"Spider-Man: Homecoming"

While I'm pretty much game to spend time with our favorite web head in just about any situation, even I was worried that starting the Spidey franchise over again would be overkill.

Like, I'm always for more Spider-Man... but just what kind of new adaptation was this going to be? As usual, I had worries. Tom Holland wasn't my first choice for the new Peter Parker. I thought someone had made a huge mistake when they revealed the new Homecoming logo. And the trailer wasn't great... any of them.

On the other hand, it was Spider-Man. Michael Keaton was going to be there. And Tom Holland had thoroughly proven in Captain America: Civil War that he was worth giving a chance. Plus, Marvel was actually on board this time and their chance had finally come to have Spidey swing into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

So that would be cool, I guess.

But that also meant that if they messed this up, it was pretty permanently messed up, it being a part of the Avenger's universe and all. No erase button on that monster.

Yep. The stakes were high.

My first instinct - which seems like it was everybody's first instinct - was to compare this movie to all the other Spider-Man movies we've seen over the past fifteen years. And, admittedly, there have been a lot.

Here's the only comparison I'm going to allow myself: after seeing Homecoming, I realized that this movie is exactly what Sony wanted to accomplish, but couldn't, with the Andrew Garfield series. If you're comparing Spidey films, the fact that Homecoming connects with audiences so successfully kind makes the Andrew Garfield series null and void... BUT that's IF you're comparing.

I'm going to shy away from comparing any other Spidey adaptations. Why? Because I also think that the Spidey movies are doomed to be compared to each other for the rest of time, since we've had so many in such quick succession and all.

Instead, let's talk about why Homecoming is great.

It's a great combination of elements, and word of mouth seems to be that everyone agrees here. When the creative team first claimed they were going to make a John Hughes-style Spider-Man, I stopped. Cause, uh, that's ambitious? They must have been really sure this was going to be good if they were seriously telling the Ferris-Bueller-loving public that they were making a film that was going to be that classic, that much a part of pop culture, that much on the pulse.

But they really did it. And what's even better, they knew how to pay homage to the original as well. That scene where Peter is swinging through the backyards of his neighbors and sees someone is watching Ferris Bueller, about which he comments, "Great movie!" is plenty to rejoice over.

Another plus is that the Spider-Man story is so well known now that the filmmakers got to do what Marvel does best: make fun of itself. This is how Marvel does humor best. They finally got to point out the fact that this whole thing, a teenager being a Spider-person? Yeah, that's totally ridiculous. Which is why it is great!

The trailers had also made me fear that the role of Tony Stark might overshadow the more-important story of Peter Parker, but the filmmakers spent just enough time giving Peter his incentives from Tony without sacrificing giving Peter center stage. *applause*

The only thing I wish was different about this whole situation was that there's a lot of talk about who is "the best" Spider-Man now... and that's inevitable. Like I said, comparison is the logical first instinct.

I wish we could fight this. It's obvious that every Spider-Man, and his accompanying franchise of films, has had their own goals, their own surrounding contexts, their own approach... and I don't think it's fair for us to say that one person was "the best" Spider-Man, especially since we are in the exact moment of culture that Tom Holland's Spider-Man is supposed to target. Can we really know - and does it really matter - who wore the Spidey suit best?

Like, I say let's just all love Peter Parker! It's been fun to see the various sides of his characters that each different actor has emphasized out in him. Sure, his character has become a little bit of a superhero Rorschach test ("now what do YOU see in this version of Peter Parker?"), but I guess that's the beauty of it. Peter Parker is every young guy (and it that was starting become literal with all the reboots), but hey. More Spidey is more Spidey. I'll take it.

And no matter who's playing him, isn't it a great feeling to have a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man on screen again?

The Two New OBCRs You Need to Hear

A couple of amazing new OBCRs, or Original Broadway Cast Recordings, are what my summer has been all about so far.

Because a few weeks ago, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical released an absolutely phenomenal cast recording that I have not been able to stop listening to. It's about an hour in length, which makes sense since the show itself was shorter since it was for a younger audience. Even though The Lightning Thief was *technically* an off-Broadway production, let's be honest here: this show was way more fun and rewarding than many of the productions I've actually seen on the Broadway stage.

listening to the Lightning Thief OBCR as told by percy/chris mccarrell

The first time I went, I arrived skeptical only to be completely and totally converted to this show's cause. The second time I saw The Lightning Thief, it was closing week and I just had to see this insanely fun show once more. It was a non-negotiable.

as an accurate depiction of listening to this album just saying

The great news is that the OBCR is the next best thing you can get besides seeing the show itself, and a lot of the humor and fun is preserved in the songs. I'm still praying that The Lightning Thief really will be "back next summer" on the Broadway stage, even though this is only what Percy's character promises to his fellow campers in the soundtrack. Let's all pray, shall we?

And then there's the other show that has been equally occupying my earbuds: the gorgeous OBCR of the new production of Anastasia.

