The Lightsaber to Start It All

Is there any cooler sound than a lightsaber igniting?

With the release of the Star Wars VII teaser trailer behind us, it has been amazing to see all of the analysis that has taken place on these short 88 seconds of film magic. In other blogs, I will take time to look at some of the really cool stuff that the film makers showed us and why I am so excited for this movie. For now, I really would like to focus on the very last thing you hear in the trailer.

*Mild Spoilers ahead* (No plot spoilers)

People with more time and resources than me have analyzed the lightsaber sound at the end of the trailer and believe strongly that it is the sound of Luke Skywalker's original lightsaber. The is the first lightsaber we, as an audience, ever see ignited and it is also when we get that wonderful description of this weapon. "This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster; an elegant weapon for a more civilized age." Obi-Wan Kenobi informs Luke that it was his father's weapon and that he wanted him to have it when he was old enough.

If the experts are right and this is Luke's original lightsaber that is amazing, Here are a few things to remember or think about as we explore the idea of the return of the first lightsaber.

1. This was once Anakin's lightsaber as well. Obi-wan picked it up on Mustafar after their last battle in Episode III and kept it for Luke all these years.
2. The lightsaber was lost on Bespin when Darth Vader severed Luke's hand in Episode V. This means someone has to find this in Cloud City and somehow it has fallen into a new character's hands or has been returned to Luke.
3. If this is Luke's lightsaber, then it will have secured a part in all three trilogies: Anakin's weapon in prequels, Luke's in the original, and someone's in the new trilogy.

I believe this raises a few questions.

1. Who found the lightsaber and why?
2. Who is wielding it when it first is ignited?
3. Who will use this lightsaber in the new movies? Could it be another Skywalker?

I hope this gets you thinking without giving away too much about the new movie. I am very excited, but I am trying to stay away from too many rumors. Do you think it is going to be Luke's original lightsaber? Who do you think will use it? Are you excited that JJ Abrams may have wanted to bring it back?

Arrow and Flash

The first crossover event is behind us and I think it is fair to take a look at how it went. I want to answer two different questions. Did the crossover event introduce viewers to the other series if they are not watching it? Did the crossover event serve a greater purpose?

On the first question, I believe they did very well. The schedule was a challenge because their new show Flash comes Tuesday nights, a day before their established show Arrow on Wednesday nights. Many shows who attempt to use a crossover to prompt the new show have an older show and then newer show approach. I applaud the creators of Arrow and Flash for going newer and then older. If Arrow watchers did not catch the first part of the crossover on Flash it was done in such a way that both stories had a conclusion, so a viewer who had their interest peeked could go back and watch it without having much of it spoiled.

To answer my second question, I believe they hit a home run. The two characters have very different styles. One is a vigilante and one is becoming a hero. They see the world differently and that made for good character interaction. I believe both of these characters will have some subtle changes in their approaches that will be developed over the rest of this season.

I hope they plan on a few more crossover events, but I do not want the line between the shows to get too blurred. I trust that they will use it on occasion but hopefully leave us wanting more. These two shows are quickly ascending to become two of my top shows on TV today. What do you think? Did it work or not?

MOCKINGJAY - Part 1

Review: (no real spoilers) 

I believe it is important to say upfront that I really enjoy The Hunger Games movies. I think they are one of the stronger book series that have been written in the last 10 years. I have read all three of the books and feel that they have done a good job of adapting them for the big screen. I cannot wait for the last movie to come out in 2015! With all of that being said , I believe some people will be a little disappointed with part 1 of the final movie. I am going to list a few pros and cons of the film.

Pros -

1. The movie is very well made. The crew is amazing, and by this point in the series, they have really hit their stride in producing quality, well-told films.
2. They successfully captured the deep trauma that an individual would face if they were forced to go through what the tributes had to face in the name of entertainment, and as a reminder of the cost of defying the capital.
3. The film makers accomplished the difficult job, once again, of staying true to the original book, but still adding some outside material to enhance the big screen adaptation. The author's strong presence was essential to it's success.

Cons - 

1. The film truly feels like half of a movie. I know that for the studio it made sense to milk the final book for all it is worth, but Mockingjay is only 16 pages more than the first book and 1 less than Catching Fire. The first 2 books were only 1 movie.
2. The pace of this movie is slower than the first 2 movies. The start of the third book is slower, so I somewhat expected a slower-paced movie.
3. And the worst part is we all have to wait an entire year for the next movie. It would have been better to put these 2 movies release dates closer together.

