Thursday, October 25, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Course Descriptions at the Xavier Institute
Course Descriptions at the Xavier Institute
I added a few of my own of my own:
Hand to hand combat with sharp objects, healing factors 101, martial arts & self defense - Professor Wolverine
I added a few of my own of my own:
Hand to hand combat with sharp objects, healing factors 101, martial arts & self defense - Professor Wolverine
Monday, August 13, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
I can imagine the excitement they felt when the got their tickets. The anticipation they felt when they were let into the theatre. Many of them probably purchased their tickets in advance, waiting hours in a line going out the door and around the block. Some of them probably waited in that line for an entire day! The Dark Knight's swan song in the only Batman trilogy in film history. Being a comicbook nerd and movie nut myself, I've been in those lines. As an employee, I've worked with the people in them. Many of them come in costume. An excuse to throw a party with their fellow nerds and movie fans, walking around dressed like their favorite superhero. Like a kid again. None of them could've anticipated what was about to happen. He came in costume. Many of them thought it was a stunt for the movie. I can't imagine how they felt when the madman revealed his true colors. Their shared experience going from sheer joy to absolute horror in seconds when he opened fire. It's a night they'll never forget. For all the wrong reasons. It absolutely breaks my heart.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Florida cemetery buries veteran in a cardboard box
Florida cemetery buries veteran in a cardboard box
No one should be buried like this, least of all a soldier who served in World War 2.
No one should be buried like this, least of all a soldier who served in World War 2.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Gay Character Picks Showcase DC/Marvel's Cowardice
Gay Character Picks Showcase DC/Marvel's Cowardice
What could've been a reasonable topic of discussion turns into a subtly hate filled rant.
What could've been a reasonable topic of discussion turns into a subtly hate filled rant.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Addressing the apparant Marvel 'double standard'.
I've heard that in a few places. A double standard. That fans have an unfairly negative view of Marvel movies being produced by other companies currently owning the rights to those characters. Other production companies purchased the rights to certain characters before Marvel's film branch went solo and the entire company later bought by Disney. The results of those films have been spotty, at best. Most of them absolute garbage. Marvel
movies have a more authentic tone, even with the changes, so it's
easier to go along with them (unless your really anal about details). Marvel is making quality movies that stay true to the tone of their
titles. They've made changes, but they're essentially cosmetic. More practical changes have been explained in the stories themselves, for example:
- Captain America's classic uniform was removed as it has no practical value in a 'real' World War 2 setting and The First Avenger director Joe Johnston knew that, whether we like it or not. Steve Rogers needed something more practical and closely connected to the military of that era. Later, using 21st century military concepts for the Avengers, Joss Wheddon was able to bring back a more traditional uniform which made practical AND authentic sense. I can't say much about James 'Bucky' Barnes other than he was physically much smaller and was essentially a sidekick in the comics. He's nothing noteworthy until he dies. The movie makes the practical move to change that status quo. Bucky is now on equal footing as a friend and more elevated in his role as a soldier, only later relying on Steve. There's a sense of real grief and tragedy when he dies in the movie. The Super Soldier Serum was a much simpler procedure and fairly painless, pretty much just an injection. The film made it an absolutely agonizing process for Steve, showing his resolve to join the war.
- In the Thor comics, Asgardians use hosts when on earth. That would've taken up too much time to explain and would probably have derailed the flow of the story (and made it MUCH longer), as a result physician Donald Blake had no purpose being in the story and Jane Foster had no place being one, either. But people involved had the sense to bring him up and keep Jane as a love interest. Loki is no longer a raving maniac, but jealous brother who feels overshadowed by Thor and left out when he discovers a family secret.
These changes make sense in context to the story.
They've made some bad moves, too. Most glaringly in Iron Man 2 and the Hulk movies. The changes in Iron Man 2 drew more attention to themselves, but served as lead-ins to The Avengers and didn't destroy the story. Hulk had one hell of a bumpy road, though:
- Ang Lee trying his hand with a scientist who likes to break things when he has a temper tantrum and turns into a 'giant, green rage monster.' One of my favorite lines from The Avengers. We got a muddled mess with Lee trying to do a psychological breakdown of Bruce Banner. As a result, there's pretty little sense and there's no continuity going in to the second film.
- General Ross doesn't show up in The Avengers, Marvel needed an extremely clever film short (The Consultant) to explain his absence.
So, why do we bitch about other studios bastardizing Marvel titles? It's simple. Their main concern is making a buck from the general movie going audience, not respecting it's original creators or the main fanbase. That's why we get trainwrecks like Fantasic Four (1-2), Spiderman Man 3, Xmen 3, Ghostrider and Punisher: Warzone. Doesn't it make sense that we worry when another studio is producing a Marvel title and we scream about it when we realize we were right?
As much as I liked Xmen 1-2, First Class, Spiderman 1-2 and Daredevil (yes, you read that right), other studios don't have the greatest track record of taking care of their fans.
Marvel actually cares about their work, even if they've made mistakes.
With all of that in mind, I don't see a double standard.
- Captain America's classic uniform was removed as it has no practical value in a 'real' World War 2 setting and The First Avenger director Joe Johnston knew that, whether we like it or not. Steve Rogers needed something more practical and closely connected to the military of that era. Later, using 21st century military concepts for the Avengers, Joss Wheddon was able to bring back a more traditional uniform which made practical AND authentic sense. I can't say much about James 'Bucky' Barnes other than he was physically much smaller and was essentially a sidekick in the comics. He's nothing noteworthy until he dies. The movie makes the practical move to change that status quo. Bucky is now on equal footing as a friend and more elevated in his role as a soldier, only later relying on Steve. There's a sense of real grief and tragedy when he dies in the movie. The Super Soldier Serum was a much simpler procedure and fairly painless, pretty much just an injection. The film made it an absolutely agonizing process for Steve, showing his resolve to join the war.
