You’re quite good at pumping out amazing summer blockbusters, but I can’t help but have one question for you. Why do you keep giving Megan Fox roles in movies that she has no business being in? I may sound like a hater, but I’m not. I don’t hate her, I hate that her presence brings down the entertainment value of any film she’s in. I understand you want at least a little eye candy in your films and I suppose I can’t grudge you for that. Sex appeal brings in the big bucks, but that’s doesn’t justify casting someone who probably couldn’t act her way out of a paper bag…even if there were instructions written on the inside of the paper bag on how to do so and a copy of “Acting Your Way Out Of Paper Bags for Dummies” sitting right beside her in the bag.
She’s a pretty face, yes, but there’re so many pretty faces out there who just happen to have talent to back up their appeal. Why not give one of them a chance at an iconic role instead of falling back on Megan Fox?
Don’t get me wrong though, I don’t dislike her as a person at all. I’ve never met her, but she’s probably a decent person for all I know. That however has nothing to do with her acting. I recall reading something she’d said some time ago when the Transformers movies – the ones she was in- about her talking down about the directing or producing of the movies or some such thing and how the films did little if nothing to showcase her acting abilities. I of course didn’t believe a word of it, but I was willing to hold off for the most part until I had a chance to see her given the chance to get out of that paper bag. Then Jennifer’s Body came along.
She had her chance to get out of that paper bag for once and for all. What did she do? She ended up bombing horribly. Sure tons of horny guys may have watched it to see her do the one thing she seems to be terrific at…being pretty on film. In fact, the only likable thing about that film was the character of her best friend…with the odd name.
Anyway Hollywood, the point of all this is simply to ask why.?.
It recently came to my attention that in only a short 21 months (1 year, 9 months), there’s going to be a brand spanki’n new Star Wars Film. Ever since George Lucas sold all things Star Wars to Disney, I’ve been waiting with, I dare say bated breath to see what the outcome would be. In the past, Disney’s had a huge success with taking over Marvel Entertainment and putting out films like The Avengers and the films building up to The Avengers; Even their latest film, Thor: The Dark World. The point being… Disney apparently seems to know what it’s doing. The problem though is that unlike the Marvel films they’ve been putting out, there are already 6 Star Wars films out there that any new films are going to always be compared to. The new films are going to either as good as the first 6 or better in order to be any good. “Almost as good” just won’t cut it.
So, here are a few things about the up and coming film you may or may not care to know:
The film is slated to take place around 30 years after the events in Return of the Jedi and is said to star three new young leads…as well as a few very familiar faces. Disney also plans on releasing a new Star Wars film every year, beginning in 2015.
Now, to go from what’s known, to what’s suspected/rumored… : Adam Driver and is a great possibility to play the role of the film’s main villain, though how he or whoever is chosen for the role’s character will compare to the epic epicness of Lord Vader, only time can tell.
Jesse Plemons, Ed Speleers, John Boyega, Matthew James Thomas, & Ray Fisher are rumored as possibles for the male lead in the film, and Lupita Nyong’o is a rumored possibility for the female lead role. it’s even been said that her (or whoever plays the role) will possibly be playing as a descendent of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Both Gary Oldman and BenedictCumberbatch were both said to have been interested in the same role and both may have possibly been cast.
If those last two names got your interest then you’ll love the fact that Harrison Ford and Mark Hamil are coming back to the world of Star Wars. It’s even said that Carrie Fisher will be coming back as well, though sadly who knows if she’s likely able to appear or not. Also, there’s a possibility; however slight it may be, that Billy Dee Williams might make a return as well. And just to show that the Sith isn’t an all boys club, there’re talks of there being a female Sith villain in the film as well. Here’s hoping if that turns out to be true, the character is as interesting as the character of Asajj Ventress.
Last, but not least, (This may be a spoiler of sorts for anyone who’s not familiar with the Expanded Universe or the Star Wars fiction written to take place after Return of the Jedi.) it’s been said that the film may focus on twins; one possibly taking a turn to the darkside and another following in their fathers footsteps. This could reference Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa-Solo or Jacen and Jaina Solo (the later of the two being the kids of Han Solo and Leia Organa-Solo in the Star Wars Expanded Universe and or Star Wars fiction.)
