Diamond Dallas Page: Saving lives and doing yoga

Since I started watching pro wrestling in the 1990s, Diamond Dallas Page has always been one of my favorites. He was all blue jeans and taped ribs and frizzy blond hair, spinning punches and out-of-nowhere Diamond Cutters (his signature finishing move). His enthusiasm and energy in the ring had a way of making every match he was in seem massively important and exciting.

After DDP finished his wrestling career, he went to work creating, of all things, a yoga workout routine he would unimaginatively call DDP Yoga. It's become a massive success and I'm glad to see Page hasn't devolved into the broken-down former wrestler stereotype.

A long feature article posted yesterday at Deadspin by the excellent Tom Ley shows me a side of DDP I wasn't aware of: He's opened his home to former wrestlers Scott Hall and Jake Roberts, who have both struggled mightily with addiction issues over the years.

It's a fascinating article and a great look at three guys whose lives have been shaped by the world of professional wrestling -- in good ways and bad ways -- and now are intertwined by something much more vital: the pursuit of clarity and health in middle age.

Amazing X-Men - New Series by Jason Aaron and Ed McGuinness in November

Beginning in November, Jason Aaron and Ed McGuinness will be working on a new X-Men ongoing called Amazing X-Men. The principle cast of the series includes: Wolverine, Storm, Iceman, Beast, Northstar, Firestar, and.....Nightcrawler (who has been dead for some years now). The plot revolves around Wolverine's desire to get back his dead friend by any means necessary.

It is also my understanding that this is the first time  Ed McGuinness has worked on an X-Men title.

All-New X-Men #14 - Recap

Previously on All-New X-Men...

Beast, fearing what Cyclops might do after beginning a mutant revolution and inadvertently killing Charles Xavier while possessed by the Phoenix Force - and fearing might not survive a further mutation (that turns him into an ape), takes it up himself to do something truly desperate. He goes into the past and brings back the original five X-Men (Cyclops, Beast, Jean Grey, Angel, and Iceman) to show Cyclops how much he has changed for the worse.

Upon finding out what happens in the future, the original X-Men decide to stay (against the wishes of Angel) in order to make things right. They are staying at the Jean Grey school under the guidance of Shadowcat and Wolverine who run the school.

Mystique has been running about with Lady Mastermind and Sabretooth posing as the original X-Men, committing crimes and hording a huge amount of money. Mystique tries to make a deal with Hydra to buy Madripoor, but Wolverine, Shadowcat and the original X-Men crash the deal.

Lady Mastermind notices that Jean Grey is alive and well and decides to screw with her, by making her long dead father appear, which sets off Jean Grey as the Phoenix while Wolverine looks on in horror.

-------

Wolverine vowing to not make the same mistakes again, takes it upon himself to murder Jean Grey as the Phoenix before things go to far. As he is about to strike, Jean Grey reveals it was all a ruse, she was trying to project herself as the Phoenix into the minds of the villains, but she hasn't been able to control her new powers yet, so they got projected to everyone.

Mystique tells Wolverine she is trying to do good, that she is focused. Wolverine, Shadowcat, and the original X-Men are able to defeat the villains. Lady Mastermind is caught trying to escape, Jean Grey puts Mystique to sleep, and Sabretooth escapes to fight another day. The Uncanny Avengers arrive to help clean up the mess and ask what is going on. Cyclops tries to behave the opposite of his future self by being warm to his brother, Havok. Mystique gets taken into SHIELD custody, but she escapes into a helicopter. While Jean Grey ponders her behavior and the scene laid before her when she projected herself as the Phoenix.

---

Next up: Beast/Jean Grey Romance!

Comic Book Reviews Become Comic Book Recaps

I haven't been doing many comic book reviews lately (OK, none). But, the reason is that I am not sure how useful they are. Comics are a unique medium and don't lend themselves to singular reviews all that well, the same goes for individual TV shows.

For instance, I watched the first four episode of season 1 of Dexter when it was first released on DVD. I did not like it. It felt formulaic and boring. Then I watched another episode, then another, then another. You have to judge something based on the whole of it. This is hard to do in comics, especially for stories told by the Big 2, which seem to go on forever.

