Happy Turkey Day!

Well everyone, I am going on a little Thanksgiving hiatus here. I will be back next Monday with a bunch more content for you to waste your time with. For now, enjoy this pretty picture of a turkey and wants you to be happy while eating him. Stupid turkey...

A Little Old...A Little New

When Paul Newman died back in September, I realized that I had never seen a Paul Newman movie (well, except for Road to Perdition and Cars, but really...). So, I decided to remedy this by checking out some of his best-of movies. Starting with...

Somebody Up There Likes Me

Somebody is about the true story of Rocky Graziano. Rocky is a young hoodlam in NYC. He and his gang steals and cheats and robs from everyone they meet. He doesn't have any respect for his parents or any other authority figures. He is arrested and continues to get in trouble in jail. Immediately after being released he is drafted into the army. He goes AWOL and begins to do a little boxing for some easy money. The army eventually finds him and it's off to prison, where he begins to realize his potential when he starts boxing.

Paul Newman is pretty great in this movie. Early on, you really get the sense that the doesn't care for anyone but himself and trying to get by. He really seems like a thug. The way he grows throughout his life is organic. He doesn't go from a jerk to a great guy. It takes big changes in his life for him to even begin to change. It really is a fantastic movie.

It's not a boxing movie at all, it's all about Rocky and his life, boxing is just what he turns to to get by. Mrs Titan and I were both glued to this film. It didn't feel slow like many movies made before 1990 can sometimes feel for me. It was a great two hours and worth it for anyone, Newman fan or not.

Quantum of Solace

We also got out to see the new Bond movie this weekend. I'm not really sure what to say about it. It was good, but a lot like Casino Royale. There was plenty of action, and all kinds of world hopping excitement. Daniel Craig is the model of ice-cold killer/secret agent. He will do whatever he needs to to get the job done.

It's a good movie, but reminds me much more of a Bourne movie than a Bond movie. It has the same jerky-camera action shots, which is not my kind of thing. I kept wanting the camera to pull out so that I could actually tell what was going on. I also misss the light-hearted goofiness of Bond. I want gadgets and girls with silly names (although Strawberry Fields ain't bad). I want more witty banter and wild evil minions.

Overall, it's a very good movie. I know the Bond series is growing and changing, but it still takes some getting used to.

A Message From My Past

A couple of days ago I got an email from someone I knew years ago. I haven't talked to this person in three years, but the message was clear. It was from me! Yes, Tom the Titan, before he was Tom the Titan sent me a message through Forbes E-Mail Time Capsule. So what did Tom the Titan from three years ago have to say? Here is the email in full, honest. The text in red is my modern day responses:

Hey You,

Boy, you are a great guy! I am aren't I? You sure know how to pick a winner past me!

What have you been up to for the last three years? I graduated and I got a job and I got married and I bought a house and I started a blog!

Really? Yeah, seriously dude! Huh. That's odd. No, it's not, it's great, you're odd.

Anyway, hope things with [future Mrs Titan] are going great. They are, it worked out great! I told you it would!

She's a great girl huh? Duh, and I totally love making her read my blog and probably embarrassing her! Yeah, I know!

Anyway, you are probably all busy now with work and stuff right? Yeah, totally, and blogging, and all the crazy pop culture that we always loved!

You are working I hope! I am, and thank goodness you learned how to use question marks and commas. Idiot.

You better be, I'm counting on it! I know, cause you wasted too much money!

Are there any good shows on there in the future? Well, yeah, some. You would love HIMYM dude!

Are you still watching them? Duh, that's part of what this blog is all about. Not as many as you though, what were you at, like 40 hours a week?

At least the good ones, right? Yeah, I'm pretty much down to just the good ones now.

Do you even care about TV anymore? Yeah, but not as much as you.

Man, you've changed man, I don't even know you any more. True, I'm way cooler now.

Or maybe I do, who knows, guess we'll just see in three years. Good
luck! Things have been awesome, way to not suck it up dude!

Your Friend,

[Future Tom the Titan]

Geek Alert!

If you are a hardcore geek or if you have been to the new Bond movie already, I'm sure you have seen this, but for all of you softcore geeks (that sounds dirty) or wannabe future geeks, the new Star Trek trailer is out!

Now, this may be geek blasphemy, but I have never seen a single episode of Star Trek (the original series), so I don't much care about Kirk, Spock, and the original Enterprise. I plan to remedy this at some point, I promise, and I will talk a little more about this sometime soon. Anyway, because of this, the trailer looks pretty awesome. I just hope it gets more people interested in more Trek!

Click Here to go see the trailer and enjoy!

