Last weekend, when I went uptown, there were people outside Forbidden Planet handing out flyers for Sci-Fi-London 6, which looked rather interesting. Of course, with it being over a series of week nights, and concluding today, there were a few things I'd have liked to see, but wasn't able to (Paprika being a prime example). What I did get to was the Production IG Special, featuring the UK Premier of (deep breath) Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society.
It's a movie based on the TV series based on the movie, if you follow. Movie GitS and TV GitS never quite seemed to occupy the same reality - at least, I'd always thought that the events of series one were effectively running parallel to the original movie - but the guy who introduced the feature described the TV series as being a prequel to the original movie... Weird.
Originally, the movie was slated to start at 10pm but the schedule changed at some point this last week, and it was listed as starting at 8.45... Little did I know at this point that it was a Production IG Special, not just Solid State Society, that I'd be seeing. The full presentation showcased the studio to the full. Beginning with a (mercifully short) episode of Cromartie High School (described as Monty Python does Grange Hill, but really only funny if you take it as a pastiche of bad anime crowbarred into a high school setting) and the first episode of IG's newest TV series, Le Chevalier D'Eon (exactly what you'd expect if Alexandre Dumas collaborated with George A Romero - period France, fancy swordsmanship... and ZOMBIES!), along with several short clips from their other productions, to demonstrate the studio's incredible range.
Cromartie High School seemed like a demo reel for their special effects or for what they can do for videogame cut-scenes. It only had a plot in the loosest sense and, for a comedy, it really wasn't that funny (except for Freddie... Freddie was funny). It included elements of just about every bad anime show you could name (kids argued about who, among them, was the most 'badass', and the school had a gorilla and a cute robot in residence), so perhaps IG were simply taking the piss. The audience reaction was difficult to judge, but a couple of guys in front of me seemed to find it riotous... No accounting for taste... I found it rather dumb.
On the flipside, Le Chevalier D'Eon had quite an original and compelling story to it. In some ways, it was like a cross between The Rose of Versaille and Hellsing - supernatural violence, conspiracy... and what could be considered cross-dressing. Kinda. It follows the story of D'Eon, working in the secret police in the employ of King Louis XV, and his search for his sister's killers. Court politics must be observed at all times, and yet suspicion falls on the Duc D'Orleans... and things become even more complicated when the wandering ghost of D'Eon's sister takes possession of his body. I must admit that, while I was impressed enough to want to look up the series, while the setting is significantly different, and while the production values seem significantly higher, Chevalier did remind me of Hellsing all the way through.
The main feature of the evening, though, was Solid State Society. Kind of like an extended episode of the TV series (or, more accurately, a compressed version of the story arc of an entire series!), it follows the team at Section 9 (minus the Major, who's gone walkabout on the Net) in their investigation of a rash of suicides in a terrorist group, a series of child abductions, and something fishy going on with the healthcare system for the elderly. Of course, it turns out that all of these things are connected, but the denouement held another surprise - that of how it connected to Section 9 and, most specifically, to the Major. Strange as it was, just like the TV series, Solid State Society was much easier to follow that either of the original movies. The original wasn't overly bogged-down with philosophy, but the slow-burning sequel, Innocence, could be quite ponderous. SSS even manages to be very thought-provoking, once the true (intended) fate of the 'abducted' children is revealed... Was there truly a crime committed, or was a greater morality at work? If I had a complaint about this movie, it would be the extent to which music from the TV series was recycled - all the music, except for the opening and closing themes (both, if I remember correctly, sung largely in Russian by Origa) - had been used repeatedly before. As a member of the audience who has seen Stand Alone Complex and Second Gig, I found it easy to follow - though the characters seemed subtly different, suggesting that either there's a third series wedged in between Second Gig and SSS or, at least, that much time has passed since the Individual 11 case - but I could see many elements that might make it seem obscure to a newbie.
In other news, it seems I was quite timely in deciding to order my Iacon (non-attendees') Package for this year's BotCon... the boxed sets have now sold out, almost two full months before the convention! Interesting, considering the variable reaction this year's Seeker set has received. Last year's 'Pre-Beast Wars' set made it up onto the TFCC's store (albeit briefly), and the 2005 set is still there! Perhaps I should snag one of those... There are a couple of models I like, but the updated 'Deathsaurus' is pretty poor...
Hopefully, I'll be off to Collectormania in Milton Keynes tomorrow... and then Spider-man 3 on Monday... Bank Holidays are all well and good... but it's really going to mess with my deadlines next week.
The Boss has proposed that I come up with an 'Image Adjustment Masterclass', because I've been complaining so bitterly about the rubbish that's been getting into the magazines lately. It's nothing I didn't see coming, and will probably be quite useful for me as well as for the monkeys. I'm fed up with their shoddy work, and I'm fed up with their "we don't have time to learn the software (but we do have time to chat)" attitude, that has them running QuarkXPress 6.5 as if it was still version 3. The problem is, as I've always maintained, no matter how much training you give someone, it won't help if they're inherently lazy.
Speaking of lazy, I still haven't got anywhere with my website...
Saturday, 5 May 2007
Tuesday, 1 May 2007
Neither empirical nor anecdotal, for that matter...
