Random Thoughts: Year Ender, Part III: The Saga Continues (and Ends!)

Oh, what up readers? Cool, cool. Me? Oh, I'm chillin', draped in my Batman blanket (I seriously am). It's the final day/afternoon/night (depending on when I actually post this) of 2011 and time for me to end this charade of Year Ender blogs. I can't guarantee any of those lists I did last year or mentioned just 2 weeks ago, but I promise I'll instead give you tidbits about my life you don't care about, things that entertain me, and things that bother me. So pretty standard Random Thoughts, then. Except it's about to be our last year on earth, 2012! Which makes this all the more thrilling.

—Thursday night, Ridley Scott released the first teaser for his next movie, Prometheus, which, let's be honest, is a prequel of sorts to his 1979 masterpiece, Alien. You know the drill (but I'll repeat it anyways): Watch it so we can discuss it:



Wow, is this tinged with elements of the Alien trailer. The title, the beats, that giant chair, the horse-shoe ship...It all looks grandiose. It looks like it belongs in the world of the xenomorph. It doesn't feel nearly as claustrophobic as the Alien trailer, but instead more open. Which would make sense, as in Alien, the threat was inside, while in Prometheus, it may well be from outside. After this trailer (and working my way through the Alien Anthology on blu-ray), I'm keeping an eye on this one, with hopes it turns out better than Robin Hood.

—Well, I made the switch to Sprint last week. Got myself an iPhone 4S and my own cell plan/bill. It's about time, frankly. I'm like a small child, diving into this world of smartphones. The simplest things make me giddy. Words with Friends sucks, because "qi" is not a word and I refuse to accept that any of these words should count. So if I'm taking forever to respond to your game, it's because I'm being petulant about it. Other than that, and the far-too-often-occurrence of the phone forgetting I'm authenticated, this thing rocks. Oh, the future. So crazy.

—Since work has decided to treat us like high schoolers during "training," I've decided to act like a high schooler and ignore the "training" and read instead. I blew through The Hunger Games on Wednesday and Thursday, and have started book two, Catching Fire. I definitely enjoyed it, as it was a captivating, easy read. My one complaint is that a lot of the descriptions felt more like the author, Suzanne Collins, telling me how everything looks than Katniss seeing all of this for the first time. Which I'm willing to forgive because first-person present is a bitch to write in. And Catching Fire already seems better in that regard. I still question the naiveté of Katniss, since she seems an incredibly observant girl in the woods. I want to know what happens next, which is something I've only been getting from TV lately.

—Speaking of TV (not that again), NBC can suck it. Community, regardless of its ratings, is one of the best comedies on the boobtube. Put them on a hiatus for Chelsea fucking Handler? Really? Really? REALLY?! I just...I don't understand. This season has been a little back-and-forth from my eyes, but it's also provided some of the best of the series in Remedial Chaos Theory (who wouldn't love Evil Troy and Evil Abed?) and Regional Holiday Music (I love spoofs, kinda hate on Glee a lot now, and a horror Christmas story? Heck yes). This show grabbed me by my cajones two years ago and hasn't let up for 2 and a half seasons. Everything about it rocks. Support it however you can, friends, because it may well go the way of Firefly, Arrested Development, and the freshly cancelled and forever awesome Bored to Death.

—For those of you I'm friends with on facebook, you saw that I lost a dear companion right before Christmas:

It's a cliché, but they really don't make them like they used to. That Game Boy lasted twenty-two years. My first generation Xbox 360 lasted...four? Five? That's a badass piece of gaming history I don't intend on tossing out, even if it is gone. Worst of all, I'd just bought a few games on ebay and was so very excited to play them. For the curious, they're two Jurassic Park games I never got the chance to play as a child. Now I'm a child with money, so it only makes sense that I'd spend it on childish things. 

—Wondering what movies I loved this year? Me too! I don't remember all the movies I saw, but I know only a few stuck out. Maybe more than a few, but we'll see. Of what I've seen, the best of the year can be nothing but Drive. Words cannot express how much I loved this movie. Such a shock, as it was marketed as another heisty, driving type of movie. What we got was a noir, plain and simple. A long look at a character and his interactions. Brillant.


—Rango was also a ton of fun. Excellent animation, a fun, if classic, story, and great voice acting. For all the hate it may garner, Fast Five was good, too. It wasn't a racing movie as much as it was a heist/action movie. It delivered and managed to not take itself too seriously.


—Hugo was the sort of film you want to see again and again, but probably sans 3D. I had a bad headache by the end of the movie, which was a first for me and 3D. That kept me from fully loving it, but there was a lot to appreciate: it was a child's story, but at no point did it feel childish. As a hater of children in movies, I realized it was the lack of respect for children in films I hate. In Hugo's case, the children were treated with the utmost respect and I didn't think twice about it.

—What music did I like this year? blink-182's Neighborhoods. "Ghost on the Dance Floor" gets me excited and pumped up (I put it on my cardio mix). Florence + The Machine's Ceremonials has some amazing pieces of music on there. Absolutely worth a listen. So is Drive's soundtrack, now that I think about it. I listened to and enjoyed a lot of Johnny Cash's American Recordings albums. The man only got better as he aged.

—Remember how I told you I was in the middle of reading Catching Fire? Well, between the time I wrote that and now, I finished it. My criticisms stand: the descriptions don't impress me and either does Katniss's obliviousness. This was definitely a stronger book, but it felt much more like a piece of a story than a stand-alone. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I just wish it didn't end as it did, relying on the reader to get Mockingjay to have a complete tale. Still worth checking out.

—Brock Lesnar retired from the UFC. He had a short career there, with more ups and downs than most athletes see in a lifetime. He went from UFC Heavyweight Champion to getting diagnosed with a nasty bit of diverticulitis, to pummeling opponents in no time to getting pummeled in no time. Let the pro wrestling fans among us (myself included) begin speculating on a potential return to the WWE.

—I got my hair flat-iron straightened today. It feels weird. Really strange...like it lacks volume. I don't know that I like it, but I don't think I dislike it, either. My hair is an odd thing for me: I love it long, and want it under a bit of control, but don't want to do anything to it. Doesn't really make sense, does it? Either way, I've entered a new chapter in my hairs existence, and we'll see how it goes.

—Sooooo, what are you guys doing tonight? Something baller, I hope. Me? I'm heading to a classy place with some classy folk to drink all night and eat delicious food. Even my little sister will be there! Unfortunately, I've gone and screwed up the trimming of my beard (I blame the trimmer), so I'm going to have to do something to distract from it. Maybe face paint. Probably nipple clamps. We'll see. Sometimes, dressing to the nines, getting shitty, and distracting from a poorly trimmed beard is just what you have to do. And whatever you do, be safe and have fun. I expect all of you to make it to the new year, if only so we can face the impending Mayan apocalypse together.

I don't think there's anything else I wanted to mention. As such, enjoy tonight, tomorrow, and forever on until I blog again!

Random Thoughts: Year Ender, Part II: The Fire Rises

Welcome back to my year end celebration! It really isn't so much a celebration as much as it is a bunch of blogs in rapid succession. And there really isn't much tying them together, except for the "Part I" or "Part II" in the title. Heck, there may be a "Part III" but I bet it's still only loosely connected to the first two (aside from my raving wit, charming sarcasm, and undeniable good looks). Get on with it, I hear you exclaim, and so I shall! (Oh, and if you've just come for talk about The Dark Knight Rises and The Hobbit trailers, just skip down past the clip from The Daily Show.)

—Last week, in a shameless, cowardly act, Congress passed the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization Act, which has a few provisions causing a bit of unrest. What provisions, you ask? Sections 1021 and 1022, which make it a-OK to detain anyone, including American citizens (why the big stink over Americans and not anyone else? Because! That's why!), without trial, indefinitely. IF they get themselves caught as part of a group associated with, or maybe might've supported terrorism. We don't get specifics here, which is the scariest part. I'm not one for conspiracies, but we've seen a metric shit-ton of liberties taken away since 9/11. This has happened under both Presidents Bush and Obama. Who'd have thought that Barack would have as bad a record on civil liberties as Dubya? For more info on the NDAA, check this out and read up on it yourself (always, always, ALWAYS research!).

—To continue with a bit of negativity (I want to get it out early), a television show, All-American Muslim, has come under fire from the supremely bigoted group, Florida Family Association. Lowe's pulled advertising, and more recently, so has Kayak. You see, Muslims are evil and poisoning the rest of 'Murica. Bet you didn't know that (unless you watch FOX News). The AV Club has a good write-up about it, but Jon Stewart and The Daily Show crew really said it best:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
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—And for my last politically-tinged bit, we have this letter from America's port truck drivers. See, last week, the Occupy movement occupied Seattle's ports amongst many others. They shutdown business, essentially. The letter is an incredible read that puts on display the underhanded, disturbing, disgusting, profits-first/people-last, mentality of, at the very least, those companies in control of shipping. It shouldn't come as a surprise, because hey, if you can take advantage of people who need a job and can't afford to be unemployed or on unemployment, why not? That's the free market, baby, that's capitalism. No, excuse me, that's corporatism. When those corporations hold the same rights as you and me? I say bullshit. And good on the truck drivers AND the Occupy movement!

