Thursday, June 27, 2013

Standing Ovation

...you just hold on a sec and I'll give it back.
...and here's a brand new poem called "Standing Ovation" for all the heart-breakers out there!

She said I best soon see a doctor
Cause she gave me a standing ovation
She told me that I really rocked her
And now I need some medication
Oh yeah, she always gives her loving for free
To the others, yeah, but never for me
And in my blindness I can finally see
That I unlocked the door with the wrong key

I saw her two hands clap together
When she gave me a standing ovation
And so I braced for stormy weather
To spread across the gypsy nation
Oh yeah, this kinda lovin' comes with a price
And you can leave it to the toss of the dice
...really?  For me?
But there ain't much time so better think twice
Yeah, a smarter man would listen to his own advice

It's a slow down, drag out, cool determination
With a knock down, get up, standing ovation
And the crowd is goin' crazy tryin' to find it's new beat
And they're swimming in an ocean full of crowded defeat
And you think you're so right but you're left in the calm
Until you're head over heels
And explode like a bomb
With a standing ovation

And that, as they say, is that!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Minnie's Wizard Of Dizz (review)

So yesterday I went to purchase Oz: The Great And Powerful for my wife.  She wanted to watch it on some sketchy streaming site, and I'm very comfortable with dropping twenty-two bucks on the Blu-Ray.  Sitting next to it on the shelf was Minnie's Wizard Of Dizz, and since I'm actually quite a fan of all things Oz, I had to pick it up.  It certainly doesn't hurt that Ryleigh, my two-year-old daughter, loves the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  The DVD comes with a couple extra episodes of that show, and some shorts of Minnie's Bow-Tique.  All of this was sixteen bucks.

I'll get you my pretty!
The Good:  It's all here.  It's another tribute to the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and all of the famous characters are re-imagined with the regulars from Mickey's Clubhouse.  Since we already know the story, it's easy for us adults to watch with our kids.  And to them, it's a special episode of a show they already like.  I especially liked Goofy as the Scarecrow.  What a perfect casting choice for the group member without a brain.  I'm not so sure how Donald is the Lion, but I guess he had to fit in there somewhere.

Honestly though, I laughed out loud at the "Chipmunchkins".  How clever.

The Bad:  There's really nothing new here.  Everyone from The Muppets to the Super Friends have re-imagined the Wizard of Oz, and most of the time it's heavily influenced from the Judy Garland movie.  I wish more homages gave more credit to the original Baum novel.  Not that I'm expecting a Disney character to start talking about how they want to eat babies like the original Cowardly Lion, but I'd give my kingdom to see a pair of silver slippers. 

The Verdict:  If you love the Wizard Of Oz and want to share it with your kids, this is a great starting point.  At any age, your kid might be able to watch the classic Judy Garland movie with all it's singing and dancing, but chances are your child isn't quite ready for the far superior Return To Oz (also by Disney), so this little Minnie Mouse movie is actually a great, condensed version of the story to see if your kid is interested in traveling to the far away land of Oz. 

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Review - Star Wars Infinities Omnibus

Today we take a look at a comic collection called Star Wars Infinities.  It's a neat idea that throws a "What If" into everyone's favorite trilogy.  What if Luke didn't blow up the Death Star?  What if Luke died on Hoth?  And what if Leia accidentally destroyed Jabba's palace?

"Hold me."
The Good:  These three stories are lots of fun to think about, especially if you were like me as a kid and actually used your classic Star Wars figures to create different stories that weren't in the movies.  I fondly remember the time Darth Vader teamed up with Cobra Commader, because those toys were the same size.  Anyway, much like the original Star Wars Trilogy, installments number one and two were excellent.  There's enough nostalgia and catch phrases thrown in there to make a little wookie happy.  The art is clean and pretty faithful to the actors in the flicks.

The Bad:  Well, they had the perfect opportunity to correct all of the mistakes made in Return Of The Jedi, and they squandered their chance.  I'm talking about Luke actually turning to the dark side like he should have, and those goddam Ewoks getting an arse full of lazer blasts.  That is all.

The Verdict:  It's easy to read, but only if you're a fan of the movies.  If you think your wife is gonna enjoy this stuff, be prepared to explain who Mon Mothma is.  I'm glad this was collected in paperback form, because, honestly, I wouldn't have bought the original issues when they came out.  Still, if you're excited for those new Star Wars movies coming, and you're also hungry for some nostalgia, and you want my personal guarantee that there's no Jar Jar Binks or "Noooooooo" in this story, then go ahead and check it out.