A Rich Bunnell solo joint.
47 Words concludes its ode to Mega Man. The party line is that his creator, Dr. Light, was a paladin whose works were stolen and corrupted by the nefarious Dr. Wily, but the facts hint at a deeper madness.
Six capsule reviews - 47 words in length. No more, no less.
Movies we haven't seen • Books we haven't read • Music we haven't heard
In August of 2001, I went on vacation with my parents to Hawaii. For some reason, my parents’ itinerary focused mostly on towns and shops, rather than taking in God’s green-blue earth, and since most Hawaiian towns seem to consist of the same six stores repeated ad nauseam, I was a bit bored. So, I ended up spending the trip reclining on hotel balconies, eating Goldfish crackers and reading.
I finished four books over the course of the vacation, and their character gives some indication of what a moody bitch I was that week: American Psycho, The Monk by Matthew Lewis (one of the original Gothic novels), Notes from the Underground, and Chuck Palahniuk’s Choke. Basically, I was being a little dick, and I was proud of it.
Six capsule reviews - 47 words in length. No more, no less.
A Rich Bunnell solo joint.
47 Words continues a weeklong celebration of all things Blue Bomber with an examination of some of the greatest music penned by human minds.
Media travelogues, reporting in every two weeks.
What is a B-Side? Originally, on vinyl, the b-side was just the second side of an album. Quite simply, a record producer would sift through an artist’s songs and decide which ones were worthy to be pressed on the A-Side – placing them on the fast-track to radio and living rooms across America – and which would endure the fate of becoming a B-Side. For the latter, an eternity condemned to obscurity and stale stoner rooms was pretty much guaranteed. That is until the freaks and stoners crawled out from under their parents’ basements and dominated the dialogue on what’s “cool.” Now, B-Sides have become the icing, or maybe even the cream filling.
It seems that an artist can only put out B-Sides if they have already contributed a magnum opus. Not only that, but the B-Sides somehow welcome a greater intimacy between the fan and the artist(s), as if by owning the B-Sides you know the band or singer better than those chumps who never scoured the record isles. Basically, you’re not a real fan until you have the B-Sides. Well then, today I am a real fan because I have no way of describing Acme Novelty Library, Issue No. 7: The Big Book of Jokes other than Chris Ware’s B-Sides.
Help save our world from imminent disaster!
A very special installment of Crisis on Indefinite Earths this week. Rather than an impending disaster, instead we take a look at a crisis averted.
With comic books swiftly executing a complete coup d’etat of popular culture, I’ve long been seeking out comics of every stripe to see the myriad approaches to the still-evolving medium. From the wide range of American comics — superhero, indie, underground — to the many vibrant comic cultures around the world — Japan, France, Belgium — I’ve tried to sample from each, at the very least. And while my list of favorite titles seems to be ever expanding, one series has stayed king of the hill the entire while: Garth Ennis’ Preacher.
A long, winding journey of an American preacher traveling the country in search for an awol God, the series blends a grotesque vision of Americana, a deranged sense of humor, and a refreshingly clearheaded sense of morality. And, of course, let’s not forget the vampire, the superpowers, and the copious bestiality with small animals. In other words, it’d be perfect for an adaptation by HBO, which is exactly what was in the works. Until it was canceled.
Six capsule reviews - 47 words in length. No more, no less.
Roll call: James Boo, Rich Bunnell, Jennifer Carman, Josh Leichtung, Jake Mix.
47 Words honors those who understand that being a number doesn’t necessarily make you not a human being. Unless you’re actually not one.
Movies we haven't seen • Books we haven't read • Music we haven't heard
Like anyone trapped in a state of suspended adolescence, I’ve made a name for myself in realms as far-flung as Zebes, Castlevania, Floating Island, and the Mushroom Kingdom. I’ve pillaged Bowser’s fiery keep more times than I can count — though, granted, it helps that he always leaves an ax standing behind his rickety suspension bridge. But through it all, I’ve never been able to shake the feeling that I’m not actually a fan of video games. I’m a fan of Mega Man.
Media travelogues, reporting in every two weeks.
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Female Trouble was John Waters’ follow-up film to Pink Flamingos, and he employs largely the same cast in similar roles. What differentiates the two films are their focus: Pink Flamingos is clearly about the lows of society and the limitations of cinema and decency, whereas Female Trouble is a feminist film, crassly defending the struggle of women through over-the-top scenarios. It’s comical, but the notion is out there that views of women are somewhat tainted by societal norms rather than the content of women’s character.
Six capsule reviews - 47 words in length. No more, no less.
Roll call: Rich Bunnell, Marco Corona, Josh Leichtung, Jake Mix.
47 Words pays tribute to individuals willing to break the constraints of traditional nomenclature, spicing up their names with letters and acronyms.
Media travelogues, reporting in every two weeks.
This Week: Metal Gear Solid 4, on first blush, turns out to be … actually good!
Ladies and gentlemen, sing it from the rooftops! After emerging from the vision quest mire of Sons of Liberty and Snake Eater, those monuments to design indulgence, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot is not only fun, but suprisingly so. Perhaps it has the advantage with the ornate punishment of the previous games so fresh in my mind, but this latest endeavor is refreshingly clean in comparison.
The big game of the year thus far along with Grand Theft Auto IV, Guns of the Patriot was released to massive buzz and, as is sadly to be expected of high profile releases, critical acclaim. Sons of Liberty also was lauded, with a Metacritic score of 96, and not until later did it rightly come to be regarded as the steaming pile of shit that it actually is. So, despite the initial rush of dopamine that Guns of the Patriot offers right off the bat, the true cut of its jib remains to be seen.