With Margie and Katherine coming home tomorrow, here are a few last things I watched before they did.
Tin Man (2007) 
: For all that Sci-Fi channel’s original programming tends to suck, they can do a pretty decent job at times. This clever homage to Wizard of Oz (it’s not quite a retelling, but it reincorporates a whole slew of elements in an updated-yet-steampunkish kind of way) manages to stay entertaining for most of its three 90 minutes (broadcast time) episodes. The production values are low-value, and the plot stammers a bit toward the end, but it kept my attention and my amusement. I might very well watch this with Margie — and possibly Katherine, too.
Justice League: New Frontier (2008) : A variant retelling of the formation of the Justice League of America, based on a 2003-04 comic series by that name. Set in the late 50s and early 60s, we get smatterings of McCarthyesque red-baiting and general paranoia, set against luscious retro settings, as the various heroes — Flash, Jonn Jonnz, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and an initially pre-GL Hal Jordan struggle with what it means to be a hero for the people in the face of social ostracism and government suspicion. It works pretty well, even if some of the voice artist choices are a bit off, and for someone with a love of Silver Age DC, there’s chewy bits a-plenty. It’s also rated PG-13 for some fairly violent scenes and a fairly high body count, making it a dubious choice for Katherine.