In terms of planning field trips, looking out for blog posts, and gearing the semester toward various areas of pop culture, I need to know more about this year's class. Therefore, I'm going to ask each of you to please respond to this question.
Are you interested in:
1). Film (and name genres)
2). TV (and name your must-see shows)
3). Comics, including manga (which ones)
4) Games (and name format, i.e. Playstation, on-line World of Warcraft, etc.)
5). Music (and specify, i.e. jazz, blues, etc)
6) Sports (specify areas of interest, except for Duke basketball)
7) Art
8) Other interests, hobbies, etc.
9) Animation/Anime/Cartoons (which ones)
I also need to know which of you have strong computer and/or design skills. Each year one of you (or a team) designs the poster for the conference at the end of the semester. Examples of prior years are posted on this blog beneath all of the links on the side. I need to know that someone can handle this, or I have to start soliciting outside talent.
15 comments:
1. I'm definately interested in film- I like fantasy/sci-fi, epics/historical, adventure/action, also musicals...basically anything that doesn't involve the troubles of normal people, meaning I don't typically enjoy the general plot of most indie films. But I definately appreciate any film that is well written even if it isn't particularly eventful, such as Before Sunset.
2. I was a huge fan of Alias the early seasons, and 1st season of Lost. I used to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation all the time... more recently I think the show Heroes is fantastic. In general, more drama/sci-fi stuff as opposed to sitcoms. And then I'll admit I watch shows like America's Next Top Model and Laguna Beach. I'm limited in the cable sphere because I didn't have it until college.
3) I like comic book film adaptations but I haven't really got around to reading them in print- interested though.
4) I love PC games...I used to play old school ones like Legends of Kyrandia and King's Quest, and then tended to get obsessed with them in addition to video games but my parents made sure I never had video or computer games around.
5) I mostly like rock, punk, pop-rock, and then some of those top 40 songs. I used to be in jazz band so I'd definately be interested in anything jazzy and/or bluesy. I also like showtunes.
6-9) I'm interested in entertainment journalism (not gossip but more feature/critical stuff, etc) so anything involving that would be cool. I'd be will to go see anything involving sports, art, cartoons/anime but I don't know that much about them so I won't list any particulars.
Janet, I'm glad to hear of your interest in genre film -- we'll be talking about science fiction more during the comics section, and we'll be screening The Incredible Shrinking Man. Heroes is without question my favorite show this season -- but the program I most need to start watching is Battlestar G. Last month Sci-Fi network had the Lost Room mini-series which I think you might like. I'll start feeding you comics as soon as you arrive -- based on your likes, I think there's some stuff you'll really enjoy. Also you should start checking the Henry Jenkins blog (He's an MIT professor) It's on the blog links. Henry writes very smartly about Heroes and has written the definitive academic book on fandom, especially star trek.
As for games, I'm really curious as to the response on this one. I don't know anything in this regard, except that my brother-in-law, the scientist, spends all free time playing world of warcraft and he just gave me city of heroes, which he labeled a gateway drug. I made my first hero today, and boy is he lame.
1. I mostly enjoy comedy and action films, but I also like being exposed to other genres.
2. I am a huge fan of Entourage and The Office, and also Arrested Development even though it's off the air.
3. I don't generally read comics.
4. I casually and only occasionally play Playstation (which I have at home) and XBox (which I just play with friends).
5. I don't follow music too closely, but I enjoy most current, popular music.
6. I am a big fan of college and professional basketball and professional baseball (and football, but the season is ending). And why can't we say Duke basketball?
7. I like art, but I'm not an aficionado.
8. In most of my free time I play and watch sports, but this is my first time in Los Angeles and I want to see and do as much as possible here and in the surrounding areas.
9. I like Family Guy and I've recently watched a few episodes of South Park, which I enjoyed.
I'm very interested in film and try to see as many movies as I can. Though I don't limit myself to any genres in particular, my favorites are film-noir, 90's independents, westerns, and zombie movies (sub-genre, I guess). Some of my favorite filmmakers are Jim Jarmusch, David Lynch, Federico Fellini, (early) Richard Linklater, and the Coen brothers.
Most of the TV I watch is cartoons, but I guess I'll save those for the end. My favorite non-animated shows are Twin Peaks, The Twilight Zone, Star Trek: The Original Series, Pee-Wee's Playhouse, The Office (American), and Entourage.
