THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY!
And it's MAY!
A bit too worn out from exams for a full-length post. But I promise that next week things will change. I swear!
Anyway, this is an open thread with a view discussion starters.
The new Avengers movie is out, Avengers 2: Age of Ultron and, yes, I will be seeing it. Hopefully today!
The Trailer: LINK
And here is the How It Should've Ended version: LINK
Which brings me to the new trailer for Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice: LINK
Looks a bit cool, but a bit pretentious and that is a bit of a turn-off for me. Anyway, here is How It Should've Ended's take on the teaser released back at Comic-Con some months back: LINK
And the meet-up afterwards at the Superhero Cafe: LINK.
So, in honor of this event, I propose you all discuss your favorite Marvel movie. Mine is probably Guardians of the Galaxy. Plot holes? Yeah, I don't care. The movie is just sheer popcorn fun with a gun-loving raccoon and his giant tree friend! The soundtrack is cool, too.
Trailer: LINK
The Honest Trailers sums it up pretty well (but so does the real trailer): LINK. "So, experience the swagger of a movie studio drunk on its own power." More or less. So, discuss the Marvel movies. Which one is your favorite? Which one is your least favorite?
Or discuss the latest in Democrat stupidity, or the fact that George Soros is going to be facing a monstrous tax bill, or the idiotic "Trigger-Warning" protests against dissident feminist Christina Hoff Sommers.
What about Summer reading? I hope to finally get through McCullough's biography of John Adams, and then hit some multi-volume biographies of Adolf Hitler, Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and, perhaps, a single-volume biography of one of my favorite composers, Johann Sebastian Bach, Music in the Castle of Heaven, as well as some Shakespeare plays. All this, after finishing Anthony Everitt's Cicero.
DISCUSS!
22 comments:
Good May Day, Comrades. Fight the Power!!!!
Admittedly, I'm more of a DC Guy. Better villains. (I was a bit of a fanatic for all the Bruce Timm, Paul Dini cartoons of the 90's and early 2000's.)
Summer Movie Viewing: "Rifftrax Live: The Room" (actually next week), "Rifftrax Live: Sharknado 2" (July), and (not actually summer, but close enough), "Rifftrax Live: Miami Connection" (October)
Summer Reading: "Kingdom Keepers" series by Ridley Pearson; "Raise the Titanic" by Clive Cussler (as recommended by Andrew). I needed a break from non-fiction.
Rustbelt, Let me know what you think about Cussler. If you like it, try Night Probe.
Rustbelt,
For fiction I am currently reading Black Ice by Michael Connelly.
I have not watched a full Rifftrax, only "Best of"s on youtube.
Kit -
I'm about to start Edmund Morris' third book in his Teddy Roosevelt trilogy. Let us know how the John Adams book is... I've been wanting to read it since I saw the HBO miniseries.
I'm also working my way through Michael Crichton's early work that he wrote in med school using the pseudonym John Lange. All eight novellas have been re-released with lovely pulp artwork. So far, they're okay. Nothing groundbreaking but you can tell there's talent there, even if it's more about ideas than characters.
As for superheroes, I think I'm worn out by now!! I'll see Age of Ultron eventually, but going to the theater doesn't have the same appeal it used to have, and my closest friend lives an hour away... and he has kids, so chances are he'll be seeing this movie with them.
Anyway, today is graduation (!) and I'll be flying to CA on Sunday. A few days in SF (never been there before), one day somewhere in the middle, then a few days in LA.
Read "The Martian", it's a really good read...you can hardly put it down...
from The Onion:
College Encourages Lively Exchange Of Idea
BOSTON—Saying that such a dialogue was essential to the college’s academic mission, Trescott University president Kevin Abrams confirmed Monday that the school encourages a lively exchange of one idea. “As an institution of higher learning, we recognize that it’s inevitable that certain contentious topics will come up from time to time, and when they do, we want to create an atmosphere where both students and faculty feel comfortable voicing a single homogeneous opinion,” said Abrams, adding that no matter the subject, anyone on campus is always welcome to add their support to the accepted consensus. “Whether it’s a discussion of a national political issue or a concern here on campus, an open forum in which one argument is uniformly reinforced is crucial for maintaining the exceptional learning environment we have cultivated here.” Abrams told reporters that counseling resources were available for any student made uncomfortable by the viewpoint.
