Sorry for the Delay

Okay, I'm not really sorry. I just forgot, okay.

By the way, expect to see a lot more 60's Spider-Man memes. I've amassed a collection.

So, what is there to talk about. College is almost over - oh shit, I haven't written about how the academic dishonesty thing turned out, my bad. So, it... didn't. maybe I need to elaborate. I didn't win. It doesn't really bother me - but I do still need to figure out how to pay for the summer course I'll be taking if the bill is due before May - I should probably check that... It doesn't say. Oh, well.

So yeah, I sort of went back on my words from... two(?) weeks ago. I decided to just take an online summer course through Brockport to get it all over and done with, then possibly onto film school (New York Film Academy's online screenwriting program), eventually. With the possibility of actually going to a film school, Chicago, NYFA, Toronto in the greater future. The main reason I decided to take this route was simply that it was by far the easiest route. Going through a community college or different school I would have had to apply and wait for an acceptance letter, and I do not have time for that. Well I do, I'm just much to lazy to do so.

Speaking of lazy, I still have to read 38 pages of a children's book, Feathers, for my Children's lit class. I decided to write this instead of doing that. I'll get to that as soon as I'm done here. I promise, I just can't write this and read a book at the same time. I only have two hands, and two eyes.

I got my graduation tickets today. It's sort of hitting me slowly that one, I'm getting old, and two, college is almost over. I mean, I've had that feeling since the start of last semester, back in like August. But now, it's almost as if it's really happening (as if it hadn't been before now). There are however a few things other than school I'd like to talk about. Bear with me.

First, my girlfriend and I celebrated our five month anniversary yesterday. I honestly couldn't be happier. I know I say this in practically every blog since the end of November, but it's true. Next month is our six month. Our half a year.

 

Perhaps I do overdo, the "I love my girlfriend" stuff, but I can't help it. On now to the summer movies talk, as Summer movie season is swiftly approaching, the first of them coming at the end of next week, which honestly will be my next blog post, in the form of a rather extensive review of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. I feel the need to return to form in the way I review movies. I've simplified it, and got a bit more extensive with Captain America: The Winter Soldier. But nothing beats the way I reviewed M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender. Now that was extensive... I think I posted it on like Flixster, here. 

Essentially, for those who didn't click on the link, I break down my opinions on the various aspects of the film. I wrote it before I started my minor in Film Studies, I saw it around opening week, while it was still in theaters (late 2010 I believe) with a high school friend of mine, Shawn. So the film terminology and what-not would not have been with me, and the review likely doesn't sound as sophisticated as it would if I were to write it now, which I am not going to take the time to do, as it would require me to re-watch the film. Which is my only unforgivable sin.

Back to the Summer movie talk. May is a big month, let's break down the coming months of summer, talking briefly about each of the following movies, all of which will be reviewed in later blog posts.

May 2: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

The sequel to my favorite of the Spider-Man films. Yes, that includes any and all of Sam Raimi's original trilogy. Yes, I personally felt as though The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) was better than Spider-Man 2 (2004). I've yet to have read any of the recent Superior Spider-Man comics, but it still holds that Spider-Man is one of my favorite heroes. I could relate to Peter Parker, and that's something that for me, the first three films lacked, I was never able to relate to Maguire's portrayal of Peter, and his portrayal of Spider-Man was horrendous (natural web shooters aside). I needed my nerd who gets super-powers and thus becomes cocky. I didn't want the boring, always for some reason out-of-touch Peter that was given to us in those first few films. Yes, Andrew Garfield does not necessarily look the part of a nerd, but so what, at least he acts the latter which is what I wanted out of the original films.

On May 9 I may see Neighbors, but I probably won't do a review of it, unless it's as amazing as Rotten Tomatoes and it's current 100% status suggest.

May 16: Godzilla

  

I'm not sure this movie could be any more hyped than it is. It's the biggest Godzilla to date, it features more than one Kaiju, and they well likely fight, and Bryan freakin' Cranston is in it. I'd be lying if I didn't say this is the movie I am most looking forward to seeing.

 

May 23: X-Men: Days of  Future Past

The Days of Future Past storyline is fantastic, and while the film, like all of the other X-Men movies have been doing, is taking liberties with it, I can't wait to see the end result. Especially considering it's setting up for the future X-Men: Apocalypse.

 

May 30:  A Million Ways to Die in the West

I'm a big fan of Seth MacFarlane, and I loved Ted. Now that MacFarlane is actually in front of the camera too, rather than just providing the voice to a character makes things more interesting. Maleficent also opens on May 30, though I don't really care much for that one, but I likely will see it at some point.

