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The Drunken Odyssey

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Monthly Archives: December 2015

21st Century Brontë #4: Cosplay 101

31 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by thedrunkenodyssey in 21st Century Bronte

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21st Century Brontë #4 by Brontë Bettencourt

Cosplay 101

One of the topics that John King suggested I write about is cosplay. Like one of those suggestions that you receive multiple times that is meant to be subtle, but the repetition suggests otherwise?

But I’m not complaining. My lifestyle consists of unhealthy doses of Anime, comic book, and video game culture. I forget about the conclusions that an outsider looking in would draw.

The word “cosplay” derives from the words “costume” and “role-play,” meaning that there is more to the term than throwing on some makeup and a loose-fitting packaged outfit from Party City. You have to act the part, and as long as you are dressed as that specific character you have to portray the character as canon to the source material. A character can be pulled from an anime, videogame, TV, really anything that can be recognized when the outfit is donned and the cosplayer traverses the con grounds in accompanying swagger.

Cosplay Group

Disney Photoshoot, Metrocon 2015.

Over the years I’ve seen a huge ensemble of women dress as the varying cast members from Orange is the New Black, hair and makeup done, wearing the distinct ruddy orange uniforms. I’ve also seen an entire group of dudes cosplay a gender swapped version of the Sailor Scouts from Sailor Moon, adorning colored skinny pants and matching bowties.

Trust me when I say that for conventions, people go all out. Last Anime Festival Orlando, I saw a potted baby Groot from the movie Guardians of the Galaxy, covered head to foot in bark-esque make up. Baby Groot, arms swishing, scurried around in a ceramic-looking pot with wheels attached underneath, up and down the Artist Alley for a few hours. I was so enthralled that I asked for several pictures, to which Baby Groot nodded prior, and bowed after. This cosplayer never once used words, remaining true to the character.

Cosplay Baby GrootThere is a lot of time, careful planning, and trial and error that goes into debuting a cosplay. Some do buy premade school uniforms and battle outfits, some take the time to measure and sew every detail, and some remain in the middle, salvaging items from Goodwill to alter while constructing the parts one can’t buy or find.

My friend Grant forges masks out of leather, while Sammie alters parts from Ebay. I sometimes commission others to create the outfits for me since I can’t thread a needle without sticking my finger.

All of money, effort, time, and a freak out the night before a debut for… what exactly?

There are cosplay contests with prizes consisting of free photoshoots, money, and other tangible prizes.

But there are a percentage of con goers that don’t sign up for these contests. Sammie, Grant, and I don’t even watch the contests. We spend our time walking around the con, checking the wares and panels, and having pictures taken of us by others who recognize the creativity and execution of our portrayal.

Copslay Daria and Jane Lane

My friend Sammie and I cosplaying Daria Morgendorffer and Jane Lane, respectively.

We are portraying characters from a show that we feel a personal connection to that others not only recognize, but can connect with us as well. In a mundane setting, unless someone is wearing an Avengers Logo or sporting some sort of keychain, I have no idea what that someone’s interests are.

I don’t want to just be like “Hey, you’re cool-looking, let’s have a conversation,” because we’re not in elementary school anymore. There is anxiety, the fear of rejection that hasn’t touched us until we get older. Being judged, being bullied, prejudices and social stigmas, all of this hasn’t psychologically chipped away at the mind yet, but definitely leaves a mark with age.

Evident from above, I am terrible at small talk.

But the moment I coat myself in grey paint, wear my hair long, pop in some fangs and wield a crimson axe bass at a con, people squeal, “You’re Marceline the Vampire Queen! I love Adventure Time!” And from there we can talk of the characters, their relationships, and all that has transpired from the now seven seasons of the show.

And the immersion of oneself into a fictional universe, creating a character and interpreting that character through clothes and mannerisms for others to understand, isn’t that one of the fundamental parts of writing? Not only are we telling a story through our interpretation of the character, but on a more personal level, portraying our feelings on the show through our care of the craft and attention to detail.

Being someone else, immersing ourselves in another personality, but through the medium of cosplay instead of written word: it’s yet another form of expression used to convey a story.

And well, it’s also really cool to have my picture taken by people who admire my finished product.

