First Impressions - Agent Carter: "The Blitzkrieg Button"

This is by no means a deeply intense dissection of the episode.

It's just my quick comments and notes after seeing the episode only once (a la AoS).
Spoilers after the jump.

You've been warned...

First Impressions - Gotham: "Welcome Back, Jim Gordon"

This is by no means a deeply intense dissection of the episode.

It's just my quick comments and notes after seeing the episode only once (a la AoS).
Spoilers after the jump.

You've been warned...

WTF? Friday...1/30/2015

Aw hell...

In part, I'm mad at myself for not seeing this coming. When I first heard about this, it was said that Marvel's doing a full Crisis - meaning they were taking all of their alternate realities (at least 300 or so) and combining them into one,

(sigh)

which was a shock. I thought Marvel did a fantastic job keeping their multiverse in check. As of right now, however, it seems they're only combining the two largest: The Ultimate Universe (which was a waste from the beginning) and The House That Stan Built.

I know.

I guess Earth-1610 just got too big and convoluted (not unlike DC's Post-Crisis Earth with lapses regarding Superboy's existence and therefore the creation of the Legion in the 30th Century), proving the point that when the decision is made to re-create a universe from scratch...it helps that everyone involved is on the same damn page.

 So we'll see.

Another argument in favor of this "melding" is to make it easier for the public to connect the dots between the comics and the films. Here's a quote from Jamelle Bouie from Slate.com (you can read the article here):

It’s tempting to wave this away as minutiae for nerds, but it’s a change that could reverberate through the Avenger films and other Marvel properties, i.e., the products ordinary people actually care about.

"...ordinary people"?

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

1) Everyone following the films, which is a lot of people considering the number of views the new TV spot and trailers for Avengers: Age of Ultron have gotten, can't be considered "ordinary" - there's too darn many. They may be nerds, fans, geeks...dorks even, but ordinary?

2) Marvel has done a pretty good job at keeping the films a separate entity from the comics. The MCU-related books (while not very good) have been clearly designated as MCU-related books, and I haven't read or heard anything about "ordinary people" getting confused and buying the wrong books.

There's also speculation that this event could mean that the Miles Spidey would come into the fold rather than the Peter Spidey. This I'm on the fence about. While I'm HUGELY in favor of Spider-Man becoming an Avenger, I grew up with Peter so I'm biased. If anything, could this mean that May "Spider-Girl" Parker could show up?

...

In any case, this event is a big deal that I hope can be pulled off successfully. I love the films, but the comics came first. If they fall apart...

First Impressions - Constantine: "Quid Pro Quo"

This is by no means a deeply intense dissection of the episode.

It's just my quick comments and notes after seeing the episode only once (a la AoS).
Spoilers after the jump.

You've been warned...

First Impressions - Flash: 'Revenge of the Rogues'

This is by no means a deeply intense dissection of the episode.

It's just my quick comments and notes after seeing the episode only once (a la AoS).
Spoilers after the jump.

You've been warned...

Random Thoughts: The Fantastic Four Trailer

I've seen it, and I've been trying to figure out why I don't like it...

It's not that we're seeing New York again, even though I can't see NY without remembering Avengers. Sorry FOX, but that may be what you're going for, but you never saw a dime from it, and this just reminds me of that fact. 

Is it that X-Men: DofP is back in my face? No, but now there's two reasons for me to hate FOX (and two reasons we'll never get the Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars movie I'm dying for).

It's making Sue a scientist. Again!

It's too similar to the previous films. In the comics, Sue started out as a starry-eyed fan-girl of Reed's brilliance. Not an easy thing for Hollywood to translate for today's audience to be sure, but Sue deserves better that falling back into that pretty scientist trope. She's not like Reed or a soldier like Ben. She's not a housewife or a secretary. Instead of making her something she isn't, FOX should have focused on what she is:

 an older sister of a hothead.

Johnny's a mechanic as well, so why couldn't he be a "crazy-good" one with a certain skill Reed needs to build his rocket? Or at least a component of his rocket? Reed hires Johnny to build it (cause let's face it - as brilliant as Reed may be, he sucks at building machines...just like he needs Ben to fly the thing). Now as "crazy-good" as Johnny may be, he's a minor...or otherwise not qualified to go up into space. 

Johnny, being a hothead, ignores this formality...and convinces Sue to take her there. (Now, if Johnny's old enough to drive himself, Sue could call him to talk about something. He tells her he's at the launch site. She knows he's not supposed to be there, so she goes there to get Johnny - which could also work.) Meanwhile...

Reed, angry at the Powers That Be for grounding the project, convinces Ben to pilot the ship. They sneak onto the site and start the launch sequence. Sue and Johnny wind up trapped on the thing, and don't show themselves to Reed and Ben until it's too late to stop the launch. The four go up together, bad things happen, and they survive the crash landing. 

As for the rest of the film, it could be about the four of them learning about their powers. It could also be about the consequences they face for taking the rocket up without authorization. Maybe both.

 But either way, Doctor Doom shouldn't show up until the sequel.

Let it...let it...let it...

The Powers That Be have decreed...

...that there's too much out there to justify opening the store today.

First Impressions - Arrow: 'Left Behind'

This is by no means a deeply intense dissection of the episode.

It's just my quick comments and notes after seeing the episode only once (a la AoS).
Spoilers after the jump.

You've been warned...

Monday Morning Roundup...1/26/2015

(...yawn) is it Monday already Pepe?

