It feels appropriate to be writing about Superman on Father’s Day. Unlike most superheroes on the page and screen, Clark Kent was fortunate to have two very decent fathers who cared deeply for their son.   

I remember seeing Superman in the theater during Christmas of 1978, and although I was only five years old – it filled me with a sense of wonder and joy that remains to this day.  It didn’t occur to me exactly why Superman resonated so strongly until high school, when I realized that I wanted to be like Clark Kent: write by day and help people in my spare time. I did not aspire to become a superhero of course, but I always felt like it was my destiny to make a small difference in this world; someway, someday, somehow. [Side note: both dreams are still a work in progress!]

Superman was always my favorite superhero because he was earnest, sweet and a bit awkward (both as Clark Kent and Superman). Because despite losing his planet and birth parents as a newborn, he was never driven by darkness. Unlike Batman and Spider-Man (among countless others), he did not witness the murder of family members. The Superman that I grew up with on screen was all heart and family. He was motivated by saving lives and by peace. He wasn’t perfect, but his flaws always seemed more human, more relatable.

Clearly, my expectations for Man of Steel were exceedingly high.  

Before diving in to the issues I had with Man of Steel, I would like to highlight the short list of what I loved about the film: All scenes on the Kent farm. The flashbacks. Cavill, Costner and Crowe. The Krypton tech. The updated Superman, Jor-El and Zod suits/costumes. 

My first red flag about the new incarnation of Superman was the title. I had a sinking feeling that the Steel would represent his heart and disposition far more than previous versions; that this would indeed be a darker, more contemporary world.  I didn’t mind delving deeper into the Superman origin story and mythology, as Man of Steel does. I just found myself quite disturbed by the unrelenting darkness. To me, Clark Kent is not and will never be Bruce Wayne - nor should he follow in that path.

There will be some who blame the look and feel of Man of Steel on producer Christopher Nolan or director Zack Snyder.  Frankly, I love and admire many of their films, including the Dark Knight trilogy. But I just didn’t expect or want the new Superman to have the same gloom and doom soul and style.  I know that it was wishful thinking on my part to believe that any ounce of essence from the first Superman films would be alive in the new franchise. 

As is the case with Gotham, Metropolis is obviously New York City. No matter how far removed in time we are from September 11, 2001 – the traumatizing imagery and lost lives remain firmly in our minds and hearts forever. Man of Steel is not the first movie since that date to feature the massive destruction of NYC, but the fight scenes in this particular film were unnecessarily long and borderline gratuitous.  Honestly, I found them to be so distracting that I actually started wishing for Superman to fail.  When the final Good vs. Evil scene started to unfold, I was reminded of my least favorite contemporary action franchise: Transformers. My heart sunk and broke with that realization. 

Earlier in the film, Clark rescues different groups of people from various disasters; reminiscent of the Superman that I grew up idolizing. It gave me hope for the direction and outcome of Man of Steel.  The general goal in every superhero movie is to capture or kill the Bad Guy (in this case, Zod) in order to prevent world destruction. But the Superman of old cared about the consequences, about the collateral damage.  In pursuit of Zod, this Clark Kent was careless; responsible for the loss of more lives on screen than I can recall in any superhero movie in recent memory. Distracting, depressing, distressing. 

In addition, the first three Superman films contained what I believe to be an essential element in superhero and action films: humor. While Man of Steel is not entirely humorless, there is a noticeable void in that department. Films like Iron Man, The Avengers and the rebooted Star Trek franchise are far more enjoyable because they balance the action and destruction with comedic moments that are necessary to break up the bleak. 

Although it was more fitting of the era at the time, I loved and preferred Terence Stamp’s arguably campy portrayal of General Zod in Superman II to Michael Shannon’s menacing Zod in Man of Steel. Perhaps if Shannon, who is terrific on Boardwalk Empire and in films like Take Shelter (2011), was given a dash of humor and less one-note, angry avenging villain material to work with – I would have appreciated the modern take more. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that there is one line of dialogue in Man of Steel that was eye-roll inducing; that reminded me of a Michael Bay film.  I don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t seen it yet, but it was delivered at the end of the film by a female military captain.  It was a ridiculous, throwaway line - completely unnecessary and yet another distraction from the story. 

