Hagumi doesn’t look like a college student; she’s tiny, the size of a mythical creature. She barely speaks. But what makes Hagumi utterly amazing is her incredible artistic skill, and it’s at a Tokyo art college that she meets Takemoto and Shinobu, who both immediately become fascinated with her. And then there’s Takumi, who is in love with an older woman with a tragic past, his ex girlfriend, Ayumi, is still hopelessly in love with him. This is the story of Honey and Clover, two love triangles involving five friends and their lives at art school. While a certain vampire book that doesn’t require naming has proved that love triangles are endlessly fascinating, Viz‘s Honey and Clover volume one proves that if you put love triangles against beautiful, dreamy, almost watercolor-esque art, you get something that is both compelling and utterly beautiful. The gorgeous art of the show goes well with the art school background, and the characters are everyday enough (while having wonderful quirks that make you wish they were your friends) to be compelling and immediately empathetic.

The first volume (three discs, thirteen episodes) covers a wide array of time, and it is interesting to watch the change the characters undergo with the passing of time. One of the really fun things about this series is the cultural stuff you’ll pick up just from watching (and the DVD even comes with a handy cultural guide for some more obscure stuff that the average anime\manga fan won’t know). Beautiful to look at, fun to watch, Honey and Clover is a must, must have.

Two girls named Nana sit next to each other on a train bound for Tokyo. They are as different as can be, but over the course of one snowy night they become fast friends, and then roommates. This is the premise of Nana, a manga that’s nearing twenty volumes and a huge fan base. Nana K is a girl who falls in love over and over again. When she swears off boys, she meets Shoji, who seems like he could be the one. Problem: Shoji’s off to Tokyo to attend art school, and Nana wants to tag along, but it takes a bit to get her stuff together. Nana O is the lead singer of a rock band, and she’s I love with Ren, the bassist. Ren gets an offer to join a band about to hit it big in Tokyo, and he leaves. Nana wants to follow, but she’s stubborn and very independent. It isn’t until much later that she goes to Tokyo, and it isn’t to follow Ren - it’s to become a rock star in her own right.

The two Nanas are as different as night and day, and yet their friendship is the stuff of greatness. Whether you’re a fan of Nana O or Nana K, these two girls will win you over and make you root for them both throughout their trials in the city, in their love lives, in everything. Thirteen episodes on three discs, Viz’s Nana comes with very few bonus features (director interview, Japanese and English audio and art gallery), but it really doesn’t matter. I dug Nana from the very first manga, and the show is just fantastic (it even features an episode of Junko’s musings). I can’t wait for volume two, and after watching volume one, you won’t be able to, either.

Six discs with twenty-six episodes; two twenty-four page booklets; commentary, interviews, commercials - this is the stuff box sets are made of. Claymore: the Complete Series is beautiful, action-packed and one of the best damn shows out there.

Clare is a Claymore - a half-human, half-monster hybrid built to battle the monsters that kill mercilessly and devour their prey: yoma. Yoma have hideous abilities; they can shape shift into human form, they have great strength and no conscious. Only the Claymores can kill them, women who take their title from the swords they carry into battle. But not everything is as it seems within the ranks of the Claymore, something Clare begins to understand after taking a young boy named Raki under her wing.

Claymore is a show about action, about vicious battles between beautiful women and oftentimes even more beautiful creatures. The world of the series is a washed out watercolor scenery - very like Alan Lee’s artwork for Lord of the Rings. The true color in Claymore - and therefore, the true beauty - is in the battle, in the violently colored blood, fire, monsters. The anime follows the manga for the most part, only breaking away from the manga’s story in order to come to an end. The part of this anime that you’ll love best is the part of any action anime that you’ll love best: who are the players? What are their powers? How will they power up? How bad are the bad guys? Who will survive? Believe me, Claymore doesn’t leave you hanging.

Three animes, three styles, three box sets you can’t live without.

(Amanda Rush is one of popsyndicate.com’s resident animavens. Follow her on Twitter: @BrokenAmanda)

Halloween has come and gone. As I handed out candy I noticed a rise in vampires but a steady stream of super hero costumes this year. There was one costume that stood out for me: Spider-man. It was something about the costume. Imagine a 5 year old, wearing a black-suit Spider-man costume with biceps. That’s right, this 5 year old costume was a muscle suit. Please tell me I’m not the only one who sees this as creepy.

I am big fan of super hero costumes. Who didn’t want to dress up as Batman, Superman, etc. for Halloween? It was the best time to get away with wearing a cape and a great mask. In recent years, the costumes have become more elaborate, with more details in the masks, more details in the costume. This is saying something considering that masks are still held together with rubber bands and staples.  But how far should little kid costumes go to make them look like their super-hero counterparts?

The addition of a muscle suit really threw me for a loop. When I say muscle suit, I’m saying the kid had a chest, six pack, and biceps under his costume. Not only is this weird on the kid but its also weird for Spider-man. On one hand kids shouldn’t look like body builders, on the other Spider-man looks like an average person. He has muscles but not like a body builder does. It’s creepy because of the age of the 5 year old and wrong because the costume does not do a good job of representing Spider-man.