A short while ago, back when this year's Budget hit, one of the wags in my department tore off the front page of a newspaper with the headline 'The Gord giveth... ...and the Gord taketh away", referring of course to our esteemed Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Brown. More recently, sometime today, to be precise, the page's photo of a grinning Mr Brown was replaced by a picture of me. Smiling.
Where the hell did any of them get a picture of me smiling?
My enquiries were met with oblique responses like "We have our ways and means..."
So anyway. Before I left today, I added a caveat to the bottom of the page:
*NB: There is no empirical evidence to corroborate the claim that 'The Gord giveth'
Let it never be said that I take myself too seriously.
Of course, the Boss asked how many people did I think would understand the word 'empirical'.
"The ones that matter," was my tart retort.
Where the hell did any of them get a picture of me smiling?
My enquiries were met with oblique responses like "We have our ways and means..."
So anyway. Before I left today, I added a caveat to the bottom of the page:
*NB: There is no empirical evidence to corroborate the claim that 'The Gord giveth'
Let it never be said that I take myself too seriously.
Of course, the Boss asked how many people did I think would understand the word 'empirical'.
"The ones that matter," was my tart retort.
A pinch and a punch
It had to be said, OK?
Things at work are closer to 'normal' now. Boss is back, Senior Copy Controller is back, worthless gobby so-called Senior Designer is back. Joy in abundance.
Against all the odds, in spite of precious little work being done in advance last week (and I'm particularly upset about an Estate Agent template which should have taken about an hour to rework, but is still not complete because the - normally very keen - designer I passed it to decided not to focus on it until the client's designer sends us high-res artwork to play with), we're not doing too badly. In fact, my deadline tomorrow is looking like a piece of cake and Friday's, far from being a disaster in the making, looks quite healthy.
Of course, it hasn't been without its dramas. I learned today that the aforementioned 'normally very keen' designer took last week's Boss-free Zone opportunity to complain to our Publishing Director about money. Cue one seriously disinterested Publishing Director. There's also the small matter of the long wait I had for any of the monkeys to decide on their training, and the fact that most of it seemed to be to help them outside work, rather than at work. Also, the other Production Manager (yes, let's just emphasise that: I'm a Production Manager now, and I'm talking about the other one) feels that having one of our largest magazines editorialise three ways is too much work for him. I'd agree... but not for the same reason. He asked Boss to share some of his pain, and she politely declined. Then there was the point where Boss found herself suddenly conducting a job interview because Commercial Manager North fancied a barmaid and wanted to give her a job in Publishing. The twat.
There's more, but frankly, who gives a monkey's?
I've registered for this year's BotCon, but as a non-attendee... About a month after the convention, I'll receive the boxed set of Thundercracker (repaint), Dirge (repaint), Thrust (remold), Bugbite (repaint) and Dreadwind (hopefully a remold of Classics Jetfire, rather than just a repaint). Shame I can't get my arse in gear to go to the convention, and thereby gain access to the cool hinted-at attendee-only extras like Springer (repaint of Cybertron Defence Hot Shot/Exigeyser), Huffer (repaint of Cybertron Armorhide) and Elita-1 (remold of Cybertron Thunderblast/Chromia), but travelling on my own just seems dull... and daunting. There, I said it, OK? Still, Rhode Island looks like it could be a lot of fun...
It occurs to me that I've not mentioned the new Nine Inch Nails album, Year Zero. Now I've got it, I have to admit I'm not entirely convinced. It's good stuff... It showcases Trent Reznor's skill in composing and arranging this kind of music just as well as any of his previous output. Honestly, it only falls down in the way that all Concept Albums fall down: Taken individually, out of the context of The Concept, none of the songs are really that good. There's such a huge emphasis on the politics that, unless you (a) agree with 'The Message' or (b) are easily indoctrinated by political rhetoric in song form, there's probably very little appeal. That said, it does have moments of astounding beauty and, while 'The Message' is really nothing new, it's interesting that it found a new voice in Nine Inch Nails which, on the whole, has been Trent Reznor's navel-gazing project since its inception.
In other news, I popped uptown with my old mate Paul this last weekend, and came back home with (take a deep breath) THS-02b Hybrid Style Convoy Black Version, Revoltech Megatron, and Takara's Reissue Hound ("a popular boy today" according to the girl in the shop). Hound, as a model, is seriously cute. I picked up eHobby's Junkion Mercenary Detritus because I thought I'd missed out on Hound, so it's nice to have the original (with chromed parts and weapons) for comparason. Revoltech Megatron joined him because I already have Revoltech Convoy and, if I have one, I've gotta have the other. Almost got the Patlabor Griffon, but managed to restrain myself that far. Of course, it probably doesn't count as restraint because I snagged THS-o2b ("the last one..." wailed the girl in the shop, almost plaintively)... Yes, it's just a black repaint of the same THS-02 that I got ages ago, and it's not even a Nemesis version... but it still manages to look pretty darned cool. Some photos have been taken... More will follow.
And then I really must sort out my website.