—Now that all of that is out of the way, let's get onto the juicy, movie tidbits! First up? Of course, Batman! Where would this blog be without Batman? Rotting in Arkham Asylum, most likely. So, what happened with Bats, besides that prologue? How about the release of the trailer? Watch it now because I'll be diving deep into it:



Let me say up front I feel that this is much more of an extended teaser than a full-on trailer. Maybe my expectations were a bit high for the first trailer (how couldn't they be after this from 4 years ago?).

And again, fair warning: What I say here may be spoilers. I don't know, because I've kept myself as in the dark as possible regarding this movie. It's really all just speculation.

Our old pal, Bruce Wayne, has grey hairs. More importantly than that, he's using a cane in a lot of his scenes (a lot but not all). You all know what Bane did to Batman in the comics? He broke the Batman's back. I imagine one might need a cane after that.

Is there an Occupy Gotham? Selina Kyle seems to be implying a revolution against the rich, in an incredibly sultry, awesome delivery. I can't wait to see more of her.

The football field could stand some polishing. I'm not worried about it right now. Bane's voice doesn't bother me either, as I haven't had much problem understanding him, but I get the criticisms.

Bane's one single line in the trailer: "When Gotham is...ashes, you have my permission to die." Bad. Ass. Intentional or not, I love that his mask, if you squint, resembles the luchadore mask he's known for in the comics. And it's also an inversion of Batman's mask: mouth covered, face mostly revealed.

What is that stair room? At first I thought the Batcave. Then I thought flashbacks to Bruce's training with the League of Shadows, but it can't be, because he's sporting greys. So now I have no idea.

I fully intend on going much further in depth in a later post, which will include the prologue.

—And lastly (for this post, anyways), Tuesday saw the premiere of the first trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Take a gander!



Now, tell me you didn't get chills when you heard Sméagol's voice. Wonderful tease there, especially with the addition of The Ring's theme. This is exactly the sort of trailer I love to see: characters introduced, a taste of the plot ("I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure..."), and some serious foreboding. And how good was it to see Gandalf the Grey again? He's easily my favorite character from the movies and was sorely missed in the latter parts of Lord of the Rings. I'm feeling good about Martin Freeman as young Bilbo, especially since, when not watching the trailer, I had trouble distinguishing the transition from Ian Holm and to Mr. Freeman. As an unabashed nerd who just received the Extended Edition LotR trilogy on Blu-Ray, a year is too far.

—Well, this wraps up Part II of my neverending Year Ender! I hope you've enjoyed it, as there will be more to come after the holidays but before the new year. I know for sure I'll be talking about Ridley Scott's debut teaser for his Alien prequel, Prometheus, and I can see a mention of the late Christopher Hitchens. What else have I got? I don't know! I'll surprise you!

Until next time, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Winter Solstice, etc., etc., and so on and so forth!

Random Thoughts: Year Ender, Part I

After a lengthy, unexplainable absence, I'm back! Complete with Random Thoughts, too, in case you were sick without them. If so, please see a doctor. There are side effects, but I'd rather not get into them here. That said, let's get into Random Thoughts:

—The marketing of my pet project with British up-and-comer Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight Rises, has finally moved into second gear with poster number dos:

Let's take a moment to discuss the badassery of this, shall we? First of all, it's badass. Incredibly so. The shattered cowl goes right along with the comic book tale of Bane, the Bat-Breaker. It also reemphasizes this will be the final piece of Nolan's Bat-trilogy (as if the teaser trailer wasn't enough). But it offers something beyond the teaser's text ("Every Legend Has an End," "The Epic Conclusion..."): that shattered cowl. Is this Batman's end, too?

—I'm not sure how long the smartphone has existed, but I'll finally have one this Christmas: the iPhone 4S. What am I most looking forward to, you (didn't) ask? Siri. And hopefully the ability to rename her Jarvis and get her to speak with a male English accent. Also, the ability to grow a goatee and be a billionaire playboy with an ass-kicking iron suit. That'd be the ideal iPhone package.

—No Shave November has transitioned into Don't Stop December. I'm at nearly two months with my beard; I started with a completely shaved face back in October. I'm pretty much OK with it. My only problem? When I wear my hair down, everyone calls me Jesus. Instead of explaining that if Jesus existed, he'd have been brown all around, I'm going to start replying, "Yes, my child?" and ask for your love, devotion, and souls.

—Speaking of Jesus Christo, did you guys see Rick Perry's "Strong" ad? I'm not going to link to it here, but here's the transcript of the 30-second commercial:

I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a Christian, but you don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.As president, I’ll end Obama’s war on religion. And I’ll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage. Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again.

Do I need to point out the ridiculous bigotry on display here, the absurd, revisionist view that America was founded as a Christian nation when it clearly was not, or can we all just sit back and laugh at the insanity that is Rick Perry? I almost feel bad for the Republican party. They have no one likable enough, smart enough, or charismatic enough to come close to beating President Obama (I'm not counting Ron Paul among them since he's a Libertarian in Republican clothing).

—Appropriately enough, here's Jesus' response to Rick Perry:

Jesus Responds to Rick Perry's "Strong" Ad from DC Pierson      

Should any of Jesus' claims about Rick Perry frighten or disturb you, I encourage you to research Rick Perry and the execution of not just the mentally handicapped, but also of the potentially innocent. You won't have to search too hard.

—You all didn't think I was done writing about The Dark Knight Rises, did you? Of course I wasn't! Because last week, Christopher Nolan and wife/producer Emma Thomas (both of whom I could've reached out and touched on set) showed the 6/7 minute prologue to the film to select filmmakers and film critics (there will also be a free early showing Tuesday night in select IMAX theaters). The response is, as expected, incredibly positive, with one consistent criticism: Bane's voice. Turns out, he's hard to understand (I think this is a theme for the Nolan Batman movies). Hopefully Mr. Nolan hears this criticism (unless it's a point to make Bane hard to hear) and fixes this before release in July. Or before the trailer (hopefully later this month).

—The lady and I just finished watching season 1 of Game of Thrones, or as we've called it, Incest of Thrones, Game of Incest, Incest Thrones, and Awesome. Now, I tend to be the nerdy, geeky one in the relationship, so I wasn't expecting her to really get into it too much. That said, I'd like to share my favorite of the texts I received from her while I was at work and she was watching it: "OMG if you watch 8 you can go to bed, but if you watch 9 you HAVE to watch 10!" Needless to say, if you haven't watched the show, get to it. We'll be reading the books soon, so one day, I'll tell you about them.

—My old home state is stupid and cruel. This is very clearly not a helpful situation. What does killing these breeds accomplish? Nothing. Because the people who train those types of dogs to be vicious and mean will be able to do that with any dog. And what happens when a more cuddly dog starts to pick up that reputation? The problem is not the dogs, it's the people raising and training them. It's sickening.

—But to end on a positive note, and give a big middle finger to Cumberland County, a pit bull saved a woman and her toddler from a potentially violent mugging. In case you're too lazy and/or scared to click the link, a mother and child were leaving a playground when a man with a knife approached her. This dog came out of no where and started growling and baring its teeth at this tool bag, who, like the superstitious and cowardly lot he is, ran off. The lady didn't know the dog, but it stayed with her until the cops came. If no one claims the dog, she plans on adopting it. Awesome.

—I have plenty more to say, and so I will, but in Part II. It'll definitely have more Batman. Maybe I'll have some of those Year End Lists people love. Maybe it'll be more topical, featuring the absurdity of President Obama and Congress passing the NDAA. Who knows?! Well, I do, but soon you will too!

Random Thoughts: The "Proud To Be An American" Edition

Amigos! I bring to you a special edition of Random Thoughts, the 'Murican edition! Make no mistake, this will be snarky, sarcastic, and in its own way, patriotic. Because what says patriot more than sitting at a desk, typing at a computer made by children in the third world (huzzah Apple!)?

—The 99% movement, or Occupy Wall Street, or Occupy America, or whatever you want to call it, is really being put to the test. In the last few days and weeks, we've seen raids on the tent cities in Oakland, SoCal, Portland, and earlier this week, in New York City. Despite a general lack of coverage (or shitty, biased coverage when there is) on mainstream news channels, the Occupy movement is growing. Seriously, no city is too small for it. Last week, while visiting friends in Raleigh, NC, we stumbled upon the Occupy Raleigh protests. They're everywhere and that's exciting. It's this sort of demonstration that excites me, much like when Madison, WI was occupied by citizens tired of their corrupt governor and officials. Folks are finally remembering their first amendment rights and finding that freedom of speech, freedom to peaceably assemble, isn't quite so simple when the 1% is ordering parks evicted, SWAT teams to raid encampments, and forcing hundreds, if not thousands, to leave their personal belongings and property behind to be trashed (which is exactly what happened early Tuesday morning at Wall Street).

