April Movie Review

Either I'm losing interest in movies or its a slow month. Ok, here's what we got:

 The Fate of the Furious

(Sigh) I'll catch it on Redbox. They've each been enjoyable but when does it start to get old? My guess is now.

Smurfs: The Lost Village

Wait....they're still making these movies?!


Sorry, that's all I got. Cinema sucks.

It's coming...

 3D bullets and hearts for Zombies!!!

As well as the newest expansion!

I have to admit, I didn't think it would come out this year but I'm SO SO happy it is. Sure Zombies 14 was a terrible expansion but I'm hoping this one will be better. It takes place in a desert. SUPER excited for this one to come out!!!

Starship Troopers 2 Review

So after watching the first one I've decided to go the whole way and watch all 3 movies from this series. As you know, I loved the first one but do the sequels hold up? Let's find out....

Hero of the Federation, focuses on a new group of marines stuck on a planet surrounded by enemy bugs, holding out in a bunker until evac arrives. Sounds thrilling right? This movie is generally panned by fans as being the worst in the series and I might have to agree with that but let me explain first.

The story is simple yet interesting. There's a new "threat" the marines have to deal with that was actually a good idea to put in. And being a direct-to-DVD sequel it wasn't made that cheaply, since they are still plenty of CGI action to it. (more than I expected) Where the movie falls way short on is the acting and the characters.

Now this could be one and the same. The actors sucked. And as a result, their characters suffered too. But I think in general they were pretty bland generic characters that had no intrigue and had been done many times before.

We have the gritty marine who doesn't take kindly to authority, the "hotshot" pilot, "tough as mails: woman, cowardly "middle commander who takes the lead because his superior was gone" character. All things that have been done before in other movies and done better.

BUT....if you can get past that (and see it for free) this one may be worth your time. It was bad, but not bad enough for me to say it was a waste. I'm glad to have seen it.

So, worth your time....but only if you like Starship Troopers.

The best sodas in the world

My friend Anthony from AZ sent this to me a few weeks ago in the mail after hearing me speak about them on my podcast. You also heard me talk about this back when I made my post on RC as a whole.

Now I have 2 of their special Mets cans they made that year and I'm super pumped! I LOVE them and have been showing them off to family and friends. Thanks Anthony!!

Blair Witch review

So I finally got around to seeing the newest Blair Witch movie and thought I'd give a short review on what I thought about it.

In short; it sucked. Started off bad but through the middle I began thinking to myself "We may have a movie here" however the last half of the movie was a disastrous mess that made no sense, was confusing and slightly pointless in the end.

They should have stopped after the first movie and left it as that, sadly Hollywood can't seem to leave anything alone these days. Hopefully this is the last installment of this franchise we'll ever see.

PASS!

WildC.A.T.S. (I miss this show)

This app sucks

I don't get many apps, so when I do they better deliver on what they say they'll do. NO game has taken my interest in years and every other app seems to be pointless, useless or both. Hence the case with the Walmart App.

I got it on my phone because someone said the "Money Saver" will bring in BIG BANK if you shop there a lot. Thankfully, we shop at Walmart every other day because we live next to one so it's the easiest place to get to. So I thought this would be a great idea and downloaded it right away.

2 months later you know how much in "savings" I have? 0.00

Yep, every scanned receipt from Walmart for the past 2 months rung up a big ZERO each time the ran it up against competitor's ads. Funny things is the last two weeks I purposely bought stuff that other stores advertised cheaper in the paper ust to see if it would work and sure enough, each time it was a big fat zero.

This app is not only a joke, it's pointless and a waste of my time. I'm ashamed to say I even had it on my phone for so long. "Money Saver" is a "Time Waster" folks.

Have a good weekend!

300 movies review

So I recently bought a 2 disc DVD set of both the 300 movies and watched them. It'd been a while since I'd seen them in theaters, here are my thoughts.

300

Still a great film. I loved it in theaters and I loved every minute of it now. The way the movie was shot is so memorable, I haven't seen anything like it! Such a great film that holds solid today!

