Justice League Trailer

Wow, just wow; I don't hate this trailer. It isn't great or anything, but it is not complete garbage. Jason Momoa as Aquaman is convincing and at least looks cool. Ezra Miller as The Flash works for me from the little we can see. He's funny and quirky. While Grant Gustin over on the CW will be the definitive for me and most others, I will give Miller a chance. But that new Flash costume is garbage, absolutely hysterical, at least at first glance. However, Ray Fisher as Cyborg is barely shown.

Here's the thing. After Batman v Superman, my expectations for DC are literally nonexistent. I cannot be disappointed by anything DC delivers because being disappointed requires expectations. So, I will just take whatever DC throws at us. The trailer's song, "Icky Thump" by The White Stripes, sets a fun tone, and the humor almost kind of works. Sure, even if DC is trying to copy Marvel, a second rate Marvel knock-off is better than first rate DC any day. The humor somewhat works, although I can see some hating it. Ben Affleck proved to be the only truly great part of BvS earlier this year, and he looks quite good in Justice League as well. The lack of Superman is probably the best thing to happen to this movie. He will probably appear at some point, but if the formation of the Justice League is without Henry Cavill's Superman, this movie might just work. But Zack Sndyer is the director, and that's never a good thing if you enjoy, you know, character development, color, fun, quality performances, and practical effects. Who knows? Maybe Snyder can finally make a great DC movie. Stranger things have happened.

What do you think of the trailer? Please comment below and let me know!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Top 13 Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Movies: Part 4

The Top 13 countdown of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Movies continues with more entries! If you missed the previous parts, click here for Part 1, here for Part 2, and here for Part 3.

3: The Avengers

Joss Whedon accomplished the impossible with The Avengers and that makes him mighty (Firefly reference). Never before has a comic book film been so bold and unforgiving in the fact that it is based on a comic book. It perfectly captures the spirit of the comic, while still being easily accessible to the general public, an impressive feat in and of itself.

Somehow every character is given their moment to shine, and Whedon's expertly written banter is pure perfection. Among the previously established characters, Whedon even managed to build Black Widow into a far more fascinating character than anyone could have ever realized, and The Hulk, who, at the time, never received a proper film adaptation, nearly stole the show.

The Avengers could have easily been a disaster if left in less competent hands. Behind all of the spectacle and humor, ultimately, the film has heart; that's the real reason The Avengers is a classic that will go down in history as one of the defining films of the our generation.

2: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier truly took me by surprise. I expected a fun action packed adventure with my favorite comic book character; what I actually got was something far superior.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a thematically strong film loaded with meaningful social commentary on the various aspects of politics, freedom, and government control. It uses the fact that Captain America is an unwavering force of freedom to convey the themes without ever coming off as pretentious. Everything expressed in the film is a core aspect of Cap's character, and that is exactly why it works so well.

Upon my second viewing, I watched the film with the intent of finding something wrong with the film, and yet I could not find a single noteworthy flaw. Of course, no film is absolutely perfect, but it is one of the most well crafted films that I have ever seen. Each scene flows into the next effortlessly. It takes big risks, and yet never falters. The plot functions like a well oiled machine, and yet it has an emotional core.

1: Captain America: Civil War 

Captain America: Civil War is ultimate culmination of the Avenger and Captain America films. As soon as Civil War was announced, it was my most anticipated Marvel film, much more so than Age of Ultron at the time. And despite the odds, it decimated all expectations!

Civil War has so much to say, so much character growth, and so many world shaking revelations that should greatly impact future films. The reasons for each side's actions are so well thought-out. Tony desires to lift the burden and guilt of his actions and failures to others instead of himself in the name of accountability, albeit an admirable goal from some perspectives. Cap finds that government control only allows the politicians to forward their potentially corrupt agendas. Which side is in the right? The conflict is far broader than can be explained in short. Civil War excels in bringing about the concept of superheroes in the real world, without losing the fun and charm that Marvel does so well. Ultimately, the film is not about whose side is right, but the personal conflicts and emotions of Cap and Tony, which is what gives the film such a strong emotional core.

With that said, Civil War’s perfect portrayal of Spider-Man, the bad*ss Black Panther, and that mind blowing airport action sequence certainly help in making Captain America: Civil War Marvel’s best film to date.

What do you think? Many of these films are so close in quality that the ranking of the top films could easily change the next time I see them. Please let me know your favorites in the comments and any other thoughts on the MCU!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Testing Scheduled Posts

What's going on everyone!? Today I am testing Blogger's scheduled posting feature. In the past, it never worked right. Every time I tried it, the post never showed up on the dashboard. But now, over a year later, I am testing it out again. So, if you would be so kind, please comment anything that lets me know this appeared on the dashboard (assuming you use it). And I apologize for the lack of posts again. Thanks to everyone for reading and for all the guest authors' articles!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Top 13 Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Movies: Part 3

The Top 13 countdown of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Movies continues with more entries! If you missed Part 1, click here to check it out and here for Part 2

6: Ant-Man

Showing a more lighthearted and fun side to the Marvel Universe, Ant-Man is the best origin film since Iron Man back in 2008. It introduced us to a character with numerous character faults, and yet Paul Rudd manages to make him one of the most grounded and lovable characters in the MCU. He is even a father; relatively new territory for superhero flicks. 