—I'm sure I'll come back around to the protests, but here's another little something worth paying attention to: Mind Reading: What We Can Learn From the Dutch About Teen Sex. I've mentioned in the past America's over-reactions to sex in media, while being a-OK with violence, and this article speaks to that (well, to the sex, not the violence). Sex is such a taboo, parents won't/can't/don't talk to their kids about it openly and teenage pregnancies are through the roof. Is it really that much of a surprise when "abstinence only" education is in place? Or when Sex Ed is boycotted by religious groups? We have a youth that is being told to believe sex is something they can't have, that's dangerous, so of course they want it. Of course they're going to dive into it. And they're doing it without education, without understanding it. The longer that goes on, the longer we're going to see huge numbers of teenage pregnancies and abortions and STDs amongst those of us just entering sexual maturity. Sex shouldn't be a taboo. It should be respected and discussed, with younger-than-me folks. Because gorram it, they are going to get down and dirty regardless. May as well make it so they aren't ashamed, embarrassed, and uneducated about it.

—To get someone else's take on the Occupy protests, let's turn to comic book legend, Frank Miller:

"“Occupy” is nothing but a pack of louts, thieves, and rapists, an unruly mob, fed by Woodstock-era nostalgia and putrid false righteousness."

 I highly recommend you take a gander at the entire rant, because it's absurd. More than anything, I feel bad for Mr. Miller, whose fame exists because of the rapists and louts he's deriding. There's no denying the man was talented. He did things with Batman that genuinely revolutionized the character. Same with Daredevil. His runs on those series' are among the best in the business. But, much like Alan Moore, Frank Miller has gone nuts. He sounds paranoid and a good bit like the ever-present talking heads from The Dark Knight Returns. I don't know where he's been getting his information about the protests (I imagine FOX), but he's totally unaware that some of the protestors themselves are veterans, whether from Iraq and Afghanistan or Vietnam, Korea, and World War II. The man deserves all the negative attention he gets from this. Hopefully it'll keep him from writing another All-Star Batman & Robin.

—You all remember how Bank of America was going to start charging their members a monthly fee to use debit cards? Well, they dropped that plan. But mostly because they didn't need the money. Turns out, they've been getting it directly from the most well-off among us: the unemployed! Apparently, 41 states (that's out of 50, for those keeping count) have deals in place with major banks when it comes to allowing the unemployed to collect their benefits. Said deals allow the banks to charge a ridiculous amount for citizens to withdraw their benefits. Very classy, very stand-up work from some of the nation's largest banks. Nothing really screams 'Murica to me more than corporate greed, screwing the citizens, and big banks and governments in bed together.

—I don't know what to make of American Horror Story. My problem right now is that I'm expecting sense, logic, and consistency. This show is pulpy and over-the-top. The sooner I make amends with that and accept what it is, not what it could be (I have the same problem with the Star Wars prequels), I'm sure I'll enjoy it more. Are any of you watching it? What do you all think of it?

—Here's a great read a friend of mine on thefacebook shared during the week. It's by the former chief of police in Seattle, Norm Stamper, and he's examining the paramilitarizing (that is not a word) of the American police force and how that affected his response to the World Trade Organization protests in the '90s to the police response now, with Occupy Wall Street. He makes a plethora of great points about not just how police are responding, but why they are responding in this way. Mr. Stamper isn't the only former policeman unhappy with how things are playing out, and how the police are being played and portrayed: Retired Captain Ray Lewis of Philadelphia found himself in a pair of handcuffs for his own civil disobedience. There's also World War II veteran, Murray Gittelman, who also protested the Vietnam war. In Oakland, there's ex-marine Scott Olsen, who was hospitalized after police in Oakland fired either a tear gas canister or a rubber bullet that struck him in the head. My point? These protestors aren't the dirty, jobless hippies our wonderful media has been portraying them as. This is a group of people, all ages, races, occupations, and backgrounds, coming together because they recognize a broken system. Whether you agree or disagree with them, if you're reading this blog, odds are you're part of the 99% and they're fighting for you. I don't want to preach about this, so I'll leave you with this (and kudos to whomever created it, anonymous internet!):

Random Thoughts, Now with Extra Random!

OK, so that title's deceptive—nothing here will be extra random. It's all right in line with my other "Random Thoughts": Nerdy things, whether TV, movies, comics, books, etc. This time, it might be a tidbit less nerdy. No, scratch that, I've got The Avengers trailer to discuss. It'll be pretty nerdy.

—The oft dreamt of movie follow-up to the incredible TV series Arrested Development may be happening. When I first heard about the Bluth family reunion, I was understandably enthused. Here we have every major character from the show saying they are on-board and want it to happen. We have creator Mitchell Hurwitz telling us he has a story for not just a movie, but also 9 or so additional episodes that would lead into the movie, each focusing on where a different character has been (smart). But then I talked to a more tempered friend, who's been burned before. Every 6 months or so, we do get new rumors about this movie, ever since it went off the air. It was apparently a sure thing that the show would move to Showtime. Clearly, none of this has happened. And even after the reunion, we're still at that phase where a schedule needs to be set, a studio needs to greenlight it, etc. There is no guarantee. As much as I want to freak out and be overjoyed, I realize the tempered approach is the way to go here. Hopefully it happens, and we get another 9 episodes and a 2ish hour long movie.

—Aaaaand just because I like to group similar things together (or split them up by one random entry—seriously, go back and check my other "Random Thoughts," I do this all the time), my ladyfriend and I are working our way through Arrested Development. To say the writing of this show makes me feel small isn't saying enough. The layering, the referencing, the foreshadowing...I would take a class on the writing of Arrested Development that started at 6 a.m. and went for 3 hours with no break every morning. But it's not just the writing, it's also the set design—an episode after the whole lesson teaching (where George teaches the kids a lesson about leaving a note when they use the last of the milk), we see hanging on the fridge a note from George-Michael about using the last of the milk. COME ON! These people knew what the hell they were doing and it makes for multiple, enjoyable rewatches.

—Keeping with TV, I just started watching Breaking Bad last week. As of today, I just finished season 3. More than anything, I'm embarrassed it took me this long to start watching. I'm loving every moment of the transformation of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman into different people. More than anything, I want to like Walt and Jesse and Skylar and Hank and Marie, but I can't. They're all bad people! They do a lot to make me like them, but then go and flush all that goodwill away. Me, I'm liking Gus and Mike. Those guys are badass. There's genuine tension, and for that, I'm glad I have it all on Netflix and don't have to wait a week for the next episode. One of my favorite aspects, from a technique/craft standpoint, is the up from underneath shot. Now, that's not a good description, but they've been doing it since season 1. It can be from up through the bottom of a pot, a tray, a vat, whatever. It's awesome. What I really appreciate is how they don't even attempt to glorify drug dealing or manufacturing. The show is brutal about it, in fact, whether the consequences, the struggle to sell, or even just making crystal meth, this is not a pretty show.

—Have you seen Drive yet? No? Then do it. Now. Go to moviefone, or wherever, find the next showtime, and go watch one of the best movies of the last several years. Don't be fooled by the trailers; this is NOT a fast cars, crazy chases, lots of heists kind of movie. It's wonderfully quiet, a subtle, beautifully crafted character study. Ryan Gosling astonishes as the Driver (a man with no name...) who gets tangled in some dangerous stuffs. Honestly, if you are a fan of film (i.e. don't believe the Transformer films are worth their weight in box office profits), if you enjoy subtlety, and quiet, compelling characters, check this out. Buy it on blu-ray or laserdisk or whatever. Just go and support it, because movies like this, nowadays, are rare and wonderful little gems. And keep in mind the story of the scorpion and the frog.

—I finally decided on my Halloween costume: Nurse Joker. Yup, I'll be wearing a cute little nurse's dress. Now, I'm a nerdy nerdnerd, so I'm slightly bothered that it won't be screen accurate (my dress will be a button-up instead of zipper-up, and the belt he has on in the movie is only made in the UK), but nerds like me are few and far between. I've been wanting to do this costume since 2008, when The Dark Knight came out, so I'm pumped to get around to it. Trust, blog-reading amigos, there will be pictures. From the application of the scars, to each layer of makeup. It'll rival my Wolverine costume, I promise.

—Saturday, I'm going to the New York Comic Con. Expect a whole blog all about it. Picture heavy. Maybe video heavy, too, if I can manage to get into The Avengers panel. I managed to sneak onto the floor Thursday, but was sans camera. Needless to say, it looks awesome down there. Can't wait to harass some favorite artists and writers. AMC's The Walking Dead panel looks informative, too, but I'm still going to be apprehensive about the new season, with the dumping of Frank Darabont. New footage will be shown, along with the cast and remaining creators. It'll be pretty rad just to be there, even if the season doesn't turn out as well as the first. Which reminds me! I realize we dropped the ball in a most dramatic fashion, but with the new season kicking off Sunday, expect to see a revival of Among the Walking Dead.

—And now, friends, behold, the trailer for The Avengers! Watch it now if you haven't, because I'm about to dive into it, nerd-like.



