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Thursday, August 23, 2012
The Micheal Fishman Interview
We talked to Micheal Fishman, who played DJ Connor on Roseanne. He turned out to be a great guy and we talked about every thing from the show to Chuck Norris to Altered Beast.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
V-Spot Mega Man Edition August 17th 2012
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Friday, July 27, 2012
My top five Power Ranger seasons
So on our podcast we did a show about Power Rangers.
Everyone knows I have a unhealthy love of this show and I have been meaning to make this post for awhile so lets go.
1. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers season 3
One of my favorite things ever. I remember summer of 95 going to see the movie and in the fall looking forward to seeing how the TV show was going to introduce the Ninja Zords.
Well first we got the backdoor pilot of Masked Rider, but lets not count that.
Season premier we get introduced to Rito Revolto, the brother of Rita Repulza. I guess aliens do not share last names since their dad is named Master Vile.
Rito was the main bad guy from the Sentai series Kakuranger. He has a bad ass look, as a camouflage skeleton soldier.
Zedd decides to send Rito and an army of monsters to attack the rangers. Now Zedd has tried this idea at least five times, but this time it works. Rito and his army destroy the Thunder Zords. Which was an awesome moment, only thing that bugged me was Goldar did not get to help.
That is how they started the season and it was an awesome weekday roller coaster ride. The Rangers could never seem to win for long.
They also had fun monster of the day episodes.
The one thing weighing down season 3 is the Alien Rangers mini series. It was really really bad, and unlike parts of seasons 1 and 2, there is no good excuse. But if you can overlook those episodes, season 3 is best with a crazy finale.
2. Power Rangers SPD
SPD was based on the sentai, Dekaranger, which is the first sentai I watched. It is a really good show with cool monsters, rangers and mechs.
So I kinda shit on SPD unfairly back in 05. But rewatching it on Netflix and I loved it. The only problem with the show is they did this stupid premise of setting it in the future. Which fucked up the loose continuity the show had, and they had Omega Ranger come from even further in the future.
The justification was having aliens on Earth in the present day would not be realistic or something. But hell man has colonized space in the Power Rangers universe.
But SPD did everything else right. It really understood the idea Power Rangers is a sugar rush for kids and arrested adults. It also put some good character development in with the rangers like the old days.
3. Power Rangers in Space
I just barely put Space above Lost Galaxy. Space won in the end because it did not have as many weak episodes as Galaxy did. But things like the Magna Defender saga were better than the best stuff Space did.
Astronema was a weak villain. I do not know why the show was obsessed with cackling lady villains, but for three straight years, it was a requirement. I do not quite count Rita since her and Zedd were a package deal.
They also did a separated brother and sister storyline with the Red Ranger and Astronema. Which is a trope I really hate.
But the good with space far outweighs the bad. You had great villains like Darkonda and Ecliptor. Story arcs like the Psycho Rangers saga and the final death of Zordan was an all time great moment.
4. Power Rangers Lost Galaxy
Lost Galaxy is basically an epilogue for the first six seasons. Bulk is around (just barely) and they use the Astro Megaship from Power Rangers In Space. They have an Alpha helping them and they end up doing a big team up with the Space Rangers.
But at the same time the season exist on its own.
This season had a lot of death for a Power Rangers season. Eventually killing off the Pink Ranger, though she got better. Still that is pretty hardcore for this show.
The Magna Defender Saga is the best storyline the show ever did. There is a story arc set in the Lost Galaxy that only used Sentai footage and it kicked ass. Including a sick fight with the Titansaur.
This season also has a fantastic finale. They used all the money they saved from the sentai footage arc and put it into the finale and it kicked ass.
The season would be ranked higher if not for the low points. The first six or seven episodes are really boring. Then the post Magna Defender arc episodes are another low period.
5. Power Rangers Ninja Storm
Now this is a really good season. This is the first fully produced Disney Season. They hired a show runner from the season 3/Zeo era and he got the show back to basics.
The rangers, zords, monsters and fight scenes are all top notch. I love Lothor (big bad for the season) and most of his underlings.
Now they do tend to make the villains too goofy in places. Lothor's nieces wear thin after awhile.
But I think Lothor himself always carries an air of menace about him. The reveal that he was happy his monsters were being defeated, to further power the Abyss of Evil was great.
The show has some big negatives for me. The focus on extreme sports is unbearable at times. The finale was pretty week. It did not have the epic feeling the finales from Space to Wild Force had.
They just fought at a sports fest.
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Everyone knows I have a unhealthy love of this show and I have been meaning to make this post for awhile so lets go.
1. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers season 3
One of my favorite things ever. I remember summer of 95 going to see the movie and in the fall looking forward to seeing how the TV show was going to introduce the Ninja Zords.
Well first we got the backdoor pilot of Masked Rider, but lets not count that.
Season premier we get introduced to Rito Revolto, the brother of Rita Repulza. I guess aliens do not share last names since their dad is named Master Vile.
Rito was the main bad guy from the Sentai series Kakuranger. He has a bad ass look, as a camouflage skeleton soldier.
Zedd decides to send Rito and an army of monsters to attack the rangers. Now Zedd has tried this idea at least five times, but this time it works. Rito and his army destroy the Thunder Zords. Which was an awesome moment, only thing that bugged me was Goldar did not get to help.
That is how they started the season and it was an awesome weekday roller coaster ride. The Rangers could never seem to win for long.
They also had fun monster of the day episodes.
