Future Movie Viewer Born Today

Today I have added another movie goer to the world. My oldest boy (2 1/2 years old) today was taken by mom and dad to see his first movie in the theater.

He got to see How To Train Your Dragon 2, eat lots of popcorn and spend quality time with the parentals. 

He sat through the whole movie. He did need a hug from mommy in a couple spots (if you seen it you know where). But overall for his age he did really well. Plus he got two cool dragon cup toppers to add to his collection and a popcorn tin...lucky boy.

May not be a regular thing for a couple more years but this movie was a must because I believe he is easily Toothless' biggest fan. 

Justice League Part Two

Ok so recently I have said that the current attempt at a Justice League movie is lazy on DC/Warner's part. Now comes new news of their release schedule for Justice League movies. And some character development.

First the release schedule news is that DC/Warner plans at least seven movies for the Justice League universe. Now it is great to see they have a plan but again it sounds so lazy.  So currently the list includes Batman/Superman in May 2016 along with Shazam and Sandman in the same year. Ok so DC/Warner is developing a Justice League universe first and Sandman is thrown in there....hhhmmm. I like Sandman and looking forward to a movie with the character but it is a little odd to be thrown in their with the Justice League character movies especially when the character does not have any direct involvement with the League.

In 2017 we will then get the Justice League movie along with a Wonder Woman movie and a Green Lantern/Flash team-up. And here is where things start to go a little off. How can we have a Justice League movie so quick? I mean we are not getting any of the back stories for Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Cyborg (appearing in Batman/Superman or Aquaman (recently cast) first so how can we already get a team film? Think DC/Warner please because you are setting this up for serious disaster. We are now getting a Wonder Woman movie in there...yeah but that means somehow her origin will have to fit into Batman/Superman or be a prequel origin movie. And then a Green Lantern/Flash movie which I think works because both characters are somewhat well known. And we have already had a Green Lantern movie which can at least establish an origin story (movie May had been much but have to admit the origin story was sound). So already we see some strange arrangement of story that is going to take place.

Then finally in 2018 we will have Man of Steel 2...kind of far off from the original for a viable sequel. And seeing as how they are doing at least two team-up movies before this one what are we going to see at this point in Supes story.

I feel DC/Warner needs to push Justice League out until 2018. Move everything up and get those origin stories out there for these characters and then worry about a team movie. Establish your universe first and then compete with what everyone else wants to do. 

Now as for character news the biggest being another hero in Batman/Superman has been cast with Jason Momoa playing Aquaman. Like the choice and I see an Aquaman from the Justice League cartoon....long hair muscular and a hook for a hand. Plus that combo of defiant king and honourable man. But casting aside what do we need more heroes in the Batman/Superman movie. Beside the main guys we have Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and now Aquaman (Jason Momoa) plus there are rumours of Nightwing and Robin appearing in the movie and possible cameos by other heroes. This is a Bats and Supes movie come on guys scale back before you have too much going on the keep the story stable. And now news of Lex Luthor being described as 20 something with spastic mannerisms.....what??  I have questioned the use of a younger actor to play Luthor since the beginning but now they are completely changing the style of a well established character. This person needs to be cold calculating and very intelligent. Very styled as a professional business man not a hipster with a bit of wealth. 

I am really getting worried here DC/Warner you are making Batman and Robin all over again. Too much too soon. 

Batman/Superman is kicking everything off in 2016. Now as I said previously I like this idea because Batman is well known by comic fans and non-fans alike. He does not need much to establish his story and his part in the universe. What I am having a problem is that the rest is coming in too soon and pretty jumbled. I guess we are just going to have to wait and see.

I So Love An Animated World

I have always been a fan of animation. Some people like Impressionists, or Modern Art, Surrealist, etc but my art is animation. So much work goes into just the tiniest of actions by a character. In computer animation animators are constantly creating new programs so that something like hair acts as natural as your own. And in cel animation (and while I enjoy a computer animated film I miss the old cel art) thousands of drawings make up the movements of each scene. And while not many movies are dedicated to stop motion animation we see this art form even today in live action movies with model effects and set ups.