One thing I know without a shadow of a doubt… if this film doesn’t live up to the fans expectations story/script-wise, acting-wise, and of course.. effects-wise, a great disturbance will be felt in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.
Well…it’s a new year, and that means of course… new movies. If you’re anything like me, there’s nothing like a good movie to distract you from whatever’s going on in your life(or not going on)… at least for a few hours.
So, here’re a few flicks to look for this year(keep in mind, I wrote the list, so I’m a bit biased) Oh, and I do apologize if there are any spoilers hereabouts.(There likely are.)
A Fantastic Fear Of Everything: Directed by Crispian Mills and Chris Hopewell and Starring the constantly brilliant Simon Pegg(How To Lose Friends And Alienate People, Star Trek); this little gem is about a crime novelist, whose research into Victorian serial killers has turned him into an extremely paranoid man, in fear of being murdered.
Date and Switch: Directed by Chris, this movie is about two High School seniors: Michael and Matty that have been best friends since 3rd grade. Still virgins, they make a pact to help each other “get lucky” before their senior prom – their mission however takes an unexpected turn when one of them announces an unexpected secret.
Pompeii: Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, this film stars Kit Harington(Game of Thrones, Silent Hill: Revelation3D) and is set in the year 79 A.D., Pompeii tells the epic story of Milo, a slave turned invincible gladiator who finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius begins to erupt in all its fury, Milo must fight his way out of the arena in order to save his love as crumbles all around him.
A Haunted House 2: Directed by Mike Tiddes and starring Marlon Wayans, this is the sequel to A Haunted House with Wayans as Malcolm who, after exorcising the demons of his ex, is starting fresh with his new girlfriend and her two children. After moving into their dream home, Malcolm is once more plagued by bizarre paranormal events.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo and starring Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, and Scarlet Johansson; this film takes place after the events of The Avengers. Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, is trying to live a quiet life in Washington, D.C. while trying to adjust to things in the modern world, but when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Captain America becomes enmeshed in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world once again at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the conspiracy plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow must enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and dangerous new enemy—the Winter Soldier.
Transcendence: Directed by Wally Pfister and starring Johnny Depp, this film stars Depp as Dr. Will Caster, the foremost researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence, working to create a sentient machine that combines the collective intelligence of everything ever known with the full range of human emotions. His highly controversial experiments have made him famous, but they have also made him the prime target of anti-technology extremists who will stop him at all costs. In their attempt to destroy him however, they set into motion the culmination of their worst fears.
The Quiet Ones: Directed by John Pogue and starring Jared Harris( Sherlock Holmes: A game Of Shadows, Pompeii, and The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones). The Quiet Ones Tells the story of an unorthodox professor (Jared Harris) who uses highly controversial methods, leading his best students off the grid to take part in a dangerous experiment: creating a poltergeist. Based on the theory that paranormal activity is caused by the negative energy humans sometimes put out, the rogue scientists perform a series of tests on a young patient, pushing her to the edge of sanity and starting something more frightening and terrifying than they could have possibly imagined.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Directed by Marc Webb(no pun intended) and starring Andrew Garfield(The Amazing Spider-Man, The Social Network), Emma Stone(The Amazing Spider-Man, The Help) and Jamie Foxx(White House Down, Django Unchained). After the events of The Amazing Spider-Man, life for Peter Parker is busy. Between taking care of the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the girl he loves, things seem the same as ever, but things always have a way of changing; especially when you’re a superhero with a new villain emerging, an old friend returning, and you start finding clues about your mysterious past.
Godzilla: Directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Aaron Johnson(Kick-Ass and Kick-Ass 2) and Bryan Cranston(Argo, Breaking Bad, and Malcolm in the Middle). This film is the retelling/re-imagining of Godzilla’s origin in a more contemporary time.
