The Walking Dead (Seasons 1-3, Netflix)

Rating: 4 out 5 Walkers Decapitated With a Badass Sword

Review: I suddenly decided to get back into The Walking Dead.  Several years ago, probably around midway of season 2, I tried to get into The Walking Dead but I didn't make it past the second episode.  It was mostly because I didn't really understand what I was seeing and, perhaps, I wasn't really in the right mindset.  I really enjoyed the first episode and most of the second episode but when Lori has sex with Shane and then is shown living this seemingly idyllic life out in the country while her husband is covered in gore trying desperately to survive and find her and their son.  I saw that and I thought "Great, this is going to be episode after episode of this guy getting figuratively kicked in the nuts looking for his family while his family lives on like he never existed.  Then he's going to find them and he'll move on because they don't need him anymore."  It also made me immediately hate Lori because if I were in her situation, and in fact it is shown, in those two episodes, that if Rick were in her situation he would be celibate out of respect to the fallen spouse.  I don't know why it made me so mad but it did.  So I just decided that this show wasn't for me.

Thor: The Dark World (2013, Theatrical Release)

Thor vs. The Phantom of the Opera

Rating:  4 out of 5 Gravity Grenades Crushing Everything Around It

Review:  What comes to mind with this film is balance.  In my review of the first Thor movie I said it was the most balanced movie of Phase One.  I think this Thor movie will prove to be the most balanced movie of Phase Two.  It has a very satisfying mix of humor, drama and action and they all happen at a relatively decent pace.

Batman: Arkham Origins (2013, Xbox 360)

At no point do you play as the asylum

Rating: 5 out 5 Batman Ass Whuppings

Review:  I've been seeing some negative press on this game so I thought I would weigh in with a quick review that's more in the vein of my opening weekend movie reviews.  I'm also very tired as I literally just finished the game after a lengthy couple of sessions, it's pretty much all done except finding a few location files and the challenge maps.

  The game is good.  The game is really good, I would say it's the best game in the series when it comes to pretty much everything.  My still-in-progress Arkham City review puts that game at a 6 out of 5, if this is better then why does it only get a 5.  Well we'll get to that but for now we'll focus on why I think it's better.

Casting Choices or Michael B. Jordan for Human Torch and Donald Glover for Spider-Man (a swear filled rant)

I came across this:

Michael B. Jordan definitely wants to be the Human Torch
and I felt the need to say something.  I guess more accurately go on a rant because saying something suggests a coherent beginning, middle and end.  Also a point and I'm not sure I have one.  This is what spurred that on (granted any one of these quotes could be sarcastic and I wouldn't know it):

Get Knocked Down and Get up Again

So as you precious few readers have probably noticed, I haven't updated in a while.  I realize that if this blog has a following it's a rather small one but I appreciate anyone who stumbles across my little geek corner in the vast mansion of the internet and I, myself, hate when even the small sites I follow (be it review or blog or vlog) take a long hiatus with no explanation so I feel I owe at least that.

The blog isn't dead but I once again have to take a hiatus, just like all the other hiatus' I've had to take.  It seems that whenever I get some traction and start to build up a safe cushion of content, when I start thinking of adding features or start working on some bigger project (damn my journalistic desires) life seems to stick it's foot out and I take a tumble.  Seems to happen about once a year if I'm to be honest.  But this year I left a job I hated, one that was literally killing me for what I thought would be a dream job, which has turned out to be incredibly unstable.  So instead of waiting for the inevitable firing I decided to leave for greener pastures.  Those pastures being out of state, so I'm looking at a massive move at the end of the month to a different state.  That's what's been going on so as I become unsteady here and the prospect of being unsteady where I go I haven't had much time for critical enjoyment.  Most of what I've been consuming is either stuff I've reviewed, because I can't get enough of Marvel Phase 1, or for pure enjoyment in an attempt to escape and relax a little bit.

So that's it.  I thank any of you have found this place and have stuck with it for the ups and downs and many hiatai.  I hope by January I will be settled down enough to start posting again.  I have a few rough reviews that I might polish up and post and I will try to get up a review of Thor 2 because I already know where I'll be seeing that after I move so I might as well make a review about it.  I doubt this blog will ever die entirely, unless I go through some major life change, since it's where I can vent my writing but it will probably ebb and flow like this until I accidentally get my shit together (MC 900 ft Jesus).

Fan Film Friday: Tell Gordon Hello (also state of Fan Film Friday address)

  I originally thought fan films would be really easy to come by but it has turned out that they are a little thin on the ground.  Also in trying to keep with me "stay positive" vibe it doesn't really leave me a whole lot to watch, as I have discovered.

This however is awesome.  I got nothing negative to say about this.  It's just fucking awesome.

But I think from here on out Fan Film Friday is going to be a "when it feels right" kind of "regular" posting and since I only post awesome stuff I'll probably stop commenting on it as well.  It will become sort of like what Cosplay Wednesday has become where my words won't get in the way of the awesome, I'll just present it without comment so you can enjoy because I can only really say "This is good, it's acted well, it's shot well, the sound is good, etc" before it get's incredibly boring and redundant for everyone involved.

You will enjoy this though.

Cosplay Wednesday 9-11-13: Last Week Was Mostly Guys So This Week Is Mostly Women Edition

Poison Ivy, Batman, Harley Quinn and down in front is Catwoman

Grandmaster (2013, Theatrical Release)

The first Kung Fu Romantic Documentary

Rating: 2 out of 5 of the 64 Palms

Review:  I am a fan of two things, superhero fiction (whatever form that may take) and kung fu movies.  Superhero movies I almost prefer to see alone if I'm going to go see one, I don't know why, it's just not an experience I'm keen on sharing.  But kung fu movies I really only want to see with someone else.  Again I don't know why but I find them to be more enjoyable with another person.

  As I left the theater last night with a friend we were discussing the movie we had just watched and I said that I was "struggling to define it", 12 hours later and I still struggle with that.  I guess Kung Fu Romantic Documentary would be the most apt description.

Cosplay Wednesday 9/4/13: Single Photo Groupshot Because I'm Lazy Edition

Batman, Captain Cold, Daredevil, Black Cat, Spider-Man, Venom

Boy Wonder (2010) Netflix

Rating:  4 out of 5 teenage vigilantes searching the night for vengeance.

Plot Synopsis:  A young man is witness to the violent murder of his mother and spends his youth getting preparing himself to find the killer.  During his hunt for his mother’s killer he decides to practice on some local hoods.