Tag: Jon Favreau

Posted in Books, Movies, Uncategorized

Iron Man

Posted on by D. Parker

iron12I’ll start with a confession. I take my son to movies like Iron Man, but I probably enjoy them just as much as him, perhaps more. But it’s a fun thing to share.

Iron Man is an unlikely andiron3 astonishing superhero. He technically starts out bad, inventing and producing weapons that kill people. When injured he’s forced to start using his genius and ingenuity to save himself and others rather than destroy, but he doesn’t become a perfect hero by any stretch of the imagination.

Almost invincible on the outside, hard and defended, on the inside a wounded man-child, who struggles with addiction and his inner demons, which is probably why Robert Downey Jr. is so effective in the role.

Iron Man was originally created by the astonishing Stan Lee; developed by scripter Larry Lieber; cover-artist and character-designer Jack Kirby; and story-artist Don Heck. Iron Man first appeared in March 1963 in Tales of Suspense #39. And Tony Stark/Iron Man has been on it ever since, well, except for the time he had to wipe his brain to keep Norman Osborn from gaining his information, but who hasn’t had days like that?iron5As much as I love the comics and some of his appearances in cartoons and video games, etc., bringing Iron Man to the big screen was a lovely treat. Everything it should be: intense, high-tech, dramatic, melodramatic, unrealistic edging on absurd and thanks to RDJ and Jon Favreau, hilarious.

Iron Man 2 not so much. It seemed to be struggling to find its direction and ultimately just wasn’t up to the first one. It seemed more about the tech than the people, than the story.

They made up for it with Iron Man 3. Clearly I’m being sarcastic, wow, what the…why though? Just why?iron8Now the word is although RDJ will be back in Avengers: Age of Ultron, they’re thinking of replacing him with someone younger in the 4th Iron Man. What? Why? Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man. I’m always amazed how bizarre studio thinking can be. We’ve got a money-machine franchise, let’s play with it by replacing one of the stars. Huh? They’re as annoying as Doctor Doom, maybe more so.iron11

So now just waiting for Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

And for the Illuminati to show up.

iron9And Ms. Marvel.

And Arachne.

And Mockingbird.

So I guess just waiting.

Posted in Chocolate, Christmas, Movies

Elf

Posted on by D. Parker

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/12/02/elf/

Happy Birthday Buddy! Hard to believe it’s been 10 years since Elf  first charmed us on the big screen and has been in our homes and hearts since.

1christmas96

Buddy (Will Ferrell) is everything good about Christmas and people.
He believes.
He loves unconditionally.
He makes a rocking horse out of a TV unit.
He adds maple syrup to spaghetti.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/12/02/elf/
He puts the star on the Christmas tree in a very special, Chevy Chase-like way.
He goes up an escalator like no one else.
He uses Etch-A-Sketch in miraculous ways.
He sees magic and joy everywhere.
He doesn’t judge.
He loves life and he enjoys every minute.
And the best part?
He gives his gift of joy and love for all to share.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/12/02/elf/

Fun notes about Elf:

Remember Peter Billingsley who played Ralphie in A Christmas Story?  He makes a delightful cameo in Elf as Ming Ming (the Elf who tries to help Buddy be a productive toy maker at The North Pole).

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/12/02/elf/Yup, that really is Zooey Deschanel singing in Elf. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (not my fav Christmas song, it’s actually kind of creepy) is sung by Leon Redbone and Zooey Deschanel.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/12/02/elf/Elf uses a method of filming called forced perspective to make Buddy the Elf (a human raised by Elves) look so much larger than the other elves, including Papa Elf played by the awesome Bob Newhart.Peter Dinklage, who plays arrogant and cranky children’s book author Miles Finch now appears as Tyrion Lannister in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Check him out in The Station Agent, he’s fantastic, as always.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/12/02/elf/Elf was filmed in New York City and British Columbia, Canada.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/12/02/elf/

Ray Harryhausen was the voice of the Polar Bear Cub. Harryhausen was a genius visual effects creator, and a writer and producer best known for his stop-motion model animation (Mysterious Island, Jason and the Argonauts, First Men in the Moon, One Million Years B.C., Clash of the Titans, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, It Came from Beneath the Sea, etc.). Sadly, Mr. Harryhausen passed in May 2013. Remember the restaurant in Monsters Inc.? Harryhausen’s, a nod to a legend.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/12/02/elf/Will Ferrell doesn’t do his own 12 second belch (yes, and it turns out when we’re talking about belching, 12 seconds is a looooong time) in the pop burp scene. But it’s a real belch, done by the brilliant and talented Canadian voice actor, Maurice LaMarche. Maurice LaMarche is the man of a million voices, my fav, the voice of the Brain from Pinky and Brain and Animaniacs (Are you pondering what I’m pondering?). Also, he played Wakko Warner which completely explains the belching. He was the voice of Sylar on Heroes, later played by Zachary Quinto. Other works include: The Little Mermaid, The Simpsons, Futurama, Batman: The Animated Series, Ed Wood, Disney’s House of Mouse, and so much more.https://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/12/02/elf/

 If you haven’t seen this movie because you think it’s silly, or childish, or you can’t stand Will Ferrell…well, sure it might be all those things and more, but give it a chance – it’s also funny, like, laugh out loud hurt your sides funny, charming, poignant, addictive, with a ton of great messages. And it’s really a case of, you’ve got to see it to believe it.https://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/12/02/elf/