach of "If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em" that paved the way to their acquisition of Pixar then Marvel and finally the Star Wars franchise rights, Disney, then not nearly the juggernaut they are now, attempted to begin their own science-fiction, adventure franchise with The Black Hole (1979).

Following the huge success of the original Star Wars in 1977, every television and movie studio was looking to get in on the profits and the House of Mouse was no different. It probably seemed an easy enough task given the superficial formula Lucas had laid out in his film. Unique, toy-ready robots? Check. Rakish, bad-boy hunk? Check. Respected European actor in a key role? Check. Potentially iconic villain-in-mask? Check.

Disney's The Black Hole, directed by Gary Nelson (whose previous effort was the original Freaky Friday in 1976), was released in 1979 featuring performances by Oscar-winning actors Maximilian Schell (Judgement at Nuremberg, 1961) and Ernest Borgnine (Marty, 1955), as well as respected actor Anthony Perkins, best know as Norman Bates in Psycho (1956). The voices of the main robot characters are provided by Roddy McDowall and Slim Pickens.

Giant bad robot Maximilian and Dr. Hans Reinhardt played by Maximilian Schell.

A financially successful cinematic space opera was not, however, meant to be. As I came across my ancient (36 years!) 80 card complete set of trading cards released by Topps in support of the film's release, my own memories of seeing The Black Hole in theaters were neither warm nor fuzzy. Apart from the robot characters voiced by familiar genre voices, the film, like the trading cards, left me cold. Of course, many years later, the awkward tone of the film (with some rather mature philosophical ideas for a Disney film) reflected in poorly designed (repetitive images and story summaries out of order) trading cards can thank the warming effect of nostalgia for my even revisiting them. Sometimes even "bad" movies or collectibles find a place in one's heart for the period of time they fleetingly capture.

B.O.B. (BiO-sanitation Battalion), a battered early model 
robot voiced by Slim Pickens.

Our heroes led by V.I.N.CENT ("Vital Information Necessary CENTralized") 
voiced by Roddy McDowall.

V.I.N.CENT. and Captain S.T.A.R.("Special Troops/Arms Regiment") 
played by Tom McLoughlin.

Maximilian listening in on Dr. Alex Durant (Anthony Perkins) 
and scientist Dr. Kate McCrae (Yvette Mimieux).

One of three color-coded puzzles to be constructed using the backs of the trading cards.

V.I.N.CENT ("Vital Information Necessary CENTralized")
in action!

The climactic battle between Maximilian and V.I.N.CENT!

I vividly remember being weirded-out by the image (strangely not captured in the trading card set) of the movie's villain, Dr. Reinhardt, encased in the robotic shell of his chief minion, Maximilian, floating above a hellish landscape at the climax of the movie. Even reading the story summary below, suggests that the filmmakers were going for something "deeper" than a standard sci-fi action/adventure movie.perhaps. The "Or should I say the beginning?" commentary points to the intention to continue the story of the crew, a sequel that has been forever left to the imagination.

On second thought, maybe these cards aren't so bad...

Oddly, the Story Summaries on the backs of some cards are 
presented out of chronological order and therefore not aligned with 
the images on the front. The warning at the bottom 
warns you about it, too!

A Training Milestone (of Sorts)

The 10 mile route around Rochester I ran this morning.

Like many, each day after running I write down the weather, distance covered, intended pace, actual pace, as well as any goals I may have had for each run. (Though I use online resources for the information, I still enjoy writing the info and reflection in pen and paper rather than using one of the running social networks.) Following this morning's 10-mile jaunt, and after adding up this week's mileage, I realized that I have now covered 502 miles since getting back into things 25 weeks ago on February 15.

The total includes the training runs, two half-marathons, one 10k, one 15k and one 5-miler I've competed in since, resulting in a straight average of 20 miles weekly during 3-4 runs (one of which is generally a longer run accounting for 40-50% of total mileage). Though I fear jinxing myself, I am glad to have slowly returned to a consistent, meaningful training pattern, and am pleased to have chosen to work through a few different plans in an effort to find that which works best. As always, the challenge will be continuing to maintain the effort once school (work) begins anew in September, but I remain confident that it will happen.

