Comic Con 2008; Looking Back, Part 3

Hey there.

I know it's been forever and a day since my last post here. But I haven't forgotten my recap of my time out in San Diego for Comic Con back in July.

So here's part 3, recaping my second full day out on the coast (July 24):

The day started off pretty early, as me, my online friend Lance and his mate Tim all were heading out to the Con on that day. We wanted to get an early jump, since this was the first full day of the Convention and we knew the crowds and the traffic would be brutal.

After driving down there and getting a good parking spot inside the Convention Center, we had some time to kill before the Con opened up for the day, so we decided to grab some breakfast. We all grabbed some donuts and rolls and made our way to Petco Park, the home stadium of the San Diego Padres baseball team. The place had a park like setting around the field area that was open to the public during non game days, so we got a chance to sit down in the park to eat. This blew me away because this would never happen where I am. So this was pretty cool. This wouldn't be the last time I'd be at Petco, as you will read in a future update.

The morning view from my position at Petco Park.

After having breakfast, we made our way down to the Center for the day's activities as we split up and went our separate ways. My first stop was the CC Film School 101 panel. This was a four day session where those who attended would learn some of the ropes about putting together your own film through those low budget filmmakers who've been there. As a fledgling filmmaker, I definitely made it a point to check it out.

While I was at the panel, I noticed someone across the room from me who looked familiar. As it turned out, it was my good online friend Chase Langley from Plus One Pictures. Chase, if you're not familiar with MarkOne Films, was my partner in my first film effort, "Vanishing Act". He co-directed the film that I wrote and also starred in it. In spite of our collaboration, we had never met in person until that day. So, of course, we talked a little bit after the panel was completed.

It was cool to touch base with him and to know that we'll be working together in the near future.

When MarkOne met PlusOne: Me and my online friend and collaborator, Chase Langley from PlusOne Pictures.

After chatting with Chase, I went down to the exhibit hall and walked around a bit, getting some cool toys and swag until I met up with Lance and Tim, where we grabbed some lunch and dropped off our stuff in the garage. Then I made it back out to the Center to check out some more panels.

First one I caught was the Doctor Who/Torchwood panels. I had missed out on the first part of the panel, but was able to catch some trailers of what's planned for Doctor Who's annual Christmas special (which we won't catch here in the States till later in 2009). I did get to see the cast of Torchwood talk in their panel. I like this show, which reminds me of the early days of the X Files with a wicked sense of humor. And the cast was very funny in person as they talked about their characters, the show and what they are like off camera.

When that was over, I made a mad dash to another panel, this time for ABC Family's The Middleman. This was a quirky little show based on a comic that had a lot of humor and inside jokes to pop culture references. However, since the show was on this channel, the ratings for it weren't so hot and all of us in the room wanted to know if this would get the chance for a second season. An exec from the network was there and did notice that the place was packed. But as I type this now, I doubt that this funny, quirky comic book show would be back for another year. I hope I'm wrong.

After that, I walked over to the autograph area where stars from various shows and movies were there to naturally sign autographs. By the time I got there, there really weren't many stars around, but I did see some people that I wanted to meet.

The guys from one of my all time favorite shows : "Mystery Science Theater 3000" were there signing autographs, so I definitely had to meet them. Now the last time I had met these guys was over a decade ago when I had attended the MST3K convention in Minneapolis. So it was cool to see them again, as they naturally made fun of me telling them about the last time I had saw them (you were just a "wee lad" back then, one remarked) and they then signed a poster from one of their new ventures, Rifftrax, where they make fun out of hit movies through CDs you can play on while the actual movie is playing. They signed a poster of their spoof of "Raiders of the Lost Ark", which was hilarious. I look forward to getting that CD.

Then after that, I saw someone else from a show I watched when I was a kid, "Superboy". I met the star of the show's first season, John Haymes Newton. which was pretty cool. I had asked him if they had any plans to release any of the other seasons on DVD, he said it was doubtful, but you never know. Still it was pretty cool to meet him nonetheless.

Me with Superboy himself, John Haymes Newton.

Afterwards, I hung out at the Exhibit Hall some more and then I got into check out a world premiere. This was for the made for DVD movie, "Hulk vs. Wolverine" that's supposed to be out early next year.

Let me tell you flat out, this is a kick-ass movie. It's funny, action packed, and has some good wicked fight scenes between the Green Goliath and Logan himself. It's bloody, gory and damn good. It's not for the kiddies (with the violence and the language) and it doesn't disappoint. As a fan of both of these heroes, I know I'll be getting this bad boy when it's released.

After that, I met back with the guys and we went out to dinner at a good 50s style restaurant nearby. The burgers and especially the shakes were to die for. A perfect way to end the day.

Next up: Getting in The Spirit, getting lost in the crowds and meeting up with the WolfMan.

Comic Con 2008; Looking Back, Part 2

Hey there, back with the second installment of my Comic Con adventure in San Diego. Today, a look back at my first full day in San Diego (July 23)

After heading out of my friend Lance's place, I was driven out to the train station nearby to head downtown and the Convention Center. This was the unofficial first day of the Comic Con, where we could pick up our credentials for the event and get a sneak peak of the floor for Preview Night before the Con opens up for everyone else the next day.

Since registration wasn't going to be open for a few hours, this gave me the chance to get my first look at the city, which I was looking forward to. Unfortunately, I had missed the train that would've taken me downtown and the next train wasn't going to show for a couple hours.

However, the time I waited down there wasn't a complete loss, because not far away from the train station was this:

:

The beach, which I had never been to as far as the coast was concerned. Very cool.

One of my favorite shots from my trip.

After hanging out there for a few, I boarded the train and made it downtown and then hopped the trolley to the Convention Center. Let me tell you, the Convention Center in San Diego is freakin' huge! It's probably the biggest place I've been to as far as convention centers go. It's two levels high and has a ton of open space and rooms, places that I will soon discover as the Con went on.

