Mod Post: Off-Topic Tuesday

[icon_uk]

In the comments to these weekly posts (and only these posts), it's your chance to go as off topic as you like. Talk about non-comics stuff, thread derail, and just generally chat among yourselves.

It's hard to ignore the main topic of news this week; Covid19 and it's remarkable impact on so much of the world, from travel lock downs in Italy. to disruption of interntional stock markets, to almost embarassing scenes of panic buying of toilet roll in the US and the UK (though if I had to pick a product I wouldn't want to run out of if stuck in the house for a long period of time, loo roll would be VERY high on the list). Stay safe, but stay sane, and WASH YOUR HANDS people! (Not that I think SD members would need much advice on that, we being paragons of such things).

Legendary actor Max von Sydow has died aged 90... Though given he played chess with Death in Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" AND played the Ming the Merciless in "Flash Gordon", I wouldn't rule out him returning in a surprise twist.

We also lost David Wise last week, you might not recognise the name, but as well as writing some rather good BTAS episodes (He introduced the Riddler in "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?") he was the show runner for the 1980's TMNT cartoon, and is responsible for giving Eastman and Laird's slightly generic characters their own unique traits. (Apparently, and thank you to "The Arkham Sessions" for mentioning this, he said early on that he couldn't write for the characters as they were, so assigned each of them a personality based on one of the words in the title, so Michelangelo was "Teenage", Donatello was "Mutant", Leonardo was "Ninja" and Raphael was "Turtle"). He was thus also responsible for making "Cowabunga!" a pop culture phenomenon.

For no very obvious reason, I've been revisiting the "Galavant" series of a few years back, a half-hour musical comdey riff on just about every fantasy trope going with songs by Steven "Godspell/Wicked" Schwartz Alan (Little Shop of Horrors, Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Weird Romance, etc) Menken and Glen Slater, and gosh is that still a silly, fun series, with some VERY catchy songs and is JUST what I was in the mood for!

At the other end of the scale the BBC's adaption of Mallorie Blackman's "Noughts and Crosses" has just started broadcast and looks stunning. The main plot of star-crossed lovers separated by race and privilege is a little thin so far (And apparently they've aged up the two main characters by a few years, as typically seems to be the case with YA adaptions) but the cast is impressive, and the overall realisation on screen of a world and culture where Africa colonised Europe centuries ago (rather than vice versa) is amazing. Think Black Panther without the Kirby-tech, just a different general aesthetic to building designs over several centuries.

"Picard" has a slightly slower episode, which managed to kill off ANOTHER engaing character, and introduced the other two guest stars we knew were going to crop up; Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis, as we discover what the Troi-Riker's have been up to since we last saw them.

I haven't seen the new US version of "War of the Worlds", any word on whether that's worth a look or not?

Nice to see Bumblebee still picking up work in the downtime between movies, even if it is just an advert

Oh, and coming very soon, some new theme week plans, because we haven't done those in a while and have some prime contenders.

Comments

[laughing_tree]

The new season of Castlevania is out. I’ve only watched three episodes so far, but does it feel to anyone else that the Warren Ellis-isms are suddenly way more prominent than they were in the previous seasons?

[dewinged]

Very much so. Including the 'wheel-spinning-going-freaking-nowhere' ism and the 'everyone sucks rarr I'm so cynical' isms.

And Hector, one day, will get a facial expression. Maybe. Someday.

[mister_terrific]

Just as info--"Galavant"'s songs were by Alan Menken & Glenn Slater. Menken's better known for his work on "Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", "Aladdin" and of course the legendary "Little Shop of Horrors", among others.

That being said, Schwartz has also had one hell of a career. :)

[icon_uk]

Bugger! I almost typed Menken then corrected myself, or NOT as it turns out.

Cheers!

[onsokumaru]

I won't lie, I'm kinda scared with this virus. My mother is right in the danger age range. She herself is not too worried. I guess watching several friends die from cancer or strokes those past years kinda numbed her.

On a more superficial and self-centered note, New Mutants is out next month. After being almost cancelled, delayed twice... It will be out right when the epidemy will be raging in my country and the theaters will probably be closed. So maybe there is a god after all, because that's exactly the kind of petty crap he'd pull to punish me for blaspheming every day.