X-Men: Days Of Future Past: Directed by Bryan Singer and starring Jennifer Lawrence(The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games), James McAvoy(X-Men: First Class, Arthur Christmas), Patrick Stewart(X-Men – X-Men 3, The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, Star Trek), Ian McKellen(The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: Desolation Of Smaug, LOTR Trilogy, X-Men – X-Men 3), and Peter Dinklage(Game Of Thrones, Death at a Funeral). The film’s story is set partially in an alternate future where surviving mutants have been penned in concentration camps, giant robots called Sentinels patrol America, and the majority of the X-Men have been hunted down and killed.
Maleficent: Directed by Robert Stromberg and starring Angelina Jolie(Kung Fu Panda 2, Salt, Beowulf). This is the untold story of one of Disney’s most iconic, classic villains(Sleeping Beauty as told by Maleficent).A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until the day an invading army threatened the peace of the land. Rising to be the land’s fiercest protector, she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal—turning her pure heart to stone and setting into motion a revenge of classic proportions.
How To Train Your Dragon 2: Directed by Dean DeBlois and starring Jay Baruchel(The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, This Is The End, How To Train Your Dragon)and Craig Ferguson(Brave, Winnie the Pooh, How To Train Your Dragon). The heroic dragon-riding Viking Hiccup and his faithful dragon Toothless must protect the peace — and save the future for men and dragons from a power-hungry enemy named Drago.
Transformers 4: Age of Extinction: Directed by Michael Bay and starring Mark Wahlberg(Ted, The Fighter, The Happening), Stanley Tucci(The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games, Jack the Giant Slayer) and Kelsey Grammer(Monsters University, Toy Story 2, X-Men 3). As humanity picks up the pieces, following the conclusion of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Autobots and Decepticons have all but vanished from the face of the planet. However, a group of powerful, ingenious businessman and scientists attempt to learn from past Transformer incursions and push the boundaries of technology beyond their ability to control – all while an ancient, powerful Transformer menace sets its sights on Earth. The epic adventure and battle between good and evil, freedom and enslavement ensues.
(A trailer for the film seems to be unavailable as of yet.)
There are of course more movies coming out this year, but take it upon yourself to go look for’m, and… happy movie watching.
Hey there to whomever’s reading this latest post of mine. I’ve noticed that my postings have been few and far in-between, but I aim to fix that…eventually. In the mean the mean time, I was talking with a co-worker of mine about things from our childhood; cartoons, movies and such.. and we came to the topic of Wonder Woman… or to be more specific, who should play Wonder Woman should they decide to make a film for her(with the obvious fact that a Justice League film is obviously looming overhead in the distance.)
So, here’s yet another geek-fueled post by yours truly. Here’s my top 5 list of the most capable female actresses who also happen to have the required looks to play the role of probably the most powerful female character in the entire DC Universe.
1) Jaimie Alexander: It may seem obvious to claim that Jaimie Alexander(the only female Asgardian on Marvel’s side)would be a more than perfect pick for Wonder Woman. As Sif,(In the film Thor)the female Asgardian warrior, she more than combined beauty with brawn. Believe it or not, Alexander’s been brought up in the past as a possible/potential Diana, but for one reason or another, her interest decreased. None the less, she would do a more than splendid job in the role.
2) Michelle Rodriguez: Being no stranger to the genre of action, Rodriguez has more than shown she can hold her own, whether it’s taking down the infected undead, fighting off an alien attack, driving really fast, or flying/firing from a gunship while kicking butt and taking names…like a boss. Aside from that, she..like every actress mentioned or to be mentioned in this list more than physically fits the bill. And while some may question her as a pick, due to her not being Caucasian, keep in mind…that Wonder Woman herself is not Caucasian… She’s Greek.
3) Jennifer Lawrence: Star of The Hunger Games, Lawrence showed us that she can do action, and quite well at that. As Katniss Everdeen, she’s shown she can hold her own in a lethal fight to the death, while inspiring that most important of things.. hope. And as good as she is as an archer(In character at least), the world would be a far more interesting place, and we would get a near-perfect representation of the Amazonian princess.