- In the Thor comics, Asgardians use hosts when on earth. That would've taken up too much time to explain and would probably have derailed the flow of the story (and made it MUCH longer), as a result physician Donald Blake had no purpose being in the story and Jane Foster had no place being one, either. But people involved had the sense to bring him up and keep Jane as a love interest. Loki is no longer a raving maniac, but jealous brother who feels overshadowed by Thor and left out when he discovers a family secret.
These changes make sense in context to the story.
They've made some bad moves, too. Most glaringly in Iron Man 2 and the Hulk movies. The changes in Iron Man 2 drew more attention to themselves, but served as lead-ins to The Avengers and didn't destroy the story. Hulk had one hell of a bumpy road, though:
- Ang Lee trying his hand with a scientist who likes to break things when he has a temper tantrum and turns into a 'giant, green rage monster.' One of my favorite lines from The Avengers. We got a muddled mess with Lee trying to do a psychological breakdown of Bruce Banner. As a result, there's pretty little sense and there's no continuity going in to the second film.
- General Ross doesn't show up in The Avengers, Marvel needed an extremely clever film short (The Consultant) to explain his absence.
So, why do we bitch about other studios bastardizing Marvel titles? It's simple. Their main concern is making a buck from the general movie going audience, not respecting it's original creators or the main fanbase. That's why we get trainwrecks like Fantasic Four (1-2), Spiderman Man 3, Xmen 3, Ghostrider and Punisher: Warzone. Doesn't it make sense that we worry when another studio is producing a Marvel title and we scream about it when we realize we were right?
As much as I liked Xmen 1-2, First Class, Spiderman 1-2 and Daredevil (yes, you read that right), other studios don't have the greatest track record of taking care of their fans.
Marvel actually cares about their work, even if they've made mistakes.
With all of that in mind, I don't see a double standard.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
The Avengers
What do you do when people say 'it's impossible'? What do you do when your own fans (myself included) aren't quite sure, either? Prove them wrong. With what could easily be described as a labor of love and his best work to date, writer-director Joss Whedon (Serenity, Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) has done exactly that. Balancing several famous comicbook characters with their own complexity and storied backgrounds, including their films, everyone is given their moments (yes, plural) to shine in unique ways without being shoved center stage. Their flaws completely laid bare, give each of them a level of humanity I (and most people) don't usually see in a summer film. His dialogue gives each character the wit, humor and complexity his writing is known for while maintaining a sense of serious drama, danger and even tragedy throughout the film. Most directors can't pull that off, either.
The films mindblowing action and special effects visually weave together a balanced, dramatic, fast paced, often hilariously funny and occasionally very moving epic. That's what this film is. An epic. And Marvel gave him the financial sandbox to prove it. When the story beats call for them, the director crafts white knuckle action on a scale that makes Michael Bay look like a sissy (that's a generic word, but I like it). Okay, so what's the difference between him and every other carbon copy action director in Hollywood? It's simple. I cared. Each action beat is in a place that adds to the drama and humor that doesn't come off as a lot of useless fireworks and meaningless gun fire. There's a real threat. But how could Whedon pull that off with larger than life characters? Aren't they invincible? I can't go there without ruining the ride. I will say that it's clever and unique every time. When they finally win their individual battles and put aside their personal issues, forming a united front, it's an awe inspiring fanboy event.
My objectivity just went out the window. It's that awesome.
(Warning: Minor spoilers ahead)
And the actors. What about them? Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) is still the narcissistic scientist and billionaire, occasionally showing something like a conscience with Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts) returning as his 'girl friday'. Clark Gregg (SHIELD agent Phillip Coulson) finally gets to stretch out his performance with an expanded, more complex and charming role, even getting some serious action. Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) is still enigmatic as ever, but he's got a greater and deeper leadership role to play with. Chris Hemsworth (Thor) 'a demigod', seems to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, responsible for the actions of his damaged brother. Tom Hiddleston (Loki) is darker than ever (practically channeling Hannibal Lecter a few times) while still holding onto shades of an inner conflict. Chris Evans (Captain America) 'a living legend who lives up to the legend', feels emotionally left behind and out of place in a world more cynical than the one he knew. Each slip back into familiar territory like pros while being given new challenges by Joss Whedon's direction, his script and the action. Scarlett Johannson (Black Widow) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) prove up to the same challenges with expanded rolls and backstories of their own compared to their brief appearances in Ironman 2 (Johannson) and Thor (Renner), even implying something darker about their shared past. The biggest surprise of the film is Mark Ruffalo, being the third person to play the Hulk, he possibly had the hardest part. He had to bring something new to the table without completely reverse engineering the character. He gives Banner a surprising amount of confidence, subtlety and dry humor which seems strange compared to previous, more serious interpretations until you find out why.
With a smart, balanced script, emotionally engaging action and fantastic performances from the cast, The Avengers has done the impossible.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
http://collider.com/morgan-spurlock-comic-con-episode-iv-a-fans-hope-interview/154983/#more-154983
This is a link to a really great article. I'll add more personal responses later.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
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