Ghostbusters Reboot - I Ain't Afraid Of No Ghosts.....

via @paulfeig

....OR HATERS!!!!!

 Surprising probably no one, there have been many vocal haters, mostly men but some women too, on social media outraged at the upcoming Ghostbusters reboot film helmed by Freaks and Geeks' Paul Feig and starring Melissa Carthy of the Bridesmaids fame.

I have only really asked one such self-described lady nerd why she dislikes the Ghost-busters reboot from the trailers alone.  In short, she said "they took a movie and put women in place of men.  Gave them the same character traits and personality of the men and now women are supposed to jump for joy?....forces Paul Feig to come up with better schtick (sic) and and original roles for women."

To which I offered this rebuttal , "I don't think Ghostbusters is too sacred to be immune from remakes....I loved what Feig and McCarthy did in Spy, which was original and proved to me they could handle the Ghostbusters franchise."

Action, humor and original roles for women all around. 

Feig and McCarthy know what they are doing.  Spy has a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and this glowing review on IGN.com.  You could've hated the movie, but cumulative reviews would disagree with you.  I can add that it was easily one of my favorite movies of 2015, in addition to Mad Max: Fury Road, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Spotlight.  Oh and two of those movies I just named are sequels or soft reboots.

I get that some men, not all men, feel invalidated by seeing a Ghostbusters sequel without male leads. They feel they are being overlooked as the core Ghostbuster audience to which any and all sequels should appeal to.  What the old audience is slowly realizing is that Ghostbusters have always appealed to a much larger fan-base than just white males that grew up during the 80's.  

I'm excited to see this movie.  I love Ghostbusters as a young girl growing up in the 80's and 90's and am thrilled to see an all female squad.  That does not and will never invalidate the original Ghostbusters films starring Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson.  The reboot is it's own thing.  I do not view it, in any way, potentially tarnishing the original films.  A good franchise will always survive. Look at Batman, Star Wars, and James Bond.

Tldr; This Ghostbusters movie was not made for you.  Watch it or do not, but please, get over yourselves.  No one appointed you gate-keeper for the franchise.  Doesn't matter how many cartoons, comics or Ghosbusters toys you bought or your parents bought for you.  

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Re-reading and Re-watching: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two

Who could have known?  Who could have known that esteemed and hallowed British actor Alan Rickman would have passed away last week, along with David Bowie?  Both after battling forms of cancer. 

I first became aware of Alan Rickman when my dad made us watch Die Hard on VHS.  Before Die Hard, the most effective villains were either Emperor Palpatine or the Nazis, not even counting Darth Vader because he redeemed himself in the end.  All other villains, in my limited child-hood knowledge of movies, mostly came from the earlier Bond films and many made the most bone-headed moves that would later spawn the Austin Powers parodies.  

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Re-reading and Re-watching: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One

Hello there, I decided to break up the last book of the series into two parts, first reading Chapters 1 through 24, and stopping to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One.

I started this project of re-reading and re-watching the Harry Potter series several years as a full-fledged adult.  The release of the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows occurred in 2007.  Films, 7 and 8, were released November of 2010 and July of 2011, respectively. At the time of this post, that marks eight and a half years from the last time I read Book Seven.  Eight years ago, I was 25.  If you had told me what would have happened in those eight years, I would not have believed you.  Not one bit.

I will explain why below, but for these reasons the last book resonates with me as an adult so much more so than when I initially read it at age 25.  At least the first half, anyway.

Again, spoilers to follow.

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Re-reading and Re-watching: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Happy New Year, guys and gals!  I didn’t want to stop in my on-going series of re-reading and re-watching the Harry Potter series to do some sort of 2015 year in review.  Most of what happened you probably saw on my blog and to be honest, I wasn’t into reviewing the year, not just yet anyway.

So, to continue on, I have just finished the penultimate book in the series, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.  I’m re-reading from a more adult perspective ten years and some months years later from the original summer release of Book Six back in 2005.  Initially I started this project as an attempt to pick out more details of Houses Ravenclaw and House Hufflepuff since Pottermore, would later sort me into Ravenclaw and my best friend into Hufflepuff.  Like almost everyone else I was convinced I would be in Gryffindor. 