 American Sniper made another $64.3 million in the U.S. over the weekend, putting it in first place. It's at $247.6 million worldwide. Interesting fact - this is Clint Eastwood's second biggest money maker ever worldwide. It's made over $30 million more than award winning Million Dollar Baby, and is only about $23 million away from beating Gran Torino. As for Bradley Cooper films, this is his seventh top grossing film worldwide...above Silver Linings Playbook ($236.4 million) and below American Hustle ($251.2 million).

 Blackhat, however, isn't doing as well.

It's just shy of $11.4 million after 10 days. I hope this film improves, but if it doesn't in theaters, I'm sure it will via streaming/rentals. 

Mortdecai, a film I'm interested in seeing, made only $9.3 million opening weekend. Yeah, I have hopes for this one too. 

As for Dr. Strange, The Imitation Game is at $110.8 million worldwide. This is a shame, because it's a great story.

That's all I've got time for this week, so enjoy the popcorn!

First Impressions - Gotham: 'What the Little Bird Told Him'

This is by no means a deeply intense dissection of the episode.

It's just my quick comments and notes after seeing the episode only once (a la AoS).
Spoilers after the jump.

You've been warned...

Top Ten: Movies my wife sat me down and made me watch...Part One

Again with the Top Tens...

Mrs Adorkification and I have been married since October, 1995, but have been together since fall of 1989. In all that time, despite her not being the movie aficionado I am, she has requested...and at times threatened...that we sit together through some of the movies that meant a lot to her when she was young. Some I liked. Some I hated. Some I'd already seen...not that it mattered.

My criteria: these movies were available on VHS at the time she made me see we saw them. Movies that she dragged me to a theater to see for the first time don't count. Also, these are films we saw as a couple. Movies I sat through with our daughter as a family...

 ...do...not...count.

 If you're sick of lists like these, stop now or forever hold your peace.

WTF? Friday...Why Marvel, Why?..1/23/2015

Well, it happened...

...they've taken a page...

...from DC's playbook.

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

Going through a Crisis are you?

Fan-tasy football has become real-ity football...

When I saw the Pats play the Chiefs earlier this season, I imagined watching the game

 with both Captain America and Superman. 

(Even though Clark's more of a baseball fan, but whatever.)

Yeah, I know. 

However, fan-tasy football has become real-ity football.

 Star Lord...

 ...and Cap...

...have officially bet each other on who'll win.

The true winners of this wager are the children obviously, but really - aren't we all?  

M*A*S*H is coming to Netflix...

...well, Seasons 1-5 at least, starting Feb. 1st.

I've started listing "Top 10" ideas after my first post a couple of weeks ago, and while I hadn't yet thought of "Top 10 Influential Television Shows of My Youth", M*A*S*H would most definitely be on it. 

I've been trying like hell to get Adorkette to watch this show, but the first disc from Season One is as far as we got. It was an epic fail for two reasons: 

1) While funny, it was the first few episodes, so the show hadn't reached the level of awesomeness it does later on, and...

2) Adorkette was too young.

Now that she's in high school, she's reached the maturity level needed to appreciate the immaturity level of this show. Even though we're only getting the first five seasons, we'll see Potter replace Blake, and Hunnicut replace Trapper John. She won't get to see the voice of Cogsworth replace Burns, or Klinger replace Radar, but it's a start.

Maybe now that Netflix has the show, Hulu will follow suit? Like it did for another of my favorite shows..?

First Impressions - Constantine: 'The Saint of Last Resorts: Part 2'

This is by no means a deeply intense dissection of the episode.

It's just my quick comments and notes after seeing the episode only once (a la AoS).
Spoilers after the jump.

You've been warned...

Monday Movie Review...1/19/2015

Hola Pepe!

Let's start with the franchise...

Night at the Museum: SotT made another 3.8 million this weekend.

Worldwide, it's at $283.2 million. It's still $129.9 million away from second place in the franchise (Battle), but has more than made back its $127 million budget. Now onto Marvel...

Rocket Raccoon's latest (which has several Oscar nominations, despite waiting until mid-January to be released in most places...wtf?) has made almost $119 million worldwide. Great news for Cooper and Baroness Sienna Miller, but it just bugs me when a film gets more attention because of nominations than, you know, quality. I'm sure the film is good, but I want to see movies that I want to see and not because everyone else tells me to.

(ahem)

Doctor Strange's most recent release has made about $91.7 million worldwide, with about $10 million more of that coming from the States than the foreign market. Not sure what that means, if anything, but I think it's safe to say that a lot of Cumberbatch fans live in the U.S.

Thor's newest film made $6.2 million in its opening weekend. Based on the trailers, this is the film I'm most likely to see in the theater. The plot looks interesting, and seeing Hemsworth in an action film (not some spooky flick, racing drama, or fairy tale spin) doesn't hurt. My guess is that a lot of people who saw American Sniper this past weekend will hit this one next.

As for Whiplash...

...all right, fine...

As for Whiplash...

J. Jonah Jameson's latest (despite getting five Oscar nominations...wtf?) has only made $7.5 million worldwide. This makes me wonder what list of criteria is used when deciding what "deserves" a nomination. 

It sure has nothing to do with popularity, or profitability.

I get that the Oscars are about acknowledging the craft of movie-making. Making a film is a difficult task involving a lot of hard work, and talented people. But isn't the fact that a lot of moviegoers spend a lot of money to see a given film...repeatedly...at least some indication that it's "good"?

I'm not sating that a given movie is "bad" just because it hasn't made a lot of money, or that all money-making movies are good,

but seeing all these films get all these nominations before the public has a chance to see them makes me mad. It happens every year and it makes no sense.

They're telling us what a "good movie" is,

when a good movie is what makes the popcorn taste better.

Have a good week everyone!