First Time Long Time (About Time)

I've realized what I need to do if I'm feeling down-in-the-dumps, and it is an opportunity that has been right in front of me for (too?) many years. This morning, after signing up for and running a multitude road races over the past ten(!) years, I finally took advantage of the opportunity to volunteer at one.

I have attempted to fill my summer break with personal challenges (reading, exercise, projects, and so on), and when I received an e-mail looking for volunteer road marshals for a local 5k, I took the bait. I have often talked about my desire to contribute to the local race community (other than coaching), but when I do go to watch a run without participating, I feel awkward for not running myself. Fortunately for me, this morning's 5k was a women's only race (with one man earning a spot via lottery), so the frustration of watching was ameliorated. Well, that and I woke up early to run on my own.

From the perspective of a race participant, I try to thank as many volunteers during a race as my breath will allow, naively believing that the good karma generated would help me during the race's last miles. On the surface, I suppose it may appear to be a thankless role (though I would not make it through most races without the encouragement they offer). That superficial assumption on my part could not be more inaccurate.

In addition to the free t-shirt (pic to the left), I was pleased to see that so many of the runners were also inclined to sincerely thank volunteers for helping out. As a road marshal, I was assigned a side street to "close" during the race and to direct any traffic that might try to get through. I was incredibly fortunate to also have a police officer working the corner with me (that doesn't sound right, does it?), and together we cheered for each runner as they passed by. We were stationed just before the 2-mile mark so there were plenty of "Great job, ladies!", ""Over half-way there!", and high-fives to be shared.

We in the Rochester, New York running community are VERY fortunate to have a number of high quality race promoters/organizers each of whom make the ability to volunteer easy and non-threatening (scary!), and ultimately rewarding. I would venture to guess that regardless of where you live, you have a great race promoter in you area, too. If like me, you experience some social anxiety, I strongly recommend volunteering at a local road race as a means of giving back. If nothing else, the anonymous "thank yous" received, and the experience of interacting with members of the community like police officers and spectators, is a very positive. I am glad that I finally took the step to help out and look forward to doing so again in the future.

Revisiting the FF's Rise & Fall

Unable to find a trailer on YouTube for Fantastic 4: Rise of the
Silver Surfer but each official one had embedding to share as
"disabled by request." These are just some of my credentials.

This Friday, the third attempt at establishing a "successful" film franchise for Marvel Comics' First Family will be released when Josh Trank's Fantastic Four hits the screens. Though never released theatrically, yet available as a bootleg, I am including the famously low-budget effort, Roger Corman's 1994 The Fantastic Four in that total.  Somewhat surprisingly, despite making significant profits for distributor 20th Century Fox,  the last two Tim Story-directed Fantastic Four films have been deemed "failures" worthy of being forgotten.

While I will see Trank's film in theaters opening weekend, and having seen each film iteration of the team's exploits, I still maintain that the criticism levied against both Fantastic Four (2004) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) is unwarranted. In truth we may never get a big-budget film that reflects the classic FF story as closely as the 2007 sequel. While I hope to be entertained this weekend at the movies, from what little footage that has been made available (all the trailers/ads seem to consist of the same two minutes of film re-edited), because the filmmakers opted to go the Ultimate Universe route, my optimism is muted.

I write here, however not to bury the new Fantastic Four movie, but to praise the previous one. Chances are that if you've read this far you know the basics of the plot to 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer: The Fantastic Four (Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis) learn that they aren't the only super-powered beings in the universe when they square off against the powerful Silver Surfer (Laurence Fishburne and Doug Jones) and the planet-eating Galactus while their old nemesis, Doctor Doom (Julian McMahon) waits in the wings. Whether you "like" either film, it is clear that Rise of the Silver Surfer is a much more confident film than the first; the returning cast is much more comfortable in their respective roles, and without the need to address (again) the origin story, the narrative moves on to a more interesting "World's Greatest Comic Magazine" story.