Book Six is one of my favorite books in the series, along with Book Two.  As soon as I finished reading Book Six for the first time, my mind was ablaze with the possibilities of what kind of object the seventh Horcrux would turn out to be.  Like my pronunciation of Hermione, the actual pronunciation of Horcrux was, way, way off from my interpretation.  (Why can’t they be Hor-cruz/Hor-cruise?)  Book Six has one of the better endings being entirely open-ended and somewhat cliff-hanger like, leaving ALL Harry Potter fans salivating in anticipation for the final installment. 

As always, spoilers to follow.

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Re-reading and Re-watching: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Resuming my quest to re-read and re-watch each of the Harry Potter books and movies, years later as a full-grown adult, I have come to the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Now my copy of the fifth book is the Bloombury edition, which was printed and sold in the U.K.  At the time of the book’s release, I was in London as part of the Radio/TV/Film overseas summer course in British Broadcasting co-hosted by my school, the University of North Texas, and the University of London.  My classmates and I stayed with host families for two months in the Muswell Hill area.   I had spied the local bookstore, Muswell Hill Bookshop, and on the night of the fifth book’s release went to stand in line to buy a copy.

Went I got to the bookshop I couldn’t help but grin in amazement.  I stood behind a long line of young local kids standing with their parents, chatting excitedly in British accents and dressed in long black robes and pointed witch hats.  I SWEAR to God, it was like being dropped off at the 9¾ platform in person.  It was like stepping into the books themselves, and I’ll never forget that treasured memory.

The book itself, on the other hand, is my least favorite book, so far.  I say so far, because maybe in re-reading the last two, I may turn out not to like them as much as I previously thought but I highly, highly doubt it.  It starts sad and slow, remains at a somewhat sluggish pace and then ends in an incredibly sad manner but I’ll get to that more below.

Spoilers to follow.

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Re-reading and Re-watching: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Continuing on to the fourth book in the series, I have been re-reading and re-watching the Harry Potter series, after more than a decade, from a different perspective.  I’m much older and one would hope, wiser.  I also wanted to re-read the series for more details of the much overshadowed Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff houses.

I first came across the Harry Potter series right as the Book Four was coming out.  My younger cousin had the first two books with him, the weekend my dad and stepmom got married.  I finished both in no time, found the third book and was all set when the fourth book came out later that year.  Interestingly, the beginning of Book Four does a good job of describing the past plot-lines in the first few chapters, making it seem as though it was designed to bring in new readers right away, setting them up to understand the story, and letting them read the first three books at another time, if they chose to do so.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire gets right into the trio’s growing pains and we experience Ron, Harry and Hermione going through the ugly emotions of jealousy, fear, isolation, awkwardness, and unrequited love.  This book also established the pattern of a heart-breaking death for each of the remaining books in the series.  Book Four launches head-long into puberty and emerges on the other side more mature due to darker themes.

As always, spoilers ahead.

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Re-reading and Re-watching: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

If you missed my previous posts, I've been re-reading and re-watching the Harry Potter series in order.  Mostly because I wanted to read it again from the perspective of my Pottermore assigned Ravenclaw House, but also because now I'm a full-blown adult with a home mortgage and I was curious to see how the series has held up.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is notable in my opinion for expanding the Harry Potter world to include Harry's father James' generation and for also developing Hermione into a stronger, passionate character.

(Warning - Spoilers)

Hermione is amazing as f**k, in this, although her character is put on a painful journey through a majority of the book.  She tries to genuinely protect Harry and yet is sworn to secrecy about having a time turner. Thus she has to resort in tattling on her friends and is shunned by Ron for most of the book.  I would argue that Ron isn't really unfairly harsh to Hermione since he cannot know her motivations and really reacts as anyone normally would but not even Harry suffers as much as Hermione in the third book.  Hermione undergoes a fantastic hero's journey that could rival Harry's own.


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Re-reading and Re-watching: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Continuing on my mission to re-read and re-watch all the Harry Potter books and movies, approximately 15 years later since I first started when Book 4 came out, I have to admit that Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was always my favorite book prior to Books 6 and 7.