So to feel like I am doing something useful, I am no longer reviewing each issue, but providing a summary of the story. The intent is for people to come read it and if they enjoy what is going on, they will then go out and read it and follow it themselves. It also helps me remember what is going on in each series.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi - Film Review

 

Excellence at Too High a Price

I've read a fair number of reviews of the documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Most of them talk about how it makes their mouth water and how much it makes them want to eat Sushi. I have never eaten Sushi before, but I have to admit that the tuna sushi they showed being hand-shaped many times became very appealing after a while. However, all the talk about the food, I think, ignores the more important philosophical problem that Jiro represents.

Jiro is a dedicated man. The problem is that he is dedicated to the wrong things. We laud him for his dedication to the sushi and developing relationships with the perfect, eclectic mix of suppliers. His sons follow in his footsteps, but when the documentary slows down to talk about Jiro as a person and not just someone who makes sushi we learn, I think, the true lesson of the film.

I think that lesson is a cautionary tale. While Jiro is very good at his job, maybe even the best, what has he sacrificed in order to attain it? To his mind and the mind of his acolytes, probably not much, but the scene where he talks about himself being a bad father, that his sons growing up barely knew him, we finally get to the heart of the matter.

The question I asked myself watching the film was, "What if Jiro had daughters instead of sons? Would he pass on his legacy to a female heir?" Japanese culture is the way it is, but we get almost no glimpse at the females in Jiro's life, they cannot be that irrelevant. The truth is that Jiro is an obsessive workaholic who ignores any sort of family life to obtain the goal of perfect sushi. Of course this goal is never achievable, even Jiro admits that, but gradual improvement is.

But this story is, like I said, a cautionary tale. Jiro has not only sacrificed decades of his life to his work, but also drags his eldest son into it and a younger son emulates the main shop elsewhere. Taking pride in your work is one thing, being obsessive about it is another thing entirely. Obsession is dangerous and in the case of Jiro I don't think we should be lauding or making a monument to someone who ignored his family for decades. We have to ask ourselves, what if instead of making sushi for people, something other people can enjoy, he did something that only gratified himself - let's say he was a pro gamer. Would we still have the same kinds of romantic ideas about him? I think not. Our own desire to taste his sushi, betrays our feelings of disdain for what his legacy represents. I think we could all make do with sushi of a slightly worse quality knowing the chef could spend quality time with his family and not ignore his duties as a parent. Jiro is a man to be pitied, not praised.

Weekly Marvel Comics Pull - 7/31/2013

Daredevil #29

(W) Mark Waid (A/CA) Chris Samnee

• The minor demons of Matt Murdock's past lead to some Daredevil sized present problems. 

 

 

Guardians of the Galaxy #5

(W) Brian Michael Bendis, Neil Gaiman (A/CA) Sara Pichelli

• Spinning out of the dramatic conclusion of Age of Ultron, dimensions collide and Heaven's most fearsome Angel pushes the Guardians back on their heels. 

 

 

Indestructible Hulk #11

(W) Mark Waid (A) Matteo Scalera (CA) Paolo Rivera

"TIME TO SMASH" PART 1!
•  Spinning out of the events of Age of Ultron!
Hulk's sent on his most dangerous mission yet, working for a secret subdivision of S.H.I.E.L.D.!
History's breaking--and only the Hulk is strong enough to hold it together! 

 

 

Uncanny X-Men #9

(W) Brian Michael Bendis (A/CA) Frazer Irving

• One mutant learns that once you leave the X-Men, the real world can be a punishing place.
•  Another new mutant learns just what it means to be an X-Man.
•  And Magneto isn't the only mutant working with SHIELD. What mystery mutant has taken up with the espionage agency keeping tabs on the X-Men? 

 

 

X-Men #3

(W) Brian Wood (A) Olivier Coipel (CA) Amanda Connor

• The X-Men find out what Arkea is capable of, and the phrase "rampaging horde" comes to mind.
•  Can Arkea be defeated? Can the X-Men take down one of their own, if that's what it takes?
•  Meanwhile, what's up with Sublime and Rachel? What's up with Bling and Cipher? What's up with Jubilee and Bling? 