I believe this obsession comes from growing up in the 80's and all the great cartoons that graced the TV in that period, Transformers, He-Man, Silverhawks, Thundercats....so much dorkiness....even today these shows are being remade and reimagined keeping the series fresh and a part of pop culture.  This was also a period when Disney went through their first resurgence in the theatres starting with The Little Mermaid. And the 80's even saw a small birth of Japanimation (which later got shortened to anime) carried over from the late seventies with Battle of the Planets (damn you Ted Turner for revising the series) and the first major theater release with Akira. Sadly in this period we first got our taste of Hayao Miyazaki's work with the heavily edited work Warriors of the Wind (originally Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind) and his work would not see such worldwide release again until the late 90's. 

Plus there is that wonderful element of being transported back to being a kid again. Going to the movies with mom and dad getting the treat of popcorn and a drink. Seeing that massive screen ahead of you fill with bright colors and wrapping you up in the sounds and spectacle. This year I get an added bonus as my oldest is ready to head off to see his first movie in the theater. Like giving a kid his first bike or watching them in their first school play to me this is a moment I want to cherish. And in another or so his younger brothers will also be ready to go watch their first movie. 

So animation has and always will be dear to my heart. And every year I look forward to the next new animated movies. And this year is no exception with not only some great new films but a couple sequels too. 

Peabody and Sherman: A modern remake of the Jay Ward series Peabody's Improbable Histories with Ty Burrell voicing the titular character Mr Peabody. 

Rio 2: The return of Blu and Jewel to the forests of Brazil with their friends and family. Searching for the lost members of their species and dodging the evil Nigel.

How to Train Your Dragon 2: A sequel I have eagerly anticipating as Hiccup and Toothless again take to the sky to save dragons and Vikings.

The Nut Job: A heist film using squirrels and their instinct to gather nuts for the winter (this did well in theatres and a sequel is in the works now).

The Book of Life: A surreal adventure amongst the Day of the Dead celebrations. I believe this may be a closet hit this year. 

Big Hero 6: Disney's first foray into animating a Marvel property. About a boy and his robot becoming super-heroes.

The Boxtrolls: Some youngsters stumble into a hidden world of trolls living amongst the rubbish in their town and work together to unite their worlds.

Penguins of Madagascar: The quartet of fiest penguins join an elite force animal protectors to save earth. Get ready for some serious slapstick and flightless craziness.

Planes 2 - Fire and Rescue: The first Planes movie I really enjoyed and was surprised Disney had a sequel ready to go. Dusty and gang join up with some fire jumpers for new action and adventures.

The Lego Movie: Easily turned out to be the animated film to beat this year. As plain Emmett finds himself and proves to everyone that we are all unique.....EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!!! (Sorry couldn't resist).

And these are just the major theatrical releases as worldwide there will be other animated movies coming out for all to see. And There are so many more animated movies coming straight out to home video.....I believe my head is going to explode. 

This year is shaping up nicely for some really fun movie viewing.

So Much in My Head I Can Not Get it Out

                        

I currently have 5 articles on the go and probably another 10 in my head that I want to start. I am really starting to see some interest in the site and my bizarre thoughts so I really need to get these done. I want to try and keep everything as current and moving as possible. I have actually set a goal to be able to post at least 1 article a day within 6 months. Hopefully I can keep this goal because if I can do it on my site I can hopefully contribute to some others more often as well and really get my name out there.

A little fun stuff...hi to my 2 followers on the site (woohoo lot better then 0). You folks get nice emails telling you that I am ranting again so enjoy. Also I am up to 35 followers on Facebook. If anyone is on Facebook feel free to join the page for the site Remote Theater. I try to post there quite regularly and many times copy in my posts from Twitter @remotetheater as well.

