Thursday, December 16, 2010
Final project
Hooray! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Uh2WfSWiKIJvqVkQWGp5Q0a9g93gwrHcZ4mFaE00QPo/edit?hl=en#
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Comics to movies, comics to shows, shows to comics
Comic books have inspired movies for at least the last forty years, to my knowledge. It wasn’t until ten years ago, however, that every third movie released was bitten directly from a comic book. I use the word “bitten” as opposed to “inspired” only because of the deluge that has resulted. These days, it seems an inspiration of unoriginality to make movies from comic books. It seems to be more the effect of Hollywood writer’s block instead of a genuine desire to take this great saga and amazing artwork and transfer it to live action. Live, hmm… interesting choice of words given the percentage of these films that owe all credit to the minds behind computer graphics.
Ok, ok, I’ll admit it, I like a lot of these films. They are jolly good fun, but I still cannot justify coughing up ten bucks to see them. I will wait for Netflix.
Anyways, I would love to have a discussion with students about the effectiveness of transfer from comic books/graphic novels to live action films (X-Men, Punisher, Hulk, V for Vendetta, Sin City), the transfer of television programs to comic books (The Simpsons, The X-Files), and comics transferred to television programs (Dilbert, The Boondocks, Garfield).
I am currently reading the Watchmen and plan to see the movie soon. I have had discussions with people about how to watch film adaptations of books. The consensus is that they are different pieces of art and should not comment on each other, too much. This is the consensus among my friends and colleagues; what will students think? And what will students think about the other adaptations? Are they able to read a Simpsons comic book without hearing Nancy Cartwright and Hank Azaria’s voices? Do they even have the desire to read the comics if they can just watch the show? Is any of The Simpsons’ magic lost in the comic book?
What about The Boondocks? In one week of daily comics, The Boondocks tries to cover a social issue. The dialogue is snappy, because the frames only allow for so much of it. Is the dialogue in the show as snappy now that they have a half hour to fill? Or does Huey’s cynicism just get played out? Was this an effective adaptation?
And Spiderman? Tobey Maguire is a cutey. Kirsten Dunst is lovely. Great, more good looking people on the big screen. How is the story? Is there too much focus on the relationship and not enough on the ethics of vigilante justice? Are students able to separate their opinions of the comic book when watching the film? Can they view them as two separate pieces of art? Can they separate what they know about Tobey Maguire from the Peter Parker that he is playing? This last question brings up a debate that our class had last week: what importance should viewers put on the actors and actresses playing the characters? They aren’t the character. The film is about the characters, not the actors and actresses. Does a live action adaptation of a comic book screw this up?
Big questions for classroom discussions.
Ok, ok, I’ll admit it, I like a lot of these films. They are jolly good fun, but I still cannot justify coughing up ten bucks to see them. I will wait for Netflix.
Anyways, I would love to have a discussion with students about the effectiveness of transfer from comic books/graphic novels to live action films (X-Men, Punisher, Hulk, V for Vendetta, Sin City), the transfer of television programs to comic books (The Simpsons, The X-Files), and comics transferred to television programs (Dilbert, The Boondocks, Garfield).
I am currently reading the Watchmen and plan to see the movie soon. I have had discussions with people about how to watch film adaptations of books. The consensus is that they are different pieces of art and should not comment on each other, too much. This is the consensus among my friends and colleagues; what will students think? And what will students think about the other adaptations? Are they able to read a Simpsons comic book without hearing Nancy Cartwright and Hank Azaria’s voices? Do they even have the desire to read the comics if they can just watch the show? Is any of The Simpsons’ magic lost in the comic book?
What about The Boondocks? In one week of daily comics, The Boondocks tries to cover a social issue. The dialogue is snappy, because the frames only allow for so much of it. Is the dialogue in the show as snappy now that they have a half hour to fill? Or does Huey’s cynicism just get played out? Was this an effective adaptation?
And Spiderman? Tobey Maguire is a cutey. Kirsten Dunst is lovely. Great, more good looking people on the big screen. How is the story? Is there too much focus on the relationship and not enough on the ethics of vigilante justice? Are students able to separate their opinions of the comic book when watching the film? Can they view them as two separate pieces of art? Can they separate what they know about Tobey Maguire from the Peter Parker that he is playing? This last question brings up a debate that our class had last week: what importance should viewers put on the actors and actresses playing the characters? They aren’t the character. The film is about the characters, not the actors and actresses. Does a live action adaptation of a comic book screw this up?
Big questions for classroom discussions.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Feeling a little misanthropic
The music video for the Pearl Jam song "Do the Evolution" messed up my head when I first watched it 11 years ago. It still messes with my head a little, but in the best way possible. The music video is animated by Todd McFarlane and is basically a montage of past, present, and future examples of how the human race is immature, destructive, and ultimately doomed. Yah, charming. It works though. As cynical as the video is, it touches on a lot of truths. Had this been the first song I ever heard by Pearl Jam, I would definitely have been sold by this video. However, I had already heard plenty of songs by Pearl Jam prior to seeing this video and had already decided that I did not like them. This might be the only song that I like by them, but I like this song A LOT.