 

 

WWE Money in the Bank Matches - Interesting Tidbits

• The longest a MitB contract has been held is ironically the first time it was held by Edge. The record: 280 days.
• The shortest is Kane - the same day.
• The first (and so far only) person to lose his MitB contract match was John Cena.
• Only two people have perfect MitB match records: John Cena and Alberto del Rio (each winning the single MitB match they participated in).
• Christian has participated in MitB matches 6 times, losing every single one. He has the worst MitB record of any wrestler.
• CM Punk is the only person to have won the MitB match more than once (twice). Though Edge won his second MitB contract outside of a MitB match.

Andrew's Money in the Bank 2013 review: WTF?!

I'm a bad wrestling fan. Not only did I not put up a preview/picks post prior to WWE's Money in the Bank pay per view, I basically forgot it even happened (and thus didn't watch). And now I wake up and I find out this happened:

Randy Orton won the Money in the Bank All-Stars Match (!?!?!?!?)
WWE Champion John Cena def. Mark Henry (ugh)
World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio def. Dolph Ziggler by disqualification (?!?!?!?)
Ryback def. Chris Jericho
Divas Champion AJ Lee def. Kaitlyn
Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel def. The Miz
Damien Sandow won the World Heavyweight Championship Contract Money in the Bank Ladder Match
WWE Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns def. The Usos (Money in the Bank Kickoff Match)

OK, OK, it's not all bad. Ryback needed a win like plants need water and sunlight, the Shield beating the Usos is a no-brainer and I'm glad The Miz didn't get his milquetoast paws on the Intercontinental Title again (though so far Curtis Axel is no great shakes, I'm willing to give him time to grow as a performer). And although Damien Sandow wouldn't have been my first choice to win the "Blue" briefcase for a shot at the Big Gold Belt, I'm certainly not against it (though it makes me wonder if the writers are looking to break up the Rhodes Scholars tag team with him and Cody Rhodes, in which case NOOO I TAKE IT BACK, ME HATES IT!).

But the bad here is certainly bad. John Cena winning is like the sun coming up in the east, but if anyone was going to be able to beat him, you'd like to think the 400-pound weightlifting champion who destroys everyone in his path could. Will there be a rematch? Will it even matter? John Cena is inevitability personified.

And not only did Dolph Ziggler lose in his bid to win the Big Gold Belt back from Alberto Del Rio (who's a guy I like plenty, but I like Dolph more and would prefer to see him get a better run with a championship to raise his profile), apparently he lost because his in-storyline ally and girlfriend AJ Lee messed things up for him, leading to a big in-ring argument, which increases the probability that Dolph will be "breaking up" with his so-called Team Rocket, AJ Lee and Big E Langston. I love stables, I love little groups of wrestlers who band together and shake things up. Any time a group like this is sacrificed at the altar of moving one of its members forward into something else is sad to me. Why couldn't Dolph continue being a world-beater AND keep his cool, funny friends alongside him? They're all ready for the big time; hell, Big E is a former NXT champ and AJ is the current Divas champ, so it's not like they're two-bit losers.

But the worst, WORST WORST thing I can see about these results is that Randy Orton, he of the constant suspensions for "wellness violations" and injuries, the man whose own finisher gets more crowd reaction than he does, the man who has seemingly been purposefully kept out of major storylines for months upon months (and has shown that to be a smart decision due to his basic lack of in-ring prowess and acting ability), wins the "Red" briefcase. He won it over CM Punk. He won it over Daniel Bryan. He won it over Sheamus, who despite my dislike for his in-ring character, at least wrestles like a guy who wants to wrestle week in, week out. And the powers that be didn't even drop in a last-second shake-up replacement contestant for Kane, who was "injured" at the hands of the exciting new stable, the Wyatt Family, last week on Raw.

What more can I say about how bad a decision this is? Randy Orton's best days as a wrestler are several years behind him at this point. At least three of the other contestants in the match deserve a title shot more than he does, based on recent appearances. Most of the time he looks like he doesn't even want to be there. Will he be able to lay off the weed and steroids long enough to put a decent run together? 

