Life Lately: The Forest, Jurassic World & Red Dragon Inn

I’m feeling anxious, nervous, and excited all at the same time. In a week from now, I will be on my first road trip to go to Electric Forest. Electric Forest is a four-day music festival in Rothbury, Michigan. It’s taking place from June 25th-28th. We are leaving on June 24th to do most of the driving before making our way to the festival on the 25th. I purchased my tickets months ago and I can’t believe it’s happening in a week! My friend introduced me to the festival and in a split second, we purchased tickets.

The festival itself is beautiful. I have been looking at some of the pictures taken from last year and it’s making me even more excited. The stages are surrounded by trees and there are bright neon lights that light up the stage at night. Yoga will be taught on the stage in the morning.

I’m not an experienced camper. My mom considers camping as staying in a hotel for a night. We never did camping trips when I was little. This will be my first experience with camping for more than a night. That excites me and makes me nervous. Thankfully, my friends that I’m going with have had a lot of experience with camping. I plan on posting pictures and my experience after the forest! This will be my first road trip ever and I feel like an adult.

Yesterday, I saw Jurassic World with my boyfriend! I really enjoyed it. It was cool to see the dinosaurs on the big screen.

Finally, last weekend I played some Red Dragon Inn. I was first introduced to this board game at a video game club meeting I went to two years ago. I got my brother into it too and he let me borrow his second edition of the game. The goal of Red Dragon Inn is to not get wasted, don’t lose your health, and don’t lose all of your gold. Me and the boyfriend played it outside in a gazebo and it was really fun. Plus we saw the sunset and it was really beautiful.

Red Dragon Inn
Image Taken by Me
Winona Sunset
Image Taken by Me

Gotham Season 1

Yesterday consisted of rock climbing and relaxing by watching TV shows. I finally finished the first season of Gotham. Will I watch a second season? Probably not.. this show was not what I expected.

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(First Row: Oswald Cobblepot, Jim Gordon, Selina Kyle, Harvey Bullock. Second Row: Bruce Wayne, Fish Mooney, Pamela Isley, and Edward Ngyma).

The season started off really interesting. The show is told from Jim Gordon’s perspective before he becomes commissioner. It serves as a prequel with Bruce Wayne still in middle school. The first episode of course is when Bruce’s parents are killed. Bruce wants to restore Gotham and remove all of the crime within Wayne’s enterprises. Jim Gordon is off fighting crime and even works for Arkham Asylum for one point in time. I actually really enjoy the part of the show where Jim and Harvey are out-solving crimes. It feels like a dystopian Law & Order.

Jim is out trying to control the four crime mafia bosses. This includes Oswald Cobblepot, Fish Mooney, Falcone, and Maroni. The four of them are fighting for control over Gotham. I actually don’t mind the Oswald Cobblepot portrayal. He does a good job of acting like the future penguin. I also liked the development of the Iceberg Lounge.

I also really like the portrayal of Edward Ngyma. The fact that they started him off in the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) as a medical examiner is pretty accurate to me. We see Ed lose his sanity within the season finale. That’s one component of the show that really entices me into watching season 2.

As mentioned above, I’m probably not going to watch any future seasons. I’m not a fan of Barbara Gordon. She is Jim’s girlfriend and that’s okay. Barbara through the course of the show becomes depressed and starts sleeping with Renee Montoya on the GCPD. I think it’s cool that the show embraces bisexuality but, once Barbara sleeps with Renee, the storyline is dropped. Towards the end of the season, she loses her sanity. I felt like her character was thrown away. There was a lot the show could have done with her character.

The Joker has been introduced already in this season. I think that’s a mistake because, by the time Bruce is grown, the Joker would be thirty years older than him?

I can see why there are fans of Gotham. It’s a new take on Batman and Gotham, however, it’s simply not for me.

Life Lately: Free Comic Book Day & Avengers Age of Ultron!

The week before finals is always the worst. I am so glad it’s the weekend. I think my stress level this semester is the highest it has ever been in college. I cannot wait for this semester to be over. In between studying for finals, I participated in Free Comic Book Day and I saw Avengers Age of Ultron today!

