The Reno Signal

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I Need Help!

As you may have noticed, there has been a dearth of content on my blog, The Reno Signal. This is due to a number of factors, but my health has been the primary reason for my negligence on the part of this place.

Due to a 10-day hospital stay, surgeries and tests, I have accrued about $2,500 in medical bill that I simply do not have the resources to pay.

I am currently suffering from chronic…

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Wild West Shootout 2017

Wild West Shootout 2017

This is an article I wrote for the Wild West Shootout 2017 event program about Bishop Manogue High School. The Wild West Shootout is a basketball competition among eight high schools, mainly in the western part of the United States and is held in Reno, Nevada.

It raises awareness and funds for the Sierra Kids Foundation, which provides help for children with autism and their families. They are…

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Book Review: The Girl of the Sea of Cortez

Book Review: The Girl of the Sea of Cortez

Peter Benchley, The Girl of the Sea of Cortez. This is the 1983 Berkley edition. It’s a little ragged, but the pages are clean and readable. I picked it up at a thrift store for 25 cents.

The Girl of the Sea of Cortez. Benchley, Peter. New York, Berkley Books, 1983. 229 pages.

Peter Benchley will go down in history as the author of Jaws, an entertaining book adapted into an excellent film. More…

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The Myth of Race

The Myth of Race

Races, as natural divisions of the human species, are rather like angles. Many people believe in them, devoutly. They can even tell you what properties they have. But the closer you try to examine them to discover their real nature, the more elusive they become. —Jonathan Marks, 2006

The issue of race* cannot be ignored, even though it is a term that only exists because society demands it. Many…

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Film Review: Buffalo Girls (2013)

Film Review: Buffalo Girls (2013)

© Copyright 2012 Buffalo Girls Movie

Stam and Pet are two eight year old girls living in Thailand. Stam is a cute, normal-looking girl. She has stuffed animals and is a shy little girl. Pet has a shaved head, with a section of long hair in the back, and has a heart condition. This image of normalcy, however, is shattered when director Todd Kellstein shows the two girls fighting in an underground…

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A few thoughts about David Bowie

A few thoughts about David Bowie

David Bowie, 1949-2016

The death of a celebrity is not something I would usually write about. However, David Bowie died today at age 69, and I’m deeply saddened by it.

As a child of the 70s and 80s, Bowie was an ever-present talent. From his starchild Ziggy Stardust persona to the Thin White Duke, he was ever changing in style. When New Wave hit the airwaves in the early 80s, he was already there…

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Shawarmageddon: Meals and metal

Shawarmageddon: Meals and metal

“Have you ever tried shawarma? There’s a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don’t know what it is, but I want to try it.”  — Iron Man/Tony Stark

I admit, the only thing I knew about shawarma is that it was mentioned in Marvel’s The Avengers and a quick gag shown at the end of that movie’s credits.

Now, after visiting Shawarmageddon in Reno, Nevada, I find myself asking where have you…

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Star Wars fans waited in anticipation. The trailer for the new Star Wars film, The Phantom Menace, was going to premiere in theaters. First, rumors spread that the trailer would be attached to Wing Commander, also a 20th Century Fox film. Then, the rumors, and later confirmed reports, placed it in front of Meet Joe Black.

The anticipation for this new trailer in November of 1998 was huge. I went to see Wing Commander hoping to see the trailer. Instead, I saw a bunch of trailers to movies I didn’t care about. And I had to watch Wing Commander.

In retrospect, Darth Maul was still a badass!

As a New York Times article reported at the time, people bought tickets to Meet Joe Black, watched The Phantom Menace trailer, and left before Brad Pitt ever walked on screen. Also, the response to the trailer was incredibly positive.

Now, of course, everyone says they knew The Phantom Menace would stink – a sentiment I still don’t exactly agree with. The Phantom Menace is a weak film, but still has a lot to offer. Roger Ebert wrote a very positive review of the film, stating:

What [George Lucas] does have, in abundance, is exhilaration. There is a sense of discovery in scene after scene of “The Phantom Menace,” as he tries out new effects and ideas, and seamlessly integrates real characters and digital ones, real landscapes and imaginary places. We are standing at the threshold of a new age of epic cinema, I think, in which digital techniques mean that budgets will no longer limit the scope of scenes; filmmakers will be able to show us just about anything they can imagine.

And while it’s easy to look at Rotten Tomatoes and see all the negative reviews, most of them are in hindsight. A review written a decade after The Phantom Menace has its value, but it fails to represent the zeitgeist of the era in which The Phantom Menace was released. Looking back at the reviews featured on Rotten Tomatoes, a pattern emerges, especially in reviews from the time the film was released, the mixed reviews included some that hated the film and others that loved the film.

You see Darth Maul had a double-edged light saber. Kylo Ren has a broad-sword-style light saber. Originality has no end!

Yet, here we are again, 16 years after The Phantom Menace. The Force Awakens, the first Star Wars film made without the input of George Lucas, is being released in a few weeks. Fans on YouTube and on online forums have praised the trailers. The anticipation grows. Many fans have said this will finally wash the bad taste of the prequels out humanity’s collective consciousness. However, I believe fan reaction will be similar to the prequels. At first, there will be excitement. Then, derision.

I worry that fan expectation will ruin the new Star Wars films.

Star Wars has become something bigger than a series of movies, with books, comics, toys, video games, and pajamas attached. It has become a religion for many. Fans have built an expectation of what they individually believe Star Wars should be. If Jesus came back today, would he be accepted by the gun-worshiping conservatives, who out of one side of their mouth worship him as the Prince of Peace, yet walk around fanning the flames of violence? Or would Jesus, who taught that the Jewish law would last forever, be accepted by liberal Christians who believe in multiple paths to God? The point is this – Star Wars cannot please all fans. Many, nearly all, fans I read on the Internet, say the new movies need to be more adult because Star Wars needs to mature with them as they get older.