4) Sarah Michelle Gellar: There’s no question that Gellar would be more than suited for the role of Amazonian princess. Her stint as Buffy Summers in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer from 1997-2003 more than qualifies her as capable. As the titled character, she’s faced vampire lords, eldritch deities, the apocalypse(on a few occasions) and even the very first evil to ever exist. We’re talking the embodiment of all evil here. If that’s not good enough reason, then there’s also the fact that she is an actually good actor. Her roles in The Grudge, the 2 Scooby Doo films, Cruel Intentions have proven that. And she’s even got geek cred having voiced April O’Neil in the TMNT film.
5) Lucy Lawless: Just like the 4 mentioned actresses above, Lawless has earned her action chops. In her case, it was in her role as TV’s Xena, Warrior Princess. The ancient Greek equivalent of Wonder Woman, she was basically everything Wonder Woman stood for and then some. She’s taken on monsters, warlords, demi-gods and the god of war himself, Aries. She’s even taken on angels and demons. She may be a little older now than when she played the title character, but I have no doubt that Lucy Lawless could more than handle the role and do it some major justice.
I should note that none of the images used in this blog post are by any means my property.
Now, my numbers may be a bit off here, but I’d say most folk the world around have heard the name Harry Potter. I mean, he’s one of the most famous people to have never existed. Ya.?. Some would even say he’s bigger than Paul Bunyan. Ok, I’ve never heard anyone actually say that, but let’s assume for the sake of this post that tons of HP fans have said as much. For those reading this who aren’t familiar with the magical world of HP, I’ll sum it up for ya as briefly as possibly possible. Awkward UK lad fights against creepy, noseless UK adult and tons and tons of amazingness inbetween. Not the greatest summary, I’ll grant you, but it’ll have to do for now.
While perusing the vast vastness of media information and cat memes that is the internet, I stumbled upon this little gem of news… Ok, it was posted on Yahoo news, but I still stumbled upon it. “Teenage exorcists who say Harry Potter has corrupted the world head to Britain armed with Bibles and Holy Water to tackle hotbed of occult activity”
I read the title and of course my first response was to chuckle a bit. Once I was done with that, it became a wtf moment for me. Harry Potter and corruption? I mean… c’mon.. it’s Harry Potter for crying out loud. I mean look at that face. Is that the face of evil???
None the less, I decided to give the video attached to the news posting a look-see. To summarize it, three holier than thou fame-seekers from Arizona (Brynne Larson, Tess and Savannah Scherkenback) have come to the conclusion that Harry Potter is the source of an occult outbreak across the UK. (Because the works of JK Rowling obviously predate the existence of the occult in Europe… [he said sarcastically]) The last time I checked though, England didn’t have a Ministry of Magic.. Not even a Ministry of Cheap Tricks. They claim that “The spells you are reading about are not made up. They are real and come from witchcraft.” If I had a dollar for every time I pointed a twig at someone and shouted “Avada Kedavra!” and they died from it, I’d not have a single dollar. Forget the little blue pill… who needs that when whipping out your wand and chanting “Engorgio!” does the trick? What’s next? Will they be on a crusade to purge the world of the evil of fairy tale characters like the Fairy Godmother? Is she some harbinger of Satan wrapped in a winged old lady’s clothing?
As I write this, it dawns on me that the three girls may be confusing this: For this:
I mean, they both seem so identical, don’t they? Take away the facts that one is the hero and one is the villain, one has friends who loyally follow him and the other leads by fear, one has never killed anyone to get what he wants and the other does it just because… take away those and other things and they’re oh so identical.
I don’t mean any of this to be a slam against Christians or Christianity in its wide spread uniform diversity, but with individuals like this in the spotlight, it’s no wonder some people can’t take the religion too seriously.
I hope that anyone who reads this post is far more enlightened and open minded than those who have inspired it. Just remember, because you don’t understand something does not make it inherently evil. And if you haven’t already, pick up a copy of Harry Potter. I promise you, it’s an amazing read.
For your viewing enjoyment, here’s the video in question. I’ll let it speak for itself… :
It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, so here’s a short rant from yours truly about something seemingly random and geeky.:
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there lived a princes… only… was she really a princess? As Star Wars has become Disney property, a good friend of mine brought it to my attention that princess Leia would be a Disney princess. That got me to thinking… would she be a Disney princess? Further more, was she even really a princess?
