When Titans Merge: Disney and Comcast are after (the) Fox

When Titans Merge: Disney and Comcast are after (the) Fox*

Comics fans are familiar with the title “When Titans Clash”! Most people associate it with Marvel in the 1960s (where it was used several times), although I believe it originated with a Superman comic in the 1940s. In that case, it was Superman versus Lex Luthor.

Well, nowadays Lex Luthor would probably stage a hostile takeover of the bottle city of Kandor, giving him control of a lot of Kryptonians to battle Supes. 😉

There are titans today…and they are companies.

The Department of Justice recently opposed a merger of AT&T and Time-Warner…and the judge shot it down definitively, even basically chastising the DoJ for bringing the case and warning them not to try to get a stay.

Shortly after that decision came down, Comcast made a bid to purchase (parts of) 21st Century Fox…challenging an existing Disney bid.

It’s easy to make a snap judgement that Fox should go with Disney…you know, I’m sure many people think of Disney as an entertainment company (like Fox), and Comcast as a service provider, but it’s not as simple as that.

Let’s frame this some different ways:

“ABC and NBC both bid for another TV network”

In August of 1995, Disney announced a $19 billion bid for ABC (the American Broadcasting Company), which also included Cap Cities.

In March 2013, Comcast bought NBC/Universal after owning part of it.

If we look at it that way, is Fox more like ABC or NBC? ABC has cultivated a family friendly reputation (though that’s not all they do, of course), while Fox was sort of the anti-ABC when it started. This isn’t clearcut…

“Battle of the theme parks: Universal Studios challenges Disneyland”

Would the Simpsons fit better at Universal Studios or at Disneyland? I’d say the former…but Fox’s Marvel assets fit better with Disney’s Marvel assets for theme park rides. An X-Men ride would work well at Disney parks…and Mickey Wolverine seems obvious…

This all reminds me of one of my favorite things: the great geeky magazine, Psychotronic Video used to have “Still not a part of AOL Time-Warner” on its cover. 😉

I think Fox ends up going with Disney (I would, even though Comcast is offering an interesting sort of insurance if the deal got quashed).

So, let’s just talk movies for now: if Disney merged with Fox, who could challenge them in terms of franchises?

What are top-grossing franchises, according to

Box Office Mojo

?

1. Marvel Cinematic Universe [Disney]
2. Star Wars [Disney]
3. Harry Potter extended [Warner]
4. Batman [Warner]
5. X-Men (including Deadpool) [Fox]
6. “Disney Live Action Reimaginings” [Disney]
7. James Bond [Sony currently…formerly MGM before, and yes, WB did Never Say Never Again]
8. Spider-Man [Sony: a deal has been worked out for Spidey to appear with Disney’s Avengers]
9. Middle-Earth [Warner]
10. The Avengers [Disney]
11. DCEU [Warner]
12. The Fast and the Furious [Universal (Comcast)]
13. Transformers [Paramount/Dreamworks]
14. Pirates of the Caribbean [Disney]
15. The Hunger Games [Lionsgate]
16. Shrek [Paramount/Dreamworks]
17. Jurassic Park [Universal (Comcast)]
18. Star Trek [Paramount/Dreamworks]
19. Twilight [Summit Lionsgate]
20. Despicable Me [Universal (Comcast)]

For movies, then, Disney-Fox would be challenged by…Universal (and Warner, among others).

Eventually, it may all become like the original Rollerball movie…where there is one giant “Energy” corporation. 😉

Oh, and this was my tweet (@bufocalvin) when Disney first announced that it was going after Fox:

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My @Disney @20thcenturyfox crossover: Rocket Raccoon steals the Banzai Institute’s time machine, robs Mos Eisley, accidentally creating a history where Dr. Doom is President. Link Hogthrob teams with Riff Raff, using Seth Brundle tech, to set things right. 😉

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*This one is a bit obscure, but there is a Peter Sellers movie named “After the Fox”. I didn’t think it was a great movie…but I did love the ending. 

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Version harmony: liking the original AND the reboot

Version harmony: liking the original AND the reboot

I often talk about how tolerant geeks are.

After all, much of our oeuvre is about the triumph of the outsider (or the triumph they should have had, but it was unfairly denied to them by the mainstream muggles).

That doesn’t mean that there aren’t divisions, of course, even though they are generally pretty lighthearted: Marvel vs. DC; Star Trek vs. Star Wars; The Munsters vs. The Addams Family; and many more.

One place where I see a particular strong strain of this can be when there is a “reboot”of an original. A reboot is one of the three “Re”s:

• Reboot (which is also a re-imagining) changes the original; the suggestion is that you are taking something which may be dormant and injecting new elements to give it a new beginning which can go in a different direction
• Remake: this follows the original, usually even including the same basic plot, but commonly with different actors
• Revival: this returns to the original, typically with at least some of the same actors (and possibly, behind the scenes artist, like writers and producers), and gives new storylines

I often see disdain by the originalists for the rebooters…and vice versa.

It sort of goes like this:

The originalists think that the reboot lacks imagination, and may add either mainstream or extreme characteristics to make it more palatable. For example, there might be more sex and/or violence, but quirky characters may be made more “normal”.

The rebooters think that the originalists were naive, and sometimes unenlightened. The originals were too simple and unrealistic…and limited and look hokey.

However, I also say that a defining characteristic of geeks is a low threshold of entertainment. 😉 We can see the same thing over and over again and enjoy it every time. Shoestring budget with obvious flaws? No problem.

So, why can’t I enjoy both the old Lost in Space and the new one? Why can’t I admire the imagination of the Westworld HBO series…and the Michael Crichton movie?

The HBO Westworld has a complex plot, focusing on the point of view of the “robots”.

The movie was, yes, much simpler. That makes a lot of sense…the movie was an hour and twenty-eight minutes long. There have already been more than twenty episodes, generally about an hour long. That’s a lot more than ten times as long, and it could go for quite a bit longer.