After getting in line to get my credentials, I hung around the area for another hour or so before the Center opened up for Preview Night. Trying to get in at that time, along with everyone else, was brutal, but I did make it in and saw how insanely huge the main floor with all the booths and exhibits was. I was told going in that the place was big enough for a football field and they were right. I would find out later during my time there that to cover all the exhibits it would take roughly 3 hours. Crazy.

I then checked out the floor for about an hour or so, staying in line for one of the events that was going on. Then, I headed upstairs to check out the marquee event of the night: a first look at the pilot episode of Fox's Fringe.

Now, this new show, from J. J. Abrams (Lost, Alias) had me hooked from the first minutes on. It was very creepy, very cool and had some good humorous moments. It reminded me of the early days of the X Files with a touch of Lost thrown in. From what I saw a month and a half ago, this made me a fan of the show that now airs Tuesday nights.

As I left the room, I was approached by an online web site to give my impressions of the Fringe pilot. I gave them my two cents in a favorable review. (I won't give you the site name cause my comments didn't make the final cut for their report) Then, as I tried to make my way out of the Center, the place again was a zoo. I barely made it to the trolley station in time to catch the trolley out of the area. My last memory of Preview Night: Being literally pinned to the doors of the trolley as it rode out as I caught the very last available spot.

Overall, a pretty good day and night. Would've loved to had spent some more time around the area, but that's for another day.

Coming up next: The first full day of Comic Con, where I met an online friend, some TV stars and some superheroes.

Comic Con 2008; Looking Back, Part 1

Hey there, it's been about a month and a half since my first ever visit to San Diego and Comic Con. And to say I had a good time while I was out there is an understatement.

I had an amazing time. One that I will never forget.

So for the next seven entries, hopefully one a day, I'll recap my time out there. The good, the bad, and the other stuff as well.

First up: the journey out there.

Unlike my last major trip, going to Indianapolis for Star Wars Celebration III, this time I didn't fly out to San Diego. There were two reasons. One, I'm still not a fan of flying, especially a three plus hour flight. Second, even if I were to fly, the prices to fly out there was expensive. And I didn't want to blow as much money as I did have for the Con on the trip, so I decided to take the bus route from Michigan to California. The price was reasonable enough, plus it gave me a chance to see the US, which I hardly have seen. It would mark my third ever cross country bus ride, the last being almost 15 years ago when I went to Minnesota.

So, on July 20, I made my way to the bus depot near my place and began my trek. A 3,000-plus mile, two day journey that would take me through several states.

It was fun at first, going through the country, seeing new areas I've never been to. But as the hours wore on, the bus ride got very very cramped and uncomfortable. Especially trying to get some sleep. It got very tough during the overnight hours, but mercifully I pulled through.

But again, the trip wasn't too bad, especially once I got out West, an area I've never been to. Seeing Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and eventually California, was pretty cool and the scenery was impressive. It made the anticipation for finally arriving out in San Diego all the more exciting.

On July 22, about 50 some hours after I had left Michigan, I had finally arrived in San Diego. It was a very cool moment. I was met at the bus stop by my good online friend Lance, who happened to live out in the area and offered me a place to stay during my time out there. As we rode in his truck out to his place, I took in checking out the West coast landscape, taking it all in as he told me about some of the landmarks and areas around San Diego.

After arriving at his place and grabbing something to eat, I hit the showers and crashed for the night. It was a long day and an even longer trip. Now I was in San Diego and the fun was about to begin.

Coming up next: My first full day in San Diego, registering for Comic Con and checking out the Fringe.

On My Way to Comic Con!!!!

As I type this, I'm just a few hours away from heading out to San Diego to attend Comic Con, the mack daddy of comic book conventions. I'm looking forward to the trip, meeting up with some old friends (and possibly new ones) taking part in as many activities as possible and basically just trying to squeeze in as much fun as I can in five days.

When I get back from SD, I'll try and recap things as best I can, through words, pictures and possibly video. It should be a good time and I can't wait to check it out. Talk to you soon!

Getting Ready for the Dark Knight

As I type this, I'm about twelve hours away seeing what I think is probably the most anticipated movie of the year: the Batman sequel, "The Dark Knight."

I can't remember at all any movie with this much hype, buzz and attention as this movie has garnered over the past several months. Of course this all started with the great and well recieved attention "Batman Begins" movie that started it all back in 2005. Then came word on who will play opposite Christian Bale's Caped Crusader as the Joker. Heath Ledger would be taking on the role and I can remember a lot of my friends, myself included, were skeptical that he would take on such an iconic role.

That is, until we saw a glimpse of what his portrayal was going to be about when the first full trailer came out late last year. What he showed in that few moments gave us an indication that he was going to be very good and the hype intensified.

Unfortunately, all the positive vibes we had about this movie would be replaced by profound sadness when we learned in late January that Ledger had died due to an accidental drug overdose. I remember being hit in the gut when I first heard the news and a lot of my online friends shared the grief with me as we chatted about it later that day.

As time wore on, and we got closer to the film's release, we soon realized that director Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. would honor Ledger's memory by keeping his performance intact in the film. And soon word got out that Ledger's work in this would be enough to not only earn him an Oscar nomination, but possibly win it as well.

Between that and the viral online promotions and the ads and posters and various other entities associated with this movie, everyone I know from friends at work to my online buds can not wait to see this film. Some plan to see it at midnight late Thursday night. And I have done something I rarely do: I ordered my tickets online way in advance so I can be there for this.

Which brings us to today, the day the film opens across the country.

At about 7:35pm, I'll be seated in a theater, emersing myself in the goodness that is TDK. And from the glowing reviews to the record number of theatres (both regular and IMAX) that plan to show it, every intention is that "The Dark Knight" will not only break box office records, but shatter them. Many even think this might wind up being the highest grossing film ever.

High praise indeed, but from what I've read and seen, they just might be right.