The one thing weighing down season 3 is the Alien Rangers mini series. It was really really bad, and unlike parts of seasons 1 and 2, there is no good excuse. But if you can overlook those episodes, season 3 is best with a crazy finale.
2. Power Rangers SPD
SPD was based on the sentai, Dekaranger, which is the first sentai I watched. It is a really good show with cool monsters, rangers and mechs.
So I kinda shit on SPD unfairly back in 05. But rewatching it on Netflix and I loved it. The only problem with the show is they did this stupid premise of setting it in the future. Which fucked up the loose continuity the show had, and they had Omega Ranger come from even further in the future.
The justification was having aliens on Earth in the present day would not be realistic or something. But hell man has colonized space in the Power Rangers universe.
But SPD did everything else right. It really understood the idea Power Rangers is a sugar rush for kids and arrested adults. It also put some good character development in with the rangers like the old days.
3. Power Rangers in Space
I just barely put Space above Lost Galaxy. Space won in the end because it did not have as many weak episodes as Galaxy did. But things like the Magna Defender saga were better than the best stuff Space did.
Astronema was a weak villain. I do not know why the show was obsessed with cackling lady villains, but for three straight years, it was a requirement. I do not quite count Rita since her and Zedd were a package deal.
They also did a separated brother and sister storyline with the Red Ranger and Astronema. Which is a trope I really hate.
But the good with space far outweighs the bad. You had great villains like Darkonda and Ecliptor. Story arcs like the Psycho Rangers saga and the final death of Zordan was an all time great moment.
4. Power Rangers Lost Galaxy
Lost Galaxy is basically an epilogue for the first six seasons. Bulk is around (just barely) and they use the Astro Megaship from Power Rangers In Space. They have an Alpha helping them and they end up doing a big team up with the Space Rangers.
But at the same time the season exist on its own.
This season had a lot of death for a Power Rangers season. Eventually killing off the Pink Ranger, though she got better. Still that is pretty hardcore for this show.
The Magna Defender Saga is the best storyline the show ever did. There is a story arc set in the Lost Galaxy that only used Sentai footage and it kicked ass. Including a sick fight with the Titansaur.
This season also has a fantastic finale. They used all the money they saved from the sentai footage arc and put it into the finale and it kicked ass.
The season would be ranked higher if not for the low points. The first six or seven episodes are really boring. Then the post Magna Defender arc episodes are another low period.
5. Power Rangers Ninja Storm
Now this is a really good season. This is the first fully produced Disney Season. They hired a show runner from the season 3/Zeo era and he got the show back to basics.
The rangers, zords, monsters and fight scenes are all top notch. I love Lothor (big bad for the season) and most of his underlings.
Now they do tend to make the villains too goofy in places. Lothor's nieces wear thin after awhile.
But I think Lothor himself always carries an air of menace about him. The reveal that he was happy his monsters were being defeated, to further power the Abyss of Evil was great.
The show has some big negatives for me. The focus on extreme sports is unbearable at times. The finale was pretty week. It did not have the epic feeling the finales from Space to Wild Force had.
They just fought at a sports fest.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Saturday, July 7, 2012
V-Spot for July 6th 2012
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Sunday, June 24, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Essential X-Men Volume 10
I just finished Essential X-Men Volume 10. I have been reading these volumes since getting the first one in the year 2000. Reading volume 2 in one weekend was one of the best reading experiences I ever had. After burning thru volume 3, the releases slowed down.
Volume 4 had the Brood saga and was great in general. Had to wait til 06 to read volume 5, which I think is one of the weaker volumes. Storm and Rogue took over the book. It was beginning to feel like "The Adventures of Storm: featuring Rogue and guest starring the X-Men".
There were some very good issues in this volume. Great use of Juggernaut and a great X-Men and Inner Circle team up against Nimrod:The Future Sentinel.
Volume 6 puts the series back on track. Everything is sharp and in focus. You get things like the X-Men in Asgard, which was a very cool setting.
This concludes with the Mutant Massacre, which was the very first X crossover. Since the first volume, X-Men went from a bi monthly book to three books. X-Men, X-Factor (The original team) and New Mutants (X-Men in training). Here the storylines never crossed into one another. Or the teams never interacted. It is a very tight storyline and feels organic. Not simply a cash grab. Big things happened here, Kitty and Nightcrawler are injured and leave the team.
We end up with my favorite version of the new team. Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Havok, Colossus, Longshot, Psylocke and Dazzler
Volume 7 was the Fall of the Mutants. Where the X-Men "die" fighting a demon named The Adversary.
This was a very good story and set up the X-Men being in Australia. Which is an era I love.
Volume 8 deals with Inferno. Which to me feels like the ultimate bang zoom finale of the book. So many long running threads come to an end here. X-Factor finally meets the new X-Men and end up having a big ole fight. The X-Men have been manipulated by Cyclops ex wife into thinking X-Factor are mutant hunters.
Also she is an elder demon called "The Goblin Queen" now.
I really liked how it brought all the anger and tension to the surface. Building on real resentments the characters had.
This was the best the trio of X books ever get at working as a single unit. They brought in all these disparate elements and made it work, all while seeming seamless.
Volume 9 of X-Men was the X-Men getting back to "normal". No big crossover here, but some generally good stories. The cyborg Reavers were pushed up to big bad status. Claremont is always good at bringing up master villains and not allowing them to wear out their welcome.
The Reavers launch their big attack and the X-Men are losing badly. Psylocke decides to use the Siege Perilous. This mystic portal given to the team by Roma, after they killed the Adversary.