All that said, his match two weeks ago with Daniel Bryan on Raw was fantastic, and since I didn't see the MITB match last night, there's a chance he really set the roof on fire in there, so here's hoping Orton has been told "here's your chance to do something, so make the most of it" and this is the start of his rebirth as something approximating a wrestler who's enjoyable to watch.

NHL 94 Anniversary Mode in NHL 14: GENIUS

I played the old EA NHL games like crazy, even the 1993 edition which was only licensed by the NHLPA for some reason, so this is so up my alley it's ridiculous: NHL 14 will include a mode where the game will play, look and sound like the original Sega Genesis/SNES versions of the game.

Of course the graphics won't be 16-bit pixelated, as you can see in the video above, but I like the emphasis on the old sound effects and the old control style as well as the classic star-shaped player indicator. Well done, EA!

Weekly Marvel Comics Pull - 7/24/2013

Captain America #9

(W) Rick Remender (A/CA) John Romita

• With the only way back to Earth slowly closing forever, Captain America must make the hardest decision of his life.
•  A new ally from the past arrives, and makes everything worse.
•  Zola's plot is hatched, humanity in the crosshairs.
•  The final days Dimension Z are here, and if Steve Rogers escapes intact, he will never be the same again. 

 

 

New Avengers #8

(W) Jonathan Hickman (A/CA) Mike Deodato

"LORDS OF CHAOS"
•  As casualties pile up in the ongoing war between Wakanda and Atlantis, an Illuminati member is forced to make a hard choice.
•  An Inhuman learns of the Illuminati's plans.
•  Prelude to INFINITY: Everything falls apart. 

 

 

Superior Spider-Man #14

(W) Dan Slott (A/CA) Humberto Ramos

• It's SUPERIOR SPIDER-MONTH as the biggest new book of the year brings you its biggest twist yet!
•  The Superior Spider-Man takes down Shadowland.
•  All of it. To the ground. 

 

 

Uncanny Avengers #10

(W) Rick Remender (A) Daniel Acuña (CA) John Cassaday

Ragnarök Now continues!
THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF DEATH are unleashed! 

 

 

Wolverine #7

(W) Paul Cornell (A) Alan Davis (CA) TBD

• After the events of Wolverine #6, Logan must adjust to a very different kind of life.
•  How will his friends and rivals respond to his new status quo?
•  Guest-starring Storm and Beast! 

 

 

Wolverine and the X-Men #33

(W) Jason Aaron (A/CA) Nick Bradshaw

THE HELLFIRE SAGA CONTINUES!
•  Searching for answers of how the JGS students left the school, the X-Men look to the very ground they walk on.
•  The X-Men discover that Krakoa, the island that walks like a man, can fight like one, too.
•  Meanwhile, Quentin remains the most sought-after student at the Hellfire Academy. 

 

 

Marvel Comics Solicitations - October 2013

The Marvel Comics solicitations are now live for the month of October, 2013.

Canonical Heavy Hitters that I am concerned with include:

Infinity #4 (of 6)

JONATHAN HICKMAN (W) • JEROME OPEñA & DUSTIN WEAVER (A)
Cover BY ADAM KUBERT
Design Variant by JEROME OPENA
Generals Variant by IN-HYUK LEE
Hero Variant by RYAN STEGMAN
Young Variant by SKOTTIE YOUNG
• Negotiating the fall of worlds.
• The Illuminati versus Thanos.
• Thor, God of War.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

  

Infinity #5 (of 6)

JONATHAN HICKMAN (W) • JEROME OPEñA & DUSTIN WEAVER (A)
Cover BY ADAM KUBERT
Design Variant by JEROME OPENA
Generals Variant by IN-HYUK LEE
Hero Variant by SARA PICHELLI
Young Variant by SKOTTIE YOUNG
• The Avengers Universe.
• The Heroes of Earth rally to defeat Thanos.
• The war for Earth begins.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

   

Avengers #21

JONATHAN HICKMAN (W) • LEINIL YU (A/C)
Lego Variant Cover by Leonel Castellani
INFINITY TIE-IN – “AVENGERS UNIVERSE: IV”
• The final battle for the Marvel universe begins.
• The fall of a Galactic empire.
• The rise of a new one.
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

   