About three years ago, just as I was about to see Batman Begins, I posed a question here in this blog:

Will It Suck?

It was a valid question, considering that at the time, the film franchise for Batman was on life support.

Turns out it didn't, and was one of the best film adaptations of Batman that I've seen.

Now, I'm just hours away from finding out if the sequel can even surpass that.

Will it?



I'll let you know later on tonight.

Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Hey there.

Back again with another movie review. This time, it's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", the second of the Five Films That I Want To See this summer.

Now, before I give you my review, let me take you back. I was about 9 or so when I was first introduced to Indiana Jones, with "Raiders of the Lost Ark". I was blown away by this movie as a kid and to this day, it ranks up pretty high as one of my all time favorite movies. Of course, I loved the other films in the series (Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade) as well.

At the time Last Crusade ended, I was content to believe that this was it, the last movie of the series. And, as time went on, it was becoming more and more apparent that it would be it.

Until now.

Since Indy 4 came out, there's been two camps: those who absolutely liked it and those who flat out hated it.

My verdict?

I liked it.

Here's why. First of all, it's not the Indy films of the past. And I feel many of the haters came in expecting it to be like it was some 27 years ago.

It's not.

Harrison Ford is in his mid sixties now. He's not the guy we know from the original trilogy. Yes, he can still kick your butt without blinking an eye, but he's older so you gotta accept that going in.

Second, the story's changed. We're in a whole new landscape now, especially since the movie takes place some nineteen years after Last Crusade. This time, the Soviets are the bad guys and we're dealing with some new more mystical badness in the case of the crystal skulls that serve as the centerpiece of the film.

The film's beginning, complete with a 50s style soundtrack, was a definite hook. And then seeing Ford back in the fedora and the whip was just like seeing an old friend. From there, the story is off and running with some nice action sequences. Another nice touch is how those sequences play into how Indy is now.

The middle part was a bit slow, but then a couple of factors come along to pick things up. When we get introduced to Indy's new "sidekick", Mutt (Shia LeBeouf), who gets on Indy with several zingers about his age and the like, and then later when Indy's reunited with Marian (Karen Allen) his love interest from Raiders, the film becomes the thrill ride that all of us Indy fans are used to, with witty banter, some well done action sequences and the creepy crawlies thrown in.

The one weak link in this has to be Cate Blanchett as Agent Spirko, the Russian in charge of finding the coveted crystal skulls for their own gain. Compared to some of the other villians in the series, she wasn't much of a worthy foe, especially with her accent. And the eventual climax didn't have the epic feel as compared to the others.

But you know what? I still liked the film. I went into this movie with an open mind and knowing that this wasn't going to be like the trilogy. As far as I was concerned, this was a new chapter in the Indy saga, with some new twists and turns and some new additions, especially with Mutt and Marian.

Once you go into that, the film was a great ride. Ford didn't miss a beat with the wise cracks and fight scenes that we've come to expect from our globe trotting archeologist. Sure he's older and wiser now, but he hadn't changed one bit. And as far as I was concerned, knowing that made the film worthwhile.

Was this the best of the series? Of course not, and it would be unfair to compare them to the classic movies. But, on its own ground, its own merits, I wasn't disappointed by this at all.

Now, if this is the last we'll see of Indy, this movie ends on a good note for us longtime fans. And, if there's a chance for a Indy 5 ( and with the huge amount of money it's taken in worldwide, that may not be out of the question), it has the possibility taking on a whole new dynamic. Note to Spielburg and Lucas: if you do make another one, don't wait nineteen plus years next time.

So in the end, I liked it. The man in the hat is back and like an old friend who you hadn't seen in a while, it was good to see Indy one more time.

Movie Review: Iron Man

OK, it's been awhile since I done one of these, but I figured I'd get back to doing my movie reviews. Now, I'm no movie critic, I'm just a guy who watches movies and tells you what I think of them, nothing too technical there.

Time to talk about IronMan, the first of the 5 Films I Will See This Summer.

Now, as you all know, I'm a huge comics fan. Love them since I was young enough to read. But out of all the characters I know (Superman, Batman, Spidey, The Hulk, etc.) Iron Man is kind of low on the list.

Don't get me wrong. I'm familiar with the character and all that, but I don't buy the comics, get the action figure, have the cartoons on tape or DVD, that type of thing. Pretty much, I didn't much care for Iron Man.

That is, until last summer, when I saw the trailer for this movie. Needless to say, that peaked my interest.

After seeing the movie, which basically tells the origin of how billionaire industrialist Tony Stark becomes the titanium clad superhero, I have to say, I was totally, flat out, blown away.

First off, I have to say that I give mad props to Robert Downey, Jr. for playing Stark in this. I'd admit, when I first heard that he was going to play the lead, I was a bit skeptical. He was not the person I had in mind for the role.

But I tell you what, he absolutely, positively hit it out of the park with his portrayal. He was cocky, sarcastic, arrogant, witty and downright serious when need be. He was also funny when the moment called for it as well as noble as well when he saw the error of his ways and realized that he needed to be the hero instead of being a playboy. Overall, in my mind, Downey was being himself in this. And when you're playing yourself, it makes the performance even more realistic. So hats off to him for doing that.

I also gotta say that the effects in this movie rocked. The flying sequences alone would be enough to make this a hit in my mind, but there were a lot of well done action sequences, as when Stark got captured by the terrorists early in the film (ironically enough, thanks to the very weapons that his own corporation developed) the scene is jarring, scary, and real. When Stark manages to escape with the first crude version of his suit, it's very well done with a lot of firepower. And then, there's the suit up sequence where Stark gets into the red and yellow suit that Iron Man is known for, and I have to tell you that is one of the coolest looking suit up scenes that I've ever seen.

As for the others in the cast, Terence Howard was good as Stark's friend, Rhodes. Gweneth Paltrow did a fair enough job as Stark's secretary and possible romantic interest. And even though I think he'd be better off not being in the suit at the end, Jeff Bridges was a good villian as Stark's business associate and eventual enemy.

