My picks for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is set to announce their inductees on Thursday (or next month. I've heard both). The nomination list consists of:

• Afrika Bambaataa
• Beastie Boys
• Chic
• Leonard Cohen
• The Dave Clark Five
• Madonna
• John Mellencamp
• Donna Summer
• The Ventures

As it is every year, there were some other notable snubs. Among the bands who were first eligible this year that I thought deserved a nomination include:

• Metallica: I had thought that this would be a no brainer. The HOF nominating committee uses influence and innovation as a qualifier. You do not find many more bands who are as innovative and influential in the world of heavy metal as Metallica. Bias against headbangers, HOF?
• Sonic Youth: In my opinion, there wouldn't be an indie scene if it wasn't for Sonic Youth. I thought that the band might not be a lock for the hall, but a shoot in for the nomination list.
• Sting: I thought he had a chance, since the Police are already in. 

So, of the nine above, who do I think will be the five voted in?

1. John Mellencamp (Eligible since 2004, nominated 3 times): Apparently, he told a concert audience a week and a half ago that he was already confirmed as being in. Maybe that was just wishful thinking. I like his music, but I always sort of considered him Bruce Springsteen-lite by way of Bob Seger.
2. Madonna (First year eligible, first year nominated): Her attitude is total rock and roll, her music is not. But everything I read says she is a lock.
3. Beastie Boys (First year eligible, first year nominated): I love the Beasties. I definitely believe the have grown as artists and deserve to be in. Only thing, there are a lot of other rap artists out their (Bambaataa, Kurtis Blow) that aren't in and the arguement could be made should be in before the Beasties.
4. Leonard Cohen (Eligible since 1993, first year nominated): This might not seem to be a good choice. After all, he has been eligible for 14 years and never appeared on one ballot until this year. But he is wildly inventive and while many people might not know of him, two HOF's, U2 and R.E.M., list him as an influence. That's why I think he will be inducted.
5. The Dave Clark Five (Eligible since 1989, nominated 3 times): Supposedly, they were the fifth highest vote getter last year. But some of their votes came in too late and Grandmaster Flash was inducted instead. Unless there is some backlash, I think they'll be in this year. 

Am I right? I guess we'll see on Thursday. Perhaps with commentary from me. 

Bill    

MySpace HoTrain Update: Everything is Illuminated.

I got another hoochie friend request today. This is what it said in the "about me" section:

"Hiya Mr. Charged up

I love your pic, is that really you? Well I hope you have a minute to come check out my pics and profile.

Im on this other site that allows all type of pics and also my webcam is live while im on it.Its totally free to sign up!
(WEBSITE REMOVED BECAUSE IT IS PROBABLY NASTY)

Make sure to look for me, See you there.
The round green cat walks."

This is the perfect about me section. From the "Mr. Charged up" greeting to the C.I.A. code phrase to end it. The best part of the whole thing? This is my profile picture:

 

Frank's sign

Yes, that is my picture. I am a lighted sign hanging above a bar. And since I am a piece of electrical advertising, I really am not able to look at your pictures, you big hoochie.

Logrolling in our Time: My buddy Jeff makes it into a press release.

Spy Magazine had a feature in it called "Logrolling in Our Time'" where they would publish complimentary quotes by authors to each other. They made the term logrolling seem unseemly. I am taking it back.

My friend Jeff used the Cover Girl TPB as part of his teaching and reported this fact in his blog. BOOM! Studios picked up on it, and created a press release around it.

If you want to read the press release, you can go here. It has even made it over to the "Comics are Good" blog here.

I am still enough of a rube that I get a kick out of seeing my name used in the promotion of their comic books. I get more of a kick out of seeing my friends names. Atta boy, Jeff!

I mock the DC and Marvel solicitations.

It's been a couple months, but this is back again.

ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER #9
Written by Frank Miller
Art and cover by Jim Lee & Scott Williams
Variant cover by Neal Adams
The Dynamic Duo: yellow-bellied? Green Lantern tries to convince Batman & Robin to fall in line, but the pair takes him to school…in color theory!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Jim Lee & Scott WIlliams), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Neal Adams). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale February 27 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• My prediction? The phrase "I'm the goddamn yellow Batman" will be uttered. And the comic will suck.