Even though there were a few things I thought could be better, I really liked the movie. Since I have read the book I can't wait to see how they handle the second half of this book. There is a lot of good material to make for some very interesting scenes for the final movie. Let me just say in conclusion... "may the odds be ever in your favor."

Superhero Movies: Are You Ready?

What are you doing for the next 5 years?

If you like superhero movies then you will be well satisfied. This is just a list of the Marvel and DC movies coming out in the next 5 years and it has 23 movies on it. This list does not even include Sinister Six (2016) and Amazing Spider-Man 3 (2018) to be released by Sony Pictures. At the end of the next 5 years, the world will either continue its love affair with superheroes or, somewhere in the middle of this, the box office may come to a screeching halt.

• Avengers: Age of Ultron (M2) - May 1, 2015
• Ant-Man (M2) - July 17,2015
• Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (DC) - March 25th, 2016
• Captain America: Civil War (M3)- May 6, 2016
• Suicide Squad (DC) – August 5th, 2016
• Doctor Strange (M3) - November 4, 2016
• Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (M3) - May 5, 2017
• Wonder Woman (DC) - June 23rd, 2017
• Thor: Ragnarok (M3) - July 28, 2017
• Black Panther (M3) - November 3, 2017
• Justice League (DC) - November 17th, 2017
• The Flash (DC) - March 23rd, 2018
• Avengers: Infinity War Part I (M3) - May 4, 2018
• Captain Marvel (M3) - July 6, 2018
• Aquaman (DC) - July 27th, 2018
• Inhumans (M3) - November 2, 2018
• Shazam (DC) - April 5th, 2019
• Avengers: Infinity War Part II (M3) - May 3, 2019
• Justice League 2 (DC) - June 14th, 2019
• Cyborg (DC) - April 3rd, 2020
• Green Lantern (DC) - June 19th, 2020
• Man of Steel 2 - TBA before 2020
• Batman - TBA before 2020

Where does this leave us? Here are a few questions to be discussed.

1. With so many choices can some of the lesser named heroes compete or will people just wait until the next movie comes out? I believe that the early movies will set the fate of the later movies for each of these studios. Even Marvel is going to have to prove themselves again with this many choices in movies to watch.

2. Can DC compete with the juggernaut that is Marvel Studios? In many ways. I seriously doubt that the DC movies will out preform their Marvel counterparts. Wonder Woman and Justice League are the potential wild cards to watch. The way it has been laid out, nothing seems to have a prayer in touching the crown that is waiting to awarded to the 3 Avengers movies.

3. After 2020, what happens next? It is clear that Marvel will try to continue on some of its phase 3 heroes while it decides if and how they will reboot their franchises. Where could they possibly go from here? What happens next for DC is probably tied closely to the performances of their new heroes. If the movies don't perform strongly at the box office I am sure that DC will just go back and release independent Batman and Superman movies.

Grab your popcorn and movie ticket and head to your favorite theater because if superhero movies is your genre, then your movie schedule is full for years to come!

Marvel's Phase 3

At the end of October, Marvel Studios released its phase 3 slate of movies to carry them through 'til May of 2019. With only Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man, the last movie of phase 2 set to release in July of 2015, It is time to start talking about phase 3. This is the phase that brings most of the earlier movies to their conclusions. It looks like this phase will start out with a lot of discord between our heroes. Then, it seems Marvel will be using the second half of the 3rd phase to introduce new characters set up the future of the Marvel Universe.

There are several movies in the 3rd phase that look interesting. Doctor Strange has great potential because, like the Guardians of the Galaxy, this movie has the opportunity to explore parts of the marvel universe that have not been explored. Thor: Ragnarok should have strong Loki and Thor screen time. Captain Marvel has been announced as the Carol Danvers version of this hero which means finally there will be a female lead in a Marvel superhero movie. It will be interesting to see if this juggernaut can continue past its original phase one stars. What does the future hold for Marvel Studios? I am excited to watch and see.

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Doctor Strange (2016)

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Black Panther (2017)

Avengers: Infinity War Part I (2018)

Captain Marvel (2018)

Inhumans (2018)

Avengers: Infinity War Part II (2019)

Top Five "Will it" Videos from Rhett and Link

Rhett and Link are a comedy team that produce two
daily videos on YouTube. These two friends have been together for a very long time. They seem to really enjoy what they are doing and it is obvious if you take the time to watch a few of their videos. They have three channels: Rhett and Link, Good Mythical Morning, and Good Mythical More.