_______

21st Cen Bronté

Brontë Bettencourt (Episode 34) graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelors in English Creative Writing. When she’s not writing or working, she is a full time Dungeon Master and Youtube connoisseur.

McMillan’s Codex #19: Shogun 2: Total War

30 Wednesday Dec 2015

Posted by thedrunkenodyssey in McMillan's Codex

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Charles McMillan, McMillan's Codex, Shogun 2: Total War, Total War

McMillan’s Codex 19 By C.T. McMillan

Shogun 2: Total War

My fascination with samurai culture is not often documented on here or my other blog. As someone who grew up in a military environment and learned a great deal in the latter years of my education, the appeal of bushido and the samurai way of life was nonetheless strong. They are warriors utterly focused and disciplined when it comes to loyalty. Their dedication goes both ways, willing to kill for their lord, and always ready to commit suicide if they dishonor themselves or those they serve. In comparison to other martial cultures, samurai are the most aesthetically pleasing. Their complex and detailed armor trumps anything the finest European artisans could ever accomplish and the katana is arguably a superior blade to conventional swords in both creation and method of use. And so, Shogun 2 caught my eye when it was first announced, and the possibility of commanding giant armies of samurai made the anticipation all the more great.

Shogun 2.1

The Total War series is derived from the real-time strategy (RTS) genre, which is exactly as it sounds. The player is dropped into a large map, pitted against an enemy or enemies, where he or she must exploit resources, build production structures, and make soldiers to fight back until only one is left standing. The player has complete control over their units, directing when and where they move and attack. That is the basic idea behind the RTS that many have followed throughout the years. Total War takes the traditional formula and applies it in a way that complements its own unique trappings.

What sets the series apart is the use of history and culture for its building and battle mechanics. Every current Total War game is based in reality with accurate events, people, and places that once existed. All of the games take place in ancient and medieval times with the exception of two that base themselves in pre-Napoleon Europe and 19th Century Japan.

Shogun 2 takes place during the Sengoku Period, a time of countrywide civil strife where clans fought each other for supremacy. In reality, the Tokugawa Shogunate would take over, but the game uses this period to set-up its gameplay. Players have the option of choosing a number of real life clans with a select range of territory they must defend from rivals. The end goal is to conquer Japan by taking other provinces and securing Kyoto, the Japanese seat of power.

The building and battle mechanics are not only separate in terms of gameplay, but also segregated entirely.

One half of the game is managing your territories on a world-map. With your view situated high above, the islands are rendered with realistic topography of mountains and forests. Provinces are color-coded according clan, each with a single city. At these cities you must form an army, manage the morale and economy of your clan, and defend it from attacks. The structures you choose to build in each city determine what units are available. Archery ranges yield better marksmen, while stables allow more adept cavalry. There are also special buildings that open up the ability to develop agents like ninja, priests, and secret police that can influence and help you take rival provinces. The building mechanics are so complex and fully developed, that you can play and complete the entire game without entering a real battle.

Shogun 2.2

Another side of the world-map gameplay is managing the politics of your clan. Whether it is the religion you impose upon your people or your actions after attacking a city, the decisions you make affect how other clans see you and the probability of successful actions in diplomacy. It is all based on honor, the founding principle of bushido, and your actions determine how much you have. This could mean accepting volunteer leaders that ask to serve or using ninja to further your ambitions. There is also the option to engage with other clans in negotiations. You can organize trade routes, ask for payments, or make weaker clans vassals to get ahead. Like everything else, it affects your standing in the world, but the most efficient way to get exactly what you want is the other half of Total War games: the battle mechanics.

The typical RTS set-up for battles is a bird’s-eye view of the map. Total War is a series that not only puts you in the middle of the battle, but also gives you a full view from an asymmetrical perspective that you can change between high above to an up close and personal. From there you can command your units in the same way you do in all RTSs, organizing them into elaborate formations that play a very big part in the strategy of gameplay.

Like the building mechanics, detail is essential to what makes the battles standout. Imagine a scene from a movie, with an army of hundreds of actors in costume, and you can command them like a real general. The units in Shogun 2 consist of 80 to 100 individual soldiers, each with culture specific attire and weapons. The game’s scale is massive, but when you look closer, every piece of armor is rife with detail in the placement of the pieces and the stitching between the plates. There are many different variations of soldiers with distinct looks dependent on both clan and type of unit. They even have special animations where when two armies fight each other, the soldiers will have separate battles within the larger battle. These animations are modeled after real-life kendo techniques thanks to motion capture.