I love comics. I started reading graphic novels, small press books, and alternative comix when I was in middle school. Crumb was always my favorite. I still read some independent comics, but now I'm into more mainstream stuff as well. Right now I'm most into crime comics, Invincible, and anything by Brian K. Vaughan.
I've played my share of video games, but recently I spend more time reading comics. I have Playstation 2 and Gamecube, and spent much of last semester playing sports games on my roommate's Xbox 360. Some of my favorite games ever are Super Mario Land and Resident Evil 4.
I play saxophone and piano and am really into all kinds of music. Favorite genres include jazz (mostly 50/60's hard-bop), rockabilly, country, alt-country, experimental rock, krautrock, alternative pop, Ethiopian music, psychedelic rock, sludge metal, 90's indie/alternative rock, funk, soul, R&B, hip-hop, and post-punk.
I've always resisted sports, but I've become more interested in them lately. I like the NBA the best, especially the Lakers, but I also enjoy watching college and pro football.
I'm not that into art, but I do go to art museums once in awhile. My favorites are comic art, animation art, photography and Polish poster art.
I love to cook and eat good food. I especially love to find good cheap eats. Local favorites include Zankou Chicken, Pink's Hot Dogs, Asahi Ramen, Sushi-gen, and various exceptional taco stands.
My favorite animator of all time is Tex Avery. I also love Warner Brothers cartoons, Ralph Bakshi, early and experimental animation, Venture Brothers, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Mission Hill, Harvey Birdman, Sealab 2021, and Home Movies.
Oh, and as if that wasn't enough information, I'm also really into detective fiction (especially Raymond Chandler) and historic Los Angeles. I love anything that takes place in Los Angeles in the 40/50's. Even Brian De Palma's Black Dahlia.
Ben asks "Why not Duke basketball?" Only because for 99% of you that is a given. My exclusion was of a "tell me something I don't already know" nature. I should have said "... besides Duke basketball"
Also re: Family Guy and South Park: Have you seen the SP episode where they go to the studio where FG is being produced? I think it's called Cartoon Wars (either part 1 or 2) I can never see FG quite the same again.
Also, if you haven't seen the SP film, that's one of my favorite musicals released in the past twenty years -- beats that awful oscar-winning bob fosse wanna-be Chicago to pieces.
It's a little scary how many points of interest Sam and I share. It may make for a challenging teaching experience.
Often Avery is my favorite animator as well, although Chuck Jones did my favorite Warner cartoons, and my appreciation for Frank Tashlin is growing. This also excludes Ray Harryhausen,(technically animation as well) and anime.
I'm also a big fan of Brian K. Vaughan --- thought his recent Escapist mini-series was great; but Ed Brubaker is also really hitting his stride these days (As compared to Bendis, whose best work seems past him -- I hope I'm wrong. Criminal has been a real joy to read thus far, although I think Fell is the best current crime comic -- just great!
One final thought --
Sam, if you haven't read Jason's The Left Bank Gang -- go get it today. It's great fun, as is all of his work. Hi di Ho has it.
I've heard Battlestar Galactica is good. I watched one episode but didn't get attached so maybe I'll revisit it. But a series I did find excellent was Firefly which spawned the film Serenity, which I thought was even better. What a neat idea to set a western in space, and the movie itself has great one-liners, and the characters are pretty cutthroat...they don't waste time chatting to their enemies.
That blog on heroes sounds great, I have some theories of my own about the season finale explosion vision. Oh and I used to play warcraft but I could never get past the level where a seemingly unlimited number of orc troops would kill off all my elven archers, so I decided to stick to more simple games like Harry Potter. On the topic of games, I do know my friend who is a huge gamer played a game based off the Black Dahlia and got really into it- said it was brilliant.
I'm interested in film, primarily in noir, absurdist comedy and animation (especially stop-motion and claymation).
TV I enjoy, but usually only on recommendation (at present I'm sticking with South Park, Heroes, Friday Night Lights, Lost and the Venture Brothers - recently gave up on Nip/Tuck)
Comics: I'm an addict. That Preacher is being made into a TV series for HBO by the idiot who ruined Daredevil is a sin against nature. Also, Transmetropolitan, Fables, and the Ennis take on Punisher are fantastic. I've been abandoning the superhero genre more and more recently.