On Good Mythical Morning (and Good Mythical More) the duo like to explore the different questions that have been plaguing humanity for almost its entire existence. (That might have been a little bit of an oversell.) They sacrifice their own health and well-being to answer life's great mysteries. (Again, I wonder if it might be an oversell.)

Recently, they have been answering the question: Will it _______ ?

This is a short list of my top 5 videos they have produced.

5. Will It Jack-O'-Lantern? (Oct. 29, 2014) - In this video, they explore different possible choices for that Halloween icon.

4. Will It Cereal? (Oct. 14, 2014) - Ceral is great but have you ever wonder if you are missing out on some other items that should have milked poured on them.

3. Will It Ice Cream Sandwich? (July 29, 2014) - This deserves to be in the top five if for no other reason then they made an ice cream sandwich out of BACON!

2. Will It Double Awesome? (Sept.16, 2014) - Rhett and Link asked the question if an object by itself is awesome if you put 2 of them together will they "double awesome".

1. Will It Taco? (May 5, 2014) - Will It Taco got it all started so in my opinion it deserves to be number 1.

A few episodes that did not make my list, but deserve to be mentioned, are: "Will It Deep Fry?" and "Will It Pumpkin Spice?". They have a tremendous amount of fun producing these videos and if you have not checked them out, I would recommend you popping over to Rhett and Link and viewing a few of these. Be prepared to get addicted.

Veteran's Day 2014

Freedom is never FREE! 

I want to say thank you to the brave men and women 

who have served in the armed forces to protect our nation.

Wildcat and Black Canary

Arrow last night gave us just a glimpse into these new characters. Wildcat (Theodore "Ted" Grant) trains the new Black Canary (Laurel Lance) to fight and defend herself. Laurel is still struggling with the lost of her sister Sara and is looking for an outlet for this pent-up rage. In the coming weeks, fans will get to see a whole new side of Laurel and what she is capable of if she focuses herself. Ted is going to provide that stabilizing force she needs at this time. With all the heroes, Starling City will have to be one of the safest places on the entire planet. It will be very interesting to see the character development unfold on characters like Atom, Speedy, Black Canary, and Wildcat.

If you are not watching Arrow,.... Why?

I encourage you to catch up on Netflix or Hulu and see what all the buzz is about this show.

Arrow... not just another superhero show.

Confirmed: Loki will return

Loki is BACK!

Marvel’s Kevin Feige has confirmed that Tom Hiddleston will return in both Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War. This is great news because any time Loki is in a movie, you already know that there is something great headed your way. Since Tom first took on the role as the trickster he has owned that role.

He had some of the very best scenes of all of the Avengers. The scene between Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Hiddleston in the movie was some of the best delivered and most believable lines. 

Loki: The Chitauri are coming. Nothing will change that. What have I to fear?
Tony Stark: The Avengers. That's what we call ourselves; we're sort of like a team. "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" type thing.
Loki: Yes, I've met them.
Tony Stark: Yeah, takes us a while to get any traction, I'll give you that one. But let's do a head count here: your brother the demi-god; a super soldier, a living legend who kind of lives up to the legend; a man with breath-taking anger management issues; a couple of master assassins, and YOU, big fella, you've managed to piss off every single one of them.
Loki: That was the plan.
Tony Stark: Not a great plan. When they come, and they WILL, they'll come for you.
Loki: I have an army.
Tony Stark: We have a Hulk.

Also, his scene with Hulk is the funniest scene in the entire movie.

Loki: Enough! You are, all of you are beneath me! I am a god, you dull creature, and I will not be bullied by...

[Hulk flattens Loki with repeated smashes into the floor]

The Hulk: Puny god.

Needless to say, I am very glad that Loki will be back. We will have to wait and see if he happens to make any cameos before his return in Thor: Ragnarok. Everything I have seen makes it look like Marvel is going to close off Phase III with all the excitement and action that they started this journey with in Marvel's Iron Man. In the words of Stan Lee... "Excelsior!" 

Is the Emperor still alive?

As we look forward to the return of Star Wars to the big screen, you have to wonder...who is going to be the bad guy? What is the new danger that our heroes will face in their journey? Is the Empire really defeated and gone from the galaxy?

