Michael*

On 6/16/2019 at 11:56 PM, Cult Icon said:

It seems like Keanu Reeves was the highlight of E3 LOL.  For me I wasn't interested in anything except for Cyberpunk and Doom Eternal.  Cyberpunk (CD ProjectReD) is also backed by Microsoft now.

 

That's true about Kojima.  It's like he gets a gigantic quantity of ideas and merges them together into something insane but intriguing.  Like a mad scientist.  I've always appreciated his creativity and the uniqueness/high volume of substance in his games.

Yeah, initially I was disappointed and a bit taken aback at how few things from E3 had piqued my curiosity, although I hadn't at that point factored in that Sony was completely skipping it this year. Presumably the calm before next year's PS5 storm. 

I wouldn't be surprised if what eventually evolved into Death Stranding had started out as the nucleus of MGS 6, but of course Kojima's rather abrupt parting of ways with Konami would have put paid to that. Mostly, I just love that his work has an attention to detail that most developers don't, and a lot of quirky mechanics that so many other games probably end up losing in their search for "polish." Overall, there are very few game creators whose output sticks in my consciousness anywhere near as much.

Marvel is announcing a lot right now (film and television). I think I will wait at least a few hours to sort through it all. I imagine a lot of it is what is already assumed to be on the way, with more specifics.

15 hours ago, jkjk said:

Marvel is announcing a lot right now (film and television). I think I will wait at least a few hours to sort through it all. I imagine a lot of it is what is already assumed to be on the way, with more specifics.

There sure was an incredible amount of news, all of which should open up a crazy ton of possibilities. Anything in particular catch your eye?

For me, the standout was Mahershala Ali taking on the role of Blade. Perhaps Feige was one of the half a dozen people who watched Alita: Battle Angel earlier this year, saw Ali's character in it, and immediately knew that it would be pitch perfect casting. 

Big boss in Polar (2019):

53 minutes ago, Cult Icon said:

Big boss in Polar (2019):

 

Mads Mikkelsen really is the perfect actor for something like this, he's just so naturally ominous. Are you big on the John Wick style of movie at all? I haven't seen many, but I've heard from folks who are big fans that if you watch them primarily as pieces of fight choreography, they work surprisingly well.

Mikkelsen's recent story detailing how long it took him to figure out what was going on in Death Stranding made me laugh a little bit, too. I suppose to be fair, we probably won't know what it's about after we're done playing it, either. 

4 hours ago, Michael* said:

Anything in particular catch your eye?

 

For me, the standout was Mahershala Ali taking on the role of Blade.

A number of interesting things caught my eye:

- Mahershala is always a good choice for anything. I was not particularly interested in a Blade reboot, but this is a good choice.

- Everything dealing with Scarlet Witch is interesting. She will be in the Dr Strange movie and WandaVision and the two will be tied together. The show will be set after Endgame which means Vision will be reassembled/remade.

- Thor + Taika = Everything good and fun about these movies.

- Thor is coming out before the next Guardians movie. That should mean Thor won't be featured in that one? Maybe a quick flashback to explain how they were separated (or a quick scene at the beginning of the Thor movie)?

There were more, but that's what I can remember now.

On 7/21/2019 at 7:00 PM, jkjk said:

A number of interesting things caught my eye:

- Mahershala is always a good choice for anything. I was not particularly interested in a Blade reboot, but this is a good choice.

- Everything dealing with Scarlet Witch is interesting. She will be in the Dr Strange movie and WandaVision and the two will be tied together. The show will be set after Endgame which means Vision will be reassembled/remade.

- Thor + Taika = Everything good and fun about these movies.

- Thor is coming out before the next Guardians movie. That should mean Thor won't be featured in that one? Maybe a quick flashback to explain how they were separated (or a quick scene at the beginning of the Thor movie)?

 

There were more, but that's what I can remember now.

Presumably now Guardians 3 ends up in one of the slots Disney and Marvel have seemingly reserved for 2022 (possibly alongside Captain Marvel 2 and Black Panther 2), although who really knows, maybe FF takes one instead. I believe James Gunn's Suicide Squad movie is pencilled in for 2021 though, so there's a chance that might complicate things.

