Monday Movie Roundup...6/30/2014

Autobots...Transform!

Transformers: Age of Extinction was the top grossing film of the weekend, with $301 million worldwide.

After all the talk of the "quality" of Michael Bay's films, that's what I thought too.

The film took about $210 million to make, so it made a profit in just three days. Any film that manages to do that says something...even Bay's. But still, WTF?

I know there'll be discussion for a while on both sides of the argument - yes, the film is that good vs. no it is not - but money, as they say, talks.

But how does it compare with the other Transformers films?

Using unadjusted worldwide numbers, T: AoE is currently fourth out of five...if you include the animated Transformers: The Movie from 1986.

(You know, the one with Eric Idle providing one of the voices and Weird Al's "Dare to Be Stupid"?) Which I am.

That film made $5.8 million, and will forever (unfortunately) be in last place. Transformers (2007) is currently third, with $709.7 million. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is second ($836.3 million) and topping them all is Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($1.123 billion).

That's right...billion with a b...

...there you go.

I don't have anything really against this franchise, unlike Avatar - which I refuse to ever watch on principle - but I just can't get behind them. I saw Transformers, and I liked it (except for the parts where I couldn't make anything Tranfsorm-ery out - at all). So I gave T: RotF a try, but the writing was so bad I ended up...well...rotf in a combination of laughter and pain. I gave up after that. I know I'm not alone, but apparently people need films like this out there to make the Summer go away or something. 

But I will say: despite T: AoE needing over $400 million more to break the Top 3, I'm pretty sure it will.

Have a good week everyone!

Post-poned due to lack of time...

Today is insane!!!

I've got to open at work this morning, and have a lot of chores facing me when I get home. This sucks!

So, Daredevil gets it's Foggy...

...and it's this guy:

Elden Henson

It took me a while to recognize him. In fact, I cheated and looked him up on IMDB. Where did I see him? Was it on ER as "Fingerless Guy"? On Psych? Law and Order: SVU? The Mighty Ducks? 

Nope.

It was here...

The Death and Rebirth of Superman

Where he played...

...wait for it...

...Doomsday.

(sigh) Adorkification Cred regained!

WTF? Friday...6/27/2014

This is a personal WTF that I just learned about - let's set the WABAC machine to...

Yes indeed! 1989 was the year I started college, met my best friend...and my wife. She kinda didn't like me all that much at first, but I kept showing up at breakfast (we were in the same dorm) and we had dinner together often too. 

I know...nowadays that's called stalking. But back in 1989 I was a shy 17 year old, and through Future Mrs. Adorkification, I met people (she introduced me to my best friend) and by "hanging around" her a lot, I accumulated a few nicknames - one of which she still calls me to this day: "furniture".

See, I thought it meant that I was comfortable...like a sofa or a chair...and didn't think much of it.

Back in the Here and Now, my wife and I sat down with Adorkette to see yet another classic film...

...(which by the way Mrs. Adorkification and I saw together years ago) that's one of her favorites.

Well, needless to say Adorkette liked this film a lot. More than Blade Runner and Citizen Kane (go figure). But what caught my eye this time around was that the female lead, played by Leigh Taylor-Young was called "furniture" in the film. See, in this future, people were included (like sofas and chairs) with places to live - such as apartments, condos...and dorm rooms.

 That's right. 

I've been named a reference to a Charlton Heston Sci-Fi film for almost 25 years...

...by my wife...

...without even knowing it!

W...T...F...?

I'm ashamed...I'm very ashamed...

Don't look at me...Ashamed...

If you'll excuse me...I have to turn in my Adorkification Cred on the way out.

Holy Hoggoth...More Dr. Strange news!

Why is Marvel Studios so intent on bringing Dr. Strange to the screen?

Because according to Kevin Feige,

it’s very, very important for us to explore every nook and cranny of the comic-book universe… there’s a whole other side of the Marvel comics, which is that supernatural side, the interdimensional side of the Marvel universe. Doctor Strange is, I believe, our entry point into that other realm, which has dozens of characters and storylines all of its own.

Which characters you may ask? How about...

...and...

...whom we know Marvel Studios re-acquired the film rights to.

But there's also

who would also be cool to see on the screen.

But the more I think about it, Son of Satan would make a better Netflix mini-series during the second "season" of The Defenders...assuming that's what Daredevil is the first of...in the first place...