Discovery Channel: Dirty Jobs

Last week I discovered that the Discovery Channel is apparently my favorite channel. I also talked about Mythbusters, my favorite Discovery Channel show. Today I get to tell you about my second favorite show on DSC, Dirty Jobs.

At first glance, Dirty Jobs looks like a show I would hate. It appears to be about a guy who goes around to try different gross jobs and show off the ick factor at each one. And, I guess technically, that is what Dirty Jobs is all about. But, it's also more than that. It stars Mike Rowe, who is one of the most literate, intelligent, and witty TV show hosts that I have ever seen.

Rowe got his big start narrating some of Discovery's earlier shows, and still does narration on a few. And he makes the show. He is the show. He is able to make anyone he visits like him almost instantly, from hippies building their homes with poo to hunters who clean and package their animals. They all take to him instantly and he gets along with almost everyone. The back and forth teasing is one of the best parts of the show, and is tons of fun.

I, personally, do not think I would care about Dirty Jobs if it weren't for Mike Rowe, it would get mundane quite quickly. Rowe, however, brings to the table his comedy (he was on an episode of one of my favorites, Dr Katz!! I have to look that up), and his cheerful (most of the time) attitude. He was even an opera singer for a while!

Anyway, I love this show and you should see it. Also, if you work a dirty (or semi-dirty) job, go let Mike know so he can keep making this show!

Just Blame Mr Lil' Sis...

...cause if it wasn't for him, you would have a full post. But he had to lend me this:

Now I am hooked unitl I can stop Saren and his evil plans. Then I have to stop Mr Lil' Sis from his evil plans to stop me from ever being productive again. Darn you!!

Zack and Miri Make a[n Adult Film]

One of the first "adult" comedies that I ever saw was Kevin Smith's Mallrats. When I say adult, I mean that it was a comedy written for adults. Unlike the moves I was watching at the time, which were kids movies, things like Blank Check and other kiddie fare. I loved Mallrats when I saw it and soon got my hands on Clerks and Chasing Amy.

I became a Kevin Smith devotee. The movies spoke to me, even thought they were full of cussing, drugs, and nudity. I enjoyed the witty banter back and forth, I liked the kooky scenarios, and I really enjoyed the slight inter-connectedness of the films. I have seen every Kevin Smith movie in theaters since Dogma. Heck, Mrs Titan and I went to see (the very underrated) Jersey Girl on our first date (when she liked it I knew I had a keeper).

So, it was inevitable that I had to go see Smith's new movie, Zack and Miri Make a Porno. If you have seen the trailer you know the plot: best platonic friends Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) can't pay their bills and they determine the best way to make some money quick is to make their own homemade porno. It is a fun film, and not nearly as raunchy as I was expecting (that's a good thing).

The biggest problem for me is that I think I have (gasp!) matured since Smith's last films. I no longer find his kind of comedy as funny as I used to. I enjoy a more subtle humor that goes beyond the cussing for cussing's sake and the nudity and the gross-out humor. Now, don't get me wrong, there will always be a special place in my heart for Smith's movies, but now that we have entered the age of Judd Apatow and his crew, I just don't think comedy can ever be the same.

The one other small thing that disappointed me was the lack of any appearence (or reference) of any of the characters or events of any of Smith's other films. I know Smith wants to get away from the adventures of Jay and Silent Bob and the rest of the New Jersey bunch, but it would have been nice to have him throw his long-time fans a bone.

All-in all, this was a good movie. My expectations were very high, and they were not quite reached. If you are looking for a good, and kinda dirty, comedy then check this out now or rent it when you get a chance.

The Discovery Channel: Mythbusters

Well, after yesterday we learned that I have an undying love for the Discovery Channel by regularly watching nine of shows on that channel. And that's not counting the shows we watch just when they're on, like How It's Made. And the min-series, like Planet Earth.

So, what got me addicted to the Discovery Channel? Well, I would have to say that was Mythbusters. It was the first Discovery Channel show I watched regularly, and it led to my ongoing love of the channel. I started watching it 4 years ago when there was a marathon on while we were staying at the in-laws. For those of you not watching Mythbusters: what's wrong with you?! This is a show for everyone! I want you to set up a Season Pass or VHS cassette now so that you can watch it! I'll wait...
..., back? Okay, the show is really about Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, two special effects wizards who decide to test all kinds of myths to see if they are confirmed, plausible, or busted. After the first or second season they picked up some helpers, Kari Byron, Tory Belleci, and Grant Imahara to round out each epiode. These five have the coolest jobs ever. They get to build, blow up, destroy, and test everything!