Director Jon Favreau, who also has a small cameo, did a very good job putting this film together, again with the sequences, the storyline, which is very true to the comic book origins, and finding the good balance between humor, action and drama. And he's also aware of the character's history, even using in a couple instances the theme music to the old cartoon show, which was my first exposure to Iron Man.

Overall, I'd say this was one of the better comic book movies I've seen, right along with Superman, Batman Begins, Spider-Man1 and 2, and X-Men 1 and 2, and the potential for this character as far as movies go is huge. Heck, they've already planned the sequel for 2010 after kicking some serious butt in the box office so far (Oh, and a heads up if you see this, stay for a bonus scene immediately after all the closing credits roll)

For a character that I didn't much care about growing up, I can definitely say after seeing Iron Man, I'm going to keep an eye on this one from now on.

Summer Movie Plans: The 5 Films That I Will See This Year

Well it's that time again. The summer movie season is upon us. And between now and Labor Day, there will be a ton of movies coming out.

And this summer, there's a buzz about the slate of films on tap this year.

After looking over the list, drooling over the online trailers and reading over things online, I've narrowed the summer field down to five. Five films that I will see no matter what.

Here they are, in reverse order.

5. The X-Files: I Want to Believe ( July 25) -- I've been a fan of the X-Files since the TV show debuted several years ago. I was there for the first big screen movie as well a few years back. Of course, the show kind of waned in the latter years of its nine season run, but I always hoped that they would do another movie for the fans. Now that time has come. So, I'm looking forward to seeing Mulder and Scully together again, solving a case that's not part of the long standing mythology, but rather facing the "monster of the week", which is where they had their best episodes.that's my plans.

4. Iron Man (May 2) -- I'm a huge fan of comic books, especially Marvel. But I have to admit, Iron Man's not on my list of heroes. I'm familiar with some of his stuff, but compared to the big ones, he's kind of off the radar to me. Still I was curious about the big screen version of this character. But when I saw the footage they showed at last year's Comic Con online, I was blown away. (In fact, it was after seeing this that the idea was sparked for me to plan my trip to this year's Comic Con.) I'm also curious to see how Robert Downey, Jr. does playing the role.

3. The Incredible Hulk (June 13) -- I am a huge Hulk fan. Been a fan for as long as I can remember. I love the character, and to say I was disappointed when the first Hulk movie came out about three years ago was an understatement. It was more psycho babble than action flick in my opinion. So, to hear that they're trying yet another big screen version gave me hope, but still I had my doubts. Will it suck yet again like the last one? Well, with Edward Norton playing Banner, the presence of a true villian with the Abdomination, and paying homage to both the comic as well as the old TV show, I'm crossing my fingers that it won't.

2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May 22) --To be honest, I never thought I'd see this happen. A new Indy flick? Heck, it's been almost 20 years since we last saw him in The Last Crusade. So I was pretty much convinced that was the final film. But it's not. We're going to see Harrison Ford back in the hat and whip one more time. And as a fan of Indy for nearly 3/4 of my life, that's very very cool. Until I saw the trailer, even I had my doubts as to whether we see Indy being, well Indy or being... well, old. I'm so glad, it's the former. Can't wait to see one of my favorite movie characters of all time back on the big screen.

1. The Dark Knight (July 18) -- Without a doubt, this is the most anticipated film not only of the summer, but of the year in my opinion. Many of my friends feel the same way. The Batman film franchise was successfully revived with Batman Begins over two years ago, and the buzz on this sequel has been on high ever since filming began. Especially with the news that Heath Ledger would be taking on the role as The Joker, Batman's top villian. The first trailer, which showed Ledger in action, sent the hype to another level over his performance. Then came the sad news in January over Ledger's tragic death due to an accidental drug overdose, news that stunned me and just about everyone else. Thankfully, director Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. are doing the right thing to honor Heath's memory and legacy by showing his performance the way it was intended to be, which even adds to the buzz. Not only will I look forward to seeing Christian Bale back as the Caped Crusader after doing a absolutely incredible job on Batman Begins, I'm interested to see how Aaron Eckhardt does as the latest character in the universe, Harvey Dent, aka Two Face.

Others in the mix this summer include Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Speed Racer, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and a few others that I may or may not see. But the five films I listed above are the ones that I'm focusing on.

It all begins today, when I'll check out Iron Man. I'll let you know how it is on my next post.

2008: The Big Trip

Well, 2008 is underway and one of the things I want to do this year, more than anything else, is to go somewhere.

Not just anywhere. Not to my friend's place or to my old high school or the the mall or the movies.

But actually go somewhere.

Go on vacation.

Get out of town.

Heck, get out of the state even.

And in July, that's what I'm gonna do:

I'm going to San Diego for the biggest, baddest convention of them all.

That's right, I'm going to Comic Con.

Now, this has been in the planning stages for a while. Ever since me and one of my online friends started talking about it last year. But it wasn't till recently that I was finally able to sign up and register for it.

I've always wanted to go to this, ever since I started going to the conventions near my home. For, this is the biggest and the best convention for comic book geeks.

Like myself. ;)

But the convention is all the way out in San Diego. A place where I have never been, in a state I've never been. In fact, the farthest west I've ever been is Minnesota almost 15 years ago.

But somehow, after talking with my friend about this, I felt determined somehow to do whatever it takes to make it out there. Especially for my first, true out of state getaway since me and my friend Rob went to Indianapolis for the Star Wars Celebration back in 2005

So I'm looking forward to this. Which means I'll be saving every nickel and dime I can to be able to afford this. Because, hey, nothing says pathetic more than going to a convention without at least buying an item or two.

Or in my case, probably twenty. :)

I'm also deliberating whether to go by air, meaning my second ever trip on a plane, or by bus, which means I'll be literally going cross country and marking the third ever bus trip.