Shogun 2.3

While historically inaccurate, Shogun 2: Total War is a great experience for any fan of Japan and samurai culture. It gives you the ability to influence how you take control of the country and how you fight the many battles that lie ahead. Its wealth of detail and unique battle mechanics set it apart from many RTSs. If you are a fan, look no further than the natural evolution of what has become the future of the genre.

_______

CT McMillan 1

C.T. McMillan (Episode 169) is a film critic and devout gamer.  He has a Bachelors for Creative Writing in Entertainment from Full Sail University.

Episode 185: Teege Braune!

26 Saturday Dec 2015

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Episode 185 of The Drunken Odyssey, your favorite podcast about creative writing and literature is available on iTunes, or right click here to download.

In this week’s episode, I interview Teege Braune,

Teege at Grand Floridian

who reads short story, “Top Takes a Top,” which just appeared in Bridge Eight.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

Bridge Eight 3Ethiopiques Vol 4

15 Views of Orlando 115 views 2UlyssesNOTES

Scott McCloud and Cory Doctorow: A Conversation is now available on TDO’s youtube channel.


Episode 185 of The Drunken Odyssey, your favorite podcast about creative writing and literature is available on iTunes, or right click here to download.

The Curator of Schlock #116: The Poseidon Adventure

25 Friday Dec 2015

Posted by thedrunkenodyssey in Film, The Curator of Schlock

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The Curator of Schlock #116 by Jeff Shuster

The Poseidon Adventure

(Movies are always better with Adventure in the title. Hmmmm. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Adventure)

Merry Christmas everyone! If it’s Christmas Day and you’re reading this blog, go spend some time with your family. If you haven’t got a family, go and see Star Wars: The Force Awakens. You might actually be able to get a seat! No, I haven’t seen it yet! Feel free to spoil it for me in the comments below! So Chewbacca was really Han Solo’s father?

Movies existed before Star Wars. In fact, this week’s exhibit is a New Year’s treat from 1972: The Poseidon Adventure. Contemplate it.

The Poseidon Adventure was directed by Ronald Neame and produced by Irwin Allen, the director of The Swarm. We don’t get killer bees, but we do get a killer ship and an all-star cast: Gene Hackmen, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Carol Lynley, Roddy McDowall, Stella Stevens, Shelly Winters, Jack Albertson, Pamela Sue Martin, Arthur O’Connell, Eric Shea, and Leslie Nielsen. Or so the poster tells us so. By the way, great poster! Hell, upside down. I’ll pay to see that.

Adventure1

I’ve been meaning to review this for the past couple of New Year’s blogs, but couldn’t manage to do it. There’s such a huge cast of characters in this movie that I can’t possibly do them justice in 500 words, and I’m wasting words by just explaining to you the reader that I don’t have enough words to do the film justice. Uh.

I guess I should just pick some random characters and tell you about them. Well, Leslie Nielsen plays the ship’s captain, Captain Harrison. He tells some corporate big wig that owns the S.S. Poseidon that the ship isn’t weighed down enough and that he needs more ballas…ballaste…billeste? Whatever?

Adventure3

The corporate guy tells him full steam ahead anyway, despite Captain Harrison’s protestations that it will endanger the lives of his passengers. Anyway, a gigantic wave hits the ship, flipping it upside down. It would have been great if they had played the Police Squad theme when this happened.

Adventure4

Meanwhile, the rest of our cast was celebrating New Year’s Eve up in the ballroom. You have Gene Hackman playing Reverend Frank Scott, a radical preacher who believes only the strong should survive. Ernest Borgnine plays Detective Lieutenant Mike Rogo, which is a nice change of pace from the Satanic cult leaders he typically plays. He’s married to Linda Rogo (Stella Stevens), a former prostitute. Jack Albertson and Shelly Winters play Mr. and Mrs. Rosen, a nice retired couple excited to visit their grandson in Israel for the first time. Red Buttons plays James Martin, a lonely haberdasher with a propensity for pill popping. Oh, and there’s an obnoxious little boy (Eric Shea) who keeps spouting out useful facts about the ship and telling his sister to “Shove it! Shove it! Shove it!”