While the series certainly has more impressive special effects, the movie had very innovative visuals for the time. It had to rely more on imagination…but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The TV series has extensive nudity, and not surprisingly, a 1973 movie didn’t have that. Would they have done that if they could have? I don’t think we can say that.

I’ve happily shown the original movie to the next generation of geeks.

At this point, I like the original Lost in Space better…but I did like the new one, too. They both have their charms. I like Will better in the original…but I like Penny better in the new one. 🙂

If you think about it, you can probably come up with two versions of the same “universe” that you like…maybe not equally, but where you like them both.

About seven years ago, I wrote

Hooray for remakes!

We used to call them all remakes. 🙂

You can like Christopher Reeve and George Reeves…and Kirk Alyn. You can like Dirk Benedict and Katee Sackhoff. You can like the 1954 Godzilla and the 2014 version…but if your favorite is the 1998 version, I’m not speaking to you…just kidding. 😉

I guess the bottom line is…you don’t have to pick sides. Stay open to the multiverse of entertainment. It’s okay to enjoy it all…even if it you don’t do it equally.

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My Lost in Space reboot paradox

My Lost in Space reboot paradox

I have begun watching the new

Netflix reboot of Lost in Space

I need to start out by saying that I’m a fan of the original. I have a boxed set of DVDs, and for years, pet toads of mine actually lived in a toy Jupiter 2 (with a lot more environment around it).

Before I give you my paradox about the new show, I do want to give you a

MILD SPOILER WARNING

I’m not going to reveal any major plot twists, but if you want complete discovery, you might want to wait to read this until you’ve seen the first couple of episodes.

Here’s my issue:

I watched it because it was a reboot of Lost in Space. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have watched it otherwise, but it was the specific impetus to get me to move it up in my queue.

I would have liked it better if I hadn’t thought of it as based on Lost in Space.

Whenever anybody is going to do a remake or a reboot, I always want them to come up with one sentence which describes the essence of the original, and stick to that.

For me, one of the key elements of the original LiS is that Will is a prodigy…that the youngest member of the family is the smartest, and even though they don’t always believe him, he is usually right. He is also brave and resourceful.

As far as I was concerned, Lost in Space was about Will and his family (and the robot and Dr. Smith)…not with Will as just one of the group.

Now, admittedly, that may be in part because I was resonating with Will at that point.

I want to be very clear: I would have had no problem if Will was a different gender, or race, or hair color. For that matter, Will could have been an alien in an alien family. The point was that the youngest, likely to be least respected family member, was the “best”.

In this new version, Will is incompetent and scared.

He becomes valuable, but mostly through his connection with the robot.

Okay, okay…he does have one idea which helps…but if Mom Maureen hadn’t been unable to make the suggestion, she would have.

Pretty much everybody is seriously flawed…that can work, but I think the show is geared at children. It’s nice to have people you can admire when you are a kid, and they seem to want to make a point that they all have negative qualities (although they may have more positive qualities).

There are nods to the original series. A character is named Goddard (Mark Goddard played Major Don West on the original), and an original cast member has what I thought was a pretty clever cameo.

END SPOILER ALERT

So…I’m enjoying it. It’s emotionally moving, and some of the effects are effective and even awe-invoking. It passes the “flashback test”, meaning that I have spontaneously thought about it. It doesn’t disrespect the original, and shows a deep knowledge of it…but does have a very different feel.

I’ll keep watching it and see where it goes. It may get better if it forges more of its own identity (so I’m not constantly reminded of the 1960s version), but it doesn’t need to get better to hold my interest.

Have a different opinion? Feel free to tell me and my readers what you think by commenting on this post.

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BOPMadness 2018: final results and comments

BOPMadness 2018: final results and comments

It was a good year for the team!

It’s been a few weeks since the Oscars ceremony, so a quick summary:

I’ve been doing an Oscar predictions thing for decades. Anybody can play. Players rate every nominee in every category based on what they think the Academy will do. I aggregate those guesses and put them out before the ceremony. Our system tends to do pretty well (although I don’t get them out soon enough to help you in your office games).

We break it down into two categories (and the overall):

• The Big Six: the acting categories, Best Picture, and Best Director
• The Incredibly Difficult Maven Section: everything else

Let’s start with the Big Six:

The group scored a 97%! We called every category except for Best Picture (we went with Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Montana…but we did have The Shape of Water second).

• Best Picture: The Shape of Water (we gave it an 86%, and Three Billboards a 92%): I got this one wrong: I was concerned that the plagiarism allegations were going to affect it. This is a major win for geeky movies…it’s rare for a non-musical geeky movie to win
• Best Director: Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water: we were 100% on this one. Nothing else was even close. Obviously, I picked this one as well. Another advance for geeky moviemakers
• Lead Actress: Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Montana: we were 100%
• Lead Actor: Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour: 100% Oldman has a lot of geeky credits, so this is a pedigeek win
• Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell in Three Bilboards Outside Ebbing, Montana: 100%…and another pedigeek win
• Supporting Actress: Allison Janney in I, Tonya: 95% (but we picked it as the winner…Laurie Metcalf was closest at 85%

The team picked every category except Best Picture, and scored a 97%. Two of our players scored 100%: Marianne and Scott. Amazing! I personally got a 94%. By the way, I make my guesses before I see anybody else’s guesses, just to be fair.

Now, the Incredibly Difficult Maven Section.

There was a complication this year. I keep trying to find a best way to do this online. This year, I went with an Excel form…that was good for analysis, but it had a limitation I didn’t realize at first. You can only have 100 questions in a survey…since each nominee is a question, that wasn’t enough. That meant that there were two surveys: that’s also been true with some systems in the past but because I realized it up front, I could make the instructions very clear. Fully a third of our players didn’t complete the second survey. That affects those individuals scores, but I’ve decided not to have it affect the team scores. The percentage of the prediction will be based on the guesses on those questions, not the non-guesses, and that seems fair.

