Zub Tales

Slightly frustrating weekend, but overall okay.

Just before I went to go teach on Friday I pulled a muscle in my neck, leaving me in brutal pain through the weekend. It usually happens to me once or twice a year, taking me mostly out of commission and forcing me to wander around with my head in the locked, straight ahead position like some kind of robot.

Waking up on Saturday, I was sore, but determined to take some painkillers and go check out a matinee of the new Hellboy movie. Hellboy is a great comic, and the trailers looked amazing for this flick.

Overall, okay…probably would’ve enjoyed it more if I would have never read the comic before. I prefer the comic, where the Bureau goes to little spots in Eastern Europe or out of the way places to battle folklore, demons, ghosts and the occasional big threat… In comparison, the big city fight scenes, “Hellboy in the news” type stuff didn’t ever feel right to me.

Hellboy in the comic was a well read paranormal investigator who talks a bit like an old man half the time and can lay the smackdown on evil. Hellboy in the movie seemed like a big jock with a crush. Same thing with the villains: one note personalities with none of the dark flavor they had in the comic.

The high-tech facilities and romantic triangle didn’t feel like Mike Mignola’s HP Lovecraft meets Jack Kirby monster-style creation, you know?

Great visuals in the flick. Great FX. It was well directed too. That creature from the other world was amazing! It’s definitely a movie worth checking out

Even still, I’m disappointed. It was good, just not really the Hellboy I read and loved. The story deviated strangely from the source material, tuning out traits I loved about the characters instead of enhancing them.

I was hoping for quirky cool and got Hollywood heroes with some awesome Lovecraft inspired creature visuals. Oh well…

Got home from the movie and my neck was really, really hurting even though I’d kept it really well padded during the movie. Grabbed a nap and took some Advil. Gala and I were supposed to go to two different Birthday parties on Saturday night, but it just wasn’t do-able. With my neck throbbing, it would be irritating driving downtown Toronto and then just sitting in a corner wishing the pain would stop. That coupled with the fact that it was impossible for me to turn my head while driving to check my blind spots, and we figured it would be better to stay in.

Last night I chatted with Mike and Tanya about the pub gathering/memorial they had for Jordie. Seems an appropriate way to remember him. Really wished I could’ve been there to share the tears, smiles and drinks.

This morning I’ve got more range of motion, but am far from 100%. Gonna lay low until I’m back up to par and then do some social calls to friends, I think.