Alright, alright. I'll stop talking - but it it'd be cool though, wouldn't it?

Answers about Regeneration...

So I talked to my local Magic:The Gathering gathering place, and it was explained to me that Regeneration is essentially a shield...

...yeah, I know - it lacks pizzazz...

...but it can be activated during my turn prior to attacking as well as during someone else's turn before I assign blockers. The guy behind the counter was - let's say overly excited - and couldn't stand still long enough for a more in depth discussion about timing, Mana Burn, or much else.

See - what I love most about my Goblins is that their actions, while hilariously stupid, make a sort of twisted sense.

For example:

Goblin Ski Patrol is normally a 1/1 creature. When I spend two Mana it gets flying, +2/+0 and is buried at the end of the turn, as long as I have a Snow-Covered Mountain in play.

In other words, this guy gets his skis, climbs the Snow-Covered Mountain and ski jumps into the air to attack/block causing extra damage and then goes away.

That's funny...and makes sense.

For me to play Regeneration, it also needs to make some sort of sense. I get that I can choose to block with a creature and spend the Mana necessary to remove all damage from said creature and keep it tapped. But I just can't get my head around seeing Regeneration as a "shield".

One thing I did learn about Regeneration from playing this deck though...

Asphodel Wanderer, which I now have four of because they were in the .05 cent bins, costs three Mana to Regenerate...rather expensive - which is why there were a lot of them in the .05 cent bins. 

Drudge Skeleton, on the other hand, only costs one Mana to Regenerate. Yeah, it costs one Mana more to cast that A W, but that's a lot less Mana to leave untapped and get burned on when my turn's over. 

Good to know.

Well HERE'S some cool cameo news...

...Nathan Fillion's cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy has been confirmed!

I don't know who he's playing, I don't care who he's playing, but this makes me happy!

Monday Movie Roundup...6/23/2014

Hello all! Using worldwide numbers,

X-M: DoFP is now at $692 million...

...while AS-M2 is just shy of $703 million...

...and CA: TWS has made over $710 million.

That's over $2.1 billion for these three films combined.

That's a lotta cash! 

I'm looking forward to Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and Guardians of the Galaxy of course, but I'm not aware of anything coming out in July. I'll keep my ears open though...

Have a good week everyone!

Wait...what's that...WHAT'S THAT..?

So I'm scanning news to learn about what's what, and I come across some tidbits about A2:TAoU...

• For Black Widow, a more “TRON-style” suit that has “blue lights and electricity” and will shock people when she hits them. Guess she got tired of people giving her lip for those dinky little dual pistols, huh?
• Hulk’s purple pants are back, and they’ll be capable of rapidly expanding and shrinking with his body. Quick, everybody start writing fanfiction about Tony inventing Bruce special expando-pants now!
• The Mark 43 version of the Iron Man armor will be “less gold on it than Iron Man 3, but still more than in The Avengers.” Insert your “Goldilocks” jokes here.
• All the Avengers’ outfits are going to have that circle with the A on ‘em, even the Hulk’s expando-pants. (We’re going to make it catch on, okay?)
• Speaking of which, the Avengers tower is going to be huuuuge, probably to make room for a sleeker and less military-inspired Quinjet.

All well and good...until I saw the last bit...

• Both Vision and Ultron will have the “fully articulated” faces of Paul Bettany and James Spader, respectively. Vision will be decked out in a combination of metallic green, red, and gold; Ultron will reportedly look kind of like the Destroyer from Thor, but silver and with a red “Balrog”-like glow effect underneath.

...

 ...

This is the first time I've seen anything mentioned about Paul Bettany actually being Vision on screen! I heard that he was cast in the role, but I thought it was "voice-only" work like Spader and would might-possibly-mabye appear for like three seconds in the post-credits most likely from behind.

But according to this (albiet unconfirmed) statement, we'll be seeing Vision's face.

   His. FACE!

HOLY S#!TCAKES!!!

So...Gail joins Daredevil...

That is - Rosario Dawson joins Netflix's Marvel's Daredevil cast.

Now wait a minute, we don't know who she's playing...

...it could be Elektra...

...it could be someone from the Ultimate universe I've never heard of...

...I mean what's next, Mickey Rourke cast as Nuke?...

...

...you're right. This is awesomeness.