If Man of Steel was created in part as a set up for a Justice League movie, a la The Avengers, it felt more cold than organic (compared to the Iron Man, Captain America franchises, etc.).  

Man of Steel presents a Superman for a new generation, but not for mine. I just need to accept that warmth, humor and heart have been replaced by darkness and destruction, and move on. I shall continue to love the Clark Kent from my childhood, no matter how they present him in the sequel(s). 

Not sure if I’ve linked to my new podcast here on Tumblr, so here are the details!

TV Write Now features interviews with today’s top television writers; highlighting the process from page to screen, exploring their backgrounds and analyzing their current shows. Basically, I get to chat about my favorite medium with my heroes - the rockstars who create the shows and characters that we all love. My style is not necessarily polished, but certainly passionate!

This week featured special guest Graeme Manson, the co-creator and executive producer of the ridiculously stellar series Orphan Black. We had a fantastic conversation about the inspiration for and creation of the amazing clones on the show, his influences (hello Alias and The X-Files!), and the incredible Tatiana Maslany. 

My next podcast will be with Bates Motel showrunner and executive producer Carlton Cuse! Some of you might be familiar with his work from a little show called LOST. Believe it or not, this will be the very first time that I will ever officially interview him. :)

The podcast is available for download via iTunes (although they are quite slow to upload the latest on the day I publish them). You can also always listen to each directly through the TV Write Now site. 

Thank you for listening…or considering it! 

fuckyeahlost:

J.J. Abrams visiting the Downton Abbey set. (via @bad_robot)

WORLDS & FANDOMS. COLLIDING. Yes, please. 

There are two things that I openly love: supporting charitable organizations and Bad Robot. So on occasion when the two merge, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to attend or contribute. 

Last week the official Bad Robot art show opened at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. Not only does it feature stunning original pieces highlighting the various film and television projects produced by Bad Robot, the proceeds from the art sale will benefit The Mission Continues. I continue to be extremely impressed by the very generous spirit of Bad Robot, as they host and support many charity events year-round. 

To be honest, the primary reason that I buy unique pop culture items is to try and get them signed and then save them for my future Cancer Gets LOST charity events. That being said, I do hold on to certain pieces for my own collection!

Here are the items I was fortunate to able to purchase from the Bad Robot show (with help from my CGL co-founder Jared)! Most will be featured in our next CGL event, but some will adorn my very geeky office wall. 

1. SYDNEY BRISTOW (ALIAS) print

Artist: Jason Edmiston

2. ASTRID (FRINGE) print

Artist: Mona Collentine

3. WHATEVER, VAN! (LOST) print

Artist: Reza Rasoli 

4. BAD ROBOT, GOOD ROBOT print

Artist: Daniel Nyari

5. JOIN DHARMA (LOST) print

Artist: Matt Chase

6. LONELY ROBOT print 

Artist: Anonymous Ink & Idea

7. “UNCOVERED” (LOST) Original ink on paper 

Artist: Justin Santora

8. “ALL I HAD” (LOST squirrel baby) Original ink & watercolor

Artist: Dan Goodsell

9. “MAKE YOUR OWN KIND OF MUSIC” (LOST) print

Artist: Joey Spiotto

It’s my annual lazy list of favorite shows! 

Alphabetically, of course: 

1. Breaking Bad [magnets, toilet revelations, train heists!]
2. Dexter [back on track and a vast improvement from the previous season]
3. Fringe [final season is a love letter to dedicated fans, an emotional & incredibly satisfying journey]
4. The Good Wife [yes: Maura Tierney! no: Kalinda’s husband!]
5. Happy Endings [the only comedy to make my list, and the only show that makes me laugh out loud many times per episode]
6. Homeland [just as suspenseful, meticulously written and chock full of spectacular performances as S1; Mandy Patinkin - holla!]
7. Justified [the hat, the quick draw, the southern drawl, the trashy villains]
8. Once Upon a Time [heart-on-its-sleeve magical, with no apologies; the one show I escape blissfully into every week]
9. Parenthood [Monica Potter has been Emmy-worthy in every episode this season, which should be sponsored by Kleenex]
10. Person of Interest [future tech + weekly ass-kicking = consistently compelling and entertaining television]
11. Scandal [a surprisingly addictive, fast paced series that quickly graduated from guilty pleasure to must-see TV for me]
12. Sons of Anarchy [a tremendously subtle and impressive performance by Harold Perrineau, necessary yet brutal main character deaths and Jax’s troubled family ties made for one hell of an excellent ride this season]

Runners-Up: Arrow (action, adventure, abs!), Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Last Resort (RIP), Revolution (more focus on Elizabeth Mitchell and the adult characters, please) and The Walking Dead.