• Original Screenplay: Jordan Peele for Get Out: 95%, and we got it right as a group. This is another win for geeky movies
• Adapted Screenplay: James Ivory for Call Me By Your Name: 100%
• Cinematography: Roger Deakins for Bladerunner 2049: we missed this one, but just barely. 🙂 The group picked Hoyte Van Hoytema for Dunkirk. I personally missed this one…I really underestimated the love for Bladerunner 2049 throughout…I gave this the lowest possibility, a one out of five. The group gave it a 70%, and we gave Dunkirk a 75%. That means the group still gets four points our of five, since that was our second highest
• Costume: Mark Bridges for Phantom Thread: 90%, and we called it
• Film Editing: Lee Smith for Dunkirk 95%, and we called it
• Sound Mixing: Gregg Landaker, Gary Rizzo, Mark Weingarten for Dunkirk 95%, and we called it
• Sound Editing: Richard King, Alex Gibson for Dunkirk 95%, and we called it
• Visual Effects: John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover for Blade Runner 2049: 65% chance for the group, and we had a couple of ties, so we got 2.5 points. We picked War for the Planet of the Apes, but we weren’t confident on this. I really blew this one this year, and made this this least likely
• Makeup and Hairstyling: Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick for Darkest Hour: 100% and we called it
• Original Song: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez or “Remember Me” from Coco: we gave it 85% and we called it
• Original Score: Alexandre Desplat for The Shape of Water and we called it unanimously (100%)
• Animated Short: Glen Keane and Kobe Bryant for Dear Basketball: we called it with 85%
• Live Action Short: Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton for The Silent Child: we picked DeKalb Elementary with 80%…but we had this picked second at 70%, so we get 4 points
• Animated Feature: Lee Unkrich and Darla K. Anderson for Coco: wnanimous at 100%, so we get this one
• Best Documentary Short: Frank Stiefel: Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405: We were pretty sure it was going to be Heroin(e) or Edith+Eddie…we gave them both 85%. We only gave the winner 50%, and we get 3.5 points
• Best Documentary Feature: Bryan Fogel and Dan Cogan for Icarus: we thought it would be Faces Places…we ended up with 2.5 points, and had predicted the winner at 55%
• Foreign Language: Chile won for A Fantastic Woman. We had that one at 90% and we called it
• Production Design: Paul D. Austerberry, Shane Vieau, and Jeffrey A. Melvin for The Shape of Water: 90% and we called it

We did well on this! We called 13 out of 18 and this is always tough. We got enough right and were close on others, so we end up with a 90%!

George Monkey was the Maven winner with 93%! Congratulations, George Monkey!

For the last accounting, looking at the overall:

The team scored 94%.

Our overall winner was George Monkey with 93%.

This year’s winners:

• Big Six: Marianne and Scott (tie)
• The Incredibly Difficult Maven Section: George Monkey
• Overall: George Monkey

I’ve learned some things about the way I did it this year…hopefully, next year will reap a benefit from this year’s experience in that category…and that next year is another good year for the predictions!

Thanks for playing, everybody! See you in the movies!

Join thousands of readers and try the free The Measured Circle magazine at Flipboard !

All aboard our new The Measured Circle’s Geek Time Trip at The History Project! Join the TMCGTT Timeblazers!

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the The Measured Circle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.

Find Bigfoot (on the big screen) this weekend in SF! Loren Coleman, Daniel Perez guest speakers

Find Bigfoot (on the big screen) this weekend in SF! Loren Coleman, Daniel Perez guest speakers

There is something special about watching obscure movies and TV shows in a movie theatre with a crowd of enthusiasts. Don’t get me wrong, I typically spend hours a week watching videos in Virtual Reality (which for me, is the killer app for VR at this point), and sure, that one-person experience is my favorite way to watch movies and TV shows…by myself.

However, I’ll never forget spending over night in a theatre watching “bad movies”. There is something about that communal experience that satisfies an important part of the human psyche.

And, you know, it’s just fun. 😉

The key to something like this working is the curation, the decision for what videos to be shown and in what order.

This weekend (March 10th and 11th)

Super Shangri-La Show

brings their uniquely geeky programming skills to

The Great Bigfoot Bonanza

at the historic Vogue Theater in San Francisco.

I really wish I had known about them earlier! I became aware of this event through the

Twitter feed of Loren Coleman (@CryptoLoren)

the “Curator of Cryptids”, the leading expert on cryptozoology who has appeared on many TV shows, runs the

International Cryptozoology Museum in Maine

and whose

Creatures of the Outer Edge (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)

one of many successful and significant books he has authored on cryptozoology and Fortean topics (he also has a Master of Social Work ((MSW)) degree, and his book, The Copycat Effect (at AmazonSmile*) has been getting a lot of interest lately in its analysis of the intersection of mass media and mass murder), is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Full disclosure: I’ve had some correspondence with Loren Coleman over the years, donated a specimen to the museum, and had some other interactions, but we have never met in person and do not share any financial interests. Loren graciously said I could use the term “Weird World” after I started using it, not realizing he had already done so. I have always used the term “Bufo’s Weird World” since I became aware of it, but I have always appreciated that when we did not know each other. Loren has been similarly supportive of other people getting into this area.

The Super Shangri-La Show’s past events certainly align with my tastes: they’ve shown the “Turkish Star Wars”, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (I have a giant theatrical poster of it somewhere), and a double feature of William Shatner playing dual roles (Star Trek: The Original Series’ The Enemy Within and White Comanche).

This weekend has “Sasquatch Saturday”, which gives you a full day of documentaries and fictional movies (The Legend of Boggy Creek! John Carradine and Joi Lansing in Bigfoot!), and “Snowman Sunday” (Man Beast! Jonny Quest’s Murder in the Monastery!). I want to particularly point out the Ultraman episode, Phantom  of the Snow Mountain. The Bay Area was the TV home of Bob Wilkins (Creature Features) who was instrumental in bringing Japanese geekiness to the USA as Captain Cosmic.

The tickets for a full-day of entertainment including guest speakers are quite reasonable: $25 for just Sasquatch Saturday, $20 for just Snowman Sunday, or $40 for both. If you are able to be in San Francisco this weekend for a rare West Coast opportunity to see Loren (he speaks both days…another nice touch by the organizers which doesn’t always happen in these sorts of things), I’m sure it will be an event you will long remember.

