This weekend, in a fit of abject boredom, I broke down and did something I haven’t done in nearly a decade:  I put a VHS tape in my cassette player.  (Yes, I’m aware that I’m behind the times, but I use the VCR as a video router to keep all my antediluvian video equipment in line.  Until last Christmas, my television only had coaxial inputs.)  In any case, ancient tech or not, large portions of Heavy Metal still have the same punch as back in ’82, especially the last 30 minutes of the film, with Taarna’s fully orchestrated battle against the armies of the Loc-Nar and their cyborg leader.  Even 30 years later, I still got literal goosebumps as the injured bird-creature lifted her into the air the last time, and the echoing cries of the Loc-Nar filled the world, and I once again remarked what a shame it is that so much of the movie’s early going is filled with boobie shots and adolescent humor…

The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) by the power of the glowing Loc-Nar, placed in your hand, commands you, come forth, Ulu’thc, asking: How do you deal with the embarrassing bits in your favorite pop culture?

Recently, my daughter began telling me about her watching of the classic episodes of the Twilight Zone, lamenting that so many of them had endings that were, in her words, “not done yet.”  When I tried to explain that the ambiguity was half the fun, she wasn’t entirely sure, and proceeded to try and figure out what would have happened to poor Burgess Meredith, suggesting that he find the nuked optometrist’s store for a new pair of cheaters.  While I admit that the child has a point, it got me to thinking about whether or not the nature of those endings was part of the show’s longevity.  (Though, I’m sure the superb writing didn’t hurt.)  I have often considered whether the syndicated shows of my youth, like Gilligan’s Island and original series Star Trek, didn’t benefit from never having a series finale that wrapped everything up with a big bow, leaving their characters in an endless cycle that occasionally restarts, but never decisively stops.

The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) likes the ambiguous ending of the short story ‘The Mist,’ while loathing the movie’s last 15 minutes, asking: Does a creator actually need to tie up all the loose ends of a given tales, or can a ‘Twilight Zone’ ending actually be better?

With the latest news out of Marvel-movie-ville, there is a chance that we may be seeing a film featuring Sorcerer Supreme Stephen Strange at some undefined point in the future (after the already-announced Guardians Of The Galaxy and Ant-Man films, of course.)  I’m very happy to see that Marvel is considering what properties they have that are most unusual and interesting rather than just going straight to the Deadpool/Wolverine/Punisher well again.  (A more cynical man than me might even wonder if they couldn’t apply more of that thinking to their comic properties, but that man or woman will inevitably do so in the comments section, anyway.)  Either way, if they DO go for the Strange flick, they could then build their way up to the hopefully-inevitable Defenders movie, which could then lead to the Avengers/Defenders war by the year 2025.

The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) would like to remind you that Prince Namor of Atlantis is one of the oldest characters in all of comics history, asking: Which character needs to be next in the Marvel movie cycle? (For the purposes of this question, there are NO REMAKES ALLOWED!)

As a longtime fan of Doctor Who in its various forms and mediums, I am naturally excited to see what Auntie Beeb has up her sleeve for the Big Five-Oh this fall.  Many rumor sites are claiming a multi-Doctor tale is in the works, but with the exception of David Tennant (and possibly Eighth Doctor Paul McGann) there would be a LOT of work involved in explaining/getting around aging actors.  While I would dearly love to see octogenarian Tom Baker in action and the vain Sixth Doctor played by a heavier Colin Baker with thinning hair, I suspect I’m in a minority.  With Christopher Eccleston vocally opposed to returning to the role, even a reunion of just the modern Doctors is kiboshed, which (combined with Actor Existence Failure for One, Two and Three) begs a question…

The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) kind of wants to see the return of Peri and Ace, regardless of their Doctors, asking: Whether or not we WANT to see it, is a multi-Doctor anniversary tale even a good idea anymore?

There are a few endless raging debates in the circles in which I turn: Ginger or Mary-Ann?  Could the Hulk beat Superman?  Why would Penny ever be interested in Leonard in the first place?  But one of the most savage battles comes in the question of whether it would be superior to be a silent master of martial arts, lurking in the shadows, or a brazen buccaneer swinging down from the mizen-mast to shiver someone’s metaphorical timbers.  In my years leaning on a counter in a comic & hobby store, (Gatekeeper Hobbies!  Huntoon & Gage, TOPEKA!  Ask us about our favorite My Little Pony moments!) I have seen a lot of fights break out, but none has been as contentious and as contagious as today’s query, save for the one guy who likes to start fights with political straw men…

The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) wonders about the wisdom of leaving cowboys out of this one, but figures it will be simpler without ‘em, asking:  Pirates or Ninjas?