It’s not a popular opinion, and I totally understand why most prefer Book Three over Book Two.  The plotting in Book Three is denser, and has more world-building elements.

The second book in my opinion just so cinematic.  Reading it the first time, I could definitely picture an Indiana Jones type movie in my mind’s eye.  The Basilisk made for a fantastic villain, versus the whodunit aspect of the third book, which had more difficult elements to translate to film.  I’m a movie director at heart so I always read books in the same way, picturing them as movies.

Again, I was re-reading to keep an eye out for any mentions of Ravenclaw and by extension Hufflepuff students.  Ravenclaw, because that is the house I was sorted into by Pottermore, and Hufflepuff because that is the house my best friend was sorted into. 

Below are my thoughts on both the second book and the second film. 

The same as last time, spoilers are abound.

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Re-reading and Re-watching: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

So yeah, I’m a Harry Potter nerd….who isn’t, really?  On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d rate myself as an 8.  I’ve read all the books, watched all the movies, logged onto to the Pottermore site in its second beta testing phase and have gotten sorted into Ravenclaw. 

I can’t really rate myself any higher because I haven’t watched A Very Potter musical online, I don’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of all things Harry Potter, and I have never been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter or LeakyCon.  Don’t worry, I’m working on going there someday.

Thinking it was a good idea to refresh myself with the source material,  this time from a Ravenclaw perspective, I dived in head-first into the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Philosopher’s Stone if you want to be super-technical about it),  and Christopher Columbus’ first film in the Harry Potter film franchise by the same name.

Here are my thoughts. 

Beware, spoilers here.

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New Halloween Movie Playlist

It seems to me that Halloween comes second only to Christmas.  Everyone loves Christmas and Halloween.  Both outrank every other holiday.  Both have treats, their own playlists, their own movie marathons, etc.  I originally wanted to run through a list of my favorite Halloween movies, which include popular favorites like Ghostbusters, Young Frankenstein, Sleepy Hollow, Night of the Hunter, and Nightmare Before Christmas, but I decided to recommend some current movies that may have originally flew under your radar when they first came out, all of which you can find on Netflix streaming.

Just note that I'm not a horror fan AT ALL.  I can stomach The Shining and Silence of the Lambs nothing scarier.  I can't handle torture porn, Japanese horror, or stuff like the The Evil Dead remake.  Nope, nope, nope.  Ain't no way I'm sitting through women being mutilated or worse on screen. HELL NO.

The following recommendations feature may feature some gruesome deaths but nothing too realistic or extreme.  Certainly not like anything you've seen in the Game of Thrones series.

1. Monsters (2010) dir. Gareth Edwards

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Nerd Rant # 5 - 4 Reasons Why You Should Care About the new Ant-Man Movie

I don't know if you are a huge comic-book nerd like I am but I'm sure by now most people have a passing knowledge about the Marvel Universe and understand that The Avengers movie and their characters, Iron-Man, Thor, Captain America and Hulk, are part of the same world as the tv show Marvel Agents of Shield and the Guardians of the Galaxy.

You have probably seen the trailer for this upcoming Marvel Superhero movie called Ant-Man, and have thought one thing.

Who the f*ck is Ant-Man?

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Season of the Witch

I have had a growing fascination with witches, lately.  Witches are almost always powerful women, embodied with supernatural abilities which they can use for good or bad.  The first witch I remember seeing was in the animated Disney movie, The Sword and the Stone.  Madame Mim, a short, tiny ugly old women nearly gets the drop on the wizard Merlin by acting crazy, cunning, and seductive, all in equal turns.

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10 Best Movie Soundtrack Moments

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God, I love movies!  Most people do.

I actually got my BA in Radio/Television/Film and still try to write screenplays on the side.  I really love the concept of storytelling in all formats.  I learned from my dad and maternal grandfather, the best way to set up a story and then deliver the punchline.

And I really love music! My sister and I used to joke that our dream jobs would be music curators, putting together playlists for a variety of purposes.

Now every entertainment site has a top movie-music soundtrack and/or music score list.  I'm not enough of a music nerd to make separate lists but the usual suspects always show up.  Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman, The Magnificent Seven,  The Breakfast Club, Casablanca......