Adventure2

I have to say, I wonder why people pick on horror movies like Saw and Hostel, but will flock to see disaster movies.  Both kinds of movies feature characters dying in horrible and humiliating ways. I guess it’s okay if Mother Nature is the serial killer. When the S.S. Poseidon flips over, we see all manner of horrible deaths. One guy gets his pelvis crushed by a sliding piano. Another clings to a fixed table to the floor that has now become the ceiling. When he loses his grip, he crashes down into a huge overhead lamp, most likely getting electrocuted to death. I wonder how this movie managed to get an R rating. Oh wait. It got a PG. It was the 70s after all.

Happy New Year everyone!

Five Things I learned from The Poseidon Adventure

  1. Don’t become a haberdasher. It wreaks havoc on your love life.
  2. Christmas Trees make excellent ladders.
  3. Don’t stay with the ship’s purser. You will die!
  4. Don’t be Roddy McDowell in a disaster movie. You will die!
  5.  Don’t make Ernest Borgnine angry. You wouldn’t like it when he’s angry.

_______

Jeffrey Shuster 3Jeffrey Shuster (episode 47, episode 102, episode 124, and episode 131) is an MFA candidate at the University of Central Florida.

21st Century Brontë #3: The Money Problem

24 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by thedrunkenodyssey in 21st Century Bronte

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21st Century Brontë #3 by Brontë Bettencourt

The Money Problem

I work a standard, grown-up 9-5 job, with an hour off for lunch. Management trusts me and my fellow workers to get our time-sensitive work done efficiently and accurately. There aren’t cameras monitoring us, nor a mechanized system with which we clock in and out every day.

I work for an unemployment office. There’s room to grow and improve, and if I want to, I could eventually become a hearing representative–to represent our clients at the assigned hearings. Or I could be an account executive.

My current responsibilities, you ask? I schedule hearings, send out mail, and coordinate information between the representative and the client. It’s pretty chill.

If one wanted to, one could make a satisfying career out of this totally relevant and reasonable job.

But then why does Daria Morgendorffer’s words resonate with me still?

Daria MEME

From 1997-2001 on Mtv, the high schooler Daria responded to others and her environment with biting, deadpan sarcasm, critiquing the disappointing social constructs that ruled her world.

I didn’t really think about this quotation myself until after college.

Was there a point to attend college, accumulate over $30,000 in student debt, only to secure a job that doesn’t much utilize any of the skills I’ve learned? All the extracurricular activity, including running the English Honor Society and the Anime and Japanese Culture Club, and all my study and writing and examinations have resulted in a standard, 40-hour work week.

I had been told that classes, internships, and extracurricular are all stepping stones to careers in our field.

In a good story, the struggle leads to a meaningful climax, a resolution based on the particular, individual character of the hero. If I stay in this job and advance the ladder of achievement here, will I have made it by the standards of my family and friends? By my own standards?

If you’ve ever played The Sims, the game where you create characters and their surrounding environment, you’d be familiar with their goals. Aside from making sure that their basic human needs meters are filled, there are then wants and fears that each Sim has. These can consist of small hopes such as calling another Sim or buying a new television, and you earn different amounts of points depending on the emotional weight of that need being met. But each Sim has an overall major goal of their life. Do they want to raise 5 children? Be at the top of their career track? Sleep with 10 other Sims? If you can complete their major life goal, the meter that fills with Sims Points will turn stark white and freeze for the remainder of their life.

They are permanently happy. You have done it! They can pass on from their animated Sim life totally content.

Or not.

Maybe happiness is in the wanting, in the striving, in the questioning.

Writers are notorious for being unemployed, or struggling to find work to pay their bills. There is something deeply ironic that my job is about the determinations made about who will or will not receive unemployment benefits. By all rights, I should be a client more than an employee here.

For many writers, teaching pays the bills. Or almost pays the bills, the academic workplace relying more and more on poorly paid adjunct and lecturer positions. For me to go broke being a teacher, I would need to take out more loans to get an MFA, and then a PhD, in order to hope for teaching work.

Maybe this unemployment job is the perfect job for a writer. Maybe I can learn a lot here, and pay my bills, and find that elusive balance between writing and the rest of the necessities of life. Or maybe find happiness in the wanting, in the striving, in the questioning.

