Cameron H.

Tango & Cash You're welcome!

I apologize for the excessive posting. Things keep occurring to me and I'm trying to purge them all before the weekend. Sorry, if I'm being a nuisance. I have a question in regard to the tournament itself. It seems, since the fighters are introduced by country rather than name, that this is a "best fighter from every country" kind of deal. However, if that's the case, how come Japan fights Okinawa? Wouldn't that be like having a fighter from America and New York? That hardly seems fair. Especially considering there's only one fighter from Africa! And just between you and me--writers, producers, directors, and actors in this movie--I cannot stress enough how much Africa is not a fucking country.

The thing that bother's me about the blimp was...what was Dobbs' plan if there wasn't a blimp there? How could he have known that was going to be there? Like the baby in Junior, there didn't seem to be any kind of exit strategy. However, this also brings to mind another strange flaw in Dobbs' plan. At one point he tells DuBois to lose his next match on purpose because he is going to need him to "be strong" so they can steal the Golden Dragon, but in order to for DuBois to convincingly "take a dive," doesn't that mean he would have to take a beating against one of the most dangerous men in the world first? Since it seems like he needs DuBois' muscles to pull off the heist, what does it matter if he takes a beating and takes a dive or if he takes a beating and legitimately loses. Either way, DuBois is going to be pretty fucked up when the whole steal the giant golden statue plan gets underway.

I'm just going to throw this out there... Why...was he going to a bar to get a cup of coffee?

I have to admit, this may have been one of the most magical movies HDTGM has ever done. It simply defies any logical explanation. For instance, Dubois must have certainly been a grand illusionist indeed to be able to elude about sixty police officers by jumping on to the single piece of cargo being loaded (noisily) in the middle of the night on an otherwise quiet and deserted dock; flail and kick like a maniac as he passes twenty feet overhead; and not have a single person look up with even the slightest bit of curiosity Even if they weren't expecting him to be dangling like an spaz from beneath it, you'd think someone would take a passing glance at it, as it is-- as I've said--both noisy and wildly conspicuous. Or how about how Carrie Newton uses her uncanny thaumaturgical powers to make a phone call from Thailand to New York City, on an old timey phone in 1925, when, as everybody knows, the first transatlantic call wasn't possible until 1926, and even then, only from New York to London. I mean, everyone knows that, right? Right?

Jason, I'm here to call you out, bro! What are we doing: fucking or fighting?

Count me as number three for having a terrible past few weeks. I won't get into it here, but if either of you need an anonymous, judgement-free ear to vent to, feel free to PM me. I sincerely hope everything works out for you both. As Amy said, I'm very grateful that I have HDTGM here to take me out of the muck and mire if only for an hour or so. Thank you, Paul, June, and Jason!

Maybe Netflix should consider doing some Daredevil ASMR? It could be twenty-five minutes of Charlie Cox whispering in your ear about justice and protecting Hell's Kitchen.

Mongolia vs Japan!!!

That might be it. I think the problem is, no one wants to write a Superman movie. By that, I mean, he's kind of a boring character--he's a boy scout, he's invulnerable, and has every power in the world. This is one of the main reasons I've never really taken to the character. Where do you go? Where's the drama? So Warner Brothers was sitting on this IP for a very popular character, they handed it to Zach Snyder and said, "Make this interesting." Unfortunately, in my opinion, Snyder went the wrong way. He made the decision to make Superman's obstacles internal, with external consequences "Why should I do this? Do I want to do this? What about me? I saved millions, does it really matter that thousands died?" If I were writing the character, I would have kept the whole boy scout image (the one that they seem so keen on avoiding) and made his obstacles external, with internal consequences. "I have all this power, but I can't be everywhere at once. One innocent person died and it's hard for me to live with that. I have to be better. When the world is chaos and everyone is in peril, how do I choose who to save and who to let die?" This observation reminds me of a comic book idea that I always thought would be cool, but never really got around to doing anything with. (Sorry, there's a little bit of set up, before I come to the point.) It came about when I was watching X-Men 2, and there's a scene at the beginning where all the students are at a museum, and one of the kids sticks his tongue out at another kid--and it's forked. That's it. I remember thinking at the time, "Wow, that kid really drew the short straw when it comes to powers..." So from that, I came up with the idea for The Ex-Men (I know, I know. Lame title. I'm sorry). Basically, it would be set in the Marvel Universe and be about a group of mediocre-powered teens. If I remember correctly, there was a girl called PJ that secreted pheromones that would put you to sleep if she started to sweat (not great for anyone in a fight); a big guy called Sloth, who was kind of like the Blob, but he couldn't fight, and was only indestructible if he didn't move; Haze could create a smokescreen, but only if she was smoking a cigarette; and there was a girl who could glow in the dark (I don't remember her name). Anyway, they were going to be led by this kid named Oculus, and basically, his power was just good eyesight. That was it. Just that he could see, like, really, really well. He was going to be the leader, was kind of a boy scout, and wanted to use their powers to fight crime. They would drive around in his beat up Camry. The part that's relevant to my post is, I always envisioned it like the book would start out really small scale (I think there was a guy who could secret acid from the pimples on his face or something), but would gradually increase, and eventually, they would end up in a situation waaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of their league. They were going to end up going up against some demon--whose name also escapes me; it was cool, though. For the finale, I wanted them to be fighting against this demon on a small island in a river. For one reason or another, Oculus isn't with his team when the fighting begins. Since there is no other way to the island, in order to help his friends, he has to swim across this river, and as he does so, with his perfect vision, he just sees his teammates getting slaughtered...and there's nothing he can do about it. I know no one is really interested in something I didn't even end up writing, but I think it applies to the Superman discussion insofar as I think that is what should be the tragedy of being Superman. That idea is what makes him compelling--seeing the pain, hearing the screams, and not being able to do anything about it. Otherwise, leave his personality alone. Thank you all for indulging me! It was fun to write that all out! I haven't thought of that in years!