If I were to allow my friend to answer that question, he would say that Leia was in fact a princess. She was the adopted daughter of the king and queen of Alderaan, and her birth mother was the Queen of Naboo. Now, that sounds like more than enough for her to be considered a princess; right? Wrong. In my opinion anyway.
Here’s the problem. She may have been the adopted daughter of royalty, but does that in of itself make her a royal? If I’m the king of France and I adopt a monkey into my family, does that monkey then become royalty? (not to equate princess Leia to a monkey.)No, it doesn’t. And as to her being the biological child of the “Queen of Naboo”… well.. I may be ignorant of all of the political ways of Naboo, but the last time I checked.. being the daughter of a former queen doesn’t make you royalty when that queen in question was elected to the position. Elected, not born into or married into.. elected.
Even if I can manage to get past the whole elected queen thing, there’s the fact that when Leia was born, her mother had been dead/on her death bed at the time and there was a newly elected queen ruling Naboo. Heck, even before Padme was dead, Naboo had elected a new queen. Padme was a senator. So, in truth, Leia is the biological daughter of the senator of Naboo and the adopted daughter of the king and queen of Alderaan.
Now, if I can manage to look past even that, there’s the one tiny fact that Alderaan no longer exists. So, what’s princess Leia the princess of? A large heap of space rock? I don’t think so. No kingdom, no power, title becomes meaningless. Princess Leia becomes commoner Leia.
So, to sum it all up… princess Leia is not a Disney princess. At best, I could say that she’s a Disney person of importance….within the Star Wars galaxy.
As an added bonus, here’s the a video about the Disney purchase of Star Wars:
“Man simply created G-d in order not to kill himself. That is the summary on universal history to this moment.”- Philosopher, Albert Camus.
An excerpt from ‘A Higher Good’:
“…That’s really the premise of this entire part of the book. All of the archaic documents of the western faiths (the Bible, Talmud and Koran) glorify a G-d that relatively primitive men chose because they mirrored their own twisted psyche and political purposes. There may have been, and probably were, documents around that described a Higher Good, but because those transcended man’s own egotistical ideals of justice, they were ignored or discarded. Because they did not describe a G-d with attributes and physical images similar to his own, they were ignored. Those he thought were inspired by G-d, were those that described manifestations of beings, or a being, that was a supernatural and super-powerful image of himself, similar to the deities the Greeks, Egyptians and Babylonians worshiped before him. To fit his egotistical imaging, and the idea that the world and the universe revolved around him, man chose documents that described a G-d who created him in G-d’s own image, right down to his fingers and toes and irrational woes…”
Long before man had ever erected a single temple or given name to the mysterious forces of the universe, before organized religion, our ancient ancestors had some form of belief in a spirit world of sorts. This is a belief supported by their ritual burial practices. So, long before we had people to tell us to believe in something.. we believed. The Egyptians, Mayans, ancient Vikings, Celts, ancient Chinese, Romans, Greeks… everyone since the time of our ancestors has believed in something greater than themselves.While I know next to nothing about the spiritual beliefs of many of these peoples, I do know a thing or two about Norse, Greek, and Roman mythology and belief. In all three instances, the pantheons of deities of those individual peoples were more human than not. They possessed all the aspects of a deity… limitless knowledge, power that could topple kingdoms, nations, and life itself, power to create life and take it away just as easily.
When it comes to those ancient peoples, one could simply say that their gods or deities were ways of explaining things they had no possible way of otherwise explaining. Nobody knew what caused thunder or lightning, so it was attributed to Thor riding his chariot through the clouds or Zeus angrily hurling a lightning bold here or there. We as a people had no way of knowing what was going on, so we created gods; and as our understanding of the world grew, our need for all powerful, invisible beings who were natured just as we diminished. Or did it? Somehow, despite our understanding of ourselves, our world, and what we think we know about the universe in which we live, we believe. Some of us that is. The ancient pagans believed in several gods… a pantheon if you will of deities. Each god or goddess served a specific function or role. A god for love, a god for war, a god of storms, and a god of …I don’t know.. calm winds. In early and modern Christianity, it’s believed that there is but one supreme deity who embodies every aspect given to each individual deity one could possibly conceive.