I know kids want their costumes to make them look more like their favorite super heroes, but lets not push things too far out. Costume makers need to make some changes, either all super hero costumes need a muscle suit in them or costumes need to find other ways to make kids feel like they are actually becoming their hero for Halloween. Sometimes it is easiest if you keep it simple, cape and mask. Or just red and blue. No need to complicate things.

25. House of Dracula (1945)

An interesting blend of two of classic horror mythology’s more famous characters, Dracula and the Wolf Man (Frankenstein and the Hunchback also make appearances), Erle Kenton’s House of Dracula makes for an interesting story as well: both characters are searching for cures for their respective curses together. Though it’s dated as seen through today’s eyes, it’s an enjoyable film to watch over and again and it features several lauded actors of their time and genre (including Lon Chaney, Jr., Martha O’Driscoll, and John Carradine).

24. Salem’s Lot (1979)

Director Tobe Hooper took several liberties in his TV mini-series translation of Stephen King’s ’75 novel. The most prominent change made to the book for the film version was done to the movie’s focal antagonists: its vampires. In King’s work, the vampires were less aggressive and more inconspicuous; in Hooper’s special, they’re all hideous and grotesque, especially the lead antagonist, Kurt Barlow. Hooper’s Lot isn’t too deep—its best features are displayed on the surface—but it should provide enough scares and modest storytelling to keep a family entertained on Halloween.

22. Night Watch (2004)/Day Watch (2006)

Russian filmmaker and master entertainer Timur Bekmambetov wowed American audiences with his creative visual audacity in 2007’s Wanted (and perhaps this year’s animated thriller 9, depending on the age of whom you ask). But before Wanted, before global recognition, he became Russia’s most exhilarating film artist with Night Watch and Day Watch, the first two installments in a planned trilogy (Twilight Watch would be the third) whose franchise netted nearly $70 million in theaters alone (Night Watch is the highest-grossing film in its country’s history). If you haven’t seen them, you should—because no other film has the spunk and imagination that these two do.

21. The Night Stalker (1972)

Ahhh! TV movies abound in the top 25! (Well, not really. But they certainly stamp their respective places with might.) Based on an unpublished novel about a Los Angeles reporter who suspects vampirism as the culprit of city-wide serial murders, John Moxey’s The Night Stalker gives viewers everything they could ask for in a TV-appropriate B-movie about killings and a vampire. Star Darren McGavin then gives them what the may or may not have wanted to see in a B-movie—a moderate performance—making the film a good—and brisk (74 min.)—selection as one’s primary spook-night feature.

20. Blade II (2002)

Blade II is unequivocally the best of the dark Marvel trilogy for one central reason: visionary Guillermo Del Toro made it. The franchise’s “new film, new director” assurance made possible its second installment’s impressively detailed visual effects, more astute dialogue, and more gorgeous set designs, though it disallowed the following piece of the series (Blade: Trinity) from living up to its precursor’s standards (David S. Goyer got the director’s chair).

19. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

The two best things about Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn both have to do with Quentin Tarantino’s foremost contributions to it: his screenplay, as witty and gross and hilarious as any of his others; and his performance, which is one of my all-time favorite ones to come from the supporting category.

18. Thirst (2009)

Korean auteur Chan-wook Park (the Vengeance Trilogy: Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) is no slouch when it comes to integrating shock into tense dramatic plots. Thirst is no exception. In fact, if anything, it’s raised the bar in such a sense for his future projects. Twisting the legend of Mephistopheles and Faust to today’s social and cultural themes and anxieties—and imprinting his final product with his signature vulgarities—Park has made Thirst a genre prodigy whose teeth are pressing into classic territory.

17. Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Anne Rice is among the most renowned gothic authors of the 20th century, and one of her many great literary contributions to the genre featured one of her favorite mythological species: vampires. In 1976, her novel Interview with the Vampire was published. 18 years later, Academy-Award winning Irish filmmaker Neil Jordan made a movie based on it starring several of Hollywood’s biggest actors. The result: a film with the oratorical beauty of Rice’s craft and the panache imagery of Jordan’s film-weilding talent.

16. Fright Night (1985)

Regarded as one of the most well-made guilty pleasures of all time (so much so, in fact, that most would deny it’s a guilty pleasure at all), the vampire-laden Fright Night, a picture whose common plot and fairly silly effects are overcome by overwhelming all-age entertainment power, is a cult classic by any standard, a memorable teenage maturation narrative, and a riotous event for any movie lover.

15. The Lost Boys (1987)

Another coming-of-age vampire flick that reached immediate cult status and cemented the fame of all of its stars, Joel Schumacher’s The Lost Boys embellished the classical look of vampires on every possible level (eye color, bone protrusions, gigantic teeth, etc.), much as Fright Night, #16, did, conforming to the demand of mid-to-late-’80s movie-going fanatics and further revolutionizing the way they’d be portrayed in most subsequent movies (From Dusk Till Dawn, #19) and television programs (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel).

