RavishingRickRudo

PICS FROM THE SET!!! WHOOO HOOO~~! THE FILLION ROCKUS~! http://www.serenitymovie.com/blog/index.php

This company pisses me off. Benoit works hard -DAMN HARD- to earn his chance to fight HHH at the PPV and they don't even bother to bring up how lucky he is to get a shot at the champ.

Under this scenario (well, at least the one "Make a Charitable Donation" has morphed into), are we to assume the sick get magically better? Because there is no way in hell an AIDS cure is making its way to Africa. There's too much profit to be made elsewhere.

I was going to say Wood = Desk. but stake works too. Mr. Trick? Book? C'mon ppl! Open your eyes! Forrest always was going through the woods.

Well, isn't that... Special. I don't think I have to explain anything more! *after stuff happens* Connor: Well, something -or someone- is watching us. *creepy music starts to play* Kent: Yes, I have that feeling too. *creepy music builds* *camera looks around the abandoned warehouse* Eliana: Is it bad? *footsteps are heard* *camera shows feet in wingtips walking down stairs into the open part of the warehouse* *camera moves up to show Ethan Rayne* *music peaks* Rayne: Bad? Little girl, bad left a long time ago. Now you've got hell raining down and there's no shelter from what's coming... (smug) Oh, hello Kent... *Typically, the show quicks to black in these instances... not here* Kent: Um... Do I know you? *Ethan looks dejected* Rayne: Oh come on! *quick to black*

*I* think Ron Glass should play a shopkeeper who runs his store inspite of the apocalypse. I have said this already, BUT, I *also* think this shopkeeper (named "the shopkeeper") should also be a Powers that Be who also was Jasmines father. So you get the Connor-the-physical-father and the Shopkeeper-metaphysical-father element that is so hip nowadays.

However, another-side to the "non-fan" is that they probably don't take wrestling seriously. So that means they'll overlook some things because "it's wrestling, not rocket science". There are some important patterns that arise in wrestling that one would need to know in that position, as-well-as cliches and "time-tested" (cough) formulas. How product knowledge in _any_ job isn't important is beyond me.

Topic: "Joss Whedon has a habit of making black male characters' names literal" Evidence: Charles Gunn - he uses guns. Discuss.

Ooooh oooh oooh!!! <-----

So I finally popped my convention cherry today. Boo me. I went to TorontoTrek to check out the Firefly panel discussion. Now that I went, I wish I had taken the bus and had a full day membership cause I could have went to "Wrestling: Can HHH be stopped?", "CSI: Yellowknife", "Angel: Life of the Party", "Buffy: The Dark Side" and, of course, "Slash vs. Erotica vs. Porn". Plus I could have seen Stephanie Romanov (LILAH~!). But I only went to see the Firefly stuff which lasted from 4-5 and cost me 10 bucks but nothing on parking - which made me paranoid to the notion of getting towed far, far, away from home. LOTC didn't join me so there is no RudoCurry Industries present... thing cause he's too fucking cool to be there, or something. He says it's "work" but WTFever. Anywhoodle, I was really surprised with how many people were there. The room was almost packed so there were probably 50+ folks there. Ages ranged from 4 to 50 with the average age somewhere around 30. It went pretty-much like I expected, though I would have preferred it to be a lil more intimate. The "panel" didn't really have a lot of discussion between each other, it was more like "Panel says something, audience says something", etc. It would have been great to have gone 2 hours because 1 didn't even crack the surface. Lots of Geeking which I am SOOOOOO not used to outside the internet. The host knew her stuff and it actually kind of scared me. There was a klingon in the audience which was like the greatest thing ever. Nothing really notable happened but I enjoyed it enough to go back some other time.

Even bowling balls?