Maybe I'll go...for you. And I'll buy a ticket for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 so they don't get my money. lol

I just saw this edit. Please don't feel the need to hold back on my account. Maybe just wrap them in "spoiler" tags for the time being. Aside from dialog, I literally know the plot of the entire movie at this point--all the surprises and what have you. Plus it's going to be a while before I actually have a chance to see it. I thought I might go see it when I go on vacation in a couple of weeks, but I probably won't. Get it out of your system now while it's still fresh. I know I've asked you this before as a hypothetical, but are you going to see it again? I would be interested to hear your take on it now that you've had more time to process it. I wonder if it gets better or worse with repeat viewing... Also, how was The Flash in it? I know he's only it in it for like a very weird second , but I was just curious. I sort of like the show (i.e. I've seen the first season, but I have no problem waiting for the the second) and I was one of the ones who was like, "Why not just have the TV version of The Flash? His whole backstory is already laid out." I see why tonally it wouldn't work, but maybe he would have injected some levity to the proceedings...

No, it's good that you enjoyed it. That means the movie did it's job. Don't let anyone dissuade you from that opinion. There's a very good chance I may even enjoy when I do see it, although I suspect it will be in a more HDTGM kind of way. Please don't feel like you're being attacked. That's not my intention.

I'm going to take the Taylor Anne approach and forego quotes :)/> PlanB: In regard to Deadpool, it was probably a poor example on my part. I think I was trying to use it as an example of a superhero character that can work as being a bit edgier (as opposed to Superman). As far as marketing--and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong--yes, there was a huge marketing blitz for Deadpool, but I think the distinction is that DP's marketing seemed more general (i.e. drink cups with his image on it) whereas, BvS is targeting kids (i.e. cereals that no grown adult would/should eat). I think the difference is, in my mind, people who tried to take their kids to see a rated R movie called DEADpool, were being willfully (and possibly irresponsibly) ignorant, where, on the other hand, people are being led to believe, by virtue of the character himself (Superman) and that his and Batman's likenesses are being used for Happy Meals toys (I'm not sure if this is true, but I assume it must be), people are being conned into thinking it's just your average, fun for the whole family, superhero affair. Taylor Anne: You'd be surprised what you may allow your children to see (assuming having kids is even something you ever want to do). Honestly, I've taken it on a case by case basis. Some things you just know aren't appropriate (like Fifty Shades of Grey), some things you realize aren't appropriate as you're watching them, and some things change as they mature. Case in point: I've always been pretty relaxed with my son about a lot of things--movies, cussing, whatever. For instance, I wouldn't object to him seeing a naked body in a movie, as long as it's not being objectified, and God knows, you don't have to be naked for that. But a year ago, my son sat with me while I watched Daredevil. He also watched a few episodes of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones (both shows I've since stopped watching for my own reasons) But, all in all, he didn't seem to really care. I didn't really think it was a big deal, nor did he really seem affected by it. This year, however, while watching Season 2 of Daredevil, all the sudden, in the middle of a brutal fight scene, with every punch, he was saying, "Ouch! Ouch!" It was then that I made the decision to watch it on my own time. The last thing I needed was for him to go to school and cold cock that little piece of shit Bryson (Motherfucking sour milk looking troll baby! Leave my kid's sweet fedora alone!)