14. Black Sunday (1960)

Mario Bava is one of Italian Horror’s most influential profiles because of his willingness to drop to any level of low-brow yet make any such level appear as high art. Black Sunday, originally titled The Mask of Satan (how’s that for low-brow irony?), re-dug the figurative depths of “low”, though is also one of the most starkly beautiful films in horror history. And it’s got vampires! (And much, much more.)

13. Near Dark (1987)

A slow-building, tension-focused action-western epic with vampires and—my favorite thing in any horror film—a throat cut, Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark was a pioneering film in the movement of horror’s crossover to other genre’s in contemporary Hollywood. It’s also another cult favorite. Yet, unlike other questionable films with such a following, it is deserving of each individual accolade on its every level—and without any question.

12. Martin (1977)

Who knew George A. Romero was as talented in the vampire genre as he is and has always been in the zombie one? Well, he did. And now everyone should know. Martin is a pristine example of beauty and substance over budget, and more proof (though none is needed) of Romero’s genius.

11. Cronos (1993)

Guillermo Del Toro means ingenuity in all essence of film—visual style, storytelling ability, timelessness as a work. Cronos, one of the most inspired, ornate offerings in the vampire film pantheon, was his directorial debut—and verification that he was a true wonder even prior to finding worldwide acclaim as such.

10. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

It’s much more often that a vampire film of noticeable value is either lavish in its aesthetic and contextual sense or modest in such a way that its actors hover its production than it has both. Francis Ford Coppola’s sumptuous, stimulating, deeply mournful Dracula has three Oscar wins (Best Costume Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Makeup) and another nomination (for Best Art Direction) as affirmation of its brilliant in- and behind-scene fabrication, yet also includes one of the great individual performances in vampire film history: Gary Oldman’s turn as the Count.

9. Horror of Dracula (1958)

Terence Fisher’s 1958 British film, Dracula, renamed Horror of Dracula for its own distinction among other films of its kind, was colored beautifully—both in a literal sense by production designer Bernard Robinson and in a figurative one by the performances of lead actors Christopher Lee (as Dracula) and Peter Cushing (as Dr. Van Helsing)—and made to withstand the aging generations to come. And it has.

8. Dracula (1931)

It’s hard to imagine a better trio in the early ‘30s than director Tod Browning (1932’s Freaks), star actor Béla Lugosi, and Universal Studios’ active chairman from 1928-1936, Carl “Junior” Laemmle, Jr. It’s particularly hard to imagine a better collaboration while or after watching Browning’s Dracula, based on Bram Stoker’s tale and more deliberate than perhaps any of its other renditions.

7. Dracula: Pages from a Virgin’s Diary (2003)

A silent black & white film version of a ballet released post-millennium? It may sound like the most boring film ever made, but it isn’t. In fact, it’s one of the decade’s most poignant and spellbinding.

6. Vampyr (1932)

Director Carl Theodor Dreyer will likely forever be known as the austere, brutally powerful helmer of the 1928 masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc—and anything else would probably be unjust. However, beneath the colossal, eternal reputation of Joan of Arc lies the triumphant, sobering, macabre jewel Vampyr, Dreyer’s first work presented in sound, which was based upon J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s erotically thematic gothic novella Carmilla.

5. Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

“…Let’s film a fictionalized account of the making of F.W. Murnau’s enduring creation Nosferatu and let’s cast John Malkovich as Murnau and Willem Dafoe as Max Schreck!” (That was a completely fictionalized account of what Shadow of the Vampire director E. Elias Merhinge said to eventual co-producer Nicholas Cage prior to the film’s physical conception.)

“Yeah! But we have to make it really good!” (That was a fictionalized account of Nic Cage’s response.)

Suffice to say that regardless of Cage’s understanding of what “good” in film means (I once thought it was as clear as air, but I’ve since contemplated whether I was right to think that), everyone behind 2000’s Shadow of the Vampire made well on his fictionalized enthusiasm. The film is achingly gorgeous and equally contemplative—one of the most accomplished and simultaneously unrecognized films ever crafted.

4. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)

One of cinematic history’s most elegant and respectful remakes, German film mastermind Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu, a virtual renewal of Murnau’s 1922 silent picture, used the relative advances in technology to the time of its release; extensive makeup and costume artistry; and a sensational, spine-tingling performance from Klaus Kinski to bring Graf Orlok/Dracula and the sobering world around him to vivid, colorful boldness. I am going to speak for everyone when I say that we are forever thankful. (Right?) (Yes, yes we are.)

