Returning to the Return to Oz
Dec. 14th, 2008 07:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vovatOkay, first of all, you can check this out:
It's a review by the same guy who does the Angry Video Game Nerd videos. It seems like, even though this movie didn't do well at the theaters, it's quite well-loved by nerds who grew up in the eighties. It IS pretty disturbing in parts, like with that shock treatment storyline that certainly wasn't in any of the books. Even putting the scariness aside, though, why does it copy MGM in taking a lot of time in Kansas before getting to Oz? As far as I can recall, the original books rarely took more than a chapter to get American visitors into a fairyland of some sort. But then, I've seen some adaptations of Alice in Wonderland that did basically the same thing, even though the book has the White Rabbit show up in the second sentence. By the way, getting back to Return, are there any features on the DVD that weren't on the more recent VHS versions?
Second, you've probably heard by now that Bettie Page died. I understand that she became a violent, reclusive fundamentalist in her later years, but how can I help but like a model who bore a striking resemblance to Robin Goldwasser?
Yeah, I know it's more accurate to say that ROBIN resembles BETTIE, rather than the other way 'round, but I hope you'll forgive my skewed view of popular culture.
Next, we have a video game survey, which I took from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
unclemilo:
1) What was your FIRST video game console?
Well, we had a fair number of games for our Texas Instruments 99/4A, but that wasn't actually a console. I guess the answer would have to be the original Nintendo Entertainment System.
2) Name a few games you played on said console.
For the TI, Tunnels of Doom, Hunt the Wumpus, PARSEC, Jungle Hunt, and Shamus. For the NES, well, there were a lot! The first games we got were, of course, the ones it came with, Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt. I think my favorite was probably Dragon Warrior IV, though. And I heard they've re-released that for the DS, but I don't have the remake yet.
3) Excluding handhelds, how many VG consoles do you own presently?
I guess I still technically own our old NES (assuming someone else in my family hasn't gotten rid of it), and a cheap Genesis that lacks the connectors for the TV. If ones my wife owns count (and I'm aware that we don't have the Napoleonic Code in New Jersey), then we have the Atari 2600, NES, Super NES, Genesis (with Sega CD), Nintendo 64, and GameCube.
4) Were you a Street Fighter nut? Any character in particular?
I liked Street Fighter pretty well. I remember liking Blanka and Chun-Li.
5) If you think Capcom is a FUCKING awesome company with kickass character designs?
That's not a question, professor. But I do think they've done some good work, particularly in the earlier days. I'm actually not sure what their more recent character designs look like.
6) Here's the scenario.. You had some friends over and you all ate FRIED CHICKEN! After the meal you all decide to play some video games. As your friend reaches for a controller you notice his/her hands are very "greasy." Are you the type that would insist they wash their hands before pawing the controller, or is it no big deal?
They should definitely wash their hands. I'm surprised they wouldn't think of it on their own.
7) What's your favorite RPG/Action RPG? I will allow a second and third fave if you insist.
Chrono Trigger was definitely a favorite of mine, as was Final Fantasy VI.
8) Do you prefer 2D games or 3D games?
Depends on the game, but I'm much more used to 2-D.
9) Are you an SNK fan?
Don't think I've ever played any of their games, so no.
9) Are you good at DDR?
Never tried it, but I'm willing to bet I wouldn't be.
10) Who wants to kick that dog's ass from Duck Hunt?
Everyone who's ever played it, I would imagine. Maybe that canine should try shooting the ducks himself, instead of laughing at someone who tries and fails.
11) Have you skipped out on important events in life because of video games?
No, I don't think that's ever happened. Now that the ability to save is more common, there's less reason than ever to skip out.
12) Do you listen to video game music?
I've never bought a full album of it, but I have a fair number of files on my computer that are either original game music or the same music performed with live instruments. And my ringtone used to be the Super Mario Bros. 2 theme, but now it's a crappy default, because I'm not sure how to change it.
13) Have you ever cosplayed a VG character..?
Never cosplayed at all, but my brother and I did sometimes pretend to be Mario characters when we were kids.
14) Have you ever been in an arcade playing a fighting game, KICKING ASS, and then some 6 year old asian kid comes in and OWNS YOU??
Hey, how do you know the person taking this survey ISN'T a six-year-old Asian kid? No, it's never happened, and I'm pretty sure even a six-year-old lobster could beat me at a fighting game.