1. The first option would be to create a new nemesis much like Timothy Zahn did in his Thrawn Triology books. If they choose someone connected to the empire, but not someone we are familiar with, it could work well. The villain would love the empire and hate our rebels for its destruction.
2. The second option seems to be that they could have one of the heroes fall to the dark side. In the Legacy of the Force series, Jacen Solo becomes the main antagonist who gives the face to the power of the dark side.
3. The third option seems to be that the emperor we all love to hate is still the main villain. With the return of Darth Maul, could the emperor have survived? If the Jedi can prolong their stories by becoming one with the force and guiding our young heroes, can it not be conceivable that the dark side of the force has a similar power? Will the emperor continue to manipulate the galaxy even if it has to be from beyond the grave?

These are the three most viable options I see for the villain. With an entire universe of books and stories, outside of the movies and cartoons being declared non- cannon, the one thing that is certain is that we have no clue which direction they might go. I would not even put it past Lucusfilm and Disney to release misinformation just to keep us all guessing. We will all just have to wait and see when the movie comes out 2015.

McDonald's Monopoly

I don't know what it is about Monopoly at McDonald's that I like so much but it is one of those things I look forward to every year at a fast food restaurant. It is not that I expect to win a million dollars. I think it is just the fun of pulling those little tabs and getting prizes. The 2014 version  is almost over and I will be sad to see it go. As a family, we won over 20 food prizes and even a few months of Hulu. How did you do? Did you play? Did you have fun?

D.C. Movie Releases Schedule

Warner Bros has released a very ambitious slate of movies that will carry the DC universe for the next few years. All of these movies are scheduled to be out before the year 2020. This is a huge undertaking. By 2017, there is going to be both a Wonder Woman and the first Justice League movie. DC is playing catch up to the Marvel universe but it is exciting to see them embracing the unified universe idea for their heroes. Check out the list. Which movie are you most excited about finally getting made?


Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice - March 25th, 2016
Suicide Squad – August 5th, 2016
Wonder Woman - June 23rd, 2017
Justice League - November 17th, 2017
The Flash - March 23rd, 2018
Aquaman - July 27th, 2018
Shazam - April 5th, 2019
Justice League 2 - June 14th, 2019
Cyborg - April 3rd, 2020
Green Lantern - June 19th, 2020

Man of Steel 2 - TBA before 2020
Batman - TBA 2020

Star Wars Rebels

Disney XD has launched its new Star Wars show set in the time period between Episode 3 and Episode 4. This is a very rich time but also a dark time in the Star Wars universe. The defenders of the light side of the force, the Jedi order, are in hiding because of order 66. The majority of Jedi have been killed, captured, or escaped into exile. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi has sent a warning telling all Jedi to stay clear of the temple and not to return to Coruscant.

The show seems like it is going to focus on one small band of rebels and their adventures facing the ever increasing power of the new galactic empire. Star Wars Rebels introduced us to young Ezra Bridger and Jedi Kanan Jarrus who is the leader of these rebels. Ezra is sensitive to the force and Kanan is teaching him about it. It will be interesting to see how they weave in the known Star Wars characters with this unknown period of the Star Wars universe. There is potential for cameos from everyone including Darth Vader, Obi-Wan, Yoda, or even younger versions of Luke, Leia, and Han Solo.

Dave Filoni did an amazing job bringing the period between episode 2 and 3 to life with his Cartoon Network show Star Wars the Clone Wars. I am very excited to see what he and his team can do with this time in the Star Wars universe. May the force be with you.

The Reverse-Flash Revealed

The Reverse-Flash or Professor Zoom is the arch-nemesis of the hero of CW's new show The Flash. He is a time traveling super-speedster with a very brilliant mind. He has already appeared in the pilot, even if you were not sure what you were seeing in the yellow and red blur. Barry Allen will soon discover that he is not the only person with his particular power. The difference between these two is how they choose to use their super-powers. Fans are really looking forward to just how the CW is going to match our young hero Allen against his sociopath of an arch-foe.

Here are a few images of the Revere-Flash.

Arrow Season 3

Well, it is almost time for the third season of Arrow. This season promises to be one of the best seasons so far. There are a lot of things fans are excited about and here are just three.