And then, there's the matter of where I'm gonna stay. But, I'll deal with that another time.

But right now, none of that matters.

Because for five days, July 23-27, I'm going to be in the granddaddy of comic conventions. The epicenter of the fanboy universe. Where all kinds of events, movies, comics, stars and other cool stuff will be headquartered. And as the days draw closer, I'm going to document everything. Every photo, moment, note and cent even.

So there it is. That's my plan this year. My big trip for 2008.

I'm going to San Diego.

I'm going to Comic Con.

And I can't hardly wait.

Super Bowl XLII: A Great Game!

It's been a day now since Super Bowl XLII ended, and all I got to say is one thing:

What a game!!

Of course, all the hype going in was whether the New England Patriots would complete their perfect undefeated season with another championship. For the last two weeks, the hype was also over not whether the New York Giants would lose, but by how many.

Turns out, as expected, the hype was way overrated. as the Giants knocked off the mighty Patriots, 17-14 in a classic game.

Now, I've seen a few Super Bowls, and I can't remember when the last time the game was actually that, a game. Usually, it's either a blowout or the game is so boring that you'd usually watch just for the commercials. This time, this wasn't the case.

The fourth quarter alone was definitely worth it, as the Pats made a great drive to the end zone, as QB Tom Brady threw a TD pass to WR Randy Moss to take a 14-10 lead with 2:39 remaining. But, then the Giants answered back with a tremendous drive of their own, scoring the winning TD with :35 seconds left in the game. The drive was highlighted by one of the best plays I've ever seen, as Giants QB Eli Manning alluded at least three Patriots defenders, coming within seconds of being sacked as they grabbed at his jersey. Then, Manning had the presence to recover from that near sack as he fired the football at WR David Tyree, who leaped to make an incredible catch, pinning the ball to his helmet as he went to the ground.

A great game, probably the best Super Bowl I've ever seen and one of the best plays ever. Congrats to the Giants, for pulling off the incredible and winning their 3rd Super Bowl title.

Catching Up: Looking Back at 2007, Part 2

OK back with part 2 of my look back at last year.

I already told you the good moments and highlights, now it's about some of the other stuff.

-As was the case back in 2006, I met a lot of online friends last year, some from where I live and even a few that live overseas. So I want to give a shout-out to Chas, Michael R., Andrew, Jon, Brad (a friend from over in England), Sterling, Michael H., James, Thomas, Hal, Sam (an online bud from down under in Australia), Sonny, Omar and Chris C. It's been good getting to know you this past year. I also want to extend a shout out to Dusty, an old classmate from college who I lost touch with over the years, but by sheer luck we reconnected online last year, so it's good to catch up with an old friend.





-Got to see some good movies over the past year, but unfortunately hadn't had much time to do the movie reviews which I normally do. I hope to rectify that this year.


Anyways, here's my film breakdown from last year:


My annual Movie of the Year pick: Transformers. A great, action packed movie, especially for us fans of the old cartoon and toy sets. 2. The Bourne Ultimatium: Excellent spy thriller with enough action scenes that made it a thrill ride. I hope it's not the last we see of Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. 3. I Am Legend: Didn't think too much of this film, but I have to say, Will Smith impressed me as the last man on Earth surrounded by a lot of vampires. Scary, sad and thought provoking at the same time. 4. The Simpsons Movie: Great funny movie, especially from a fan of the long running TV show. Definitely had some great moments and it didn't over play the big screen card like some TV show/movie versions have done. 5. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. A good little sequel, nowhere near what the first film of the trilogy, but still a good epic and a nice way to wrap up the trilogy. Something tells me though, that we haven't seen the last of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, hands down one of the most unique characters in film.


Biggest surprise: I Am Legend. See above for the reasons why. Biggest disappointment: Spider-Man 3: It was OK, some of the action scenes were great, but after the success of the first two movies, this one let me down. First it played the multiple villian card, which hardly ever works (remember Batman & Robin). Then it relegated Venom, one of the best villians in the Spidey universe, to a bit player, which was a major disappointment. I hope they do make a Spidey 4, because the way this one ended was no way for a movie franchise to go out. Worst movie of the year: Ghost Rider. Without a doubt, one of the worst comic book movie adaptions I've seen. Nicolas Cage's performance was dull and boring. The other actors in the movie were even worst. The storyline was pretty bad, plus they made the hero almost unbeatable, which never works because it insults the audience. It may have had a chance had they kept the prelude going with the younger unknown actors, but this film was a lost cause.



TV Review: The best shows I saw this year were BBC America's Torchwood, NBC's Chuck, Showtime's The Tudors and NBC's The Bionic Woman, although that show tailed off towards the end of the year.

Well that's it. My look back at 2007. Next time, I'll talk about what I have in mind for the new year, including a big trip I'm planning.

Catching Up: Looking Back at 2007, Part 1

Hey there.

It's been a long time since I last posted here. Almost five months to be exact. Just been too lazy or preoccupied to update my main blog. Which I apologize, especially to the few who check on the blog.

Well, since this is the new year, I'm going to rectify things. Hopefully update things here at least once a week if I can.

Speaking of the new year, I'm going to get started with a look back at 2007, which was a very interesting year for me. A lot of things happened, some good, some bad. But overall, very interesting indeed.

First the good, got a chance to work with a sports team, through my stint as a team operations intern for the MISL's Detroit Ignition indoor soccer team. It was a chance to work in a sports environment, which was one of my dreams growing up. I also got to meet some cool people and made some good friends as well.

Now this gig started back in November of 2006, but in '07, the team made it all the way to the league championship game. That's quite an achievement, especially for it's first season. Unfortunately, we lost that game, but still it was a good experience to witness it. And I'm back working for the team again this season in the same capacity, with some new roles as well. Hopefully in '08, we'll be able to win it all.