15) Name three games you would love to see remakes of if it was done properly.
It's tough to say. I'm usually not a big fan of remakes, since I think the original graphics are part of the charm for older games, but some have been done well. I do have to wonder what a new version of something like Jungle Hunt or Adventure would look like, though. And since I'm supposed to name three games, I'll also say Kid Icarus.
16) Mario or Sonic?
I'm a Mario guy. Nothing against the Sonic games, but he himself always seemed to be trying a little too hard to be cool. On the other hand, a superhero who's a fat Italian plumber from Brooklyn couldn't help being cool, if only by virtue of being so far out in left field.
17) When a movie shows up in the theaters, let's use SpiderMan as an example, are you likely to buy the GAME version?
No, and I'm kind of annoyed by how many movie-based games there are, even for movies that really don't seem like they'd translate well into that format. Some of them are good, but they really overdo it.
18) What is your LEAST favorite genre of video games? (ex. fighting, sports, shooters, etc.)
I've never gotten into sports games.
19) Is there a game out there that you feel was unique and didn't get enough love?
I guess it wasn't exactly unique, but it bothers me that no one else seems to remember Battle for Olympus. We could never get much of anywhere in it, but it was still cool.
20) Have you ever verbally abused a game because you couldn't beat one of the levels and/or bosses?
Yes, many times.
21) Do you own any VG apparel?
I have a few Mario T-shirts (three, I think?) and a pair of Mario boxer shorts.
22) What are your thoughts on the live-action Super Mario Bros movie?
It was terrible. Not only did it have practically nothing to do with the game, but it wasn't even a passable movie on its own terms.
23) On that note, what did you think about the live-action Street Fighter movie?
I've never seen it, but I've also never heard anything good about it.
24) Who hottest out of the KOF chicks?
Never played the games, so I wouldn't know.
25) Do you say "old-school" a lot when you're having a VG conversation with others?
Nah, I talk quite a bit about old-school games, but I tend not to use the term. Besides, I find it hard to consider anything that came out in my lifetime to be particularly old-school, and I've lived through a significant part of the video game era.
26) Have you ever lent someone a game and they returned it to you damaged?
No, but I think my brother lent some games that were never returned at all.
27) Do you own any imported games?
No. My brother did buy the Japanese Final Fantasy VII, which I really couldn't understand doing, since he couldn't read Japanese.
28) Are you ready for this meme to be over, or could you keep going?
I could keep going, as long as the questions are interesting.
29) In this scenario, let's pretend you're going to get a video game tattoo! What would you get and where? This can be simple or elaborate.
I don't know. Maybe I'd get a Shyguy on my back.
30) Have you ever cried after you beat a game? If so why?
I don't think I have, but then, I haven't beaten that many games.
And here's my life experience. I haven't had that much, but are you really surprised?
It's a review by the same guy who does the Angry Video Game Nerd videos. It seems like, even though this movie didn't do well at the theaters, it's quite well-loved by nerds who grew up in the eighties. It IS pretty disturbing in parts, like with that shock treatment storyline that certainly wasn't in any of the books. Even putting the scariness aside, though, why does it copy MGM in taking a lot of time in Kansas before getting to Oz? As far as I can recall, the original books rarely took more than a chapter to get American visitors into a fairyland of some sort. But then, I've seen some adaptations of Alice in Wonderland that did basically the same thing, even though the book has the White Rabbit show up in the second sentence. By the way, getting back to Return, are there any features on the DVD that weren't on the more recent VHS versions?
Second, you've probably heard by now that Bettie Page died. I understand that she became a violent, reclusive fundamentalist in her later years, but how can I help but like a model who bore a striking resemblance to Robin Goldwasser?
Yeah, I know it's more accurate to say that ROBIN resembles BETTIE, rather than the other way 'round, but I hope you'll forgive my skewed view of popular culture.
Next, we have a video game survey, which I took from
unclemilo:1) What was your FIRST video game console?
Well, we had a fair number of games for our Texas Instruments 99/4A, but that wasn't actually a console. I guess the answer would have to be the original Nintendo Entertainment System.
2) Name a few games you played on said console.