Video games I don't do much, never been my thing since the Tetris days.
Music I'm a big jazz fan, love more modern hip-hop/rap with actual message (I.E. The Roots, Outkast, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, etc.), I love funk, I'm a huge classic rock fan (The Who, the Doors, Pink Floyd, etc.) and I can't help but love Tenacious D.
Sports: I'm from DC. I follow them, but they depress me. Watching DC sports teams is like watching a 5-year-old try to get to the cookie jar: he tries his best and you almost think he's going to make it, but then he usually just falls down and hurts himself. Even the few times he manages to succeed result in his dragging the jar to the floor with him.
Art: I'm intreigued by postmodernism (Pollock) and impressionism, but hold real awe for sculptors (ties into my love of claymation and overactive imagination)
Other interests and hobbies include causing general mischief, playing pranks on people, building things out of whatever's around and duct tape, slow-mailing things that will decay to friends on the other side of the country and driving very long distances with my pet ferret (helps me meditate - though he did not come along on this trip since I hear they are illegal in LA)
In animation, I've already addressed this a little, but I'm also very interested in the cut and paste style done by South Park and Terry Gilliam before. Computer animation is fascinating to me, but I find it a bit less fantastic than the old-school methods. The Venture Brothers I just love because it sends up pop culture in every manner imaginable. How do you make Scooby-Do's ability to talk to Shaggy due to the fact that Shaggy has the same mental sickness that plagued the son of Sam? So good.
Okay, First my comments on David's post: What do you mean by "absurdist comedy? Are we talking Duck Soup, Monkey Bone, or both? It's not a challenge, I just want a more precise definition of what you're referencing.
Love that you love Transmet! It became one of my favorites and by the end of the series it was up there with Sandman and Preacher for extended runs with a perfect plan and structure from beginning to end. By the way, if Preacher and Punisher both pleased you, I will gladly loan you my entire run of Hitman (Ennis) for the semester -- I actually prefer it to Preacher, apart from the fact that Cassidy was one of the best characters of the decade.
Next, Aaina:
We can debate the artistic merits of different periods of Disney films -- Peter Pan always seemed less fully realized to me than Pinnochio (best classic animation of the bunch)or Sleeping Beauty, and I never thought it had the heart of Dumbo or lady & Tramp (but I'll still be buying it the week the DVD comes out); I also have my own childhood stronger attachment to the coolness of The Jungle Book and even 1001 Dalmations (mainly for Cruella)-- which brings me to the last great cycle starting with mermaid and dying with Lion King, stabbed in the heart by the combined mediocrity of Quasi, Pocahontas and Mulan. I thought that when Howard Ashman died, he took the greatness of the revived classic Disney film with him -- just notice in Aladdin which songs were his and which were done after his death -- all the difference in the (whole new) world! My point is only that -- aye, I love Disney features too.
Did you notice my blog post on the museum exhibit for MOCA? -- it seems up your design alley.
And final comment to Janet -- I agree about the greatness of Firefly.I'm so grateful for DVD box sets, given that Fox ran the series out of order and basically sabotaged it from the beginning and I stopped watching it -- thinking that Whedon had misfired with this one. Then I went back and watched it on DVD in the right order and I thought the show was just brilliant genre stuff. Have you ever watched Wonderfalls? -- which was the show Whedon's protege Tim Minnear did next. It was also sort of brilliant and well worth watching the full season DVD.
(I can also point you toward many earlier space westerns by the way, including a 1980 sci-fi version of the magnificent seven, produced by Roger Corman, written by John Sayles, called Battle Beyond the Stars.)It's junkie but fun.
I actually did watch Wonderfalls! I liked it a lot until it disappeared- I guess there wasn't much of an audience for quirky fantasy dramedy set in a gift shop... now that I think of it, at that time there seemed to be a few shows I watched with an average joe with some sort of power to either talk to plastic souvenirs or God (I'm thinking Joan of Arcadia, which I watched for awhile and by the way I've always wondered why the blonde girl in that even had a role in Spiderman 2) but they all seemed to fizzle away.