Avengers #22

JONATHAN HICKMAN (W) • LEINIL YU (A/C)
AVENGERS 50TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT BY Daniel Acuna
INFINITY TIE-IN – “AVENGERS UNIVERSE: V”
• The Avengers return to our Solar System.
• The battle for Earth starts in the heavens.
• The Black Order makes their move.
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

New Avengers #11

JONATHAN HICKMAN (W) •MIKE DEODATO (A/C)
Lego Variant Cover by Leo Castellani
INFINITY TIE-IN – “BUILDING WORLDS”
• The Illuminati travel to another Earth during an incursion.
• Thanos in Necropolis.
• The Builders on Earth.
32 PGS./Rated T+…$3.99

Guardians of the Galaxy #8

BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (W) • FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA (A/C)
THOR BATTLE VARIANT ALSO AVAILABLE
RIVERA VARIANT ALSO AVAILABLE
INFINITY TIE-IN
• What will it take for Peter Quill to betray the entire Marvel Universe?
• And if you don’t know Eisner award winning artist Francesco Francavilla yet, you will after this comic!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

 

Uncanny Avengers #13

RICK REMENDER (W) • Daniel Acuña (A)
Cover by John Cassaday
Ragnarök is now!
• Against his masters’ orders a deranged and vengeful Sentry kills an Uncanny Avenger! No hoax, no dream and only the first casualty of many!
• To allow reinforcements from other eras The Wasp must find and destroy the Twins Tachyon transmitter, but first she’ll have to defeat The Grim Reaper.
• Scarlet Witch makes an impossible choice that will define her forever.
• Sunfire and Rogue, alone without back up, must defeat the combined might of both Apocalypse Twins or watch the end of our world!

   

Superior Spider-Man #19

DAN SLOTT (W) • RYAN STEGMAN (A/C)
Necessary Evil CONCLUDES!
• The moment that changes world of Spider-Man-- and the Marvel Universe for years to come.
• Which Spider-Man is responsible for such a thing? Spider-Man 2099 or the Superior Spider-Man?
• Major developments for both Spider-Man’s cast... and for the future.

   

Superior Spider-Man #20

DAN SLOTT (W) • GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI (A/C)
• From the fallout of NECESSARY EVIL, comes new beginnings and new twists that will be felt in the pages of Spider-Man for years to come! SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #20 is where it all starts! Do NOT miss this one!
• It’s the first ever adventure for the Superior Spider-Man and the Black Cat. Felicia Hardy always cared for the Spider more than the man. But what happens when that man is Otto Octavius?
• Plus: A day Otto has been waiting for is finally here. Is the world ready for “Dr. Peter Parker”... and what he plans to do next?

   

Daredevil #32

MARK WAID (W) • CHRIS SAMNEE (A/C)
THOR BATTLE VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
• The Man Without Fear--trapped in a nightmare situation!
• Something final is building in Daredevil’s life--and building fast!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

Captain America #12

RICK REMENDER (W) • CARLOS PACHECO (A/C)
Lego Variant Cover by Leonel Castellani
LOOSE NUKE PART 2
• Nuke on a rampage!
• The Weapon Minus program revealed!
• Meet Dr. Mindbubble, the unbelievable Super Soldier created in the 1960s!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

  

Indestructible Hulk #14

MARK WAID (W) • MATTEO SCALERA (A)
Cover by MUKESH SINGH
“HULK AGENT OF T.I.M.E.” PART 5!
• The secret of the CHRONARCHISTS--and their impact on the entire MARVEL UNIVERSE!
• One last time-trip--to a certain Gamma Bomb explosion of yore!
• In order to save the timestream, HULK will have to undo his own origin!

