Even after I left home, I continued to go to salons. To be blunt, I was afraid of the traditional barber shop. As a teen, I loved my long blonde hair and the potential damage that would be inflicted by electric razors was unfathomable. Age has relieved me of the burdens of vanity, and the cost associated with getting a salon cut was just getting to be ridiculous.  Last week I threw caution to the wind and entered an honest-to-god barber shop.

The Barber Pole (real name) is a short walk from the office. I’d passed it dozens of times, never looking in the window. The first step across the threshold was greeted with a shoe-shine stand. Past that was a row of chairs, running the length of the shooting-alley styled shop. There was a sign-up list on a desk in the middle of the room. No receptionist, no reservations. The waiting row faced the five barber chairs, all of which were occupied. Christmas songs were on the radio and there was a buzz of electric razors. Other than that, silence. There was no gossip about the day’s events. No meaningless chit-chat. No mouths were moving. The shop’s magazine rack wasn’t filled with styling magazines, just copy after copy of Maxim.

My wait was brief. Dialog with the barber was limited to a question and answer. “How short can I go?” I responded with a half-attempt to describe what I wanted. Mostly, I just wanted it to be over. 15 minutes later, I had a fresh haircut.

The best part was the neck shave. Hot lather and a straight blade. That and the not talking. I never realized how uncomfortable that made me. I wasn’t even told the price. She just pointed to the dollar amount on the register. $16 and I was out the door. And I’ll be back in two weeks.

Camille’s potty training has had its ups and downs. One of the high points has involved the fantastic world of ’80s pop.

The walls of our downstairs bathroom are covered with album covers. Hey Jude, Love Gun, Whipped Cream and Other Delights are at eye level. Underneath the window is the trio of Tales of the Justice League of America, Strange Days and The Talking Heads’ Little Creatures.

When Camille is going potty, she loves to talk about these images (or as she calls them, Daddy’s pictures). The JLA album was an early favorite with an illustration of Flash, Wonder Woman, Metamorpho and Plastic Man. She’d repeatedly ask about the last two (they’re not in her Tiny Titans book) and wonder where Batman was. Eventually, she moved her attention to Little Creatures.

The album cover is a painting by the late Georgia Folk Artist Howard Finster. After weeks of questions and answers about the intricate, vibrant artwork, Camille is happy to tell you the following information while going potty:

1. The names of each member of the band (David, Tina, Jerry and Chris)
2. David is holding a globe
3. There are leopards in the picture
4. There are mountains
5. David is wearing big boy underwear

After making monthly pilgrimages to the comic book store under the guise of expanding Camille’s library, I’ve begun picking up a few titles for myself. Big surprise, I know.

By far, Justice Society of America has become my favorite read. The JSA is the original super-hero team – a unification of the greatest costumes of the World War II era like Green Lantern, The Flash and Hawkman. In current DC Comics continuity, the JSA is the B-list, behind the Justice League roster of Superman, Batman and the modern age GL and Flash. The ongoing JSA series takes its aging original-universe characters and teams them up with new heroes, expanding the roster and creating quite a bit of culture clash.

The always-amazing Alex Ross is on the creative team behind the book and has been weaving the JSA’s storyline with Ross’ previous epic mini-series Kingdom Come – a tale of a future super-hero arms race between the old guard and young heroes looking to control humanity as much as save it.

Ross’ painted covers are always welcome and they set the tone for the stories within. Always reverential of the characters, their back stories and their limitations, JSA’s conflicts range from close personal tensions to full-scale battles with a ten story tall god. Highly recommended if you’re into dudes in tights, or just good story-telling. It’s a nice reprieve from the superhero darkness of the Dark Knight and its ilk.

Serenity
Rating: 61

Really? This is from the guy that created Buffy?

Serenity is the movie follow-up to the failed TV show Firefly. After watching this, it’s easy to see why the show didn’t gain an audience. Maybe this is an X-Files movie type scenario, in which the film can’t be appreciated without the series’ backstory. Regardless, I found the plot thin, characters transparent stereotypes of long-worn models, and the dialog makes the Star Wars prequels read like Hamlet.  I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer because of the unique characters, smart chatter and it never took itself too seriously. Serenity just felt forced and cheap.

Semi-Pro
Rating: 75

The latest in a long string of movies with Will Ferrell playing the same character in a slightly different sports-related script.  Mostly forgettable – but hey – it does have bear wrestling. And bear wrestling is always good.

