Thor: Ragnarok 'n' Roll

One of the many pleasures of being part of a film industry group is the ability to go to screenings of current movies, and about half the time, they're ahead of the release date. Such was the case of how I got to see the highly anticipated Thor: Ragnarok this week. I can truly say it was worth the wait.

LIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE TRAILERS OR NEWS

Star Trek Ascendancy w/ Expansions

My friends and I recently played a game of Star Trek Ascendancy, a game of galactic expansion and civilization development in the Trek-verse. I had just bought the new Ferengi and Cardassian expansions and we were all eager to try them. We were hoping for a 4-5 player game to get most or all of the factions in play. Alas, difficult availabilities pared our players down to the minimum 3.

It became quickly clear that everyone wanted to play the Ferengi. With the aggressive capitalism in the game, they rely on literally buying their way to victory ('Merica!)

We were on a bit of a time crunch, so I just passed out the starting turn order cards and we selected factions in that order. One of my friends got the #1 and took Ferengi. The other friend got the #2 and decided to try his hand at the Cardassians. That left me with the Federation, Klingons, Romulans. I'd played the Federation twice and already seen how the Klingons operate so I decided to go with the Romulans.

Concerning Lightsabers, Part 1: Kyberlight

About a month ago, I went with my sensei and a couple other students from my dojo to a lightsaber fight in Washington Square Park. I borrowed someone's saber and we did some lightsaber kendo for everyone. It was a good time, and despite my rather rough technique, I managed to win a bout.

Anyway, afterwards I decided to take the plunge and purchase my own dueling lightsaber. I'd been thinking about it for a while and thought, 'why not?'

What Doctor Who Fans are Waiting for from Big Finish

The Adventures of Martha and Micky

We last saw Mickey "The Idiot" Smith and his former U.N.I.T. bride, Martha Jones, in The End of Time, Part 2 where they were shown fighting a Sontaran. Martha made a reference to them recently "going freelance" which we can only infer as the couple defending the Earth on their own terms. Like most former companions, we've heard nothing from them since, but unlike most other companions, the story potential is endless. What are their lives like? Do they have day jobs? Who do they work for as freelancers? Are they Earth's new A Team? If the actors would be willing to sign on, Big Finish would have no problem pumping out a few action packed stories about this alien fighting duo.

An Open Letter to Chris Chibnall Concerning Doctor Who

Dear Mr. Chibnall,
I'm not going to mince words here, you have an uphill battle ahead of you. You've been given command of a sinking ship and asked to keep it going. This particular ship sprung a leak a while ago, but no one seems to have noticed or done anything about it, and now you're already halfway underwater.

But I want to help you. Doctor Who has weathered worse problems than this and a new Doctor is always an opportunity to win a new audience. Here's what I think you can do to get the show back to the basics that the fans know and love.

The Marvel Movies: You're Either In All the Way Or You're Out

Back in 2012, just after The Avengers came out, I was talking to a friend about it and he told me he hated the movie. He didn't understand what Thor and Loki were fighting about, he didn't get what the deal with the Tesseract was, he didn't know what was going on with Black Widow, or what SHIELD was supposed to be. When I explained that all that info was in the previous movies, he replied, "What? I have to watch other movies to understand this one? That's stupid. This movie should explain everything I need to know."

A couple years later, I was marathoning the MCU films with my step-mom's family. Cumulatively, they had seen about half of them. When we finished Iron Man 2, my aunt said, "so now we watch Iron Man 3?" I said, "No, now we watch Thor, Captain America, The Avengers, and then Iron Man 3." She was puzzled. She wanted to watch Iron Man 3 and didn't understand why we had to wait.

Earlier this year, my friends and I were making plans to go see Captain America: Civil War. Everyone was excited, but one friend asked, "I haven't seen Captain America 2, is that bad?" I was honestly astounded that he was excited enough to see it opening weekend, but hadn't bothered to see the previous one. I explained that not only did he need to see The Winter Soldier, he also needed to see Avengers: Age of Ultron and, if he had time, Ant-Man.

