Great New Music

If you have not heard the new album from California band Rogue Wave, you are missing out on a super catchy indie pop album. The lead single off of 'Nightingale's Tale' is College. This song has been stuck in my head for the past week and a half. Now it is time to share the wealth with others.

Man of Steel Review

Awesome Movie Poster

I wanted to give it a few days, and let the story and the experience set it before I wrote this post. Now that it has set in, I feel that I can adequately comment on the brand new Superman movie, Man of Steel. For the readers of this blog, you are well aware that I am a HUGE Superman fan, and I've been  anxiously awaiting this movie for the past year and a half.

That being said, I felt that Man of Steel was absolutely terrific. It introduced Superman as a multi-layered character, and showcased him in a fascinating way. One of the best reviews I saw on Rotten Tomatoes was "It Puts the Man into Superman". A common complaint against Superman is that the audience can't relate or connect with him, he's too powerful, or he's too good and always does the right thing, hence there is no drama to the story. This is not the case in Man of Steel. Henry Cavill's portrayal showcases a conflicted and introspective individual, looking for his place in the world. Something that every person goes through at some point during their life.

Additionally a major theme throughout the movie is "How would the world react if it was discovered that a man can do all of the things that Superman can do?" This element of mistrust between the public and Superman is quite interesting. Most of us are just used to the fact that when Superman first arrives the public instantaneously loves him, and blindly trusts him to be a hero all of the time. You don't have that in Man of Steel. Hence you have an element of drama added to the story. The very people Superman is trying to save, are apprehensive of him. Will he still do the right thing?

Amy Adams as Lois Lane

The liberties that the filmmakers took with the Jor-El, Lois Lane, and Pa Kent characters added another layer of depth and human emotion to the story. These characters were truly relatable and I see why Clark Kent becomes Superman. It's because of these great characters and the support they provide. I especially loved what they did with Lois and Clark. I could write about that in more detail, but it would spoil a major plot of the story, so I will refrain from doing so.

Surprisingly Man of Steel has received mixed reviews from critics, and from some fans alike. For some the movie was too serious. Others thought that the action was over done. And some felt that the supporting cast was a tad under developed. All legitimate observations.

But still, I would like to address those complaints. When it was announced back in 2009/2010 that Superman was going to be rebooted, the executives at Warner Bros. stated that they wanted a more serious and action packed Superman movie. Enter David Goyer and Christopher Nolan, the team that reinvented what Batman movies could be. While developing the story for The Dark Knight Rises, Goyer approached Nolan with an idea he had for rebooting Superman. Nolan loved the idea, took it to Warner Bros. and got the project green lighted. So there very team that wrote an incredibly serious Batman trilogy, writes Man of Steel, and yet people are surprised that it is a very serious movie? If it wasn't serious, I would of been shocked. Also why can't a Superman movie be serious? Does Batman have a monopoly on seriousness?

Zod and Superman Duking It Out

The second complaint is that the action was over done? (A slight spoiler alert, the end battle between Superman and General Zod is in Metropolis. The fight scene is on par with the end fight sequence of The Avengers. So basically it's an awesome fight sequence.) In 2006 when Superman Returns came out, that films common complaint was that there wasn't enough action in it. So now we get a very action packed Superman movie and now we don't want that?? People we need to make up our minds here. Do we want action or not? I'm cool either way, I thought Superman Returns was a fine movie. I know I'm in the minority, but still. It was unique.

Lastly, the supporting cast was under-developed. That is a fair complaint. You don't get a lot of screen time with Perry White, Ma and Pa Kent, and even to some degree, General Zod. But should we? After all, this is a movie about the beginnings of Superman. He should be the character with the most face time. After all it is a Superman movie. Plus the great thing with movies like Man of Steel, is you know there will be a sequel. So you can develop those characters in the sequel.

Overall, I think the best way to describe Man of Steel is, it's along the lines of Batman Begins, just with a looser story. The action is spectacular, and it sets up Warner Bros. and DC with an opportunity to have a shared film cinematic universe, just like Marvel. If you want to keep reading about Man of Steel, I found this terrific article about it on uproxx.com about how it maybe too much like a comic.
Click Here

An Internet Treasue

Score another one for the Internet. I was on eBay the other day, and what do I find? The Ghostbusters 2 soundtrack... on vinyl. Hell yeah!! So of course I had to buy it, and it arrived today. (As I write this blog I am listening to it, and may I say that it is magnificent.) A few blog posts ago, I wrote about the Ghostbusters 2 soundtrack here, so I don't want to go into too much detail.

That being said, this soundtrack is a perfect representation of the late 1980s. It has this particular vibe to it that I can't explain it. Maybe I'm crazy but don't certain time periods have a certain feel to them? If you asked me to identify what the vibe of the late 80s is, I'd have to plead the 5th Amendment. I can't even fully explain it, but I can identify it when I see it.