3. Let the Right One In (2008)

Empire magazine’s Kim Newman compared this film to Victor Erice’s 1973 majestic opus The Spirit of the Beehive. I can’t think of a better parallel: Each film is as graceful and authoritatively affecting; and just as Beehive faintly honors the grandeur of the story and heartbreak of Frankenstein, so does Let the Right One In tribute the entire lore of vampires and the corresponding stories of its written and spoken history through gentle underscores in its own narrative. As you’ve heard—and as you will always hear from anyone who’s seen it—Let the Right One In is only a vampire horror picture on the outside. Beneath its surface is an intricate, deeply intimate, and ironically life-avowing story of love (not only of the romantic bond between one individual and another, but of a deep passion for the nature of people and things as they relate to the development of the universe).

2. Faust (1926)

Featuring one of vampire mythology’s more definite stories (the same one that inspired Thirst, #18), the 1926 adaptation of Faust, a delicate yet unrestricted rendering of Goethe’s literary transposition, is a masterwork beyond the boundaries of any one cinematic category—and one crafted so atypically and with such precision only an artist as exacting as F.W. Murnau could have pulled it off. But because it is a film about vampirism, it’s easily the second-best of such; and because it’s as marvelous as it is, everyone should consider what an absence of greatness would have been had Murnau not persuaded Universal Film AG to allow him directorial rights over fellow German Ludwig Berger. Rejoice!

1. Nosferatu (1922)

Nearly 87 years old, F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu is the only real vampire movie: it’s eternally alive, and even improves with its boundless age.

Hope you enjoyed this feature! You’ve certainly waited patiently (or perhaps apathetically) for it. Enjoy Halloween…by eating chocolate and watching malevolent horror films until vomiting occurs. (Trust me, folks, it’s the only way to celebrate such an odd evening.)

Let me know if I left off any of your favorites of the genre—write it right on the comment board below. (There’s a different location for complaints about Twilight‘s omission; send those here.)

Dear Date Knight,
I’ve gone on a few dates with someone new. He never offered to pick me up, we always meet at the movie theater or restaurant. This really confuses me, it does not do anything for me, so I’m not warming up to him or opening up to him. He is looking for affection but I don’t feel romantic when I’m driving alone to and from our date. I like him otherwise but I really don’t want to go on another date with him. Should I ask him why he doesn’t want to pick me up or just stop seeing him without any explanation?

Vera
Well, I have to say I don’t know; I’m stumped. Have you seen his car? Does he have one? Is it a POS? He may be ashamed of what he’s driving. He may have also not wanted to come off creepy. Perhaps he would feel imposing to come to your home. Have you mentioned your living arrangements? Do you still live w/ your parents? Some guys really get weirded out about meeting parents too soon. If you don’t live with your parents it is completely acceptable to say pick me up at 7. I wouldn’t take it personally that is for sure. He may not even have thought about it being an issue. I do think that if you don’t have chemistry now, you’re not going to find it in a Ford Taurus, ya know? I really don’t believe that it is the intimacy of a car ride that’s keeping you from romance. If you don’t find it over dinner or sitting close in a dark theater sharing a laugh, it’s probably not there to find! Try it one last time, be direct but not pushy. If he doesn’t want to come get you for whatever reason, this will be the time that it comes out.

Dear Date Knight,
I had a great first date with a girl. How long should I wait to call her? I really want to call her but I’ve always been told I have to wait a few days. What’s the proper amount of time to wait before calling to set up a second date?

Jesse,
I hope you didn’t wait for my response to call her! Ok, so here’s the game: we ladies want you to call the next day, maybe even a text that night to make sure we got home ok. We love that shit! Makes the panties DROP! Here’s the rub though - you have to play it cool. We love attention, but we do NOT want to be smothered. Keep it brief, and if you want to go out again ask her but set it a few days out. This shows your interest but doesn’t come on too strong. Never be afraid to call the next day if you had a good time.

Some people spend months perfecting their Halloween costume, others wear the same thing year after year. Despite being a huge fan of Halloween I usually throw my costume together at the last minute. It may not be perfect, but DIY beats store bought every time. And remember, only boring people can’t be bothered to dress up.

Check the darkest corners of your closet. That torn shirt that you haven’t worn in years may be the perfect finishing touch for you zombie outfit. Those crazy pink leg warmers and old sneakers? Hello 1980’s cheerleader. Got a Hawaiian shirt? Then you can be anything from a tourist with sandals and a fanny pack to Hunter S Thompson. Found some old roller skates? Rip the sleeves of a t-shirt and be a Roller Derby girl.

Wanna look cute but spooky? Then start with your outfit and see what you can transform it into. A red dress or shirt can easily me made into a devil-outfit, just add horns and a tail. Dress in black and add wings to become a demon or a fallen angel. Ears, a tail and a bit of face paint will transform you into a cat. And there are cute Witches and handsome Warlocks. Wasn’t that the whole point of Charmed?

Don’t be afraid to mix and match accessories and items from older costumes. A lei + Hawaiian shirt/grass skirt + zombie make up= Hula Zombie. 1970’s shirt + flared pants + fangs = Disco Vampire.
Another option is to get in touch with your inner geek and channel Steve Urkel, Napolen Dynamite or NCIS’s Abby.

Still can’t think of a costume? You can always go as a serial killer. They look just like everyone else.

