animation – The Keasy Depot

What makes a good name drop? – Batman Beyond S02E23

Fair warning, Season 2, Episode 23 of Batman Beyond, Sentries of the Last Cosmos is not a great episode. The plot is pretty dumb, the set-pieces uninspired, and the animation weak. But it has one thing going for it; two name drops. There is a reference to Jar-Jar Binks and another to Philip K. Dick.Continue reading “What makes a good name drop? – Batman Beyond S02E23”

Fatherhood in Context – Batman Beyond S02E19

At the risk of sounding like a crazy men’s rights advocate, I think media has a responsibility to normalize positive fatherhood on screen. The media we consume shapes us in innumerable ways and the low bar set by on-screen fathers in the 80s and 90s is happily going the way of the dodo. Even so,Continue reading “Fatherhood in Context – Batman Beyond S02E19”

Batman Beyond: Add it to the canon

I remember turning up my nose to Batman Beyond when it was originally released. I like to think that was because I was annoyed it wasn’t Batman: The Animated Series and the amazing “dark deco” design. Was I such a discerning consumer with impeccable tastes in television? Doubtful. Looking back, Batman: TAS hit withContinue reading “Batman Beyond: Add it to the canon”

The Hobbit 1977

I remember watching this version of The Hobbit as a youngling and the dwarves’ singing as they ransacked Bilbo’s home in the guise of “cleaning up” always stuck with me. The portrayal of Gandalf is another highlight that has been knocking around in my mind for decades. I loved his long nose and beardContinue reading “The Hobbit 1977”

Batrankings

I mentioned Batrankings back in my post about some of Frank Miller’s work. I want to give them the credit they deserve. The hosts Ben Creighton and Kenny Windorski are obviously good friends and obviously love the material. But then, who doesn’t love Batman: The Animated Series? It is one of the best American cartoons.Continue reading “Batrankings”

India and the Third Impact

Spoilers for Neon Genesis Evangelion and End of Evangelion follow. On the surface, an anime about giant robots fighting giant aliens has nothing in common with ancient Indian history. But much like Neon Genesis Evangelion is a Trojan Horse show about emotional trauma, it also connects to a fundamental aspect of Hinduism. Reading The Upanishads,Continue reading “India and the Third Impact”

Gendo Ikari – Sexual Terrorist

Spoilers for Neon Genesis Evangelion and End of Evangelion follow. In my copy of A Streetcar Named Desire, Arthur Miller refers to Marlon Brando (playing Stanley in the 1951 production) as a “tiger on the loose, a sexual terrorist.” Miller goes on to reference “[Tennessee] Williams’ celebratory terror of sex, its awful truthfulness and itsContinue reading “Gendo Ikari – Sexual Terrorist”