   

Iron Man #17

KIERON GILLEN (W) • MAHMUD ASRAR (A)
Cover by CARLO PAGULAYAN
Classified Baby Variant by GREG LAND AND DAVID MARQUEZ
Lego Variant Cover by Leonel Castellani
MORE MIND-BLOWING REVELATIONS AS “THE SECRET ORIGIN OF TONY STARK” CONCLUDES!
• What 451 didn’t know.
• What TONY didn’t know.
• What changes things FOREVER.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Thor: God of Thunder #14

JASON AARON (W) • RON GARNEY (A/C)
Lego VARIANT by Leonel Castellani
THOR BATTLE VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
• The Wild Hunt has begun! As Malekith the Accursed continues his bloody rampage across the Nine Realms, Thor finds new allies to aid him in the chase: A Dark Elf sorceress!
• A gun-toting Light Elf! A gargantuan Mountain Giant! A dwarf who loves dynamite! and a particularly surly troll..?!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

  

Fantastic Four #13

MATT FRACTION (W) • MARK BAGLEY (A/C)
• The Fantastic Four end up where we started -- literally!
• Trapped in an entire UNIVERSE controlled by DR. DOOM!
• Has Old John Storm been right all along?
• And Reed and Sue make a fateful decision that will change the lives of the whole Richards family!

   

All-New X-Men #17

BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (W) • STUART IMMONEN (A)
X-MEN: BATTLE OF THE ATOM, PART 6!
• Magik and Young Beast have a special mission!
• The X-Men and Future X-Men have Jean Grey and Cyclops and are going to send them back in time with the rest of the Original X-Men.
• But who is opposing them and why?

   

X-Men #6

BRIAN WOOD (W) • DAVID LOPEZ (A)
Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
X-MEN: BATTLE OF THE ATOM, PART 7!
• CHAOS AT THE JEAN GREY SCHOOL as the X-Men and Future X-Men are attacked!
• Rachel Grey is the only X-Man qualified to defeat the mystery opponents!

   

Uncanny X-Men #13

BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (W) • CHRISTOPHER BACHALO (A)
Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
X-MEN: BATTLE OF THE ATOM, PART 8!
• Wolverine, who just lost his healing factor, takes a mortal hit!
• And a surprise ending that changes everything in the X-Men Event of 2013!

   

Wolverine and the X-Men #37

JASON AARON (W) • GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI (A)
Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
 X-MEN: BATTLE OF THE ATOM, PART 9!
• All of the X-Men (present & future) and their adversaries are reeling from the events of Part 8!
• With the adversaries’ Plan A squashed, they turn to their far more sinister Plan B on the grounds of the X-Men’s first adventure!

   

X-Men: Battle of the Atom #2 (of 2)

JASON AARON (W) • ESAD RIBIC (A)
Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
X-MEN: BATTLE OF THE ATOM, PART 10!
• The biggest battle in X-Men history will melt your face off.
• All of the X-Men find their footing in the world much changed.
• The X-Men event of 2013 concludes and sets up the major X-Men stories for 2014!

   

Wolverine #10

PAUL CORNELL (W) • ALAN DAVIS (A/C)
PART 3 OF KILLABLE!
• Who says you can’t go home?
• Logan and Kitty’s road trip heads north – to the grounds of the former Howlett estate!
• But more than bittersweet memories are waiting for Logan in the place he once called home.
• The ghosts of Logan’s Canadian childhood meet the demons of his adulthood as he continues to grapple with his new reality!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99

  

Django Unchained - Film Review

Schadenfreude for Abolitionists

I have a theory about film. The theory goes that there are three different types of films: Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3. Type 1 films are your traditional films. They have a discernible beginning, middle, and end. Once you are finished with the film you may have a hard time remembering specific scenes in the film, but you understand it as a whole. Type 2 films are the opposite, you remember the film mostly as a loose collection of scenes. Several scenes are memorable, but they don't always go together as a whole. Type 3 films are those films that can marry both: great overall plot and great individual scenes.

Type 1 films come predominantly from your summer blockbuster, big idea films. They are all high concept. The best of them can be Type 3, but only the best.

Type 2 films come predominantly from your auteurs, your indie scene, and specific filmmakers. Quentin Tarantino is one of those filmmakers.

Type 3 films come from the greats: your James Camerons, your Stanley Kubricks, David Fincher, etc. Type 3 films reach my Canon. That group of films that are enshrined in my Hall of Fame. In many instances they merge the high concept plot with memorable scenes.

Now Django Unchained is kind of an odd duck as it seems to have Tarantino going against type. Here we have in actuality a Type 1 film, with a very easily defined plot (a revenge film and romance). When I recall Tarantino's filmography, I recall many films with a lot of great individuals scenes but damned if I can remember the overarching plot of many of them. Django is different. Having just seen the film, I am having trouble pulling together in my mind any scenes that I thought were particularly memorable or great when compared to Tarantino's other works. This is definitely a Type 1 film.