Movies I haven't re watched in years.

So I decided to present an alternative take and chose some newer films.  Yeah, Tarantino snuck in there, sorry.  And I don't get Cameron Crowe, so his films aren't on there, sorry. Here, in no particular order are 10 Best Movie Soundtrack Moments in my honest and most opinion.


1.  Half Nelson - Broken Social Scene "Shampoo Suicide"

The motel scene happens at the climax of the movies, when one of  the students (Shareeka Epps) finds her teacher (Ryan Gosling) in a crack den.  With very little dialogue, we witness a flood of emotions between the two talented actors and are utterly swept away by their raw power and the music in the scene.

2. Sunshine - John Murphy, Original Score
*Spoilers*  Sunshine as directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) was the rare sci-fi flick with a wealth of fresh ideas and a truly international cast of heavyweight actors, (Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh, Hiroyuki Sanada).  Early on, Captain Kaneda bravely sacrifices himself, as he stares down the sun, waiting to die the score turns an horrific event into something almost magical.

3. Smokin' Aces - Clint Mansell "Dead Reckoning", Original Score
Clint Mansell is a badass.  In addition to making some of the most recognizable movie music used in virtually every trailer today (Lux Eterna) he has also scored the likes of The Fountain, Moon, The Wrestler and Black Swan.  His music can also transform the ending of a mediocre film into something transcendent, as evidenced below.  *Spoiler*  This shows the end of a movie you probably weren't going to watch anyway unless you were jonesing for pre-Star Trek Chris Pine roles.

4. The Royal Tenenbaums - Nico "Needle in the Hay"
Wes Anderson movies usually show up as MVPs of any movie soundtrack lists.  The Royal Tenenbaums was my first exposure, hence this inclusion on my list.  Something as horrific and gut punching as a failed suicide attempt becomes tragically beautiful and delicately unsettling.  I wouldn't view if you are adverse to the sight of blood, though.

5. High Fidelity - Jack Black "Let's Get it On"
Better named, "The Adventures of a Privileged White Male Music Nerd", this movie name drops music and records all over the place like a gentleman making it rain in a strip club.  As one of his first big roles, we are introduced to the comedic stylings of an up and coming Jack Black, however, it isn't until the end of the movie that we get to hear how well he can actually play guitar and sing.

6. Magnolia - Aimee Man "Wise Up"
Paul Thomas Anderson's films are usually about various individuals suffering in vaguely unsettling environments.  They undergo love, life, and loss in intertwining tales.  When the characters of Magnolia, take time to sing to  Aimee Man's "Wise Up" we are moved by their reflection on life, in a curiously powerful "breaking the fourth wall" scene.

7. Donnie Darko - Gary Jules "Mad World"
This movie is weird, crazy, hilarious, dark and demented.  "Mad World" could not sum the ending up any better.

8.  Scott Pilgrim v. The World - Beck "Threshold"
Ok, full disclosure, I love Beck.  He also put together the soundtrack for one of my favorite films, Nacho Libre.  Beck provides all the songs for the fictional band, Sex Bob-Omb but I included this scene for it's video game characteristics that literally gives power to the music.

9. Napoleon Dynamite - Jamiroquai "Canned Heat"
Sitting through Napoleon Dynamite for the first time, most everyone has the same thought, "is this all there is to this movie?".  Yes, yes it is.  The crowning achievement to the weird, quirky existence that is Napoleon, is the moment he dances before the high school student body and dances like no one is watching.

10. Pulp Fiction - Basically the whole soundtrack 
Yep, for reasons other people have endlessly expounded on.

Got any favorites you'd like to add? (Besides "Let It Go").  Let me know.

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Nerd Rant #4 - Forget Amazing, we need a Spectacular Spider-Man

Hang on Electro, my nerd rant, first!

Have you guys rushed out to see the new Amazing Spider-Man sequel?  If not, no big.  I didn’t even see the Amazing Spider-Man reboot in the first place and I still consider myself a fan of the Spider-Man franchise.

Spider-Man 2 is second only to The Dark Knight in my book. Currently the Avengers and first Iron Man movie are tied, followed by X-Men 2, Blade 2, and the first Hellboy.