1. So, for film, I am pretty much a lover of most genres. I am really into fantasty/epic/adventure. One of my favorites is the LOTR trilogy. I also like comedy and musicals especially since I am a singer and in an a cappella group at Duke. I'm not the biggest fan of romantic-comedies mainly because most of them are pretty cheesy but I can be a sucker for some. I am also really into book adaptation films which I know is pretty general considering that its kind of taken over film lately. Also, I am really into historical films that focus on conflicts in Africa like Hotel Rwanda and Blood Diamond.
2. Since college I haven't been the biggest TV person but shows that I do watch religiously are Lost and Grey's Anatomy. Typical, I know. My favorite show of all time is Xena, mainly because I love Greek mythology (although its completely inaccurate) and after all I am a Classics major.
3. I don't have any major preference for comics in terms of film but I like watching those kind of movies(Spiderman, Xmen, etc) I do though have a huge collection of Archie comics that I have had since I was a kid.
4. I am not really into games. Nintendo back in the day but nothing really anymore.
5. I am a big music person. I like to sing and am in an acappella group back at Duke. I love most genres of music except for country. Mainly R&B, pop, and hiphop.
6. Not the biggest sports person, but I love watching tennis. I am definitely open though to getting more into sports, football specifically since I have never understood that game.
7-9. I like singing, traveling, meeting new people, watching movies, and just experiencing new things. I also really love old Nickelodeon cartoons like Doug and Rugrats. I am not that into current cartoons.
Now that I’m finally here…off the back I am very interested in music and I would love to be exposed to several different and new types I am not familiar with. My favorite styles are hip-hop, funk, classic rock, and jazz in that order while blues would be mixed somewhere among that. It would be great to see some live shows for the music quality, and even for their visual entertainment value.
I don’t watch a considerable amount of television, although when I do I like to laugh. My favorite shows are Martin, Fresh Prince reruns, Jamie Foxx reruns, Entourage when I’m with friends with cable…lol. The Office can be pretty funny at times too.
I am a huge fan of adventure movies; I’d probably also rank gangster films at about the same level. I like comedies, but it really depends if who the main actor is. Ben Stiller and Cedric the Entertainer always seem to come through with something solid. Chris Tucker is by far my favorite comedic-actor and I can’t name a movie he was not hilarious in.
Games are interesting, but I usually just leave that up to my balling friends who have X-box 360 or PS3. If anybody wants to have a FIFA soccer tournament, we could have some real fellowship. I’m not the biggest fan for games, but they amaze me at times.
Art in general is what I came to appreciate out in the West Coast so I would like to partake in as much is possible. Basically I like things that are pretty similar to my personality: thoughtful, goofy, smart-ass, hard, heart-melting, mature and immature…
1. I like action movies and bio-pics, not so much a fantasy fan but comedies (esp black comedy) I love and melodrama is a favorite as well. I like movies with a touch of the surreal, like Amelie ( a french pic) and Requiem for a Dream. I like old school romantic comedies like "Some like it Hot". I like gangster movies. And prison-genre films (Cool Hand Luke being a favorite.)
2.Not so much a contemporary tv watcher although I'm trying to get into The Wire but I need to start from the first season in order to feel fulfilled. Like keith, I like old episodes of the Fresh Prince and Martin, I like the Simpsons, I like the Sopranos, I used to like this show on CBS called "early edition" where this dude got tomorrow's newspaper today.....yea i loved that.
3. Not so much a comic fan, although actually I take that back I love the Boondocks, I like the show but I LOVE the strip, I think it's wittier. Other than that though not so much an avid reader of comics, can appreciate it though.
4. Not really a gamer, no systems or anything but when I do play I usually prefer xbox360 on a plasma screen playing fight night round 3 because I'll whup up on somebody good in that game, it is ridiculously fun. Keith and I just the other day played it at Best Buy in Westwood for like 45 minutes. I can't play video games forever though I get bored. Pacman was a favorite back in the day. Tetris too. Esp on my TI-83 calculator in math class in high school......