BATMAN #674
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Tony Daniel & Jonathan Glapion
Cover by Daniel
More secrets of Batman are revealed! Batman finds himself in a torture chamber facing the last and deadliest of the three Batman replacements…and finally learns the tragic story of how they came to be! With a shocking appearance by Bat-Mite, this tale leads to more revelations about the young Batman's participation in a bizarre isolation experiment as we learn how the terrifying consequences of his actions will alter the Dark Knight's life in the months to come.
On sale February 27 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• Bat-Mite? Really?

DETECTIVE COMICS #841
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen & Derek Fridolfs
Cover by Nguyen
Scarface and the new Ventriloquist make their deadly return to DETECTIVE COMICS in a story destined to surprise readers! Plus, Zatanna guest-stars in this special tale!
On sale February 6 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• DC should just let Dini write a Zatanna series already. I mean, it's obvious what he wants to do the most. And this way we won't have to see him shoehorn Zatanna into Detective every other month.

ROBIN #171
Written by Chuck Dixon
Art by Chris Batista & Cam Smith
Cover by Tony Daniel
Violet's shady spoils are piling up as fast as Robin's girl troubles…and he's dealing with some spoils of his own. His all-nighters are sending his relationship with Zoanne off the rails - literally - and his visions of Stephanie around every corner have to be just that…right? Meanwhile, two of Gotham's finest want to get in on the super-hero racket with Robin's help, when Robin likes it or not!
On sale February 20 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• I think DC could have tried harder. I mean, only two uses of the world "spoil" in the solicitation? C'mon! I expect better. And it should be "whether Robin likes it or not" not "when".

SUPERMAN/BATMAN #46
Written by Michael Green & Mike Johnson
Art and cover by Shane Davis & Matt Banning
A new color of Kryptonite is introduced as Superman's quest sends him after Metallo! But is Superman willing to ignore everything he stands for and rip out Metallo's heart? What strange places will Batman venture to in order to save the day? Zatanna guest stars in this tale constructed by Michael Green (Heroes) & Mike Johnson with art by emerging superstar Shane Davis (MYSTERY IN SPACE)!
On sale February 20 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• Ooh! A new color of Kryptonite! Wow! I got to pick this one up! And does Dini know someone is using Zatanna behind his back?

BLUE BEETLE #24
Written by John Rogers
Art and cover by Rafael Albuquerque
Lost in space! The Reach brings its Scarab home - and Jaime Reyes is about to die far from his, while knowing that his family and allies will be next. His salvation lies deep within the Blue Beetle legacy; it'll take a hero's efforts to find it. Don't miss the shocking ending to this issue!
On sale February 27o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• I hope the ending of the book isn't the ending of the series. This is one of the best on the market.

FANTASTIC FOUR #554
Written by MARK MILLAR
Pencils & Cover by BRYAN HITCH
MARK MILLAR! BRYAN HITCH! Need we say more? All right, we will! Who is Mrs. Fantastic? And how will her return into Reed's life rock comicdom's First Family? Also, get ready to meet the Invisible Woman's brand NEW super-team! This issue kicks off a year-long storyline that will make FANTASTIC FOUR "The World's ULTIMATEST Comic Magazine!" Promise!
32 PGS./Rated A…$2.99

• Yeah, sounds exciting. But when only two issues come out a year, the excitement will start to wane.

FANTASTIC FOUR: THE LOST ADVENTURE
Written by STAN LEE
Pencils & Cover by JACK KIRBY
IT'S THE COMIC BOOK EQUIVALENT OF A LOST BEATLES TRACK! Together, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby produced 102 consecutive issues of FANTASTIC FOUR. But there was a 103rd story they'd begun in 1970, but never finished-until now! Working from copies of Jack's penciled pages, Stan Lee and Joe Sinnott have reunited, to complete the work they started almost four decades ago! Plus, this super-sized issue includes reproductions of Kirby's unlinked penciled pages, with border notes and analysis by John Morrow, and a complete reprint of FANTASTIC FOUR #108 by Stan Lee and John Buscema, which incorporated some of the material from the lost story as a flashback.
64 PGS./Rated A …$4.99

• This simply rocks!