300: Rise of an Empire

As for its sequel, while lackluster compared to the original, it's still a nice film and was fun to see as well. Being on sea didn't scream "300" to me, however if they had just told another story about a land battle, I guess people would be saying it was a re-run of the first so hats off to them trying to be different.

For $5 for the DVD, I'd say I got my moneys worth!

Firefly Adventures Board Game!

At the New York Toy Fair last month, Gale Force Nine let everyone see a sneak preview of their new Firefly game "Adventures" This is the one John (the owner) was telling me about at Gencon last year. The miniatures game that can be played on its own or linked to the base Firefly game. I am SUPER excited for this and can not wait for it to come out later this summer!!!

Albums I could listen to all the way thru!

Just a short note today to let you know what albums I could listen to and not skip a single song. I'm excluding albums from my favorite bands, Weezer and New Fond Glory because I can listen to any of their music all the way thru. Here goes:

 Alanis Morissette: Jagged Little Pill

Megan and I recently went on a road trip where we listened to the entire album back to back and knew EVERY line of EVERY song, even though we hadn't heard the album in years. THAT's how good this one is!

The Presidents of the United States

I'm listening to this right now as I type. Lovely album. Every time I think I'm ready to listen to something new, I find myself hitting play and starting it all over again. GREAT album.

What albums (besides ones from your favorite bands) could you listen to over and over again. I'm sure I could think of more in time, but for now this is all I have!

Tremors 6 IN PRODUCTION!!!!

Here we go again! One of my favorite Sci-fi series is getting a 6th film and it started filming a few weeks ago! WHOOP! WHOOP!!

I cant wait for this movie to come out! TREMORS 6!!! Can you believe it?! The only bad news is I have to wait until 2018 for its release.

If you haven't watched this series yet....you're losing out on life.

he Kevin Bacon TV series hasn't even gotten off the ground yet but I don't care about that one as much as I do this!

So far so good?

I'm at a crossroads here at spring training. For one, I like how our pitching is looking and I'm excited to know the regular season is not far behind.

On the other hand it's aggravating not knowing for sure how we'll play once we get the season kicked off. I'm not just looking for another playoff run but a World Series! (that's right Cubbies, bring it)

I'm ready to PLAY BALL!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Wear green...because if you don't EVERYONE at work will ask you why you didn't.

Batman villains I'd like to see in movies (part 2)

Yesterday I spoke about a few of the more popular Batman villains I'd like to see in movies, today I'd like to round off the list with a few of the lesser known villians:

 Black Mask

Cool villain who won me over after playing the Arkham video games. Now I'm all for him being in a Batman movie.

 Calendar Man

If you don't know who he is, check out Long Halloween and find out why he'd make an excellent movie villain.

Clayface

This guy is a CGI dream! The ability to morph into anyone or anything? Think of all the great stories you could tell with him!

Firefly

He looks a lot cooler now, trust me. But Firefly would be a good "distraction" villain as Batman faces a harder foe. 

 Killer Croc

A nightmare of a villain for Batman to fight. I've always enjoyed this character. Started off a lot like Bane but has now morphed into a mindless killing animal, which I like.

 Mad Hatter

Again, it was the Arkham video games that made me realize the potential this b-rated Batman villain could have in a movie.

 Man Bat

Another cool one to see on the big screen. Manbat sounds corny but I think would look great on screen!

 Solomon Grundy

Another classic nightmare of a villain for Batman to dual with. This guy is super scary in the Arkham video games. I know they can make him look just as good in the movies.

 Ventriloquist

Another character I think would thrive well on screen vs the Caped Crusader. There's always something creepy about puppets!
 

Batman villains I'd like to see in movies (part 1)

Now it's time to discuss what villains I'd like to see appear in future movie installments of the franchise. Lets begin!

 Poison Ivy

Not to say Uma Thurman was bad....it was just that she was in Batman and Robin. We can do a lot better folks!

Bane

Horrible in Batman and Robin, equally as bad in Dark Knight Rises, SOMEBODY has to do this character justice!