Bullshit! Are fans who discovered Star Wars in the late 80s or early 90s really saying that Star Wars needs to mature at the rate they mature? I was there, May 1977, at my local theater. I was eight and wanted to see this new movie. It was like a born again experience when that little ship was chased by that gigantic triangular star ship. For me to say that Star Wars needs to be in line with my near-50 mentality and exclude everyone else is a sign of religious zeal and not a love of the films.

And for those who somehow think Rogue One is going to be the adult Star Wars film, I have one word: Disney.

I appreciate the anticipation for The Force Awakens. I’m not writing this to say that I think it will be bad. I like a lot of what I’ve seen in the trailers. I want it to be an amazing experience. However, it is being made by Disney, which is mainly in the business of branding. And the signs are there that this is a film made to meet “fan” expectation. Nearly every scene in the trailers mirrors something from the original trailer. Hell, the poster shows that we are getting a new, improved Death Star. It was good enough for two movies, why not three? Screw originality!

And I like J.J. Abrams, but his theatrical films have been derivative at best. Mission Impossible III was good, but it was a sequel. His Star Trek films run from the very entertaining, but stupid, first film and the atrocity that is Star Trek into Darkness. Neither film had much respect for the 40-plus years fans had invested in the characters. Elements like Khan and tribbles were thrown in, not to please fans, but because the general population knows those things, and not much else. As a matter of fact, both of Abrams’ Star Trek films demonstrate a clear disrespect for fans, who don’t represent enough money to cater to, and the general public, which the films seems to believe are too shallow to want any real emotions in their movies.

But, in his defense, Abrams had little to do with the writing on those films. In the special features for Star Trek into Darkness, he seems professional about the process of making the film, yet never shows a real enthusiasm toward the series. With the Star Wars series, he seems more involved, not just as a filmmaker, but as someone who loves the galaxy far, far away.

I sympathize with the anticipation fans are showing toward the new Star Wars films. As fans, we have been told almost nothing about the new film. I hope everyone involved knocks it out of the park, pleasing critics, fans, and kids.

And by the way, if you are not watching Star Wars Rebels, why not? The animated series is pure Star Wars, yet introduces new concepts and ideas. It’s geared toward a young audience, pre-teens and early teens, yet has compelling stories, great action, and wonderful characters. At 47, should I be embarrassed that I’m watching something on Disney XD? I don’t think so. It sucks me into the adventure every time. Hopefully The Force Awakens will do the same.

Will anticipation kill The Force Awakens? Star Wars fans waited in anticipation. The trailer for the new Star Wars film, The Phantom Menace…

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Have faith in this 'Creed'

Have faith in this ‘Creed’

When I originally heard about Creed, I thought it represented one trip too many to the well of the Rocky legacy. Rocky Balboa, the sixth film, was a powerful, heartfelt film that book-ended the Rocky series with a quiet, but sweet note.

Do we really need a movie about the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed following in his father’s footsteps?

Yes, dammit, we do!

The film begins with a young Adonis…

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Presenting Infecto!

Immunize Nevada is a “coalition of individual, business and organization partners committed to improving and protecting the health of children, teens, adults & seniors in Nevada,” according to its website.

A friend of mine on Facebook who works for the advertising agency handling Immunize Nevada, posted a picture of the blue germ above and offered a $25 Amazon gift card to whoever came up with…

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Is This Your HR Person Reading My Resume?

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Shameless self promotion - Someone paid me to write an article! The July/August issue of Reno Magazine came out, and I'm happy to tell you my short article about Atelier Truckee is on page 22.

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Wood hands at the Lear

The Lear Theater is about a block away from my apartment on 1st Street and Ralston in Reno, Nevada. After years of inactivity, I’m glad to see it finally being used.

When they put up these giant wooden hands, however, I couldn’t help but laugh a little. It looks like they are about ready to grope a giant set of wooden breasts.

Strange things amuse me. I’m a very, very lonely man.

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Michael Lucido's raccoon fort invades downtown Reno

Let me start this post by saying that I’m back in Reno and I couldn’t be happier. I spent the last ten months in Massachusetts and endured one of the worst winter’s on record. An aspect of Reno I missed is the City’s interest in local artists and businesses.

As I walked past 1st and Arlington, heading to get a cup of coffee, I saw this artwork by Mike Lucido, which he has titled Raccoon Fort.…

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Album Review: Hand.Cannot.Erase by Steven Wilson

Steven Wilson Hand.Cannot.Erase Released March 3, 2015 Kscope Music

Joyce Carol Vincent died when she was 38. She died with the television and heat running in her London flat. Two years later, her body was discovered, the heat and the television still running. It would be easy to write-off Joyce as some recluse, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. She had friends. She had family. Everyone just…

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Violently happy Icelandic pixie Björk is hurt, and she's not afraid to sing about it

Björk Vulnicura Released: March 24, 2015 Label: One Little Indian

It might be time for Taylor Swift to shut up with the chest-beating, I’m-the-queen-of-the-break-up-song routine. Björk’s new album Vulnicurais about more than superficial heartbreak. Throughout the hour-long concept album, she tells a tale of unfulfilled emotional needs, hope that someone will change, and the pain, not only of…

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More prog rock reviews: The Yes Album & Close to the Edge

I always worry that I’m being a little too self-promotional by posting my YouTube videos. Then I realize, this is exactly what we do on the Internet.

Yes had a huge influence on my during my teen years, and I still love many of their albums. Some have held up beautifully. Others sound dated. So here’s my thoughts on two of their albums.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMVcvsGiIHI&w=640&h=…

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