I Love You, You Pay My Rent

Watched Rent and Ultraviolet recently. Uhmmm… Rent had some really catchy songs and performances, but didn’t feel like a cohesive enough movie (unlike other movie musicals like Chicago or Moulin Rouge), because of the uneasy gaps between song-and-dance numbers. Ultraviolet? Ultra-repetitive. Unbeatable, expressionless Milla the Killing Machine likes striking cool action poses after stabbing or blowing up her enemies. She fights the establishment, led by a guy wearing funny-looking noseplugs.

Found Roger Avery’s The Rules of Attraction compelling, if a bit disaffecting by the end. The guy has serious storytelling chops. He was able to create separate realities that were ultimately united by sex, drugs, and the characters' unrequited desires. The ending feels inconsequential and a bit unsatisfying, but there were nice details all over that made the characters extra-lovable (or hateable, depending).

And it was surreal seeing James “Dawson” Van Der Beek play a cussing, nose-picking, masturbating, and drug-dealing bastard. Also, it was nice to see Jessica Biel as a horny college girl, Ian Somerhalder as a yoga-stretching gay guy, and Eric Szamanda as an awful filmmaker wannabe.

Action Figure Junkie

I never felt deprived of toys as a kid. I find them cool, 3-dimensional representations of some favorite comics or cartoon characters. I’m obviously more appreciative of them now. Some people like saving for fancy footwear. Others like collecting religious statues. Me, aside from my other interests, I can just sit down and admire a nicely crafted action figure. It’s also great timing that they’re making them so well now. I’m one happy geek.

To continue my dream toy set post from weeks back:

Cameron Hodge Set: Build the huge snake-like cyborg bad-ass from the so-so crossover X-tinction Agenda! The series includes Warlock (techno-organic), Wolfsbane (X-Factor uniform), Nimrod, Daytripper (Amanda Sefton), Marrow (the mean-looking, Pacheco-era one), and Lilandra (Byrne-armored version).

Awesome Andy Set: With mini-chalkboard! Assemble one with an '80s-themed series. Ms. Marvel II (She-Thing!), Aurora (yellow costume), Box I (red Roger Bochs armor, with blue variant), Dr. Druid, Silver Sable and Starhawk.

Fin Fang Foom! No real theme for this one, just some random characters that might possibly make good figures. Two-Gun Kid, Captain Britain (female Avenger), Radioactive Man, Machine Man (NextWave version, with tons of attachable weapons), Ikaris and Enchantress.

Oh, DC’s selling their super-articulated figures now. First up is the Batman set. It looks okay, but it’s P800 a figure. Yikes. Was hoping the price would be as low as a Marvel Legends’. They look decently done, but I’m not too hot for the brightly colored version of Bats. Bane and Scarecrow look nice, but I won’t buy them just yet. Will wait for them to go on sale, maybe. I’m waiting for the red-costumed Azrael figure; that one looks real good. It’s the costume originally designed by Joe Quesada way back in 1992, I think.

So okay, let’s pretend that like Marvel Legends, these DC Superheroes line will be having assemble-a-figure gimmicks too. Here are my dream sets/suggestions:

The General Series: Build the General/Shaggy Man with Zauriel, Wonder Woman (Hippolyta), Aztek, Orion (bigger than the old DC Direct version), Green Arrow (Connor Hawke), and Triumph (baddie).

Giant Anti-Monitor! Build the original Crisis villain with Troia (current costume), Ray II (white uniform with jacket), Supergirl (with flame wings), Tempest, Dr. Fate (recent one), and Dr. Light (Kimiyo Hoshi).

Leviathan I Set: Post-Zero Hour Legion series! Livewire, XS, Saturn Girl, Karate Kid, RJ Brande, Sensor (all-serpent version), and Ultra Boy.

Leviathan II Set: Another post-Zero Hour Legion series that forms the giant Violet/Leviathan II! M’onel, Brainy, Invisible Kid, Apparition, Ferro, Monstress (green), and Cosmic Boy.

Giganta! Villains United theme! Create your own Giganta with Catman, Talia Al Ghul, Knockout, Scandal Savage, Cheshire, and The Calculator (with Dr. Psycho!).

Inukchuk Set: Giant Manitou Raven figure! Figs are some of the faves from the Kelly-Mahnke run: Faith, Sister Superior, Manitou Dawn, Major Disaster, Coldcast, Jason Blood, and Scorch.

Armored Krona Set: This is an all-villain set too. Fernus, Queen Bee II, Queen of Fables, Gamemnae (human form), Despero, Prometheus and Eclipso (Jean Loring).

Hope they get made. I'm not holding my breath, but, well, we'll see.

Mighty Mites

Went to Makati for an assignment two days ago and learned about different species and castes of Philippine termites. It's interesting, actually. Wrote about the anti-pest product a few hours ago.

From Hernancia Cua’s Old Songbook:

You
Keep me safe in your arms
Hold me tightly in the cold
Call me lover
Call me friend
Smile and don’t pretend
Sleep and I watch you in the dark
Helped me find myself
Taught me how to feel
Love me so much
Love me not
Love making love
Are the sweet soothing force
Aren’t shy with words
Are my salvation
Aren’t afraid
Are mine
Just are
Have plans and the spirit
Get pissed like me sometimes
Drool on my pillow and I find it cute
Talk about truth and I turn mute
Talk about life and I find my voice
Make sense of the chaos and the noise
Take my breath away
Make my heart beat fast
Make me feel my soul
Make me spurt
Make me calm
Make me crazy and turn me on