GHOST RIDER #20
Written by JASON AARON
Art by ROLAND BOSCHI
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
HEAVEN BOUND, HELL TO PAY, PART ONE
Following the startling revelations of the previous arc, writer Jason Aaron (WOLVERINE, Scalped) and artist Roland Boschi take Ghost Rider down a blazing new road! Over the years, Johnny Blaze has lost everything to the curse of the Ghost Rider -- his family, his life, even his soul. But now, at long last, Johnny finally knows who's responsible for turning him into a flame-headed horror-show on wheels, and he's hitting the road, looking for vengeance and answers…but mostly just vengeance.
32 PGS./Rated T+…$2.99

• Is Jason Aaron the new writer on this series! That is great news!

INCREDIBLE HERCULES #114
Written by GREG PAK & FRED VAN LENTE
Penciled by KHOI PHAM
Cover by ART ADAMS
In the wake of WORLD WAR HULK, the Mighty Avengers are hot on the heels of unrepentant renegades Hercules and Amadeus Cho. Driven into a mindless berserker rage by Ares, Herc has become the critical piece of Cho's plan to utterly destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. What is Cho's master plan to wipe out the spy agency...and is he willing to get Herc killed to do it? Guest-starring the Champions of Los Angeles! Yes, seriously.
32 PGS./Rated A…$2.99

• This causes a quandry for me. I am a fan of Hercules. But I have no issues of this series. If I pick this up, I am going to have to get the back issue. Will it be worth it? Hmmm. I don't know.

CRIMINAL VOL 2 #1
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils & Cover by SEAN PHILLIPS
That's right, the most acclaimed crime comic in the industry is giving readers and retailers a second chance to get onboard as we relaunch with a new format, featuring more pages, longer main stories, and an expanded magazine section! "Second Chance In Hell" begins the first of three standalone issues, this one focusing on Gnarly the bartenders and telling the story of the last days of his life as a boxer and revealing how the Undertow bar came into his hands. It's a hard-hitting period-piece, set in the grimy early 70s, where crime, seduction and betrayal go hand-in-hand. And on top of this longer-than-usual length main story, CRIMINAL now features an expanded back-pages section, as well - with articles by Brubaker and other top crime writers, from novelists to screenwriters to comic writers. These noir articles have become a popular piece of the CRIMINAL package, and are something that can only be found in the comics, not in any collections. So please take this SECOND CHANCE IN HELL to find out what everyone's been talking about!
40 PGS./Mature Content …$3.50

• You know, this series is so good, I'd be okay if they made every issue a new number one, as long as it improves sales.

Movie: No Country for Old Men

No country for old men poster

I haven't read it, but No Country for Old Men might actually be a good novel. However, not every good novel can be a good movie. The structure of a novel is much different than the structure of a movie, and what works in the book might not work on the screen.

The climax of the movie, or at least the action the whole movie was building up to comes about a half hour before the movie ends. What happens after that is basically an epilogue to the story. This is not that bad for a book, but it is absolutely fatal for a movie.

Since the Coen Brothers knew that the movie essentially ended 3/4 of the way through the movie, they decide to be purposefully vague with the climax. We don't really see the action as it happens. I believe the Coens did this to trick the audience to keep interest thinking the character that died in that part, even though his death is mentioned in the dialogue, might actually be coming back and the real ending might yet come. It never does.

But vague in this case is confusing. The hints are there to see what happened in this scene, but many people have got it wrong.

This tactic basically takes away from an otherwise excellent movie. It is well directed--the Coen's build suspense  like masters. The acting is great as well. Tommy Lee Jones does the world-weary part that has become his trademark. Javier Bardem is excellently creepy in the role of the killer. And Josh Brolin with this movie, American Ganster, and Grindhouse, has shown the chops of becoming on of the better actors working today. If he keeps this up, there will be an Oscar in his future.

The only other qualms I have about this is that more than one characters seem to have the mutant power of being able to locate Josh Brolin no matter where he is hiding--even in the most random of locations. I'm sure the novel goes into more of the legwork of how these characters found Brolin and it was cut from the movie for time, but it takes away from the believability.

