Resolution Checkpoint

Seven months ago, I wrote a "New Year's resolutions" post about the parts of my life I wanted to work on and the goals to continue pursuing. Since I've been a bit reflective and analytic lately, I thought I'd take a look back and see how far I feel I've come since. Let's count 'em down:

I want to continue to change some of my attitudes. I feel that I've become a much more optimistic, positive person than I used to be, but I still have some ways to go. More than ever I believe that negativity and cynicism are huge roadblocks for personal growth. They're a crutch, one that's held me back for too much of my life, and I can't let myself fall back on that again. I don't even want to be in the frame of mind where it could be an option.

Checkaroonie. Despite a few speed bumps, I feel I've stayed on track here. Moreso, it feels very much like this has become my "default" mindset, and less of something I need to work toward.

Related to the last one: I want to be less judgmental. I have strong opinions about a lot of things. That's fine. That's not changing. But I need to know when to cool off and where to draw the line. I want to become more understanding of others' perspectives, even if I can't agree or personally relate to them. I can have strong opinions and confidence in my beliefs without being arrogant or self-righteous, or potentially alienating others.

Granted, I'm only human (for now), but I think I've made real strides here. I mean, I feel I already had been getting better at this over the years just by experiencing life and challenging my perceptions like most people do (or should do), but lately it feels like a much more conscious effort on my part to remove myself from my own perspective and to try to understand others' situations and viewpoints, even if I don't agree with them. I feel that I have more empathy and understanding than I used to. It's neat.

I really need to read more books. Actual books. Of all kinds. (In fact, please recommend me some.)

This is semi-successful so far. I've read a few books since July, for example, but I haven't had a lot of free time to really invest in heavy reading. But I'm being productive, so I'm fine with that for now.

I need to create more, and possibly consume less. This one's tricky, because pop culture is a huge part of my life, and I don't want that to change. I will always be consuming a lot of comics, movies, television, music, games, etc... But I need to work harder to match my consumption with creation. I'm doing better with this already, I just need to keep at it.

I don't think I'm consuming less, but I'm creating more for sure. I've stayed (mostly) on a regular schedule with Welcome to Hereafter, despite a little hiatus - but during that time I was dealing with personal issues and hitting a turning point and had other things I was prioritizing, so I'm not really counting that against myself. I'm back to it in a big way now, so I think I'm doing well here.

Related to the last one: I want to branch out and connect with other people doing creative, interesting things. I want to meet people with similar interests. I want to collaborate, talk about ideas, influences, and hopefully learn a few things.

Big no on this one. I've been good at keeping on track with my own endeavours, and I feel I've "learned by doing" a fair bit, but I haven't really branched out much at all. Something to keep on the list.

Perhaps most importantly, I need to put more effort into staying involved in the lives of the people I care about. Many/most of them live in different places than I do right now, but that's never an excuse, is it? I go through spurts of sending lots of emails, then I'll get busy and distracted. The former's understandable, the latter isn't.

I was pretty terrible at this for a while there - again, when I was dealing with personal issues and adjusting to several major changes in my life - but I've bounced back lately and am putting in more of an effort. Not all the way there yet, but I'm getting better, I think. Half marks?

All said, not too shabby.

This One's Optimistic

Good (late) morning, Internet! It's a lovely day, at least in my corner of the world, and I feel like babbling at you. Take it or leave it!

I've had some really great conversations lately with those closest to me. Very productive, open and honest, in the way that only real trust and closeness can produce. It's a good feeling.

I wrote a bit the other day alluding to how I've changed in the past year. I thought about it a little more, and this is the crux of it, I think:

Some time ago, I made the deliberate choice to embrace optimism as my personal philosophy (though actually, perhaps optimalism is more accurate/specific to how I feel). It's how I've always wanted to be, deep down, even though I often had trouble following through on it. I truly believe that negativity and pessimism are addictive, toxic influences. My personal experiences tell me that they hold your whole life hostage, eat away at your mind and make you almost inescapably miserable - you can attempt to distract yourself, but ultimately, if you're stuck in that negative frame of mind, you're gonna wind up straight back in the gloom eventually. I'd been through that too many times, but fortunately I got to a point where I had that "moment of clarity" and realized how much I hated being that person. Who I used to be, I now recognize, was weak, afraid and insecure. So I changed.

