Wolverine
I had really high expectations for this movie, which is usually a great way to be disappointed. I wouldn't consider myself an avid X-Men fan, like my esteemed colleague Dicky. Little known fact about Dicky, he was once suspended from elementary school for illegally distributing and/or selling X-Men cards. Rumor has it that the person who snitched on Dicky was found under the tire playground with three clawmarks left in permanent marker down his shirt and a note that said "stop snitching". True story. It is believed that this is the origin of it all, where Matt became Dicky. However this would only be known years later.
But I digress. As you might be able to infer from the title, this movie tells the origins of Wolverine and how Logan became Wolverine. Like all good prequels, Wolverine was able to incorporate some of the well known characters and lay the foundation for their legacy. The action sequences were very intense, as they were enhanced by the magic of CGI. Which in my opinion is the movie industry's equivalent of steroids. I mean think about it, action movies of today are so far advanced compared to movies from as recent as 10 years ago, let alone movies from the 70's and 80's. Action movies are bigger, stronger, faster and more awe-inspiring than ever, much like their baseball counterparts that are achieving things that were previously thought to be impossible. I think we should call an immediate Congressional Hearing and task force to investigate this, its only fair.
Anyway, in my opinion what makes this movie so intriguing is that it appeals to audiences that may not be familiar with X-Men, while at the same time it feeds to those who know exactly where the story is going. Hugh Jackman is an absolute freak of nature in this movie and actually looks like an animal. I'm sure that is reason alone for some woman to go see this movie. My only beefs with Wolverine are the small roles of such quality actors like Ryan Reynolds and one of the hobbits from Lord of the Rings. To paraphrase Denny Green "this movie is what we thought it would be". It's not going to be nominated for Best Picture, but it will (and has) score big at the box office because of the intense action and quality storyline.
Star Trek
Prior to seeing this movie I had never seen a single minute of an episode of the TV show or any of the previous 10 movies. But like an insect to one of those glowy electric shock lights, I was drawn to this movie. I give the credit to whoever made the trailer, probably director J.J. Abrams. I am a sucker for a good preview. A good trailer can make Dumb and Dumberer look like Citizen Kane. By the looks of the trailer this movie was going to have everything you could ask for in an action movie. Cool stunts, fast cars, intense fighting and an obscure hot chick that you've probably never heard of but will soon be all over the place (think Megan Fox in Transformers).
Because of its perceived nerdy history, this movie had to pay homage to its roots while at the same time appeal to the masses who have no idea what a Vulcan or Clingon is (and yes I am dropping some serious jargon). This new version did exactly that, by dropping lines that everyone has heard like, "for God's sake, I'm a doctor not a physicist". Perhaps you, like me, recognize this line from Ace Ventura, when Ace says "for God's sake I'm a doctor, not a poolman". They even went so far to give the original actor who played Spock, Leonard Nimoy, a role in the movie. And as for the casual fan, there is plenty to like. The special effects are very well done, there are some very funny moments provided by Simon Pegg of Shaun of Dead fame, and theres plenty of action throughout.
My only problem with this movie is a very small problem. There are several cameos as well as well known actors in smaller or hidden roles. For instance Eric Bana is so deep in costume that you might go the whole movie without picking him out. But the cameo that really detracts from the movie is that of Tyler Perry. Yes that Tyler Perry, from TBS and the Madea movies and Meet the Browns. I could see him being cast in the movie as a person providing comedic relief, but instead he plays the high chancellor of some very important looking judicial court. I couldn't take what he was saying seriously. I kept waiting for Perry to look dead into the camera and say "TBS, very funny".
Overall, I'd say this is a must see movie. If you liked Ironman or Transformers then you will absolutely love this movie. It is a lot of fun, its fast paced and has a very good plot. So which one was better? Wolverine had better fight sequences, but Star Trek had better special effects. I think Wolverine had a more dramatic feel, as it told a story of revenge, whereas Star Trek was more of an adventure. While I enjoyed them both, if I had to choose one movie or the other, I'd recommend Star Trek.
"Fab 5"
From this point on the man previously known as Morelli will be known simply only as Pasquale. Only the fortunate few who have read the early posts of the blog will know his true identity. This is the very first edition of Fab 5, and for those who don't know what this section is allow me a second to explain. Pasquale will provide us with 5 people who he loves or hates on any given day. He may explain why, he may not. So, it is my great honor to introduce the first Fab 5....