I’m not really rushing out to see Amazing Spider-Man 2, after reading these headlines;

Amazing Spider-Man 2 Is A Decent Movie Smothered by Layers of Crap – by Charlie Jane Anders of io9.com and Tangled Web – by Daniel Krupa of IGN.com.

I admit that I don’t read the Spiderman comics and never have, but even I have a passing familiarity with the Spider-man supporting cast and the wide gallery of animal themed rogues that rival DC’s Batman or the Flash.

With the opening of the current sequel in theatres, Target had the remaining DVD volumes available of the best adaptation of Spider-Man in my, albeit, limited in scope, opinion, The Spectacular Spider-Man animated series that premiered from 2008-2009.  In 2008, I was 26 years old and had moved back in with parents.  I fucking recorded each episode of this amazingly well-written cartoon and enjoyed the hell out of it.  FINALLY someone who could balance multiple villains, multiple love interests, AND still focus on drama of the high school experience that Peter went through every day as a teenager.  Baby, this was master class in classic heroic story arcs and no did better.  Not even Batman, the Animated Series. (Because the BTAS had an episodic story structure rather than a serial, sustained season-long story arc like Spectacular).

Visually, the series animation took some getting used to...that chin GG!

So yeah, on that point, I loves me some Spider-Man. 

I didn’t initially want to see the rebooted Spider-Man because I actually did not fall in love with 500 Days of Summer.  I fell in love with JGL, because I mean, who wouldn’t?  But I thought that movie was a lil’ too twee for my liking and I did not approve of the same director helming the Spider-Man reboot.  I still don’t.

He's basically the male version of the "Manic Pixie Girl" stereotype, so slight and vulnerable.

He's the male Natalie Portman is what I'm saying.

I loved the first two Spider-Man movies.  I liked the portrayal of teenage Peter Parker and though Kristen Dunst made the best possible Mary Jane ever.

Now we have Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy which I wasn’t super-excited about but I get it.  She’s Spider-Man’s first love and is featured prominently in the animated series I’m so dorky about.

But now I’m done with the teenage years.  I want Spidey to move on, specifically past college and onto a young adult in his 20’s.  I know Spider-Man is best known as a teenage character but that’s been done and done well.  Now I want an adult Spider-Man.  One that goes toe to toe with J Jonah Jameson at the newspaper, or………….at least has a full time job.  A Spider-Man that can hook up with Black Cat and not be having the teenage girlfriend drama ALL THE TIME.  He doesn’t have to be Bruce Wayne, he doesn’t have to be super wealthy or a playboy, I’m just ready to see him reach adulthood.  You know?  Something different, something fresh.

Something “Spectacular” maybe?

This is Black Cat.  I was too afraid to do a Google Image Search at work...that's how seksi her costume is

PS – Yes Sony Studios, I would be happy to write or direct the next Spidey movie for you.  You know how to find me. 

This...this is how you find me...with that light....you know the Spider-man light.?

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Nerd Rant #3 - TM Ninja Turtles Reboot - The Next Batman Begins?

Smells like Teen Spirit.....and uhh ninjas....and tur...tles???

Ever wonder why, my dear readers, I will sometimes greet you as "my ninjas"?  This is because I have a deep affection for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, as most adults my age do. (Yes we're Adults now!)  The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or TMNT for short, were four brothers that worked as a team.  This use of "Ninja" became a term of endearment at my work, since I work so closely together with my co-workers.  We have each others' back.  We are a TEAM!

Source

Now as the oldest sibling, Leonardo aka the Blue One, is the leader of the team.  He's not the strongest, that's Raphael.  He's not the smartest, that's Donatello.  He is definitely not the funny one, that's Michelangelo but he is the boss.  He's a little serious, a little bossy but he leads because he loves his family and his brothers.  As a kid, I GOT Leo.  As the oldest sibling myself, I understood his struggle to lead, especially whenever he doubted himself or became frustrated that he was held more accountable than anyone else.  Growing up, my parents told me it was my job to protect my two younger sisters whenever my parents couldn't be there.  I got in trouble if my sisters got in trouble, because I knew better and failed to keep them in line.  Yep, I was Leo just without the sweet swords, ninja training, and turtle DNA.