So who am I now? This is gonna be rambly, but here it is: I'm being open and honest with myself and others - not that I was dishonest before by any stretch, but I'm much more aware of my own thoughts and feelings than I used to be, which makes it all easier. I'm living without doubt. I no longer hang my strength on other people or other things; I'm fighting those urges, I've learned from my bad bets, and I've reinvested it all in myself. I'm looking to the future. No dwelling. No "what ifs". No vicious cycles of regret and doubt and over-thinking everything. No passivity or avoidance - If life gives me trouble, I want to confront it head-on, on my terms, because I have to elevate above it rather than be dragged down into it. That's how I feel - I just hope it makes sense. ;)

To be honest, I haven't had the most enjoyable week. My website was hacked, I've had some personal stresses, and a laundry disaster involving a kerosene lamp. But I dealt with it all, learned a few things for next time, and now I'm moving forward. Because that's what I'm doing now, and it's working out, friends.

Okay, enough rambling. Because I'm on a Mother Mother kick, I leave you with this:

Resurrection

Photo by Melanie Godecki
What a difference half a year makes.

Since I last updated, my life has changed in some significant ways, and while I've opened up about them to some of my closest friends and family, I've chosen to be pretty tight-lipped about it online. Lately, however, I've been feeling very introspective about the ways I've changed and continue to change, reflective about who/where I used to be, and appreciative of where I am now, mentally and emotionally. I'm sure it all sounds corny, but y'know, deal with it. ;)

I've been writing a bit about all this, getting the thoughts and feelings that I've had swimming through my head for some time out of my head and into words - stuff I've worked internally already, but haven't really "let out". I'm debating sharing some of it, but I'm not convinced that's a good idea. I'm usually pretty open about my feelings and opinions, and I don't feel I have anything to hide, but I have some hesitance, so... I'll have to think about it. (I realize this is all incredibly vague, but the important part is that I feel I'm in a much stronger, more self-secure, happy and confident place right now than I've ever been before.)

So yes. Maybe I'll write again soon. If not about this, then about something else. But for now, I leave you with a song:

Resolute

A little late to post this, but punctuality has never been my strong suit. Let's just get to it.

The new year's not so much "new" anymore, but hey, close enough. I don't know if I believe in making new year's resolutions - I mean, I do, but I don't think that "it's a new year" is any more reason to do it than "I moved to a new apartment" or "I bought a new phone". (And I did both of those right around NYE, incidentally.)

But resolutions themselves, yes, those are perfectly fine ideas (when we manage to follow through, of course). First off, I guess I resolve to actually follow through on things, because sometimes it takes me a while to actually get there. I've been promising myself I'd get on a regular schedule for comic-making for years... and I finally did it, but far later than I hoped to. (Shameless plug: check out Welcome to Hereafter!)

Beyond that? Let's count 'em down:

• I want to continue to change some of my attitudes. I feel that I've become a much more optimistic, positive person than I used to be, but I still have some ways to go. More than ever I believe that negativity and cynicism are huge roadblocks for personal growth. They're a crutch, one that's held me back for too much of my life, and I can't let myself fall back on that again. I don't even want to be in the frame of mind where it could be an option.
  

• Related to the last one: I want to be less judgmental. I have strong opinions about a lot of things. That's fine. That's not changing. But I need to know when to cool off and where to draw the line. I want to become more understanding of others' perspectives, even if I can't agree or personally relate to them. I can have strong opinions and confidence in my beliefs without being arrogant or self-righteous, or potentially alienating others.
  

• I really need to read more books. Actual books. Of all kinds. (In fact, please recommend me some.)
  

• I need to create more, and possibly consume less. This one's tricky, because pop culture is a huge part of my life, and I don't want that to change. I will always be consuming a lot of comics, movies, television, music, games, etc... But I need to work harder to match my consumption with creation. I'm doing better with this already, I just need to keep at it.

• Related to the last one: I want to branch out and connect with other people doing creative, interesting things. I want to meet people with similar interests. I want to collaborate, talk about ideas, influences, and hopefully learn a few things.
  

• Perhaps most importantly, I need to put more effort into staying involved in the lives of the people I care about. Many/most of them live in different places than I do right now, but that's never an excuse, is it? I go through spurts of sending lots of emails, then I'll get busy and distracted. The former's understandable, the latter isn't.

And I guess I could also resolve to update this blog more, but I'm not going to. The whole point of a blog, for me, is that I update it when I feel like updating it.

(But hopefully I feel like updating it more often.)