 

_______

21st Cen Bronté

Brontë Bettencourt (Episode 34) graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelors in English Creative Writing. When she’s not writing or working, she is a full time Dungeon Master and Youtube connoisseur.

McMillan’s Codex #18: Metal Gear Rising: Revengence

23 Wednesday Dec 2015

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McMillan’s Codex #18 By C.T. McMillan

Metal Gear Rising: Revengence

It is a common mistake for games to be realistic, developers often forgetting how much freedom they truly have. That is why there are so many shooters like Call of Duty and other titles with visuals and narratives set in a realm of reality. The fun factor of games is how they pull you in with fantastical settings and gameplay that lets you do things you otherwise cannot. Metal Gear is realistic, except for the addition of giant robots, a female sniper who fights in a bikini, and an acrobat who thinks he is a vampire. The basic trappings of sci-fi mixed with military elements make it an interesting and enjoyable experience. Though its canonical place is debatable, Metal Gear Rising: Revengence (MGR) is still Metal Gear with the fun turned all the way up.

MGR1

The character action genre is one defined by just that: action. Devil May Cry and Bayonetta are the most prominent examples, where the characters are very good at what they do and love doing it with a sense of style, another defining aspect. In fact, character action has more in common with fighting games, combo-oriented in gameplay that requires consideration to what is going on in order to succeed. Above all, the genre is characterized by pure insanity.

Devil May Cry, the progenitor of character action, featured the main character Dante, who carried a giant sword, and killed demonic jester puppets. He can jump 20 feet and perform a variety of moves at the same time, including one called Million Stab. Dante also uses twin pistols called Ebony and Ivory with infinite ammo that can juggle enemies mid air. My descriptions do not come close to how nuts it really gets and each game to follow in its footsteps has made a consistent effort to up the ante. At the same time, the crazy works in tandem with the gameplay and MGR is a perfect fusion.

The basis of the game’s out-there feel is the character Raiden, a cyborg ninja and Metal Gear’s most fan-reviled protagonist. Taking place after Metal Gear Solid 4, he works for a private military cooperation, and embarks on a quest for revenge after a job goes south. Raiden is an especially adept swordsman, so much so he can cut large objects into many pieces with a single slash. His speed and agility complement his skills with quick dodges and swipes that can dismember anything within the blink of an eye, while accompanied by an appropriately ridiculous Japanese metal soundtrack.

In gameplay, you can do all of that with simple two-buttons combinations. There are about 20 standard moves right from the start and over 30 after buying new combos and acquiring special weapons. The moves would be impossible to perform realistically if Raiden was not a cyborg as he flips and spins with an electrically charged blade. You also have the ability to slow down time and enter Blade Mode, where you can pick your slashes and cut enemies in as many times and ways as the time limit allows. When an enemy is bisected, they expose glowing spinal cords that can be extracted and consumed to recharge Raiden’s Blade Mode meter.

MGR2

One of the best additions to the standard sword fighting gameplay is the masterful parry system. When a flashing indicator warns you to a coming attack, all you have to do is press the attack button, and Raiden will automatically block, staggering the enemy for you can counter. It puts you right in the middle of combat with a satisfying transition as you hack and slash between fountains blood. At a fast pace the game does not feel disorienting or hard to follow. With the aid of on-screen queues, MGR is easy to keep up with and play at an even trot.

The insane combat and Kurosawa-on-steroids gore would not be without the other elements to enhance the fun factor. Taking a huge helping of madness from its parent series, MGR is as much a Metal Gear game as its own title. The very first boss you fight is a Ray unit and Gekkos pop up in many levels thereafter. Every standard enemy is a cyborg with mechanical implants and military gear and some times winged jetpacks. Boss characters with nature themed names have eccentric personalities that talk about philosophy between trying kill you with their own personalized melee weapons. One of them, whose true allegiance is ambiguous and favored by many fans, is a Brazilian samurai in power armor called Jetstream Sam. And the final boss is a US Senator enhanced with nano-machines that also knows sumo-wrestling techniques.

The story is very heavy with commentary on the nature of being a soldier. All Metal Gear games talk about the idea that regardless of whatever nation or ideology you fight for, you are still killing people. MGR takes that idea and spins it on its head by making a firm stance that we, the players, enjoy the killing and want more. And because the game is so much fun to play, it absolutely proves itself right. It is kind of cheap ploy, yet it is still clever because it speaks to games in general. The reason we play is to escape, to do things we are not allowed to or cannot do in the real world, including murder, transcending MGR’s humble character action trappings.