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You can be part of my next book, Because of the Kindle!

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* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get.  Shop ’til you help!  

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy  Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.

BOPMadness final Oscar predictions (results will also appear here later)

BOPMadness final Oscar predictions (results will also appear here later)

Here are our final predictions for tonight’s Oscars! Thanks to everyone who played!

Each player/team ranks each nominee in each category. That enables me to come up with the percentage chance that the group gave of each nominee winning. Note that the players are predicting, not saying what they would like to see win.

As has happened in the past, we have some ties in the predictions. Let’s say two of the nominees in the same 5-nominew category are tied for being the most likely. If one nominee had the highest total and it won, we’d get five points. However, if there are two, we’ll only get 4.5 points.

I’ll put the winners in here, and we can see how we did. 🙂

Before it starts, though, I’ll note our surest bests and longest shots:

Surest bets (100% chance):

• Lead Actor: Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour
• Lead Actress: Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• Directing: Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water
• Adapted Screenplay: James Ivory for Call Me by Your Name
• Makeup & Hairstyling: Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Mainowski, Lucy Sibbick for Darkest Hour
• Original Score: Alexandre Desplat for The Shape of Water
• Animated Feature: Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson for Coco

Longest shots (20%):

• Lead Actress: Meryl Streep in The Post
• Directing: Paul Thomas Anderson for Phantom Thread

The Big Six

Best Picture:

1. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri: 92%
2. The Shape of Water 86% Winner [missed it: 8 points]
3. Get Out 83%
4. Dunkirk 69%
5. Lady Bird 58%
6. Call Me By Your Name 33%
7. Darkest Hour/Phantom Thread 28%
8. –Tie
9. The Post 22%

Lead Actor

1. Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour 100% Winner [called it]
2. Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out 65%
3. Daniel Day-Lewis in Phantom Thread 55%
4. Timothee Chalomet in Call Me by Your Name 50%
5. Denzel Washington in Roman J. Israel, Esq. 30%

Lead Actress

1. Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 100% Winner [called it]
2. Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water 75%
3. Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird 65%
4. Margot Robbie in I, Tonya 40%
5. Meryl Streep in The Post 20%

Supporting Actress

1. Allison Janney in I, Tonya 95% Winner [called it]
2. Laurie Metcalf in Lady Bird 85%
3. Mary J. Blige in Mudbound 45%
4. Lesley Manville in Phantom Thread 40%
5. Octavia Spencer in The Shape of Water 35%

Supporting Actor

1. Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 100% Winner  [called it]
2. Willem Dafoe in The Florida Project 65%
3. Christopher Plummer in All the Money in the World 55%
4. Richard Jenkins in The Shape of Water 50%
5. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 30%

Directing

1. Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water 100% Winner [called it]
2. Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird/Jordan Peele for Get Out 65%
3. –Tie
4. Christopher Nolan for Dunkirk 50%
5. Paul Thomas Anderson for Phantom Thread 20%

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The Incredibly Difficult Maven Section

Original Screenplay

1. Jordan Peele for Get Out 95% Winner [called it]
2. Martin McDonagh for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 75%
3. Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird 70%
4. Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor for The Shape of Water 35%
5. Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon for The Big Sick 25%

Adapted Screenplay

1. James Ivory for Call Me by Your Name 100% Winner [called it]
2. Dee Rees, Virgil Williams for Mudbound 75%
3. Aaron Sorkin for Molly’s Game 60%
4. Scott Frank, James Mangold, Michael Green for Logan 35%
5. Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber for The Disaster Artist 30%

Cinematography

1. Hoyte Van Hoytema for Dunkirk 75%
2. Roger Deakins for Blade Runner 2049 70% Winner [missed it: 4 points]
3. Dan Laustsen for The Shape of Water 65%
4. Rachel Morrison for Mudbound 55%
5. Bruno Delbonnel for the Darkest Hour 35%

Costume

1. Mark Bridges for Phantom Thread 90% Winner [called it]
2. Luis Sequiera for The Shape of Water 75%
3. Consolata Boyle for Victoria & Abdul 50%
4. Jacqueline Durran for Beauty and the Beast 45%
5. Jacqueline Durran for Darkest Hour 40%

Film Editing

1. Lee Smith for Dunkirk 95% Winner [called it]
2. Sidney Wolinsky for The Shape of Water 60%
3. Paul Machliss, Jonathan Amos for Baby Driver 55%
4. Jon Gregory for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 50%
5. Tatiana S. Riegel for I, Tonya 40%

Sound Mixing

1. Gregg Landaker, Gary Rizzo, Mark Weingarten for Dunkirk 95% Winner [called it]
2. Tim Cavigan, Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater for Baby Driver 60%
3. Michael Semanick, David Parker, Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce for Star Wars: The Last Jedi/Christian T. Cooke, Glen Gauthier, Brad Zoern for The Shape of Water 50%
4. (tie)
5. Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill, Mac Ruth for Blade Runner 2049 45%

Sound Editing

1. Richard King, Alex Gibson for Dunkirk 95% Winner [called it]
2. Julian Slater for Baby Driver/Matthew Wood, Ren Klyce for Star Wars: The Last Jedi 60%
3. (tie)
4. Mark A. Mangini, Theo Green for Blade Runner 2049  50%
5. Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira for The Shape of Water  35%

Visual Effects

1. Ben Morris, Michael Mulholland, Neal Scanlan, Chris Corbould for Star Wars: The Last Jedi/Joe Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon, Joel Whist for War for the Planet of the Apes  70%
2. –tie
3. John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover for Blade Runner 2049 Winner [missed it: 2.5 points]/Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Daniel Sudnick for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 65% Winner
4. –tie
5. Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Michael Meinardus for Kong: Skull Island 30%

Makeup and Hairstyling

1. Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Mainowski, Lucy Sibbick for Darkest Hour 100% Winner [called it]
2. Arjen Tuiten for Wonder 58%
3. Daniel Phillips, Louis Sheppard for Victoria & Abdul 42%