 Mr Freeze

Batman the Animated series, showed up the way to portray this character. Now we only need the movies to go out there and get it right!

Riddler

My favorite Batman Villain of all time. I REALLY want to see him back in the movies some time soon!

Batman characters I'd like to see in Movies

Batman movies come out all the time, but there's a few characters I'd love to see in them going forward:

 Azrael

Cool character who once held the mantel of the Bat for a short run in the comics at one time. He's an interesting character with a great background that I think would do well in a movie. 

 Batgirl

In a world where Alicia Silverstone and Yvonne Craig are the only 2 Batgirls in existence, it should show you how bad we need a newer one in the films. With all the hubbub about not having enough female super heroes in movies these days, you'd think more people would be up in arms over this?

 Nightwing

I love Dick Grayson's character, but it studios continue to refuse to give us another Robin in the films, it's going to make getting Nightwing into one very difficult. And that's a shame!

Robin

Look at the previous 2 comments I made above and ditto them. Who cares he wears a colorful uniform, GO FOR IT! Super heroes movies don't always have to look like a Christopher Nolan movie to be good. Go for the Tim Burton comic book feel and it'll work. They only have to give it a chance.

I'll talk about Batman Movie villains tomorrow.

Dredd review

After hearing a billion positive things about this movie, I finally had a chance to see it a few weeks ago from a friend of mine. I liked the Stalone version from the 90's (you hear me right, I liked it) but never really had the desire to see the new one.

Now that I've seen it, I can agree with everyone else, that it's a solid movie and one of the better comic book adaptations out there. Too bad it was marketed terribly and didn't make any money. The movie deserves more recognition than it gets.

If you've been sitting on the fence on this one as I was, then go ahead, pull the trigger and give it a shot. I'm pretty sure you won't regret it!

Survivor review

After watching the Season premiere I have to admit, I'm loving the season so far! The person I hated the most was also the first to get voted off and the season is shaping up to be one of the better ones! I'm excited to see what happens in it!

Something I love the most is the new rule about "ties" in that they have to directly into the tie breaker round without a re-vote (which I think was a waste of time) Really excited to see one of those situations come around. I hope it happens.

I'll give my final thoughts on the series when it end later this year.

DC movies I'd like to see

Yesterday I spoke about Marvel heroes I wish were in movies, what about DC? Here goes!

 Captain Marvel

Could it be this idea is so outdated that DC wouldn't know what to do with it? I hope not. Little Billy yelling out "Shazam!" to transform into an adult super hero was every boys dream! I think if they made this a time piece from the 50's they could pull it off and it'd be great! But with DC's track record for "good decisions" I'm doubtful this will ever happen.

Firestorm

I don't know why but I've always liked this guy even back when I was a kid. I don't even know if they kept the whole "2 in 1, student/professor" origin he had either. But I think it's an awesome premise for the superhero to have his mentor with him always. Like Luke and Jedi Ghost Obi Wan.

This is another movie I'm doubtful they'll make but I fanboy can always wish right?

That's my suggestions for DC movies, what's yours?

Marvel Movies I would like to see

Marvel's just about cleaned out their B and C list super heroes to give them movies, but before they get to winners like Frogman for movies, I'd like to suggest 2 that have still gone under the radar.

 Gambit

My favorite X-men, who besides guest starring in Wolverine Origins, has been non-existent in the newer movies. It's a shame too because he's such a great character! Maybe someone at Marvel will realize his potential and give him a solid role in future movies to come.

Moon Knight

A cross between Batman and Dr Strange, this mystic marauder of the night deserves some time on the big screen as well. I think it'd be interesting to see what they could do with this character. Heck, with his looks and a good story line he could become as popular as the Avengers!

Those are my picks for movies....what's yours?

Best Batman Comics

I've been reading back over my Batman comics from back in the day and wanted to make a new list of my favorite comics from his series.