And you know what that means... *penguin noises*

Au Revoir is the name of the La Rez finisher. I think the Quebec City Crusher would be better. Or maybe the Shawinigan Slam. Or the Remouski Retractor. Or the Gaspe Grinder. Or maybe it could be "Ah Zut!" with JR saying AAAAAAAh zUTuh! every time they hit it. And then the crowd could play along and they'd be the new DX.

So Kent is a Power that Be, right?

No, because I followed my "one liner" up with an on-topic post. Had you given me _anything_ to respond to, then I could have said more. But you didn't explain yourself up until your follow-up post, so I responded in-kind. If you think hard enough, Mordecai has something to offer. But what has he done so far? Has he made _any_ impact on Smackdown television? Has any other characters reacted and responded to him in a way that portrays their character and his? He is just _there_. They're too afraid to go over-the-top with him, and too stupid not to realize that dumbing-it-down kills the character. This is a HUGE fundamental problem for the WWE and has been so for a long, long time. They're afraid to go balls-out and it seems so half-hearted. Brock Lesnar was successful because they went full-steam ahead with his push and didn't back down when the crowds got silent. They had an objective, they focused on it, and they went all the way with it. If they put that consistent effort into everything they do, they'd be much better off. Of course, Brock had more assets than Fertig does, and could pay-off a lot more. I don't know if the fault should be put on Fertig or the WWE. Someone like Mordecai, who is supposed to be Supernatural-esque, should be doing things to enforce that aura. Feeding him cruiserweights doesn't do that. However, when Brock first entered the WWE what he did to Spike was really fucking impressive - even if Spike was a lil guy. Then again, they gave Brock free-reign to impress. I dunno if they are holding Fertig back or if he's just incapable of providing anything "cool". It might be a lil bit of both. One thing I do know is that they weren't fully prepared to go where this gimmick needed it to go for it to be successful - and that is in _every_ regard - from the wrestler to the character to the feuds and storylines. Again, something like this needs a lot of effort put in to it, you can't just plant the seeds and expect it to grow without sunlight and water. If they're sending him back to OVW, they should make sure the plan to bring-him-back is in perfect order and that he's able to fully accomodate the gimmick with his physical and verbal skills. Which brings me back to the WWE being "the big time" and how they need to reevaluate their developmental system.

Honestly, I'm more thankful for them giving him his own DVD than the big gold belt. However, I am _very_ thankful for the DVD, so that means something.

Not really, I was commenting on a bogus claim. Mordecai obviously has some degree of charisma, his promo work IS solid, and his ring work is passable. He's not an upper carder so he doesn't need to be anything more at the moment. He's going through a very difficult career shift from the minors to the majors and it WILL take time to adapt. But it's silly to say he has NO Pro's. Now, had you said that before instead of your one-liner, you'd have something to your claim. I mean, I completely disagree and see very little value in the guy, but at least you're explaining your POV. Personally, I think the WWE shouldn't be getting away with "passable", and the only "improvement" I should be seeing in their wrestlers is from "very good" to "great" to "legendary". They should be going from "passable" to "good" to "very good" in OVW, dark matches, and house shows. National Television is the big time, the WWE should act like it. The Mordecai promo from Smackdown in Toronto was bland and boring. I don't like his delivery and I think he physically looks silly. I don't mind the theatrics or the character, but there's nothing _there_. I like some of my wrestling over-the-top, but the WWE never takes it deep enough in terms of motivation, characterization, etc. for me to care. When it comes to Mordecai, they're looking for a comic-book style villain and he isn't even close to it. Wrestling-wise, I am really starting to hate the "WWE style" and see nothing interesting in Mordecai to change that. As for charisma, I don't see it. But then again, I don't have a lot of source material to look from since I see _maybe_ 2 minutes of Smackdown each week. I think a lot of people dig gothic gimmicks and are letting that cloud their perception of the guy.