First off, YESYESYES. That scene with Cap giving Tony Stark hell? That's the dynamic I wanted to see. That's the dynamic that needs to be there, between the greatest hero America has ever seen and the biggest playboy in the Marvel universe. What I wanted to see more of was Thor with those two. But it was just a trailer so there's no reason to be worried just yet. You know what did get me even more pumped about the movie? Seeing Iron Man flying through the skyscrapers of New York City. I understand the reason Jon Favreau moved Tony Stark to Los Angeles, but there's still something supremely, nerdly satisfying about seeing Iron Man in his city. On top of that, we get a shot of the Quinjet, Loki being a d-bag, lots of explosions, Black Widow looking supremely hot, a brief bit of Hawkeye, and at long last, the Hulk. Another dynamic I really look forward to seeing is that of Bruce Banner and Tony Stark, two geniuses of the Marvel universe. So overall, I'm excited. I'm stoked. Joss Whedon is a master of ensembles, and I'm hoping to see a bit more come the panel tomorrow night.

All right! I've got a busy rest of the month ahead of me, but I'll get to stepping on the NYCC post, and some video game reviews (Gears of War 3 and Batman: Arkham City). Until then, amigos!

A (Not So) Random Review: blink-182's Neighborhoods

I was 12, maybe 13, when What's My Age Again? took over MTV and the radio. Within a year, I had a bass guitar, a copy of "Enema of the State," and more tabs than you could shake a redwood at. I tried to start a band, with friends Zac and Drew. We, or at least I, wanted to be blink. I wanted to be Mark—I started spiking my hair, playing my bass as low to the ground as possible, even ran around naked. More than anything else at that time, blink-182 defined me. Besides my sideburns, I mean, scraggly, unkempt things though they were. And in spite of the shit I get from friends (from high school to college, bandmates to gaming buddies, hipster classmates to roommates), I won't let them go (the color scheme of this blog? The white, pink, tealish blue and black? Straight off the artwork of their self-titled album). They are my favorite band. Doesn't mean they're the best band I've ever heard but I enjoy them more than any other group...period.

This album is a long time coming. As such, so is this review. Last summer, I took a crack at "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket," which was, admittedly, a biased review. I can't subjectively look at/listen to that album without remember that time in my life. "Neighborhoods" is different. I'm a wee bit older, a smidge more mature, and a tad more cynical (OMG just like the guys in blink!!@!1!).

I want to take this review song-by-song. At the end, I'll wrap it up like a beautiful, baby burrito. So if you don't want to read all of this (and there is a lot), just skip down to the bottom for my overall thoughts of the album.

Ghost on the Dance Floor
What an excellent way to open. And what an excellent way to open the opener: It fades in, with Travis doing what he does best on the drums, then introduces a bit of synth (not too new to blink, but more associated with AVA), and then a barebones guitar line. It's like a reintroduction. By the time Mark comes in, you know it's a blink song: driving, simple bass backed by drums that are distinctly Barker's, accompanied by a guitar that is strung-out just enough. It's grandiose to a point, and then tempered by Travis and Mark. Please pay attention to the little bits that Travis is doing on the verses. The dude knows how to add that little bit extra without drawing in all the focus. Speaking of, hearing Mark back Tom during the verse/pre-chorus got me excited. There's no other song on the album that gets you hyped to listen quite like this one. And how about that ending? With that ending, it easily could've been the last song on the album. The break into the last chorus is chaotic and fun and leads wonderfully into...

Natives
The reviews I've read all compare Natives to M+M's from "Cheshire Cat," but they're a good bit wrong. See, Natives has an urgency and a tension right from the start (it pervades the entire song), in large part to Travis' drumming and Mark's guttural bass line. Both keep the guitar (which is where the comparison to M+M's comes from) from feeling upbeat or easy going. When Tom's strained vocals come in, it pushes the tension and feels paranoid. The lyrics aren't uplifting and nothing relents until Mark's chorus. And even then, it's not necessarily relenting. Because it's still angry and the urgency remains throughout, pushed along by the drumming and vocals. It works well here, to the point where I actually thought the intro was a continuation to Ghost on the Dancefloor.

Up All Night
I reviewed Up All Night when it first came out back in July, so I won't dwell here too much. I was cautiously optimistic and I stand by my original opinion—it's a good blink song. And it's still awesome to hear Mark and Tom trading vocals during the verse. However, as a part of the album, this song goes from good to better than good, but not quite great. The song has grown on me like a beard, and in context, as part of an album, it works that much more. It fits the tone set by the first two songs, and carries it on: this album, this blink-182, is a bit heavier. And that's a good thing (more on why when I'm making that baby burrito at the end).

After Midnight
If you don't pay too much attention to the lyrics, this song comes off as a sweet, love-songy type. But there's a definite melancholy. It sounds like a song about a couple right at the edge of a break-up, especially during the verses. The chorus follows suit, but is more focused on just how they deal in the moment. It's sad, but not heartbreaking. This is apparently lined up as the next single, and I hear why. I've always appreciated when Mark and Tom split the verse and chorus, much like in Feeling This, where they're clearly singing about the same subject but from two distinct and different points of view. After Midnight encapsulates that.

Snake Charmer
This one's a little nugget of awesome. First off, I love what Mark's doing on bass. And I love the minimalist styling of the verses, which just stand to make the choruses that much more powerful and fun. The break is particularly full of rockin', with Mark providing vocals that just click, and Tom throwing out lines as they build to the last chorus. Solid, solid, track.

Heart's All Gone Interlude/Heart's All Gone
If anything will convince you that the blink-182 of yore is forgotten, it's the interlude. OK, maybe not as much as The Fallen Interlude from "blink-182," but it's decidedly not blink-ish. And if anything is going to make you think the blink-182 of yore is still around, it's Heart's All Gone. It's super fast, with vocals more strained than we're used to from Mark. In that way, it's a lot like "Dude Ranch"—fast, frenetic. Except, as per the rest of this album, the lyrics are heavier than anything you'd hear on "Dude Ranch," and decidedly less uplifting and feel-goody. Once again, pay attention to Travis, this time in the chorus. Dude rocks hard. I prefer this song live, with Mark and Tom trading lines in the verse. Again, it's reminiscent of "Dude Ranch," particularly Pathetic, which is a very good thing.

Wishing Well
Is Tom singing about his departure from blink? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it's Tom's most open song on the album. The song benefits from the honesty ("I'm a little bit shy, a bit strange and a little bit manic" Tom sings before super catchy la da da's kick in. Seriously, they stay with you). The song is one of the catchier, if not the catchiest, on the album. Even in spite of self-conscious, uncertain lyrics. As per the usual, the final chorus brings the energy just a bit higher, in this case with an extra guitar thrown in.

Kaleidoscope
This one I tend to skip. It doesn't click for me and I couldn't really tell you why. OK, I probably can: I don't like the start, with Mark coming in. It's off-putting to me. If they had cut out just that bit, and kept just the bare intro into the little piano bit and then the verse, I think it'd be a stronger song. Which drives me crazy, because I prefer Mark's voice on this song than I do on Heart's All Gone. In fact, beyond the intro, I don't mind the song. I just really think it could've started a lot stronger and been more appealing minus Mark in the intro.

This Is Home
First thing I thought of when this song came on was the '80s. Between the synth and the drum clap, this feels like some sort of hybrid of The Cure and blink. I dig that the guitar is going throughout the verse because it's a cool little line. Lyrically, this one is all about remembering the pit, going to shows and having a riot. Folks who didn't really like Tom's vowel-elongation that really blew up in AVA will probably be turned off by the chorus, which sees a good bit of it. I could stand to have a bit less of it, but let it go because of the heart behind the last line of the chorus, "Because this is home." I really Tom believes what he's singing, not that he just wrote some lyrics to go with a cool hook.

MH 4.18.2011
Here's another darker (lyrically) song masked by pop-punkier, uptempo music. I don't really know what to make of this one. It doesn't offend my senses but it doesn't send out any sparks, either. It's a fine listen, just not particularly exciting to me.

Love Is Dangerous
Another one that could be out of the '80s. Tom has primary vocals here, but Mark is singing along with the entire verse, which makes for a really cool harmony. This is one of those songs where I'm glad they're back together because their vocals work together. Especially in the chorus, where Tom's singing one thing and Mark another. It was a good touch having Mark's lines come in in the second chorus. Another good guitar line, and synth line, too. This is the regular edition's ending, which makes me appreciate the fade out even more, since Ghost on the Dancefloor fades in (I like cyclical! Or parallel. Whatever you want to call it, I like it).

Fighting the Gravity
Here's the biggest departure from the blink-182 of the '90s and '00s. It's the most experimental of the album. It doesn't really fit on here, so I understand leaving it off. It's not one I've listened to very much. But if you're in the mood for something spacey, dark, and resonating, put on some good headphones and listen.

Even If She Falls
Remember above where I said Love Is Dangerous was a good closer? So is this. Particularly with the delivery of the first verse and chorus. It's more spoken than outright singing. Until the second verse, where it becomes more singing. Now, that may sound weird, but that's just because I'm bad at describing. It's a more subtle song, more in line with Love Is Dangerous and Wishing Well, but not quite as '80s as them. Again, I love the little bits that Travis is doing during the chorus.