Beyond relative vagaries of "like" or "dislike," there seem to be four quibbles that fanboys have with Story's films, as exemplified in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and I'll take them individually. Not surprisingly, the majority of the perceived issues I'll address reflect the process of difficulty in bringing to life cinematically those characters that so many have visualized in their imaginations for many years.

• An inconsistent or "silly" tone. In retrospect, Story's take may have been ahead of it's time. Released during the popularity of the grittier, psuedo-intellectual Christopher Nolan Batman films, some may not have been ready to have fun with superheroes, at least the way they are now (see last summer's The Guardians of the Galaxy for further evidence). Rise successfully evokes the classic humorous mood reflected in the camaraderie and affection our characters have for one another.  Story and his cast nail the characterization of each teammate. Many rightly pointed to the excellent dynamic between Johnny Storm (Chris Evans) and Ben Grimm (an underrated Michael Chiklis), but upon repeated viewings I have grown to appreciate Gruffudd and, especially Alba's, performances too. Alba plays Sue as strong, sweet and intelligent. As a longtime comic book fan, Alba's Sue is developing into the field leader the Invisible Woman has since become, and I only wish they'd had the courage to allow Alba to play the role without the faux blue eyes and blonde hair (an option co-star Chris Evan's apparently did have). When depicting the smaller moments in the life of Marvel's First Family, the comedic elements are brought to the forefront. The tone suitably shifts to a more serios one when telling the Surfer/Galactus story. Much like Ant-Man (2015), Rise is consistently inconsistent in tone, which is to suggest it honors both necessary aspects of the source material (if not seamlessly) that the narrative dictates.

Note Ben Grimm's size relative to his teammates in the Kirby
influenced panel to the right and the shot from F4: RoSS.

• The Thing looks like a lumpy, "regular" guy with a skin condition. Actually, for what it's worth, Ben Grimm and the Thing (both played by Chiklis) look pretty much how they were originally envisioned by creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. While many would rather have had a CGI Thing (something they'll get with the new film), the decision to use a "suit" was pretty bold given what producers knew  movie goers might have expected to see. The fact that the Thing was not depicted as eight feet tall and five feet wide only helps to reinforce the greatness of the character; Ben Grimm is a man trapped in a deformed but powerful facade. Ben Grimm is a man who gift came at a cost, unlike his teammates. There is a scene in Silver Surfer where Johnny, having acquired the ability to switch powers with the team after tangling with the Surfer, becomes a "Thing" himself. Not just a goofy shot, Johnny's response to momentarily sharing Grimm's burden reminds us how strong Ben is not to snap completely given his permanent physical state. This was just one of many smaller moments that Story deftly weaves into the larger narrative that reminds the viewer that the four really are just "regular" folks caught up in fantastic circumstances.

Classic Marvel 616 Dr. Doom and
Doctor Doom from FF: RoSS as played 
by Julian McMahon.

• They messed up Doctor Doom. I had not seen Nip/Tuck prior to Julian McMahon playing Victor Von Doom, but having watched the six seasons since, I totally understand why the studio tapped him for the role. In Rise, Doom is written in a manner that better reflects the villain we love in the comic books, especially his manipulative nature and obsession with acquiring the power cosmic. Visually, the costuming (if not the power set) is without  a doubt spot on. For old school comic book fans, Doom's attire is very reminiscent of the updated look Doom acquired wa-a-a-a-ay back in the original Secret Wars (1984) limited series. For my money, McMahon successfully began to scratch the surface of what could have done with the character here, and if there was a weakness in his performance I would say the finger of blame would more fairly be pointed at the writers.

The introduction of the Ultimate Universe's Gah Lak Tus swarm
on the cover of Ultimate Extinction #3 and the Galactus cloud 
(recolored for enhancement in the still) in F4:RoSS.