Zsasz, you *do* know that your response puts you in the same right, right? Physically, Kenzo is laughable as "the monster" and so is Cole and Tazz's "selling" of him as such (well, for the one match that I saw of him). Acting as if he is this martial arts machine when he does some of the worst kicks and chops imaginable just hurts their credibility rather than hyping Suzuki as a threat. They really need to re-evaluate their feeder and developmental system, because they've been batting well under .500 when it comes to new talent.

The fans buy Kane though, so it doesn't take a whole lot to "build him up". When Kane and Batista were face-to-face, the crowd reacted favourably. They believed they were going to see a monster-down. Had Kane tore through the entire Battle Royal and then "continued his reign of terror" for a couple of weeks so that Benoit _had to_ stop him, then they could have had something of a meaningful match. But they didn't cause Shawny and Trips want to have their Flair/Steamboat all-time-classic and who cares if they screw-over the champ in the process. HHH about to beat Kane and then Shawn eliminating him is clear-cut evidence of how Benoit is treated as champ. When the #1 contender for the title is cut off at the knees, the title match is. The fact that Kanes storyline with Lita took precidence over his title feud shows where the writing team has their priorities in terms of writing for Benoit. A team which, btw, is headed by Stephanie McMahon.

I think the problems with both wrestlers, character-wise, is their motivation. Mord wants to punish the sinners. Why? Kenz wants to punish the Americans. Why? Because they're bad? Why don't they just do that outside the ring? Why do they have to wrestle to do it? That's the problem with gimmicks, they don't explain why they do what they do. Really, the only gimmick they should have is being a wrestler. Now, say Kevin Fertig was just a plain old rookie who kept getting picked on by other wrestlers. He lost a bunch of matches and he wasn't able to cope with the losses and the taunting. He saw the lifestyle of some of the wrestlers and it made him sick. So, he transforms into Mordecai and he sees his purpose in wrestling is to not only to take out those who wronged him, but to destroy the lifestyle itself. In Spiderman, you see Norman Osborne before becoming The Green Goblin so you can see why he's bad. So you understand him. So you know why to boo him. He isn't just "a bad guy", he's a normal guy who makes the wrong choice and can't turn back. He wanted power, and that was his flaw. For Kenzo, its harder because its based on ethnicity. Again, you could have had him come out as a regular Japanese wrestler who carried his flag proudly, but didn't hate America. He loved America. He came to America because he could make a better living. But the American fans booed him anyways (be it because he sucked in the ring, or they could have planted moments to get the fans to boo him), and he wasn't embraced, so he hates Americans now. The same thing happened to The Rock. His turn was logical. He wasn't just "a bad guy". He was a nice, clean cut, "blue chipper" who the fans turned on. So he turned on them.

If this is true, I hope they give him a reason for leaving rather than just having him disappear (coughMattMorgancough). Do a Taker squash and have Mordecai say "I'm not ready yet, but I will be... and I'm going to bring a friend". So you can bring another big suck out.

Iggy, how did Kane become a "weak challenger"? Think for a second. What was his "#1 contenders match"? How did he win that match? There ya go. I never said HHH had the responsibility to "lobby" for Benjamin, I was responding to the claims that HHH "put Benjamin over". He didn't. If he did, then Benjamin would have been better-off than he was before facing HHH. HHH has a history of meaningless jobs, this is no different. Had HHH lobbied for Benjamin, then he'd deserve praise. He should get a pat on the back for actually _doing something_, not stooging and jobbing that has no effect whatsoever after the match is over. T/F, HHH is more important on RAW than Benoit. "Weak" and "Strong" through wins and losses don't tell the whole story. They don't tell the story at all, really. This past monday Benoit and Kane were fighting "for the chance to face HHH". That was the context. HHH is the sun and everything else gravitates around him. How does that make Benoit look? Benoit lost to HBK, btw. And still hasn't beaten HHH in a singles match.