Be forewarned, this video is jarring.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDaOgu2CQtI
Be forewarned, this video is jarring.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDaOgu2CQtI
The Decline: A Punk Rock Masterpiece
Around the time that cynicism took me in out of the cold--freshman year of high school--I began listening to punk rock. Although I giggle a bit at how seriously my friends and I took ourselves, the music and lifestyle was incredibly formative for us and honestly saved me from a very boring suburban teenage life.
Punk rock caught me with its speed, angst, humor, and cheap concerts. Whereas many people I knew attended only one or two concerts per year, either because the bands they liked rarely toured or because the ticket prices were just so absurdly high, my friends and I went to several concerts per month, and had money left over to get high. That last sentence was pretty long, I know, but read it at the speed of a punk rock song and it won't seem as run-on.
Punk rock concerts were very important to my social circle. They were our physical, emotional, intellectual, and dare I say spiritual, release. We liked being sweated on. We like getting bruises. We liked having a hoarse voice at school the next day. This was all very important to us. A lot of times punk rock and friends were all that seemed to matter. Goddamn, this sounds so freakin sentimental.
At the age of 26, there is still a feisty little punk swinging fists in my heart. A song that still brings him out is The Decline by LA based punk grandfathers NOFX.
The song, as the title suggests, is about the decline of America, a common theme in punk rock. However, this song is actually well written. As much as I will preach punk, I will admit that many punk lyrics are pretty childish. Not The Decline.
Talk to damn near any punk and they will tell you that The Decline is a punk rock masterpiece. In a music genre where songs rarely, and I mean rarely, last longer than three minutes, The Decline churns out 18 minutes of speed, slow downs, and a variety of other musical techniques rarely incorporated by punk bands. NOFX, those cheeky bastards, played a trick on the punk genre by putting out this one long song as an EP. They were not the first punk band to play a long song--the Subhumans played a song just short of 17 minutes--but they can call claims to the longest punk song.
The lyrics of The Decline cover issues ranging from the US prison system, drug laws, gun control, the education system, religious institutions, the media, patriarchy, and homophobia. As a teenager looking for something to fight, The Decline was basically a menu for me to choose from. It was because of punk songs like The Decline that I actually paid attention in some my classes. I made connections between what I was hearing from my music and what I was learning in my social studies and English classes, and it was exciting. Punk rock made school seem worth my time.
For years I have planned to teach The Decline in my English class. Each issue raised in the song could be a hour-long discussion in itself, but I would also like to teach the song as a piece of art breaking traditional form. The Black Arts Movement broke traditional form with their poetry, Warhol with his art, and NOFX with a 18 minute long punk rock song.
Below are links to parts 1 and 2 of the decline. Remember, it is 18 MINUTES LONG, and it isn't worth your time to only listen to part of it. If you are going to listen to this absolutely amazing song set aside a full 18 minutes.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCz8PNvABO0
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM6KF_Pz0mc&feature=related
Punk rock caught me with its speed, angst, humor, and cheap concerts. Whereas many people I knew attended only one or two concerts per year, either because the bands they liked rarely toured or because the ticket prices were just so absurdly high, my friends and I went to several concerts per month, and had money left over to get high. That last sentence was pretty long, I know, but read it at the speed of a punk rock song and it won't seem as run-on.
Punk rock concerts were very important to my social circle. They were our physical, emotional, intellectual, and dare I say spiritual, release. We liked being sweated on. We like getting bruises. We liked having a hoarse voice at school the next day. This was all very important to us. A lot of times punk rock and friends were all that seemed to matter. Goddamn, this sounds so freakin sentimental.
At the age of 26, there is still a feisty little punk swinging fists in my heart. A song that still brings him out is The Decline by LA based punk grandfathers NOFX.
The song, as the title suggests, is about the decline of America, a common theme in punk rock. However, this song is actually well written. As much as I will preach punk, I will admit that many punk lyrics are pretty childish. Not The Decline.
Talk to damn near any punk and they will tell you that The Decline is a punk rock masterpiece. In a music genre where songs rarely, and I mean rarely, last longer than three minutes, The Decline churns out 18 minutes of speed, slow downs, and a variety of other musical techniques rarely incorporated by punk bands. NOFX, those cheeky bastards, played a trick on the punk genre by putting out this one long song as an EP. They were not the first punk band to play a long song--the Subhumans played a song just short of 17 minutes--but they can call claims to the longest punk song.
The lyrics of The Decline cover issues ranging from the US prison system, drug laws, gun control, the education system, religious institutions, the media, patriarchy, and homophobia. As a teenager looking for something to fight, The Decline was basically a menu for me to choose from. It was because of punk songs like The Decline that I actually paid attention in some my classes. I made connections between what I was hearing from my music and what I was learning in my social studies and English classes, and it was exciting. Punk rock made school seem worth my time.
For years I have planned to teach The Decline in my English class. Each issue raised in the song could be a hour-long discussion in itself, but I would also like to teach the song as a piece of art breaking traditional form. The Black Arts Movement broke traditional form with their poetry, Warhol with his art, and NOFX with a 18 minute long punk rock song.
Below are links to parts 1 and 2 of the decline. Remember, it is 18 MINUTES LONG, and it isn't worth your time to only listen to part of it. If you are going to listen to this absolutely amazing song set aside a full 18 minutes.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCz8PNvABO0
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM6KF_Pz0mc&feature=related
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