Most of them go thru and end up different. There is a great three parter set in China where Psylocke has been turned into a ninja assassin. This became a mess later, but for now is cool. This is probably my favorite Mandarin story ever. He came across as a villain on the level of Doom, Magneto and Loki.
Havok turned up in Genosha (more on that later) with amnesia. End of this volume we run into Storm who has been turned into a kid. We will not find out what happened til volume 10.
10 is mostly okay. At this point it feels like a long running series, that has ran two seasons too long, but has gathered a second wind for the finale.
We get caught up with kid Storm and are introduced to Gambit. Her reunion with the team does not transition very smoothly.
I think the book has come under the influence of Jim Lee and I don't think he has contributed much creatively. A lot of it feels unfocused.
I think probably the high point to this volume is the annual crossover "Days of Future Present". Franklin Richards from the Sentinels timeline shows up in the present. Trying to alter things to fit his memories. I thought it had some good character moments and firmly connected the X-Men to the greater Marvel Universe.
The main event here is the X-Tinction Agenda. Back in volume 8, the country of Genosha was introduced. In the 80s, Apartheid was a hot button issue and there were a few ham fisted attempts to write about it in super hero comics. The problem was no matter what you do, you ruin the fantasy. The heroes end Apartheid and it does not feel true to life. Or the hero fails and it fractures the fantasy.
Genosha was a very good work around. It is a fully fictional country that treats mutants as slaves. The X-Men are free to fuck things up, without real world concerns. The X-Men save the day but Genosha still exist as a future threat.
X-Tinction Agenda really hinges on whether you can buy Cameron Hodge as a big bad. I liked Hodge as a slimeball friend of Warren Worthington in X-Factor. Trying to steal his fortune, and heading a anti mutant organization.
But once he was defeated, that should have been the end of him. Instead he came back in Inferno, where he was granted immortality by an elder god. Until Archangel decapitated him.
But turns out being immortal, his head is still alive. He had his group make him a cyborg body. Which I just wonder how he made that phone call. Ordering a cyborg body for his decapitated demon head. If it were Dr.Doom or Magneto, you don't bat an eye. But Hodge always seemed more street level.
Somehow he meets up with Genosha's old hag of a president. I thought she was Regan in drag. They kidnap four of the New Mutants and put them on trial. Warlock ends up dying. Or as close to death as a computer program alien can get.
The writing was fine for X-Tinction Agenda. But the seams are showing and this crossover felt like a chore. I never felt like Hodge was a true threat. His cyborg body seemed to pull out new powers as the story needed.
So suddenly he can phase thru walls, all the while cackling like Joker with none of the credibility. I grew frustrated waiting for him to get his ass kicked.
In the middle of this, Storm was aged back to an adult by the Genoshan Gengineer. Havok regains his memories. Rayne of the New Mutants is stuck in her wolf form.
This was an eight part story that should have been done in three.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
V-Spot Saved by The Belch:The New Gas
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Thursday, April 5, 2012
Dr.Victator's Top Five Saved by the Bell episodes
1.Student Teacher Week
My all time favorite Bell episode. There is an essay contest to decide which students will be teachers.
Screech and Lisa become the gym teachers.
Kelly the history teacher.
Zack is made principal, because Belding wants to fuck with him.
Slater gets a hair up his butt about Kelly trying to boss him around. So him and the football players skip out on her history test.
Zack gets guilt tripped by Kelly and stops Slater from playing. Leading to a lynch mob trying to kill Zack.
This is my number one because every character was used perfectly. Screech's bits as wannabe gym teacher hit just right.
This episode also has the first true appearance of Ox.
Also Big Pete was given his first real chance to be awesome. He has been an extra since season one. Got his first speaking line in season two and was named in the volleyball episode at the beach club. Best second tier SBTB character. Narrowly edging out Ollie.
2.Check Your Mate
This episode could have easily been number one if not for the tour de force of Big Pete in Student Teacher Week..
Screech and his off again/on again paramour Violet Bickerstaff are very on again. Screech is busting heads on the high school chess circuit.
The second appearance of Valley goons since season 1's prank war. They bet that the Valley student can beat Screech.
Screech is confident until he meets the student. A Russian kid whose uncle is some insanely powerful Chess Player. But Screech regains his confidence thanks to his lucky beret.
One of the Valley guys pimps out his girlfriend to get the beret. Slater and Zack use sweet sweet violence and subterfuge to help Screech. It also lead to some great bits of dialogue.
Slater: Call it a hunch Jesse but I think Screech is going to kick that Commie's butt.
Jesse: Slater in this era of glasnost, you can't say "kick the Commie's butt."
Slater: Sorry Jesse, what I mean't to say was "Kick that Commie's Hiney!!"
Later after the commie reappears.
Jesse: First the Russian was winning, then the Russian was losing, now the Russian is hopping around in his underwear.
3.House Party
This is another episode that just as easily could have been number one.
Screech's parents are leaving him alone for the weekend. His parents are apparently Elvis fanatics. His mom is played by Ruth Buzzie of Laugh In.
According to Dustin Diamond, Micheal Richards (Kramer from Seinfeld) was to play his dad.
This was before Seinfeld started, so I could see that.
Zack naturally sees this as a way to throw a big party, but Mama Screech will have none of it. Leaving a bunch of rules. Which I assume was more to keep Zack in line more than Screech.
But they end up still getting in trouble. When the girls crash their quiet evening and accidentally break Screech's Mom's Elvis statue. They find a replacement but it is surprisingly expensive.