Now while some say, as I’ve stated before in this blog that deities such as Thor or Zeus were just ways for people to explain what they didn’t understand, the belief in a higher power of some sort still persists throughout a large portion of the world. If the Olympian deities, Norse deities, Egyptian deities and all other deities were nothing more than man grasping to understand the world and his(or her) place in it, can the same not be said of the current belief in the G-d of Abraham and Isaac who is still worshiped today? At some level does man still so fear the unknown that it must be named, given titles and power over us? Are we the great inventors who have created G-d? Or is it G-d who has truly created us? If in fact it is we who have created him(or her, or .. it even.), why then would we make a deity who while soo benevolent and loving, allows evil to exist in the world? On the other hand, if in fact it is G-d who has created us, then why so in his own image? Why create us at all? I honestly can’t answer any of those questions, but I can only guess and theorize…
G-d is as real as he is unreal. That is to say, as real as any idea conceived, if not more-so. Imagine if you will a time before life and the universe as it is now existed,where there was something…some force out there. Maybe it was completely coherent and knowledgeable of its surrounds and what it was doing or maybe it simply existed/exists no more than an amoeba does, only on a cosmic scale. Now, this thing, this…force had no name, or title or even true purpose in all of its actions, but somehow, possibly through its sheer being, the big bang happened and in the course of time, humankind appeared and evolved into what we are now. Throughout the process of our existence and evolution we somehow became aware of or conceived the notion of this thing… this force and we couldn’t truly it which of course frightened us. Then we sought to name this thing… called it Zeus, Odin, Ra, Yahweh, G-d.. whatever. We gave it titles and made it more like us so that in the end, we wouldn’t fear it so much. We couldn’t control this thing, but we could understand it better and in doing so, we could understand ourselves and our place in life better. I suppose what I’m suggesting is what if G-d existed merely as a force of the universe itself? Not created by anything, but simply existing because it was in fact the embodiment of existence or reality. What if we were created because G-d exists and G-d exists because we were created and perceive him(or her) to be? We give name, shape and form to that thing that is existence/reality. We called it Ra, Odin, Zeus, The Dagda, and now call it Allah, or G-d. We are our creators creations and his creators. If… just if.. that was true, then everyone everywhere is both wrong and right when it comes down to the question of G-d’s existence. That could mess with a ton of peoples heads for a while.
Anyway, that was all just a thought. It popped into my head and I figured I would put it here for folk to read and give their opinion on. And in the event that this in any particular way offends anyone, just know that I myself do believe in a higher power; namely G-d, and this is in no way meant to slight anyone who believes differently than I do or for that matter, doesn’t believe at all.
And a big thank you to the artists of the pieces I’ve used in this post (as I did not do these works of art.). I’m not sure who you all are, but if you should happen to stumble upon this post and see your artwork here, thank you for creating it.
I’ve recently learned that President Obama has come out openly in support of same sex marriage. Not just that, but he’s the first president on record to have done so. As someone who’s gay, that makes me incredibly happy. As someone who’s a human being, that makes me incredibly happy as well. As happy as that makes me, It saddens me that people out there such as…Rush Limbaugh have nothing better to do than make statements like: “We’ve arrived at a point where the President of the United States is going to lead a war on traditional marriage.” Now, while it’s every person’s right to have whatever opinion they might, there’s no reason to start hooting and hollering simply because the President has seen fit to acknowledge that same sex couples, just as everyone else, deserve the right to be married. Not have “domestic partnerships” or any such thing, but to be married. As little a word it may be, in this case, it carries something tremendous. That tremendous thing is love.