Amateur Casting Director: Superman

A film reboot of the Superman franchise is on its way, with Christopher Nolan producing, Zack Snyder directing and David Goyer writing the script. The rumour mill is churning out plenty of speculation -- some reports suggest they're starting from scratch at the beginning, others say they're looking for an older actor to play an established Man of Steel -- but not much has been confirmed officially. And before that happens, I felt like posting my own ideal cast for a new Superman movie. Because why not.

Clark Kent/Superman - Brandon Routh

For whatever faults Superman Returns had (and I liked it personally) Brandon Routh wasn’t one of them. He’s gone on to prove himself as an actor since (see “Chuck” and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and has shown he can pull off that key “powerful, but affable/approachable” vibe effortlessly - just like Superman. With a new script and direction that’s more concerned with building its own world than paying respect to Superman: The Movie, I believe he’d knock it out of the park. Give Routh the cape again - he deserves it.

Lois Lane - Rashida Jones

I almost went with Zooey Deschanel here (who would be a fine choice as well) but then Jones came to mind and struck me as a natural fit - and I think she could better pull off that assertive, take-no-crap attitude that Lois needs. She can do smart, fearless, and looks good in a suit - combine the three and you have the perfect 21st century Lois Lane.

Lex Luthor - Billy Zane

This one’s a no-brainer. Past performances have shown that he can get the all-important confidence/arrogance part of the character down pat. And if they fully explore the character this time around - as in, there being more to his motive than simple greed and jealousy - this could be just the role Zane needs for a bit of a career resurgence.

Brainiac - Joseph Gordon Levitt

Levitt is on something of a roll lately, after building up some indie cred for a few years, and now a major role in this year’s Inception - incidentally directed by new Superman producer Christopher Nolan. Play up the cold-and-calculating, and he'd do great as the corrupted Kryptonian artificial intelligence - possibly created by Superman's birth father, Jor-El. Brainiac is one of Superman's more famous villains, yet has never been used in a feature film before. And using the robotic Brainiac would give him a villain he could hit, which is kind of a plus.

Perry White - John Goodman

I don't even feel like I have to explain this one... though I will anyway. White is the soul of the Daily Planet, a tough-but-fair boss and a journalistic idealist who will always stand up for the truth. John Goodman is a phenomenal actor, but he's at his best when he's boisterous. Now imagine him storming through the Planet bullpen, barking out orders at Clark and Lois. Come on, he's perfect. Nothing more to say here.

Jimmy Olsen - Johnny Simmons

Simmons was a scene-stealer in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and fully captured the part of the bright-eyed fan waiting for his turn in the spotlight. That's basically the "before" picture of Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen, who becomes Superman's pal and goes on crazy adventures all the time. All Simmons needs is a bottle of hair dye.

Jonathan and Martha Kent - Jeff Bridges and Patricia Clarkson

The Kents, Clark's adoptive parents, are what put the "man" in Superman. Generally portrayed as salt-of-the-earth types; warm, hard-working and compassionate parents who could raise the world's greatest hero and inspire him to be a beacon of hope. Bridges and Clarkson are both gifted character actors who can play damn near anything, but seem to naturally radiate warmth. It just clicks - you know I'm right.

Jor-El and Lara - Jon Hamm and Elizabeth Mitchell

Hamm claims he’s too old to be Superman. I don’t necessarily agree - if they’re focusing on a long-established version of the character, he’d be the ideal choice. However, if they’re trying to build a franchise and want to skew a bit younger for the first installment, then he’s certainly age-appropriate to place the infant Kal-El in a rocket to Earth and help guide him from beyond the grave via holographic messages in the Fortress. And while it’s not a huge part, I think he’d really sell the part of a conflicted scientist coping with the loss of his world and forced into making an uneasy choice in order to save his child.

Mitchell pulled off being cold and alien as well as warm and loving brilliantly on “Lost”. Like with Jor-El, the Lara role wouldn't be huge, but I think she would add a lot as Superman’s mother on Krypton. Even better, follow the lead of the comic miniseries "Superman: Birthright" and have Lara be Jor-El’s partner not only in marriage but also in Kryptonian science, giving Mitchell some more to work with than previous versions of the character.

Cat Grant - Jane Krakowski

This would be a small role, and perhaps a smidge derivative of her part on “30 Rock”, but Krakowski would nail the part of the flirty divorcee gossip columnist for the Daily Planet. Along with the rest of the "background comedy trio" below, she'd add some extra flavour to the newspaper office and make it feel like a well-rounded, "real" workplace.