To add something to my previous post regarding marketing to children. My three-year old, despite having a comic book loving dork for a father (mostly Marvel and indie stuff) and not having cable television (streaming all the way, baby!), knows exactly one superhero: Superbatman--one word. lol

I also have to admit, I have not seen the movie. So maybe it works. I am basing all of my opinions on MoS, the trailers, and the articles I've read. But, when even Kevin Smith (who likes EVERYTHING!) is like, "not so much..." it gives me pause. Without having seen the movie, I do know everything that happens in it. I even think that the Batman stuff could work, if they had done a solo Batman movie first that adapted (not just implied) The Killing Joke and Death in the Family. Then you could maybe understand why he was pushed to such extremes. I think the DCU was trying so desperately to catch up with Marvel, that they neglected to lay that ground work. As for Superman (again, not a huge fan by any stretch), but I don't see how a scowling face works for that character. He's supposed to be better than us (a "Superman" as it were). He should reflect what we want to be, not (cynically) how we may actually be. I think that's why Superman and Batman have worked well together in the past. They're perfect foils in the same way the Joker is an effective Batman villain (control vs. chaos; careful deliberation vs. insanity). By that definition, Batman should be the cynical, pragmatist and Superman should be the hopeful, optimist. To your second point, I think it all comes down to marketing. If you go into a department store right now, you're going to see a bunch of Superman and Batman toys; at the grocery store (bottom shelf to catch the eyes of a little one), you'll find sugary, Superman cereal with cheap little toys inside. Everything is saying, "Kids, go see this movie!" On the other hand, I'm not seeing too many Daredevil toys and zero Jessica Jones toys. I haven't seen very many Deadpool things either (least of all in the children's clothing section). It's not like people saw the Deadpool trailer and thought, "Well, it's a superhero movie, it should be alright for my 6-year old..." Which isn't to say the trailers for BvS made it seem kid friendly, but by having Superman in it, I think there should be some wholesomeness to it, not just angst ridden navel gazing. In regard to Winter Soldier, my son has seen it, and God knows Cap kills a lot of people, but it's not like he's branding people with an American flag. It's all pretty bloodless, like an Indiana Jones movie. It takes itself seriously enough that you're engaged with the movie, but not so seriously that you ever forget that it's a comic book movie. That's my two cents anyway. I will see BvS eventually and maybe I'll recant everything I've written, but this is my immediate reaction to it. P.S. To circle back to a conversation we had almost a year ago, and so people don't think that I'm some kind of raging Marvel fanboy, I tried to re-watch Age of Ultron again a couple of mornings ago. As you know, my opinion of that wasn't too high, but I figured it's been a year since I watched it, and I'd give it another go. I watched for a little under 9 minutes, right up to the moment when Black Widow says to Hulk something like, "Hey, big guy. The sun's getting mighty low" when I rolled my eyes and turned that shit off.

100% agree. Work is for suckers. My job seems to go out of it's way to make sure I can't watch what I want on company time and then go online and talk about it for hours. When do they expect me to do it? On my own time? Ain't nobody got time for that! Corporate America is run by a bunch of damn sadists.

Don't worry. I'm trying to make sure I hide anything particularly spoiler-y. I can't say that everyone will do this, but we're trying our best to be respectful.

Thanks for the link, Royboy! That was pretty hilarious. The thing that gets me though, and this could have just been the writer being hyperbolic, is where he talks about the terrified little kid screaming in fear and needing to leave the theater during a freaking SUPERMAN movie! However, I don't think the writer was exaggerating, since I read a comment on another review that said basically the same thing--except that commenter was the father of the child. Those responding to his complaint were like, "Well, you shouldn't have brought your kid," again, to a superhero movie! Look, I get that I'm an adult who still likes comic books, and while I don't think there's anything wrong with that, I'm under no illusion that I'm the target audience. They should be striving for a tone like The Force Awakens, which, I felt, was fun for the whole family. I'm so sick of the DCU's insistence that dark, dour, and nihilistic equals "maturity" and "realism." Nor do I want a Batman who brands criminals with a mark that he knows will get them brutally killed in prison. That's just fucked up. At least The Punisher is merciful enough to just put a bullet in your head--"One shot, one kill."

Just started watching The Quest. Damn--that little kid just took that bullet like a boss!

What about the fact that they both have gloriously beautiful, and deadly, thighs..?

Neal, I hope this answers your question.

From an article about Affleck's interview with Jimmy Fallon: And here's one from Cavill: I just want to say, I hate this argument. Basically it says, "We didn't make this movie for the critics, just your average dumb-dumbs who don't care if something is actually good or not." No, assholes. The reason your movie is making money right now is because it's a movie with Superman and Batman together for the first time. You could have smashed two turds together dressed in tiny capes, called it Superman v Batman, and people still would have gone to see it opening weekend--if only to see what the fuck was going on. Then again, maybe they're right. It's not like there's ever been a superhero movie that's been a hit with critics and fans, stayed true to the source material, got the tone pitch perfect, and made a ton of money...

Yeah, Karen's assumption in that scene was pretty weak. Yes, a woman is in his bed, but there's also an old guy she's never seen before just hanging out. Does she just think Matt likes old people to watch him fuck random women? For all she knows, it might have been a relative... I realize I'm kind of putting Karen on a pedestal, but trust me, she does a lot this season that really annoyed me. In some ways, much more than Elektra. And I still can't get over that

ETA: I'm really sorry to anyone who has been catching my posts at the wrong time. I've been having issues closing my spoiler tag properly lately. Every time, I post I'm like, "FUCK! I gotta hide that shit!" I'll do better in the future. I've just been scatterbrained recently.