 MGR3

Metal Gear Rising: Revengence is an interesting offshoot from Metal Gear that is fantastic enough to stand-alone. The way it plays and the utter satisfaction of its fast pace and expertly crafted mechanics warrants purchase. Learning the game is simple and success in playing is a gratifying feeling. Fans and newcomers alike will find much to enjoy.

_______

CT McMillan 1

C.T. McMillan (Episode 169) is a film critic and devout gamer.  He has a Bachelors for Creative Writing in Entertainment from Full Sail University.

Buzzed Books #35: Audio Guide to Walt Disney World (Tomorrowland)

22 Tuesday Dec 2015

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Buzzed Books #35 by John King

Lou Mongello’s Audio Guide to Walt Disney World (Tomorrowland)

Here in Orlando, I am the literati’s sherpa for all things Disney, including visits to the 4 theme parks in my hometown. Sometimes, these friends come to me uncertainly, reluctant to face what their capitulation to this corporate mecca means about their roles as culturally sophisticated people. And do I help them?

Yes, indeed.

John at WDW

The Disney thing is something I grew up with, and spending my childhood in Florida, the theme parks seemed like vivid manifestations of cartoonish imagination, a sublime landscape to create by. The Walt Disney World property was weird and huge and full of Florida. It’s twice the size of Manhattan.

Unlike many of my childish indulgences, Disney survived nostalgia, and grew more impressive through my adult perspective. Few horror movies have anything on Pinocchio. The Three Caballeros is exquisitely trippy filmmaking. Donald Duck’s rages (and the real-life frustrations that so very often cause them) seem more dramatically valid than most dramatic films. During my five years of Indiana while working on my doctorate, I missed Florida, this epicenter of so much Disney activity.

My re-connection to Walt Disney World was Proustian, and the place had changed enough for me to be obsessed with the changes that had occurred.

While I was earning my PhD, the powers that be at WDW decided to close down the greatest ride in the history of human civilization, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

mr toads wild ride

In that attraction, you would drive around in an early model car terrorizing the village until you crash into a train’s headlight and arrive in Hell where various imps giggled at you.

Some executives closed it. A Winnie-the-Pooh ride with an exit-through-the-gift-shop replaced my wild ride.

crimeSo the history of Walt Disney World place started to sink its hooks into me, and there grew a significant number of people in the Disney fan community who were writing about this history in legitimate ways. Walt Disney didn’t shake dust off Tinkerbell to make all Walt Disney World happen. Thousands of engineers and artists made this happen. And the Disney community started paying much more attention to the people who created behind the scenes.

I know a great deal about Walt Disney World, and I am many people’s idea of an expert, but Lou Mongello knows a lot more than I do about this subject, and some part of what I know I learned from Lou.

Now if you are a casual visitor to Walt Disney World and somehow still reading all this, you should own Lou Mongello’s 102 Ways to Save Money at Walt Disney World. His sound advice can mean the difference between having a good, memorable family vacation and undergoing a tormented existential experience to be recounted later to a therapist.

102 Ways

If you are a diehard Disney World fan, however, and want to explore Disney history, then his audioguides, including his latest entry for Tomorrowland, are wonderful additions to your iTunes library.

Tomorrowland-Audio-Guide-Front

These audiobooks are testaments to Lou Mongello’s amazing talent for research and his conceptual understanding of the art of imagineering–that is, the work performed by the group of writers, artists, engineers, technicians, and too many other job titles for me to mention who create not only the rides and other attractions at these theme parks, but everything that is visible to the public. One of the reasons that people like me keep going back is the mind-boggling amount of detail that goes into the stories the rides and landscapes are literally telling stories, if one knows how to look. Lou Mongello is an ideal docent, one who is available for personal tours, but he sounds abundantly personal in these guides.

Yes, I have listened to some of his audio guides while at the parks. With my earbuds in, I can’t really hear the squalling tantrums around me, and it really does make me slow down and enjoy the parks in a different way. These audio guides can also make for some happy, surreal listening in the harrowing journey on I-4.