June 13: 22 Jump Street and How to Train Your Dragon 2

This day will forever be renamed the day of the sequels as I will. I repeat I WILL. Watch both of them opening night (whether I pay for both of them is another story). 21 Jump Street (2012) was and still is one of my favorite comedies, and How to Train Your Dragon (2010) is my favorite animated movie.

June 27: Transformers: Age of Extinction

Let it be known that despite my qualms with every Transformers movie after the first, that I'm actually looking forward to another one. I may not agree with Bay, or his directing style, but he knows how to get me interested and hoping that he'll do it right this time around.

 

July 11: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

The only movie I'll likely review in July, though Jupiter Ascending and The Purge: Anarchy do have my interests. The first one was excellent, and this one, judging from trailers, looks to be even better. I am sad that they've killed off James Franco's character (source) even if I get to see him die, but the rest of the cast in this is phenomenal.

 

August 1: Guardians of the Galaxy

As one of the few people that knows who these guys are I cannot possibly stress how excited I am for this movie. And considering that Gunn directed and wrote the fantastic Super, only makes me more excited for this. Also, Rocket Raccoon.

 

July 8: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Lucy

My last two-fer of the Summer. Admittedly I don't care much for the new Turtles movie, I'm still interested in seeing it. Lucy I'll likely see opening weekend. TMNT, the week after or sooner if I'm up for it.

Man, this is a long post, though I feel as though it's missing something.

 

Perfect.

Okay, now it feels complete. I'll be back in a week or so - either this weekend or next. If the latter comes first I'll have a Spider-Man review in tow. Here, have a non-Spider-Man related video.

I'm back!

And...

God, it's been a while hasn't it? What's it been, three months? It's been so long I've forgotten how to do this properly. So allow me to be awkward for a while until I figure things out again.

I'm in (hopefully - to be explained momentarily) the final stretch of my college experience. The classes are pretty much going how I had expected them to go; with one minor exception. I've been accused of academic dishonesty - so as of this moment I am typing this I do not know if I am passing or failing that class. For those unaware of what exactly that means, he (the accusing professor) believes I have plagiarized one of my essays. The kicker is that he thinks I plagiarized Sparknotes of all places. As if I'd be stupid enough to do that. But once again, I have to digress before I stress myself out about the situation, more than I already have. I was supposed to find out more about the situation sometime yesterday (April 4), as apparently there was a hearing on the matter - students not welcome for whatever bullshit reason - but I have heard literally nothing about it as of 2:16PM this afternoon (April 5).

I do not like the way the college has handled (or seems to handle all of them from conversation with others) the situation at all. I'm not sure how it works at other schools. But let me tell you how it works here.

STORY TIME!

the teacher see's that the student may have committed academic dishonesty and may contact the student informally to investigate (this did not happen). Within five business days the instructor gives the student the notice of the claim or it is mailed to them, and then must decide to dispute the claim within ten business days. At the same time the instructor notices the possibility of academic dishonesty (before notifying the student via form) the professor notifies the department chair, who then within three business days (still before the student must have the form), reviews the form and forwards it to the school dean. So, in many cases, before the student even knows things are happening, the school dean may already be looking at the claim and making a decision on the matter. In other words you could be kicked out of the school before knowing any of this was going on. If the student chooses to dispute the claim to the school dean (before a decision has been reached) the school dean then determines the appeal's worth, and without meeting with the student, may dismiss the claim immediately without question within the next three business days, penalties standing. Either that, or they accept the appeal and hold a formal hearing (which is what I believe just happened), and then within three more business days the student is informed of the hearings decision. In the mean time, the student still has to go to this Pavlov's class, that they are failing or not failing, and deal with this professor that is not allowed to discuss the issue with them whatsoever. 

So, I could have been kicked out three business days after the claim was issued, but that didn't happen, I got my appeal to the school dean out in time. But if the hearing happened on Friday, I have to wait until at most, fucking Wednesday (April 9), which means one more class with the accusing professor, to hear anything about the situation. I think the biggest issue with the whole thing is that the student has no place in the process other than the initial appeal. I cannot do jack shit other than say, "yeah, uh, I didn't do that." The other big issue with it, is that it takes way too fucking long, and it stresses the students out to the point where they don't care about their other classes at all, and all they care about is fixing this problem. But they can't fix the problem, because they are not allowed to do anything other than submit an appeal against the claim. Basically, all of this has made me just, not want to be in this school. But thankfully I have three other professors this semester and an amazing girlfriend who all keep me sane. Further, if I am failing this class, meaning the appeal failed, I have to come back for another semester to graduate, which I do not want to do in the slightest. I mean, it would allow me to take at least one class in the new Liberal Arts building, but if I have to do that because of this bull shit, I'd rather just drop out - and I mean that, I'll finish this semester, and not come back. I will willingly not graduate, I will not give this school another fucking dime, just for a slip of paper that says I'm "smart" and I achieved something that half the fucking population receives. 