[bravest_spinja]

Right, like, I'm not much of conspiracy theorist, but it makes me wonder if there's something in the New Mutants movie the Illuminati doesn't want us to see.

[bruinsfan]

Ditto regarding the COVID-19 virus and my octogenarian mom. If I had the option I'd prefer to just catch it and self-quarantine until I recover from it to avoid unknowingly exposing her. The combo of a two week asymptomatic incubation period and something like 15% mortality among the 80+ set scares the crap out of me.

[deh_tommy]

Hey, janegray, are you doing okay?

[janegray]

Yeah. Thanks for your concern :)

I'm young and healthy, so I have very little concern for my own personal safety. The worst thing that has happened to me personally, is that I was really looking forward to watching two movies at the teather, and obviously I couldn't do that since we have to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. No strolls or eating out or anything like that, either. Just stay home day after day and read a book or watch television. So, personally, I've been annoyed rather than scared.

But I keep hearing stories of business and store owners who are desperate because they haven't had any customers in months and are going bankrupt. Lady in tears because she saved for years to finally open a restaurant so her elderly parents could retire, and now they risk losing everything. Just... lots of stuff like that...

[mrwalker]

"Legendary actor Max von Sydow has died aged 90... Though given he played chess with Death in Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" AND played the Ming the Merciless in "Flash Gordon", I wouldn't rule out him returning in a surprise twist."
And let's not forget the final words of Vigo the Carpathian - "Death is but a door, time is but a window - I'll be back!"

Regarding the virus, I'm slowly going from embracing gallows humor to getting pretty worried. My job, pharmacy, does not help (especially seeing the epic lack of consideration shown by people regarding trying to keep from spreading sickness). Really worrisome is that I have a loved one with an immunodeficiency.

[kamino_neko]

Re: Picard - I'm surprised Hugh lasted as long as he did, actually...fully expected him to be revealed dead at the beginning of the episode.

I feel like I missed something, though...where was Elnor when those Romulans were murdering the XBs? Being there to avenge them is one thing, but being there to keep them from being murdered in the first place would have been better.

Finally got around to watching the last two episodes of Doctor Who. The Cyber Lords were a pretty neat idea, but also not something that could be left on the board without breaking things, so...I'd have liked to see more, but... (OTOH, I really hope this isn't the last we'll see of this Master...he's Missy-level fun.)

As to the reveal...I'm not super-keen on the Doctor being SPECIAL for reasons other than what she's done, but...I actually don't mind this new version of 'the Time Lords are jerks', and the 'Hartnell wasn't actually the first' opens up realms to explore...which they probably won't, but the potential is still there, and I like it - I particularly like the Fugitive Doctor, and would like to see more of her. (Maybe the comics could do some pre-Hartnell adventures, with her and some other previous incarnations.)

[icon_uk]

Agreed that the whole "Where's Elnor?" bit, that did seem rushed, as did whatsername wandering off leaving Hugh, who they already knew was clearly aware of things in the Artefact that they weren't, to his own devices.

[owlbrigade1]

The tvChannel Dave, the tv channel to have a pint with down the pub, has dropped a new trailer for Red Dwarf, Season Thirteen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ojo8nLntQLw&feature=emb_logo

They are either going for something very dramatic, or will be spoof the overwrought overdramatic current Sci-Fi shows; and heaven knows they are ripe for spoofing.

[scorntx]

David Wise also wrote several episodes of the 80s Transformers cartoon. (Many of which featured plot elements he recycled for Turtles.)
But he did give us "War Dawn", the one that gave us Orion Pax.
And "The Key to Vector Sigma", even if Vector Sigma wasn't actually his idea (it was an edict from the Hasbroverlords.)


Found a Blu-ray boxset of Batman: Beyond while out shopping last week, complete with Return of the Joker (on a personal note, making it the first time I've been able to actually watch the damn thing all the way through! ... even if it is the censored version, dagnabbit...)
It's... an interesting series. It's super-90s in a lot of places (that opening especially. Woof.) And the fact a lot of antagonists don't recur is pretty weird.
I'm not sure it's the kind of thing DC would actually allow these days, for one reason and another, not just because of the 90s-ness.