Original Song

1. Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez for “Remember Me” from Coco 85% Winner [called it]
2. Benj Pasek, Justin Paul for “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman 75%
3. Sufjan Stevens for “Mystery of Love” from Call Me by Your Name 55%
4. Raphael Saadiq, Mary J. Blige, Taura Stinson for “Mighty River” from Mudbound 45%
5. Common, Diane Warren for “Stand Up for Something” from Marshall 40%

Original Score

1. Alexandre Desplat for The Shape of Water 100% winner [called it]
2. Hans Zimmer for Dunkirk 75%
3. Carter Burwell for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 45%
4. Johnny Greenwood for Phantom Thread/John Williams for Star Wars: The Last Jedi 40%
5. –tie

Live Action Short

1. Reed Van Dyk for DeKalb Elementary 80%
2. Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton for The Silent Child 70% Winner [missed it: 4 points]
3. Katja Benrath, Tobias Rosen for Watu Wote: All of Us 65%
4. Derin Seale, Josh Lawson for The Eleven O’Clock 50%
5. Kevin Wilson Jr. for My Nephew Emmett 35%

Animated Short

1. Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant for Dear Basketball 85% Winner [called it]
2. Jakob Schuh, Jan Lachauer for Revolting Rhymes Part One 60%
3. Victor Caire, Gabriel Grapperon for Garden Party/Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata for Negative Space 55%
4. –tie
5. Dave Mullins, Dana Murray for Lou 45%

Animated Feature

1. Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson for Coco 100% Winner [called it]
2. Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Ivan Mactaggart for Loving Vincent 80%
3. Nora Twomey, Anthony Leo for The Breadwinner 55%
4. Carlos Saldanha for Ferdinand 40%
5. Tom McGrath, Ramsey Ann Naito for The Boss Baby 25%

Documentary Short

1. Laura Checkoway, Thomas Lee Wright for Edith+Eddie/Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Kerrin James Sheldon for Heroin(e) 85%
2. –tie
3. Frank Stiefel for Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405 50% Winner [missed it: 3.5 points]
4. Kate Davis, David Heilbroner for Traffic Stop 45%
5. Thomas Lennon for Knife Skills 35%

Documentary Feature

1. Agnes Varda, Rosalie Varda, Jr. for Faces Places 75%
2. Kareem Abeed, Soeren Steen Jesperson, Feras Fayyad for Last Men in Aleppo 70%
3. Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan for Icarus/Yance Ford, Joslyn Barnes for Strong Island 55% Winner [missed: 2.5 points]
4. –tie
5. Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman for Abacus: Small Enough to Jail 45%

Foreign Language

1. A Fantastic Woman (Chile) 90% Winner [called it]
2. The Square (Sweden) 70%
3. On Body and Soul (Hungary)/The Insult (Lebanon) 50%
4. –tie
5. Loveless (Russia) 40%

Production Design

1. Paul D. Austerberry, Shane Vieau, Jeffrey A. Melvin for The Shape of Water 90% Winner [called it]
2. Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis for Dunkirk/Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola for Blade Runner 2049 65%
3. –tie
4. Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer for Darkest Hour 50%
5. Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer for Beauty and the Beast 30%

Join thousands of readers and try the free The Measured Circle magazine at Flipboard !

All aboard our new The Measured Circle’s Geek Time Trip at The History Project! Join the TMCGTT Timeblazers!

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the The Measured Circle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.

24 hours left to make your Oscar predictions! See our current odds

24 hours left to make your Oscar predictions! See our current odds

Want to make your predictions for the Oscar winners? They are due by noon Pacific time, Sunday March 4th (so I can get our final predictions out to the world before the show).

I’m going to include in this post where we are at time of writing, but I do expect the final numbers will be different. My intuition is that the more people who play, the more accurate we are as a group (and we’ve been pretty accurate in the past), so feel free to let people know about it!

Here are the links:

BOPMadness (Bufo’s Oscar Prediction Madness) 2018 Part 1:

https://1drv.ms/xs/s!AvkcopEaVSeijmSsbx6vG5Gcl96f?wdFormId=%7BE5793882%2D0660%2D4E4D%2DAB01%2DC36113A0B277%7D

BOPMadness (Bufo’s Oscar Prediction Madness) 2018 Part 2:

https://1drv.ms/xs/s!AvkcopEaVSeijmYLK7pAZBjqYs8w?wdFormId=%7BAF2B6048%2DE94B%2D426C%2DA3FF%2D5FF981F1FB14%7D

Please complete both parts, and make a guess for every nominee in every category. That’s what makes this work: data! 🙂 Also, use each number only once…if it is a five-nominee category, don’t give two nominees both the number 5. If you do…I guess I’ll have to randomize which one is which, but please use your intuition.

You don’t need to sign up or anything, just play. 🙂 I do require an e-mail address (which I use only for BOPMadness communications and do not share with the public) and I do require that you make guesses about every nominee in every category…the more answers, I think the better we should do (based on the wisdom of crowds).

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Our odds at time of writing:

Best Picture: Call Me by Your Name	Best Picture: Darkest Hour	Best Picture: Dunkirk	Best Picture: Get Out	Best Picture: Lady Bird	Best Picture: Phantom Thread	Best Picture: The Post	Best Picture: The Shape of Water	Best Picture: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
33%	28%	69%	83%	58%	28%	22%	86%	92%

Lead Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis in Phantom Thread	Lead Actor: Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out	Lead Actor: Denzel Washington in Roman J. Israel, Esq.	Lead Actor: Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour	Lead Actor: Timothee Chalomet in Call Me by Your Name
55%	65%	30%	100%	50%

Lead Actress: Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri	Lead Actress: Margot Robbie in I, Tonya	Lead Actress: Meryl Streep in The Post	Lead Actress: Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water	Lead Actress: Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird
100%	40%	20%	75%	65%

Supporting Actress: Allison Janney in I, Tonya	Supporting Actress: Laurie Metcalf in Lady Bird	Supporting Actress: Lesley Manville in Phantom Thread	Supporting Actress: Mary J. Blige in Mudbound	Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer in The Shape of Water
95%	85%	40%	45%	35%

Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer in All the Money in the World	Supporting Actor: Richard Jenkins in The Shape of Water	Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri	Supporting Actor: Willem Dafoe in The Florida Project	Supporting Actor: Woody Harrelson in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
55%	50%	100%	65%	30%

Directing: Christopher Nolan for Dunkirk	Directing: Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird	Directing: Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water	Directing: Jordan Peele for Get Out	Directing: Paul Thomas Anderson for Phantom Thread
50%	65%	100%	65%	20%

Original Screenplay: Jordan Peele for Get Out	Original Screenplay: Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird	Original Screenplay: Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon for The Big Sick	Original Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor for The Shape of Water	Original Screenplay: Martin McDonagh for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
95%	70%	25%	35%	75%

Adapted Screenplay: James Ivory for Call Me by Your Name	Adapted Screenplay: Scott Frank, James Mangold, Michael Green for Logan	Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin for Molly’s Game	Adapted Screenplay: Dee Rees, Virgil Williams for Mudbound	Adapted Screenplay: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber for The Disaster Artist
100%	35%	60%	75%	30%

Cinematography: Roger Deakins for Blade Runner 2049	Cinematography: Bruno Delbonnel for the Darkest Hour	Cinematography: Hoyte Van Hoytema for Dunkirk	Cinematography: Rachel Morrison for Mudbound	Cinematography: Dan Laustsen for The Shape of Water
70%	35%	75%	55%	65%

Costume: Jacqueline Durran for Beauty and the Beast	Costume: Jacqueline Durran for Darkest Hour	Costume: Mark Bridges for Phantom Thread	Costume: Luis Sequiera for The Shape of Water	Costume: Consolata Boyle for Victoria & Abdul
45%	40%	90%	75%	50%

Sound Mixing: Tim Cavigan, Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater for Baby Driver	Sound Mixing: Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill, Mac Ruth for Blade Runner 2049	Sound Mixing: Gregg Landaker, Gary Rizzo, Mark Weingarten for Dunkirk	Sound Mixing: Michael Semanick, David Parker, Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce for Star Wars: The Last Jedi	Sound Mixing: Christian T. Cooke, Glen Gauthier, Brad Zoern for The Shape of Water
60%	45%	95%	50%	50%

Sound Editing: Julian Slater for Baby Driver	Sound Editing: Mark A. Mangini, Theo Green for Blade Runner 2049	Sound Editing: Richard King, Alex Gibson for Dunkirk	Sound Editing: Matthew Wood, Ren Klyce for Star Wars: The Last Jedi	Sound Editing: Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira for The Shape of Water
60%	50%	95%	60%	35%

Film Editing: Paul Machliss, Jonathan Amos for Baby Driver	Film Editing: Lee Smith for Dunkirk	Film Editing: Tatiana S. Riegel for I, Tonya	Film Editing: Sidney Wolinsky for The Shape of Water	Film Editing: Jon Gregory for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
55%	95%	40%	60%	50%

Visual Effects: John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover for Blade Runner 2049	Visual Effects: Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Daniel Sudnick for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2	Visual Effects: Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Michael Meinardus for Kong: Skull Island	Visual Effects: Ben Morris, Michael Mulholland, Neal Scanlan, Chris Corbould for Star Wars: The Last Jedi	Visual Effects: Joe Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon, Joel Whist for War for the Planet of the Apes
65%	65%	30%	70%	70%

Makeup and Hairstyling: Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Mainowski, Lucy Sibbick for Darkest Hour	Makeup and Hairstyling: Daniel Phillips, Louis Sheppard for Victoria & Abdul	Makeup and Hairstyling: Arjen Tuiten for Wonder
100%	42%	58%

Original Song: Sufjan Stevens for “Mystery of Love” from Call Me by Your Name	Original Song: Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez for “Remember Me” from Coco	Original Song: Common, Diane Warren for “Stand Up for Something” from Marshall	Original Song: Raphael Saadiq, Mary J. Blige, Taura Stinson for “Mighty River” from Mudbound	Original Song: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul for “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman
5%	85%	40%	45%	75%

Original Song: Sufjan Stevens for “Mystery of Love” from Call Me by Your Name2	Original Score: Hans Zimmer for Dunkirk	Original Score: Johnny Greenwood for Phantom Thread	Original Score: John Williams for Star Wars: The Last Jedi	Original Score: Alexandre Desplat for The Shape of Water	Original Score: Carter Burwell for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
55%	75%	40%	40%	100%	45%

Animated Short: Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant for Dear Basketball	Animated Short: Victor Caire, Gabriel Grapperon for Garden Party	Animated Short: Dave Mullins, Dana Murray for Lou	Animated Short: Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata for Negative Space	Animated Short: Jakob Schuh, Jan Lachauer for Revolting Rhymes Part One
85%	55%	45%	55%	60%

Live Action Short: Reed Van Dyk for DeKalb Elementary	Live Action Short: Kevin Wilson Jr. for My Nephew Emmett	Live Action Short: Derin Seale, Josh Lawson for The Eleven O’Clock	Live Action Short: Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton for The Silent Child	Live Action Short: Katja Benrath, Tobias Rosen for Watu Wote: All of Us
80%	35%	50%	70%	65%

Join thousands of readers and try the free The Measured Circle magazine at Flipboard !

All aboard our new The Measured Circle’s Geek Time Trip at The History Project! Join the TMCGTT Timeblazers!

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the The Measured Circle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.

BOPMadness 2018! Bufo’s Oscar Prediction Madness: make your own & see what we say

BOPMadness 2018! Bufo’s Oscar Prediction Madness: make your own & see what we say

For more than two decades, I’ve been doing an Oscar prediction contest. We only play for that most valuable of all human possessions…braggin’ rights. 😉 I’ve developed a particular way that we do it, and partially as a result of that, we tend to do quite well as a group in predictions…two years ago we were 90% overall. Last year, we didn’t do as well, I think in part because of the Academy’s transition.