In the 23rd century, women are encouraged to be quiet and reserved. But Neo likes her skirts short and her personality loud - just like the ladies of the twenty-first century! Lucky for her, she stumbles across a device that puts her in our day and age, and she just happens to fall into giving a concert with a handsome backup singer named Saya. Though the concert bombs, they’re given three months to put together an act and perform for a record deal! The challenge is like heaven to Neo, who has always dreamed of being a singer and feels at home in the past, but Saya’s a bit of a naysayer. The two manage to put their differences to the side and team up, though there’s a hint of romance on the horizon! Created by the illustrator for the Code Geass manga, Majiko!, this series is adorable and fluffy, but not much more. Like brain candy, this is one that you’ll giggle a little while you read, but it isn’t destined to be a story you remember.

For something like that, you should turn to M. Alice LeGrow’s Bizenghast. One of the more successful American manga authors\artists, M. Alice’s story of a sleepy little down with an undead secret is one of my favorite manga titles right now. Dinah can see spirits. At first, they are the stuff of nightmares, but then she gets drafted by a bureaucratic underworld to help put to rest spirits with issues. Only this gig is more than it seems, as we learn at the beginning of volume six, the volume that LeGrow herself described as the volume where ‘the shit really hits the fan’. When Dinah is set to meet yet a third member of Edaniel and Edrear’s family - a sister, for once - they find not her, but a body. And everything begins to fall apart.

The boys are distraught, and Dinah, on her own, finds another piece to the mystery behind the town of Bizenghast. Like the clockwork in Dinah’s corset on the cover, everything begins to click into place and tick down to the release of the seventh - and final - volume. The sixth volume makes it quite clear that there is a war coming, and Dinah will play a very large part.

Bizenghast is a favorite at conventions, mostly due to the insane, brilliant and utterly hilarious M. Alice, who has a unique artistic vision that makes Bizenghast her first series (of what will hopefully be many) so unique. It’s packed with silly fun humor, and all kinds of snakey references to herself and pop culture (in the first chapter, she’s the one wearing the ‘I want a Robot Boyfriend’ and ‘Martification Unit’ shirts. And yes, she is that adorable in real life). Bizenghast stands as the example of what the American manga movement should be - the Japanese format done with a distinctly Western look and story, as opposed to a bunch of Americans trying to be Japanese. Those of us on this side of the world who wish to get into the manga line of work should look at LeGrow as a source of knowledge, an example. I cannot recommend Bizenghast enough; the only downside to the series is that it will merely run seven volumes.

Odette, like Pinocchio, only wants to be real. Only Pinocchio wanted to be a real boy, and Odette just wants to be a high school girl. Her creator lets her go, and every day for Odette is a new experience. From eating and understanding what ‘tasty’ means to making friends to having feelings - it’s all an adventure to Odette, and readers of Karakuri Odette will learn that this mechanical girl is closer than she thinks. Calm, passive, and a little maudlin, Odette finds everything around her fascinating, and the audience feels the same way about her. Of course, this isn’t the first robot girl to capture our hearts - Chi from Chobits immediately leaps to mind - but where most robot girls are mere vehicles for fan service, Odette seems to be aimed more at the female audience - we want to be her friend, not see her get got by the boy. I really enjoyed this first volume, and can’t wait for the second, due out in February.

Kiyo has no family; her mother is deceased, and her father has disappeared after being falsely accused of a crime. Her life has given her a purpose, and she pursues it single-mindedly: to become a lawyer and clear her father’s name! So when she suddenly comes into an inheritance, she doesn’t think much of the old rambling estate - she mostly wants to tear it down and sell the land. Only the heroine of Bloody Kisses doesn’t know that inside that ramshackle house are two vampires who, once, were companions of her grandmother’s and now live alone, together.

Kuroboshi is dark haired and handsome, and he falls for Kiyo almost instantly. He seeks to make her his ‘bride’, which means that he will drink from her and only her. His servant, Alshu, is a bit of a prankster, and also thinks that Kiyo smells tasty, and wants a nip. Kiyo will have none of it; she doesn’t want to be anybody’s snack, and doesn’t much care for being a ‘bride’, but can’t help but notice that Kuroboshi sure is cute! Bloody Kisses is a silly, supernatural, romantic romp, one that inspires laughter and will certainly make you want to turn the page. Included in the back is a bonus story with a completely different set of characters, “Angel Love Song”.

Though Bizenghast six is the clear pick of this group, Karakuri Odette one and Bloody Kisses one are also fantastic reads, not to be missed!

(Amanda Rush is an animaven who likes to stalk M. Alice LeGrow at conventions. For more on that, check her interview with Marty: http://www.popsyndicate.com/site/story/an_interview_with_m._alice_legrow/ )

I had the great privilege of listening to three great writers at a conference this past weekend: Matt Fraction, Gail Simone, and Kurt Busiek. Each one of these writers has made a name for themselves in the super hero comic medium. All three were a part of a panel discussing their work in writing the contemporary hero. There have been changes to how modern heroes are being as opposed to how they being written a few years ago. Most of those changes I was not even aware of until spoke be these panelists.