This is my current definitive ‘C’ movie. It’s no Judge Dredd, but it’s entertaining enough.

The Dark Crystal
Rating: 94

I last saw The Dark Crystal when I was a kid, and it scared the bejesus out of me. After twenty years, what stuck with me was the basic plot and the character designs for the evil-incarnate Skeksis. On my first adult viewing, what impressed me most was how well the animation, storytelling and effects held-up. Jim Henson was so far ahead of his time, achieving so much without the benefit of CG.

I hope this film never gets remade with “modern” techniques, as the true beauty of this film is illustrated in the making-of documentary. The level of craftsmanship, imagination and skill in the illustrators, puppeteers and crew members is astonishing and inspirational.

Role Models
Rating: 91

Wow, an actual new, in the theater right now movie! As this was co-written and directed by The State alumnus David Wain, I’m pre-disposed to love this flick. And love it I did! The movie eschews a prolonged setup and jumps right into the funny. The first 20 minutes are a bit of a let down as many of the funniest gags and lines are in the trailer. However, the last 30 minutes are epic and the marketing folks made the right decision to leave all references to the movie’s climax out of the promotional material.

Lots of State members make appearances, and Paul Rudd turns in another great everyman performance. The movie slides in with a low ‘A’, as Wain’s Wet Hot American Summer is (so far) the ultimate statement of his work. It’s nice to see him make a more mainstream film, and I hope it affords him the opportunity to make more boundary-pushing comedies in the future.

Camille had her two-year checkup and passed with flying colors – our perfect 50th percentile in just about everything. She’s already meeting 3 year old milestones and the doctor was very impressed with her vocabulary and physical development. While that was good news, it was all things that we knew. It was after the doctor’s appointment where the surprise came in.

I dropped Ginger off at a meeting and took Cami to a post-checkup treat: Her first trip to a comic book store. We stood in the parking lot and she looked up at the building, filled with colorful posters and neon and she said “What’s this?” She repeated after me: “Comic book store.” We went inside, the bell rang and for the next 15 minutes it was a steady stream of head-turnings and “oohs” and “whoas.”

She was transfixed. The comics ran from floor to 7 feet high, neatly arranged in stacks just waiting to be ruffled by two-year-old fingers. Above the comics were shelves of toys, sculptures and cardboard cutouts. She ran from shelf to shelf, naming the heroes she plays with every day: Bat-man, Super-man, Spiya-man, Aqua-man (hey, the kid loves Aquaman, alright?). When she found a character she didn’t recognize, she said “Who’s that?” and I’d tell her the names and she’d quickly repeat. Starman, Supergirl, Captain America… I couldn’t get the names out fast enough.

After some searching, we found the small section of “for kids” comics. For an unknSuper Friends #3own reason, they were nestled right next to a very adult display of statues and DVDs. It was hard to keep her away from the not-toddler appropriate shelving, and harder to explain when she pointed to them and asked “What’s this?” to which I replied “For grown-ups.” She pointed again and said “Grown ups.”

We sorted through the kids books and settled on two cute issues: DC Comics Super Friends #3 and Tiny Titans #6. The Super Friends book is based on the line of action figures which she currently plays with, so she recognized the familiar faces. The Titans book is a very fun, very kid friendly title with even younger versions of the Teen Titans (Robin, Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg, etc) and an expanded youth DC stable (Batgirl, a young Blue Beetle and other surprises). We also may have picked up two books for dad.

While we waited for Ginger’s meeting to end, I put Camille in my lap and read her two comics, back to back and she was riveted. Even though these were kiddie books, they were dialog heavy for a two year old. She loved them, and as I finished Tiny Titans, she asked for more. I was amazed.

I don’t expect Camille to be a comic book geek. It’s probably not the best label to slap on such a cute little girl. But I hope every now and then she’ll continue to indulge me – and we can bond over funny books for a long time to come.

That being said, I went into Wall·E knowing that I would like it. The bits I had gleaned from the trailers, advance reviews, the production stills and the sheer amount of positive hype meant that I was going to walk away impressed. But even with that foreknowledge I still felt that I had seen a truly remarkable movie and glad that we went to see it on the big screen.