All these cases are people coming from the same general assumption; that each Marvel film, even the team ups, is self-contained and the only thing that matters is watching the individual character lines in the right order. That's been the Hollywood model for superhero films up to this point, but as the loyal Marvelites know, it's no longer the case. The entire Marvel line is one giant series. Each one contributes to a larger story that feeds into the next one. You wouldn't expect The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King to explain what the ring is and how it works, because that was already explained in the first film which you presumably saw. Likewise, the Marvel films will always assume you've seen the previous installments.

Where Suicide Squad Went Wrong

Warner Bros. latest entry the the DC Cinematic Universe is out and its evident that the studio still hasn't learned how to make a superhero film. 

The entry was hailed as DC's equivalent of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy in that it would be a fun, offbeat, albeit slightly darker, story in a universe of gods and monsters. The problem is that the writers failed to develop any sense of agency in its characters and simply threw them into a blender to make a very bad tasting super-villain smoothie. Like one of those avocado vegan ones that no one likes. Here are the mistakes that knocked the film off course. 

The Fundamental Difference Between The Avengers and Age of Ultron

When Iron Man came out in 2007, it was relatively unremarkable. Several other superhero one-offs were in already in play including X-Men, Spider-Man, and Batman. Iron Man was definitely better than the average, but didn't stand out too much, except for one thing. The post credit scene gave audiences a promise: we're going somewhere with this, The Avengers are coming. Every Phase I film contributed to that goal. Each one was an opening act and The Avengers was the main event. The same cannot be said for Age of Ultron which has more in common with Iron Man 2.

Wolverine and the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Films

Second only to The Dark Knight Trilogy and The Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men is among the most successful superhero film franchises of the 21st century.  The original film was among the opening lineup of what has become a very popular Hollywood genre.  That said, there have been some very noticeable missteps in some of the films and the harshest criticisms are leveled at the Wolverine spin-off films; 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine and 2013's The Wolverine.  At face value, this seems a contradiction.  Hugh Jackman, who plays Wolverine, has headlined all the other successful films of the series except one, so why are the films so much weaker with a different supporting cast.  Blame is thrown around to writing, direction, casting and other things, but after some research, I think I've pinpointed the root of the problem to the business management of the series by its studio, 20th Century Fox.

Guide to the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 1 & 2

PHASE I
Iron Man 
This is the first film and assumes as much. It very gradually introduces the audience to a superhero character before dropping the bomb of that it's only the beginning of a larger universe. 

The Incredible Hulk
This film is stylistically similar to Iron Man and expands on the "larger universe" that Iron Man promised. We get our first character with actual powers. 

Iron Man 2
This film escalates the universe and begins really putting pieces in place for The Avengers. The post credit scene sets up Thor. 

One Shot: A Funny Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer (on the Captain America Blu Ray)
This is an optional little interlude that expands on Agent Coulson on his way to the events of Thor. 

Thor
Expands the cosmic side of universe and gives the biggest glimpse into SHIELD. It further sets up The Avengers by introducing its villain and the terrasect. 

One Shot: The Consultant (on the Thor Blu Ray)
Functions as an epilogue to Thor and explains the closing scene from Hulk and precisely when those events took place. 

Captain America: The First Avenger
Though chronologically the first of the series, it relies on Thor to make sense. The bookend scenes also take place almost immediately before The Avengers. 

The Avengers
An act one finale to the events to date. This is the climax to stories from all five previous films and sets up the future of the series. 

Why the War Doctor Was a Pointless Act of Creative Cowardice

It's been almost a year since the landmark 50th Anniversary episode of Doctor Who aired. Upon repeat viewings, the episode does still hold up, but there is one thing I now find irksome; the War Doctor really didn't need to be there. Either the 8th or 9th (preferably the former) would have functioned in that role without a massive retcon and the creation of a zero sum character. Let's look at Moffat's reasons for bringing in the 8.5th Doctor and see why they are invalid and just created more problems. 

Beginner's Guide to Classic Star Trek

Let's face the sad fact that J.J. Abrams new Star Trek films are here to stay.  While they are increasing the number of people who are aware of Star Trek and have seen the movies, most of these new people are often viciously reprimanded that they chose the wrong installment to enter Trek.  Indeed, the new films are truly dumbed down action pieces with little substance and lackluster plots.  Action was never the lure for Trekkies, it was the gravy.