Matt Fraction is the current writer of Uncanny X-men, Invincible Iron-man, and Casanova. Gail Simone is the current writer for Wonder Woman, Secret Six, and Welcome to Tranquility. Kurt Busiek has had a long industrious career with both DC and Marvel. Busiek is most well known for his work on Marvels, DC’s Trinity, and his independent book Astro City.  As you can see this was a representative slice of current writers in terms of experience and history.

Similarly, they have all worked, or currently work on, characters with tremendous amounts of history: Gail with Wonder Woman, Matt with Iron-Man and X-men, and Kurt Busiek with the entire history of the Marvel Universe. When an audience member asked how they felt about continuity, they each voiced a similar idea. They stated that continuity was great but could have the tendency to choke out all the fun of a story. They each reached the conclusion that continuity isn’t important but consistency is. I think that catches the main idea of a contemporary writer in comics.

Being a current writer for a character that has existed for over 30 years can be a daunting task, especially when you try to maintain the absolute integrity of the entire history in each story. It can become manageable when you decide that each story involving a character, or set of characters, does not need to reference all 30 years of history. That is way too much information and may actually be a deterrent to new readers, which is counter to what writers should be doing. It’s possible to do that but its not always a great story, there are exceptions. Writers should be writing great stories accessible to everyone, not everyone who has been reading for 30 years. That’s why I want to say thank you to Matt Fraction, Gail Simone, and Kurt Busiek. Thank you for writing great stuff that doesn’t involve me always having to start at issue #1.

Back in 1963, Let’s Make a Deal premiered on ABC.  Contestants didn’t wear silly costumes; as a matter of fact, most were wearing suits and ties.  (A few weeks in, somebody brought a sign to the show, then somebody wore a silly hat, and it just snowballed.)  That (and the host) are about the only things that have changed dramatically in 45 years—the concept is the same, and Wayne Brady does a decent job.

So—why is the 2009 version of this show… not that much fun?

Let’s start with the host, Wayne Brady.  He does do a decent job, and he clearly has fun doing what he does.  His interactions with the contestants are pretty good.  At the same time, though—there’s almost a sense that he’s trying too hard to remember the mechanics of the game.  He still does get some QT with the contestants, but he just doesn’t look like he’s comfortable with the role.

As for the mechanics… the core concept of the show is relatively unchanged—do you want (x) or do you want to trade it for (y)?  Thing is—that’s not ALL the old show was about.  The old show had skill based pricing games (“price this item within 50¢”) as well; we probably won’t see any of those since the show is a “companion show” to The Price is Right.  Those were usually a nice separation between the regular trading games, and without them, the show does feel a little monotonous.

On top of that, the show is one hour long.  ONE HOUR.  Except for the Billy Bush version (the less said about that one, the better), every other LMaD series has run for 30 minutes.  It added a little bit of urgency to the show - “do you want the big box?  You’d better decide NOW NOW NOW!”.  Stretched to one hour, people spend quality time thinking over their decisions; that’s just fine in real life, but when broadcast, it’s very boring to watch.

Fans have also complained about the Big Deal at the end of the show.  In previous incarnations, the top two winners competed for the Big Deal, choosing Door 1/2/3.  Now, only the top winner gets that opportunity, and really, it makes the show more anticlimactic.  Instead of a 2/3 chance of watching somebody win the super-duper grand prize, the home viewer gets a 1/3 chance of seeing the payoff.  On top of that, it means that only one prize package has to be given away at the end of the show - so it saves on the budget.

And… that’s another problem.  The top prize in some games is somewhere between $1000-2000.  And that’s perfectly fine… except that this is a network game show.  By comparison, $1000-2000 is the price range for some of the prizes on The Price is Right - the ones that get you on stage to play for the REAL prizes.  There’s a difference between doing the show on a budget and LOOKING like you’re doing a show on a budget.

Not everything about the show is bad.  Brady and announcer Johnathan Mangum get along great.  The set looks spectacular.  The contestants are an absolute joy to watch.  The show has even introduced an audience game so that everyone in the audience gets a prize (usually a DVD or such - hey, it’s better than going home empty-handed).

But… there’s no spark there.

I want this show to succeed - especially since this is the first new daytime network game show since 1993 (bonus points if you can tell me which one and what network).  Compare that to, say, 20 years ago—when there were new game shows being rolled out every year.  I applaud CBS for taking a chance on this show to fill the Guiding Light slot—especially when they could have put another soap in the slot, or used that slot for a reality show.  I just hope the folks behind Let’s Make a Deal can reconfigure the show a bit to make it more watchable.

She’s back. You know, Batgirl; not to be confused with Batwoman. Is the name ringing any, bells for you? I guess it can be confusing because this isn’t the first incarnation of this character, or because after each reappearance the character doesn’t stay around for very long. Batman already has a Batwoman, so does there need to be a Batgirl? ( pose new question, who is Batgirl?)

