Comments for Shiny Shelf

Comment on The Cabin in the Woods by SK

SK — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:57:20 +0000

I was amused by the film, but ultimately disappointed as while it deconstructs the surface of the horror films it refers to, it does so in what is itself an entirely superficial way: I was expecting it to have something to say about the horror genre: perhaps some comment on how the audience, by watching the horrors, is in in some way complicit in them (we are Josh and the other guys, so inured to the horrors depicted in the films that we laugh at and gamble on what might happen to the characters, an obvious parallel that the film completely ignores).

So while there was a chance to tie the ‘ritual to sate the dark gods’ into, perhaps, some commentary on horror films as being modern fictional sacrifices to the dark side of the audiences’ natures, that simultaneously keep those dark sides in check while turning us into dehumanised observers who can party in front of a huge screen showing scenes of degraded torture, that’s ignored by externalising the threat into the Lovecraftian ending.

All in all, it’s funny and entertaining, but it feels like a chance to actually say something was passed up in order to have a bit of ‘fun’ between real projects. Like those involved were not bothering to bring all their talents to bear, but were content to produce a mere entertainment that hits the right notes, and has a lot of good jokes, but is ultimately horror-movie navel-gazing, not about anything other than itself and its own genre.

Comment on Game Of Thrones by MerseyMal

MerseyMal — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:55:31 +0000

Really looking forward to getting this on Blu-Ray, but unfortunately have to wait until my birthday in June.

Comment on Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi #0 by Vox Bomb 2/12/2012 – No Xbox 720 Love, Dawn of the Jedi, and the Hasselhoff Godhead « Julio In Progress

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:58:04 +0000

[...] Shiny Shelf review: Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi #0 [...]

Comment on Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol by Vox Bomb 1/9/2012 – Cameras, RIM, Lightbox, and Author Interview « Julio In Progress

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:08:05 +0000

[...] My review of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol over at Shiny Shelf [...]

Comment on Downton Abbey by Joff Brown

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:34:21 +0000

Yah. I totally agree with your observations there. The element that tends to drag me out is the slightly sloppy use of English – it’s not so much that individual words are 100% wrong (well, mostly), as the tenor of the speech. It always takes me out of the action a bit. I think it’s really the thought-processes behind the words: these always seem rather banal and modern, as if Edwardian life was just like ours, with footmen instead of iPads.
Oh, and Maggie Smith could have been the world’s most terrifying grandmother – the cruelest of tyrants, the Granny Weatherwax of dowagers, the last and doughtiest of the Old Guard – but instead she’s a sort of Statler and Waldorf to the main action, hardly interfering, occasionally quipping, and causing no trouble whatsoever. (I don’t think her character was written to be some kind of ‘I saw something nasty in the woodshed’ mind-controlling mafia don, mind you, but I wish she had been. THEY SHOULD BE TERRIFIED OF HER!)
And why did they neuter the brooding villain pair by not giving them anything to do? One of them actually got functional control of Downton and didn’t do anything evil; in fact, he seemed to do a pretty good job. Pah.
I think it’s just a case of too many characters to keep on the boil, really. (It also felt like the plotlines didn’t intersect much – why was someone bringing a baby into a house full of deadly Spanish Flu?)

Comment on Downton Abbey by David Bishop

David Bishop — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:51:30 +0000

Series 2, episode 7 [set in 1919] had Lady Sybil announce she was 21 and could marry whomever she wanted. Does that mean she was meant to be 14 in the first episode, explicitly set in 1912? This means UNIT dating in old school Doctor Who look positively sensible. What an absolute shower!

Annoyed but nowhere near Tonbridge Wells,

etc.

Comment on Downton Abbey by Jonn

Jonn — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:38:43 +0000

Last night a character who had become a plot inconvenience said she felt as if she was in the way, and swiftly expired.

It’s far more entertaining if you’re looking out for these subtle hints in advance.

Comment on The New 52 by Panther

Panther — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:32:04 +0000

I am a male fan from the days of 20 and 25 cent books. I would not touch DC now with a ten foot pole. And I would NEVER give a book to my 13 year old nephew either.

Comment on The New 52 by Colleen

Colleen — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:46:46 +0000

Here from Graeme Burk’s FB. As a woman more on the ancient than eight end of things who has bought Superman and Action on a regular basis for over twenty years and now is not because of the changes, I find this very interesting.

Comment on Ultimate Comics: X-Men #1 by Vox Bomb 9/23/2011 – Godzilla Basketball, Blog Reincarnation, Matrix Comics, and More « Julio In Progress

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:03:21 +0000

[...] Earth won’t miss us. *** And here are the articles I have written for other sites this week: Ultimate Comics: X-Men #1 Your.Music.Weekly 9/23/2011 Share this:Like this:LikeBe the first to like this post. Tagged: [...]