Dragon Age LP hidden track titled "D'read Koda", composed by Hans Zimmer & Lorne Balfe. Potentially a Dragon Age: Dreadwolf soundtrack (source)

My take on Brawl Stars lore

GUESS WHO IS STILL ALIVE *points at its own almost dead body injured by Avengers: Endgame, Nintendo’s E3 2019, the latest Brawl Talk from Supercell and the Stranger Things 3 Final Trailer*

MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

And I brought you my own take on what is the Brawl Stars universe!

The Old West is ancient history. Welcome to the New West.

Technology got slightly advanced here. Portals to different time periods and  and alternate universes have been created and people from all over these places join the core of the New West, Brawl Town, main residence of the Brawl Games, friendly games that are being made to decide the Ultimate Brawl Stars. Main battles are 3v3 and happen in the Nameless Desert, costantly invaded by meteors, evil Robo Bandits and mysterious shrooms and drinks.

The teams are known as:

THE BANDITS: A group of gentleman thieves on friendly terms with the Junkers.

SHELLY: The leader filled with determination. Some say she has a soft spot for the town sheriff...

RICO: Former pool bot known as Ricochet who discovered his amazing aiming skills and joined Shelly. Lost his original body in a Robo Rumble and received a new one from the Junkers.

BROCK: Gamer from the modern age who stole a rocket launcher from an evil corporation and came into Brawl Town in search of adventure.

THE JUNKERS: A family of redheads who re-use metal junk to build turrets and other robots.

COLT: Only male of the family, Sheriff of Brawl Town with an obsession with his pretty face. Unlike his family he is more of a guns guy.

JESSIE: Colt’s younger sister with a passion for pets, to the point she named her own dog-themed turret Scrappy.

PAM: Leader of the family and a real mama bear. Touch her sons and you’re in for a bad time.

THE PIRATES: A robot pirate crew from overseas who came to Brawl Town for one thing and only one thing: MONEY.

PENNY: A pirate captain who is very good at building robots and cannons, to the point she built her own crew. She is quite competitive and a bit arrogant. Hates Jessie for some reason.

BARRYL: Formerly a barrel filled with gunpowder, Penny built this silent but deadly guy and, therefore, he stays loyal to her and her only.

TICK: Formerly a giant cannon, he was turned by Penny into a metal ball of energy and happiness. He is always with his explosive head in the clouds and loves mines. Some even describe him as a “Pirate Spike” because of his personality.

THE UNDEAD: A group made of vampires, monsters and undead beings. They are on friendly terms with the Mysterious Ones.

MORTIS: A mysterious vampire known as the Bringer of Doom, who is able to resurrect the dead...often with unexpected results (see his comrades). He his quite self-centered and a bit evil, but is still loved by his team and friends.

FRANK: The one time that Mortis tried to use technology instead of his magic to resurrect an undead body, it turned into Frank, an unstoppable, brainless beast...who seems friendly and at ease when listening music.

POCO: Usually when Mortis resurrects people they are under his control. While trying to resurrect a musician who lost all of his fans, somehow, the mind control didn’t work, so Poco has free will. While he bears no ill will towards his teammates (helps Frank with his musical condition and tries to find friends for Mortis), he lives with the Junkers and has more of a relationship with them.

THE LEATHER JACKETS: A group of thugs from Retropolis, a town south of Brawl Town, who give to every challenger they come across the sweetest pain. But they aren’t actually evil.

BULL: Leader of the Leather Jackets and owner of a diner in Retropolis, Bull Blanco has anger issues and LOVES shotguns and football.

CROW: A mysterious bird man who came from nowhere in the Brawl Stars universe who asks for respect and respect only. Even if he is edgy, he is a nice guy who taught Leon his ninja ways. (Spoiler: He is actually an alien sent to study the BS universe by his species who created the Robo Bandits and conquer it from the inside, but now he loves this world and has sworn to protect it. Probably explains why Robo Bandits aremore aggressive towards him.)