If we go back to the first incarnation of Batgirl, we see her introduction alongside the original Batwoman in 1961’s issue of Batman #139. Just like Batwoman was Batman’s counterpart, Batgirl was intended to be Robin’s counterpart. The introduction of these characters ended up altering the Batman stories, causing a decline in readership. This decline led to the removal of both Batwoman and Batgirl from Batman comics in 1964. As we move forward, the next incarnation of Batgirl, Barbra Gordon, daughter of Commissioner Gordon became the most popular. After Barbra there was Helen Bertinellie, then Cassandra Cain, followed by Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe, and finally we have the latest Batgirl, Stephanie Brown.

Stephanie comes with experience in the Bat-Family, she used to be Robin. But being a Robin isn’t enough, there is something else that is needed to be Batgirl: approval. Not just any person can pick up a cape and cowl and start calling themselves a Bat-person. They need approval from Batman, which he has given to each Robin who has worn the costume and the first Batgirl. Every Batgirl since then has been approved or denied by either Batman or the only person Batman trusts to approve a Batgirl, Barbara Gordon.

Pay attention because Barbara Gordon has given approval to Stephanie and has also stepped in to mentor her into being the best Batgirl yet. You don’t have to have read every Batman book or every previous appearance of Batgirl to appreciate this character. She’s another arsenal in the war against crime, but she’s also a member of the Bat-Family and should be treated with as much respect and dignity as any other member of that family. So pay attention, its Batgirl, not Batwoman

20. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

The title should give you an idea of what you’ll see in this Disney classic. But only previous viewing(s) can prepare audiences for its overall charm and its archetype narrative, which its three directors transferred flawlessly from Dodie Smith’s timeless youth novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians (sometimes titled The Great Dog Robbery).

19. Stuart Little (1999)

Notable for being famed poet/novelist E.B. White’s first children’s tome (among many other things), Stuart Little re-envisioned mice as chivalrous animals (a large contrast from their typical reception) and delivered an elegant message of human connectivity and familial love in the process. That was in 1945. Its reputation among literary minds and households across the world has only grown since, as has its popularity—each aided in a big way by the release of Rob Minkoff’s film version in December of 1999. Had the movie stunk, White’s work may not be as universally accepted now. But it didn’t stink; it rocked out (pretty hard, in fact).

18. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Tim Burton’s true-to-the-source revival of Roald Dahl’s beloved 1964 classic was a hit in every way: it had enough visual spunk to make one’s eyes bleed; it had humor enough to give one a concerning case of the giggles; it had warmth enough to melt America’s icy heart; and it even had enough eerie subtleties to make one wonder if there was something he or she was supposed to notice beneath its cheery surface (yes, Johnny Depp did just peer into the lens with a malevolence in his eyes and a vile smirk on his face).

17. James and the Giant Peach (1996)

Another film that would never have existed were it not for the whimsical, fantastical mind and storytelling of Roald Dahl, Disney Pictures’ James and the Giant Peach, artistic offspring of director Henry Selick and producer Tim Burton (the same tandem that created A Nightmare Before Christmas and would later make 2006’s Corpse Bride), struck critical success despite sputtering commercially (it generated only $29 million in box office revenue on a $38 million budget). But as time unfurled, alike pictures only illuminated the beauty of the art in Selick’s production and elevated the essence of its adult themes and darker elements—both of which caused Dahl’s book problems and perhaps hampered its movie adaptation’s ticket sales.

16. Coraline (2009)

Coraline is the most recent of Selick’s projects. And, as one may have guessed, it, too, is of the stop-motion animation type. But this time around, the director-screenwriter and puppeteer brought his dolls to livelihood without the backing of friend Tim Burton, who’d produced several of Selick’s previous works. Adapted from the rather young 2002 tale by Neil Gaiman, Coraline was a huge hit in multiplexes across America, generating high box office performance and widespread public and critical acclaim.

15. Horton Hears a Who! (2008)

One of Suess’ many rhyme books, Horton Hears a Who!, published in 1954, was described by its prolific author as an alleviating allegory of peace in post-war Japan. If you feel like studying its subtext for evidence, go for it. I, on the other hand, would rather just enjoy its bouncy creativity. And there’s no better way for me to enjoy simple literature than to watch a good movie adaptation of such. Director Jimmy Hayward’s fully-CGI version fits the bill perfectly.

14. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Potter’s third drop-in on this list is perhaps the most enjoyable entry in Rowling’s translated-to-movie franchise. Why? Because it’s the first one to wholly embrace the darkness and dread of the story’s themes. Think about it; deep down, at the core of Harry Potter’s narrative, there’s not much light—rather death and decay and descent into iniquity.

13. Marry Poppins (1964)

The literary basis of Robert Stevenson’s timeless Disney musical is a novel series by author P.L. Travers, which eventually reached eight books, though the film was based on and released after only the first five. Starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, both of whom were in their celebrity prime, Poppins brought to life all the wisdom and joy of its source’s writer, who herself was a Shakespearean stage actress.