While Camille is still too young to sit through a movie at home, let alone at a theater, this is the type of movie I know that she will cherish. It’s visually stimulating – perhaps with better art direction than any film I’ve ever seen – and it also has charming characters, smart storytelling and a big heart. While the designer in me loved to see the set pieces, the artistic in-jokes and the attention to the tiniest of detail, the father in me loved the film’s many simple messages and themes.

Definitely a must-see and a must-own, as I can’t wait to share it with my daughter. Two weeks until The Dark Knight…

→ Stream the mix

The latest breed of Super Hero films has been a revelation. Going back to 1990’s Batman, the comic book movie has seen a renaissance through better scripts, larger budgets and better acting talent. There have, of course, been stumbling blocks (especially in the Batman franchise) but by and large these films have been enjoyable, if not world-class cinema.  The relaunch of the Batman franchise, Batman Begins, raised the bar even higher and with Marvel’s latest – Iron Man – a new standard has been established.

I enjoyed Iron Man from start to finish. It was a fast, fun movie that didn’t disservice the original material. While it was a cleverly updated version of the character, it bent over backwards to pay homage to the decades of pulp comics that preceded the new vision. The effects were all top-notch and didn’t distract from the (admittedly light) plot and complemented the overall tone of the film. But it was the acting that made Iron Man so different. There were no weak links (although why did director Jon Favreau cast himself as Stark’s driver?) and the A-list talent was able to flirt with camp without crossing the line into parody. I never would have thought of Robert Downey Jr as hero material – but with Iron Man, it’s all suit and attitude. Who knew that Gwyneth Paltrow could so easily play a supporting role without overshadowing the leads? It was one pleasant surprise after another. The relative meekness of Terrance Howard’s character was the only odd portrayal – but not a deal breaker by any stretch.

As a general rule, I consider Marvel’s pantheon of heroes to be strictly B-list. Maybe that’s part of the reason I enjoyed this film so much. I could care less about Iron Man. They could have completely rewritten the character, changed the suit and made him half-zebra and I wouldn’t have gotten upset about it. So I didn’t have anything to lose from a childhood-touchstone standpoint. Instead, Marvel made a fun summer action movie that didn’t leave die-hard comic fans disgusted or scratching their heads. And, it’s gotten me excited about their upcoming slate of films including a Hulk revamp in a few weeks as well as Captain America, The Avengers and (the inevitable) Iron Man 2. It’s time for DC to pick up their game.

Ginger spent the day at home with Camille, so I made the work drive solo and settled in for several coding projects. For once, I actually got everything done on my to-do list and feel at-ease going into the three day weekend. I built out a pretty cool Six Degrees of Separation template and CMS addition for my cable TV client, wrapped up some revisions to the New Orleans hotel and started work with a new client that specializes in marketing a large (and impressive) stable of authors. I also had an energizing meeting with a potential client about a great idea for a new social networking project. Very niche and based on good existing models. We’ll see what happens.

Headed home to meet the girls coming in from their second play date of the day. Chowed down on frozen pizza and then played with Cami in her room while Ginger took Millie for a walk. I hooked up my Telecaster for the first time in over a year and introduced Cami to the electric guitar and its best ally, distortion. She was not impressed. Night after night of strumming along on my acoustic guitar informed her that was how a guitar should sound. Now, it was wailing, screaming and her response was to cry “Fix it – Fix it!” while I played. Oh well, she’ll come around. Bath and bed ritual followed the botched one-man metal concert and Ginger and I went downstairs to clean and deal with the Millie situation.

Millie is my ten year old basset hound. To say it in a nice Southern way, Millie has never been right in the head. She’s special and we’ve made many adjustments in our lives to deal with her needs. Lately, she’s decided that the rugs should be used as latrines and with a very active two-year-old, that is not okay. We built a new, large dog run for her in the back yard. It’s fenced and mulched, with a layer of chicken wire underneath the surface to discourage digging. We went out to visit her with more food and water and shored up some of the defenses. Then, we left her outside for the night.

This is a very big deal for me – and I feel like I’m a horrible parent. She’s had ten years of living inside, being integrated into the family to the best of our abilities and now I feel like I’m abandoning her. And apparently, she feels that way too. Ginger and I fired up the Tivo Unboxed Into the Wild and sat on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and glass of sweet tea. And then, the barking began. Constant barking. And banging of wood and metal. And crying. Every ten minutes for the first hour, we’d stop the movie and check on her. She was digging feverishly, trying to work the corner of the gate open. Wanting to get caught in the act and brought inside. We held firm and she eventually went to sleep.