Zack tries to help by duping Max Nerdstrom in a card game. But he is Max "Fucking" Nerdstrom, the richest fucking nerd at Bayside. So he cleans them out and wins Screech's dog. Screech reacts reasonably by trying to murder Zack.
This episode also has the first appearance of Herbert. The ultimate in Bayside nerd toadies, and Ollie's boyfriend dujour.
Also Belding played Elvis in a dream.
4. King of the Hill
This is the pilot to the series. That was strangely placed at the end of the first season.
This episode introduces Slater to the gang. Kelly and Jesse have been around all along retroactively.
Zack has decided to finally ask Kelly out. But new guy Slater is determined to get Kelly for himself. Slater in the first season, never seemed to really like Kelly. Like he only liked her to gain dominion over Zack. Whoever has Kelly rules the school.
I should mention here, there is a very short lived show in the mid 80s called "It's Your Move" that starred Jason Bateman as a teenage con artist, who often tangled with Steve Garrison of Married with Children fame. It had the same producers/creators as MWC too.
I think Saved by the Bell owes a lot to this show. Look for it on youtube.
5. Miss Bayside
I had a lot of trouble deciding which episode to select here. It came down to this, The Friendship Business or Snow White and the Seven Dorks.
I picked Miss Bayside on a whim.
This is the episode where Screech won the beauty pageant.*
Jesse has a hair up her ass about the school having a beauty pageant and convinces Kelly not to enter. This leads to Zack and Slater making a bet. Zack says he can make anyone Miss Bayside. Slater in a big dick move (he has a lot of these in season 2) selects Screech.
Zack makes it work just on the freak show element. Until Slater enters and steals the freak thunder.
Slater also convinces Kelly and Jesse to enter. Leading to some very awesome catty arguments, and Kelly nearly punching out Jesse. Also we see Kelly's very inconsistent singing ability. Which varies by the episode.
Eventually Zack helps Screech win by slandering Slater's good name.
*For years I thought every high school had a beauty pagent. Real life sucks.
My all time favorite Bell episode. There is an essay contest to decide which students will be teachers.
Screech and Lisa become the gym teachers.
Kelly the history teacher.
Zack is made principal, because Belding wants to fuck with him.
Slater gets a hair up his butt about Kelly trying to boss him around. So him and the football players skip out on her history test.
Zack gets guilt tripped by Kelly and stops Slater from playing. Leading to a lynch mob trying to kill Zack.
This is my number one because every character was used perfectly. Screech's bits as wannabe gym teacher hit just right.
This episode also has the first true appearance of Ox.
Also Big Pete was given his first real chance to be awesome. He has been an extra since season one. Got his first speaking line in season two and was named in the volleyball episode at the beach club. Best second tier SBTB character. Narrowly edging out Ollie.
2.Check Your Mate
This episode could have easily been number one if not for the tour de force of Big Pete in Student Teacher Week..
Screech and his off again/on again paramour Violet Bickerstaff are very on again. Screech is busting heads on the high school chess circuit.
The second appearance of Valley goons since season 1's prank war. They bet that the Valley student can beat Screech.
Screech is confident until he meets the student. A Russian kid whose uncle is some insanely powerful Chess Player. But Screech regains his confidence thanks to his lucky beret.
One of the Valley guys pimps out his girlfriend to get the beret. Slater and Zack use sweet sweet violence and subterfuge to help Screech. It also lead to some great bits of dialogue.
Slater: Call it a hunch Jesse but I think Screech is going to kick that Commie's butt.
Jesse: Slater in this era of glasnost, you can't say "kick the Commie's butt."
Slater: Sorry Jesse, what I mean't to say was "Kick that Commie's Hiney!!"
Later after the commie reappears.
Jesse: First the Russian was winning, then the Russian was losing, now the Russian is hopping around in his underwear.
3.House Party
This is another episode that just as easily could have been number one.
Screech's parents are leaving him alone for the weekend. His parents are apparently Elvis fanatics. His mom is played by Ruth Buzzie of Laugh In.
According to Dustin Diamond, Micheal Richards (Kramer from Seinfeld) was to play his dad.
This was before Seinfeld started, so I could see that.
Zack naturally sees this as a way to throw a big party, but Mama Screech will have none of it. Leaving a bunch of rules. Which I assume was more to keep Zack in line more than Screech.
But they end up still getting in trouble. When the girls crash their quiet evening and accidentally break Screech's Mom's Elvis statue. They find a replacement but it is surprisingly expensive.
Zack tries to help by duping Max Nerdstrom in a card game. But he is Max "Fucking" Nerdstrom, the richest fucking nerd at Bayside. So he cleans them out and wins Screech's dog. Screech reacts reasonably by trying to murder Zack.
This episode also has the first appearance of Herbert. The ultimate in Bayside nerd toadies, and Ollie's boyfriend dujour.
Also Belding played Elvis in a dream.
4. King of the Hill
This is the pilot to the series. That was strangely placed at the end of the first season.
This episode introduces Slater to the gang. Kelly and Jesse have been around all along retroactively.
Zack has decided to finally ask Kelly out. But new guy Slater is determined to get Kelly for himself. Slater in the first season, never seemed to really like Kelly. Like he only liked her to gain dominion over Zack. Whoever has Kelly rules the school.
I should mention here, there is a very short lived show in the mid 80s called "It's Your Move" that starred Jason Bateman as a teenage con artist, who often tangled with Steve Garrison of Married with Children fame. It had the same producers/creators as MWC too.