2007 was also a chance for me to achieve something I wanted to do, become a filmmaker. My little company, MarkOne Films, officially got off the ground last year with the September premiere of the teaser trailer for my long standing pet project, "Mark of the Wolf", which recieved good reviews. That was then followed in October by "Vanishing Act" a joint collaboration between me and my friend Chase. I also helped out with a few other story ideas for some friends of mine and concluded things with the launch of "MOTW:The Web Series", an online short film extension with me and several friends of mine that will be related to the MOTW feature film. This was a great year in that regard and I'm proud to see that slowly becoming a reality.

Also in '07, I got a chance to return to my old high school, Cass Tech, for their anniversary celebration, visited Comerica Park for a Tigers game, checked out Ford Field for the first time ever to see a Lions game, and got to reconnect with some old friends. I also made contact with MySpace, joining the social online circle, where I made some more new friends as well. I'll give some shout out to the friends, old and new, in an upcoming post.

And while 2007 has been a year of good moments for me, there was one moment last year that wasn't. In fact, it was something that I never saw coming. I won't talk about it here just yet. But I'll talk about it later on this month, when the first anniversary of that moment is coming up.

That's it for now, but I'm not done with the year in review. On my next post, I'll look back at the friends I've met last year, talk about the best and worst movies and TV shows I've seen, and some other moments. Then after that, I'll look ahead at what's to come for me in 2008, including something very very cool that I'm planning.

Back to My Old School

Last weekend, I got a chance to return to my old high school, Cass Technical in Detroit, as part of the school's 100th birthday celebration. It was part of a weekend of festivities, but I was only able to attend the pep rally/school tour last week.
It was fun, got to check out the new building, where you see standing in front of in the photo to the left. Saw some of the old yearbooks and photos from the school's past, even my yearbook photo (and trust me, you will NEVER see that photo it's that bad) and got to mingle with past and current students.

The one downside of all this was that none of my old friends from my time in Cass showed up for the rally, which was disappointing because I was looking forward to reconnecting with them again. But, all in all, I had a good time and it was good to be a part of my alma mater again. I look forward to taking part in the next event that they'll have in the future.

Movie Review: Transformers

Hey there.



Hard to believe I haven't done a movie review here in ages. I think the last one I did was for Casino Royale last year. But I have been seeing movies the past few months ( so far I've seen Ghost Rider (worst film so far this year) Spider Man 3 (OK film, not as good as Spidey 2 though) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (another OK film, not as good as the original)



But now it's time for me to get back to reviewing films on the old blog. And I'll start with the film I just saw on the 4th of July: "Transformers"



Now, growing up, I was a huge fan of the old cartoon series and collected some of the action figures. Since then, the figures have since gone to that junkpile in the sky and the only remmants I have from the cartoon was the special anniversary DVD of the old animated movie.



So I was looking forward to seeing Transformers and how it would fare up.



What can I say? I was completely blown away by it.



First of all, the action scenes freakin' rocked!! There were way too many to mention here, but that was the fun part. There were numerous action scenes that covered everything and almost everywhere. From stuff in the air to some wicked car chase scenes and smashups, they did them big and they did them well.



Next, they had a ton of humorous moments. I can't begin to tell you how many times me and the packed audience that was at the theatre laughed out loud throughout that movie. From audio references to dead on sight gags, it had it all. A great balance of action and humor in a film earns strong points with me.



I also loved the characters and how they related to the story. It was a good touch to not only relay it to current times, but also made it realistic as to how the Autobots and Deceptagons came to be and why and how they can transform into cars (sweet looking cars too, especially that yellow Camaro) planes and even a cellphone and beat box. I also liked how they integrated like four or five seperate stories into the main storyline. And it all led up to the slam bang finale, which part of it was filmed in my hometown of Detroit. Kind of cool to recognize some of the areas there on the big screen.

Director Michael Bay did a great job balancing the action, the emotion and the heavy-laden effects that came with this movie. I also have to give props to Shia LeBeouf, who played Sam in the movie. He carried the movie very well, with a sense of humor and quick reactions that made him the definite catalyst for the adventure shown in this movie. I also give props to Megan Fox, who played Sam's girlfriend, Josh Duhamel, who played the Army captain looking into the invasion, and Anthony Anderson, who played a computer expert and had some of the best one liners in the movie. It also was a good feeling hearing the original cartoon voice of Optimus Prime speaking in the film as well.

Overall, this was a good film. I liked it a lot. Looking at the way things stand right now, I think this is my early pick for the best movie I seen all year.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame!!

This is a rare blog, where mostly photos will dominate it. Recently, I got a chance to attend a Detroit Tigers baseball game. I brought my camera along and here are some photos from the day.

That's me in the last photo above. I had a great time, even though my hometown team lost the game. A great day at the ballpark. Can't wait to come back again.

Congrats Grads!!

Quick blog this time around. With the school year wrapping up, I wanted to take a moment to extend my congratualations to a few of my online friends who have completed either high school or college this semester.

Congrats to Eric S. and Chase for earning their high school degrees. Best of luck to you guys at the college of your choice. And congrats to Ron, for completing his college MBA program.

Great job guys!

Working with the Ignition: A Season Recap

Been a while since I did some updates about what's been going on with me, so I figured I'd touch on things.

First off, I wanted to recap about my stint working as an team ops intern for the Detroit Ignition indoor soccer team.

To the right is a photo of the team interns together after a home game. I'm on the far right.

It was a great experience. I did a lot of tasks for the club, from working as a "timeout coordinator" for the team's TV broadcasts, to handling one of the merchandise booths to helping with the club's birthday parties for the kids in attendance.

I was all over the place and the hours were crazy. Not only did we have to set everything up, and help out with the fans attending the game, but we also have to put most of the stuff away afterwards. For the day games, we start up early in the morning and didn't finish up till after 8pm. The night games, we'd start around 1pm and don't finish up until after 11pm, But in spite of the mad hours, it was all worth it.