As a Type 1 film, how is it? It is decent. The performances from Leo, Christophe, and Jackson are the high points. Jamie Foxx is playing his usual self, with a little less flair in some parts. I see a lot of Collateral in here, it feels like the same character he played in that film, but I thought his performance there was better. In the end the film just feels like catharsis for the atrocities that occurred in that period in our history. Apart from that I cannot recommend this film as I really never understood the point of the film, its attempts at emotion were either not genuine or ill-attempted. At the end of the day it is just a feel-good film about killing some racist white-folk and I guess that is OK, but hardly inspiring for an almost 3 hour epic.

Anderson Silva is clownish, silly, foolish, also the best

I didn't watch it live but when I heard Anderson Silva finally lost over the weekend after two-thousand-some days as UFC middleweight champion, my first thought was "I bet he got clocked while he was dancing around the ring with his arms down."

Sure enough, that's what happened.




Silva is who I think of when somebody says the letters "UFC" or "MMA." He's Michael Jordanish, Tiger Woodish, ubiquitous. I'm not an expert on these things, but maybe that makes me qualified to weigh in on just how big a deal Silva is: just as you didn't need to watch basketball to know the name Michael Jordan, you don't need to be a big UFC fan to know how dominant Anderson Silva has been the last bunch of years.




In fact he's more like Muhammad Ali than those other guys. He's enjoyable to watch in the same way Ali was. He dances, he bobs, he toys with his opponents and he operates with clinical skill. He can punch people while he moves away from them. He can grab limbs in mid-strike. It's almost like he operates in bullet time from "The Matrix."

I'm not saying anything new here. But it may be worth considering that Silva's downfall as he ages will mirror that of Ali. Because of the differences between boxing and MMA, it's unlikely that Silva will suffer the horrific effects of having one's brain rattled by punches for 20-plus years as Ali does, but because both men rely on their quickness, agility and sharpness in the ring/octagon for success, the slowing effect of age may bring Silva down from his peak as fast as it did Ali.

Anderson Silva is now 38 years old. He may have the skill and determination required to adopt a fighting style more appropriate for his advancing age, but he may not bother. What else is there left for him to prove? I just hope if he continues fighting (which he's indicated he will), he doesn't fall into a sad shadow of his former self, dancing slowly around the octagon taking head shots with his hands at his waist. Joe Rogan is right, Anderson Silva is the best.

Weekly Marvel Comics Pull - 7/17/2013

All-New X-Men #14

(W) Brian Michael Bendis (A/CA) Stuart Immonen

• Jean Grey vs. Mastermind!
•  Years ago, one run in with this famous Brotherhood of Evil Mutants member was the beginning of the end of Jean Grey.
•  Will history repeat itself?

Avengers #16

(W) Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer (A) Stefano Caselli (CA) Leinil Francis Yu

"THE TWO WORLDS SOLUTION"
•  Prelude to INFINITY: Part Three.
•  The battle between the Avengers and Mad Earth heats up.
•  Whatever happened to Ex Nihilo and Abyss, and for that matter, Starbrand and Nightmask as well?

Deadpool #13

(W) Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn (A) Mike Hawthorne (CA) Tradd Moore

• Another "lost" Deadpool issue...this one from the '70s!
•  Deadpool hits the streets with Power Man & Iron Fist!

 

Fantastic Four #10

(W) Matt Fraction (A/CA) Mark Bagley

BEN FRANKLIN WAS A SKRULL!

 

Iron Man #13

(W) Kieron Gillen (A) Dale Eaglesham (CA) Greg Land

"THE SECRET ORIGIN OF TONY STARK" CONTINUES!
•  That ulterior motive? It's huge. Let's go inside it.
•  At a deserted battlefield from the beginning of time, we discover The Best Offense.

Nova #6

(W) Zeb Wells (A) Paco Medina (CA) Ed McGuinness

• Now that we've seen his origin, there's only one thing standing between Nova and being an Avenger...
•  He needs to ask his mom.