Overall
The first half of the album is fucking solid. I'm still on the fence about Heart's All Gone, but even so, it works incredibly well with the first half of the album. I find the first five songs (Ghost on the Dancefloor through Snake Charmer) to be the strongest part of the album. Even on the slower songs (After Midnight), the album's pace remains intact. Wishing Well takes us in a different direction and it's here that the pace falters, that the guys seem a bit more unsure. It's like they weren't sure which way they wanted it to go, so they alternated between two different types of songs (Wishing Well, Love Is Dangerous, Even If She Falls vs Kaleidoscope, MH 4.18.2011).

Now, blink-182 has never been known for its lyrical content, and that's still dead. There are some really heavy-handed lines sprinkled throughout, some that probably sounded like a great idea but just didn't translate well. But if you listen to blink, you know that and you expect that. Some of the vocal work leaves a good bit to be desired. Neither Mark or Tom have ever been touted as great singers, but age hasn't helped. And this may sound odd, but the more Mark tries to sing well, the more I want to switch tracks. I don't know how else to explain it. You should also expect a good bit of influence from the side projects: there's a heavy influence of AVA and +44. In the same vein though, what else would you expect? Each of those bands had traces of "blink-182" in them. It's a natural progression. And at no point do any of these songs sound like AVA or +44. You know it's blink-182. Mark and Travis rein in Tom's grandiose stylings that have been let loose on the AVA albums and Tom adds a bit of scale to Mark's simpler sounds. It's why these guys have worked so well together since 1992. Travis Barker is MVP of "Neighborhoods." He just adds so much more to each song, but without being the focus, without hogging the spotlight.

So, friends, this one is worth a listen. No, it isn't as upbeat and happy-go-naked as "Enema of the State" or "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket," but it shouldn't be. These guys went through an ugly break-up, public potshots, Travis nearly dying, and two good friends (DJ AM and Jerry Finn) dying. So the album's darker. It's a bit more brooding. But it still has fun and more importantly, is fun to listen to. Ghost on the Dancefloor will get you moving. You'll be humming Wishing Well's prechorus after one listen. This is still blink-182. It's just an older blink-182. But really, all that needs to be said of the album is simply this:

I guess this is growing up.

Randomly Extended Thoughts!

 Yo, faithful fams/friends/readers! Good to see you again. It's been a bit. Thanks for coming. Did you get a haircut? No? Well, something's different...A good different. No, I like it. You're looking good. Enough with the compliments! Let's get to the blogging:

—As I mentioned, I was going to Pittsburgh to work on The Dark Knight Rises with my buddy, Greig. Well I did that. And it was awesome. I can't tell you what I saw because I signed a piece of paper that prohibits me from doing that (which, in and of itself, is pretty gnarly). What I can tell you is that Pittsburgh was frakkin' cool. It helped that Greig and I stayed with a great host who showed us around South Side. Had a lot of good drinks and food, not to mention a day of classic arcading at Games N' At (I know people rave about it, but Primanti Bros. was over-rated and overpriced). Met a bunch of cool people, some sketchy folks, and Christian Bale (not really). I pretended to be one of the Hanson brothers from Slapshot on the prompting of a magician. So yeah, great time in Pittsburgh. Go check it out if you've never been. Mucho thanks to Phil and Lauralynn for putting us up and showing us around!

—Also out in Pittsburgh is this cool little shop, The Exchange, where I was finally able to pick up some original Xbox games: Knights of the Old Republic, KotOR II: The Sith Lords, and Spider-Man 2. Now, you all know by now I'm a Star Wars fan. So, in 2003, when KotOR came out, I fell in love. I stand by that that game is one of the best. It's absolutely a favorite, along with its sequel. The first is one of the most compelling stories told in the Star Wars universe, and I'd argue both are a metric shit-ton better than the prequels (which were a metric shit-ton themselves). So needless to say, I've been adventuring with Bastila, Mission, Zaalbar, Carth, Canderous, T3, HK, Jolee, and Juhani for the last several days. 

—George Lucas changed Return of the Jedi for the blu-ray release of the saga. George Lucas is a disappointment and a shell of a creator. Granted, I've never made a movie, had my vision put on screen, or had a studio sit there and tell me parts of my vision don't work, that I need to do things differently, etc. I've only workshopped stories, but as that's what I have, that's what I'll compare here: At some point, you stop editing and let the story stand. I've reread what I had published in the Creative Writing department's collection of graduates' work, and I laughed, to see just how different the stories are now. But I didn't then ask them to republish with the new version. I let it stand as a moment in time. George Lucas can't do that. He has full control, and keeps right on meddling. We need to accept this fact about him, and just stop buying his movies. We're enablers, even if we bitch and moan on the internets. Because most Star Wars fans will cry foul, but still drop their money on the blu-ray set. What is that doing, but encouraging George Lucas? There's also got to be some sort of willful ignorance of the backlash. Or he's just really turned into the Emperor and doesn't give a crap about us.

—Steven Spielberg, on the other hand, seems to have realized a few things: Indy 4 sucked and fans don't want to see revised, edited, "special" editions of classic movies. In this case, he'll be releasing both E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark as they were originally seen in theaters on blu-ray. More than that, the man recognizes just what exactly editing a classic movie, or even a non-classic movie, really is: "

For myself, I tried [changing a film] once and lived to regret it. Not because of fan outrage, but because I was disappointed in myself. I got overly sensitive to [some of the reaction] to E.T., and I thought if technology evolved, [I might go in and change some things]…it was OK for a while, but I realized what I had done was I had robbed people who loved E.T. of their memories of E.T. [...] If I put just one cut of E.T. on Blu-ray and it was the 1982, would anyone object to that? [The crowd yells "NO!" in unison.] OK, so be it."

Ya know, he had me worried. Since Jurassic Park, I'd lauded Mr. Spielberg with praise. A lot of it. But his last few movies have made me reconsider. But then he does this, and reaffirms that he has an understanding of film other directors ought to take note of.

—Guess what I'm doing by the end of the year? Yup, building a PC! How spectacularly awesome! I'm pumped about it and open to advice from any experienced builders. I'm trying to keep it around $900 and wow, friends, can you build a rad machine for that money that blows the specs off the standard HP, Dell, Mac, etc. My buddy Jason will be giving me a hand with it, since I've no idea what the hell I'm doing. I've been checking out www.reddit.com/r/buildapc, where there's a pleathora of information and advice. This is easily one of the nerdier things I've done, but I. am. pumped!

—Well, the government brought me back to work, if only until the end of the month. Since I've been back, Matchbox 20 has popped up on my iPod's shuffle a lot. You know what? They rock. They're one of the bands of the '90s that really was talented, both lyrically and musically. Just good music to listen to.

—And if only to end on a(nother) nerd note, Tatooine exists! Not entirely, but kind of: it's a planet orbiting twin suns, which may as well be Tatooine, desert, Tusken Raiders, and Jawas not withstanding. This whole discovery just keeps up with my whole "space is mind-boggling" mind boggle. It's really humbling and exciting to stop and look up at the stars and realize that you aren't just looking into the past, but also millions of miles away. Billions even! Goodness, amigos. The 'verse is something to behold. Here's hoping for interstellar space travel!

That's all this time, folks! I left out the propaganda stuffs because it was bringing me down. Maybe some other time when I'm pissy. Right now, though, I'm going to enjoy this wonderful weather and the Jets' throwbacks! Happy Sunday, folks and friends.

Help Me, Blog-Reading Friends, You're My (Girlfriend's) Only Hope!

I had a whole parody of Princess Leia's plea written out, but re-reading it, well, it kind of sucked. I'll just stick with my own words:

My galpal is currently partaking in a contest on SmugMug. In case you aren't aware, she's currently in the process of building up her photography portfolio, getting a better, killer website, and making moola off taking pictures of things and/or people (which she happens to be very good at). Now, this contest is pretty neat and will go a long way in helping her set herself up as a professional photographer.

If you don't want to do it for her because you don't know her, do it for me. Because she hits me. But only when my friends don't vote for her photos in SmugMug contests.

All I'm asking of you, faithful readers, is to click these links, click the "Like" button, and maybe add a comment should you feel inclined. Then pass it along to a friend you think would like it (see what I did there?).

Converse in Love

Toryn Green: A Voice & The Instrument That Carries It

Kick Off Your Shoes

Converse Play Time

Partnership of B&W and Color / Water and Sky

Helping Hands & Feet

And as a thanks for doing this for her (and me), here's a few of the topic of the upcoming Random Thoughts:

—Freedom and liberty as the propagandist tools they've become.

—George Lucas, a bigger tool than propaganda.

—The little I can legally say about my time working on The Dark Knight Rises.

—My new obsession with building PCs.

—Plenty more, too. Probably no football though (sorry Beth). Maybe a dash of politics.

Remember All That Teasing?

Many weeks ago on that facebook site, I teased that I'd be revealing a sort of life thing in my soon-to-be-released blog. I released said blog, but it was sans reveal! Instead, it was just another tease. No one's been chomping at the bit to find out, because frankly, I'm terrible at keeping life-secrets secret. I've been leaking like a 10-day old balloon. So enough with all of this pretense:

Readers, adoring fans, friends, I'm working on the final leg of the Pittsburgh shoot of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises.