What made it more exciting was that the team did incredibly well in it's inaugural season. We finished first in the MISL during the regular season, had an impressive home record, went through an nail-biting, thrilling playoff game that came right down to the wire with an overtime game winner about a minute into the session that advanced us to the league championship game. Not only did we advance to the title game, we also got to host it in front of a nationwide TV audience.

Unfortunately, the season didn't end the way we would've liked, as we lost the championship to Philadelphia. But being a part of it was a great overall experience. I got to make a lot of cool friends and be a part of a team environment. Another cool reason why I like to get involved with sports someday.

Now, I don't know what the future will bring, whether I'd be part of the Ignition next season or not, but I can honestly say I was proud to be a part of the team's inagural season. It was definitely an experience that I won't ever forget.

Catching Up: 2006 to 2007

Hey there.

It seems like it was last year when I last wrote in this blog. Well that's because it was, back in November.

Well, it's long overdue for a blog update. And since this is my first blog of 2007, I also figured it was time to look back on last year and look ahead at this.

By far, the biggest thing that has happened to me last year was getting my first job working with a sports team, becoming a team ops intern for the Detroit Ignition indoor soccer team in November. It's been a blast working for them so far and I'm confident and hopeful that this will lead to something bigger and better.

The next big thing has been making progress with my movie project, "Mark of the Wolf". It has come a long way from being a pipe dream at the start of '06 to something that's is looking more and more tangible with each passing day. I've already got a teaser trailer planned in the coming months, and hoping to begin shooting in the fall.

I've also established a new little company, MarkOne Films, that will not only house "MOTW", but some of my other movie ideas as well. Right now, things are only in the early stages, but things should begin to pick up this year.

2006 was also the year that I made a lot of new online friends. From those who lived within my region to a few that live in other countries, I'm proud to have gotten to know each and every one of you over the past year. So, I want to take the time to give a shout-out to those I've met last year: Josh (who'll be helping out with MOTW), Eric, Armin, Will, Bobby, Tony (my bud from England), Victor, Mike H. Jason P. Chris .R., Tom G. (another pal from England), Scot, Mike R. Jason F., Tom S., Gonzalo (another good friend from Brazil), Mike L.. Jesse, Todd, and Paul. It's been a blast getting to know you so far.



Let's see, other things that I've caught up on:



-- I've added several new TV shows to my must watch list, with NBC's "Heroes" topping the list. Other shows I liked: Showtime's "Dexter" (even though I missed several episodes), USA Network's "Psych", and BBC America's "Life on Mars".



-- My favorite movies of the past year: A very tight race, but I give the slight edge and my annual "Movie of the Year" award to "Casino Royale", the James Bond re-launch that was a pleasant surprise. Other top picks: 2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. 3. V for Vendetta. 4. Superman Returns. 5. Mission: Impossible 3.

--Worst movie of the year: "The Sentinel". I'm not usually one to fall into the bad movie trap. But when I saw a film with 24's Kiefer Sutherland, Michael Douglas and the hot Eva Longoria from Desperate Housewives., I thought yeah this would be good. Boy was I wrong. The plot was a joke, the action was terrible and the acting was even worse.

-- Best surprise film I saw: "Casino Royale". Worst disappointment: "X-Men 3: The Last Stand". Talk about a letdown. The action was OK, but the story line development was something to be desired.

And that's it. Sorry it took me longer than necessary to post this, but better late than never, right? Blog at you next time.

Movie Review: Casino Royale

Hey there. Back to doing something I used to do regularly here on the blog: movie reviews.

Now if you go by what I've done here in the blogs, the last review I did was for "X-Men: The Last Stand" back in May. But no, that wasn't the last movie I've seen since then. Since then, I've seen: Superman Returns, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Pulse, The Covenant, and now Casino Royale. I'll talk about Supes and Pirates later on this week as both films come out on DVD. But back to the matter at hand.

Now, I'm a huge fan of movie franchises such as Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, even some of the Star Treks. With James Bond though, it's been touch and go with me. Sure, I've seen the classics with Sean Connery and Roger Moore on TV, but I've never been one to actually go to a theater and see 007 on the big screen. In fact, as far as I can remember, I've only seen 2 other Bond films at the theater: "Moonraker" when I was a kid and only because my folks wanted to see it in the drive-in and "Die Another Day". And yeah, I liked Pierce Brosnan as Bond (goes back to my days of seeing him as Remington Steele on TV when I was younger) but with that film, it had gotten to a point that the Bond franchise was getting old and tired. This once cool secret agent had become smarmy, corny and cheesy. Definitely too cheesy for my tastes. It was like it was becoming a sad parody of itself. And to be honest, when I first heard they were bringing it back for a new film, I could care less.

Then word came out about who would be playing Bond. Brosnan was out this time and Daniel Craig was going to take over. Now, I never heard of the guy, but I understand he was in such films like "Layer Cake" and "Munich", but according to the fanboys, getting Craig was like the kiss of death. He's blond, they say. He's ugly, they cry out. He would be the death of the 007 franchise, they proclaim. In fact, my friend Rob posted in our blog back when the announcement was made this comment: "What about this new James Bond? Daniel Craig. He is the worst looking Bond ever! He is really ugly looking, I'd be a better Bond! I can think of a dozen others who would have been better. What is this world coming to?"

His words. Not mine.

Me, on the other hand, could care less. I didn't think Craig was so bad as the critics were saying. But I was at the point that it was no big deal. It didn't matter who he was, it was still going to be the same old franchise, where Bond's suit would be perfect, uttering tired corny one-liners while trotting out these incredible gadgets, while getting it on with some beautiful ladies. Not that there's anything wrong with that last part, but I digress.

So as Casino Royale came out, I still had no plans on even seeing it at the theater. I figured, if it was OK enough as compared to the others, then I'd rather wait until it comes out on DVD or cable, if that. But then, something unusual happened. Good reviews started to come in. I mean, really really good reviews about it. Calling it the best Bond flick ever and Craig the best 007. Big words there. So, I decided to give it a chance and went to see it. I came into this with an open mind, seeing if the film lived up to the hype.