12. Shrek* (2001)

Beneath its gargantuan reputation as a cinematic essential of the animated genre lies the wee kid’s book upon which it is based. The picture story, written and roughly illustrated by William Steig, was undoubtedly given an aesthetic facelift once adapted by DreamWorks, though its cordial heart was maintained pristinely. And that’s why the movie series has garnered so many loyal fans.

11. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

For Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince (#14), I noted that I found it most enjoyable of all of the Potter films. And I do. But Prisoner of Azkaban was made and adapted better than any entry prior or any since, thanks to its director, Alfonso Cuarón, the only visionary filmmaker the Potter series has called upon. He answered. (Obviously.)

10. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Mel Stuart’s cult ’71 picture, based, of course, upon Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is less a kid’s film than perhaps any other on this list. It used Dahl’s fanatical ideas to channel the psychedelic, drugged-out themes of the late-’60s and early-’70s; and Gene Wilder channeled them, too. I don’t think his intention was to appear on crack, but rather crazy. In either case, he nailed it. And it was his whacky contribution to the picture—more even than its vibrant visual style or subliminal sociopolitical message—that makes it unforgettable.

9. Babe (1995)

Nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and winner of one (Best Visual Effects), Chris Noonan’s soft-spoken, big-hearted Babe is one of the most decorated children’s book film translations of all time. And deservedly so: the source novel, originally published in ’83 under the title The Sheep-Pig (it was retitled Babe the Gallant Pig shortly thereafter), accumulated quite the commendation itself, winning the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award in 1984.

8. Anne of Green Gables (1985)

This sprawling, 200-minute ’85 CBC miniseries stands as one of the finest made-for-television films of the past thirty years; and upon its release in the United States in 1986 (through PBS), it became, as well, a standard against which subsequent miniseries were held. Of course, a small number of television specials have matched up, but that only allows me to chirp about this beautiful screen version of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 1908 bestseller more.

7. A Little Princess (1995)

If you only take one thing away from reading this list, it should be that Alfonso Cuarón is a filmmaker of such artistic integrity that few others would be more suitable to adapt a piece of literature to celluloid. His ’95 classic, which some consider one of the best “kid’s” movies of all time, is based on the 105-year-old work by Frances Hodgson Burnett, though it manipulates the original material to fit a more universal demographic and make it more relatable to contemporary society.

6. The Jungle Book (1967)

One of author and poet Rudyard Kipling’s 19-century masterpieces, The Jungle Book consists of 14 chapters, each slightly differentiating from the ones before and after it while maintaining thematic continuum and a main protagonist. In 1967, that protagonist, Mowgli, came to sparkling life with Disney’s release The Jungle Book, an expansive yet curvy adaptation of Kipling’s adventure epic. Maybe the most recognizable of director Wolfgang Reitherman’s career projects (he also directed One Hundred and One Dalmations, #20; and 1977’s The Rescuers), this animated jewel has continued to grow in popularity and creative value with each successive year since its initial release. It’s been more than four decades by now.

5. The Iron Giant* (1999)

Oscar-winning filmmaker Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille) first put his name on the map with this 2-D animated adaptation of Ted Hughes’ 1968 picture book, illustrated by Andrew Davidson. With a voice cast including Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., Christopher McDonald, and Vin Diesel as the title character, one may have expected something less inspired. And that would have been fair. But, fair or not, it would have been inaccurate. The Iron Giant is one of Bird’s most cherished endeavors and perhaps his most inspired work. And I repeat: he was the dude who made The Incredibles and Ratatouille. That’s saying something.

4. The Yearling (1946)

The film version of Marjorie Rawlings’ Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (which was also the best-selling book of 1938, its publish year) is so textured and emotionally rich that it has as good a chance of making the entire family weep as a million dollars does making them happy. …Well, I guess it depends on the family. But the point is that Paul Osborn’s screenplay and Clarence Brown’s direction meshed flawlessly with both the source material and each other.

3. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

So maybe you didn’t know that Disney’s Snow White was based on a children’s fairy tale eventually penned to paper by the Brothers Grimm, but now that you do, no further explanation should be needed. And it’s not coming anyway, so even if it is, you’re not getting it.

2. Pinocchio (1940)

See no. 3. (Replace underlined text with “19-century storyteller Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio”.)

1. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

See a doctor about that eye twitch. Then see no. 3…again. (Replace underlined text with “L. Frank Baum’s 109-years-young tale The Wonderful Wizard Oz”.)

Today marks the 10th anniversary of Fight Club’s U.S. theatrical release. Celebrate by punching your least favorite coworker in the face.

Just kidding. I meant your least favorite boss.

Just kidding again. Just watch the movie. And be sure to pick up the Blu-Ray release when it hits shelves on November 17. Also, Where the Wild Things Are is out in theaters nationwide tomorrow. Do you need me tell you how to spend your weekend? (No, don’t go around punching people in the face.)

The List’s next feature will be up the week of the 26th.