Today is a special day because it’s Free Comic Book day! My local comic book store had fun stuff planned. As soon as I walked in, there were two racks full of free comics. I picked up three new comics which included a Doctor Who-themed comic, Pokemon, and The Avengers. There were also comic book artists from the Twin Cities who showed up. One artist was drawing free sketches. I knew I had to get one because this guy was really talented. I asked him to draw Poison Ivy and the sketch looks really neat. Free Comic Day is one of the best days of the year because now I have three free comics to read.

After free comic book day, me and a couple friends went to see Avengers: Age of Ultron. Here’s what I absolutely loved about this movie:

Scarlet Witch!

I loved the Scarlet Witch. I think Elizabeth Olson did a really good job portraying this character. I really like how she interacted with the Avengers team, especially Hawkeye. It’s also really nice having another woman on the Avengers team. I really like how she isn’t sexualized in the movie as she is in the comics. I love the red leather jacket and the black dress. She’s there to kick some ass, but she is wearing a normal outfit. It makes the character more believable. I know I made a post earlier about her character, but she was one of my favorite characters in this movie.

Ultron

Ultron is a pretty cool villain. He is something that was created to help protect the earth. He still believes in protecting the earth, but he feels like the planet should be extinct and then reborn. Obviously, this is not what Tony Stark had in mind when he created Ultron. Tony created an artificial intelligence that eventually became almost more intelligent than Tony himself. It was interesting to watch this scenario play out on screen.

The Humor

Marvel really knows how to make its audiences laugh. The lines in this movie are hilarious. Even though humanity may be close to destruction, the movie is still really light. The cast members themselves have great chemistry with each other and that’s really nice to see. Some superhero movies can be really dark and gritty, but Marvel always knows how to make an audience laugh.

Back Stories

In Ultron, there are so many different backstories that are revealed. Especially Hawk Eye and Black Widow had some very personal details revealed in this movie. It was really interesting to see.

My personal opinion: Avengers Age of Ultron is a great movie! It’s a great predecessor of the 2012 blockbuster Avengers film.

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Star Wars The Force Awakens/Batman vs. Superman

Recently, two important movie trailers have been released: Star Wars the Force Awakens & Batman vs. Superman.

Star Wars The Force Awakens trailer was released this week. My first reaction: Darth Vader’s mask!? There were rumors about Luke turning to the Dark Side. Personally, I don’t think I would like that too much. Luke was the savior in the last trilogy so for him to go to the Dark Side. I don’t think so. I don’t think Darth Vader should come back. He’s dead and has been defeated. I want to see someone new become the villain. Also, the soccer ball robot (BB-8) is so cute. I call it a soccer ball because when I watched the first teaser, that’s what it made me think of. I love the last line that Han Solo says “Chewie, we are home”. It was a perfect way to end the trailer. That being said, I wonder if Han Solo will die in this new trilogy? The reason I say that is because Harrison Ford has always wanted to see Solo die in the other movies, so to me this might set up the stage for the other movies if Solo dies. Hmm.. only time will tell. This will easily be the most anticipated movie coming out in 2015.

The second trailer, Batman vs. Superman was leaked. It was originally coming out on Monday, April 20th. My first reaction: I love the shot of Superman and people crowding around him. Superman out of all the other superheroes that exist is the one that people look up to. He is someone who is trying to do the right thing. I like that there is a little narration provided by Lex Luthor. There is this chant in the trailer: “Go Home”. Imagine if superheroes actually existed in our world. This movie to me seems realistic if these heroes exist, how would our race react to them. I also like the shot of Batman and his sonar/detective vision. It is also featured very heavily in Batman Arkham Asylum. One thing I didn’t really like is Batman’s voice, it sounds very robotic to me if that was even his voice when he talks to Superman. Overall, I think this movie does have potential. As someone who did enjoy Man of Steel, I really think that DC could get this right. I know that a lot of people don’t have the faith I do, but I think Ben Affleck has terrific talent and I think he can do this. One thing to note is where is Wonder Woman!? I absolutely love the costume that she is wearing in her poster. It would have been super cool to see it in the trailer.