As for Into the Wild, Emile Hirsch was great. In fact, all of the performances were stand-out and I’m always a sucker for anything with Hal Holbrook. I could watch that man read Superfudge and be enthralled. Stylistically, I felt that it lacked focus. Too many visual devices were used that didn’t add to the storytelling and felt out of place. Some of the cinematography was beautiful. Some of the effects were pointless and served to dumb down a complex story.

But that core story is something that I’ve had a problem with since I read the book a few years ago and the movie only amplified my concerns. Into the Wild is the real-life account of an affluent new college graduate who gives up his material possessions and travels cross country, eventually arriving in Alaska where is goal is to live a hermit-like “natural” existence. Eating berries, shooting game – the epitome of roughing it. I have no problem with any of that. It’s very romantic and kind of sweet, if naive. When reading the book, I had the very clear impression that the kid was:

1. Spoiled. Spoiled to the point of being absolutely impossible to be around. Constantly criticizing his parents, society and anyone that would listen about how horrible the world was. This from a kid who had everything handed to him on a silver platter and had no concept of real hardship.
2. Mentally ill. While he excelled in academia, his social skills and easily developed obsessions indicated much larger psychological problems. In the movie’s overt attempts to glamorize his decisions and actions, I think the truth of much greater underlying problems was ignored.
3. A general, all around jerk. I feel bad writing this, as I know the book and movie were based on a real person. But the character portrayed in the book and movie had a smugness-level that would have been intolerable. The complete selfishness that he embodied while making his trek is so unforgivable that he immediately becomes unlikable.

The movie glossed over these problems, instead portraying the lead character as being a large-hearted and kind-souled misunderstood who simply knew more about life than you and me. I can’t help but feel that was irresponsible, but it’s a movie and I simply have to let it go.

So, did I like Into the Wild? Yes and no. I thought it complemented the book (which I still enjoyed more) in some ways and detracted from it in others. It was nice to see another take on the source material which is very engaging and worth new interpretations. The performances and soundtrack were superb. Eddie Vedder’s word-less chanting and wolf-like howling really emboldened some of the most beautiful visual scenes. But at the same time, it failed by simply glamorizing the main character. At two and a half hours, there were many times when the film felt long, if still serving as beautiful wallpaper. Taking the good with the band, I’d recommend a rent. If you’re interested in more of the Alaska part of the story, pick up the book.

Ginger spent the day with Camille, so I got dressed and headed into the studio, stopping at the post office (nothing in the PO Box), depositing a few checks and grabbing a snack on the way. Today was filled with working on client projects: a hotel in New Orleans, a major cable television channel and a medical technology company. Leftover pizza for lunch and lots of phone call follow-ups and code tweaks in the afternoon.

Moving the studio out of the house was a great move. With all that’s going on as the business grows, it would be very tempting to work on projects constantly. When the “office” was in the living room – I could have easily fallen into that trap. Now, I keep regular hours and try keep the minutiae of client work out of my mind. I don’t always succeed, but I try to keep home and family time sacred, as it should be

I grilled flank steak with mozzarella and peppers for dinner and nursed a Blue Moon. Camille ate like a champ and we headed upstairs to listen to music and play with her stuffed animals. While Bucky the bulldog danced with “Oscar Baby”, I bought a Dell D400 laptop on eBay to use as a test machine for the office. After her bath and bedtime ritual, I headed outside to shovel dirt in our basset hound’s new outdoor accommodations. Saturday was spent installing a new fence and all of its doggie-proof accoutrement. The last-minute work tonight was prep for her bed of cypress mulch that will be delivered in the morning. In her old age, she’s becoming less concerned with her house-breaking and that’s just not acceptable. So, she’s going to be an outside dog. Wish us luck as we try to withstand her barking.

Took a shower, folded some clothes and watched a bit of Lester Holt’s documentary on the crystal skulls. I never cease to be amazed at the world’s willingness to believe incredibly absurd things (UFOs, ghosts, that chicken nuggets might actually contain chicken). The sad sacks in this documentary were so depressing. The excuses they made to defend these artifacts from hard, real science would have been funny if they weren’t so invested. Still, I’m looking forward to seeing the new Indiana Jones movie and what they do with the motif.

Ginger’s making more felt hair clips (tonight is a really great elephant) and I’m in dire need of some sleep. Closing laptop and falling asleep to some Tivo’d Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law.