The Tomorrowland installment marks the completion of the audio guides to the Magic Kingdom, a project that has taken him many years. (I wonder if he will move on to EPCOT next, or if he will revisit Fantasyland to include its recent expansion.) In about 80 minutes, Lou explains the history of every attraction, shop, and restaurant that has appeared in that area over the last 43 years. These histories are presented with ambient music and sounds from these areas, and with his years of podcasting experience, Lou’s sound engineering of all these elements is masterful.

In this audioguide, he covers the sparse weirdness of the early days of the park, when the attraction Flight to the Moon failed to be futuristic because NASA had already made successful trips to the moon. Lou covers the behind-the-scenes decisions to make the attraction Alien Encounter an adult-level scary experience. He covers the narrative that Tomorrowland would tell when it was transformed in 1994 into a retro-futuristic theme inspired by Jules Verne and H. G. Wells. He covers the only time Mel Blanc performed a voice for Walt Disney.

This and the other guides are not for the casual Disney fan, but for those who are Disneyphiles, these audio tracks are refreshing ways into appreciating the history of these theme parks, understanding the artists who created them, and sharpening your sense of your own memory of the past.

_______

1flip

John King (Episode, well, all of them) holds a PhD in English from Purdue University, and an MFA from New York University.

On Top of It #10: Holiday Market

21 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by thedrunkenodyssey in Blog Post, On Top of It

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On Top of It #10 by Lisa Martens

Holiday Market

Last year, I sold jewelry at the holiday market in Columbus Circle. This involved standing in the freezing rain with a heater at my feet. My hands and head cold. The soles of my shoes melting. Inching forward and back to wrap necklaces with a bow. Trying to convince people not to place custom orders.

I pretended to know about birthstones and their healing properties, but I can barely tell topaz from an emerald. I don’t actually know the difference between gold-plated and gold-filled chains. But I could fake it, especially for commission.

At the holiday markets, the best bosses give their employees heaters and occasional breaks. Shifts overlap so you can eat snacks instead of just watching everyone with their hot cocoa. The people behind the counters are usually students, the business owners themselves, or people who are not U.S. citizens. They work the longest hours for not a whole lot of pay, and sometimes ask to sit by the heaters of their more fortunate neighbors. If you work the holiday market and need to go to the restroom, just don’t. You could go to the Whole Foods across the street, but then you would need someone to watch your tent while you’re gone. You can lose sales. You can get robbed.

So just don’t go to the bathroom. For ten hours.

The market is magical for tourists and locals, who walk around and get to feel like they’re supporting local businesses, like they’re getting a genuine New York experience. But their incessant demands for customized pieces drain most of the profit. No one walks into a clothing chain or a bookstore and expects the clothes or books to be customized at no additional cost . . . but people visiting holiday markets do. They want this chain with that charm with that animal instead of this animal . . . they want personalized service from this person standing in the cold, not realizing (or not caring) that, hourly, this “local business owner” is making $5 or less an hour off this sale.

So please, as the holiday season enters panic mode, be nice to the retail workers. If you have a lot of gifts, buy some paper and wrap them yourself instead of making someone else do it. We don’t do it better than you, so please don’t make that joke as an excuse. If the shop is busy, tip us for giving you customized service. If you don’t want to tip, then don’t ask for anything special. Do not bicker with guests who are ahead of you in line because you only want to buy one thing and they have an armful of presents. Do not argue with the line—you are not more important than anyone else. My melted shoes and burnt toes agree.

_______

Lisa Martens

Lisa Martens (Episode 22) currently lives in Harlem. In her past 10 years in New York, she has lived in a garage on Long Island, a living room in Hell’s Kitchen, the architecture building of CCNY, and on the couch of a startup. She grew up in New York, Costa Rica and Texas, and she’s still not sure which of these is home. She completed her MFA in Creative Writing from CCNY. Her thesis, What Grows in Heavy Rain, is available on Amazon. Check out her website here. Follow her on Instagram here.

