My Love Affair with the Avengers

May 4th, 2012.  A day I never anticipated seeing in my lifetime.  Or more correctly, the release of a movie that I never believed could happen, at least until I saw Iron Man, but I digress...

Fast Forward back with me to a time sometime between 1981 and the summer of 1984.  One one of these fateful days, my Dad took me to the Book Bin in Albany, and I got the coolest comic book I had ever laid my eyes on:

Yep, Avengers # 200.  The first page of the story was half torn out of the book, but I would swear I read the story 500 times in my lifetime.  I was hooked, and see the team on the cover?  They are the end all, be all, of who I think of when the Avengers are mentioned in my mind.  In fact, my default idea is that very cover, every time.  For those that wish to discuss the merits of the actual story, we can, but suffice it to say the subtext went over this 10-12 year old kid's head, so either way, I was hooked.  While there were the Big Three (Cap, Iron Man and Thor), I gravitated to the grade B and C characters like Hawkeye, Wonder Man and the Beast.  They were the magic that held this book together.

Fast forward to the summer of 1984.  Olympics, and trip to Ohio with my Dad.  Imagine the joy that came over this little 13 year old who saw this in a drugstore:

Hawkeye! Wonder Man! Iron Man!  Together again...and in a # 1 issue?  I had to get it... but I didn't ask my Dad for it... until we got home.  And by then... it was nowhere to be found.  Luckily, my parents didn't just shake their head and tell me to forget about it, they went to the distribution center that shipped out magazines to all the stores and asked if they could find this one comic before it was returned (shredded!) forever. 

And they did!

And they asked if they would ship West Coast Avengers to West Scio Grocery, where once a month I would ride my bike all the way there and back, just to get an issue.

Side note:

What responsible parents would let their 13 year old ride a bike over 3 miles, each direction, to buy a comic book nowadays?  Thanks Mom & Dad!  Different times...different place!

But distribution was sporadic...and I was desperate...and there was a crossover....

: )

So we found a comic book store in Albany.  And my Dad took me, and I received my first pull box for comics... and I was hooked... forever.

Or at least for the next 25 years where I made monthly purchases until comics simply priced themselves out of my monthly budget....and my conceivable living space in the house.  Thousands of issues are boxed in a closet, 100s of Trade Paperbacks are on my bookshelves.

And they are awesome!  And I've been able to share these with my children, and they have their Dad's love for the characters and the medium.  So much so, my girls are now published artists in Womanthology...but that too, is for a different discussion.


So that leads me to today.  Off the heels of Iron Man 1 & 2, a revamped and much better Hulk, Thor and Captain America, Marvel Studios offered the Avengers.  Something I never dreamed possible as a pre-teen.  I grew up on the 70s Spider-Man and Captain America TV shows...Marvel doesn't fare well in other mediums.

Yet, they've been on a roll for me.  The 2nd and 3rd Spider-Man movies were duds.  Wolverine was okay, but a travesty against Deadpool.  I even enjoyed the Fantastic Four movies.  They got right what I loved (Ben & Johnny) so I was happy.

But this?  This was MY comic.  The comic movie I told the news in Charlotte the summer that Iron Man was premiering was the next movie that Marvel should make, unless they made a WWII Captain America movie.

I am convinced Marvel Studios saw that interview and said... "He's right!"  

: )

So today, I grabbed my 4 oldest kids and took them to a matinee of the Avengers.  I tried to set the bar low, knowing that all those glowing reviews could tilt me to dislike this production if I wasn't blown away.

It was never a doubt, from the opening of the movie to the final credits.

This is the movie that I've waited almost 30 years for, and I was not disappointed.

I sat in my seat, soaking in every frame of the film, and just literally rejoicing at what was unfolding on the screen in front of me.


Side Note:  The last time I went to a real movie theater (non-military) and saw a movie on opening weekend:  Air Force One (1997).

Yeah, it's been awhile!

I laughed.
I cried.
I have moist eye syndrome, they tear up easily. : )  But most of the time, the corners of my eyes were indeed moist from smiling and just being in awe that the 10 year old inside of me was seeing something happen that I never could have conceived. 

And yes, the 40+ year old on the outside was loving every second of it.

Smart Fishy!

Dolphin Tale is a sweet story about a boy and his dolphin. Based on the true story of Winter, the little dolphin that washed ashore tangled in a crab net. The tale of course was amputated, and Winter learned how to swim with a new motion that risked paralysis for the dolphin.

Everyone involved works diligently to craft a new tail for Winter. Will they succeed? Watch to find out. : ) The story is truly inspirational for the bond that is formed between Winter and others with disabilities. Apparently the sleeve they used for Winter has indeed been adapted for use with service members who have been injured in combat. Stick around after the movie ends to see Winter's home movies!

It's a very sweet movie. I was also amazed that the obvious romance that could have been established was left alone to concentrate on...

The Dolphin's Tale.

A Father's Calling

Finally got around to watching "Courageous" tonight. Sherwood, the company that has been making these Christian films is quickly evolving their production to Hollywood levels. This is their best effort overall.

Non-Christians will likely flock away from it as quickly as Christians will flock toward it. So be it. If you don't want to hear the message that the film offers, then you simply aren't ready. For those that watch, it should hit home.