I’m doing it a bit differently again this year (just in terms of process)…I haven’t found a perfect method, easy for players to use to enter their guesses, and easy to analyze. This year, I’ve switched to using an Excel survey. I thought I’d be able to get all of the categories into one survey, but there was a 100 question limit, so there are two:

BOPMadness (Bufo’s Oscar Prediction Madness) 2018 Part 1:

https://1drv.ms/xs/s!AvkcopEaVSeijmSsbx6vG5Gcl96f?wdFormId=%7BE5793882%2D0660%2D4E4D%2DAB01%2DC36113A0B277%7D

BOPMadness (Bufo’s Oscar Prediction Madness) 2018 Part 2:

https://1drv.ms/xs/s!AvkcopEaVSeijmYLK7pAZBjqYs8w?wdFormId=%7BAF2B6048%2DE94B%2D426C%2DA3FF%2D5FF981F1FB14%7D

Please complete both parts, and make a guess for every nominee in every category. That’s what makes this work: data! 🙂 Also, use each number only once…if it is a five-nominee category, don’t give two nominees both the number 5. If you do…I guess I’ll have to randomize which one is which, but please use your intuition.

You don’t need to sign up or anything, just play. 🙂 I do require an e-mail address (which I use only for BOPMadness communications and do not share with the public) and I do require that you make guesses about every nominee in every category…the more answers, I think the better we should do (based on the wisdom of crowds).

Feel free to spread the word! There’s only a week left. 😉

NOTE: the deadline for entries is noon Pacific time on Sunday, March 4th (Oscar day). That way, I can get the group’s predictions out before the ceremony.

Join thousands of readers and try the free The Measured Circle magazine at Flipboard !

All aboard our new The Measured Circle’s Geek Time Trip at The History Project! Join the TMCGTT Timeblazers!

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the The Measured Circle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.

My take on…The Shape of Water

My take on…The Shape of Water

Before I get into plot details (and I’ll give you a Spoiler Alert before I do), I’ll give you some general impressions.

First,

The Shape of Water

did pass what I call my “flashback test”. By that I mean that I spontaneously thought of the movie in the days after I’d seen it. Many movies and TV shows down pass it. I see it, and if I consciously think about it, I remember it…but it doesn’t just bubble up on its own. “Bubbling” is a good thing: it means that the movie/TV show is still being processed by my brain. 🙂

Second, it was visually striking…I would expect it to get nominated for Art Direction, quite possibly for Costumes, and maybe even Cinematography.

Third, Sally Hawkins was impressive, and deserves the plaudits she’s been getting.

Fourth, though, I had some issues with the script…which requires the

SPOILER ALERT

Guillermo Del Toro, who directed the movie and co-wrote the screenplay with Vanessa Taylor (who, among other things, has written episodes of Game of Thrones), has described TSoW as a “fairy tale”.

I think that’s reasonable.

Fairy tales are great, but they aren’t known for character subtlety…especially in the case of the villains. You don’t wonder about the motivations of the Big Bad Wolf, or if maybe the Wicked Stepmother has a point about Cinderella’s behavior.

That’s how it is with Michael Shannon’s Richard Strickland character in The Shape of Water. He is simply, uncomplicatedly evil…cartoonishly so (and that’s not a knock on cartoons). That’s also not a criticism of Michael Shannon’s performance…he’s fine in the part. It’s the way the part is written, and the way the movie is (expertly) directed. It’s what GDT wanted it to be.

It made me less involved in the movie…while we don’t know exactly what he’s going to do, there’s never any mystery about his feelings.

I also had some issues with how the Gill-Man was handled. It looked great, especially the blinking eyes. I’m a fan of the original Creature from the Black Lagoon movies (I’ve watched them many times, both in 3-D and flat). This isn’t about contrasting the two, and I’m confident that I did go in with an open mind. I’m fine with many versions of the same story and characters.

My concerns here were primarily two.

The moral of the story seems to primarily be about acceptance of different intelligences…from the differently abled to different sexual preferences to Soviet Russians.

We are also supposed to accept the Gill-Man.

We can…he’s a sympathetic character. I also felt sympathy for the original Gill-Man, but I’m probably a bit unusual on that…for that matter, I felt sad for the Metaluna Mutant from This Island Earth. 😉

My concern here is that the Gill-Man is given magical healing powers (they aren’t supposed to be magical, I presume, but they function that way). That changes the message from “Be tolerant of those who are different from you…respect their differences” to “Be tolerant of those who are different from you…because they might be able to heal your baldness.” It’s not just about intrinsic value…it’s about practical value.

The other thing was that killing a thinking being (even one who might be a “monster”) is shown in the movie as a casual, appropriate thing. I understood why something different from that was shown earlier, but I didn’t think the sentient’s death was necessary or that it enhanced the message.

By the way, I’m also seeing this described as “What if the Gill-Man had a willing partner, rather than an unrequited love?” In the 1954 movie, I don’t think most people would describe the Gill-Man’s intent as love. In this movie, it’s Sally Hawkin’s Elisa who is the initiator, not the Gill-Man.

Finally, and you can tell that I’m dancing around some plot points, even with the alert, there was a foreshadowing element where I guessed what would happen later. My favorite thing in entertainment is to be surprised, and I just wasn’t on that one.

I also want to mention: the R-rating is for sexual content primarily. There is violence, and some minor language, but I’m sure that was it. A sexualized Gill-Man did appear, sort of, in the “Carl Dreadstone” (house name) 1977 novelization of the 1954 movie, but not like this.

END SPOILER ALERT

I’ll be clear: I agree with many of the Oscar nominations. I thought it was well-directed, well designed, and there was strong acting. There was a sub-plot I thought was particularly well-drawn. I think GDT realized his vision…I just wish he had seen some things a bit differently; but then that wouldn’t have been his vision.

My last thought: Michael Shannon should be in a biopic about Boris Karloff. 🙂 I got some similar vibes…that world weary sense of some (especially later) roles of Karloff, and I would say there is some facial similarity. Just an idea… 🙂

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You can be part of my next book, Because of the Kindle!