I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I'm doing anything essential; I'm not. I wasn't picked out of a large group of talented people with incredible résumés. It was that old adage: not what you know, but who you know. Because of my friend Greig (who's coming up to work the weekend, too), I'm going to be one of the many, many, many Additional Production Assistants. What that will equal out to is getting coffee for the coffee-getters. But I'll be doing it for the god-damn Batman! Here's a character that has genuinely been part of my life since...forever? Yeah, forever. My earliest memories are of watching Adam West's Batman with my dad and older sister. Batman's my first TV memory and the first superhero I ever knew. So to say, some 20+ years later, that I got to help out on the best Batman stories to be put to celluloid (and make no bones about it, Nolan's Batman films will go down as such)...words are hard to find. Here's the crossroads of two of my biggest loves: movies and comics. And I'm getting to actively participate. I'm thrilled. I'm stoked. I'm chomping at the bit.

Expect this blog to disappear for a bit (as if it hasn't for all of this month already). I left for a week-long trip to Portland, OR right at the beginning of August that I intend to write about. Now, it's to the set of The Dark Knight Rises. And once I'm done with that, I'm heading down to Raleigh, NC for a week. I promise to share tales of the Dark Knight once I can, even if it's nothing more than, "Yeah, I got to stand in the far-back corner, keeping people from running on set. But I kept them from the god-damn Batman's set."

And so ladyfolk and manfolk, amigos and readers, I'll catch you on the flipside.

Random Reviews: Movies, Teasers, Trailers, Musics

What up, readers? I got to thinking that I could make it look like I'm writing more if I separate any reviews (TV shows, movies, songs, teasers, trailers, albums, etc., etc.) from my Random Thoughts blogs into their own "column." So here we are, trying this out. I'll give you a warning now, before we jump into Random Reviews: I like pop-punk music. I like superhero, fantasy, sci-fi movies. Those things make me excited. Those are the things I'm going to write about. You won't see many reviews of Oscar-bait. If you don't like my taste in music or movies, recommend me something. Because I don't want to hear you bitch about how blink-182 isn't anything to write about (yes, yes it is—just look below), because then everyone has to hear ME bitch about you bitching about it. See where this is going? I'm always down to watch a new/old/classic movie or listen to a band I've never heard of. I may wind up falling in love.

And a brief warning before we dive into it, I will be discussing Captain America: The First Avenger, which means minor spoilers and major spoilers when it comes to the after credits scene. I'll warn you again when I get to it.

—After close to a decade, and two years since announcing they were back together, blink-182 released a single, Up All Night. For those who haven't read about my love affair with Mark, Tom, and Travis, let me redirect you here for a sec. For better or worse (probably worse), these three guys impacted the way I've understood music more than any other group. I've been elated since they got back together, and dying for any information about their new album (it's called Neighborhoods and should be out mid- to late-September), let alone new songs. So I was all over KROQ's website, waiting for them to play Up All Night. And here it is for you:



I've been listening to it a lot since it came out on Thursday, July 14. My first reaction was a simple, quiet, "Oh." It's definitely blink, but with a lot of Boxcar Racer (Tom and Travis's single-album side project) in the verse and a bit of Angels and Airwaves (Tom's band) in the chorus. I listened and listened and listened. The intro and main riff just didn't click with me. The intro still doesn't. Either does the ending. At all. The riff has slowly started growing on me, but we're still a ways away from saying I dig it. I accept it. It just seems so far removed from the rest of the song. Like the verse/pre-chorus/chorus are for one song, and they pulled in this guitar to fill some space. Because I like the pre-chorus and chorus. It has the energy of blink-182. Especially the pre-choruses where we hear Mark and Tom singing together. That, more than anything, got me excited about the song. It's just nice to hear them singing together. The lyrics aren't anything to be blown away by, but they never really were known for their lyrical prowess (or musical prowess. Whatever, I love them). It's taken the song a while to grow on me. I say that as a fan of their 2003 self-titled album, which was a huge departure from 2001's Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. It's a different blink, which makes sense: People change, writing styles change, tastes change, etc. It's not a great song, or a great blink-182 song, but it IS a good blink song, and I'm more than happy to take it.

—The trailer (teaser? It's 2 and a half minutes!) for The Amazing Spider-Man was leaked and has now premiered online and with Captain America. Watch it right this instant so we can have a conversation!



I've been excited about this particular reboot for a while now. I trust the people involved. Every time a new casting choice was made, it was a great get. And really, I was sold once they announced Marc Webb as the director. Now, you can definitely argue the merits of rebooting a series that is barely ten years old. I'm not interested in that conversation just yet, although I am getting tired of origin stories, but I'd argue it makes sense in this movie since they're sticking with the timeframe immediately after the bite, as opposed to jumping ahead months or years. ANYWAYS...I like what we see. I definitely appreciate that we're seeing Peter Parker's parents. That's something barely touched upon in the comics and has never graced the silver screen.

That last sequence, from Spidey's POV? Pretty rad. I don't care about the comparisons to the video game Mirror's Edge. I care about the fact that I'm seeing through Spider-Man's eyes. At the very least, if we don't see much action like that in the film (I don't expect us to, given all the talk about practical web-swinging by the stunt crew and Marc Webb), the video game developers now know which way to go with the game. Give me that POV and the wide-open playground that was Spider-Man 2: The Video Game and I'll buy it. 

I'm also a fan of Marc Webb's approach to Peter being an outcast in high school: In this interview, Webb rightly mentions that being a "nerd" is no longer such a vehemently looked down upon thing. Knowing things about computers isn't nerdy so much as useful. And that's what Peter Parker was when Spider-Man was first created; that's what set him apart as a nerd and outcast. Marc Webb never outright mentions what they've done to maintain that, but I like the little hints we get throughout the trailer: People staring as he passes through the hallway, head down, hood up, scribbling in the classroom. It's easy to be an outcast in high school, but as I've been out for six years, I'd love to see how they're approaching it.

—At last! I tried to get the bootleg up here last week but failed (and failed, and failed one more time, just to really drive it home), so believe me when I say I've been antsy about diving into this teaser since then. And now I get to treat all of you to a very dorky, in depth analysis of the teaser. Lucky you!



The first thing that stands out to me is the voice-over: We have Liam Neeson's Ra's al Ghul, (presumed) dead leader of the League of Shadows, who trained Bruce/Batman in Batman Begins. It's important, both its context and the simple fact that it's being used. Will we see the League of Shadows go after Gotham (third time's the charm!) now that Harvey Dent is dead and the Batman is hunted? I think it's certainly possible, especially if Marion Cotillard is playing Talia al Ghul, as originally rumored. Currently, she's billed as Miranda Tate, a Wayne Enterprises board member. Liam Neeson was also billed merely as Henri Ducard, so this wouldn't surprise me at all.

The bulk of the teaser takes place in a hospital room, with none other than Commissioner Gordon. He's not in good shape. This, I did not expect. And who's he talking to? Assuming the response audio isn't being cut from another scene, he's talking to Bruce. Not Batman. On top of that, it's Bruce's voice that we hear, not the ridiculous Batman-voice. But they're talking about bringing Batman back—it's like Gordon knows Bruce is Batman. Listen to the dialogue: "We were in this together. Then you were gone." (The bold is my emphasis.) Gordon is talking to Bruce about their crusade against evil in Gotham. I want you to let that sink in. There have been moments in the comics where Bats has toyed with the idea that Gordon knows who he is under the mask, but here, it sounds like Chris Nolan is going all the way.

And what about Bane? We get some creepy close-ups of him while Gordon talks to Bruce. The real take-away, besides Gordon being in baaaaaaad shape, is that final shot, which lasts all of 1.5 seconds, of Bats, soaking wet, breathing hard, backing away, and this hulking mass coming into frame. That's Bane and that makes me excited. One need only look at the body language of the two to see that Batman is getting his ass kicked, handily, too, I'd imagine.

And now, folks, be warned. Minor and major spoilers abound below!

—I got back into my old ways Thursday night, going to a midnight show of a superhero flick (in case you couldn't tell, it was Captain America: The First Avenger). To be blunt, I had a lot of fun watching Cap on the big screen. I've always had a bit of an aversion to the really GOOD superheroes: Superman, Cyclops, Captain America. Maybe I wish I was more of the dark and brooding type, like Batman or Wolverine, because them I love. But the true and blue good guys? Never had much of an appeal. But while the credits were rolling, I genuinely wanted to be a better person after watching the erstwhile Steve Rogers. What cemented him, really, was the time we spent with him pre-super soldier serum. In case you haven't seen the movie, or don't know about Cap, here's the skinny (get it?!): Steve Rogers was a weakling that wanted to join the war effort to help fight the Nazis, but was rejected left and right because he was too small. He gets selected for a special program and BOOM! Captain America!

But what makes Cap great in this movie is how well Chris Evans plays Steve Rogers throughout. You can tell, up and down, that the man throwing the vibranium shield is the same guy that volunteered time and again at the beginning of the movie. There's a consistency of character, moral character, that's honorable and downright inspiring. As such, there isn't much growth for Cap. Take Thor, for example, from earlier this summer. At the start of that movie, he's an arrogant d-bag. By the end, a humbled hero. Here, Steve Rogers is the exact same, albeit taller, stronger, and more muscular. I'm still not sure how good or bad that is. We don't see him struggle with his new-found size and power. We do see him struggle, briefly, with how he's used by the USA, but even that's resolved quickly.