Being a father is easy. Have a baby. Being a Dad is taking it to a whole different level. Our kids look up to us as role models in all that we do. Quite the burden, and one that isn't easily attained without help from God.

The movie is well crafted from beginning to end. The acting from these productions has grown by leaps and bounds as the cast and crews get more comfortable with what they are doing.

Bring some tissues, because if the loss that happens in this movie doesn't bring a tear to any Dad's eye, well then you, like Javier in the movie, are a better man than I am.

As for me, I take pride in the fact that my children have seen me cry and know that there is nothing wrong with showing your emotions. My guess, I'm overly emotional to make up for the macho he-men out there.

And thanks for the inclusion of Javier in the movie. The humor of his storyline helped balance out the dramatic. I dare you not to smile or laugh when he interrogates Javier about his name. Well written, and well done by all involved.

I'll be sending it back to Netflix, but I'll likely be putting it under the tree for Christmas.

The Only Place in Town...

Borrowing that gag from The Flintstones. That was the episode where Fred is trying to rent a costume from the only costume rental shop in town. The employees customer service is to put it mildly... lacking.

That brings me to today.

I journeyed into Hancock Fabrics because I had to, not because I wanted to. Picked up the items on sale. Took me less than 3 minutes to find them all, I have become quite adept at finding McCalls patterns when pressed into action.

I then went to the checkout.

And waited.

It was 30 seconds to a minute before I decided that I should watch the clock posted just in front of me to find out when I would be waited on.

No, I wasn't standing in a long line. For that, I am rather forgiving.

No, instead, I was the line. The Alpha. The Omega. The only guy in the store ready to check out.

The lady that was getting her fabric cut? She needed to use the bathroom, so she went to the back. Her employee kept cutting.

Time passed.

90 seconds into my wait, she assured me someone would be right with me.

2:00 into my wait, she walked over to the phone to call for help.

2:30 "I'm busy with a customer."

Just a shade over 3:00, the employee who was cutting stopped what she was doing, apologized for the wait, and checked me out.

30 seconds later, I was leaving the store with the receipt in my hand, and she offered me this heartfelt gem:

"Come back again."

God, I hope not.

: /

Floors R Us

It looks like I get to punch another hole in my "Man Card" or something like that. We are concluding our project of redoing the kitchen and dining room floors, replacing the nasty sheet laminate that was left to us by the former owners of this house. Needless to say, they sucked at home repair worse than I do, which is what led to the replacement.

That, and foster puppies thinking the floor was a tasty snack! >: /

All that remains is the edging around the hallway portion that leads to the bathroom/pantry/garage, and then to finish off the little portion of the kitchen (little kitchen, little portion) after I move the refrigerator back into place tomorrow.

Took longer than we had anticipated, but I blame that on a busy week at work. Why can't they just let me come home and work, and still pay me? : )

So now I've done Pergo Floating wood floors in the living room and redone the kitchen floor. This place almost wants to make me want to live here forever.

Almost.

: )

Scare-larity!

Last night I opted to not watch football, and instead wandered around Netflix looking for a scary movie to watch. "Tucker & Dale vs. Evil" seemed to fit the bill. Looked like a no-budget, hillbilly badguy affair.

Then it started, a little slow at first, but then it just sort of takes off and grabs you. It's literally a comedy of errors meets horror film as two backwood bumpkins are mistaken for inbred cannibals by a group of college kids.

Hilarity, and dismemberment ensue!

I was literally trying to keep myself from exploding with laughter during the chainsaw scene so as to not wake my precious nappers. However, I don't know that a funnier scene has ever been included in a comedy, or a horror film.

So if you haven't already given this one a look, give it a spin. Streaming instantly on Netflix currently. This one will be hard-pressed to not be on my favorite films of 2012.

The Worst Movies of 2011

Of course, not everything that comes from Netflix is awesome and awe-inspiring. You've seen my 10 best. There were another 5 that almost made the cut (Crazy, Stupid, Love; Arthur; I Am Number Four; Blitz; Just Go With It) but the rest were average, saw it, didn't wish I had my 2 hours back, so all in all, good times.

However, there were 5 stinkers that showed up in a red envelope that made me wish I hadn't bothered. There were a few others that I turned up my nose to as well, but I didn't have high, or any expectations for those, so they will not be counted here.

So on to the Worst...

5) The American - Oooo... a cerebral action movie. Nice idea. Poor execution and pacing. It got to the end, and it was simply... over. Bah.

4) The Wolfman - You would think a remake of the Universal Horror monsters would be awesome outstanding with today's special effects. But alas, it wasn't to be. No heart, no soul, no passion.

3) Skyline - Started off great. Then quickly killed everyone worth caring about, and stuck us with a really lame ending. Too bad.

2) A Nightmare on Elm Street - The only thing they got right was fixing the cheesy special effect mannequin ending from the first one. Otherwise, there again was no soul or heart in this remake. I'll take the far-superior original, thanks.

1) Fair Game - True story about the White House turning over the names of undercover operatives... who cares? So plodding of a pace, this is the only big budget movie I turned off and sent back without finishing.

Again, not bad to only have 5 make the list. We'll see what 2012 has in store for me!