I was already planning to watch WandaVision, but they piqued my curiosity with the Doctor Strange connection. Perhaps Scott Derrickson's track record of directing mostly horror will come in handy and this will be the first scary Marvel film. I don't even pursue horror really, and they have me hooked. 

3 hours ago, Michael* said:

Presumably now Guardians 3 ends up in one of the slots Disney and Marvel have seemingly reserved for 2022 (possibly alongside Captain Marvel 2 and Black Panther 2), although who really knows, maybe FF takes one instead. I believe James Gunn's Suicide Squad movie is pencilled in for 2021 though, so there's a chance that might complicate things.

The last I saw on The Suicide Squad is they are filming now and should finish by the end of the year. Then Gunn will start on Guardians 3. I don't remember how quick the turnaround on the other two movies has been, but I imagine the second or third 2022 slot would be likely. I would think Black Panther 2 would take February 2022 since that's when the first one was released?

3 hours ago, Michael* said:

I was already planning to watch WandaVision, but they piqued my curiosity with the Doctor Strange connection. Perhaps Scott Derrickson's track record of directing mostly horror will come in handy and this will be the first scary Marvel film. I don't even pursue horror really, and they have me hooked. 

I missed the horror thing the first time I read about Doctor Strange 2, but saw that later. It can't be full horror with gore, etc. I would think they will stick to not going over that line. I am surprisingly interested too, and I think Doctor Strange and Wanda are two good choices for a horror environment.

On 7/25/2019 at 4:51 PM, jkjk said:

I missed the horror thing the first time I read about Doctor Strange 2, but saw that later. It can't be full horror with gore, etc. I would think they will stick to not going over that line. I am surprisingly interested too, and I think Doctor Strange and Wanda are two good choices for a horror environment.

It should be good. Strange was arguably cooler in the bigger ensemble pieces than he was in his own origin story, but visually it was up there with the most stylish and imaginative stuff they ever did, and the best Marvel movies are usually the ones that blur the lines between genres. Having Elizabeth Olsen around will be a good thing too, when Wanda's powers get sufficiently out of control, some truly crazy stuff can happen. 

Only real drawback at the moment is that I can't find confirmation anywhere that Chiwetel Ejiofor is coming back. It'll be a shame if Mordo isn't in it, the build-up he got in the first film felt like that of a truly complex character.

1 hour ago, Michael* said:

Only real drawback at the moment is that I can't find confirmation anywhere that Chiwetel Ejiofor is coming back. It'll be a shame if Mordo isn't in it, the build-up he got in the first film felt like that of a truly complex character.

I hope Chiwetel comes back, too. Compared to the other upcoming films, there is very little on the cast for Doctor Strange 2, so there is still a chance for his return. Some of that may depend on how far along they are in writing it, his inclusion may still be up in the air.

On 7/28/2019 at 5:08 PM, jkjk said:

I hope Chiwetel comes back, too. Compared to the other upcoming films, there is very little on the cast for Doctor Strange 2, so there is still a chance for his return. Some of that may depend on how far along they are in writing it, his inclusion may still be up in the air.

Plus, I believe part of the reason why Ejiofor wanted to play Mordo in the first place was because he has a definitive ending as a character and such a fascinating one at that. Derrickson is on record however as saying he hopes to have Clea in the sequel, while also reaffirming that he's keen on using Nightmare as an antagonist.

I guess Mordo showing up for a short while to complete his transformation and then fully unleashing his power in a third film might be a better option than rushing him into a villain role too soon. Assuming there is a third film of course, it may depend on what kind of contract they have Cumberbatch on too.

On 7/21/2019 at 1:19 PM, Michael* said:

 

Mads Mikkelsen really is the perfect actor for something like this, he's just so naturally ominous. Are you big on the John Wick style of movie at all? I haven't seen many, but I've heard from folks who are big fans that if you watch them primarily as pieces of fight choreography, they work surprisingly well.