I'm not quite sure what to make of Orbital Manga yet. It's a nice shop - certainly a classier-looking establishment than the old comics dungeon on Tottenham Court Road - and has some good stock... But am I alone in being extremely irritated when shop staff spend more time yapping with people who are clearly only there to chat with the staff rather that to buy anything, instead of... y'know... running the bloody shop and assisting potential customers?
I'm definitely feeling that my annual 'spring crazies' are over. I'm sure I need not explain this any more than by saying "hormones". I woke up yesterday and just felt different... Not exactly calmer or clearer of head, but something akin to both. In some ways, it's always a relief when I get to this part of my annual cycle, but it always seems to leave me temporarily worried that something's gone terribly wrong.
Things at work are closer to 'normal' now. Boss is back, Senior Copy Controller is back, worthless gobby so-called Senior Designer is back. Joy in abundance.
Against all the odds, in spite of precious little work being done in advance last week (and I'm particularly upset about an Estate Agent template which should have taken about an hour to rework, but is still not complete because the - normally very keen - designer I passed it to decided not to focus on it until the client's designer sends us high-res artwork to play with), we're not doing too badly. In fact, my deadline tomorrow is looking like a piece of cake and Friday's, far from being a disaster in the making, looks quite healthy.
Of course, it hasn't been without its dramas. I learned today that the aforementioned 'normally very keen' designer took last week's Boss-free Zone opportunity to complain to our Publishing Director about money. Cue one seriously disinterested Publishing Director. There's also the small matter of the long wait I had for any of the monkeys to decide on their training, and the fact that most of it seemed to be to help them outside work, rather than at work. Also, the other Production Manager (yes, let's just emphasise that: I'm a Production Manager now, and I'm talking about the other one) feels that having one of our largest magazines editorialise three ways is too much work for him. I'd agree... but not for the same reason. He asked Boss to share some of his pain, and she politely declined. Then there was the point where Boss found herself suddenly conducting a job interview because Commercial Manager North fancied a barmaid and wanted to give her a job in Publishing. The twat.
There's more, but frankly, who gives a monkey's?
I've registered for this year's BotCon, but as a non-attendee... About a month after the convention, I'll receive the boxed set of Thundercracker (repaint), Dirge (repaint), Thrust (remold), Bugbite (repaint) and Dreadwind (hopefully a remold of Classics Jetfire, rather than just a repaint). Shame I can't get my arse in gear to go to the convention, and thereby gain access to the cool hinted-at attendee-only extras like Springer (repaint of Cybertron Defence Hot Shot/Exigeyser), Huffer (repaint of Cybertron Armorhide) and Elita-1 (remold of Cybertron Thunderblast/Chromia), but travelling on my own just seems dull... and daunting. There, I said it, OK? Still, Rhode Island looks like it could be a lot of fun...
It occurs to me that I've not mentioned the new Nine Inch Nails album, Year Zero. Now I've got it, I have to admit I'm not entirely convinced. It's good stuff... It showcases Trent Reznor's skill in composing and arranging this kind of music just as well as any of his previous output. Honestly, it only falls down in the way that all Concept Albums fall down: Taken individually, out of the context of The Concept, none of the songs are really that good. There's such a huge emphasis on the politics that, unless you (a) agree with 'The Message' or (b) are easily indoctrinated by political rhetoric in song form, there's probably very little appeal. That said, it does have moments of astounding beauty and, while 'The Message' is really nothing new, it's interesting that it found a new voice in Nine Inch Nails which, on the whole, has been Trent Reznor's navel-gazing project since its inception.
In other news, I popped uptown with my old mate Paul this last weekend, and came back home with (take a deep breath) THS-02b Hybrid Style Convoy Black Version, Revoltech Megatron, and Takara's Reissue Hound ("a popular boy today" according to the girl in the shop). Hound, as a model, is seriously cute. I picked up eHobby's Junkion Mercenary Detritus because I thought I'd missed out on Hound, so it's nice to have the original (with chromed parts and weapons) for comparason. Revoltech Megatron joined him because I already have Revoltech Convoy and, if I have one, I've gotta have the other. Almost got the Patlabor Griffon, but managed to restrain myself that far. Of course, it probably doesn't count as restraint because I snagged THS-o2b ("the last one..." wailed the girl in the shop, almost plaintively)... Yes, it's just a black repaint of the same THS-02 that I got ages ago, and it's not even a Nemesis version... but it still manages to look pretty darned cool. Some photos have been taken... More will follow.
And then I really must sort out my website.
I'm not quite sure what to make of Orbital Manga yet. It's a nice shop - certainly a classier-looking establishment than the old comics dungeon on Tottenham Court Road - and has some good stock... But am I alone in being extremely irritated when shop staff spend more time yapping with people who are clearly only there to chat with the staff rather that to buy anything, instead of... y'know... running the bloody shop and assisting potential customers?
I'm definitely feeling that my annual 'spring crazies' are over. I'm sure I need not explain this any more than by saying "hormones". I woke up yesterday and just felt different... Not exactly calmer or clearer of head, but something akin to both. In some ways, it's always a relief when I get to this part of my annual cycle, but it always seems to leave me temporarily worried that something's gone terribly wrong.
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