The Black Hole Vs. Escape From Witch Mountain

* = College?

I DID IT! I finally sat on my chubby behind and watched;

- Thor (*** ½ out of 5) –

I had low expectations for this flick, I had just heard so many folks talk about how mediocre it was. I can now say I disagree. It’s not a mediocre movie; it’s actually pretty good. It captures the essence of Thor, get the ‘Kirby’ right, and makes changes that are so sweeping we lose just who these characters are. Hemsworth is FANTASTIC as the God Of Thunder, Tom Hiddleston is outstanding as Loki, and the rest of the cast fits into place very well. In the end it really is about Thor & Loki though, everything else is just icing on the cake. The movie has scope in Asgard and is humanizing on Earth with Thor’s relationship to Jane Foster & her friends. The one semi-complaint that Cassandra and I had was the quick ‘love’ that Thor and Foster fell into. Now as a comic guy, I felt this wasn’t horrible. She’s an attractive and lonely woman & he’s a FRIGGIN’ GOD OF THUNDER! I mean c’mon. So it was a minor quibble. I look forward to sitting down and watching this again since we have to wait till 2012 for The Avengers.

- X-men: First Class (**** ½ out of 5) –

FINALLY! They FINALLY got it right. And when they got it right, they REALLY got it right. This was a damn near perfect superhero movie. The tone, the characters, and especially the swinging 1960’s as the setting. Michael Fassbender was simply amazing as a young Magneto who was like a super powered James Bond hunting flippin’ Nazis. Yes, I just wrote that sentence, and yes it was as cool as it sounds. The Wolverine & Rebecca Romijn cameos were pitch perfect. Kevin Bacon was a really great Sebastian Shaw. Now the only thing keeping this from hitting a 5 *'s is the selection of characters used. Who the F’ is Azazel? And that was Riptide? Really? Angel Salvatore, a character that I kind of liked in Morrison’s run was kinda lame in this group. Oh and SPOILERS here, who do you kill a guy who can adapt to anything. It sort of defeats the purpose of him having that mutation. So yeah, if you’re going to include someone as cool as Darwin, and I’m a Darwin rube here, why kill him? Anyway, these are just minor quibbles with what was otherwise fantastic. I especially enjoyed the Raven & Hank arc, and it’s sad resolution. Overall it’s just a great super hero movie. Go see it!

RANDOM CRAP!

- Oh Terraclips you are MAGICAL!
- You’re welcome Seattle. You’re welcome for the sub-par back-up quarterback who is a slug on the field.

You’re welcome for the injury prone receiver who has lost a step after hip surgery. But more than anything you’re welcome for that ass whuppin’ on Saturday. Now Petey Carroll you and your little loud mouth GM can start planning for a top 5 pick in next year’s draft. Get used to it Seattle, you 'earned' it.
- Big thanks to Dark Dave and Lightening Liz. First off for the book, secondly for the offer of Twizzlers, and third off for making watching Tara on True Blood bearable. How can a show be simultaneously outrageously lame and yet entertaining?
- I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it lately, but Cassandra you are friggin’ awesome.
- If you ever have the opportunity to do business with Sallie Mae let me give you a piece of advice. Don’t. It’s a company that has no ethics, no customer service, and cares only about turning a profit at you’re expense. When and if I have children, and when or if they go to college and need a loan I will do everything in my power to ensure they never have to deal with these asshats.

I find it frustrating that they owe ME money and it’s like pulling teeth to get it. Worse yet are the ‘customer service’ folks who when they get caught in a lie just sit on the phone in dead silence. I am so frustrated with them and their business practices that I could spit.
- Steak tonight! Well as long as it doesn’t rain.
- Cru de te!

And with that I’m out!

“There is a place where the losers win
A port of call for desperate men
It is known by many names
We come and go but it remains
Nobody cares, nobody cries
if you're scared or if you die
That's the way it goes
You should know...

You're in the place they call the Night-side
In the shadows where the killers and the pirates hide
Stick around if you think you can survive
in the city on the Night-side

Running scared through endless night
Too afraid to put up a fight
They shackle her wrists
It's too late to resist
Scanned for weapons and transmitters
Sold at auction to the highest bidder
That's the way it goes
Now you know...

You can find us on the Night-side
In the shadows where the killers and the pirates hide
Come around if you think you can survive
in the city on the Night-side

You can find us on the Night-side
In the shadows where the killers and the pirates hide
Come around if you think you can survive
in the place they call the Night-side”


* = Tonally correct?