The Rogue’s Guide to Shakespeare on Film #13: A Midwinter’s Tale

20 Sunday Dec 2015

Posted by thedrunkenodyssey in Film, Shakespeare, The Rogue's Guide to Shakespeare on Film

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

A Midwinter's Tale, Kenneth Branagh, Michael Maloney, Richard Briars

Rogues Guide to Shakes on Film 3

#13: A Midwinter’s Tale (1996)

If Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet is a luxury train under the blithe control of an engineer who’s uninterested in whether his cargo stays on board while shooting through an icy landscape, then the engineer of A Midwinter’s Tale cares not only about his passengers, but their baggage as well.

In the Bleak Midwinter

Oh, in England A Midwinter’s Tale (1996) was called In the Bleak Midwinter (1995).

Kenneth Branagh wrote and directed this film about a troubled production of Hamlet just before he filmed his own adaptation of Hamlet, and both films came out in the U.S.A. in 1996, not that both films received the same amount of attention. Few people know about A Midwinter’s Tale. It is one of Branagh’s truly fine works despite his not appearing in front of the camera.

A Midwinters Tale

At 33 years old, Joe Harper (Michael Maloney) is nearing the end of his vital years as an actor without having the ability to find any acting jobs, despite the best efforts of his indulgent shark of an agent Margaretta (Joan Collins). Joe’s sister Molly is trying to raise funds to save an old church in the tiny village of Hope, Darbyshire. His solution to both problems is to mount a production of Hamlet in the church on Christmas Eve, with him as director and, obviously, also playing the lead role. The cast and crew are comprised of people even more desperate and dysfunctional than he is.

A Midwinters Tale 5

As I said in #12, this is Branagh’s good Hamlet. It would be another eleven years before Branagh would direct another worthy Shakespeare film (As You Like It, 2006).

A Midwinter’s Tale is just over an hour and a half. It’s shot in black-and-white, which makes it not resemble Love, Actually at all.

A Midwinters Tale

The ensemble cast is a marvel. Richard Briars, who has played in all of Branagh’s Shakespeare films, plays a veteran actor who bullies his way into this wayward production because he yearns to perform in Shakespeare just once. He is rather surprised in the read-through at the start of rehearsals to discover that Gertrude will be played by a man in drag. Julia Sawalha (who played Fiona in Ab Fab) plays Nina, who will be a nearsighted Ophelia whose emotions run high. Michael Maloney (who would go on to portray Lartes in Branagh’s Hamlet) is a wonder, and reminds us that gifted actors are ignored every day.

A Midwinters Tale 1

There’s a light, old-timey nightclub song called “Why Must the Show Go On?” that is heard twice in the film.

Branagh’s actual film of Hamlet doesn’t seem to have the answer, or to have even asked the question, or perhaps he answered the question to well with A Midwinter’s Tale.

A Midwinters Tale 4

In this modest comedy, a variety of British actors play actors playing in Hamlet, and Branagh’s writing is so deft here. There is obtuse slapstick mixed with speedy, dry wit, and the story manages some dramatic, emotional moments about life’s great disappointments from people who understand their disappointment and are trying, urgently, to transcend it. In this meta-context, Hamlet is a tragedy that these actors can tap into, and the connections are surprising. By contrast, Branagh’s Hamlet is affected, too composed, too in love with its own decoration.

A Midwinter’s Tale is a wonderful Christmas film, and happens to be my 3rd-favorite favorite Hamlet of all time (after the Zeffirelli and Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead).

_______

1flip

John King (Episode, well, all of them) holds a PhD in English from Purdue University, and an MFA from New York University. He has reviewed performances for Shakespeare Bulletin.

Episode 184: Cory Doctorow and Amy Hempel!

19 Saturday Dec 2015

Posted by thedrunkenodyssey in Episode

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

A.J. Rich, Amy Hempel, Cory Doctorow, IRL: In Real Life, Jill Ciment, Miami Book Fair International, Shawn McKee, The Hand That Feeds You

Episode 184 of The Drunken Odyssey, your favorite podcast about creative writing and literature is available on iTunes, or right click here to download.

In this week’s episode, I interview Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow

and Amy Hempel,

Amy Hempel

plus Shawn McKee reads his personal essay, “A Confession.”

Shawn McKee

TEXTS DISCUSSED

In Real LifeDown and Out in the Magic Kingdomdoctorow_jacket_press_draft8The Hand That Feeds YouAmy Hempel Collected Stories

NOTES


 

Episode 184 of The Drunken Odyssey, your favorite podcast about creative writing and literature is available on iTunes, or right click here to download.

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