This “war on marriage” as it’s being called is in truth is nothing short of a farce waged by the very people who make statements like that made by Mr. Limbaugh. If your idea of traditional marriage means having 2 or more ex wives/ex husbands and a slew of children left in the wake of the dysfunction that often follows, then who’s to say such a fictitious “war” shouldn’t be waged? When it comes to the notion of marriage, a joining of the body and the soul, it is an intimate and spiritual institution; not one to be decided on by organized religion or petty little men and women who can’t see past their own bigotry and ignorance of the rights of all men and women. Marriage is love, and love predates governments and organized religion. If a man loves a man.. no… if a person loves a person, no matter their gender, they should be able to be wed; reaping all the benefits and responsibility that comes with it. If this were merely a matter of being unfit to be wed, there are many (In heterosexual marriages) whose marriage would be deemed invalid. Marriage is something based on love in its purest and simplest form. Not on laws and rules enforced by people who honestly know nothing of those who wish to be wed.
I’ll just close with this. If you don’t like the idea of David and Jim or Samantha and Ruth getting married, then you’re entitled to that opinion. But nowhere in that entitlement do you have the right to persecute David and Jim or Samantha and Ruth. Ask yourself this question… and think about it seriously and answer it honestly… If you were David, Jim, Samantha, or Ruth and all you wanted was an affirmation of your love for whomever it is or was that you loved and you were denied that right by some group of people because their religion won’t allow it and says it’s wrong… how would you feel? If one of your children who you love with all your heart (as any good parent does) or a niece or nephew was to tell you they wanted to get married to a member of the same sex who they were truly and deeply in love with, would you turn your back on them? Denying them something as basic yet important as love?
With the soon to be arrival of the new Avengers movie, I found it only fitting to do a hero-off..if you will. Both the Avengers and the Justice league are composed of some of their comic book universes mightiest heroes. Now, I could go and limit myself to people who served in either group at the same time, but where would the fun be in that? I’ve decided to judge both groups on a category based system. The Categories are Strength, Intelligence, Speed and agility, Weapons, and Magic.
Strength: While many may look at the Justice League at having this one in the bag because of Superman and Wonder Woman’s strength, they could possibly be wrong. Though the two are two of the strongest humanoid beings in the Justice League and the DC Universe, the Hulk is one of Marvel Comic’s strongest beings period. He’s pummeled gods, androids, and super-humans alike. Then you have Thor. As strong as the Hulk is, Thor is one of the only beings to have gone nearly to toe with the mean green machine. If the Hulk was out of this equation the fight would possibly go to the Justice League.Edge: Avengers
Intelligence: As important as strength is, it’s nothing without some intelligence behind it; and that’s something the Justice League has in spades. With brains like Batman (Who was smart enough to make a contingency plan in the event of the rest of the Justice League going rogue and trying to takeover the earth. Despite the fact that those contingency plans were stolen by agents of Vandal Savage and later used against the Justice League to nearly lead to their end.), the Martian Manhunter, and Superman… yes… Superman(he’s from an advanced alien civilization. He’s got to have some advanced alien intelligence.), the Justice League is doing very well, intelligence wise. On the other hand, the Avengers have minds like Tony Stark/Iron Man, Ant-Man, and Bruce Banner.Edge: Justice League
Speed and agility: Speed’s as important as any of the other categories here. No two people personify speed in the Justice League as much as Superman and the Flash. The Flash of course being the faster of the two. The quickest/fastest member of the Avengers would have to be Quicksilver. He is fast, very fast, but not faster than the Flash. Then there’s Thor, whose hammer allows him to fly at speeds faster than most fast superheroes can run. The Flash however is speed personified. He’s so fast that when he dies from going too fast he doesn’t go to heaven, hell, or purgatory, he becomes part of some sort of cosmic speed-force type thing. Edge: Justice League
Weapons : There’re a vast number of actual weapons that’re used by both groups here, but two of the most powerful among them is the power ring possessed by the Green Lantern of DC Comics and Mjolnir, the mighty hammer of Thor. While the Green Lantern’s power ring is powered by will itself and can create any construct its wearer can imagine, Thor’s hammer Mjolnir is forged of an indestructible or at least nearly indestructible star metal. A Green Lantern power ring can be broken or destroyed, though the later of the two would cause quite a large explosion….usually. On a basis of just how much power each weapon possesses though, one Green Lantern ring is enough to possibly destroy an entire fleet of starships… assuming its wearer’s will is strong enough. Mjolnir has the power to control storms and weather itself. That basically makes whatever planet the hammer is on into a weapon. That, and Mjolnir can absorb energy.Edge: Avengers