Ron Troupe - Phil LaMarr

Troupe is a multiple award-winning journalist at the Daily Planet, generally considered the most educated amongst the staff. Phil LaMarr is mainly known for his voice-acting work ("Futurama", "Justice League Unlimited"), but he's talented and funny, as well as a huge comic-book fan. It's not a big role, but the character is likely to be Lois Lane's main rival for the bylines, frequent verbal sparring partner with Steve Lombard, as well as the more likely to see past Clark Kent's disguise - so there'd be plenty for LaMarr to work with.

Steve Lombard - Nathan Fillion

The sports writer for the Planet, Steve Lombard is an insufferable, obnoxious, egotistical jackass. He's the kind of guy who'll insult your manhood while tying to pick up your girlfriend right in front of you. And I don't know of anyone who can play that kind of role as hilariously as Nathan Fillion (just see Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog).

The Amateur Casting Director Gets It Wrong

Knowing full well there are much better uses of my time, I still can't help but play "Amateur Casting Director," either for movies that are in the works or ones that don't "officially" exist in any capacity. I've been obsessive-compulsively absorbing pop culture my entire life, so I can't really help it.

Where is this going? Well, over a year ago I was thinking, "You know what? Emma Stone really should play Mary Jane in the next Spider-Man movie." I liked the Sam Raimi movies well enough, but I thought her character was kind of off. She got repeatedly placed in the "damsel in distress" role, which okay, is sort of inevitable in superhero stories... But Mary Jane should be anything but helpless. She's not a superhero, but she can hold her own! I'm reminded of one comic-book story in which the Chameleon discovered Spider-Man's secret identity, captured Peter Parker, copied his "face" to impersonate him, then went after Mary Jane... who quickly figured out his ruse and beat him unconscious with a baseball bat.

Mary Jane is a fairly complex character, originally hiding behind a flirty party girl persona as she attempted to hide from a difficult life, and later growing out of her "mask" and learning to fully open up. She's tough and confident, a far cry from the typical weepy love interests more common to classic comic books. She's cool, she has some attitude, and is legitimately interesting - the perfect superhero love interest, in my opinion. This is what I'd like to see on the big screen, and I thought the role fit Stone perfectly.

Also, come on, she sure as hell looks the part:


So when the internet rumour mills started up recently about Stone being in talks for a role in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot, I felt a little pride in having "called it" so far in advance. Until yesterday they officially announced that she'd been cast... as Gwen Stacy.


Now, Stone is very talented. She's funny, she has a great screen presence, and I'm sure that she'll do a great job in the role. (And apparently she's actually a natural blonde, so there's that going for it!) And who knows, maybe they'll go the "Ultimate Spider-Man" route and rework the character as a cooler, more complex "punk girl" type... But I'll be honest with you, Internet, Gwen Stacy might be famous as Peter's first major love interest, but I can't say I'm a fan. As she originally appeared, she didn't have much depth, she was boring, and worst of all, she fit that "weepy love interest" archetype to a T. And if that's the route the film is taking, I think it'll be a huge waste of Stone's talent. (But it's way too early to assume anything about the role, so I'll leave it at that.)

Either way, I'm interested to see how it turns out. And even though I missed the mark a bit this time, I feel oddly encouraged to play the game again.

A Plea

Here's my plea, Internet: See Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. And please, do it this weekend.

Simple fact: it is awesome. I am slightly biased - I loved the graphic novels it's based on, and I love the director, Edgar Wright (Shaun if the Dead, Hot Fuzz, "Spaced") - but I assure you, it's a movie that deserves to be seen. It's inventive, unique, hilarious, and action-packed. It's everything you want in a movie. And, though I fully believe audiences of all ages will enjoy it, if you grew up with video games and comic books, it will speak to you on a whole other level. If you're not going to see this movie right now then I do not understand you!

I want to believe that this can be a society where talent and creativity are rewarded, and where quality matters - but people are going to see movies that are not good en masse, and a movie that is very good is going ignored. This is something that frustrates me.

Actual, good movies that break the mould and have true creativity and talent behind them? That sort of thing should be seen and rewarded, not dismissed and/or ignored. Please, do not be part of the problem! See Scott Pilgrim! Soon! And if you dig it, spread the word!