Kicking The Thought: 2015

Friday, March 6, 2015

SLC Comic Con Chaotic Fun 2015 - FanX Style

As promised, here is my post about the SLCC FanX I attended at the end of January. This is their 2nd FanX they've had, and my first one I've attended. It's pretty much the same thing as their Comic Con, but is advertised as being more for the fans, and less about the comics. All I can say is it kicks some serious ass. It's probably my favorite one so far and that's saying a lot considering Comic Con in September last year was a pretty darn good one.

It's starting to seem like their FanX event has a theme each time. Granted there have only been two, but last year's had a Star Trek TNG reunion of sorts, this year it was Doctor Who. Now do you see why it was my favorite? I got to meet Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Billie Piper. All for a total of 10 seconds and all at once, and it was the most amazing 10 seconds ever. I even have a picture, like 1,000 other people do, to prove it. But you know what? Even if 1,000 other people have a picture too, they are all special and unique and I'm going to cherish it for a long time to come.

I'm not gonna lie, but I was slightly more excited for Anthony Michael Hall to attend, than I was for the Doctor Who peeps. I can't explain why, but I think it mainly had to do with my recent rewatch of The Dead Zone. And also that I never thought I would have the opportunity, like I honestly thought I would with Doctor Who. And it happened to be even better because he was the first panel of the con, and it was more intimate, and I got to ask a question, and it was just a really great start to a really great con.

I think another reason I enjoyed FanX so much this year were the smaller numbers in attendance. They actually limited the tickets this go around and it was the right thing to do. There were a lot of people there, but it wasn't sardine crowded, and it made me feel so much better. I don't like crowds where I feel like I can't move. I also ran into quite a few people I knew this time around as well, and that always makes the experience better when you can share it with friends and family. And even though I had a more fun time this go, I failed to take a lot of pictures. I took what I could at the panels I attended, but I wish I had taken pictures of the cosplays like I have in the past. There were some really amazing ones this year.

These are my cousins!

So that was pretty much all I took non-panel-wise. I failed myself this year. I will do better at the next one. I need to, they're such fun memories. Below are the panels I had the opportunity to see:

Brandon Routh

He's as cute in person as he is on screen. He was sweet and charming, and passionate. I really enjoyed his panel, and looking at him. Not gonna lie.

Game of Thrones

So I've only seen the first half of the first season of this show. It's just not for me. And we had planned to maybe go to this panel because Jordan is a fan, but we really were just hoping to get into the Paul Wesley panel that was right after. Well we lucked out and got to see the last half of this panel, and it was worth it. They were so funny and cute, and awkward with the questions which was fun.

Paul Wesley

Because we were already in the room due to the Game of Thrones panel, we were able to move up close for this one. Like third row, and I loved it. They also decided to combine his panel with his girlfriend-whose name fails me at the moment-from The Originals. He was really chill, and I can tell he kind of has a love/hate relationship with the show. He was also another one that was nice to look at.

Doctor Who

So this was the panel that sold me on going to the event for sure. It was pretty much up in the air until they announced Billie Piper. We quickly bought our tickets, and then they announced Karen Gillan, and then Matt Smith. And we may have freaked out a bit. This panel was definitely worth all the money spent. There was not a bad moment in the panel, and I'm so glad we got this opportunity.

Below are all the goodies I purchased during the three days. If you ever get the chance to try a Truffle Cottage truffle, please do so. They are amaze-balls.

And lastly you can't walk around the event floor without beer in koozies. It's not allowed.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Rewatch: The Dead Zone

I'd just finished The X-Files and needed something else to watch. I've kind of decided to do a rewatch of a show and then also watch a new-to-me show in my down time. And by down time I mean while I'm not watching currently airing shows. Did I mention I'm lacking in a life? So again it was a "hey I wanna watch the pilot" moment that turned into watching the entire series. When I was into the third season I realized I had yet to purchase the final season, so I promptly rectified that situation so I wouldn't have to halt my watching.

I do have to mention I feel like I may have some kind of super power here. So far a good amount of the shows I've chosen to rewatch have resulted in having a cast member from that show attend the Salt Lake Comic Con or FanX Experience. Two years ago I did a rewatch of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (I didn't do a post because I rewatch this one a lot) and Dean Cain attended the first SLCC, then last year I rewatched Smallville and Michael Rosenbaum attended SLCC. And then I rewatched The X-Files and Laurie Holden attended this year's FanX (and as a bonus there very well may be a reboot coming), as well as Anthony Michael Hall, of which I'm convinced is because I rewatched The Dead Zone. I tell you, it's a super power. So let me know if I should rewatch a show for someone that you would like to have attend if you're in the area.

Now onto the main event, my rewatch feels for The Dead Zone:

This show is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. There also happens to be a 1980's movie starring Christopher Walken based on the novel as well. For me when the show first aired, I got a bit excited. I love Stephen King, and the movie wasn't half bad. Also this isn't like a lot of Stephen King novels to me, so that interested me as well to see where a TV series could take the story. And let me tell you, we got six great seasons before USA abruptly canceled the show leaving us without a true ending that wrapped up the six season long arc. I feel that was a bit of a dickish move on USA's part, but the show did it's best to wrap up what they could with the short notice they had, and even though I have a lot of questions, I'm still ok with the ending for the most part.

