come and play

Coming soon to an intarwebz near you:

But until that site goes live, head over to TheJokerBlogs @ YouTube and watch!

Turn the page ...

Close the book ...

True Blood S02E01 -- teletalk and spoilers

(Cross-posted to LiveJournal)

[...]

Anna's acting aside (and I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this point), my sole complaint with the series was the [perfectly canon] possibility that Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) would not see the second series. He was my favourite character in the first series, and completely independent of his role in the book universe. Amazing actor, amazing character, just really entertaining and fun to watch.

Lafayette wasn't a major character in the books, and Charlaine Harris killed him off (in the first book, if memory serves me); but in the show, I think he has been much too well-loved by the audience to just get rid of him so carelessly. If the intro is anything to go by, perhaps Alan Ball has thrown that out the window. Fine by me ... [Edit: Still watching (10:31) ... am I writing too soon? Is he going to die in this episode? If he dies in this, I am going to FLIP.]

I can't help but feel a bit sad that it appears Jason (Ryan Kwanten) is going to be turning into a Jesus person Fellowship of the Sun member this season. He was such a fun little man-whore in the last series. Ah, well. Character development. C'est la fiction.

Also, if the YouTube BloodCopyCom viral campaign is any indication, we might see the second Great Revelation (weres and shifters making themselves known) sooner than the pace of the books would have it. In the books, it didn't happen until Dead and Gone.

Turn the page ...

Close the book ...

"Artistic Merit"

(Cross-posted to LiveJournal)

When last we saw him, Mr. J and Dr. Quinzel were meeting in the Arkham cafeteria for therapy (a perk after J's being attacked by Dr. Strange). This time, the Arkham staff are testing the therapeutic effects of art ...

New from TheJokerBlogs, "Artistic Merit":

The way he pauses at 3:51 is just perfect--going from anger to interest to flippancy to blank consideration to anger again with renewed artistic vigor. Along with his take on the Mona Lisa and a portrait of Jerry the giraffe (from a comic strip he did months ago), Harleen's portrait is posted on DeviantArt:


Harlequin by ~thejokerblogs on deviantART

The altered version is on Facebook: here.

Also the inclusion of Pearl (from Arkham Asylum, and voice work done by MsManagr) at the end made me smile.



More to do with TheJokerBlogs: I ordered what will hopefully be a better version of my WWJokerD T-shirt (a white T instead of green this time). Alas, the red text on the green shirt has not had a lasting power in the washing machine. The result is that, from not very far away, it just looks like a WWJD slogan--and this in spite of only ever washing it in cold water. So I'm going to "fix" it myself, as it's well beyond the 30-day return time limit set by CafePress, and MsManagr has given me the go-ahead to vandalise the hell out of it.

I think this is going to be fun. When it's done, I'll show and tell.

Turn the page ...

Close the book ...

harping on movies and music

(Cross-posted to LiveJournal)

[...] After a casual glance at yesterday ... yes, indeed, I do tweet at least once a day. I know it was overkill, but at least neither yesterday nor Saturday included my running commentary about Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ondskan, or True Blood. And there was a lot. There always is--and it only gets worse the more times I've watched. This is why I tend to watch movies alone. I should just have my own MST3K, really.

On the topic of Ondskan, by the by, for your consideration: Andreas Wilson. He's like a better-looking, better-acting [Swedish] Hayden Christensen. Don't give me a hard time about that, either. We all know he was about as dynamic as a block of wood in the Star Wars franchise, even if he is a doll-baby.

In hindsight, the question about modern music as a lullaby--What Nirvana, Pixies, Smiths or De La Soul number would you sing a small child to sleep with?--might have been more appropriate to address in a journal entry, as I certainly had more than 140 characters to say about it. As to where it came from, it was posed by TheAuteurs here. I would've done the "Reading the Movies" meme, but I don't really own any books about film (though I probably should, for how much I go on [and on and on] about it), apart from scripts and annotated screenplays.

More songs (inappropriate or not) that came to mind: The Doors' "Crystal Ship", STP's "Atlanta", Sarah McLachlan's "Angel", Massive Attack's "Teardrop", Chumbawamba's "Lullaby Demons" (which is a cheat, because "lullaby" is in the title, but I don't care) ...

Turn the page ...

Close the book ...

a question of taste

(Cross-posted to LiveJournal)

Regarding some of yesterday's tweets--

For whatever reasons he may have (in or out of character), @TheJokerBlogs asked his Twitter followers who their favourite artists were. And I responded, and you can see the response [on Twitter].

Now he wants to know our favourite work of art [...]

That's even more difficult than the first question, really. Art is so varied, I just don't see the point in narrowing down all mediums of art to one art form and then choosing a favourite in that category. I still responded--on YouTube, because there's no point in pretending that the answer will fit into 140 characters:

... Once again, I'm pretty sure I don't have a single favourite. The ParkeHarrisons' "Architect's Brother" [I cheated here, as this is an entire exhibit of their work, but, well, I love it.]. Füssli's "Nightmare". Bruegel's "Triumph of Death". Escher's "Eye". ... They're kind of cliché. Oh, well.

I'm wondering where all of this is leading. Is Mr. J planning to rob and/or vandalise an art gallery? Something else deviant and devious?
... Or is this just for "gits and shiggles"?