Speaking personally, every time I've told someone to try to watch the older Trek, they usually express intimidation at the size of the franchise, and with 726 episodes plus 12 films, I don't blame them.  What I've done for them is pare the franchise down to absolute essentials.  Instead of watching six full series, they only watch a sampling of each of them to get gist of them.  Ideally, this is enough to hook them into watching more, but if not, they can at least counter the reprimands of the die hard trekkies with an informed decision.

Phase II Begins: Iron Man 3

The latest, and possibly final, installment of the Iron Man films is a mixed success.  On one hand, it's high action with new themes, and Stark's loveable snark is turned all the way up to 11.  Sadly, the film is overcrowded with undeveloped elements and nonsensical plot developments.  For most, it may be an improvement on Iron Man 2 since it's a true hero's struggle  from start to finish and the lessons learned are much stronger, but that doesn't excuse an unfocused story, a mish-mashed villain, and frankly, a significant disservice to the source material.

NOTE: This is a review of IM3 as a film in itself and what it bodes for the future of Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Some Spoilers ahead.

A Completionist Guide to Battlestar Galactica

Most people I know who start watching this series view it in the order of release.  Well, that's not really necessary or even beneficial.  There are prequel series, TV movies, and web series that are scattered throughout the series run and only rarely appear in the proper order with the main series.  Now, after careful analysis, I've determined that a chronological viewing is equally, if not more, acceptable as the release.    

Caprica: (all episodes)
Movie: Blood & Chrome (available on DVD/Blu Ray or digital download)
Webisodes: Razor Minisodes (available on Razor DVD)
Season 1: (all episodes)
Season 2: Scattered - The Captain's Hand
Season 4 Movie: Razor
Season 2: Downloaded - Lay Down Your Burdens
Webisodes: The Resistance (available on DVDs and online)
Season 3: (all episodes)
Season 4: He That Believeth in Me - Sometimes a Great Notion
Webisodes: Face of the Enemy (only available online)
Season 4: A Disquiet Follows My Soul - No Exit
Movie: The Plan
Season 4: Deadlock - Daybreak

If you're planning to enter the Battlestar saga for the first time, I suggest you follow the order I've laid out and tell me what you think.  Caprica and the first two web series are optional, but recommended.  It's also all or nothing.  If you skip Caprica, then jump straight to Battlestar Galactica season 1.  Neither Blood & Chrome nor the Razor Minisodes function very well as introductory material.  

If you're familiar with BSG and are planning to introduce someone to it, read on and I'll outline my reasons for this order.  

The Most Epic Movies Never to be Made

So we all have a few film ideas rolling in our head.  Films we'd like to see made and, if done right, would be great.  Odds are, though, they will never enter production.  As a prospective filmmaker, I have more than a few, and while I'm usually paranoid about sharing my ideas in case I actually get around to making them, here's a few I don't mind letting loose in case someone in Hollywood picks up the baton.  

Announcements and Fact Check Fails

I'm coming up on my two year anniversary as a blogger.  As such, there are a few changes coming.  First of all, some of you may have notice a drop in the frequency of posts before the holidays.  Recent full time employment has eaten into my blogging time a bit and I don't expect the situation to alleviate anytime soon.  I'm hopeful that I can put out at least one to two posts per month.  To pick up the slack a bit, I'm creating a new catagory called Quotesque that will come out this Wednesday.  Each post will consist of a short, funny, film related quote that I've heard from various sources.  I hope you enjoy them.  Lastly, I'm taking a page from Nostalgia Critic, and owning up to all the errors I've made over the past two years.  I apologize for my negligent research and hope to avoid these in the future.  

Captain America vs. The First Avenger
I said Cap was frozen cryogenically, he was actually frozen in an operation, similar to that in the film.  

Prequel and Proud
I implied that the Stryker in X-Men: First Class was the same Stryker in Wolverine and X2.  The movie actually states that he is the father of the original Stryker.  

