Primal has quickly become one of my favorite shows. It's like an unfiltered shot of old school pulp. Is it coincidence that "Spear and Fang" is the title of Robert E Howards first published story? I like to think not. And it finally got my derelict behind to watch Samurai Jack. Growing up my favorite animated show was Speed Racer. For awhile it was definitely The Simpsons, but Futurama is the one I revisit the most. Yet Primal hits all my sweet spots, so I guess time will tell, but I'm with you for anything Tartakovsky does next.
Wow, I posted a thing on Connery on my personal FB page this morning, then came to read yours, and our thoughts on this are damn near identical. He leaves behind a complicated legacy to grapple with, and I firmly believe, as you do, that it's essential to acknowledge his lesser qualities while also celebrating what he gave us. I know social media has encouraged a lack of nuance for an entire generation, which its why it's so important to retain it wherever possible. We can say he was a chauvinist and a self-confessed physical abuser of women, who also gave us some iconic work in wonderful roles, and one does not excuse or negate the other. He was what he was, and we shouldn't erase either aspect. As consumers of art and media, and as a society, we can honour someone and be honest about them. We can do both.
I knew about PRIMAL, but due to when it was on, missed the first half of the season last year.
I came in on "Plague of Madness."
WOO HOWDY was that damn good!
And seriously, straight-up horror episode, made of nightmare fuel.
And "Coven of the Damned" is EC meets Frazetta.
I am thoroughly hooked.
As far as favorite animated shows go, I always come back for "Archer", even when seasons are lesser ones - though not this year!
But all time favorite animated series?
Easy.
"Batman-The Animated Series".
It had episodes for kids ("Batman in My Basement" and for adults ("Heart of Ice"), and both. It
looked like nothing else on television, even spawning it's own Animated Universe, before shared universes were cool. So much great work, by Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, both cementing that show in history, along with some amazing guest voices. They even managed to go classic ("Legends of the Dark Knight" should have been a 2 hr episode!), and then go wonderfully dark ("Over The Edge" has one of the best jaw-dropping opening minutes... then continues on that was for 21 more!)
Halloween 2020 was even tough out here; it snowed yesterday. 1 to 3 inches.
While there was no fun for me to be had (if 2020 hadn't shit the bed, I'd be in LA at a friend Halloween party!), but I couldn't let that happen for my niece and nephew. Went of and left them some candy and treats, while they went out with their parents.
Nuance is dead. The internet began the strangulation, and social media finished the hit.
And Drew, I wouldn't worry too much about Wikipedia. Better than you have no page than a page you can't control no matter how much wrong information on it, because your page is controlled by the labyrinthian internal politics and singular external politics of the monolithic group of Wikipedia "editors."
This past week saw the release of the 3rd chapter of animator Don Hertzfeldt's brilliantly funny 'World of Tomorrow' series. I watched all three chapters back to back, which takes about an hour, and it was collectively so damn good, I had to watch it all again the following day. The way he's run with the initial concept and developed this tragicomic sci-fi epic out of it is mind-bogglingly cool, and anyone even slightly interested in the offbeat should really check it out.
My spouse and I talked about DuckTales (1987) on our first date, easily making it the most important show in my life! I look forward to reading the Barks comics one day.
If you invited me to sit down tomorrow and rewatch a favorite animated show, I'd probably pick that or Rocky & Bullwinkle. Avatar and Evangelion both made tremendous impacts on me but don't demand a visit right now. Of the usual picks for the canon I haven't seen at all, I'd be likeliest to check out Gargoyles (no disrespect to Batman:TAS, whose reputation is enormous; I just don't love the character). I slot The Simpsons in the sitcom category, where it sits comfortably as the best of my lifetime.
For me the animated series that had the most impact was almost certainly Transformers. In recent years I've revisited some of those episodes and I have to admit it's pretty dire in retrospect. The plotting and writing is, most often, wretchedly juvenile. But it hit at that perfect age in my life to make me exult in all things geek, and to love getting to hear stories involving these massive robots that the adults would never understand, then creating stories of my own with the toys. In later years I became more of a dabbler, enjoying Dexter's Laboratory and Batman and Superman (the animated series for those two), but too busy with life and college to really get to keep up with them as I'd like. I was also reared and primed with Looney Toons, and the whole group of Bugs and the gang taught me to love witty banter (and classical music).
For Halloween I'm a bit straight-jacketed since I have 5 yr old twins in the house, so no scary movies for us. But I've been pushing spooky short stories and video readings by folks like Neil Gaiman to my friends to get in the spirit of the holiday. And trying to ease the kids into spooky stuff with some gentle Doctor Who stories here and there.
I think my mostly positive/lukewarm reaction to Freaky was largely because of the drive in experience. It just is not the same thing and I had the exact same feeling of isolation that you mentioned. I’m looking forward more to rewatching it at home.