For the TI, Tunnels of Doom, Hunt the Wumpus, PARSEC, Jungle Hunt, and Shamus. For the NES, well, there were a lot! The first games we got were, of course, the ones it came with, Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt. I think my favorite was probably Dragon Warrior IV, though. And I heard they've re-released that for the DS, but I don't have the remake yet.
3) Excluding handhelds, how many VG consoles do you own presently?
I guess I still technically own our old NES (assuming someone else in my family hasn't gotten rid of it), and a cheap Genesis that lacks the connectors for the TV. If ones my wife owns count (and I'm aware that we don't have the Napoleonic Code in New Jersey), then we have the Atari 2600, NES, Super NES, Genesis (with Sega CD), Nintendo 64, and GameCube.
4) Were you a Street Fighter nut? Any character in particular?
I liked Street Fighter pretty well. I remember liking Blanka and Chun-Li.
5) If you think Capcom is a FUCKING awesome company with kickass character designs?
That's not a question, professor. But I do think they've done some good work, particularly in the earlier days. I'm actually not sure what their more recent character designs look like.
6) Here's the scenario.. You had some friends over and you all ate FRIED CHICKEN! After the meal you all decide to play some video games. As your friend reaches for a controller you notice his/her hands are very "greasy." Are you the type that would insist they wash their hands before pawing the controller, or is it no big deal?
They should definitely wash their hands. I'm surprised they wouldn't think of it on their own.
7) What's your favorite RPG/Action RPG? I will allow a second and third fave if you insist.
Chrono Trigger was definitely a favorite of mine, as was Final Fantasy VI.
8) Do you prefer 2D games or 3D games?
Depends on the game, but I'm much more used to 2-D.
9) Are you an SNK fan?
Don't think I've ever played any of their games, so no.
9) Are you good at DDR?
Never tried it, but I'm willing to bet I wouldn't be.
10) Who wants to kick that dog's ass from Duck Hunt?
Everyone who's ever played it, I would imagine. Maybe that canine should try shooting the ducks himself, instead of laughing at someone who tries and fails.
11) Have you skipped out on important events in life because of video games?
No, I don't think that's ever happened. Now that the ability to save is more common, there's less reason than ever to skip out.
12) Do you listen to video game music?
I've never bought a full album of it, but I have a fair number of files on my computer that are either original game music or the same music performed with live instruments. And my ringtone used to be the Super Mario Bros. 2 theme, but now it's a crappy default, because I'm not sure how to change it.
13) Have you ever cosplayed a VG character..?
Never cosplayed at all, but my brother and I did sometimes pretend to be Mario characters when we were kids.
14) Have you ever been in an arcade playing a fighting game, KICKING ASS, and then some 6 year old asian kid comes in and OWNS YOU??
Hey, how do you know the person taking this survey ISN'T a six-year-old Asian kid? No, it's never happened, and I'm pretty sure even a six-year-old lobster could beat me at a fighting game.
15) Name three games you would love to see remakes of if it was done properly.
It's tough to say. I'm usually not a big fan of remakes, since I think the original graphics are part of the charm for older games, but some have been done well. I do have to wonder what a new version of something like Jungle Hunt or Adventure would look like, though. And since I'm supposed to name three games, I'll also say Kid Icarus.
16) Mario or Sonic?
I'm a Mario guy. Nothing against the Sonic games, but he himself always seemed to be trying a little too hard to be cool. On the other hand, a superhero who's a fat Italian plumber from Brooklyn couldn't help being cool, if only by virtue of being so far out in left field.
17) When a movie shows up in the theaters, let's use SpiderMan as an example, are you likely to buy the GAME version?
No, and I'm kind of annoyed by how many movie-based games there are, even for movies that really don't seem like they'd translate well into that format. Some of them are good, but they really overdo it.
18) What is your LEAST favorite genre of video games? (ex. fighting, sports, shooters, etc.)
I've never gotten into sports games.
19) Is there a game out there that you feel was unique and didn't get enough love?
I guess it wasn't exactly unique, but it bothers me that no one else seems to remember Battle for Olympus. We could never get much of anywhere in it, but it was still cool.
20) Have you ever verbally abused a game because you couldn't beat one of the levels and/or bosses?
Yes, many times.
21) Do you own any VG apparel?
I have a few Mario T-shirts (three, I think?) and a pair of Mario boxer shorts.