To each their own. This one just happens to be mine.

Happy New Year, nerds!

I am working on a top secret new project, and am in need of a little assistance in order to launch! Here is a purposefully vague description of what/who I’m seeking:

• A tech-savvy pop culture fan with audio/video and website editing skills and experience
• A trustworthy silent partner; someone who does not seek the spotlight but is available for and interested in tech support for a fun ongoing project

I would love to hear from you and see/listen to examples of your work. If you or anyone you know might be interested, please email me (jo at jopinionated dot com)! I’m looking to interview my potential new geeky silent partners over the phone, to get a true sense of personalities. 

For those of you who aren’t familiar with who I am or what I’m like - and to see if you think we may make a good team, I encourage you to peruse my websites or Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram - all of which you can find me under JOpinionated. 

Ideally, I’d like to start working with my new partner by November 1. I anticipate that the time commitment would be 2-3 hours per week. As of right now, this would be a volunteer position, but I might be able to pay a very small stipend down the line…

Thank you in advance for your consideration and for passing it on! I promise that this will be an entertaining and enjoyable project. 

In the interest of time (I don’t have much), I created a list of the returning and new shows that I will be watching. Every year I do this for myself, but a few people have asked me to share it. If you’re seeking a more extensive calendar of all shows and networks, look at what TV Guide, The Hollywood Reporter and The Futon Critic have to offer.

I am very lucky to have the opportunity to watch screeners of almost all new network offerings, but this year very few were intriguing or strong enough to earn a season pass on my DVR. My favorite pilot was The Following, which doesn’t debut on FOX until early 2013. Other new Fall shows that have earned a season pass are noted with an * below.

SUNDAY

• 8pm: Once Upon a Time (ABC) 9/30
• 9pm: Revenge (ABC) 9/30
• 9pm: The Walking Dead (AMC) 10/14
• 9pm: The Good Wife (CBS) 9/30
• 9pm: Dexter (SHO) 9/30
• 10pm: 666 Park Avenue (ABC) 9/30 *
• 10pm: Homeland (SHO) 9/30

MONDAY

• 8pm: Bones (FOX) 9/17
• 10pm: Castle (ABC) 9/24
• 10pm: Hawaii 5-0 (CBS) 9/24
• 10pm: Revolution (NBC) 9/17 *

 TUESDAY

• 9pm: Happy Endings (ABC) 10/23
• 9pm: New Girl (FOX) 9/25
• 9:30pm: Don’t Trust the B (ABC) 10/23
• 9:30pm: The Mindy Project (FOX) 9/25 *
• 10pm: Private Practice (ABC) 9/25
• 10pm: Vegas (CBS) 9/25 *
• 10pm: Sons of Anarchy (FX) 9/11
• 10pm: Parenthood (NBC) 9/11

WEDNESDAY

• 8pm: Survivor (CBS) 9/19
• 8pm: Arrow (CW) 10/10 *
• 9pm: Modern Family (ABC) 9/26
• 10pm: Nashville (ABC) 10/10 *
• 10pm: American Horror Story (FX) 10/17

THURSDAY

• 8pm: Last Resort (ABC) 9/27 *
• 8pm: The Big Bang Theory (CBS) 9/27
• 8pm: The Vampire Diaries (CW) 10/11
• 8pm: 30 Rock (NBC) 10/4
• 8:30pm: Up All Night (NBC) 9/20
• 9pm: Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) 9/27
• 9pm: Person of Interest (CBS) 9/27
• 9:30pm: Parks and Recreation (NBC) 9/20
• 10pm: Scandal (ABC) 9/27

 FRIDAY

• 8:30pm: Community (NBC) 10/19
• 9pm: Fringe (FOX) 9/28

 2013

• Body of Proof (ABC)
• Breaking Bad (AMC)
• Cougar Town (TBS)
• Downton Abbey (PBS)
• The Following (FOX) *
• Game of Thrones (HBO) 3/31/13
• Justified (FX)
• Southland (TNT)

THIS is what I’ve been working on for the last two years, and where my heart is firmly planted. The official Cancer Gets LOST charity auction is now open in preview mode! It opens for bids on 8/15 (naturally), and will coincide with a live streaming webcast on 8/25 featuring LOST cast, writers and producers. We’re also hosting a party for fans later that evening in Los Angeles, where some of the special guests may appear.