 

Thor: God of Thunder #10

(W) Jason Aaron (A/CA) Esad Ribic

GODBOMB - Part Four of Five
•  The penultimate chapter in the saga of the God Butcher.
•  Thus comes the final battle against Gorr, as three Thors lead an army of slave gods in the fight to save all of divinity.
•  But will it all be for naught...as the massive Godbomb is triggered at last...?

Jay-Z + Samsung = fail

I just bought a brand-new phone. Like it's so new, you may not have even seen one yet. It's called the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active and it's different from the original S4 only in the sense that it's built more durably: There's more metal in the body, there are three more sturdy buttons at the bottom for home, menu and return and apparently it's water resistant. Whatever.

I was just sitting here reading my RSS feeds and I saw a post about Jay-Z's newest album, "Magna Carta Holy Grail" and how it's going to be available tonight (a few days early) to owners of select Samsung phones including -- gasp -- the Galaxy S4. I'd seen a billion posts about this fact in the last few weeks, but it didn't really register with me until today that now I have a phone that should be able to download this free app and thus be among the first in the world to hear Jay-Z's newest work.

I'm not the biggest fan of Jay-Z's. I think he did his best work several years ago as a rapper, but I recognize that he's still an important artist. I will eventually hear his new album one way or another just because to not listen would be kind of odd for a hip-hop fan of my caliber. I don't have super high expectations, but I realize he has the potential to return to greatness because he's been great in the past.

So I went to Google Play Store and searched "Magna Carta Holy Grail" and ... nothing. Hmm, there's an app called Samsung Owners Hub, maybe that's it. No, that's not it. Huh, let me go on my PC and see what I can find. What's this?

Not compatible? How could this b-- ... ohhhhh ... I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 ACTIVE, which, despite it being identical to the Galaxy S4 Original Recipe in every technical way, is not a supported phone for this app.

You know what? Never mind, Jay-Z. I'll just catch you on Spotify next week or whatever.

Uncanny Avengers #9 - Comic Book Review

I used to really dislike Daniel Acuna's art, mostly when he was working for DC. His Marvel work has shown, I think, a better, less-painted style. That said, I did not mind it as much that Acuna succeeded John Cassaday on art. Hey, at least the comic is monthly now. No matter how good an artist is, I have very, very little respect for comic artists that delay books. Figure it out artists, if you cannot do a monthly with your best style.....CHANGE YOUR STYLE, so that you can do a monthly. Marvel has been doing these semi-monthly schedules, which I have been advocating for years. They are called double-shipping. I love it and so we can get artists with non-monthly styles do some smaller arcs and we aren't forced to buy a billion extra mini-series a month. Marvel keep those ongoing series contained like you have been, good work.

On the other hand, Rick Remender I have loved since reading his Fear Agent and all work-for-hire stuff at Marvel. He is an amazing and fearless writer. I was really excited to learn he was going to write this series. That said, how is the series doing so far? Pretty well. That initial Red Shadow arc was pretty exciting and now we are into a more complex time travel story that ties-in from Remender's previous work on Uncanny X-Force.

The Uncanny Avengers are fully aware that a new Apocalypse or his twins are running around and this evokes some bad dreams for Wolverine and Thor over some past missteps and everyone is scrambling to understand what is going on. Captain America was ported to hostile territory and gets a message from Immortus about the danger of the Apocalypse Twins and their plans. We learn that Kang has been trying to divert them, but has failed in his mission. A device Steve desperately needs to find the twins is destroyed by some South Sudanese thugs, damn that sucks. Wonder Man shows up for the save in his own pacifistic way.

Ultimately, dissension is sowed in the ranks when Steve learns about X-Forces misdeeds and Rogers wants to kick Wolverine from the Avengers, but Thor has Logan's back. The team splits in two: Thor, Wolverine, Rogue, and Sunfire on one side, and the rest on the other. This dissension we learn is all part of the plan and we discover a new Four Horsemen of Death - Sentry, Daken, Banshee, and Grim Reaper. Uh oh....

Good stuff, the art seemed a bit rushed and the four horsemen reveal needed a better splash page with more detail. Other than that, the issue was a fun read. I am looking forward to more.