5. MUSIC! I love jazz, miles and coltrane, dizzy and the bird, bebop is awesome swing im not so hot on some ragtime.....hip hop is in my blood, I love nas, devin the dude, tupac, biggie, the roots (black thought is amazing) t.i., big punisher, the WU!!!!!!! i love wu-tang with a passion, ghostface killah, the fugees, old school snoop and jay-z. I love the blues, my favorite blues artists are muddy waters, b.b. king, and jimi hendrix...although I do like Hendrix' later stuff too, psychedelic rock is good stuff. Reggae is a passion, both roots and dancehall, I love marley but I love calibudz and beenie man, burning spear and beres hammond the crooner....I love r&b, i love neosoul like erykah badu, d'angelo, maxwell.....music is life.
6. Big football fan, I'm a Redskins fan till I die, although I love the NFL in general. College football is solid but I'm more a pro fan. College basketball is obviously the bomb, NBA and college ball I like the same although I probably follow League ball more often.....I definitely will go to a Lakers game at some point.
I can appreciate and admire art in a variety of forms, I like Graffiti Art but I like surrealism and drip-paintings by Jackson Pollack, Rodin and his sculptures, van gogh and his crazy musings manifested on canvas.
As far as as other interests and hobbies, I enjoy talking politics, I like reading fashion magazines, I enjoy shopping. Traveling esp roadtrips are fun, I like being in different places on short notice aka jetsetting when I can manage it.....
Cartoons wise, I love Bugs Bunny. Used to like X-men a lot. Tom & Jerry will always have a special place in my heart. So will Woody the Woodpecker. But Bugs Bunny was It.
Hopefully all of this helps.
Better late than never...
.) I like all kinds of movies. Mostly I like mindless vulgar comedy and "art" films, anything that's pretty to watch.. My favorite movies are ones with elaborate sets and costmes.. and I'm a huge sucker for time pieces (A&E Pride and Prejudice, Middlemarch, you get the idea)
.) I haven't had a TV for about 3 years, so I'm pretty behind on what's worth watching. I have just finished the entire show of the West Wing, and I love recent South Park with more socio-political commentary. I think Stella is amazing, and anything on adult swim rocks my world.
.) I was super into comics when I was younger, but I've sort of fallen off the ball in recent years. Classic DC is always a go. The only comic remake movie I have really been stoked on was V for Vendetta.
.) I don't play games. I'm terrible at them. Duck Hunt on the original Nintendo is about all I know.
.) I love all music. Jazz, Blues, Indie, Folk, Ambient, Opera. My favorites lately are Beck, Aphex Twin, the Arcade Fire, always Jimi Hendrix, the Clash, Bob Dylan and Miles Davis. Muddy Waters is the man. The ladies in my heart are Maria Callas, PJ Harvey, Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the girl from Portishead. But I could go on and on and on...
.) I love hockey. I've moved around a lot so the teams I support are all over the place. Go pens. And the Stars are alright, too. Football, I'm a Steelers kid cause I'm from Pittsburgh, and the Patriots were chill until they sold their souls for Tom Brady. Bledsoe is the one and only.
.) I was an art history major for a while, and now I'm a fine arts major, so this could go on for ever. My favorites are Matisse, Klimt, Bernini, Man Ray, Warhol (pittsburgh represent), and Monet. Also all Annie Liebowitz, Willam Blake, Turner, Caravaggio (especially the Medusa), and so many more. Frank Lloyd Wright, Rem Koolhaas and Louis Kahn are up there as far as architects go, but that's true for just about anyone. I really like Banksy's work in the UK, I think he's brilliant. I love the tagging scene. And as far as fashion (which is totally art) I love the original Balenciaga line, vintage Yves is a must, as well as Givenchy. And the new Hussein Chalayan line is INCREDIBLE if you haven't seen it look it up on YouTube!! He incorporates technoogy into fashion, and is really the first person to do so in that manner, the clothes literally change before your eyes I can't even explain it. I guess I'll stop at all that.
.) I'm a photography major, so I like taking pictures. A lot. I like sculpture but I haven't figured out my medium yet, as of right now my best sculpture medium is working with glass. I love silkscreening. I make clothes, and I love clothes. I think I want to be a fashion photographer.
.) My favorite work of animation as of late is the Triplets of Belleville. I thought that movie was AMAZING. It should go in my favorite movies column. I really liked Howls Moving Castle and i've only seen bits of Akira, but that looked good too..
I don't have strong computer skills, but I have relatively decent design skills. Graphic design isn't one of my strong points, but I think I can hold my own. Maybe. We'll see.
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