I think Saved by the Bell owes a lot to this show. Look for it on youtube.
5. Miss Bayside
I had a lot of trouble deciding which episode to select here. It came down to this, The Friendship Business or Snow White and the Seven Dorks.
I picked Miss Bayside on a whim.
This is the episode where Screech won the beauty pageant.*
Jesse has a hair up her ass about the school having a beauty pageant and convinces Kelly not to enter. This leads to Zack and Slater making a bet. Zack says he can make anyone Miss Bayside. Slater in a big dick move (he has a lot of these in season 2) selects Screech.
Zack makes it work just on the freak show element. Until Slater enters and steals the freak thunder.
Slater also convinces Kelly and Jesse to enter. Leading to some very awesome catty arguments, and Kelly nearly punching out Jesse. Also we see Kelly's very inconsistent singing ability. Which varies by the episode.
Eventually Zack helps Screech win by slandering Slater's good name.
*For years I thought every high school had a beauty pagent. Real life sucks.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Blood Fight (Final Fight)
I came across a Bolo Yeung tribute on Youtube.
There were clips of his movies, one of which looked a lot like Bloodsport. Now let me tell you something, I LOVE Bloodsport. If you do not like Bloodsport, then I do not like you. I likely resent having to share Earth with you.
Now looking into it, I find out the movie is called Blood Fight. Bolo Yeung even plays the same character. I'm guessing it was made shortly after Bloodsport proved to be a hit. Its also better than any sequel Bloodsport had in the 90s.
Now the movie gets bad reviews, but I really don't care. It has a lot of heart and I think its good outweighs the bad.
It opens at the tourney, with various fighters arriving. Now first thing they got right was, everyone has a distinctive look. You have the tall Great Khalli looking Indian. You have the big fat sumo master. Your basic karate guys. A big pro wrestler type. Also you have Bolo Fucking Yeung as Chong Li.
The movie goes right into the action which I appreciate.
Big Fat Sumo squashes a karate guy. Great Khalli throws a dude into the third row. Bolo Yeung fucks shit up.
He chokes the sumo out with his own diaper. We then see him fighting Great Khalli, and see a sad man in the back staring at a wall. He is the star of the movie.
Flash back to two years before and we see he is a former world champion living in his past. Like a karate Sunset Boulevard. He watches his matches obsessively, rewinding to the cool spots again and again.
His wife is sick of it and wants him to get a real job. It has drove her to drink.
Next we see a gang lead by a big D Grade Reb Brown. The drive around in a sweet ass jeep (with Fuck You written on the back) terrorizing the city. The former champion (Whose name is Masahiro Kai BTW) sees the guy has potential to be a great fighter.
So he shows him his tapes and lets him move into be his student. His wife is understandably pissed and leaves him.
Now we go to the gang harassing a family. A Chinese girl starts beating them up and the American returns and punches her out.
Now it seemed odd to give the girl such a big scene when she never comes back. But I do like how it played with expectations. The punk has not changed and is still a punk.
He starts harassing this girl named Susie, until her boyfriend saves her. I think it would be harder to find someone in Hong Kong who does not know some form of Karate.
Kai turns up and witnesses his new star pupil being a asshole and getting his ass kicked. Kai knows a loser when he sees one and hops on the new hotness.
But the guy (Whose name is Ryu Tenmei) does not want to learn. His dad taught him and died or something. He knows enough to protect himself and that is enough. We get a montage set to the All Japan Pro Wrestling Theme, with Kai stalking young Tenmei. But Tenmei remains uninterested in Kai's offer.
Until the American and his gang return with weapons and nearly beat him to death. He crawls to Kai's door a bloody mess. He begs to be taught but KAI SAYS NO. Because he wants revenge. I don't see how revenge is a less pure motive than glory, but I'm not Masahiko Kai.
So now set to the same AJPW theme, Tenmei is stalking Kai. Finally Tenmei explains his back story and Kai trains him.
Once Tenmei masters a devastating forehead kick, Kai enters him in the Kumite.
He makes it to the finals, denting in a dudes forehead with his finisher. Chong Li is there too and known as the Vietnamese Cobra. He has a sweet Cobra tat on his arm and forehead.
Finals get down to Tenmei and Chong Li. Tenmei's finisher is blocked and Chong Li dismantles him. Finally defeating him in front of a cheering crowd. But this is not enough for Chong Li, who snaps Tenmei's neck killing him.
If not for the Youtube vidya spoiling it, would of been really shocking. I do like how the movie plays with the story, going against expectation. First with the punk student remaining a punk and next with Tenmei dying.
Kai is devastated as Tenmei's girlfriend blames him for it. Which I suppose is safer than blaming Chong Li.
Kai goes on a drunken bender not giving a shit. Various people trying to pull him out of the gutter. Even Not Reb Brown returns and runs into him with his Jeep, calling him a bum.
His ex wife turns up, having married an old rich dude. She seems hurt by what Kai has become. I'm not saying its great acting, but I appreciate the director trying to make everyone a somewhat complete character.
A guy (his former trainer or something) from the tournament tries to get him to return. Saying Chong Li is a disgrace, but Kai is still too drunk to care.
Eventually Tenmei's girlfriend realizes what martial arts meant to him and decides to help Kai. She urges him to sober up and avenge Tenmei.
So we get him training with his completely unnecessarily American trainer, ending where we started. Kai is staring at the wall and preparing to fight Chong Li.