Al Sharpton smacked a Fox News reporter who asked the mayor if she had issued a stand down order to the police.
Sharpton took liberal media protection of Democratic politicians to new heights with that move :) .
http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2015/04/30/video-al-sharpton-gets-physical-with-fox-news-reporter/
The fact the cops are being hit with a range of charges including second degree murder doesn't shock me. Multiple mysterious stops (at least one of which the prosecuter learned from a private business which handed over a security tape), multiple procedural violations and multiple fatal injuries...
None of that will mean anything to the rioters, for whom the killing is just an excuse to steal and burn.
Anthony, I'm not either. The Ferguson thing sounded like they did something dangerous with him and he died. At the best that's manslaughter, but it's likely more than that. And it sounds like that's just the beginning.
Agreed on the rioters.
A bunch of San Francisco progressives voted for a minimum wage hike —and are reaping the costs. A comic book store may be forced to close due to the hike.
At least the young customers, who are shocked —shocked— that raising a minimum wage would hurt small businesses, especially ones they like, will be able to buy comic books, several months late, from the big retailers who supported the hike.
LINK
"The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design." —F.A. Hayek
Lizzie Crocker on the Beach Body Controversy:
"Perhaps women have a bigger problem on our hands than sexist advertisements: We are obsessed with body image, and instead of taking any ownership or responsibility for our body-image anxieties, we blame society. We blame the patriarchy. We blame advertising agencies for shaming us with images of slim-waisted, busty models in their bikinis."
Full article: LINK
Well, this is inconvenient...
Three of the six cops charged in Baltimore are black, and the only one charged with murder is black. That is going to make the usual "scream racism" plan a tad bit difficult.
Andrew, I will be sure to let you know.
Kit, I read the Amazon description and "Black Ice: sounds really interesting.
And to be honest, the thought of seeing "The Room" in a theater is both enticing (in a geeky way) and morbidly terrifying- even with Mike, Kevin, and Bill's commentary- at the same time.
Personally, of the "Best of's" on Youtube, I'm torn between the last riff on this one LINK, and the 'Shawshank' reference on this one LINK.
Do they not have grand juries in Maryland? It seems to me that they are charging these cops awful fast.
Saw Avengers 2 last night. I had fun.
Kit, I caught "Avengers 2" this afternoon. It is a lot of fun!
Rustbelt,
I know. What did you think of the Hulk and his new love interest? (Don't have to spoil, though it was mentioned in USA Today)
And what did you think of the twins?
Kit,
Hulk and you-know-who was a bit of a headscratcher at first. Given the characters' backstories, it makes sense that they could feel for each other. Though it felt a little forced at times, it was a nice twist; not the hookup you might have expected with the characters.
The twins were a nice addition, Nice story arc. Liked Scarlet Witch. (Of course, she's the Olsen sibling who actually has acting talent.) I was a little surprised by Quicksilver. Isn't he supposed to be Magneto's son? After a while, I just decided he was retconned and didn't worry about it.
Also liked James Spader as Ultron. I was a little disappointed by the new guy, though. I thought he'd have a bigger role at the end.
"Hulk and you-know-who was a bit of a headscratcher at first. Given the characters' backstories, it makes sense that they could feel for each other. Though it felt a little forced at times, it was a nice twist; not the hookup you might have expected with the characters."
There was some (emphasis on "some") chemistry between them in the first movie. Again, emphasis on "some". But I liked it, though I did wonder about Betty Ross.
James Spader was funny —and scary. The new guy was cool, I, however, was satisfied with what he had. Just enough to make me want more.
"Liked Scarlet Witch."
I did, too. ;-)
"(Of course, she's the Olsen sibling who actually has acting talent.)"
I can't say for sure, the last time I saw the Olsen twins act I think we had a Clinton in the White House.
"I just decided he was retconned and didn't worry about it."
He was. Magneto, X-Men, and the mutants are all owned by Fox so they couldn't get the rights to do that.
HOWEVER, and SPOILERS for the 2nd half of Agents of SHIELD season 2…
It seems they are working on the Inhumans and "enhanced people" as a way around the legal issues.
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