Primal has quickly become one of my favorite shows. It's like an unfiltered shot of old school pulp. Is it coincidence that "Spear and Fang" is the title of Robert E Howards first published story? I like to think not. And it finally got my derelict behind to watch Samurai Jack. Growing up my favorite animated show was Speed Racer. For awhile it was definitely The Simpsons, but Futurama is the one I revisit the most. Yet Primal hits all my sweet spots, so I guess time will tell, but I'm with you for anything Tartakovsky does next.
Wow, I posted a thing on Connery on my personal FB page this morning, then came to read yours, and our thoughts on this are damn near identical. He leaves behind a complicated legacy to grapple with, and I firmly believe, as you do, that it's essential to acknowledge his lesser qualities while also celebrating what he gave us. I know social media has encouraged a lack of nuance for an entire generation, which its why it's so important to retain it wherever possible. We can say he was a chauvinist and a self-confessed physical abuser of women, who also gave us some iconic work in wonderful roles, and one does not excuse or negate the other. He was what he was, and we shouldn't erase either aspect. As consumers of art and media, and as a society, we can honour someone and be honest about them. We can do both.
Seasons 3 - 9 of the Simpsons, hands down. I still quote from those episodes daily.
I knew about PRIMAL, but due to when it was on, missed the first half of the season last year.
I came in on "Plague of Madness."
WOO HOWDY was that damn good!
And seriously, straight-up horror episode, made of nightmare fuel.
And "Coven of the Damned" is EC meets Frazetta.
I am thoroughly hooked.
As far as favorite animated shows go, I always come back for "Archer", even when seasons are lesser ones - though not this year!
But all time favorite animated series?
Easy.
"Batman-The Animated Series".
It had episodes for kids ("Batman in My Basement" and for adults ("Heart of Ice"), and both. It
looked like nothing else on television, even spawning it's own Animated Universe, before shared universes were cool. So much great work, by Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, both cementing that show in history, along with some amazing guest voices. They even managed to go classic ("Legends of the Dark Knight" should have been a 2 hr episode!), and then go wonderfully dark ("Over The Edge" has one of the best jaw-dropping opening minutes... then continues on that was for 21 more!)
Halloween 2020 was even tough out here; it snowed yesterday. 1 to 3 inches.
While there was no fun for me to be had (if 2020 hadn't shit the bed, I'd be in LA at a friend Halloween party!), but I couldn't let that happen for my niece and nephew. Went of and left them some candy and treats, while they went out with their parents.
This is the Way... of the Uncle.
Nuance is dead. The internet began the strangulation, and social media finished the hit.
And Drew, I wouldn't worry too much about Wikipedia. Better than you have no page than a page you can't control no matter how much wrong information on it, because your page is controlled by the labyrinthian internal politics and singular external politics of the monolithic group of Wikipedia "editors."
This past week saw the release of the 3rd chapter of animator Don Hertzfeldt's brilliantly funny 'World of Tomorrow' series. I watched all three chapters back to back, which takes about an hour, and it was collectively so damn good, I had to watch it all again the following day. The way he's run with the initial concept and developed this tragicomic sci-fi epic out of it is mind-bogglingly cool, and anyone even slightly interested in the offbeat should really check it out.
My spouse and I talked about DuckTales (1987) on our first date, easily making it the most important show in my life! I look forward to reading the Barks comics one day.
If you invited me to sit down tomorrow and rewatch a favorite animated show, I'd probably pick that or Rocky & Bullwinkle. Avatar and Evangelion both made tremendous impacts on me but don't demand a visit right now. Of the usual picks for the canon I haven't seen at all, I'd be likeliest to check out Gargoyles (no disrespect to Batman:TAS, whose reputation is enormous; I just don't love the character). I slot The Simpsons in the sitcom category, where it sits comfortably as the best of my lifetime.
For me the animated series that had the most impact was almost certainly Transformers. In recent years I've revisited some of those episodes and I have to admit it's pretty dire in retrospect. The plotting and writing is, most often, wretchedly juvenile. But it hit at that perfect age in my life to make me exult in all things geek, and to love getting to hear stories involving these massive robots that the adults would never understand, then creating stories of my own with the toys. In later years I became more of a dabbler, enjoying Dexter's Laboratory and Batman and Superman (the animated series for those two), but too busy with life and college to really get to keep up with them as I'd like. I was also reared and primed with Looney Toons, and the whole group of Bugs and the gang taught me to love witty banter (and classical music).
For Halloween I'm a bit straight-jacketed since I have 5 yr old twins in the house, so no scary movies for us. But I've been pushing spooky short stories and video readings by folks like Neil Gaiman to my friends to get in the spirit of the holiday. And trying to ease the kids into spooky stuff with some gentle Doctor Who stories here and there.
I think my mostly positive/lukewarm reaction to Freaky was largely because of the drive in experience. It just is not the same thing and I had the exact same feeling of isolation that you mentioned. I’m looking forward more to rewatching it at home.