1. Oliver and Felicity - The sparks of romance have been flying since season 1 and now, with what happened in the season finale, we will have to see if something happens between these two. Is she the right person to finally balance out Oliver and help him trough all the recent tragedies he faced at the hand of Slade Wilson?
2. Red Arrow Suits Up - Roy Harper, Green Arrow's trusty side kick, is finally getting a hood of his own. With a very similar look to Oliver's suit but in red, his new look has fans very excited for his first appearance.
3. Ray Palmer - Arrow is going to be adding one more DC superhero to their cast. Ray Palmer who is The Atom. This is a great choice for Arrow. He will be a great addition for his superhero skills and his interactions with Felicity Smoak. 

With the recent launch of The Flash and the return of Arrow, DC comics is getting a great push from its television ventures. With all of the superhero TV available these days, it is a great time to be a GEEK!

Flash Begins Tonight

The CW's show Arrow has spawned  its first spin-off. Last season the fans of Arrow were introduced to Barry Allen and were shown a glimpse of his town, Central City. The Flash runs on to your TV October 7, 2014.

The most exciting thing about Arrow and The Flash is that both of these shows take the superhero genre very seriously. They understand that fans want an touch of reality but also a heavy influence of the fantastical. Arrow has changed the face of television superhero adventures while The Flash is expected to capitalize on this strong fan base. In comics and cartoons Barry Allen has always had a quick wit and comeback for every villain's threat. Hopefully, this new version of him will capture the lighthearted speedster's personality while giving him some new traits that we will grow to love.

Good luck to everyone involved in the launch of The Flash and catch him (tonight) if you can.

Absorbing Man: What does he mean?

In the season 2 premier of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., we were introduce to a villain who was called Absorbing Man. He has the power to absorb any element and change his body's molecules to become that element. He seems to work for the highest bidder and might even have a connection to Hydra.

The most significant part of the appearance of Absorbing Man is not him or his power, but rather the fact that he is a recognizable villain from the Marvel universe. With his addition and the announcement of Mockingbird, the live action television branch of Marvel Studios is getting a major boost. With the success of the first season, it appears that the studios has decided that there is a valid place for this show and others like it. We will have to wait and see if the universe becomes any smaller with any possible cameos in any of the studio's upcoming major motion pictures.

Once Upon a Time Returns

Do you want to build a snowman?

ABC's Once Upon a Time returned September 28th with a blast of cold air. Disney has decided to capitalize on their amazing success of Frozen. This season adds a story line that includes these new characters to the adventures of our fairly tale heroes. The Arendale characters seem to be picking up where the movie left off.

Unlike so many of the other characters in Storybrooke, Elsa and Anna have not been re-envisioned, but seem to step right out of the movie into this new world. Most of your fairy tale characters up to this point have left some air of mystery of who they are and how they are different from their original story. Snow White is not just a young lady who cleans the dwarfs' house, but is rather an amazing self-sufficient woman of adventure. In Once Upon a Time, it is discovered that Grumpy is mad, not because of his sad choice in names, but because he was not allowed to be with his true love. The Beast is not a large furry creature, but an evil dark one who continues to make bad decisions.

With the success of Frozen and the attachment to the characters, I am not surprised that they chose to keep these characters very near to the original. By keeping them very recognizable they can possibly attract new viewers who loved the movie, but have not yet discovered the town of Storybrooke.  Hopefully, as the Frozen story unfolds we will see some of the twists and turns that Once Upon A Time is great at. Even I will have to admit it was fun watching Marshmallow run down the streets of this little Maine town.

The Boxtrolls

What happens when a group of cave dwelling small trolls find an orphan boy and raise him as their
own?

The movie The Boxtrolls tells the story of a little boy named Eggs who was raised by a group of trash collecting trolls who do their best to stay out of sight. The villain of the story is Archibald Snatcher, voiced by Mr. Ben Kingsley. When Snatcher decides that all the Boxtrolls need to be exterminated, only Eggs can go to the humans and save his family.

The most interesting part of this movie is the mix of stop animation with 3-D cinematography. How well they can make this work is left to be seen. This is another film from the same people who brought us Coraline and ParaNorman. Each of their movies have a dark tone with social undertones and The Boxtrolls appears to be no different.

With plenty of humor and warm fuzzies, this movie looks like it will be fun. The reviews have been a little mixed and we will have to wait and see how the public receives this movie. My hope is that the British humor will translate well on the American screens and these little guys will have a good run at the box office.