Those are my initial thoughts on these trailers! I am hyped for both of these movies. If you have seen the trailers, let me know what you think 🙂

The Man Without Fear/Daredevil

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Daredevil

Today was a beautiful day. I walked home several times from campus, read outside, and watched my new favorite TV show, Daredevil on Netflix.

On April 10th 2015, Marvel and Netflix released a show titled Daredevil. There are thirteen episodes in total. I just wanted to say that this show is amazing. I don’t like sitting and watching five episodes in a row and having it take up my entire day. Daredevil is worth watching though and I will make time in my day to finish season #1. I will probably finish it by the end of this week, and I may post about it later on, but for now here are my initial first thoughts about Daredevil.

First of all, this show is the best portrayal of Daredevil. Matthew Murdock is a lawyer in Hell’s Kitchen. New York City. As a child, he is blinded when he is involved in an accident with chemicals. He is given gifts and these gifts heighten his senses. He uses his gifts to help become a vigilante for Hells Kitchen. Daredevil isn’t a hero. He uses violence to try and restore peace to his city. He will torture bad people to find out about higher up criminals. This definitely makes him an anti-hero. He uses his day job as a lawyer to lock up criminals and punishes the criminals that escape the law. This television show is very gritty and violent. I think it has to be that way because that’s how Daredevil is as a character. He is someone you secretly root for because he does things to bad people that you wish you could do. He punishes rapists, he beats up thieves and he makes examples out of the criminals in the city. Though he never kills anyone he comes into contact with. Is Daredevil a bad person? Yeah he is, but do you secretly root for him to clean up Hells Kitchen? Absolutely.

The acting in this show is incredible. Charlie Cox is clearly prepared for this role and he does a really good job at acting as Matt Murdock. There is never a point in time where his acting isn’t believable. He put a lot of work into this character and it definitely shows. Besides Charlie, there is Vincent D’Onoforio who plays Wilson Fisk. Fisk is a force to be reckoned with. Fisk is someone everyone fears and D’Onoforio plays this part very well. Plus I absolutely love the women in this show. Rosario Dawson plays Claire, a nurse who helps heal Matt Murdock and Deborah Ann Woll plays Karen Page, a receptionist who is trying to uncover corruption in Hell’s Kitchen. There are two very strong female characters in this television show who are witty and intelligent.

Finally, the action sequences in this TV show were planned and executed well. They are so quick and it’s hard to believe that someone spent time rehearsing these sequences. Fight scenes in action movies or TV shows are all about a routine. You learn the moves and you practice them. Every action sequence keeps me on the edge of my seat because it’s so fast-paced and unexpected.

To end this post, I want to recommend this wonderful show. It has a captivating story, an excellent cast and it really is the TV show that Daredevil deserves.
Now I will be returning to Netflix to finish this season and become sad when it’s finally over.. 😦

Scarlet Witch Poster

One movie that I am getting excited about is Avengers Age of Ultron. Scarlet Witch, the daughter of Magneto and sibling to Quicksilver, is going to be in it! There is a new character poster released with her and I absolutely adore it!

Scarlet Witch

When I first saw pictures of the Scarlet Witch, I was intrigued. The outfit doesn’t really look like the comics, but I think it’s much more practical. In the comics, Scarlet Witch wears this leotard crop top ensemble. The red color of the outfit doesn’t help with the sexism in her character because red is such a passionate and sexual color. In the movie, it looks like she’s wearing a red jacket with a black dress and black combat boots. Her outfit in the movie looks more menacing. It’s easier to take her seriously if she is dressed like a normal human versus a bombshell.

Overall, I’m super excited for the Avengers! The first Avengers movie made me into a comic book & superhero fan. Now my love of superheroes has gone way past the movies and TV shows. Comic books and graphic novels are a huge interest and passion of mine.

Avengers Age of Ultron is being released on May 1st and I am going to be in the theater on opening night.

