Me? Oh, thanks for asking. I believe that the wifey and I have a screening of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith on tap for Saturday if we can squeeze it in. She has an errand or two she needs to run for work and/or her volunteer work, but we'll definitely be experiencing the fall of Anakin Skywalker at some point. It's our destiny.
And speaking of Star Wars ... how about that (cough cough) Ahsoka? Yeah. Yeah. I've reviewed the first two installments on the MainPage here. It's tough sometimes because -- being a fan -- you want to have good things to say about a property. (No, no, no: I'm not even suggesting shilling, folks, and you should know me better than that.) But because Star Wars is near and dear to me I want to be able to say, "Yeah, this is great," but it's just so tepid in so many ways. The comfort factor is there in a few places, but the pacing and performances are a bit stilted. I've also listened to a fair handful of podcast reviews (fanboy-type stuff, not media pundits whom I typically avoid), and the general consensus seems would seem to suggest that Ahsoka is a bit of a creative misfire. I think those who've called it a 'dumpster fire' are being a bit harsh: some of the questions they raise could very well be answered in the coming episodes (that's why I'm occasionally slow to review episodic TV), but I do agree that newcomers might find themselves a bit lost here and there. I hate saying "it is what it is" but "it is what it is."
Also on tap for the day: I see that on this day all the way back in 1988, DC Comics published the first installment in what would prove to be a somewhat controversial Batman story with "A Death In The Family." For those unawares, Death was a bit of a creative experiment for DC, as they were printing a serial event that might or might not result in the demise of a certain Jason Todd (the second person to fill the shoes and cape of Batman's sidekick Robin). I say "might or might not" because DC actually allowed readers to phone in their votes (the internet wasn't around yet, kids), and the storytellers were going to allow fandom to decide the superhero's fate. I was a very faithful Batman reader at that time, and -- while I could appreciate what the publisher was trying to do -- I can say that I and the fellow readers of the store I frequented weren't all that impressed with the campaign. Why have customers dictate the storyline? Why not just have a great story to tell and then tell it, readers be damned? Well ... Jason Todd died (or did he?), and the rest is history ... which can always be rewritten and/or unwritten as we may or may not now know.
Lastly, warmest of Happy Birthday wishes are extended to the late Michael Rennie (of 1951's landmark Science Fiction film The Day The Earth Stood Still) and Sean Connery (of the James Bond franchise and more). Truth be told, Connery isn't my favorite Bond -- calm down, haters -- but that's only because I really grew up on Roger Moore. I think Connery's work is grand; I just have to give a nod to Moore for nostalgia's sake. So sue me.
Ok, that's all I've got at the moment. Here's what you really came here for ...
Folks, please please please do me a solid and share this post on the socials? Seriously -- as I've mentioned before -- you wouldn't believe how my readership multiplies each time that happens. It's astounding how many folks find the place via a 'Share' or a 'Like.' I can't explain it. It's just fantastic, that's all.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