100% of the proceeds from the auction, webcast and party are going directly to the National Brain Tumor Society, which we selected because of my very good friend Jackie. As of this moment, she is not expected to have many more days on this earth. Her spirit and strength continue to inspire us all, and this is my way of honoring her. 

Thank you in advance for your consideration of this cause. 

-Jo

I feel physically ill, and debated sharing my thoughts because everyone has an opinion after tragedies occur. However, this is not about sharing my opinion; this is about exercising the option to write down and explore the many thoughts swirling nauseously around my head while trying to process what happened in Aurora, CO. While I don’t currently have a website to “go dark” today out of respect for the victims in Aurora, believe me when I tell you that there is no sun shining anywhere in the vicinity of my heart right now. 

I have been going to the movies since I was 5 years old, and have very visceral memories of the effect that Superman, Star Wars and E.T. had on me as a young budding geek. To this day, I still feel that sense of wide-eyed awe and jolt of wild imagination, particularly while viewing films like The Dark Knight, Super 8 and even Attack the Block.

Feature films are – and have always been – a fantastic escape and ongoing source of inspiration.  To me, going to the theater to see a movie is still a sacred, exciting experience. Regardless of the fact that seeing a film now involves louder and fancier technology, rude cell phone users and overpriced concessions, I still love the feeling of leaning back in my seat as the opening credits roll. Regardless of the genre about to unfold, goose bumps often ensue.  

My fear of death is somewhat normal. I think about it every time I fly (and did so long before LOST). I think about it every time I’m in a car, whether driving or as a passenger. But I have never thought about death while sitting in a movie theater. And it is unclear whether or not that will change when I next take the sticky steps toward my middle seat at the local theater.

A movie theater is a safe locale, where we all have permission to escape from our own lives for a few hours. And we usually attend films with family and friends, with people with care about and love. My sincere hope is that we will continue to feel comfortable doing so, and that this was indeed an isolated incident. 

To the innocent people who were in that theater, as well as their families – know that the collective broken hearts of millions are on your side and thinking about your loved ones. 

You’re going to hear many stories about Jessica Redfield, one of the 12 film fans senselessly killed in Colorado. She had only recently narrowly escaped the shooting in Toronto. To say that her story is eerie, chilling and tragic does not do it justice. While many are flocking to follow her posthumously on Twitter now, I would also encourage you to leave your thoughts on her blog. I have a strong feeling that even from heaven, comments would be appreciated. 

In addition, if you’re interested - my friend Mo Ryan from the Huffington Post has set up a fundraising campaign in honor of Jessica through Partners in Health. And ThinkGeek donated $1000 to the Denver Red Cross, as well as linked to the proper site to do so. I’m sure there are countless others; these simply came across my Twitter feed at the exact moment I was perusing.

Please forgive any errors and accept my apology if any of the above offended you. I decided to post this raw, unfiltered and unedited, because I just needed to share exactly how I am processing this tragedy. I am horrified, sad, confused. As are most of you, I imagine. 

While I had planned to go see The Dark Knight Rises tomorrow night, I changed my mind. Not because it is the film that happened to be playing when the shooting occurred in Aurora, but because I feel it is too soon. I have been greatly anticipating this film for over a year, and WILL see it in the theater…but just not right now. 

As I said on Twitter this morning: “Don’t blame the filmmaker, the film or the trailers playing before it. Blame the psychotic asshole with the gun.” 

Thank you for taking the time to read this - I hope I do not regret publishing it. 

threestories:

Oh, hello.

Welcome to my Jorge Garcia appreciation post. Why does the Internet need a Jorge Garcia appreciation post? Bitch, because he’s fabulous. Let us take a look at the abundance of undeniable evidence here.

He is adorable. I dare you not to smile back at this picture. You may be…