• The Galactus "cloud"!? The director/producers couldn't win. They could have gone "full comic book" and given  us a gigantic, planet-eating man with a tuning fork on his head, or Ultimate Universe and introduce a horde of robotic drones operating with a shared hive mind. I think they actually went in the most reasonable direction, if one envisions the "cloud" as a "swarm" (though it was never fully detailed as such). The threat as presented in Rise is serious--Galactus is shown by the Silver Surfer to be capable of "eating" planets--a claim supported by Mr. Fantastic. 

With repeated viewings, the strengths of Tim Story's Fantastic Four films are clear: family friendly entertainment, that both honors the past and sensibly modernizes the story elements that might play as silly in a contemporary context. These qualities are sharpened in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), a film deemed a failure by fans despite winning it's opening weekend at the box office with a $58 million take, $2 million more than its predecessor. Ultimately, Rise ended its theatrical run by taking in nearly $290 million dollars on a $140 million dollar budget.

This weekend with Josh Trank's Fantastic Four the aesthetic elements others desired are going to be addressed: the Things is CGI, the tone is gritty and realistic, Doctor Doom is... well, you get the idea. Perhaps the younger, darker Ultimized version of the FF will connect with audiences and my favorites will finally be seen as the viable cinematic commodity comic book fans of the Four have always known them to be.

Source:
Wikipedia's FF: RoSS Entry

Backyard Birding

Male Blue Jay keeping an eye on American Tree Sparrow. (7/30/15)

I spend many hours a day during the summer watching the aviary (and rabbit) activity in our backyard from either the large windows in the kitchen or from our recently reconstructed open back porch. My wife, who is much more observant (and knowledgeable of bird-types), will often call me to the window if I am elsewhere in the house to tell me that "there is a Gold Finch on the feeder!" or "the rabbits are playing in the backyard!" Contrary to popular misinformation, despite living in a city, there is quite a bit of beauty to observe in the natural world daily. You do, however, need to look for it.

Blue Jays and squirrel vie for position. (7/30/15)

Over the course of the past week or so, I am happy to report a slight uptick in activity around our backyard bird feeders, of which we have three: one cylindrical feeder with traditional variety mix of seed, a second smaller cylinder with Nyjer seed and a third suet feeder. While a personal goal is to lure the more "exotic" (i.e. colorful) birds into range of my shaky lens, it is quite relaxing to observe any birds (yes, even the Sparrow mobs) stop by to interact with one another and the environment.

Female Northern Cardinal glides past squirrel on way to feeder. (7/22/15)

The uppity recreational backyard birder in me would LOVE to see more Woodpeckers and Gold Finches, but the truth is that all birds "gotta eat." As much as I love seeing rabbits in the yard (and they are often within the field of vision of the frames shared here), it would be unfair for me to begrudge the squirrels their due too. This of course, doesn't deter me from attempting to minimize their gorging by using peppered feed and suet (which works better than you'd expect).

Tree Sparrow rests amid conifer branches. (7/23/15)

Downy Woodpecker makes an appearance! (7/31/15)

Downy Woodpecker observes... (7/31/15)

... a mob of gorging Tree Sparrows, which chase him 
from the feeder! (7/31/15)

Male (upper) and Female (lower) Northern Cardinals assess the situation 
from electrical wires. (7/22/15)

Common Male Grackle stops by for a set. (7/17/15)

Female Northern Cardinal, striking in a subdued, earthy way. (7/22/15)

From coloring to call, nothing subtle about the Male Northern Cardinal.(7/22/15)

Gray Catbird--the angler minimizes the generally longer , 
narrow beak.(7/25/15)

The ubiquitous but sharp American Robin. (7/22/15)

Omnipresent visitors: Tree Sparrows and squirrels. (7/22/15)

In a few short weeks, I will return to coaching and school, and with the change of scenery will come a shift in lens. Rather than staring out into our backyard, I will have the parks the girls team and I train at, as well as the courtyard my second-floor classroom window looks out into. There I will attempt to sneak peaks into the trees during the day. Whether at home or t school I look very forward to catching a glimpse of an uncommonly, beautiful bird or the beautiful in the common bird.