Saturday, May 27, 2006

Fastball Special

Certainly been an eventful few days for me - apart from the crazy door ringing salesman mentioned yesterday. Fortunately for him, I was much too sedated to contemplate violently wringing his neck and hanging him half naked from the lamppole as a stern warning to other hopeful travelling salesmen. Anyway, he was cute - and sad to say, in our shallow visuals are everything world, being cute does solve a lot of problems. :)

Of the three episodes the X-men trilogy, I would count The Last Stand as the weakest of the trio. With the sad loss of Bryan Singer - well known as an X-Men fan boy - as the director of the franchise, this particular episode has veered the farthest from comics continuity.

Though the action sequences rocked, it still came as a little disappointment to the comic fanboy in me. Too much plotlines have been packed into little more than an hour at the expense of the quieter moments that the X-men are famous for - excepting that little precious bit where Bobby shows Kitty that there's still a bit of home in Westchester.

Somewhere along the line, the Powers that Be have forgotten that the core of the franchise is the team ensemble, more of a family actually. Sure, we love Wolverine - and who doesn't love the mean, straight-talking bastard? - and the shirtless scenes of Hugh Jackman are always welcome but what about the rest of the team? The only other adult male on the team, Cyclops, is taken out of the picture early on and the rest of the cast seem to be one-dimensional supporting cutouts for Wolverine. What about Bobby? What about Pete? What about Kitty? Even Ororo, seemingly an important character, barely serves any purpose except to flash lightning from her fingertips and provide a convenient sounding board. Would any of the audience even know who I'm talking about?

Precisely my point. :)

Suspicion
Are you planning something?

And judging by the cavalier manner Jean displays as she literally shakes Scott off, the seemingly inviolate relationship between Scott and Jean seems to have vanished in the dust. Surely an unwelcome shocker for someone like me who has been following the turbulent relationship for years. Like Lois and Clark, the premier mutant couple has been practically woven into the fabric of comic legend and to have it just snuffed away like it never existed was quite a disappointment.

All that however doesn't make it any less than a damned good action movie that everyone who isn't a dedicated X-freak like me should be raring to watch! :) My gripes were pretty obvious though which is why Big Bicep Barry just had to lean over and ask...

Barry : What's wrong?
Paul : Grrr...
Barry : Not like the comics, huh?
Paul : Grrr...

Unfortunately the fact that the movie had degenerated into another episode of Logan and his Super Friends wasn't the only shock waiting for me that night since Barry had a fastball special just waiting for me. Just as we were finishing a late supper - a half hour of me was grumbling over the death of my loved one while he was raving over the admittedly fabulous fight scenes - just when we were about to tip the waiter, he suddenly stopped me and told me we had to talk.

Let's face it. No good can come from a talk. Any guy who says that in just that deadly quiet tone just wants to prepare you for something unpleasant. There was this sudden urge to just jet off running down the street screaming inanities but with his longer legs and his bigger bulk, I'm sure he would have me tackled and face-down in minutes.

Barry : We need to talk.
Paul : OMG.
Barry : Huh?
Paul : It's nothing. Speak.
Barry : Lately I have this feeling that you seem to want more than I'm capable of giving. I care very much for you. You are a wonderful person and I'll cherish this friendship but I'm not sure I can give you what you need.
Paul : Oh. Alright. Bill please.

Okay. That bill comment wasn't meant for him of course but for the desperate waiter since it was getting real late, the doors were literally closing on us - and at the last minute he had to surprise me with that shocking pronouncement ( which I actually hastily summarized since it was actually much longer and I hated myself for not having a recorder! ). He was just lucky I didn't hyperventilate and fall headfirst into my bowl of soup.

23 comments:

Sue said...

Oh nooooooooooo! He did not! Say it didn't happen! I can't take the reality of it. I can't even say it. You and Barry are just going to be FRIENDS. That sucks big time man. My deepest condolences. :(

Annie said...

What the fuck? Big Bicep Barry needs a Brain Biopsy to look for cells that may prove he's going insane. WHO in their right mind would let YOU go? You're a great catch Paul. ((HUGS)) to you Paul. I'm so sorry. This is like watching X-men all over again and feeling that discontent and thinking "What the fuck just happened?" I feel like my pet hampster died all over again. No wonder it's raining. Everybody is crying.