But again, this movie was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the pseudo-campiness, how they managed to leave certain things open (did the Red Skull get taken to Asgard?), and the subtle inter-connectivity to other Marvel movies, namely Thor. I've been worried about Joe Johnston's directorial abilities since the unmentionable (but watch me mention it) Jurassic Park 3, but this harkens back to his work on The Rocketeer.

Now here are some real spoilery bits about the post-credits scene: It was much less a scene and much more a teaser trailer for 2012's The Avengers. In one word? Totalnerdboner. Seriously. Thor in in his Ultimate-universe costume, talking to Tony Stark, a quick shot of Cap's new costume, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Loki...Everyone's there, except the Hulk. Bruce Banner doesn't even make an appearance. My guess? Based on the post-credits scenes from The Incredible Hulk and Thor, Loki pulls the same shenanigans he did in The Avengers #1 and makes Hulk out to be the bad guy.

Wow, that was longer than expected (that's what she said). I'll save a few other reviews for next time, like Beautiful Small Machines Robots in Love EP and whatever movie I may have seen recently.

But wait—what about that tease from facebook, to the tune of a cool life update? Well, I haven't been updated about it yet, so it'll have to wait. I will tell you it has something to do with an item I've blogged about several times in the very recent past, and that it's something that means an enormous amount to me. I'll leave you with yet another hint, and then I'll be off: If you make yourself more than just a man...

The Long-Awaited Return of Random Thoughts!

Ahoy, howdy, aloha, blog-reading-pals! I've clearly been out of it for some time. Sorry about that: I have no real idea how to properly managed my time with what amounts to an evening/night-job. Or amounted to. I'm officially on summer vacation—sorry, furlough. The good ole IRS let me and mine go at 11:31 p.m. Friday, July 1st. I spent my first week off as any 24-year-old should: playing video games needlessly. Now that I've gotten that mostly out of my system (that's a pun, I do hope you caught it), it's back to blogging! So enough with the delay, let's splash into it:

—I went ahead and got myself an Xbox 360. Most of that is thanks to my pal, Matt, who got those of us in his wedding party t-shirts with our Halo emblems. Pretty sweet gift, and I had no choice at that point but to return to my gaming ways. MischiefManaged is back.

—Speaking of mischief being managed, the final Harry Potter movie comes out on Thursday. I guess technically it's Friday, but whatevs. Here's the rather gnarly final trailer. I fully expect to weep and weep and weep (for a brief history of me and HP, read this!). Anyone who wants to witness such a thing, let me know. Because everyone I know up here is a gorram Muggle!


—Speaking of gorram (I promise, this will be the last "speaking of..."), I'm rewatching the totally badass space-western, Firefly, with my girlfriend. This show is always good. No matter how many times I've watched it, it doesn't fail to entertain. It's like a better Star Wars universe. And I don't say that to put down Star Wars; I say that because what Joss Whedon created in 14 episodes and a movie genuinely compares to a mythology that's existed for over 30 years. So expect to hear "shiny" and "gorram" out of me a lot. And other made-up space lingo.

—Speaking of made-up space lingo (yeah, I'm a dirty liar. Deal), I'm three episodes into frakkin' Battlestar Galactica. This last episode was absurdly tense. I started off with it as a step-up from background noise, and within 10 minutes, it had all my attention devoted to it. My only problem with it thus far? I'm a sensitive little bitch when it comes to religion (clearly). It's not overwhelming, it isn't preachy, and I'm working on being a less sensitive little bitch.

—It's that time of year, folks, where I have to figure out what to do for Halloween. After a kick-ass Wolverine costume in 2009, I epically failed in 2010. I apparently looked too much like Judah Friedlander in my everyday life that no one noticed/realized I was going as him. They just thought I was lazy. I refuse to cut my lusciously long locks, so that rules out fellows like Han Solo, Indiana Jones, and so on. But it does leave wide open Nurse Joker, Gideon Gordon Graves...I don't know folks. Halloween is tough.

—K-Swiss is a lot more awesome than previously thought. Exhibit A:




—Not only am I working through Firefly with my lady, but we just wrapped up both season 1 and 2 of Community. For months, or at least the months when I actually blogged, I've been mentioning this show as a favorite of mine. I <3 it a ton. That doesn't stop season 2 from being seriously flawed, though. Seriously is a bit harsh. It suffers from a lack of planning, from too much flying by the seat of one's pants. Reading Dan Harmon's interview with AV Club (parts 2, 3, and 4), it became clear that was the case: between studio nonsense and running behind schedule, the reason particular stories, namely Pierce's and Chang's, seem short-changed or different each episode, is because they were. There was an overall theme to Pierce throughout the season, but it seems that once the studio nixed an early idea for Chang, he became way too much: Comic relief, resident crazy person...There was no consistency with him and the group. That bugged me more than anything. But on the other hand we had Troy's 21st birthday, or the bottle episode, or Dungeons & Dragons. Those episodes reassure me that Community is, and will continue to be, streets ahead.

—In case you haven't heard, Netflix is upping their pricing: They're officially splitting Instant Queue and DVDs come September 1. Lots of folks are up in arms, especially since we used to get both products for $9.99, and now they'll be $7.99 each. Much as I'd like to be a rabble-rousing, pitchforking townsperson, I can't. This was inevitable. Netflix got a shit ton of content on the cheap many, many years ago. Those contracts are all ending, and the movie studios realize how profitable all of this actually is. So they're going to charge more for their content. And Netflix will need to make up that cost somewhere. Be pissed, folks and friends, since we'll be the ones shelling out. But keep in mind the good of Netflix. They've given me discounts any time there's been a glitch or problem with my Instant Queue. They offer rad "Welcome Back!" deals if you ever leave. They're a good company providing a good service. Want to bitch? Bitch to the studios that want more money.

—I regrettably saw Transformers 3. I hate myself for it. Now, the 3D was awesome. The idea that there's a plot, in the sense that most movies have a plot, is nonsense. No, this movie reminded me of the Star Wars prequels: a whole lot of scenes, bad dialogue, and shiny objects. The first one was fun. Scenes were more than 30 seconds a piece. You could follow the action. The second one is a disgrace to turds everywhere. This one, well, it's a turd with a cherry on top. A rotten, decrepit, cherry.

—If you read my blog way back in January, you probably know that I'm a fan of Batman. Or that I can be depressing and a bit of a downer (that was a weird blog. Sorry). I'm more concerned with the former, as the official poster for The Dark Knight Rises was just released. It's very Inception-esque, much like the original Inception posters were very The Dark Knight-esque:

Awesome. I love the implications of the poster: the crumbling buildings, the look up towards the bat-symbol. Chris Nolan has become a master of the tease, which is a lost art in the world of movie advertising.

—Sticking with Batman, the teaser trailer for The Dark Knight Rises has been confirmed as attached to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II. Of course, gracious nerds recorded it and put it online, so here's a crappy version of it (once an official version is posted, I'll update with that):

The Dark Knight Rises - Teaser Bootleg (2011) by CineHeroes

Editor's Note: First, I had the youtube video. That was removed. Then, the vimeo. That, too, was removed. And finally, I had this dailymotion video. Seems Warner Brothers doesn't like the leak, because it has now been removed. Sorry, faithful readers!

Yeah, you can bet your ass I'll have a blog dedicated to analyzing that teaser. Until then, friends.

Random Thoughts: The Internet Video Killed the non-Internet Radio Star Edition

Welcome, one and all, to an awe-inspiring, show-and-tell edition of Random Thoughts! Each thought, randomly selected, will include a video presentation to go along with it. So I hope you like Youtube, Vimeo, and links to both, because this post will be saturated in them!

—If you watch one video from this year's Grammys, make it this one. The passion and joy these guys showed made me excited about music. They were loving every second. So was I.

—Honestly, I don't know how I haven't shown this video on here before, but believe me when I tell you it's the best thing you'll watch all day, weekend, week, month, year, decade, quarter-century, half-century, century, millenia, and possibly even your life: Rock Your Baby!

—So I love Scott Pilgrim vs The World. I've been pretty clear about that. So when I saw Edgar Wright post this on his blog, well, I had to do the same:

—If you watch two videos from this year's Grammy's, make the second this one. I couldn't have been happier to see Arcade Fire win this. I wrote about their debut album, Funeral, but haven't shared too many thoughts about The Subarbs. It's killer. They can't make a song that's hard to listen to.

—Did you watch that Captain America commercial again and again, like I did, but think to yourself, "Gee, this is missing something?" Problem. Solved.

—You remember that video of my friends killing it in Wilmington to George McCrae's Rock Your Baby? Of course you do, there's no way you forget that. Also, you probably just watched it a few minutes ago. ANYWAYS, there's another video. Chase, as it turns out, has a mind for what will be amazing to watch and be a blast to film. I was fortunate enough to help on this next one (by help, I mean stand there, off-camera, while Stephen filmed, Chase directed, and Matt and Ben acted). Trust me when I say this is the second best thing you'll watch all day, weekend, week, month, year, decade, quarter-century, half-century, century, millenia, and possibly even your life: Maneaters from Outer Space!!!