I went to see the last TMNT animated movie at the movie theater by myself.  I actively watch every episode of the current TMNT animated tv series on Nickelodeon.  So yeah, I gonna judge the hell out of the new trailer for Michael Bay's live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot.

My verdict?  This looks a whole lot like the Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy.  Like shot for shot.  Let's break it down, shall we? Please be advised, none of these images are mine but that's kinda obvious.....right?

So first up in the trailer we see overhead shots of a big city, I assume it's New York but really it could be Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, anywhere.  This is followed by a shot of a terrorist shooting a gun, dressed in black, then followed by a helicopter hovering over the city.  Fair enough, this is the same setup for any action movie trailer or drama these days.  Then we see a large radio tower get destroyed.  Large scale destruction appears in most action movie trailers but consistently appears in the Nolan Bat-verse.

Gotham City Bridge....Bane prefers blasting bridges to burning them

During these shots we hear a white male's voice-over describe the decline of honor, justice and heroes.  Again no real surprise here, it's been done before.

In the Dark Knight trailer it's Michael Caine.

In TMNT it's William Fichtner, apparently he plays Shredder AND he was also in the Dark Knight.

Next up in the TMNT trailer we see armed criminals being ambushed in a subway station.  Literally being thrown against the walls. We do not get a glimpse of the attackers. Seem familiar?  That would because the first scene in which Batman fights in Batman Begins takes place in a shipping container yard.  He too, ambushes armed criminals while remaining unseen.

Okay well eventually he is seen.

I guess the Turtles get seen by April O'Neil too.  On her digital camera, in the dark., while my camera can't even take a decent concert photo.

We see more city destruction in the trailer, the masses panicking, cop cars forming a blockade and then Leonardo leaps from a building donning ninja weapons and gear.  Ninja weapons....hmm.......

Oh right,....

Yep, got it.

Then comes my favorite part, the turtles can be seen sliding down a snow-covered mountain, because their shells are like natural sleds, baby!

He did not clear that obstacle...at all...

THIS too appears in Batman Begins, when Bruce Wayne slides down a snow-covered mountain to save Liam Neeson's character.

Okay nerds, I know this scene occurs earlier that the mountain scene but I needed to show a lil context, so slow your roll, okay?

He (Bruce) had to literally slow his Master's roll (off a mountain)

I'm not saying the comparisons between the TMNT reboot and the Nolan Batverse is unfavorable, far from it.  I realize this is just the very first trailer but I feel as though I have already seen a movie like this, Batman Begins, and I do not believe TMNT can top it at this point.  This trailer just gives rise to too many questions.  Where is Master Splinter?  Who is the bad guy, the antagonist?  The Foot Clan, the Kraang, Shredder?  What does Raph or Donnie look like?  What does Leonardo sound like?  Is Casey Jones going to show up?  What the hell happened to Mikey's face?

I mean, LOOK AT IT!!!!

I feel like the current animated series is totally hitting it out of the park, providing an updated version of the Turtles that includes all of the above elements,(Master Splinter, the Kraang, etc.) and yet wisely skip any Vanilla Ice references and "Cowabunga, dude!"  What purpose would the live version hope to accomplish?  A watered down version of Batman Begins?  At this point, I'm not buying what Michael Bay is selling and I even buy the TMNT Lego sets, people! I guess, I'll just have to stay tuned.

What are your thoughts, my ninjas?  Which turtle was/is your favorite?  Are you excited for the reboot? I wanna know!

Later,

Marg

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Nerd Rant #2 - Guardians of the Galaxy (What a bunch of a-holes)

Don't know if you, my awesome readers, keep up on all the latest comic book movie news, like I do, but the full trailer for the new Marvel movie Guardians of the Galaxy came out this week.

I used to keep up with a lil' comic book called Nova.  Which was about a superhero Richard Ryder, that became an intergalactic space cop with the Nova Corps.  Kinda of like Green Lantern, except the Nova Corps got decimated at some point and Richard was the last of his kind.  The very last Nova, except for the combined consciousness of the Nova Corps that resided in his helmet and acted very much like Tony Stark's Jarvis operating system.