Gotham: A Pre-Batman Story

I watched the premier of Gotham on Fox last night. In many ways, I was impressed with this show. Some people have raised  the question "How can you do a Batman show without the bat?" Here are just a few of my reasons why I believe this show can work.

1. The City - Gotham is a city that almost everyone knows. This is Batman's town and where crime runs rampant. The city is a character in the story of Batman. It is not just a place. Gotham's personality is something that fans will want to explore. 
2. The Villains - Some of the most iconic villains in the super hero universe come from the Batman story line. Where did they get their start? How did they change from villains to super villains? If Gotham handles these stories with care, fans will love a chance to revisit these characters.
3. Jim Gordan - With a chance to have a show that centers around the one police detective brave enough to stand up to an entirely corrupt force, this is a story fans want to see. How does he keep his soul when everyone wants to buy it? What role will he play in the early development of Bruce Wayne?

I have high hopes for this show. As long as the writers will keep in mind the spirit of the history of these famous characters, I will not mind a few changes in their origins. I am hoping for a fresh take on a very famous city and good treatment of its most infamous characters.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Return

With only a few more days util the return of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I am curious about what to expect from this season.

***Mild Spoilers Alert****

I am not including anything that ABC has not released in one of their many teaser trailers. But, if you don't want to know anything about the new season, then stop now and do not read on.



Since the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and the finale of last season, the agency and the attitude toward it have changed greatly. S.H.I.E.L.D, is no longer a trusted secret government agency with all the answers to the world's darkest secrets. S.H.I.E.L.D. is now a fractured and broken group of people not sure who they can trust and what their purpose is now. Agent Coulson is now the director and he is trying to root out any remaining HYDRA agents and undo the damage they have done to the organization. The villains are getting stronger, but so are the heroes. It has been announced that Mockingbird will be joining this season. How big her role is going to be will have to play out.

This season looks to have a lot of promise. I am hoping for a quicker start than last season and a strong story arc about the rebuilding of the agency. Who can they trust? How much damage did HYDRA do? Who will be the next major third party threat?

Star Wars VII: Will We Have to Say Goodbye?

Are We Going to Say Goodbye to a Classic Character?

First, let me say that the studio (as always) is doing a great job at keeping its secrets. I have found blogs and rumor sites but most of them are just guessing at what they think will happen. We know that J.J. Abrams is directing Episode VII and he wants to dedicate this film to a proper treatment of our heroes.

But... will one of them die?

My guess would have to be... yes.

In both Episode VI and I, we said goodbye to a major character. This helps to drive the development of heroes and moves the story arc forward. You feel the pain and see the struggle while Luke watches as Old Ben is struck down by Lord Vader. In Episode I, you can feel the sense of loss as Anakin does not get to train under Qui-gon Jinn. Death is an important part of the Star Wars stories.

So who will not make it to Episode VIII?

I believe of the three major characters the most likely candidate is Han Solo. Since the end of Episode V, Harrison Ford has been rumored to feel that Han Solo needs to sacrifice himself for the cause. My guess is that he will finally get his wish. Leia is another possibility. I think it would be more likely to lose both Han and Leia in this Episode before we would lose just Leia.

I believe the least likely to get killed in Episode VII is Luke Skywalker. Since both I and IV started with the death of a Jedi mentor, I believe Abrams will try to avoid this pattern. I believe that Mark Hamill has the most to give to the new trilogy. He can keep it consistent and believable. I think that the character of Luke creates the best bridge of the old and new cast.

Marvel Movies: Best of all time?

I heard someone say that the Marvel Movies are the best movies of all time. Can this be true? With only 2 Movies (The Avenges and Iron Man 3) in the top 10, is it even appropriate to entertain this thought?

Marvel, as a part of Buena Vista, had the top two grossing films as part of the Disney Family. The Buena Vista Studios is ranked 2nd to only 20th Century Fox. With Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier making more money than Disney's own Maleficent and Frozen, there is no denying that Marvel is a force in which to be reckoned. But are they the best of all time?

I would agree that Marvel has been the best studio ever to put together an entire universe and make different movies appear to be happening within one cinematic adventure. This studio has also been one of the best studios to ever create a long range plan along with keeping it fresh and dominating. But again...best ever? I agree that the marvel movies are some of the most anticipated movies of all time with a lot of hype and build up surrounding their releases, but does that qualify them as the best of all time?