---

Join thousands of readers and try the free ILMK magazine at Flipboard!

All aboard The Measured Circle’s Geek Time Trip at The History Project!

* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get.  Shop ’til you help!  

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy  Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.

 

Ends in 8: geeky anniversaries in 2018

Ends in 8: geeky anniversaries in 2018

Hey, little Ten Toes! Humans (at least those using the decimal system) like to observe anniversaries by the decade. This is a brief list of some of the geeky anniversaries happening this year. It is in no way comprehensive, and we certainly may add to it (and invite you to make suggestions by commenting on the post).

This year, we’ve also decided to approach this a bit differently, and arrange them by the day of the year, rather by the length of the anniversary. While I like pointing out the number of geek-friendly movie favorites released in 1988, for example, I think it will be easier for people to be aware of an anniversary based on the day of the year. I’ll try to highlight the big ones. Let me know if you like it this way better…

Oh, and after internal debate, I decided not to list the birthdates of living celebrities. Some of them may not like having their ages highlighted in this way.

• January 2: Red Dwarf debuts (1978-40th anniversary)
• January 3: Jeanne Dixon born (1918-100th anniversary) (psychic)
• January 3: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series debut (1993-25th anniversary)
• January 7: Captain Thomas Mantell dies pursuing a UFO (1948)
• January 8: William Hartnell born (1908) (Doctor Who actor)
• January 8: Leprechaun opens (1993-25th anniversary)
• January 13: Bud Westmore born (1918-100th anniversary) (makeup artist)
• January 13: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles series debut (2008-10th anniversary)
• January 18: Cloverfield opens (2008-10th anniversary)
• January 28: Fantasy Island debuts (1978-40th anniversary)
• February: Famous Monsters of Filmland first published (1958)
• February 1: George Pal born (1908)
• February 8: Planet of the Apes opens (1968-50th anniversary)
• February 12: Groundhog Day opens (1993-25th anniversary)
• February 14: Jumper  (2008-10th anniversary)
• February 15: Red Dwarf series debut (1988-30th anniversary)
• February 22: Babylon 5 series debut (1993-25th anniversary)
• February 26: Theodore Sturgeon born (1918-100th anniversary)
• February 27: Dark City opens (1998-20th anniversary)
• March 10: The Incredible Hulk debuts (1978-40th anniversary)
• March 11: Frankenstein published (1818-200th anniversary)
• April 6: 2001: A Space Odyssey opens (1968-50th anniversary)
• May 8: Dracula (AKA Horror of Dracula) (1958-USA release date) (start of the Hammer horror cycle)
• May 8: Deep Impact (1998-20th anniversary)
• May 19: Attack of the 50-Foot Woman opens (1958)
• April 16: My Neighbor Tortoro opens (1988-30th anniversary)
• April 26: Stafford Repp (1918-100th anniversary)
• April 29: Jack Williamson born (1908)
• May 2: Iron Man opens (2008-10th anniversary) (start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe)
• May 12: Earth Girls Are Easy opens (1988-30th anniversary)
• May 27th: Killer Klowns from Outer Space opens (1988-30th anniversary)
• June: Superman makes his first comic book appearance (1938)
• June: Lois Lane makes her first comic book appearance (1938)
• June 1: Revenge of Frankenstein opens (1958)
• June 3: Big opens (1988-30th anniversary)
• June 6: Kung Fu Panda opens (2008-10th anniversary)
• June 18: Bud Collyer born (1908) (Superman actor)
• June 22: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988-30th anniversary)
• June 23: Coneheads opens (1993-25th anniversary)
• June 27: WALL-E opens (2008-10th anniversary)
• July 2: Hancock opens (2008-10th anniversary)
• July 16: Akira opens (1988-30th anniversary)
• July 18th: The Dark Knight opens (2008-10th anniversary)
• August 5: The Blob remake opens (1988-30th anniversary)
• August 18: Evelyn Ankers born (1918-100th anniversary)
• August 28: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers debuts in the USA (1993-25th anniversary)
• September: Brother Power makes his first comic book appearance (1968-50th anniversary)
• September: Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone is published in the USA (1998-20th anniversary)
• September 7: Queen of Outer Space opens (1958)
• September 7: The Banana Splits Adventure Hour debuts on TV (1968)
• September 7: Battlestar Galactica series debut (1978-40th anniversary)
• September 7: True Blood series debut (2008-10th anniversary)
• September 9: Fringe series debut (2008-10th anniversary)
• September 10: The X-Files series debut (1993-25th anniversary)
• September 12: The Blob opens (1958)
• September 30: Elvira: Mistress of the Dark opens (1988-30th anniversary)
• October 1: Night of the Living Dead opens (1968-50th anniversary)
• October 3: Star Wars: The Clone Wars series debut (2008-10th anniversary)
• October 7: Alien Nation opens (1988-30th anniversary)
• October 7: Charmed series debut (1998-20th anniversary)
• October 10: Barbarella opens (1968-50th anniversary)
• October 25: Halloween opens (1978-40th anniversary)
• November: Adam Strange makes his first comic book appearance (1958)
• November 3: Jean Rollin born (1938)
• November 4: They Live (1988-30th anniversary)
• November 9: Child’s Play opens (1988-30th anniversary) (1st appearance of Chucky)
• November 18: The Land Before Time opens (1988-30th anniversary)
• November 18: Oliver & Company opens (1988-30th anniversary)
• November 21: Twilight opens (2008-10th anniversary)
• November 23: Scrooged opens (1988-30th anniversary)
• November 24: Mystery Science Theater 3000 series debut (1988-30th anniversary)
• November 29: Madeleine L’Engle born (1918-100th anniversary)
• November 29: C.S. Lewis born (1898)
• December 9: Twins opens (1988-30th anniversary)
• December 25: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button opens (2008-10th anniversary)

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You can be part of my next book, Because of the Kindle!

---

Join thousands of readers and try the free ILMK magazine at Flipboard!

All aboard The Measured Circle’s Geek Time Trip at The History Project!

* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get.  Shop ’til you help!  

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy  Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.