We get a pretty awesome fight out of this. Which I think lived up to the build up. With the way this movie had went, I honestly expected Kai to lose and/or be killed. But it did not go that far.
Movie ends with a nice song showing Kai and Susie (Tenmei's girlfriend) moving on with their life.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you this was a great movie with brilliant acting. It has problems, a big one being it has a very confusing narrative in places. It could be a lot clearer, you could also safely take out twenty minutes and have a very complete movie. The American actors are awful, in particular Not Reb Brown. There are too many unnecessary characters like the trainer and Tenmei's boss at the restaurant.
But I think the guy playing Kai had a great presence and truly felt like a hard nosed sensei. Bolo Yeung was great as Chong Li. The bottom line with this kind of movie is
1. Did it make me want to see a fight at the end between the protagonist and the antagonist?
2. Did said fight live up?
Friday, March 9, 2012
V-Spot Radio
Listen to internet radio with The V Spot Featuring Neil on Blog Talk Radio
First episode of the V-Spot featuring Neil. We discuss Metroid and Dallas.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Transformers (G1) Episode 73- Dark Awakening
I got Transformers Season 2 Part 2 and Season 3/4 for Christmas and I've been slowly trudging thru season 2 part 2 since.
Transformers is a show I love. In part it gives me warm fuzzy memories of my childhood. Other times episodes tend to be fun and on very rare occasions it is actually good.
The show was mostly carried by some strong characters like Optimus Prime, Megatron and Starscream. Like any good show the character dynamics are clearly established and the main characters react to each other in unique ways. This dynamic carries the show through some bad episodes.
Well I get to season 3 finally and it is like a brand new show. The show is dealing with fall out from the movie.
Now I don't think I need to go into detail about Transformers The Movie. Its a classic from our childhood. Optimus Prime died and upset us all. Why my nephew Dylan was sobbing after Prime died.
Well honestly I did not see the movie as a kid. It would of took an act of Congress to get my parents to take me to a movie and hell I'm not sure the movie existed.
When I finally did see it, I was more put off by how casually the rest of the cast was butchered. Like Prowl, Ratchet and Huffer. At least Iron Hide went out like a pro.
This brings me to the Season 3 episode Dark Awakening. This is an episode I remember vividly as it scared the hell out of me when I was six.
So the Autobots are on the run from the Decepticons. Eventually they end up at the tomb where they put all the dead Autobots including Optimus Prime. Daniel (the son of Spike) ends up wandering around and sees Prime. But not as we remember, now he is all broken and damaged.
The vision haunted me for days in 1987. I did not even know Prime was dead. Imagine a beloved relative died and you find out when you see their decayed zombie lumbering around. That is what I was dealing with.
So the Rodimus and Ultra Magnus open Prime's tomb and its empty. Prime is back and saves them from a Decepticon ambush. Galvatron is all "A Ggggggghhhooost!!!" and leaves.
One thing about Rodimus Prime is, he does not want to be in charge. He got the Matrix of Leadership in a Kyle Rayner esque fluke and hates it. But he has begrudgingly did his best to lead the Autobots. Even if Ultra Magnus should be leader.
So Rodimus is thrilled Prime is back and against all objections (including from Prime) gives the Matrix back. Now he is plain old Hot Rod and can get back to his life of racing and pounding circuits.
But Prime is not right. He attacks the Autobots take their ship and sets the tomb on a collision course with the sun.
Turns out Prime was revived by the Quintessons. The creators of the Transformers, and new bad guys for this season. You have a bit of a rock, paper scissor dynamic on the show now.
Anyway they revived Prime and put in programming for him to lead the Autobots into an ambush. The programming is so sinister, even Prime does not know.
So Hot Rod and the others escape the tomb before it hits the sun. The tomb is destroyed and now Iron Hide and the others are dead DEAD.
Prime is leading the Autobots and looking at Blur and Wheelie wondering what happened to this once proud organization.
Hot Rod and Prime have a one on one battle and despite falling apart Prime wins. But he finally knows this is wrong, the Matrix told him or something.
He shoves the Matrix back into Hot Rod and sends the Autobot fleet away and dies in an explosion.
This is a really good episode and I totally get why six year old me was upset by it. Watching zombie Prime struggle as he sacrificed what little life he had left. Most likely worried what the Autobots would do with that fuck up Rodimus at the helm.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Franchise's that deserve expanded universes
Now if you are a Star Wars,Buffy or Star Trek fan. You know that getting invested in expanded universe properties like novels, comics or even video games is a perilous task. Sometimes they are flat out bad. You tread halfway through a book and realize it is terrible and will not get any better. Then are relieved it cannot be official canon.
Then you find a great book. Something that fits the series tone perfectly. You hope and hope it will not be directly contradicted. Then suddenly the creator makes a return and undoes it.
But you also find those gems. Those works that are so perfect you don't care if it doesn't "count". Why it might fall between the cracks so perfectly that it can't be undone.
Today I want to talk about franchises that deserve to have more of an expanded universe. Video games, TV or movies. Now some of these series might be tragically short lived and deserve to live in some form or another.
Or they might be series that lasted an incredibly long time. But oddly never got outside of their niche. Lets check out what I consider universes worthy of exploring.
1. Dragonball
Now you might think that giving an expanded universe to a franchise that has over five hundred TV episodes, 20 movies and 42 volumes of comics silly.
Well you go to hell!!!!
But really you don't know Dragonball. Akira Toriyama is an incredible creator. In his time working on Dragonball, every volume was loaded with awesome concepts that were barely explored, before he introduced things that were even cooler.