I think only time will tell where Marvel Studios land in history. There is absolutely no denying that they have influence over the present and future of the entire movie industry. The studio is powerful and it makes their parent company very happy. We will have to see the kind of records Avengers 2 can amass before we finish this debate.

Ken Jennings vs Brad Rutter

Who is the most famous Jeopardy player in history?

Ken Jennings is the contestant who had the longest consecutive run on the Game show Jeopardy! He won 74 Jeopardy! games in 2004. The rules for Jeopardy! changed in 2003. Before 2003, you played for 5 consecutive games and then to qualified for the Tournament of Champions. Ken was just the type of player that the producers had hoped for since they decided to change the rules. Ken Jennings became a household name and everyone was trying to predict when his streak would end.

Brad Rutter is the contestant who won the most money ever playing the game. Brad appeared on Jeopardy! in 2000 before the rule change and after winning his 5 consecutive games, he qualified for the Tournament of Champions. He went on to win the tournament and received $100,000. He later won the million Dollar Masters Tournament and the Ultimate Tournament of Champions. He also pitted his talents against a computer in the IBM Challenge where he placed 3rd overall. Brad has never lost to a human competitor. With all of his endeavors he accumulated $4,555,102 in winnings.

In the most recent tournament, The Battle of the Decades in 2014, once again had both Jennings and Rutter in the finals. The competition was close, but in the end, Rutter came back and won, but only because Jennings got the final Jeopardy! question wrong. He secured his undefeated streak and won the tournament. So, who is the most famous Jeopardy! player ever? Jennings or Rutter? Streak verses winnings? You have to decide for yourself.

It is Hard to Know What to Write Today

Our thoughts are with the families who lost loved ones.  

Our prayers are for our country. 

Our hopes are for peace.

Our mission is to not forget.

The Maze Runner

"Get out. Or die trying"

This is the newest in the line of post apocalyptic novels to be made into a big Hollywood blockbuster. The Maze Runner made it to #1 on the New York Times best seller list in 2009. Like the others in this genre, this story pits the protagonists against a situation with almost no hope of survival or escape. Can the group survive in the Glades long enough to find a way out of the maze? They only have a small time frame to explore the maze each day and it changes. At night, the grievers come out and no one has survived a night in the maze.

The thing that looks most interesting is that The Maze Runner really seems to have a game aspect to the challenge. To survive you must run and find a way out. This movie reminds me a little of Logan's Run (1976) or The Running Man (1987). The other aspect of this movie that has my attention is their society and survival in the Glades. They have organized themselves into a society in order to produce food and survive until they can find a way out. The antagonism between staying and surviving verses running and escaping could play well in this story.

I am expecting high action sequences and big special effects. The critics are not giving this movie a lot of love, but we will have to see how the fans react. Is there room for one more series about teens trying to survive in a world that is out to kill them? I guess only time and the box office will tell.

No Iron Man 4. Really?

Robert Downey Jr. set the comic world spinning in a recent interview with Variety where he claimed "There isn't one in the pipe. No, there's no plan for a fourth Iron Man." We know that we will see Iron Man in both of the next Avengers movies, but is the stand alone movie over for him? Iron man is the one who started it all for this new adventure in superhero movie making. I doubt it. I can see a few reasons why I believe there is at least one more Iron Man in the works.

1. The movies make money. If there is anything that Hollywood loves, it is a cash cow. Sometimes they squeeze way more out of a franchise than they should.
2. In the interview, he did not say they were not doing a fourth but only that one was not in the pipe. Sometimes it is what is not said verses what is said.
3. After Iron Man 3 they need one more. Even though the story was okay, it was not the Iron Man we were expecting.
4. There is an opportunity to pair up Hulk and Iron Man. I know that this would not technically be a fourth Iron Man, but I believe the potential for a team up is possible.
5. He must face the Mandarin. Even though he faced a Mandarin style villain in the third movie, I do not believe we have seen him face Iron Man's arch foe. I hope that this is in the works because since the Iron Man movies started I have been hoping for an ultimate battle between the man in armor and the one who wields the rings.

I believe the only thing that keeps the studios from making at least one more Iron man movie is if Robert Downey Jr. says that he is done. My hope is that the studio would make at least one more stand alone Iron Man and make him face his arch-nemesis...a villain who could truly push our hero to the edge of destruction to bring out his best.