I would like to know what happens to Stillson, because that was kind of left up in the air in the final episode. I mean up until that point, Johnny was still seeing Armageddon when he touched him, and so was JJ! And what happened to Johnny's father? We just found out he was alive, and then it looked like he was poisoned, but nothing was really said on whether he actually died or not. The only thing I would like to think had a clear answer was if Johnny and Sara end up together again finally. And I think the answer is a definitive yes.

With the rewatch I was reminded of how they changed the actor playing JJ three times. The first time was understandable, the kid just wasn't the right fit. The second kid was on the show for the majority of the series, and then in the final season they change the kid up again. Now my thought on this is because it took nearly two years for the final season to air, and I think the actor was either not available any longer, or just no longer interested. The kid they replaced him with I do have to admit was the best actor out of the three. It's just like with any show that replaces a character, you wonder if they think the audience is dumb or unobservant.

Also in the final episode I noticed how not great Sean Patrick Flanery looked. I don't know what he did in that two year break, but man. He looked better when he starred on Dexter a few years later, but not much. I think a little too much on the botox or something there. He just looks puffier and it could totally be me, but I don't think so.

And it's always bothered me that Dana Bright was kind of just phased out of the show without much explanation. I get that she needed to not be an obstacle for Johnny anymore so they could move forward with the Johnny/Sara thing, but I would have liked to see her say goodbye or something. It's just me wanting more closure.

And then in the final season Bruce left us. And that made me really sad because I love Bruce. He was Johnny's wing-man for everything and Bruce not being in the final season left a bit of a hole. It didn't hurt that he was good to look at either, and I missed that too.

Overall, I enjoyed my rewatch. I have to admit I've seen the first few seasons several times, it used to be a favorite of mine to watch over and over, but the later seasons I'd only seen once so that was nice to rewatch those and see how the story flowed.

The icing on the cake was having the chance to see Anthony Michael Hall this past January and getting to ask him a question related to the show. And to have him look at me directly the entire time he answered my question. That's some class from a very classy guy. And if you're curious as to what my questions was... I asked him "With all of these past shows returning, do you see The Dead Zone coming back and wrapping up the story line?", to which he answered, "I'm not sure, I know a lot of fans were upset at the cancellation and we did our best to tie up loose ends the best we could, but if given the chance it would be nice to finish the story." So with that I feel like AMH would be on board should the opportunity come, but don't quote me on that. I'll share one here, but check out my upcoming Salt Lake Comic Con Fan X post for some pics of AMH and all the other fun I had.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Rewatch: The X-Files

So on a whim while looking for something to watch on Netflix, I decided I would watch the pilot of The X-Files. I hadn't seen it since it originally aired, and thought it would be fun. Well if you know me, I can never just watch the pilot of a series, so of course it turned into a rewatch of the entire series. I may have not realized at the time that the show went for nine seasons and two movies, and didn't want to look until about season four how far I still had to go. It took me a little over four months to watch the entire series, which if you think about it, is a lifetime for me! Remember back when I watched all ten seasons of Smallville in a month? Yeah I did that twice. So taking four months to watch this series was unheard of for me.

While watching I realized a few things:

The show is so very 90's. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but man the shoulder pads, winged hairstyle, and pant suits were a plenty. And it was amazing.

The story lines gradually grew better, and then didn't. The first couple seasons were a little shaky for me. I think it was mainly the cinematography and directing of the episodes, but also the acting was only ok. By the third season they had developed a solid story line and the acting was better. Even with monotone Duchovny.

Sorry no picture for this one. Just my boring words.

I didn't much care for the final two seasons of the series, mainly because it lacked Mulder. The X-Files just isn't The X-Files without Mulder. And you could tell even the show makers knew that. The stories just weren't as good. Although the Spender shocker did throw me. I will give them that.

I kind of wish that at the end of Season Five they could have thrown in a little warning saying "hey! watch the first movie now, then start Season Six". It's all good though, luckily Season Six starts with "previously on The X-Files" so I was able to stop and watch the movie and then continue.

I think anyone who has watched The X-Files vividly remembers the inbred family episode. I was pretty excited to see that one again and see if it was as crazy as I remember. It pretty much was. I was just as disturbed, if not more this second time around.

And can we talk about the episode that was in black and white and totally weird. Like really really weird. But gave us one sweet moment at the end with Mulder and Scully. We also got a fake Cher singing Walking in Memphis.

Or the Brady Bunch house episode with Bud from Married with Children?

The more they played the "will they, won't they" with Mulder and Scully, the more I really wanted it to happen. And then once it did, it was awkward. I don't know why, but I just felt like it took so long for it to happen that when it finally did, I was over it. I mean they make an attractive couple, but I don't know if it's the writing, or their characters, but something just didn't seem to click for me. Which is funny because it took just as long for Brennan and Booth on Bones to get together and that wasn't weird. And it's taken as long for Lisbon and Jane to get together on The Mentalist, and it's a little weird. Maybe some just work better in theory.

So there you have it. Rewatching the series really was fun, and made me see just how odd the show really was, but innovative at the same time. And guys. We got Vince Gilligan out of it. I'm also convinced that it's how we got most of the Breaking Bad cast too.

2014 Ended Like This (Belated Post)

So we're in the middle of the second month of a new year, and here I am realizing I haven't posted since September, and I wish I had a better excuse than laziness, but I don't. A lot happened since then, but also nothing happened. Things made me happy, things made me sad, things made me complacent, and things made me apprehensive. So I thought I would wrap up the final months of last year in pictures. It's really the best way.