See, before this episode of Picard, I was grumbling that it seemed like only Riker and Troi seemed to get a happy ending. And it turns out even they've been hit by the Angst Nuke.
Cryin' out loud...
Is it going to turn out Wesley got his brain scooped out and is sitting around in a jar somewhere?
Just feels like the show is leaning way too hard into Star Trek: FOR ADULTZ.
There are ways to make your show Dark and Serious without necessarily shovelling on misery galore.

... and on a nerdier note, is it so wrong that I'm more jazzed about the Kznti getting a mention than anything else?
(There are important questions needing answers: Do they still hate vegetarians? Is their ludicrously improbable gender-mechanics still in continuity? Do they still wear pink? These are things we need to know!)


Been a nightmare of a week, really, even without the Dread Spectre of coronavirus on the news constantly.
(The Beeb's coverage is just particularly infuriating.
"This is coronavirus and you should be scared of it!"
*one week later*
"People seem to be scared about coronavirus. Weird.")

Family member had a seriously nasty turn through the week, which got hideously bad on Saturday, and Really Utterly Bad on Sunday, so they had to go back into hospital.
So just feeling a teensy bit frazzled from that.


It was the 42nd anniversary of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, so BBC Radio 4 broadcast the sixth series.
Very brave of them to broadcast thirty minutes of complete silence.
... okay, it wasn't that bad. Nobody gnawed their leg off.
But it was very "eh" with a side order of "why did you even do that?"

[cainofdreaming]

Is it going to turn out Wesley got his brain scooped out and is sitting around in a jar somewhere?

Only if the owner of the jar is played by Jim Parsons.

[deh_tommy]

I’m sorry to hear about your family member. May they get well soon.

What’s so bad about Season 6, might I ask?

[obsidianwolf]

Something to remember about Batman Beyond is that it had a lot of editorial interference(IIRC Season 2 was ordered to ditch characters like Blight and focus on the school). Which is probably why it almost comes across like two very similar shows stuck together. Season one and Return of the Joker have one tone and direction while Seasons 2 & 3 go in another.

Then it got the axe for Justice league and the less said about the shit show that was the JLU episode epilogue the better.

[janegray]

Yo, little suggestion. Face masks are being sold at 95 euro per pack of ten here. Yes, that's a 900% price increase. Since this is a pandemic, it's definitely going to get to your country too. Instead of toilet paper, I suggest you buy a few mask now when the prices are still reasonable, because they will cost A LOT more in a few weeks.

Face masks are ineffective to protect yourself, but are good for protecting others. So, if you have to visit children or old people or vulnerable people, and you are not 100% sure you are virus-free, it's a good idea to slip one on.

[lilacsigil]

Unfortunately price-gouging is going on here in Australia already and we only have one confirmed case of community spread. I work in a pharmacy and the company that supplies masks increased the price 1800%. Yes, that's 1800%. Assholes.

[tripodeca113]

Yazwatch 2020: Was Yasmin a real character?
Spyfall Part One: No
Spyfall Part Two: No
Orphan 55: No
Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror: Yes
Fugitive of the Judoon: No
Praxius: Yes
Can You Hear Me: Yes
The Haunting of Villa Diodati: No
Ascension of the Cybermen: No
The Timeless Child: No

This is actually worse than 2018, back then Yasmin was only neglected in six episodes.

[icon_uk]

I thought she was great a lot more this season, with Ryan usually seeming to be the leftover companion.

In Fugitive she's the one who tells the Doctor off for being moody and rude to them when they challenged her, which was overdue.

In The Timeless Children, we have, amongst others, the great scene of Graham wondering if they should cross the Boundary after the Doctor, only for Yas to be halfway there already. And she's the one who grabs the Doctor to prevent her going to blow up the Cyber-Masters.

I do think she'll benefit from the sort-of-announced changes upcoming in the Special.

[skjam]

Hoping I am able to see my parents this weekend after several months of bad timing.

Looking for anime and manga recommendations with the following qualifiers:
1. Newish! Say, the last two to three years. Our panel members will have a list of classics already, so no need for those.
2. Speculative fiction (SF, Fantasy, Horror, Magical Realism...)
3. "Thinky" as the intended audience is biased towards that sort of thing.