Maybe it's because the late 80s were my youth, and you view your youth through rose coloured glasses? All I know is that Bobby Brown's "On Our Own" is pretty dope.

Band of the Day

Last night I was introduced by a friend of mine to this music App called: "Band of the Day" The premise of the app is, each day a new underground band is featured. Along with being able to listen to their music, you are sent their bio information, music videos, and links to the bands sites.

This is such a great idea! I am always on the look out for new music, and this is a convenient way for me to discover new music. Today I discovered a band called Groenland. They are from Montreal, and are a pretty terrific indie rock band. Below is a video for you to check them out. If you are looking for new music, I highly recommend the Band of the Day App.

Beyond The Black Letter

So last week, I was the only one home and was doing some work around the house. I turned the TV off, and put on the good olde SiriusXM. My go to channel on SiriusXM is PRX, Public Radio Remix, which is affiliated with the Public Radio Exchange. It's a great organization where audio producers can submit their creations, and radio stations nationwide can purchase their work and broadcast it.

On this particular evening, PRX aired a story entitled "Clear and Present Danger". This production was created by Beyond the Black Letter. Here is some background information on Beyond the Black Letter as it is found on their website:

"My name is Zach and I’m a law student at UCLA. Tired of memorizing boiled-down rules and case holdings (aka “the black letter law”), I’m trying something a little different. Let me know what you think."

I cannot say how much I love this concept. When we think of learning and the learning process, we usually think of writing papers, taking tests, creating dioramas, etc. While these are an important parts of assessing the learning process, they aren't the only way of assessing learning. With the advancements in digital technology, it is almost limitless how we can assess students learning processes. Student created documentaries are a new and exciting way of assessing students' knowledge, and listening to Zach's production showed me how much he understands the concepts of law. (This documentary/commentary makes the topic come alive for me.)

"Clear and Present Danger" explores the topic of free speech during times of national conflict. The show description follows:

"On this episode we explore the outer bounds of the right to free speech. How does the law tolerate speech that calls for lawlessness? It’s a journey that begins during the fervor of World War One and ends, for now, with a televised Ku Klux Klan rally in the 1960s. We meet a courageous federal judge, and a Supreme Court justice slow to understand the importance of free speech, and wonder why both would eventually defend the right of radicals and dissidents to venture out to its very edge."

With the current state of our democracy and our world, this is an especially relevant topic. Is there such a thing as crossing a line when expressing your opinion? Is there a time and a place for free speech? What exactly is free speech? These are just some of the topics this program explores. Please take thirty minutes out of your day and listen to this fascinating topic. 

So....I Watched Superman 3 The Other Day

This is a pretty cool looking movie poster

So, it's been pretty well established on this blog that I am a MASSIVE Superman fan. With the new Superman movie coming out in less than 4 weeks, I decided to watch a Superman movie a week until the release of the new movie. This week my movie was Superman 3.

Now I haven't seen this movie in probably 10 years, but when I was little, I really enjoyed it. So I thought re-watching this movie would be fun and a walk down memory lane. How wrong I was. My God is it a terrible movie. I mean it is really terrible. Like there is no redeemable qualities to the movie. Here they have this somewhat interesting premise, and they just blow it away. The lone redeeming part of the entire movie is Christopher Reeve as the evil Superman and the junkyard fight between evil Superman and good Clark Kent.

Now everyone says Superman 4 is terrible, which it is. But it's like Batman & Robin bad. You know it's bad, but it is an entertaining bad. You get a few laughs along the way. Superman 3 on the other hand is just bad. I do feel guilty bad mouthing a movie like this, especially since I have never made or written a movie, so I should really talk. I just did not enjoy it.

In conclusion, stay away from Superman 3. It is camp, boring, and dull.

The Undertaker Out of Character

Since I was 7 years old, I have been a pro-wrestling fan. Growing up in the early 90s there were two camps of wresting fans. Hulk Hogan fans, or Ultimate Warrior fans. (You did have a few Macho Man fans, but he was a heel at that time, so it really doesn't count.) You were either one or the other. I must say, because I'm cool like that, that I was neither. I was an Undertaker fan. The first time I ever saw the Undertaker, he beat the crap out of the Ultimate Warrior and put him in a casket.

And IT WAS THE COOLEST THING EVER!!!! Over the years, I watched as the character evolved from gray gloves to purple gloves. Going it alone to forming the Ministry of Darkness. Until finally there was the biker Undertaker and the return of the deadman. During that time I never really thought of Mark Callaway being anything else other than The Undertaker. I came to see Callaway and The Undertaker as being one and the same.

Until my dad showed me these YouTube videos of The Undertaker raising money for a charity. In one of the videos, I think it's the first time I've ever heard The Undertaker call himself by his real name. I find it really neat to be able to see one of my childhood heroes be themselves. You don't get to see that very often, yet it is a nice reminder that they are human just like you. At the same time, he will always be The Undertaker.