There have been seven seasons and there don't seem to be signs of slowing down yet. They have moved on from pure urban myths to: movie myths, a ninja special, pirate special, the moon hoax, and other event episodes. Some of the more recent, and fun myths are: exploding fire extinguishers, catching an arrow in mid-flight, beer goggles (!), and sobering methods.

Even if the myths seem a little boring at first, each episode is a lot of fun, with Jamie, Adam, Kari, Tory, and Grant really adding to the fun. They really know how to have fun with each myth and really bring that excitement to the show. And, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the great narrator, Robert Lee. He brings a little bit of additional fun to the goings-on.

Anyway, if you have never seen this show, you really need to find it, and watch it. You will not regret it. It's fun for the whole family and you might even learn something too!

I think I will try to talk about some more of the Discovery Channel shows and why I love them over the next few weeks.

Where I Watch What I Watch

So, this afternoon I was going through my TiVo Season Pass Manager to get rid of a show. For those of you non-TiVo people, this is where I can set my TiVo to record every episode of a show so I don't miss it. And, so you don't have to ask, the show was Fringe, another "sci fi" show that just isn't living up to its potential. Darn you JJ Abrams for getting my hopes up!

Anyway, before I start ranting, I was looking at all of the shows that I have a Season Pass for and decided I was curious to see which channel I watched the most of. So, I made a list. Just to be clear, not all of these shows are on right now, and some of the obscure cable shows might have been cancelled already. Also, HGTV, TLC, and Bravo shows are Mrs Titan's. I swear...don't look at me like that. Without further ado, the list, from least to most:

ABC Family

1

Cartoon Network

1

The CW

1

VH1

1

E!

1

Bravo

2

AMC

2

TLC

2

FX

2

Animal Planet

2

HGTV

3

Comedy Central

3

History

3

Scifi

3

Fox

4

CBS

5

ABC

6

NBC

8

Discovery

9

Yeah, I'm as shocked as you are. First, holy crap, that's a lot of shows! Remember, not all of them are currently airing new episodes. But also, Discovery wins! A non-network show is our most watched channel. I love what Discovery is doing right now. I will have to write a post about them tomorrow. In the meantime, what's your most watched channel? And, do you have any questions about what the heck I am watching on some of these networks?

The Best Show...That You May Never See

In 2002 Fox released one of the best shows I have ever seen, Andy Richter Controls the Universe. This was a goofy sitcom starring Andy Richter, Conan O'Brien's longtime co-host. The show was all about Andy, a technical manual writer who aspired to more. This was an office comedy, but kicked up a level.

Richter narrated his thought process and there were numerous imagination scenes, leading to some great laughs. One of my favorite scenes is when Andy fantasizes about what he will do with a large sum of money. He wants a new TV for his bedroom. You see...he already has one at the foot of his bed, but he wants one on the left side so he can flip over and watch that one too. But then, he realizes that that might not work either, because he would need one on the right side too!

It's great stuff. There are all sorts of great clips on YouTube, but it has still not been released on DVD. It ran for two whole seasons, and only 19 episodes, but it's a travesty that we can' watch this show whenever we want! Darn it!

Here is a Best of YouTube Clip, watch it and enjoy:

Also, go to Amazon and sign up for the Alert so you'll be notified when it is finally available. Plus, the more people to sign up, the more likely it will actually come out someday.

Showcase Presents Superman: Part 13

This is the thirteenth of numerous posts on Showcase Presents: Superman. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed the stories.Now, this won't be like most comic blogs with scanned pictures posted throughout. Mostly because I don't have a scanner, but the stories should speak for themselves, but also because I want to go through the whole book in the next few weeks, and I want non-comics readers to enjoy the kookiness that us comics readers understand from the Silver Age. While I may mock these stories, I am not making anything up, this is all straight from the comics! While I may mock, I love these stories and the character of Superman. This is great stuff! The cover scans are from the Grand Comic Book Database.


Superman #126


"Superman's Hunt for Clark Kent"


Long Story Short: Super-amnesia!


Once again the story starts with Clark Kent taking off for a two week vacation. His plan: spend the vaction trying to find an antidote to kryptonite. Fun! I'd rather do Hawaii. He is in the middle of an experiment when, due to a "queer twist of fate" there is an explosion and Superman awakes with amnesia!


He is soon attacked by a polar bear which forces him to realize that he has super powers. He makes it back to Metropolis ("instinctively") where he overhears someone call him Superman. So he heads to the nearest Superman Museum (seriously, he calls it "a" Superman museum, not "the" Superman Museum) where he studies posters of all his powers. He also learns he has a secret identity.