5 to hate
Brett Farve - Give it up already Brett, you're done. Any team who is dumb enough to think you'll improve their team deserves losing due to the 25 INTs you'll throw this season. Stick to doing what you do best, eating crawfish, wearing your wrangler jeans and absusing prescription drugs
Kevin Garnett - Stop snarling at opposing benches, it doesn't do anything to intimidate the other team and it does nothing to help your team, it only makes you look like an idiot. Knock it off
Mark Cuban - Anyone who apologizes via a blog earns a permanent spot on the 5 to hate. If you have a problem with Kenyon Martin, take it up with Kenyon Martin, not his mother. Grow a pair and talk to the man in person, or are you afraid he'll show you just how much of a thug he is?
Anyone who gave Michael Phelps shit about smoking pot - Anyone who wins 8 gold medals at one olympic games can smoke whatever they like. He made swimming relevant even if only for a few months, give the guy some credit.
Hugh Grant - Plays pretty much the same bumbling british idiot in all of his films. I'm convinced the only reason he has an acting career at all is because of his accent. If hugh grant was from missouri instead of england I'm pretty sure he'd be a working slob like the rest of us.
That stands for itself, and needs nothing further from me. Except a quick follow up conversation from Pasquale and MP4.....
MP4: wow thats great pasquale
Pasquale: i don't know if hugh grant bugs anyone else, but he really bugs the shit outta me
"Picks of the Unknown Gambler"
Fresh off an impressive debut to the blog, MP4 is back and hes got some sweet, sweet action. MP4 converted on two of his picks from yesterday and pushed on the third. Now his picks today may need some clarification, so for today and today only we are going to be adding an "Idiots Guide to Betting" following the picks, just in case there are any misunderstandings. If your not on the bandwagon yet, I don't know how much longer you can stay off. Unless you like losing money. Ladies and Gentleman, I give you MP4.....
Started off on the right foot, lets keep the ball rolling with some Friday night MLB action, and a Monday night lock. Get it while its hot.
White Sox (Danks) +113@ North of the Boarder (Cecil)
Brew Crew (Gallardo) @ Cardinals (Loshe) - Under 8.5
Dev...Rays (Kazmir) -147 @ Tribe (Reyes)
Monday: Magic @ Celtics -3...LOCK IT UP
Career Juice : 2-0-1
Now for our idiot bettors (its ok, I was once in this category not too long ago) some clarification from MP4. This is an actual transcript from an actual conversation that took place sometime in recent past. It has not been embellished in any way, because it needs to embellishing.
Unidentified Bettor 1: what's + 113 and -147 mean?
MP4: thats the money line......so you dont bet a spread its straight up to win....so say -150. I would have to put down 150 bucks to win 100 but say +113. I would have to only bet 100 to win 113
so basically "-" are favored. and "+" are the under dog. Lincecum against the mets tonight is -220. So they are so favored that you have to put 220 bucks on them to only win 100
Got it? Good.
"Video of the Day"
Today's video comes courtesy of SNL. I'm sure we all know someone who does this. You will have to fight through the advertisement at the beginning because God forbid a video can play on the internet without an advertisement before it....
"Theme Song of the Weekend"
Wouldn't it be nice if you could have a soundtrack to your life? Well I can't give you that, but what I can give you is the theme song of the weekend and quite frankly is self-explanatory. Every Friday we will provide a theme song of the weekend.
In light of the NBA Playoff Game 7's on Sunday.....A Song for your weekend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mmx68VmTEo&feature=related
"What to Expect When Your Expecting"
We have lots of sports to going on this weekend so we will break down and analyze the game 7's in the NBA as well as preview the Conference Finals. I've been thinking of some topics to write about and I've come up with a few....
- ESPN: The WorldWide Leader in HYPE
- Top 5 favorite cereals
- List of Movie's I Dislike
So the first week is in the books and I hope everyone likes it. Next week should be historic as we will have our first appearance from Dicky as well as our first of many adventures with the man who will be known only as "the Pauper". So keep your eye out on Monday for the next edition of ETC. ETC. ETC. Stay Classy
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