How did he "put over" Benoit and Benjamin when they are still very-much "under" him? Tapping to Benoit and dropping the strap doesn't make a lick of difference as-long-as Benoit is still essentially in the same position he was before WM 20. It is still the HHH show, so Benoit winning the title did nothing besides altering HHH's wardrobe. Had the show not been focused on HHH so much (which is different than "hey, let's put Benoit on TV for half the show and talk about him for the other half"), then the loss would have been significant. There is a distinct difference between "jobbing" and "putting over", and the difference is the effects it has on the persons career. Benjamin is no better off than he was when he first came to RAW, they did a horrible follow-up and yes you can "blame" that on HHH because if he wanted to put over Benjamin he has enough stroke and in-put to do so. And there is _no_ justification to the HIAC match being (WAY) more important than the Heavyweight Title match. HHH and HBK had _lots_ of time to finish their feud before Benoit had the belt and they could have waited. There was no good reason for the HIAC match to exist in the first place. Benoit has had his run subtly sabotaged since day one, and just because he isn't walking HHH's dog doesn't mean he's not HHH's bitch. By playing second fiddle _while champion_ to HHH, it totally undermines his credibility as champion. He can win all the matches he wants, as long as those matches are meaningless so is he.

An interview with Jewel Staite. Guess which part had me giggling like a schoolboy... and those points are somewhat reasonable. Taking the Bait: Jewel Staite of SERENITY "I can never go to Hawaii enough...Live well to live long, right?" Background: Vancouver native Jewel Staite is a fanboy's fantasy: not only is she cute, but she plays Kaylee, a sci-fi character that can turn a futuristic wrench with the best of them. At twenty-two years old, the young Ms. Staite is ready to leap from the small screen of Fox's badly-treated series FIREFLY into, not only the hearts of men and women everywhere, but SERENITY, a silver screen adaptation of the Joss Whedon-created series that already has a buzz building in fandom. Jewel describes SERENITY as simply, "Wonderful. Exhilarating. Emotional." And, while she is destined for greater heights, Jewel has a down-to-earth appetite, listing cheeseburgers and apple pie among her favorite entrees, and down-to-earth hobbies: watching movies, buying shoes and cooking. Ten Questions with Jewel Staite: 1. Who is Jewel Staite? In ten words: creative, organized, argumentative, charming, sensitive, romantic, blunt, punctual, affectionate, and expressive. 2. So, if your car breaks down - do you get under the hood or call AAA? AAA. I don't want to know what's under the hood. 3. What's something we don't know about you? I watch the Food Network constantly. I'm obsessed with collecting recipes. Also, I have very eclectic taste in music. I love big band jazz, Mariah Carey, hip hop, classical, and salsa music. My CD collection is very strange. 4. Who wins in an engineering contest – Kaylee or Scotty from STAR TREK? Kaylee. She's smart-- and she's a better flirt. And she has a cuter jumpsuit. "I don't know. I love me. The people I love love me back. That's good enough for me..." 5. If you could have a love child with anyone other than your husband, who would that be and why? Johnny Depp, just to pass on those genes as much as possible. Besides being beautiful, he's incredibly talented. 6. What is your biggest flaw? I spend money frivolously and outrageously on clothes. And eating out. And spa excursions. And vacations to Hawaii. I can never go to Hawaii enough. Basically, I'm not so great with money. Live well to live long, right? 7. If you had to give up your favorite foods or men, which one would it be and why? Um, the food. If anyone actually chooses men in that question, they never really liked men to begin with. 8. What legacy do you expect to leave behind? I don't expect anything. All I'm expecting in this life is to be surprised. 9. What do you hate the most in life? Situations you can't change, no matter what you do. 10. Why should we love you? I don't know. I love me. The people I love love me back. That's good enough for me. Look for more from Jewel on Monday, July 5 with the next edition of Emotional Resonance & Rocket Launchers, as she discusses the production of SERENITY with Scott Nance. http://www.mediasharx.com/index.php/columns/2530

The difference between Raw with HHH as champion and Raw with Benoit as champion? A belt. That's it.