Now for some housekeeping...site is coming along. Will be quite simple for the moment but plan big things. Look for more pictures. Pages for different types of articles and an nice updated logo. Also I am going to fix the site web address. Some people can get to the site without putting the www at the beginning of the address and some have to do it. Hopefully get this fixed up pretty quick.

For serious stuff I am always looking for new stories and ideas. I am more then happy to hear folks feedback and suggestions. And I am always looking for new movies that I have not seen before so let me know some of your favourites.

And last but not least a little promotion for some friends. I have a couple cohorts that have been assisting me in getting everything up and running and I have contributed to one at least one of their sites and will continue to do so in the future. Also I can not wait for everyone to read their contributions to Remote Theater. So please feel free to follow www.maxi-geek.com and www.raymiesherringphotography.com . And also follow them on Facebook. And of course their Twitter @themaxigeek and @dwarkarn .

So there you go...some fun, some serious and some new places to check out. 

Watch this space more to come.

Guardians of the Galaxy Big Marvel Gamble That Could Pay Off

                             

When it comes to the superhero movie at the moment Marvel can not fail. They have already created nine movies which have not only captivated audiences and made a resurgence in fandom but they have created a cohesive world where all these characters exist. It has been magical from a longtime fans stand point. But can the trend continue?

First off let's look at what Marvel has accomplished so far. A Hulk film that is more in tune with the actual comic book (sorry Ang Lee you took a shot and the first Hulk movie failed). Then they introduced three pretty well known characters ,Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, with some incredible movies that have made comic nerds happy and introduced new fans to the characters. And they put them all together with some lesser known characters and created a great team flick. And they are continuing as all the current movies in the Marvel cinematic universe have planned sequels.

Second they introduced a TV show that also fit in to this same world (especially the last few episodes) expanding a already growing universe and they are planning two more series to even expand this world further. One of the series will be on network TV and the other through Netflix. Plus these series are introducing some really unknown characters to a world of non comic readers that have quickly been engrossed in the films.

And third they are taking the time and energy to construct these movies and series so that they not only flow well together but are keeping people interested for years. Trust me when I say DC/Warner need to step up and follow Marvel's formula more closely especially since they currently have the rights to all their characters and are planning movies for the DC Universe as a whole.

So what could destroy this newly created universe in an instant....well a bad movie. Something completely unknown and out there that fans everywhere would flee in terror?  

And Marvel's answer to this concern of the fans....we can not fail. So here is a gun toting talking raccoon, a huge humanoid tree, a big huge dude with knives, a green chick that can kill and has looks that can kill and a comedian pilot. Yup here come the Guardians of the Galaxy a series not that well known by some comic fans let alone newbies to this world. So Marvel is taking a major shot in the dark here hoping their previous successes will keep a complete unknown from failing and I believe they may pull it off.

They are actually doing what DC does not want to do with their characters by believing in their marketability and taking a risk. Plus they are continuing the new trend after this with an Ant-Man movie and a Doctor Strange movie in the near future. 

Good on you Marvel for having the balls to do this. Trailer looks good and cast is amazing so hopefully the gamble pays off. I know I will be buying my ticket.

And We're Moving Along

Ok so far in the past couple days (without out internet and hotspotting on my phone) I have updated Twitter with a photo and background.

Made a couple tweets (still only 2 followers and myself...sniff). 

I got the Facebook page up and running and got a few likes...32 I now have access to Insights...YEAH!

Made a big post about the X-Men movie. And made a little post about my crappy internet (still not working properly) and one more post about the future Justice League movie.

So actually quite a bit. I just need to keep on this forward momentum and who know where it will go. 

Thanks everyone that has taken the time to start reading my words of wisdom. Thanks for sharing the page and let's see where this roller coaster takes us. 

Coming up....some words about the Guardians of the Galaxy movie, a top ten of Summer Blockbusters that Disappointed Me and article on why movies move us all so. Plus tweets, posts and lots more that will either make the world a better happier place or just bore you all....I try really I do.