5) No Man's Land

After Gotham is labeled a complete and total disaster area (after an earthquake destroyed the city) the entire area has been taken over by Batman's enemies who have carved it up into their own little kingdoms, causes turf wars and chaos to reign.

Great story line. Excellent to read and really improved the Penguin as a villain going forward in future stories.

4) Death in the Family

I can't get over how horrifying and sad this page in the comic made me feel. I was floored. For the longest I saved the newspaper clipping about it happening in our local paper because it was that big of a deal. Readers were asked to phone in and vote for the fate of Robin. I never thought they would kill him but they did.

Forget the part of him coming back 20 years later (proving NO ONE dies in comic books) this is still a powerful book and started the whole Superman/Batman rivalry!

3) Batman Knightfall

This is the one I've read most of any of the other stories. Bane breaks all the criminals out of Arkham to wear Batman out in capturing each one. And when Batman's at his most exhaustive, Bane breaks him.

This was big back in the day. I loved Batman taking on a new villain in every issue. It was so much fun to read. Too bad they've reduced Bane to cannon fodder now. He was so good in this!

2) The Killing Joke

For years this was my favorite book. The origin of the Joker and the fall of Batgirl all in one issue. Though this final panel in the comic doesn't really explain why Batman would be laughing with the Joker after he committed one of his most heinous crimes EVER.

But that's comic books for ya!

1) Hush

A comic so well drawn and written that I can't post any of y favorite panels from it because it would spoil the series! I love the Riddler, he's my favorite Batman villain by far and this book looks and feels beautiful every time I read it again.

I know newer stuff has come out since I gave up comics and I'm sure they're good but for me, these are excellent stories that don't make me feel I'm missing out too much on what came thereafter.

That's my Top 5, what's yours?

 

Shamerock Shake

After being off the menu for over a year the Shamrock Shake is back at McDonalds....technically.

You see, every where I go to order one I keep hearing their shake machine is down. So it looks like all we can do down here in Monroe is look at pictures of one but never see one in real life.

Another reason to hate McDonalds. LOL

Puss in Boots TV Show Review

There's not much on Netflix these days to keep me entertained. (Hence my recent addition to their DVD library. But the last this I finished last month was the Puss in Boots series. I've watched and enjoyed all the Shreks and even saw the 2 movies (one of them going straight to DVD) for Puss in Boots and enjoyed them both as well, so I thought I'd give this show a shot.

Though not as good as All Hail King Julian, this series is another cartoon that both adults and kids can enjoy. Smart enough for the parents, fun enough for the kids.

Now I'm done with streaming shows for a while.

John Wick 2 Review

A few weeks ago Megan and I went to see John Wick 2 because we enjoyed the first one and Megan wanted an excuse to eat popcorn. (not kidding)

Though not as action packed as the first movie I have to admit I was impressed. Reeves does a lot of his stunts and at 52 it was amazing to see what all he could do. The camera shows his face the whole time so you won't doubt it either. Pretty amazing.

The movie is a little over the top and ridiculous at times....well most of the time, but to see Reeves in action (literally) and the excellent ending made it worth my time. I really hope they make a 3rd one. I'll go see it.

Lego Batman Movie Review

For Valentine's Day I took Megan out to see this movie. Wasn't sure what to expect but I was hoping for a good one and I got it.

The movie keeps you laughing all thru the first 20 minutes, gives you a break to catch up with the story line, then delivers laughs at just the right places to keep you entertained. I think I can safely say, it's the best DC movie that'll come out this year.

If you haven't seen it already, please do. I don't think we have any other Batman appearances to look forward to in the next decade or so.

Return to OG Netlflix

Remember when Netflix was a DVD rental service? Well, it still is and I'm thinking about going back to it. I miss having the ability to rent any movie I wanted. And if I can get 3 movies a week for only $7.99 a month, that's 12 movies at almost 66 cents a piece!

No more waiting at Redbox for things to come out. No more wondering around Netflix looking for something to watch during breakfast in the morning or after dinner at night.

Yep, I think this is the way to go for me and if it works out, they'll be way more review coming on this blog shortly thereafter!