Movie: Enchanted

Enchanted_poster

I have a confession to make. I have a soft spot in my heart for modern Disney animated musicals. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite movies of all time. Aladdin and Little Mermaid hold a spot in my DVD collection. So I knew I wanted to see this movie when it came out.

Luckily, the Thanksgiving holiday allowed me and my wife to take my niece and nephew to see it, so as to avoid the cautious stares from other parents if we went to see it without kids in tow.

In a word, this movie is charming. If I had onlyt one word to describe thie film, that would be the word. Charming.

The movie acts as a variation, a tribute and a subtle parody of the typical Disney musical. Points should be give for having the music done by Alan Menken, co-writer of the music for Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Hercules and Pocohontas, and Stephen Schwartz, who provided the words and music for the excellent Broadway fairy tale, Wicked. This tandem is can't miss. I hope Pixar, who is in charge of all animation for Disney now, can add a few traditionally animated films to Disney's slate and have these two provide the music.

The acting is great as well. Susan Sarandon excels as the villainess. She had the toughest job of all the actors. She went from animation, to acting under heavy make up, to voicing a CGI dragon and kept the characterization throughout.

Points go also to Amy Adams, who typifies the classic Disney princess throughout the movie with sincerity and believability. And I was especially impressed with James Marsden as the Prince. He throws himself totally in the role and creates a goofy and funny performance. 

Enchanted might not change the world, or challenge your way of thinking, but it is a fun diversion and a blast.  

 

 

Various and sundry news and notes

I know I havent been posting here all that often. I have been really busy with the holiday, X-Mas shopping and making plans to go back to college. I finally have time to blog today, so instead of posting 15 posts, I'll try to sum up as much as I can here.

 

1. Another reason for me to love R.E.M.: It appears that Peter Buck once worked in a comic books store:

450-buckwuxtry

Yay! I came across this picture through Pop Candy (I think) and it must be from the 1970s, judging on the comics listed. Cool!

2. Bionic Woman, Cancelled?: Rumor is yes. My verdict: mostly good cast, poor execution. I'm not going to miss it.

3. I support the WGA Strike: As much as I am bummed that the Daily Show, Colbert Report and Late Show are in reruns for the last month, I support the writers in this strike. They get .04 out of every $20 DVD sold. They want a boost to .08--and a piece of the internet profits. Since a DVD cost only .50 to produce, I think the studios can afford it. 

4. Fun with eBay: I like looking and the mixed lots in comic books. Mainly because every week there are lots with thousands of books from trhe Silver Age--including key issues--that I like to look at and think "One day, when I'm a multi-millionaire, I will bid on this auction." But occasionally, this category features unintentional humor. Mainly from people who luck into a box of comics, have no idea what they are worth, but think they are worth a fortune. Back in October I came across this auction titled only "Lot of comic books". The starting price was $500. This item description was as follows: "Mixed Lot of Comic Books dated mid 70's through mid 90's.  9 boxes total.  Please contact seller with any questions. " Better yet, here is the photo they ran with the auction:

Ebay picture

So, they don't list what comics are in the lot, except to say they come from the 70's (which might mean they have some value) to the 90's (which are pretty much worthless) without saying how many books are in each decade even, and the picture shows a two boxes of yellowed comics crammed into two random cardboard boxes, and the comics that are bagged appear to be in Ziploc bags, not exactly condusive to protecting the books, and the expect $500 for it? Naturally, it didn't sell.

5. Mephisto offers Peter Parker a deal: I get my comics on a monthly basis, but from what I read on the internet, in this week's Sensational Spider-Man, Mephisto offers to make Aunt May healthy in exchange for Peter''s marriage. And from what little we've seen of the Brand New Day, it appears he takes it.

A lot of fuss has been made about the ending of the marriage, the reasons behind it, and what it all means, but I feel a lot of people are missing a very important point. Spider-Man, all-around good guy, idol of millions, image on thousands of kids toys and clothing, is presumably aboput to accept a deal from Marvel's version of Satan. Think about that for a second. All we need is for a televangelist to seize upon this on a slow news day and this will become 1954 all over again. I am not the most religious man, but if this goes through, Marvel should be prepared for the consequences.