The very latest review on my blog can't be discussed here, but I also looked at a book for Lent. http://www.skjam.com/2020/03/07/book-review-meditations-on-the-way-of-the-cross/

[deh_tommy]

Good luck with seeing your parents! I don’t really follow anime or manga too much (I’ve only seen/read like three of the things on this list), but (loosely) based on your criteria I think your panel members might like:

Ajin: Demi-Human
Love is War
Platinum End
I am a Hero
Interviews with Monster Girls
Log Horizon
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl-Senpai
Puella Magi Tart Magica
Thunderbolt Fantasy (I know that’s not technically anime, but still)
Pretty much anything from Masaaki Yuasa and Eunyoung Choi

[supercapo16]

I was such a huge fan of Galavant!

Interestingly enough, some of the tracks on the season 1 album are longer (and some better performed). "Togetherness" has extra lyrics as does as does "No One But You". I'd also list "She'll be Mine" as an example of a particular song that surpassed the televised version... something about the orchestration and such.

Great show though!

[icon_uk]

Ditto for Season 2, there's a whole extra verse in the middle of "Do the DDEW" (You can see in the episode where they cut away from the song to another scene before cutting back for the last chorus)

On the other hand. they also cut some of the verbal exchanges in songs on the albums, which I can see why they did, but cutting Sid's lines from "Agree to Disagree" makes the ending a little odd.

Plus random changes of words from the TV version on occasion.

[leahandillyana]

There's a lawsuit against people who made map of Faggotry-Free Zones in Poland, called Hate Atlas (https://atlasnienawisci.pl/?fbclid=IwAR10d6zSCfDFqfoAIFQgEijcpCae9kSNpXlwVU0MBjUwJ_LIC0v5iG_Ns-Y). Given that the courts in Poland are no longer free, and a female judge was punished for punishing a MOP of governing party for breaking the law, it doesn't look good. Also, 2 BILLION PLN intended for oncology instead goes for Propaganda TV, and 3 BILLION PLN intended for coronavirus treatment goes to a celebrity priest who is the governing party's ally.
A joke goes that the drastic actions to fight coronavirus in Poland is now that there's toilet paper and soap at schools (extremely overpopulated due to educational reform a few years back), but not warm water - we are not on that high a level yet.
Also, I am a citizen now. Yay. I continue my old work.

[werehawk]

Coronavirus has now shut down all the state universities in Maryland as a safety precaution. Other states will probably follow suit. No one wants students coming back from Spring Break from anywhere. I'm expecting everything to be a ghost town for the next couple of weeks.

But for all of that, I am just started dating again and am much more concerned about seeing this woman I met again than coronavirus or the impact of this on my work or research. Just texting her stresses me out. Which seems absolutely ridiculous.

(As an aside, I read the Gabriel Garcia Marquez book Love in the Time of Cholera a long long time ago, but just got the book out from the library because it seems like it could be interesting to read now - and, yes, while people were stocking up on masks and hand sanitizer and toilet paper, I stocked up on library books before the outbreak hits).

[lissa_quon]

In caseyou run out of books - may I suggest Overdrive? I've been ill for a month-plus before this - and overdrive was a life saver. It's an app that uses your public library account to check e-books outto your phone/kindle. It's great- just getbooks - no needto go out or put on pants.

[lissa_quon]

So far the madness hasn't QUITE hit Houston - we're all prepping like its a hurricane - which it Isn't but that's what we understand. It's also of strange cause we can't do our normal coping mechanism which is a "hurricane party" (folks pool resources - hole up in one spot - keep each other entertained - grill all the food etc etc) Though by god all the liquor folks are buying looks like we still might think that's an option. But also TP and Soap are rare beasts in these parts.

My fam which is one diabetic elder - one stubborn ass elder - and one immuno-battered 30 something (me) - has stocked up and are holing up for siege. Been prepping a lot of projects to do. Getting online DnD set up - before my anxiety and depression drive me out of my skull. I've just recovered from the flu, shingles and a staph infection, and was just cleared to get out into the world when Corvid hit our area. At least with all the illness I've had we are well stocked in disinfectants, gloves and pedialyte.