Magic: While it’s not the most important thing for a team to have, it always helps to have at least one team member learned in the arcane arts. You know, in case that Harry Potter kid ever gets out of hand. There’s no doubt that the Justice League has its share of magic users… Doctor Fate, Zatanna, Etrigan, and Captain Marvel to name a few, but despite their number and their abilities, it’s the Avengers who boast a Norse god and the Sorcerer Supreme. The combined magics of Thor and Doctor Strange could rip open a whole in reality so large that nothing this side of the sun could survive. Now if we’re talking Rune King Thor… it would be even more epic. Not only is the sheer level of magical mastery larger on the side of the Avengers, but unlike the Justice League there is no one member of the Avengers who would take additional damage due to magic based attacks. That can however not be said of the Justice League…due to Superman’s “magic allergy”. Edge: Avengers
Bottom line: Any fight between those two groups would go down in history as the most epic of epic battles to ever be witnessed. Either side would face tremendous losses in a battle like this and some of our favorite superheroes would surely be lost to us. Unless they came back wearing Black Lantern power rings in some odd crossover. Winner: Avengers, Earth’s mightiest heroes.
I’m sure that almost anyone who’s made a film knows the following keys to making a movie, but it seems like some in Hollywood have forgotten the basics. So for those of you who don’t know or may have forgotten, here’re my steps to making a movie.. you dummy. (Sorry for the insult, but this IS called “Movie Making for Dummies”. )
1) Decide what kind of movie you’re going to make- Will it be a narrative film, documentary, or will it be a film that tells a true or fictitious story? If you want a narrative, decide if you want to write a story yourself, base it on a book or base it from a real life story. Either could work. Don’t confuse a documentary with a narrative. Narratives tell the story with characters and plots, so you can make a real life event into a narrative. Documentaries, on the other hand, provide behind the scenes footage of events or a person’s life, with real life people discussing these things, while providing information to the audience about a person or an event.
2) Decide on your theme or plot and genre of your film- While TV shows about nothing may seem to work, movies about nothing will do the absolute opposite. Almost every story has a lot, be sure to be very descriptive about what the movie is…about. The more interested you are in the film, the more it will cross over to your audience.
2.5) Knowledge- Be sure you know what the hell you’re talking about. If you don’t know horror movies from the back of your hand, you probably shouldn’t be making a horror movie. Just like with writing.. sometimes it’s better to stick to what you know.
3) Write a script- Without a script, there’s nothing for anyone to rehearse. Your script should detail every scene, the actions performed by the characters, the settings/locations, and when each scenes changes. The stage term for that would be blocking. If you’re unsure of how well your script reads, have someone else read through it for you. Sometimes it helps to have another persons opinion.
4) Story-boarding- Plan the shots you want to make in the film. This will help the film go along a lot smoother.
5) Cast & Crew- Without a cast of actors or people to speak in your documentary and a film crew, your film will go nowhere. Just because someone’s got a pretty face most certainly does not mean they should be in your movie or have the lead role. Substance over flash wins every time. Be sure the people you have in mind for your film are willing to work for whatever film budget you have. It’s also important to make sure everyone knows what they’re doing and knows what they’re supposed to do. And make sure everyone involved is properly paid and or accredited.
6) Location, location, location- Location is key for any film. You can’t shoot a film about living in the city if it’s shot in the country, and visa-verse. If you can’t find the right location, create the sets you need.
7) Equipment- Make sure you have equipment. Without it, your script, cast and all the above is pointless. Make sure all the equipment you’re using for your film is in working order. Useless equipment makes making a film rather difficult. Equipment needed for a film shoot: Video camera(s) and tripod(s), additional microphones, lighting equipment, and spare tapes/discs.
8) Roll cameras, and…action- Now it’s time to make your film.
9) Most important of all- Know your audience. The people who will watch your film are one of the most important elements of the film. Be sure not to pander to them. It’s true, some people love fan service, but just remember… fan service is fan service and pandering is just downright… irritating.
randomgeekings 