Tell you what,"Casino Royale" lived up to it and then some.

This film went the same route with Batman Begins and went with a complete reboot of the series, showing Bond in his first major adventure as a "double-0" agent. And from the moment the film started, it blew me away.

First of all, they changed the traditional Bond opening which we've been so used to seeing in the movies. I won't give it away for those who haven't seen it, but they basically made it into an actual scene, which surprised me and made it actually work, putting a different spin on it.

Then, came the first true sequence after the film's theme (which I liked a lot, by the way). What could I say to that but wow. It was a free wheeling crazy sequence showing Bond chasing a informant. Again, I won't give it away, but that whole scene was absolutely incredible, filled with a lot of mad stunts and crazy fights. By the time that was done, roughly about 15 minutes of the film was underway. In those 15 minutes, it was clear that Craig had put his stamp on 007. He wasn't copying from the other actors before him, he was his own version of the character.

From there, the rest of the film just buzzed with a rhythm that was great. It had a mix of frenetic energy and good acting. The plot was your typical spy caper, but somehow it seemed different. This time, Bond was more gritty, raw, realistic. And it worked great.

The one liners this time weren't your usual cheese that made you groan the moment you heard them. The majority of them actually fit what the scene called for. There was one scene, where Bond was being tortured by the chief villain in the film, in what I could best describe as the most excruciating, painful, cringe inducing way imagineable (you have to see for yourself what I mean) and all the while you wanted to squirm in your seat, here was Bond delivering the most dead on wise cracks I have ever heard. It totally fit that moment and I can tell you those got the loudest and longest laughs out of me and the audience in the whole film.

Overall, I liked this film. Never thought I would, but I did. I was totally surprised by it. If ever there was a franchise that needed a reboot, it's this one. And it was a fresh, unique, more realistic take on 007. Even the gadgets that he used in the film were items that you could see being used in real life, which was a nice touch.

And what can I say about Daniel Craig? He absolutely hit it out of the park with his portrayal. He was funny, serious, tough and tender when the moment required it, and he did something I'd never thought I'd see in a Bond film: he made him human. It was good to see Bond getting physical, getting dirty, getting beat up (which happened to him a lot) and bloodied. It was also good to see him flawed and be imperfect as well. He didn't make him a cardboard stereotype which was what the character had been reduced to. He made him a flesh and blood character that put Bond back to what Ian Fleming (the guy who created the character) had originated. And that made him even more cool to my eyes.

Now, if there was one thing that turned things off for me with this film, was the length. I think it should've been trimmed just a bit shorter, especially towards the end to keep the pace going. But that doesn't take anything away from me enjoying the film. It was good to see it start with a clean slate and made it worth watching right up to the end, where you could see - and hear- the familiar parts that make a James Bond movie.

In my eyes, I still see Connery as the best to play 007, but if Craig continues to build on what he's done with "Casino Royale" (and that will be the big test, how they will build on this movie), then I can definitely see him moving up to the top of the list. He made James Bond cool again, and now, I can't wait to see what he will do next.

We Have Ignition!

Hey there.

The last time I posted in this blog, I was announcing that I have a new job, working as an intern for the new Detroit Ignition indoor soccer team.

Now's my chance to tell you all about it.

Basically, I have two positions. One is working as a go-between the team and the cable TV network that's broadcasting several home games during the season. During those games (at least ten of them, plus possible playoffs) I serve as a time-out coordinator, or what they call a "redhat", where for two breaks in betweeen each quarter (four of them), I let the referees know that the network guys want a "TV timeout", or a 90-second break between action.

Now, the first game I did that, which was the home opener (November 4) was crazy, because at first there were problems with the headset I had communicating with the production truck, causing a slight delay with the game's kickoff. Thankfully, the delay wasn't too long and I was able to get with the guys in the truck. Also, because of the mad rush that happens when the game comes on, the director in the truck sometimes didn't give me a count on when to let the refs know that they can resume the game. Again, thankfully, no damage was done there.

The other times when there's not a TV game, I'm a game operations intern. That's the other postition that I do for the team. With this role, I'm all over the place. I can do things from setting up the merchandise booths, which I did for the last home game (November 19) to working the VIP club tables to working the spotlights for the player introductions, to helping take everything down when the game's over. Now those days can run really long. That last game, which was a matinee, I arrived sometime after 9am and didn't leave till after 8pm.

Now, in spite of the long hours, I am having the time of my life working with the team.

I told you before in this blog how much I like knowing the behind the scenes stuff with sports and TV and I'm getting a hands on experience in both. From setting things up to seeing how it all works and everything in between, I'm learning it all. I've only been at it for three days, the two home games and the intial run-through the day before the first home game, and I've already learned a lot.

And the people I work with are a great crew. There's about 12 of us that work on the game ops staff and each of us gets along great. I think the first day we all got together to literally bring up chairs and tables to set things up for opening night was a good moment to talk and connect and form a pretty good team. Our boss, who happens to be the team president/general manager even gets us together for a team huddle before each game to get us psyched up and ready for the game ahead. It's kind of cheesy and corny, but hey it works.

Overall, I like being a part of this. It's been quite a while since I've been a part of something along these lines. It's hard to describe really what it feels like to work in this role, but I can honestly tell you that when I'm there, doing the multiple tasks as a game op or relaying messages to the cable TV crew, this is why I want this to be my dream job, my dream career. Now, I don't know what's going to happen after the season ends next April. I could wind up with a full time gig with the team, parlay it into something else sports or media related, who knows. But I do know, I'm going to enjoy and relish every minute that I work with this club. It's been a great ride so far and I can't wait to see what happens next.

To find out more about the team and it's upcoming schedule, click on the headline or go here for more information.

That's it for now, I'll blog at you later.