Batman, Superman and Warner's Lazy Attempt at Justice League

                   

Ok the title may be a bit harsh but it needs to be so those in power at Warner/DC realise they need to step up and fix it so Justice League (which could be an incredible movie) does not flop.

Yup I said it well ahead of their proposed 2018 release of Justice League the movie will flop. 

Here is why and Warner/DC please listen because I REALLY want this movie to succeed as the Avengers has.

So with the success of Man of Steel Warner/DC decided to go ahead with creating their own cinematic universe with the ultimate goal of having a Justice League movie. I was very happy about this. I have always been a fan of team comics and Justice League was in my monthly buys for many years. It was the DC version of the Avengers (another favorite) and had a vast majority of the DC universe as members at one time or another. And like the Avengers there was a core group that started it all and stayed constant throughout its history, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, as the backbone of the group. 

So Man of Steel comes out and bam it is a success. There was a little change to the Superman origin but nothing too drastic to upset the fans and just enough change to draw in new fans. And now Warner/DC says let's go for it, let's make a Justice League movie and show up that upstart Marvel universe what's what....oh yea and we still own the rights to all our characters so suck it (ok last bit probably wasn't said but it was implied). 

Then Warner/DC asked themselves how can we make a sequel to Man of Steel that will point us toward a Justice League movie? And their answer was let's team him up with Batman....yeah because everything is better with Batman (plus Batman is prepared for anything...anything...so what can go wrong). Not a bad move there Warner/DC. It gets Bats out there and establishes him as part of the Man of Steel universe. It puts together two of the big three of the DC universe who have always had a rocky relationship so we have conflict and they help form one of the greatest comic teams in history...woohoo. I am happy about this movie and even excited by Affleck playing the man himself Batman. They have even been nice and showed off the Batmobile (nice blend of classic Bats and the Tumbler) and even gave us a taste of the Batsuit....wow that stepped right out of The Dark Knight Returns....again excited.

Then the excitement leaves....why? Wonder Woman....that is why.

It is not the character....I love Wonder Woman, female heroine icon and has rich ties to Greek mythology so has a feel as if Hercules were born a girl. And It is not the choice in actress....Gail Gadot....come on sexy, leggy and muscular plus she can pull off action star just watch the Fast and Furious series. So why? Because Warner/DC does not trust the character can carry her own weight in a movie and this is not some unknown character from DC's universe like Bwanna Beast that would make people wonder "Who the heck is that?". 

See Batman really doesn't need his own movie because at this point everyone, comic fan or not, knows about Batman. So the idea of a team up movie with Supes is awesome. Think afterwards they still need to consider a new Batman movie to further gel the character to this universe but it is not required before the Jusice League movie. And Superman has now been established in this universe with a great origin story but why not do this for another of the big three.

Wonder Woman....come on...she should have her own feature. This is a character that is known by comic fans and people outside normal comics fans. And DC/Warner says it is too hard to explain her backstory. Did no one in the writing room for this series take basic English lit growing up. I remember big portion of class discussing Greek mythology. How hard is it for you to add this character to established story? Evidently really hard for you guys. Come on this is a comic icon. Marvel is taking really big risks in the third stage of their universe with Gaurdians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man getting their own movies to tie into the Avengers and the universe as a whole. But DC/Warner will not take a risk with Wonder Woman.

And this is why DC/Warner is being lazy when creating the Justice League movie. They just want a movie quick to compete with the Marvel Cinematic Universe hoping to make some quick coin and they are not taking the time to build the characters and story creating a universe that will endure. The quick coin is not all there is because with a universe there is tons of other merchandising and outlets to add to the universe. Like Marvel has done and has proven works a treat. Come on guys it took Marvel five movies to reach an Avengers movie. You are trying to do it in two. Get another movie or two in there and develop not only the characters and story but the universe itself. Give something deep for the fans and create something that will pull in the new fans. Please take the time and energy to create something great and not just rush something and give us mediocre.