Primer for The Avengers
I said The Incredible Hulk is after Iron Man 2 "with no crossover."  In Iron Man 2, during the scene when Fury brings in Stark as a consultant, you can see footage from a wrecked college campus behind him.  I'm revising my placement to say Hulk runs parallel to both Iron Man 2 and Thor, so it can be watched 3rd, 4th, or 5th in the viewing order. 

Conspiracy Syndrome
I said the shadowy organization in Eureka was "unnamed".  It was actually called 'The Consortium'.

Lost TV of the 21st Century
I said Heroes had a dedicated flashback episode every season.  I should have said every volume as the third season was composed of two volumes, each with a flashback episode.  

Holiday Flicks

The holidays are a wonderful time.  Retailers unroll their best deals, the postal system works overtime, and Hollywood distributors release their strongest titles to clog up the theater seats.  Here's a little blurb on a few of those titles.  

Firefly: Still Shiny

Christmas is almost upon us, but there's one anniversary just past that most people missed: the tenth anniversary of Firefly's cancellation.  Personally, I was in a bit of a pickle on how to honor this series, and then I realized there was one thing that I would never be able to do for it: watch it while it was on.  So I decided to recreate the conditions as closely as possible.  Starting Friday Sept. 21st, I proceeded to watch the show on Fox's original schedule.  I even looked up some old promos for the show.  Now, I've seen this series backwards and forwards a dozen times, but I tried to distance myself from that to give myself the experience of watching it for the first time.  It would have been nice to have a new viewer with me, but that would've just confused a prospecitve new fan, and I couldn't do that.  Here's what I thought.  

A Look Back at James Bond 007, 1962-2012

The latest Bond film is coming soon and as the new installment is bringing back some of the older staples, I thought it was time for a look back at the previous incarnations of the silver screen.  

Waiting for the technology

I've been thinking a lot about the phrase "waiting for the technology to catch up."  It's been used by a lot of filmmakers who want their projects to be heavy on special effects.  They usually announce the project and push the release back a bit so the hype can build up a bit and then finally release it.  Here's my question, has it really been worth the wait?  Are the final products better now than they would have been 10-15 years earlier when the idea first germinated?  The answer would be purely speculative of course, but I'm going to examine the issue using a few films as case studies.  Here we go.  

Masters of the Timelords

The new season (or if you speak British, the new series) has begun of the long lasting Doctor Who.  The first half of this season marks what I hope will be the beginning of the end of the second phase of the contemporary series.  The first phase was the Russell T. Davies era and the second was the Steven Moffat era.  There are thematic and stylistic differences between the two that extend beyond just a different Doctor and companions.  Which of the two is better is as much a battle as Kirk vs. Picard, so I'll try to stay objective.  Each one has different things to offer.  

Last Day in EUReKA

SyFy's EUReKA has dropped its curtain.  For the series, I would use one word to describe it: fun; fast and loose sci-fi fun, with all the tropes common to the genre.  There was rarely a moment where it took itself too seriously.  Entertainment came first, science second which it maintained over its whole run.  

Total Unremarkable Recall

A recent arrival off the remake assembly line, Total Recall proved to be an exercise in unimaginative sci-fi and lackluster action.  While there were no crippling flaws or gaping plot holes, most the film's elements seemed uninspired and trite.  The cast mostly gave wooden performances, and the production design, no longer buoyed by campy creatures and spacey locales, felt too streamlined.  Overall, it was averagely mediocre at best.

(That's right, Colin Farrell is looking directly at the camera.)

Sequel to Masterpiece: 2010

Buried in the shadows of the numerous sci-fi hits of the 80s is the lackluster sequel to one of the most acclaimed sci-fi films of all time; 2010: The Year We Make Contact, sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey.  The film is a moodier followup to Stanley Kubrick's cerebral masterpiece.  While its story addresses the mysteries in 2001, the execution is a far fallen apple that leaves a lot to be desired.  

The Dark Knight Journey

The newly completed Dark Knight trilogy forms a tightly knit story about a lone hero in pursuit of justice.  Each film explores the issue from a different angle and creates a comprehensive psyche of both Batman and Gotham City.  Both pass through the different stages of life and face the various trials therein.  Batman follows a very simple progression: birth, life, death.  The story of a boy who became a man who became a legend.  A true hero for the books, through and through.