As Superman is wandering around he realizes that he wants a secret identity again and since he can't remember his old one he becomes a blonde Brit named Clarence Kelvin. He then gets a job at the Daily Planet and is assigned Clark's desk while he is on vacation. Two things: everyone at the Daily Planet is an idiot and Metropolis is a small, small place. Kelvin has to run off to save some sailors from a whale and when he returns Lois immediately claims that he must be Superman (again, idiots).


He has to get his memories back, so he goes to a scientist who 1.) explodes a bomb with him in a shatterproof bell-jar, 2.) shoots him headfirst from a cannon into a steel plate, and 3.) dips him in liquefied hydrogen (that's really cold for you non-sciency folks). Still no memories.


Then...out of nowhere...a solution! He will "fly at super-speed," overtaking "light rays that left the Earth long ago" and see things with a "collecting lens" Yeah, I don't get it either. Anyway, he sees that he is Clark, which makes him remember everything, then he fakes being Clarence Kelvin one more time so he can reveal himself to Lois. Kelvin leaves and is never seen again, Clark returns, and no one has a clue.


Whoa.

Princess Mononoke

Princess Mononoke was the first anime I ever watched. This was back in the early 2000s when I was in college. I had no idea what was going on. Since then Mrs Titan and I have watched Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and a few others. I decided to get it again to share it with her and to see it myself again.

The story is about a young man who teams up with the forest Gods and creatures to fight back against the human "Iron Town" exploiting its resources. I think.... A whole lot more is going on. The woman who runs the town is kind to women, hiring them from brothels and arming them. There are sentient wolves, boars, and gorillas who are often at odds witrh each other. There is a crazy monk, and samurai. There is a lot going on in this film, and, like most of Hayao Miyazaki's films, it doens't always make sense to Westerners (or maybe just me).

Now, don't get me wrong. I have loved all of the anime that we get. It may be a little confusing at times, but these movies are magical. They are incredible creative and unique. They are action-packed and funny. And, most of all, they are beautiful. The animation in these films is incredible and really make watching them a great occasion.

I really only had one complaint with Princess Mononoke. I got distracted by some of the voice acting. Because of the popularity of this film they signed some famous actors to so some of the voices. Billy Bob Thornton and Jada Pinkett Smith were the two worst offenders in the sense that they didn't fit. Thornton's southern drawl made no sense in the historic Japanese setting and Smith's sassy black woman style didn't fit the white woman she played. I really like Thornton and Smith, but not when they are in anime. It would have been much less distracting if they cast unknowns in these parts.

If you've never seen an anime, check this out. It will open your eyes and your mind and it should be a lot of fun in the meantime!

Miscellany

Just a couple of quick notes today:

• It looks like I'm not the only one who feels the same way about Heroes. Dr K feels the same way that I do, but as an English professor, he sure has a better way of saying it. Thanks for being a better writer than me Dr K!
• The new Futurama movie was released on Friday. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm sure it's great. Don't forget to buy your own copy so they will keep making them! I love Futurama and you should too!
  
  
• One last reminder: Don't forget to watch Whale Wars tonight. Or, at least record it so you can watch it later. It is well worth an hour of your TV time!

Have a great weekend! Don't do anything I wouldn't do and be safe!

Break Up Time!

That's it, it's over...I can't do it any more. I have tried and tried and given it multuple chances, but that's it. I just can't bring myself to watch Heroes anymore. I realized this when I was much more interested in an article in a financial magazine about the LA Real Estate market than the show. I live in Colorado. 'Nuff said.

It started out as such a good show. Normal people get super powers and have to deal with them. The first season had a variety of powers, a super-villian, action, and even a decent mystery. I enjoyed the show even if it got a little tedious near the end.

The second season went downhill fast. The "mystery" wasn't resolved well, the super-villian was never defeated and character interactions and motivations began to make little sense. We get even more paintings about the future and more inane and boring plots. But I waited some more. I sat through it for more episodes than I should have.

Well, I just started watching the first episodes of the third season a week ago. I was watching alone because Mrs Titan had given up on the show half a season ago (I always knew she was smarter than me). I sat through three episodes. And what did I get? More paintings of the future, more time travel for no reason and with no consequences, and more pointless character interactions.

It saddens me. I love sci fi and feel that I almost have a moral imperative to watch all the sci fi I can on network TV so they will keep making it. But I just can't do it any more. I have given up on the show, deleted all of the other episodes on the TiVo and called it quits. I know someone could do this kind of show really well and I hope someone will someday, but I can't keep waiting for Heroes to live up to its potential. It has let me down too many times.