Upon later viewings, Ant-Man continued to grow on me as one of the best films of 2015 and one of Marvel’s most fun. Being such a small film in scale (pun intended), Ant-Man is able to focus solely on itself and what it wants to accomplish rather than what comes next, which is what hampered Age of Ultron. It is also a heist film, not just a superhero flick, which makes it even more fun. Of course, you cannot forget the humor because this is one funny movie!

Everything about Ant-Man should not have worked. Honestly, the fact that the film received so many positive reviews baffled me at first, but it is most definitely deserving of every positive thing said about it. Read my full review here.

5: Iron Man

Before The Avengers, Thor, and Captain America, Marvel studios made a film that would be the foundation for all other Marvel movies to build on in the future, and they could not have kicked off the franchise any better than with Iron Man.

Casting veteran actor Robert Downey Jr. in the role of Tony Stark, a relatively unknown character at the time, remains the best casting decision for any comic book film. From his chemistry with Paltrow to the adlibbed dialogue, Downey elevated every aspect of the film. Even after re-watching at least eight times, the movie never gets old, and that’s largely thanks to Downey.

Words cannot even express what it felt like to see Nick Fury stepping forward to say, “I am here to talk to you about the Avengers initiative.” At the time, it was only something that I could have dreamed of. As a geek, it was about as good as it gets. To this day, it remains one of the defining moments of my movie watching experience.

4: Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy defied all expectations. Not only did it become highest grossing film of the year domestically, it shocked both fan and critic alike with its complete disregard of the conventional.

James Gunn's writing and direction is bold. He did not care about what audiences expected or even wanted. He told us exactly we wanted, and we all loved every minute of it. His style is in-your-face and unforgivingly his own, and that is my type of filmmaking!

Thanks to the stellar chemistry between the cast and Chris Pratt's innate goofball charm, GotG assembles a team of misfits unlike any other. It is like a combination of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Mass Effect, and Firefly, packed full of 80s references, action, and absurdly lovable characters. Even if you have never seen a Marvel film, there is so little connection to the main universe that it does not matter, yet there are still plenty of Easter Eggs for the fans.

Guardians of the Galaxy is bold and audacious filmmaking at its finest with James Gunn's complete disregard of typical genre conventions that care more about making a unique film than a generic crowd pleaser, yet it surely does please. GotG is like a cult classic with lovable quirky characters and endlessly quotable dialogue, except with box office success and a big budget. What more could you ask for?! And honestly, GotG could easily rank even higher on the list depending on my frame of mind at the time of ranking.

What do you think of these picks? Please comment below and let me know!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Movie Music and More #50: "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1982)

I (Hamlette) am here today to discuss one of the coolest soundtracks ever.  Ever.  It's one of those soundtracks that is delicious to listen to by itself, but when paired with its movie, it's just sublime.  I am, of course, talking about John Williams' insta-classic score for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1982). 

The first track I'll share with you is "A Thought for Marion/To Nepal."  I love how expectant it is, beginning with some soft, sweet ponderings, then a little mystery creeping in.  And from there, a jolt of excitement, that wonderfully playful Indy theme popping in for a moment.  Then it finishes up with a little Oriental flourish to bring in the idea we're going somewhere Foreign and Exotic. So cool!

My next selection is "The Basket Game," which balances playful and fearful so niftily.  We're worried cuz Marion gets chased and then abducted, but there's a lot of comedy going on during the chase scene too, so the whole song feels like juggling, doesn't it?

This might be my favorite moment in the whole movie -- when Indy's in the Map Room and the medallion on top of the staff actually shows him the location of the Ark.  "The Map Room: Dawn" perfectly captures Indy's expressions there, going from hopeful to awestruck.

"Washington Ending & Raiders March" starts off all sentimental.  Indiana Jones has lost his prize.  But he's got Marion still, so that's something.  The song doesn't waste too much time on his annoyance -- he gets one minute to grouse, and then here comes the most glorious theme song in action movie history (IMHO).  Really, the Raiders March feels to me like eating a giant Snickers bar while riding on a roller coaster with my best friend -- like being surrounded with joy, in other words.  I'm sitting here with a big, goofy grin on my face, bobbing my head along with it as I type, and fully intending to hit "replay" as soon as it ends.  How about you?

That's all I've got for you today, but if you want to listen to more, the entire album is available on YouTube here.