... FOR "IMAGES ('X-MEN' 2000-11 EDITION - PART THREE)"

Part Three of our X-Men movie retrospective, in which we take a visual tour of the franchise's special (and not-so-special) pleasures.

Hidden gems and history lessons. Callbacks and cameo appearances. The X-Men movies are perhaps the most richly textured of all comic book franchises, with plenty of subtext and shout-outs for fans and non-fans alike. Take another look, though, and you'll see the films cribbing not just from themselves but from other popular series as well.


Fearful Symmetry

I spoke last time about the X-Men of First Class learning firsthand from President Kennedy, via television, of the impending Cuban Missile Crisis. Here it is again, in case you missed it:

... FOR "BIG DREAMS AND BOUGAINVILLEA" (AN ALBUM REVIEW OF LUCID 8 AND "AMERICAN EYESORE")

And now for something completely different here at FTWW... a full-on CD review of American Eyesore, debut album from local-band-makes-good Lucid 8. Drummer Jonny has been one of my closest friends for as long as I can remember, and I know he and the guys poured their hearts and souls into the project, so it pleases me to put in a plug for them here. (And, yes, I am fully aware of how self- serving that sounds.) Now excuse me while I try my hardest to sound like a rock critic...

When we're young, we all dream of becoming rock stars. It ranks up there with being a superhero, or an astronaut - surrounded by millions of adoring, screaming fans, worshipping at the altar of your very existence. Yet how many of us actually get to do the things we dream about? Breaking into the music business, believe it or not, can be just as difficult as learning to pilot the space shuttle or adopting super powers. For every artist that makes it, though (Imagine Dragons and fun. [formerly The Format] are recent examples, and even Belgian-Australian singer Gotye dabbled in the avante garde for nearly a decade before gaining international success with "Somebody I Used To Know"), there are literally hundreds who don't - timing, talent, and good old fashioned luck all playing a key factor in any artist's success.

... FOR "IMAGES ('X-MEN' 2000-11 EDITION - PART TWO)"

Part Two of our X-Men movie retrospective, in which we take a visual tour of the franchise's special (and not-so-special) pleasures.

So we've already established some of the many Easter Eggs and character cameos which make up Marvel's mutant movie universe. This includes, during an early sequence in X-Men: The Last Stand, a direct homage to Claremont/Byrne's two-part Days Of Future Past, in which our heroes are rounded up and herded into WWII-type internment camps.

That the latest X-Men sequel to enter production is also called Days Of Future Past raises some interesting theoretical questions, namely: Did they plan this sort of thing from the beginning, with every intent to revisit this particular story thread in the future? Or did the producers of X-Men 3 simply include the scene as a shout-out to fans, because they couldn't find room for it elsewhere? Evidence seems to suggest the latter, though wouldn't it be fun, in today's post-Avengers climate, to think that the makers of this $1.9 billion franchise had a particular endgame in mind?

... FOR "HOLLYWOOD'S BIGGEST NIGHT" (aka "OSCARS 2013") - UPDATED! WITH WINNERS AND (BRIEF) COMMENTARY!

UPDATE: Another year, another Oscar celebration. And though it was still technically anyone's game, the results were pretty much as expected, with Argo, Les Misérables, Life Of Pi and Lincoln carrying their share of the winner's workload. (About Daniel Day-Lewis: of course he deserved to take home the Best Actor award, but if history's taught us anything, it's that actors rarely pull a same-category trifecta.) The night's biggest surprise? I'd call it a tie: First, the great Christoph Waltz scoring his second Best Supporting Actor nod (for his second starring role in a Quentin Tarantino movie, no less), and, of course, Jennifer Lawrence tripping (gracefully) onto the stage to accept her Best Actress award. The rest of the winners were respectably even across the board, with Life Of Pi winning four awards, Argo and Les Mis winning three, and Lincoln, Django Unchained, and Skyfall (yes!) each winning two. As always, the full list of winners follows below, bolded and marked with an asterisk (*).

Well, it's Oscar time again, folks! That time of year when Hollywood's best and brightest gather together at the world-renowned Dolby/Kodak/ Hollywood and Highland Center Theatre to celebrate 365 days' worth of movies and magic. That time of year when your favorite stars get dolled up in their fanciest duds to strut down that Red Carpet, put on a happy face, put their best foot forward, bask in each other's proverbial spotlight, and... and...

Oh, who am I kidding? If you're a fan at all of the blog, then you're already well aware of my general dislike for this annual Academy Award worshipping nonsense. (For those unaware, let's recap: The Oscars, more than anything, are a lot like high school, in which the Popular Kids command all the attention and respect. And yet we continue to watch, because we just can't get enough of it.) You think I'd be frothing at the mouth a bit, shouting from the rooftops to anyone and everyone who'll listen, but then a funny thing happened: Last month, when they announced the nominations for this year's telecast, my dislike turned to full-on complacency and acceptance, as if I'd finally gotten over myself long enough to see the light. The Oscars are all about the politics, always have been, always will. The fun part is seeing how those politics play out. (In other words: Just sit back and go with the flow. Resistance is futile.)

... FOR "WALT DISNEY'S ANIMATED FIFTY (PART 42 - 'LILO & STITCH' EDITION)"

My continuing foray into Disney's fifty official Animated Classics. As always, don't hesitate to share your thoughts/memories/complaints in the comments section below. Links to previous entries have also been included below.

Title: Lilo & Stitch (2002)

The Plot: An alien programmed for death and destruction is adopted by two orphaned sisters on the island of Kauai.

The Songs: "He Mele No Lilo," "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" (performed by Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu and Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus); "Blue Hawaii," "Heartbreak Hotel," "Hound Dog," "Stuck On You," "Suspicious Minds," "You're The Devil In Disguise" (performed by Elvis Presley); "Burning Love" (performed by Wynonna); "Can't Help Falling In Love" (performed by The A*Teens)