Whale Wars

Recently, Animal Planet sent me a screener copy of the first episode of Whale Wars, a new show premiering on Friday, November 7, at 9 pm. This show is all about Paul Watson, a co-founder of Greenpeace who was kicked out of that organization because he was too radical (!) so he forms his own organization, the Sea Shepherds. They have one goal: to harass the Japanese whaling fleet and keep them from whaling for as long as possible. We learn fairly early in the show that there is a law allowing around 1000 whales to be harvested for scientific research, but none of the meat can go to waste. So, the Japanese harvest these for "research" and are then able to turn around and sell the meat for up to $1,000,000 per whale. Big business, as you can see.

The show starts out quite dramatically, with the Steve Irwin (Watson's boat), pulling up along a Japanese boat. The Sea Shepherds begin throwing things at the boat and the whalers begin to throw something back. These things explode in a flash of light, flashbangs. There are soon load bangs, gunshots, and a shout, "The captain's been shot!" Then we get a little fade to back and a title card: "3 Weeks Earlier." Whoa. I was hooked...or at least quite intrigued.

The Sea Shepherds technically have the law on their side (in terms of not breaking it flat out). They use non-violent techniques and in this first episode we get a nice little overview of their tactics. They use stink bombs to get the Japanese off their decks and if there is meat on deck it will be tainted and ruined. They use a helicopter for reconnaissance and filming, and a Zodiac to get in the way of harpoons and run distraction maneuvers.

The Sea Shepherds, and there are at least 30 of them on board, consider themselves the only enforcement of the whaling laws. The are technically non-violent, but they are willing to die for their cause, and they use some pretty extreme tactics. In fact, they consider themselves a kind of modern pirates, which you can see from their logo:

This show really has a little bit of everything. There is some beautiful footage of Antarctic scenery and wildlife. It is much more dramatic than I expect these kinds of shows to be, with a major accident that puts crew life in jeopardy (seriously, not like most "reality" shows). There is even crew dissension, which could hurt their mission. This show is truly different from anything I have ever seen. The people have a clear mission that they are zealous for. They will do anything to accoplish their goals and how far they are willing to go is a little scary.

I do agree that whaling at this point in the evolution of our civilization is a little silly. I don't particularly agree with the Sea Shepherd's tactics, and I think they could even be considered eco-terrorists. However, the show is pretty great. I can't wait to see what happens next, and the drama and excitement is genuine, and not manufactured like in most reality or documentary shows. Check out this quick preview:


Seriously, it is as exciting as it looks, I promise. Also, if you get a chance and want to learn more, check out the website by clicking here. And make sure you watch it on Friday!

I have to say I have been impressed with Animal Planet lately (and not just cause I got to see Whale Wars early, although that helps). They have began to make shows that are about people and their relationships to animals, instead of just being animal documentaries. With Grizzly Man Diaries, Living with the Wolfman, and now Whale Wars, we get to see unique people with unique relationships to animals and the world around them. Keep it up Animal Planet!

I Voted...

Did you? If not, you better get out there. This is an incredibly important election and as a (semi-)non-partisan blog I say get out there and vote, no matter who it's for. You owe it to all those who came before us. And that ends this special election message. More pop culture tomorrow.

Iron Jawed Angels

This weekend we decided to get all civic-minded, so we got HBO's Iron Jawed Angels. This movie is all about the women's suffrage movement in the 1910s. It stars Hilary Swank as Alice Paul and Frances O'Connor as Lucy Burns. These women were strong independent women when strong, independent women were considered hysterical or mentally ill.

It is amazing to see what these women went through to get a constitutional amendment passed. You see, they didn't want it to be an issue left to the states, they wanted more than that. And to get a constitutional amedment passed, they had to turn away from the old guard women in the suffrage movement and start their own political party. This means they not only went against established social norms and the men in power, but also against their own leadership.

Soon after splitting off, they begin to picket the White House. They decide to keep up this picket line even after the US enters WWI. They are picketing a war time president, which is "akin to treason." (Oh how things have changed.) They are soon arrested for obstructing traffic and over 200 women are thrown into prison. There they are tortured and even forcefed after they begin a hunger strike. We get to watch eight years of these womens' lives and it is really great to watch.

The really interesting thing is that this movie doesn't play like an historical drama, but like a modern film. The soundtrack is made up of modern pop songs and the women act with modern sensibilities (probably even more than they really did). However, this really worked to the film's advantage because it helps viewers to truly relate to the women in the movement. These aren't historical characters, they are just like us (or, like the female version of us, right Mrs Titan?).

This was a great film to watch right before the election and it should make us all proud that we now have universal suffrage, and even women in serious contention for the top offices. If you're a woman, you owe it to yourself to check this one out, and if you're a man, you definitely need to watch this to appreciate this country.