(Yes, keeping my language silly and clean for YouTube ...) And, honestly, I'm still quite certain that those aren't my "favourites". They're just ones I admire that I happened to think of at the time. More will probably rise to the surface as the day wears on.

So I'll pose the question to the people reading this: Who is your favourite artist (if you have one)? And what is your favourite work of art (again, if you have one)?

~*~

(Comments from LiveJournal)

Melissa: As far as art goes, I can't fairly say - my exposure is far too narrow to give a good opinion, I think.

Of artists I've *seen* though, I tend to lean toward Impressionists for personal preference. Something about the color use attracts my eye.

~*~



~*~

Nicole: I guess my favorite artist is Seurat, though I also really (strangely enough) like modern art in all its wackiness, especially Yves Klein.

~*~

Turn the page ...

Close the book ...

iMeme

(Cross-posted to LiveJournal)

Here are the rules - post this list on your [whatever] replacing my answers with yours.

48 Questions.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
The mother of God ("in one religion" - Eddie Izzard); and my father.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Ugh. Probably in Ikea. Though I almost cried during Up. The little old people remind me too much of my maternal grandparents.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
It's fine.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVO(U)RITE LUNCH MEAT?
Turkey, probably.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
This is a silly question.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Nevar!

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Maybe ... it would depend on the circumstances.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVO(U)RITE CEREAL?
Cocoa Puffs are pretty great, but I never eat them. I've been stuck on Kashi for a long time.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Not if I can help it.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVO(U)RITE ICE CREAM?
Chocolate chip is my usual standby. Sweet cream is good. So is coconut. None of the flavors with chunks of fruit in it, however (coconut flakes are different and more in a chocolate/vanilla category in my mind); fruit mixed into things grosses me out to no end.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Posture.

15. RED OR PINK?
Oh, I like Kat's answer. "Crimson."

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVO(U)RITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My introversion. [...]

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
The artists in my life. I never get to see them anymore.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
No, I don't care that much.

19. WHAT COLO(U)R PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Dark-wash denim and black with silver embroidery.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Last.fm -- "Dirty Business" - The Dresden Dolls

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
I'd be a clump of those mistreated crayons that they melt into cupcake papers in the oven.

23. FAVO(U)RITE SCENTS?
Anything that comes off clean pleases me. Sickly sweet things stay away!

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
I have no idea. I don't really use my phone for vocal conversations. Mayor Thomas M. Menino left a message on my voice mail the other day in promotion of the AIDS Walk--but I didn't talk to him.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Yeah, Kat's the best!

26. FAVO(U)RITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Um. No. I don't care.

27. HAIR COLO(U)R?
Light brown/dirty blonde.

28. EYE COLO(U)R?
Gray-blue.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Sometimes, but not often.

30. FAVO(U)RITE FOOD?
Junk, pizza ... I've lately had a return of my yen for wasabi peas, though they make me feel ill shortly after eating them.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
I am a film junkie and can be easily pleased by both of these things.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
House of Wax (the Vincent Price version).

33. WHAT COLO(U)R SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
A purple T-shirt over a black camisole.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
This depends on who's doing the hugging/kissing. Most of the time I don't want people touching me.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Oh, I have no idea, as I'm not going to be tagging anyone--but feel free to do it, if you wish.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
(Ditto. Sort of.)

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
A few different ones, but Wuthering Heights is the one I have with me (by virtue of the Stanza application on my iPhone).

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I don't have, nor do I need, a mouse pad. My mouse operates with a laser, not a roller ball.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
I didn't watch any actual television last night. I watched Secret Window on DVD when I got home, and then used the Netflix Instant Queue to watch House of Wax.

42. FAVO(U)RITE SOUND(S).
Music. Rain. The ocean. I don't know--the peaceful sounds you hear when there aren't any people around.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
My answer will change on any given day, and sometimes I'll probably say: "Neither."

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
South Island, New Zealand

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I don't know.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Pennsyltucky.

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
I don't really think I'll get any back.

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
HAHAHA.

Turn the page ...

Close the book ...

fanning the J flame

(Cross-posted to LiveJournal)

Don't get me wrong. I'm impressed with the following video. I even applaud them for borrowing heavily from The Killing Joke. But the other side of that is wondering exactly how much money was needed to fund this little project. They claim they're non-profit, but somebody is obviously pouring money into it (whether or not they're getting any back). Wealthy parents, ne?

I still prefer TheJokerBlogs (shocking, I know [/sarcasm]), because, well, he actually acts. When I watch him, I believe he's J. When I watch the above--well, it's girls lip-syncing in cosplay. Entertaining for what it is (a souped-up music video), but it doesn't make me believe in it.


[23:35 EDIT:
... I gave it further thought; and it's probably unfair of me to judge these two production groups on the same merit when their goals are not even remotely similar. The Hillywood Show seems geared for the spectacle, more focused on makeup and special effects (this is even more obvious in their other videos--and that they're very gifted at physically impersonating Johnny Depp characters, if not vocally so); whereas TheJokerBlogs is more interested in a realistically portrayed continued character and plot development of The Joker following The Dark Knight.

Hillary and Hannah want their own televised show. [-----] wants an acting (and, I suspect, writing/directing/producing) career.


Still, seeing what amazing things he does with the low budget he has, I'd be interested to see what he'd come up with if given the kind of budget that these girls seem to have.
END EDIT.]

Turn the page ...

Close the book ...