Whether it be a series following the Frieza Clan. Looking at the various conflicts of the Ginyu Force or the Saiyan trio of Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz.
Or looking at the life and times of the gods of gods the Kaioshins.
Looking at the history of the planet Namek.
The early life of Master Roshi and Crane Hermit. Or their Master Mutaito. Maybe look a little later at Roshi's first students Ox King and Goku's Grampa Gohan.
Actually a twenty minute animated short (based on a comic) following a alternate universe Bardock came out. In it he fought a Ancestor of Frieza and even hinted at a cool concept involving the Legendary Super Saiyan. So maybe some day.
2. Power Rangers
Power Rangers has been on a long time. Starting in 1999 they started doing completely new series each year. Some of these series are good, some are okay and some are terrible.
But they usually drop a few bits of history expanding the series. For as popular as the series was at one time, it never had a successful comic series. Which I found odd but I have theories for why they did not work.
There were early Sholastic paperbacks for youngsters. Pfft what do they think we are, little kids?
And there have been exactly four not terrible Power Rangers games. two on the SNES and two on the Genesis. MMPR the Movie on Genesis sorta kicks ass actually.
But not a single good game in a year with a 0 in it. Power Rangers:Super Legends should have been at least decent, but it was awful. I took it to Gamestop and got my money back even though I downloaded it.
But it would be fun seeing comics exploring how the various Evil Overlords interact or the different hells in the PR universe.
Or maybe I want to see the Dragonzord fight a fucking Q-Rex or Goldar tangling with Magna Defender.
3. Dallas
Dallas was an awesome TV show that ran for nearly fourteen years. There were a few books based on TV episodes. But nothing on the epic scale that Dallas deserved.
Dammit I want comics and books based on the pre season one years. With JR finally running Ewing Oil and a young Cliff Barnes establishing himself as a consumer advocate.
Hell go into the post TV movie years and show Christopher and John Ross joining the family business.
Maybe I'll get my wish once the revived series premieres on TNT and it is a mega hit.
4. Rocky
No no not stories about Rocky. His story was told perfectly in six movies.
But I would love to hear the stories of what happened to the characters he encountered over the course of those six films.
I mean watching Rocky 3 you can see Clubber Lang's story was not over. This was a guy on a bad path and his brief moment of glory probably destroyed him.
Ivan Drago embarrassed Mother Russia in front of the world. What happened to him?
What ended up happening to Tommy Gunn? Which no matter what, Rocky V was a good movie. I don't care what Stallone says.
Hell I would love to see a book starring Thunderlips:The Ultimate Male.
Anybody reading this, what are universes you wish were given more attention in books, comics or vidya games?
Then you find a great book. Something that fits the series tone perfectly. You hope and hope it will not be directly contradicted. Then suddenly the creator makes a return and undoes it.
But you also find those gems. Those works that are so perfect you don't care if it doesn't "count". Why it might fall between the cracks so perfectly that it can't be undone.
Today I want to talk about franchises that deserve to have more of an expanded universe. Video games, TV or movies. Now some of these series might be tragically short lived and deserve to live in some form or another.
Or they might be series that lasted an incredibly long time. But oddly never got outside of their niche. Lets check out what I consider universes worthy of exploring.
1. Dragonball
Now you might think that giving an expanded universe to a franchise that has over five hundred TV episodes, 20 movies and 42 volumes of comics silly.
Well you go to hell!!!!
But really you don't know Dragonball. Akira Toriyama is an incredible creator. In his time working on Dragonball, every volume was loaded with awesome concepts that were barely explored, before he introduced things that were even cooler.
Whether it be a series following the Frieza Clan. Looking at the various conflicts of the Ginyu Force or the Saiyan trio of Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz.
Or looking at the life and times of the gods of gods the Kaioshins.
Looking at the history of the planet Namek.
The early life of Master Roshi and Crane Hermit. Or their Master Mutaito. Maybe look a little later at Roshi's first students Ox King and Goku's Grampa Gohan.
Actually a twenty minute animated short (based on a comic) following a alternate universe Bardock came out. In it he fought a Ancestor of Frieza and even hinted at a cool concept involving the Legendary Super Saiyan. So maybe some day.
2. Power Rangers
Power Rangers has been on a long time. Starting in 1999 they started doing completely new series each year. Some of these series are good, some are okay and some are terrible.
But they usually drop a few bits of history expanding the series. For as popular as the series was at one time, it never had a successful comic series. Which I found odd but I have theories for why they did not work.
There were early Sholastic paperbacks for youngsters. Pfft what do they think we are, little kids?
And there have been exactly four not terrible Power Rangers games. two on the SNES and two on the Genesis. MMPR the Movie on Genesis sorta kicks ass actually.
But not a single good game in a year with a 0 in it. Power Rangers:Super Legends should have been at least decent, but it was awful. I took it to Gamestop and got my money back even though I downloaded it.
But it would be fun seeing comics exploring how the various Evil Overlords interact or the different hells in the PR universe.
Or maybe I want to see the Dragonzord fight a fucking Q-Rex or Goldar tangling with Magna Defender.
3. Dallas
Dallas was an awesome TV show that ran for nearly fourteen years. There were a few books based on TV episodes. But nothing on the epic scale that Dallas deserved.
Dammit I want comics and books based on the pre season one years. With JR finally running Ewing Oil and a young Cliff Barnes establishing himself as a consumer advocate.