Anonymous said...

Poor Paul (Hug). Give him some times, I used to have one person who rejected me but turn back to me when I lost my feeling to him.

Alex said...

Paul, it's ok... I don't know what to say to console you even though I went through the same thing with my D... don't worry too much about it...
*Hugs...
Cheer up, doc :P

savante said...

No worries, you guys. Sounds like you guys are even mre depressed than I am :) Thanks. It's been a day or two and I'm quite alright with it. Certainly not wallowing in the pits of despair or some such thing.

Paul

Maximus Leo said...

Ok...chill! No hyperventilation needed right now.

Sorry to hear about Barry...sounds like you're pretty tough yourself! Take care.

joshua said...

So that was what's happening... I feel your pain from across the Tebrau Strait.

Yodels..."There's lots of good fish, good fish in the sea... There's lots of good fish in THE SEEEEAAAAA!!!"

Anonymous said...

Okay I will talk like wolverine here - aka mean and bastardy.

two things:
1) For Movie: Just f8king watch and forget it, helloo..it's Hollywood, what could you expect

2) For Barry: Just f8king give him a blow job and move on!!!

Oh by the way, nice THINK c*ok *chuckles*

rgds
shine

Anonymous said...

THINK = THICK.... hehehe

rgds
shine

MrBunnyBan said...

It's good you're taking it in stride Paul. But...hmph, if that was his answer for you, it could have come a little sooner. How long has it been? A year? More?

Anonymous said...

Just stop talking to him.. he would run back to ya.. telling ya!

That Girl said...

not worth it lah.
yeah its all good... just be friends.. i always say... no use wasting energy over someone who isnt interested in you...theyre good people and all..and its great to be friends.,.. but...its ok.
youd rather someone be crazy about you...than lukewarm, .right!?
i know youre ok... youre Dr. Cool.

savante said...

Not hyperventilating, ian :)

Tell me somehting I didn't know, joshua, but most of the fish are already taken or straight!

Thanks, shine :)

Daniel, actually it has been actually little more than six months only - seems so long, huh.

Stop talking to him? Does that actually work?

Grafxgurl, true enough so I'm starting to look around.

Paul

executorlouis said...

*blink*

I always thought something more was happening, or at least was gonna happen.

Anyway, just give it time. If its meant to be, its meant to be. :)

And thank you for a spoiler free review of X3! Haha, i know of at least one other person who wouldn't mind too much Hugh Jackman/Wolverine.

Why, Jay of course. ;)

Francis Ford Faggola said...

Paul, I too share your um, distaste at how the movie was handled. Great action sequences aside, the plots and/or storylines were too different from the original ones that we've grown accustomed to. I agree with you that some legends were shattered without remorse. Sigh.

pakcik said...

so sorry to hear that dear. i think we talk about this in couple of occasion..be strong ya...

Petie said...

So... He say he wants to be friend eventhough you guys were already just friend?

Either things already move to dating and you just have us read between the lines... Something just doesn't add up :p

savante said...

Spoiler free, Louis? :) yeah, I guess it was since I carefully edited it so not to reveal too much.

Obviously fanboys would hate the movie, holden :)

No worries, pakcik.

Some things just don't add up, do they, pete :)

Paul

Xavier said...

only get to see this post today...

hmm... like alex said, and based on my impression on u, i BELIEVE u will be ok.

I think u are matured and pragmatic enough to endure this. I have full confidence it u.

since most of them have given their condolence, i will give u my congrats, for one uncertainty is solved and the way ahead is again clear.

Hugs,
X

Annie said...

ALL RIGHTY THEN! Nobody is opposed to me giving Big Bicep Barry a Lobotomy?

I mean it's all for the good of research... Charity people, it's simply for research purposes. :D

ça va pas la tête said...

Paul, your man will come for you and when he does, you will be the happiest doctor i know alive. much much way fulfilling that any baby delivery you ever catch in your hands ok? ;)

ça va pas la tête said...

But I like Barry for his frankness. I think that's cool for a friend. ;) Of course, I am looking at it from an outsider point of view. ;)

Mark said...

Darling! I drop away for awhile and look what happens!

Hugs to you! xoxox