 

Mikkelsen's recent story detailing how long it took him to figure out what was going on in Death Stranding made me laugh a little bit, too. I suppose to be fair, we probably won't know what it's about after we're done playing it, either. 

I've seen all the action scenes in the Wick films.  They are very impressively choreographed (they use a Malaysian team that's responsible for some hit martial arts films in their country) but other than that I find them soulless, like most Kungfu movies.

Mads was great and he has a very special charisma/presence.  I guess that clip is the closest we'll get to see a Metal Gear movie.  The marketing for Stranding seems like classic Miyazaki type showmanship- he puts out some out-of context weirdness and everyone has to spend energy guessing.

1 hour ago, Michael* said:

In terms of comparable situations, I must confess, it was Heath Ledger that entered my mind. Both men had a certain poise and an understated power onscreen that is very rare, and seemed similarly destined to enjoy careers of great longevity.

Heath is a much better comparison. All three were looking at long careers ahead, but Heath and Chadwick were more established than my James Dean example.

(answered here because I felt like I was leading the other thread off topic)

16 hours ago, jkjk said:

Heath is a much better comparison. All three were looking at long careers ahead, but Heath and Chadwick were more established than my James Dean example.

I mean, I wouldn't consider James Dean as any less valid a comparison, really. Dean also had that utter commitment to his work, and always seemed strikingly different to most of the other mega stars of his era. I wish all three guys could have been in more films.

1 hour ago, Michael* said:

I wish all three guys could have been in more films.

I think this is the understandable response for those who have watched these actors in multiple movies. Basically, they had so much more to give.

On a human, all three are tragic deaths, obviously. However, most people didn't have the individual encounters and personal relationships with them. Most peoples experience with them revolves around their interaction with the results of the actors work.

Have you read Sean Murphy's Batman comics (he is writer and artist)

https://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Batman-Curse-of-the-White-Knight

Recently finished this one and liked it. Both of his White knight comics have interesting, fresh takes on Batman plus very good art.  This is the first batman I've seen which has a budding romance between Batman and Harley Quinn!

On 9/16/2020 at 3:13 PM, Cult Icon said:

Have you read Sean Murphy's Batman comics (he is writer and artist)

 

https://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Batman-Curse-of-the-White-Knight

 

Recently finished this one and liked it. Both of his White knight comics have interesting, fresh takes on Batman plus very good art.  This is the first batman I've seen which has a budding romance between Batman and Harley Quinn!

That sounds pretty interesting, I should really try and make the time to read it. If memory serves, when it first released it was seemingly pitched by many sites as "what if Joker was the good guy" and that later turned out not to be the case, but the general consensus was that it was still a more than worthwhile read.

5 hours ago, Michael* said:

 

That sounds pretty interesting, I should really try and make the time to read it. If memory serves, when it first released it was seemingly pitched by many sites as "what if Joker was the good guy" and that later turned out not to be the case, but the general consensus was that it was still a more than worthwhile read.

readcomic has both.  there is also a part 3 in the works:

https://readcomiconline.to/Artist/Sean-Murphy

Well done, I think you may like it.  The art is certainly very good.

The premise is a bit like the Joker from the Dark Knight Returns (rehabilitated) but he starts backsliding.  Also, Harley is basically good now.   The second one has a "Secret history" plotline for the Wayne family and its relation to Azrael

On 2/12/2021 at 6:33 PM, Michael* said:

Honestly, I don't know why people waste their time studying for advanced degrees, then following up with decades honing their expertise in whatever highly specialised field they've chosen, when apparently all we ever really needed to do as a species was give everyone access to YouTube so they can "think for themselves".

I don't know about you, but when I watch a few YouTube videos on something, I know as a fact I am more knowledgeable than people who have spent their lives studying the subject material.    

22 hours ago, jkjk said:

I don't know about you, but when I watch a few YouTube videos on something, I know as a fact I am more knowledgeable than people who have spent their lives studying the subject material.    

Absolutely, I find that asking questions and thinking for myself about complex science that I've no understanding of is always a good idea, and something that is totally happening.

In no way is it simply conspiratorial nonsense dressed up as reasonable scepticism. Can you imagine?