Hell go into the post TV movie years and show Christopher and John Ross joining the family business.
Maybe I'll get my wish once the revived series premieres on TNT and it is a mega hit.
4. Rocky
No no not stories about Rocky. His story was told perfectly in six movies.
But I would love to hear the stories of what happened to the characters he encountered over the course of those six films.
I mean watching Rocky 3 you can see Clubber Lang's story was not over. This was a guy on a bad path and his brief moment of glory probably destroyed him.
Ivan Drago embarrassed Mother Russia in front of the world. What happened to him?
What ended up happening to Tommy Gunn? Which no matter what, Rocky V was a good movie. I don't care what Stallone says.
Hell I would love to see a book starring Thunderlips:The Ultimate Male.
Anybody reading this, what are universes you wish were given more attention in books, comics or vidya games?
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Zelda 2
For the last few weeks I have been on a Zelda kick. First I beat the Super Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda:A Link To The Past. I last played it in the year of our lord nineteen hundred and ninety eight. I remember my baby sister at the time whining that I had traded in a Mickey Mouse game and Cool Spot. I still rub this in to this day.
It is still a great game, even though I was playing it wrong. See after I beat Link to the Past, I played the original Zelda for the NES. Honestly I had never completed the original Zelda. I made a few false starts over the years. I remember playing it over a weekend in 1999 when my sister was in the Birmingham Hospital. I got to the fifth dungeon and gave up for some reason.
So I started the original Zelda right after I beat Link to The Past. Searching for the second dungeon I had a revelation. I had been playing Zelda games wrong. I was playing Zelda like it was Mario or Megaman or Ninja Gaiden. Zelda is more about the journey than the actual boss.
I had a grand old time exploring southern Hyrule and discovering all of its secrets. Eventually it was time to enter the final level to battle GANON. Let me tell you something, Ganon does not want to be found.
That is one of the hardest levels, I have ever encountered on a video game. I can think of one or two stages more difficult, but not by a large margin. So I killed Ganon and started on Zelda 2:The Adventure of Link.
Zelda 2 is a game I rented once or twice as a boy and could make no headway in the game. I never beat the first dungeon until I was seventeen. I had this beat up copy of it. It so beat up the front of the cart was broken off. But I abandoned Zelda 2 again quickly enough.
I finally beat it in the year of our lord two thousand and seven. It was on my wonderful NES emulator disc for my old Dreamcast. But to get thru the game, I admit to a shameful amount of cheating to get past Death Mountain.
My past as a cheater haunted me and Zelda 2 sat on my Wii shaming me by its mere presence. But I started on it and completed the first palace quickly enough.
I encountered some problems in the second palace. Mainly getting thru the swamp it was located in with my three lives in tact. But after some training in the field, I skipped ahead to Death Mountain, got the hammer and whipped some ass.
After that I got through the game fairly uneventfully. The thing with Zelda 2 is it stands alone. Nintendo never used the engine again and half assed research tells me they deemed it a failure creatively. But through out the game I kept thinking of how much potential the Zelda 2 engine had. If they had added more weapons, made the long range attacks more effective. In ways it feels like the best Sega Master System game.
From a dramatic stand point, I think Ganon should have been resurrected somehow so Link could kill him again.
In the end it is a very fun game once you gain more experience and attacks. It just leaves you wanting more.
It is still a great game, even though I was playing it wrong. See after I beat Link to the Past, I played the original Zelda for the NES. Honestly I had never completed the original Zelda. I made a few false starts over the years. I remember playing it over a weekend in 1999 when my sister was in the Birmingham Hospital. I got to the fifth dungeon and gave up for some reason.
So I started the original Zelda right after I beat Link to The Past. Searching for the second dungeon I had a revelation. I had been playing Zelda games wrong. I was playing Zelda like it was Mario or Megaman or Ninja Gaiden. Zelda is more about the journey than the actual boss.
I had a grand old time exploring southern Hyrule and discovering all of its secrets. Eventually it was time to enter the final level to battle GANON. Let me tell you something, Ganon does not want to be found.
That is one of the hardest levels, I have ever encountered on a video game. I can think of one or two stages more difficult, but not by a large margin. So I killed Ganon and started on Zelda 2:The Adventure of Link.
Zelda 2 is a game I rented once or twice as a boy and could make no headway in the game. I never beat the first dungeon until I was seventeen. I had this beat up copy of it. It so beat up the front of the cart was broken off. But I abandoned Zelda 2 again quickly enough.
I finally beat it in the year of our lord two thousand and seven. It was on my wonderful NES emulator disc for my old Dreamcast. But to get thru the game, I admit to a shameful amount of cheating to get past Death Mountain.
My past as a cheater haunted me and Zelda 2 sat on my Wii shaming me by its mere presence. But I started on it and completed the first palace quickly enough.
I encountered some problems in the second palace. Mainly getting thru the swamp it was located in with my three lives in tact. But after some training in the field, I skipped ahead to Death Mountain, got the hammer and whipped some ass.
After that I got through the game fairly uneventfully. The thing with Zelda 2 is it stands alone. Nintendo never used the engine again and half assed research tells me they deemed it a failure creatively. But through out the game I kept thinking of how much potential the Zelda 2 engine had. If they had added more weapons, made the long range attacks more effective. In ways it feels like the best Sega Master System game.
From a dramatic stand point, I think Ganon should have been resurrected somehow so Link could kill him again.
In the end it is a very fun game once you gain more experience and attacks. It just leaves you wanting more.
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