22) What are your thoughts on the live-action Super Mario Bros movie?
It was terrible. Not only did it have practically nothing to do with the game, but it wasn't even a passable movie on its own terms.
23) On that note, what did you think about the live-action Street Fighter movie?
I've never seen it, but I've also never heard anything good about it.
24) Who hottest out of the KOF chicks?
Never played the games, so I wouldn't know.
25) Do you say "old-school" a lot when you're having a VG conversation with others?
Nah, I talk quite a bit about old-school games, but I tend not to use the term. Besides, I find it hard to consider anything that came out in my lifetime to be particularly old-school, and I've lived through a significant part of the video game era.
26) Have you ever lent someone a game and they returned it to you damaged?
No, but I think my brother lent some games that were never returned at all.
27) Do you own any imported games?
No. My brother did buy the Japanese Final Fantasy VII, which I really couldn't understand doing, since he couldn't read Japanese.
28) Are you ready for this meme to be over, or could you keep going?
I could keep going, as long as the questions are interesting.
29) In this scenario, let's pretend you're going to get a video game tattoo! What would you get and where? This can be simple or elaborate.
I don't know. Maybe I'd get a Shyguy on my back.
30) Have you ever cried after you beat a game? If so why?
I don't think I have, but then, I haven't beaten that many games.
And here's my life experience. I haven't had that much, but are you really surprised?
The Life Experience Test |
| Overall, you have partaken in 55 out of 169 possible life experiences. Your average life experience score is therefore 33%. The average score is 51%, making your experiences more than 8% of the people who have taken this test. The average for your age group (26-35) is 53%. Broken down by category: Art: 3/17 (18%) Career & Work: 5/13 (38%) Civics & Technology: 2/7 (29%) Crime & Disarray: 0/11 (0%) Education: 12/18 (67%) Fashion: 5/10 (50%) Fitness, Health and Sports: 0/7 (0%) Life in General: 7/14 (50%) Relationships: 7/14 (50%) Religion & Politics: 1/4 (25%) Social: 8/22 (36%) Travel: 0/20 (0%) Vices: 5/12 (42%) |
| Take the test and see how YOU compare |
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no subject
Date: 2008-12-14 03:27 pm (UTC)Unlike a book, you need time to establish your characters. While I don't think the subplots they created for the two movies are especially necessary (though the clinic does "flow" into how Dorothy gets to Oz), it does help a bit.
In the script I've been writing and "doctoring" for a few years now, I even go back and show how Dorothy's mother died, the effects it had on Uncle Henry, Aunt Em, and Dorothy, to show just how messed up this family really is. (It comes full circle when they think they've lost Dorothy. Dorothy's time away lets them finally grieve properly, so when she comes back, they're more ready to be her family than before.)
no subject
Date: 2008-12-15 12:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-14 06:21 pm (UTC)I think I'm gonna watch those two movies back to back now!
no subject
Date: 2008-12-14 10:11 pm (UTC)The Disney DVD only contains the anamorphic widescreen version (Anchor Bay's release had "letterboxed" widescreen, meaning the black bars are actually part of the picture, which would result in a full black frame around the picture on a widescreen TV). My edition, which is Canadian, has Fairuza's introduction, but I don't know about all editions. In addition to the interview, it also has TV spots and the trailer, which I heard was not on the Anchor Bay DVD, despite it being listed. If you don't own either, get the Disney DVD, as it will sell for less and is recommended.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-15 12:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-15 04:18 am (UTC)Word. They both just have (well, had in Bettie's case I suppose) the type of face/style that I really dig.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-15 03:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-15 05:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-15 03:30 pm (UTC)I think he DID mention that it sticks more closely to the books, and I was glad that he actually knew about them (and might well have even read some of them, although it's not entirely clear). On the other hand, the books didn't have Dorothy being threatened with electroshock therapy, one of Langwidere's spare heads coming to life, or the Nome King being an enormous talking boulder. And even though the scene with Tik-Tok subduing the Wheelers was very close to how it was in the book, the film cut out his spiel about how they really aren't that much of a threat.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-19 06:58 am (UTC)I'm okay with there being some changes between a movie and the book it's based on -- it's pretty much inevitable, for various reasons. As long as they stay close to the spirit, characters, and main plot, which sadly doesn't happen all that often.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-16 07:54 am (UTC)