This moment.... the dress... THE DRESSSSSSS.

This is a show I have been waiting a long (looooonnnnngggg) time to see hit the Broadway stage, so the cast album is a Godsend. It's everything I want in a musical... just enough haunting memories and romance and fairy tale to be the perfect Broadway production.

i will never be tired of listening to Once Upon a December

And what's even better is that the Anastasia recording includes Ramin Karimloo singing as devoted Russian soldier Gleb. Can we just talk about Ramin for a second? Every time I've seen Anastasia so far, whether in preview or after the official opening, Ramin has gotten an enthusiastic ovation every time he makes his entrance onto stage for the first time. Doesn't that say enough? Do I even have to remind you about his involvement with Phantom of the Opera and Les Miz's anniversary concerts and stage productions? Must we even say more than just "for God's sake, if you can, listen to this man sing"????

Since both of these wonderful musicals have blessed us with OBCR's, we have a unique situation on our hands. I'll be listening to a song about minotaurs from The Lightning Thief and then I'm singing about the Russian revolution with the Anastasia soundtrack. And I couldn't be happier.

I'm especially thrilled that The Lightning Thief got their own cast album (which, by the way, sort of dominated iTunes when it was released. For a while, it was the top selling album on the day of its release.... what whaaaaaat). The fact that this stellar cast got to do an OBCR is even more proof that this needs to come back onto stage - and fast!

In conclusion: if you have any way to at all, go listen to either - or both! - of these albums. You won't regret it.

_

Thanks, Broadway Box, for The Lightning Thief gifs!

Oh, Brother: Finishing "The Vampire Diaries"

After my introduction to the world's favorite slayer, I quickly did some slaying of my own and finished all of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and spin-off show Angel. The result? Obsession. Heartache. A renewed affinity for the undead. And a serious dent in my Netflix queue.

As I previously confessed, my devastation after finishing Buffy led me to starting a show that my good friend had been asking me to give a chance: The CW's The Vampire Diaries.

Starting TVD right after Buffy felt like whiplash... vampire mythology whiplash...?

I realized that I had totally internalized all of the Buffyverse rules about the undead. You know, the basic stuff, like how vampires stay away from garlic, can't be seen in mirrors, and burst into a cloud of dust when they're staked in the heart.

So my first instinct was to totally reject the mythos of The Vampire Diaries which seemed to be much more in the vein of Twilight than Buffy.

But the longer that I stuck with TVD, the more fascinated I became by the different influences that seemed to have played a part in creating this show.

After finishing all eight seasons of TVD, I sought out an unlikely ally to help me process my grief: math (who'd have thought?). Having seen the whole show, I asked myself what I'd just watched. The best way I could think to express it would be in some kind of pseudo-equation:

(Twilight - sparkling + self-awareness) + ((Buffy + Angel) - facial prosthetics - classicism) + the essential small-town CW drama = The Vampire Diaries

One of the reasons I was so turned off by TVD originally was because I was convinced it was jut a knockoff of Twilight... but at that time, I didn't realize that Twilight was just a knockoff of some of the greater elements of Buffy and Angel. Ultimately, I assumed that a knockoff wasn't worth my time (I'm way over that now obviously).

So this whole experience has been a totally unanticipated vicious circle in which I am constantly thinking about how Buffy, Angel, Twilight and The Vampire Diaries all share certain elements, and how they are all, also, simultaneously set apart from each other as well.

All of this happening between fits of rage, laughter, and tears, of course. Because the drama in TVD turned out to be too darn good to ignore.

I think the main similarity between Twilight and TVD is obviously the normal girl/broody vampire relationship, which is Stefan/Elena in the TVD universe, Edward/Bella in Twilight and Angel/Buffy in Buffy and Angel. (I feel compelled to point out that Angel and Buffy came first and I feel very strongly about this relationship and I can't help myself)

But where TVD is a departure from Twilight is where it introduces the second love interest in "evil" brother Damon, making the love triangle between one human girl and two vampires. In Twilight, we're talking a love triangle between one human girl, one vampire, and one werewolf.

In Buffy and Angel, the problem is also two vampires competing for the affection of one girl, but it's less of a love triangle and more of a one-vampire-left-to-get-their-own-series-even-though-they're-still-Buffy's-true-love situation with a dark horse in the running (who doesn't love Spike?).

I don't feel too much of a need to discuss the series finale of TVD here... I think the rest of the internet has come to a consensus on that. I will say this, though; I did enjoy the last season's attempt to return to the roots of the show and I think having so many familiar faces return reminded me how unexpectedly attached to TVD I had become. I really cared about the characters much more deeply than I expected to when I started and was pretty wrecked after the finale. Honestly? I'm super impressed.

The CW did it again; they made a believer out of me.

I guess I'm onto the TVD spin-off show The Originals next, as I can never resist seeing how a spin-off continues when its source show has ended.

Wish me monsters!