Best Movie of 2014: Guardians of the Galaxy

So 2014 is coming to a wrap pretty soon and who knew that one of my favorite movies of the year starred a tree and a talking raccoon? Guardians of the Galaxy came out in August and I went with a friend to go see it. I was blown away by how good this movie actually was.

Guardians of the Galaxy stars: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Glenn Close, Lee Pace, and Karen Gillan. The main character is Peter Quill/Star-Lord played by Chris Pratt. He goes to other planets and collects valuable items and sells them for money. He is a petty thief. He finds this orb on one of these collecting missions and it turns out to be pretty valuable. Peter Quill comes to encounter Rocket the Racoon and his partner Groot, Gamora, a female assassin, and Drax the Destroyer. Together they need to protect this orb from other parties seeking it for the wrong reasons. That’s really all I want to say about this movie because I don’t want to give anything away. I recommend watching this movie because it reminds me of our generation’s The Empire Strikes Back.

My two favorite characters are definitely Groot and Gamora. Groot only says three lines in the entire movie He’s a huge tree and he uses his branches to help save the entire gang throughout the movie. I like Gamora because she doesn’t need anyone to help save her. She is fine on her own but yet she is a really important team player.

I love the soundtrack! I have the playlist and I listen to it when I work out or even when I’m studying at school. My favorite song from the soundtrack has got to be Go All the Way by The Raspberries. The music is just so fun and I can be in a horrible mood and listen to this soundtrack and it makes me feel a little better.

This is definitely my favorite movie of 2014. It has an excellent cast, a fun soundtrack, and a great story. Plus how can you resist a small, baby-dancing Groot?

Indiana Jones

“Snakes, why did it have to be snakes?”

Indiana Jones is one of my favorite film trilogies of all time. It’s the films that Steven Spielberg made when he couldn’t direct a Bond movie. A couple weeks ago, my boyfriend and one of my best friends told me they haven’t seen Indiana Jones. I was shocked! Indiana Jones has so many pop culture references and it’s one of those trilogies I recommend everyone watch at least once in their lifetime. This weekend, it was time to change all of that. It was a double date with my boyfriend and my best friend and her boyfriend to sit down and watch Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to sit down and watch the entire trilogy, but Raiders is easily the most quotable and memorable of the trilogy.

Django Unchained and Violence in Film

My first blog post is dedicated to my love of film. Last weekend, I watched Django Unchained for the first time with my boyfriend. I am a huge Quentin Tarantino fan, so I have been wanting to watch his newest film for a while now. I finally got around to it and I liked it! The film follows the story of Django (Jamie Foxx) and he is rescued from slavery by Dr. King Shultz (Christopher Waltz) who is posing as a dentist but is really a bounty hunter. Django and Shultz become good friends and Shultz teaches Django how to shoot a gun and how to become a good bounty hunter. Eventually, as the movie progresses, Shultz ends up helping Django find his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington). Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jonah Hill also have roles in this film. I enjoyed it overall and would watch it again but it’s not my favorite Tarantino film.

Watching Django Unchained made me think about violence in film. Tarantino is known for the violence and the gore that he puts into his films. That personally doesn’t bother me one bit. It does bother some individuals, however, and Tarantino has been vilified in the media for his use of violence. I don’t believe that violence in the media is responsible for violence in reality. I watch Tarantino’s films and I have played violent video games such as Gears of War, Grand Theft Auto, and Max Payne 3. This does not make me want to go out and relive these video games in real life. I don’t think Tarantino should have to tone down his films because I don’t believe his films or the use of violence is in any way responsible for violent acts in society. The people who go out and commit violent acts I feel have some sort of predisposition to violence. Now, of course, people may disagree with me and that’s fine. Everyone is allowed their opinion and this is mine.

That being said, I recommend seeing Django Unchained. The acting in this movie is superb and I really liked Leonardo DiCaprio in this movie. He plays Calvin Candie, the owner of the “Candyland Plantation”. He is sadistic and very thrilling on screen. My favorite Tarantino film of all time is Kill Bill Volume 1 so if you haven’t seen that for any reason, definitely watch that movie ASAP!