Dinky Reviews!

Ex Machina (2015). Starring the guy who inexplicably got the part of Apocalypse in the upcoming X-Men film instead of Stargate SG-1's Christopher Judge.

(Note: If you're like me, you'll want to go into this with as little information beforehand as possible [all I knew was that it somehow involved an android, and that she looked pretty cool]. If that's the case, you may want to read no further - avoiding as you do what could, in only the vaguest sense, be roughly construed as "spoilers.")

Robot Carnival. An anthology anime film, it could've been perfect... if not for one segment in particular.

You know the one.

On the off chance that you don't, it's entitled "Presence" and - with the possible exception of "Franken's Gears" - it sticks out like a sore thumb. This is because, amid all Robot Carnival's glorious action and/or comedy, "Presence" is like the most tragic, depressing thing ever.

Similarly, Ex Machina is four-fifths a great film. Then the climax arrives... and it's such a one-hundred-and-eighty degree tonal shift from what's come before that it's likely to give you narrative whiplash.

This isn't to say you shouldn't go see it. Everything leading up to that unfortunate resolution is both thought-provoking and engaging.

But please, do keep your expectations in check.

And now, the actual [SPOILERS!]

To those who've seen Robot Carnival: If you ever wanted to see what it would've been like if the robot girl from "Presence" wrought her vengeance upon humankind - well, here's your chance.

To those who've already seen Ex Machina: When you get right down to it, didn't AVA actually fail the test? All she did was trick the one person who was most predisposed to being fooled in such a manner by using the resources she was specifically given/built with to achieving such an end.

Basically, her creator - whether knowingly, or not (and to what purpose - neither issue being addressed in the film itself) - cheated; tricking some poor dupe into believing AVA was truly sentient.

...or was she? This goes back to the positive - namely, the way one continues to consider the larger implications and overall themes of this film once it's over: While AVA might arguably have consciousness, she certainly doesn't have a conscience - or, at the very least, she's amoral.
[/SPOILERS!]

Hmm - this wound up being a not-so-dinky review, didn't it?

Grimm sucks now.

Juliette, as a character, has ruined this show. And I thought Trouble was bad!

Seriously, they should just end it. I've gone from merely disliking this season to actively hating it.

I'm going to start pretending Grimm lasted only two seasons before cancellation. You know, the same lie you have to tell yourself about Sliders.

Don't waste your time and money on Oculus.

After my temporary position at my job ended, I was technically demoted and took a pay cut just to stay on (and yet, I'm still classified as temporary - go figure!). Needless to say, I haven't been in much of a mood to post lately - so you know this must be important/believe me when I say: You know that movie, Oculus? It SUUUUUUUCKS.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe makes its first big mistake.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should reveal that I own each of the following trade paperbacks:

Marvel Masterworks: Captain Marvel - Volume 1
Avengers: Kree/Skrull War
The Life of Captain Marvel
The Death of Captain Marvel

So it was with some dismay that I learned that - according to the 3/4/14 episode of Agents of SHIELD entitled "T.A.H.I.T.I." - [SPOILERS!] apparently the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Captain Marvel is just some guy who's already dead.

Not only that, but they got certain fundamentals of the character completely wrong. Mar-Vell was a pink-skinned Kree, belonging to the lower caste - never blue.

Also: What was up with him being a giant, and having overtly alien features such as elongated fingernails/claws? And don't give me that it's actually based on the Ultimate Universe, because a) it shouldn't be, since that doesn't count/isn't canon; and b) even if it is, I DON'T CARE!!!

If they're going to do that, why even bother using Captain Marvel in the first place?
[/SPOILERS!]

Status update:

You might recognize 2012 as the year I posted a grand total of one new article. Well, that's because it was the last time I was working full-time.

Now I'm employed again.

I already feel as though I don't do enough with this blog. It's bad enough that I lack both the means and the talent to convert this to a video format - I mean, it's hard to stay relevant as text-only. Heck, the fact that I seem incapable of finding one successful focus is evident right in the title!

My new schedule is such that I'll hardly have time to read any more comic books, etc. I've even recently been ignored by a couple of legitimate internet personalities, to boot.

We'll see where things go from here.

What I Dislike About...

Convention sell-outs.

The folks running MystiCon 2014 have absolutely no foresight. The only convention in our area to ever book famous, truly worthwhile guests is completely sold out. Anybody who had to put off buying a ticket - say, those with uncertain financial futures (held captive by alleged potential employers, waiting on a phone call that never comes to officially offer them a position - or... so I've heard) - is just out of luck.

Seems that John de Lancie - Star Trek's Q, of all people - once did a voice on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Who knew?

Apparently, the so-called "bronies" knew (proving once again that BRONIES. RUIN. EVERYTHING.)!

*sighs*

The real shame of it all is that this could have been so easily avoided. I - and doubtlessly other locals who have now found themselves similarly shut-out - attended last year's convention. Which means that the organizers had access to my contact information.

But did I receive any email warning me that tickets were almost gone? "You have to act fast if you don't want to miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," they could've advised me!

They didn't even give any indication that this sell-out was imminent on their own website!!! So really, what more should I have expected?

The Clairvoyant on Marvel's Agents of SHIELD is:

Have I got your attention? Good. Because I want to assure you that I have no special insider knowledge. I'm just a guy with a keyboard.

That said, the Clairvoyant on Marvel's Agents of SHIELD is totally Dr. Samuel Sterns from The Incredible Hulk (2008) - portrayed in the film by actor Tim Blake Nelson. In the comics Sterns is better known as the super-villainous Leader.

What has led me to this conclusion? Three things:

1) It fits with the character's skills and power-set in the comics;

2) Nelson, the actor, has appeared on TV before (of particular interest: his leading role in the short-lived 2011 CBS series CHAOS);

3) Emil Blonsky, aka the Abomination - who likewise featured prominently in the aforementioned film (portrayed therein by Tim Roth) - was recently mentioned on Agents of SHIELD (in the 2/4/14 episode, "T.R.A.C.K.S.").

EDIT 4) Actor Adrian Pasdar has recently been confirmed for an upcoming episode in the role of Major Glenn Talbot. That's right - another Hulk villain.