This is Nova.  He would do a bunch bad ass stuff like save the universe from collapsing and working with a dog-like alien that ran a space station at the edge of time. Totally not making this up.

Nova could also shoot energy rays from the palms of his hands.  He was a lot like Green Lantern, crossed with Iron Man and with the Flash's personality.  I know I'm mixing DC and Marvel characters but whatever.  

Now frequently, Nova would team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy, which was headed by Star Lord aka Peter Quill.  Peter would don a bad-ass mask that looked part gas mask and part Nazi treasure hunter.

Star Lord with guns ablazing!

You can also see Rocket Raccoon, Drax, Gamora and two others that may or may not have made the final cut.

Now, herein lies my rant, according to the trailer there is no Nova, party of one.  There are the Nova Corps, that look to be all human.  Their uniforms look like this.

Kinda like a cheap plastic version of Judge Dredd.

You see Chris Pratt as Star Lord but without the mask.  Without the mask.  Without the guns ablazing.  Which is to say, "What is the freaking point!?!?!?"

I should also point out that Rocket Raccoon is a talking raccoon, one that sometimes the comic book writers like to bestow a British cockney accent upon.  You know, like hell if he can walk, shoot guns, wear clothes, then why wouldn't he speak with a accent?  My only issue?  Bradley Cooper is the voice of Rocket Raccoon.  So there is mostly likely not going to be an accent.  I mean I don't know for sure, because you don't hear the raccoon in the trailer, and Bradley Cooper can speak French but I'm betting the accent won't be there.

So I'm still on the fence about this.  I love Chris Pratt and he knocked it out of the park being in the Lego movie.  I love the fact that they kept Groot in the lineup (the tree-looking man).  I love that they allow Drax and Gamora to keep their green skin but I just, I don't know.  I guess only time and more trailers will tell.

PS - What the hell do I gotta do to get a Black Panther movie made, Marvel? Marry Stan Lee?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments, my Guardians of this Galaxy!

Gun ablazing,

Marg 

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Nerd Rant #1 - Not the Catwoman we need, but the Catwoman we deserve...

I feel the need to show my nerd side today.  I am a closeted Batman nerd and have been since 1992, when Batman Returns showed in theaters. Batman is my Star Wars, Danny Elfman is my John Williams, Tim Burton my George Lucas.

I was too young to watch any of the original trilogy of Star Wars in the theaters.  I came of age when the second Batman film was showing and later when Batman: The Animated Series became my Bible, my jam, my life as a 12 year old.

So I have a near-all-encompassing lexicon of the Batman movies which has bleed into the comics, and cartoons.  I have yet to tackle all the video games but own and have played Arkham Asylum, Arkham City and Arkham Origins.

I pick apart any comic book movie like a Southern Belle mama does her beauty pageant offspring.  I get a nerd boner that lasts long and stays hard.  BUT I usually hide it.

I don’t wear Batman t-shirts but I have pretty sweet Batman watch that my 10 year old twin sisters gave me for Christmas this year.  I don’t have Batman plastered all over my walls but I have almost every DVD box set made.

My sweet effin' watch.

So now I want to bring up the latest Batman movie, 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises”.  Don’t tell me you haven’t watched it, ‘cause you probably did, with your boyfriend, because it’s actually cool and hip and all to openly love Batman, now.

Ok…ahem…HERE BE SPOILERS………………...............................................................................

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A Look Back - 2013 (Part One)

I hope your holidays are going well!  If you are already back at work or just bored sitting around at Grandma's, now is a good time to look at 2013 in review.  Specifically I'm talking movies.  You ever wait for the People Magazine or Entertainment Weekly's Top 10 Movies/Books/Music/TV Moments/Smoothie Flavors of the year to come out?  I do!  I eat that sh#t right up!

Gotta catch up on the stuff I missed out on!  Next year I'll watch more movies, listen to more music, read more books...until I get too lazy by February and then just waste time playing Arkham Asylum again for the 90th time.  Well, a girl can dream.

I wanted to kick off Part One of my fabulous retrospective with MOVIES!!  I love movies, so much so that my degree is in Film but I won't go all obnoxious film school on you because that's dumb and boring.

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