—Between the song, the visuals, and the childhood adoration of the story, watching this trailer for Where the Wild Things Are still gives me goosebumps.



—A couple of years ago, I saw this video. It's a stop-motion short, set to Sigur Rós's Hoppípolla, which is an unfairly beautiful song. It tells a sweet little love story, so of course I like it (I'm a sap, through and true).


A SHORT LOVE STORY IN STOP MOTION from Carlos Lascano on Vimeo.

—This has nothing to do with videos, but the ladies that work on the other side of my cubicle have given me a nickname based off my phone voice: Mr. Smooth. They're convinced I could work at a sex line if this gig fails to stimulate.

As always, thanks for reading folks! I guess watching would be more appropriate this time. Tune in next time for what the French call a certain...I don't know what.

Expanded Thoughts III: The Blog is Back...In Time

I'm starting to think Random Thoughts/Expanded Thoughts might become my norm, with full-length posts being a special treat. My mind is all over the place as it is, and since I'm distracted by anything and everything, this caters directly to that. So take a seat at your desk, relax on your bed, or gather around the PS3 (yes some of this blog's traffic has come from PS3s) for another thrilling edition of Expanded Thoughts with your host, Joey Bear/MadChops/Joe Joe Binks/Jo Bo/Jo Co/Captain Really-Good-Looking of the S.S. Hot Stuff!

—BIRTHDAYS! Happy birthday Zac (Feb. 8, and congrats on the track coaching job, dude!), Chad & Jessie (Feb. 10), and Richard & Charles Darwin (Feb. 12)! Happy belated birthdays to me & Bobby (Jan. 5), Jake (Jan. 6), Ben (Jan. 8), and Matt (Jan. 15)! Hooray aging!

Author's Note: And happy birthday Abe Lincoln! I can't believe I forgot him.

—Egypt is in the midst of a revolution. The people are rising up and fighting against tyranny, hoping to finally have a real democracy. Millions have shown up to protest, and their numbers have consistently been in the thousands. I don't want to acknowledge our government's reactions to this, and especially not the media's, except to say that it is utterly deplorable for a nation that was founded on revolt against tyranny to call foul because the current tyrant is pro-USA. You see, my fellow 'Muricans, democracy is not spread by invading a nation, dismantling said nation, and sitting there expectantly while the people try to figure out what just happened. It starts with the people because it's for the people. While I doubt I have anyone from Egypt reading this, if there are, here's one more fan of true democracy cheering you on. Live long and prosper.

Author's Note: Mubarak has officially stepped down. Egyptians, I am humbled by your determination to make this a peaceful, non-violent revolution, and by your resolve. What you've done is incredible. Congrats on getting your country back. 

—Could it really be? Has Long Island really gone 2ish weeks without snowfall? It's about damn time, comrades! I thought snow was something to miss, thought it was fun, and pretty, and a tid bit exciting. I was wrong.

—So the Super Bowl happened. Congrats to the Green Bay Packers on the win. Shame on the Black Eyed Peas for that half-time show. I'm OK with Christina screwing up the national anthem—I feel like it'd be harder to get it right in front of that many people at that sort of setting.

—The commercials weren't so impressive. What caught my eye was the Captain America trailer. It's about time we got some footage, even if it was just for 30 seconds. The effects team did a great job making the biggest and buffest Chris Evans we've ever seen look like the smallest weakling on the schoolyard. The suit looks good in action, but I still worry about that blatant blue. And what about that little tease of Hugo Weaving's Red Skull? Oh, oh, oh! And we got a frame or two of the Howling Commandos. Can you tell I'm excited for this? Oh yeah, here it is:



—Now that I'm getting close to my target weight, I've been looking more at what kind of foods I want to eat again, but shouldn't. Taco Bell naturally found it's way onto that list and I'm genuinely surprised that it's better for me (and you) than McDonald's, Wendy's, or Burger King. Granted, no one ever gets just one burrito or chalupa, so when you combine everything it's almost certainly worse. But item to item, it's not too bad. Looks like there's a Quad Steak Burrito in my future!

—Despite the fact that the UNC Tar Heels have beaten the Duke Blue Devils more often than not (the record stands at 130-101) and that nearly every single meeting between the two teams is decided in the last 10 minutes of play, when Duke wins, it's because Coach K has the refs in his pocket. Tell you what, Carolina fans (and since this is coming from a Duke fan and NC State alum, I'm sure it'll be taken with a grain of salt), how about the bitching stops? That goes for Duke fans, too. But this time, I'm talking to you, Tar Heelians. The refs didn't blow a 14-point lead, the players did. Did the refs miss calls? Yes. But it happened on both sides, not just one. Duke outplayed Carolina in the last half by an extreme margin, just like Carolina outplayed Duke every moment, every play of the first half (seriously, if they can bring that intensity for another half, they've got another ACC title coming their way). Blaming the refs belittles the actual efforts of human beings who busted their asses for our entertainment and their own passions. Good grief.

—I will forever be perplexed by pro-life and/or Christians/religious folks who are so adamantly pro-death penalty. Abortion is a topic I won't jump into here (right now, anyways), but the execution of an individual I will discuss. Especially if I get to call out the hypocrisy of an entire group of people! Nothing like feeling superior, eh? Anyways...Yeah, the death penalty is barbaric and if Texas is any indication of the rest of the nation, we've been putting plenty of innocent people to death to satisfy our vengeance/bloodlust. Were it up to me, every death row case would be reopened and looked at with our current investigation techniques. It's not like life-in-prison is some sort of luxury we'd be affording these people, disgusting and wretched creatures though they may be.

—Going off that, our society's acceptance of violence, but not sex, makes no sense. Sexuality is the most natural of our human tendencies, yet children are bombarded with the evils of premarital sex, masturbation, oral sex, etc., etc. Where's that same condemnation for violent acts? Look no further than the way sex is treated on the big or small screen, compared with violence. You can get away with shooting up a neighborhood, but not teenagers being sexual (they are sexual, and will continue to be). I like to think if we were more open and forth-coming about sexuality, its implications and consequences, people would be smarter about their bodies. Maybe I'm just dreaming.

—With that venting out of the way, here's more comic book movie news! Fox just released the trailer for X-Men: First Class. Does it look good? Yup. Cool idea, great cast, creative minds behind it? Check. Am I skeptical? Absolutely. As my facebook pals will attest, I don't trust Fox. Not after X-Men: The Last Stand or X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Especially not after Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Daredevil, or Ghost Rider. My trust, and faith, has to be re-earned at this point. This trailer is definitely steps in the right direction, though:



—Dear adults/middle-aged-individuals using social networks,

Hi. It's Joey. You don't need to keep the caps lock button depressed whilst typing. Exclamation points are good for one per paragraph. Ellipses work like this "...", not ".....................................................". And please, please, please stop commenting completely out of context. When someone posts about a puppy, refrain from telling the poster all about your house on the beach and your recent engagement. That's what the wall or private messages are for.

Sincerely,

Joey

—If you live up here on Long Island, or you're ever visiting me because you can't stand to be away from me, you/we need to go see Tonight's Entertainment. These guys kill it every single time. Even on an off-night, which is rare, they bring an energy and rock it something fierce. If I lived in Ohio, replace Tonight's Entertainment with the Chardon Polka Band. Another band that's a blast to listen to.

—Glee, you have been a mountain of disappointment this season. Throughout my years of watching TV and movies, I've learned how to suspend my disbelief. Hell, I used to be a fan of pro wrestling (may still secretly be), and if I can watch that, I can suspend disbelief. But everything about that episode just screamed stupid. The biggest offense, though, was stating that Thriller was the Super Bowl of pop songs, and then mashing it up with another song. Now, I love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Heads Will Roll is a killer song. But Thriller doesn't need help, doesn't need back-up. And to make it worse, a character then asked who the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were. I chuckled because that was funny. But it was actually very bad: You were mashing up the Super Bowl of pop songs with a song from a band you're acknowledging not a lot of people know? Tuesday's episode was better, but it feels like characters are acting out-of-character simply so we have storylines. That's a mark of bad writing (yeah, I said it). I'm rooting for you, Glee, really, I am. So please step it up.

—More superhero movie news! We finally got a look at Andrew Garfield in the Spider-Man costume. I'm on the fence. It makes sense to want to differentiate the look from the recent Tobey Maguire/Sam Raimi costume. But their costume so closely matched the comic book counterpart. This one, less so, and there's been a lot of resistance to it. Nerds (and I include myself when I say that) are very protective of their/our superheroes. The only alternative Spidey costume that was ever totally embraced was the symbiote (include the Scarlet Spider costume for me, too (although that wasn't really Peter Parker...it's complicated)), all the rest were trashed after less than a year (Iron-Spidey, anyone?). Spidey's looked a certain way in the comics for decades. Suddenly a movie comes around and starts tweaking that? But it could be a lot worse, Spidey-fans! It's not a bad costume, just different. It's not like they're totally redesigning one of the most iconic hero costumes ever.

—If I have to choose, George Harrison is my favorite Beatle.