End of Story!

I feel like the use of "brah" is what makes this superior to other .GIFs

It takes time to write like this, more than it used to, and I'm not entirely sure why. I feel like writing personal stuff is harder  - yet I don't know exactly why it's more difficult. All of that being said, I'd like to take a minute (just sit right there) to talk about my life, now and after college.

As you could probably guess from the situation I spelled out not too long ago life isn't exactly going according to plan. But I honestly couldn't care less, because I still have, what I assume (more of a hope, really) to be, a rather bright future ahead of me. Most of those thoughts come from my lovely girlfriend, and my plans to move in with her and stuff. And the puppy I'm totally going to get. Puppies, even future puppies, make everything better. Everything.

It'll be a Labrador, likely of the chocolate variety.

 

So yeah, aside from the school issues, life is going pretty good though - and to my fellow friends, who may be reading this, we might need a roommate - so if you're interested... call me! As my last bit of business I will now do a review of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Enjoy.

The Trailers:

Expendables 3

 

Lucy

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Maleficent

 

Blended

Guardians of the Galaxy

The Review:

This is, in my opinion, the best of the Phase 2 Marvel movies so far. Phase 2 includes Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, and will continue for Guardians of The Galaxy on August 1, 2014 and The Avengers: Age of Ultron on May 1, 2015. The movie is a lot darker than it's predecessor, Captain America: The First Avenger, though still light at heart as most of Marvel's movies tend to be. Cap is faced with many issues that are both personal and impersonal. As is the case with most movies, it's the personal that is of intrigue. Something's going down at SHIELD, and The Winter Soldier is out on the loose, and it's up to Cap to save the day with the help of Black Widow, and the newly introduced Falcon.

The Winter Soldier's identity reveal was handled quite well, anyone who wasn't expecting it, like my girlfriend, was in for quite the surprise.

Though, as it seemed apparent for one kid, children may not be able to follow or make the connection as to who he is, regardless of him being named in the film and the kid being told who he is. Hearing "who is that guy" every time he appeared on screen was initially annoying, but became quite humorous by the time it happened in the film's climax.

There's a lot of twists and turns in the film, and a hell of a lot of ups and downs. The pace slows and picks up, then slows back down again. If the first film was made to be a World War II movie first and a super hero movie second, this one is a political thriller first. Dr. Strange is apparently referenced, I missed it so I wasn't able to mark out and confuse the hell out of my girlfriend and suite mate, but here's my (don't read if you don't want spoilers) source. So it looks like Dr. Strange at least exists in this universe, so a future movie, likely in Phase 3 (Ant-man and Captain America 3 being the only two in that phase as of now) is entirely possible.

 
The film was fairly par for the course as far as superhero cinematography goes. The action, though quick cut, was fairly simple to follow. And the explosions, as many other than myself would greatly appreciate, are all done in wide shot so you can enjoy them in all of their glory - no obscured explosions here.Though this doesn't serve to jumble or confuse the audience, as is the goal - or at least, the result - of many-o-mediocre directors of photography.

With this being the set up to the next Avengers film, and Guardians likely having nothing to do with the aforementioned sequel, I'm certainly looking forward to seeing what Joss Whedon does with it. I know he can pull it off, because it's Joss Whedon, but here's to hoping for Thanos in Avengers 3 when the Guardians finally team up with them, along with Dr. Strange and Ant-Man, hopefully.

Post Credits Tease:

Like with Thor: The Dark World, there were two scenes in the credits sequence. One teasing The Avengers: Age of Ultron. The other teasing, I'm assuming, the recently announced Captain America 3 slated for a May 2016 release.

The Score:

9 Captain America shields out of 10

So, yeah, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, turned out to be a pretty fun ride. Well worth the watch, though I'm assuming most people will be doing so without my approval.

I plan on keeping this going on a weekly basis, with a new post every Friday or Saturday night, potentially missing a week or so. Later bitches, it's good to be back. Watch the video to tie you over until next time!