BIBI: A girl from Retropolis, who is a bit childish but is brutal with her bat, properly named Mr. Bat. Before Crow arrived she was Bull’s only friend (and crush, but don’t tell her otherwise he’d kill you)

THE TRIBE: The name speaks for itself. What is left of the Indians in the world of the New West.

NITA: A girl with lots of energy and ability in fighting who received from her guardian a gift to protect her: the necklace that summons her inner animal spirit, the Big Baby Bear, to protect her at all costs. Has a crush on her foster sibling.

BO: Leader of the Tribe, who highly believes in the spirits and combines old with new by mixing his unstoppable archery skills with mines crafted by Dynamike. He is very serious and has a strong sense of justice.

LEON: Orphaned at a young age, this kid with a chameleon hoodie from the modern world came into the New West, received ninja lessons from Crow and, thanks to his new family made of Bo and Nita, he learned how to become invisible.

THE MINERS: A squad made of two miners and a bartender who highly specialize in searching gems.

DYNAMIKE: Also known as Old Mike, this former miner is not only good at building robots but also has pyromania and always has a short fuse. The bird in his head is called Birdy by him.

CARL: A knows-it-all robot miner with a childish personality, great ability in throwing his pickaxe, and a love for geology, horrible geology puns and Jessie.

BARLEY: Mike’s first robot, built when he was still a miner to serve him some moonshine. Time passes by and his circuits started fusing,so now he became a Brawler to recieve money to fix all damages done in his bar at Brawl Town.

THE MYSTERIOUS ONES: No one knows who they are or where they came from. They were reunited by their leader to fight in the Brawls.

TARA: A mysterious tarot card reader literally coming from the shadows, but no one knows that...except for Gene, probably.

GENE: A childish genie who came out from a rebellious lamp found by Tara. She sees Tara as his “mommy” and has a SERIOUS love for sweets and especially chocolate cakes.

SPIKE: Last member of the living catcus people, except for their sakura cactus siblings. He is shy and reserved on the outside, but cheerful and happy on the inside. He just never shows it because he is scared he might hurt someone with his, uh...hugs. Tara found him wandering in the desert alone and took him with her.

THE FIGHTERS: Two fighters and a sniper coming from around Brawl Town.

EL PRIMO: Originally a useless no one, Primo got hit by a meteor, receving superpowers and becoming the strongest wrestler in the New West. He is especially good with children and is searching for his brother, who is thought dead (and may actually be). He found him but he can’t recognize him.

ROSA: Primo’s number one fan, a botanist from the jungle west of Brawl Town who is also a boxer and is accompanied by her house plant. She is quite smart and built a lab in the jungle.

PIPER: The Belle of the Brawl herself, Piper de la Prim is usually a lone wolf who grew up learning how to use her umbrella gun and the proper manners. Since all teams were filled, she diced to join the Fighters.

THEIR THEME SONGS

THE BANDITS: Shot Me Down by David Guetta featuring Skylar Grey. It was more of a choice from Shelly and Brock

THE JUNKERS: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, personally chosen by Colt

THE PIRATES: He’s a Pirate by Hans Zimmer. Darryl hates it though.

THE UNDEAD: Thriller by Micheal Jackson, even though Poco prefers Remember Me by Miguel

THE LEATHER JACKETS: They are still undecided. Bull says it should be Wake Me Up Before You Go Go by Wham!, Crow says it’s In the End by Linkin Park and Bibi says it’s Karate by BABYMETAL

THE TRIBE: Nita forced them to choose Great Spirits by Tina Turner, not that Bo minded that anyway.

THE MINERS: Carl ironically proposed Heigh Ho (the one from the Seven Dwarfs). Dynamike unironically chose that.

THE MYSTERIOUS ONES: Gene asked for Friend Like Me by Robin Williams and since they didn’t have any other ideas (and he made a puppy face) they just went with it.

THE FIGHTERS: Rosa wanted to use Eye of the Tiger by Survivor but Primo just kept saying the Guile Theme was suited enough, and even Piper liked that. So they chose the best of both worlds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edPUrkEf_ow

SKINS BACKSTORIES

BANDITA SHELLY: Her self from a dark future in which the Robo Bandits destroyed Brawl Town.

STAR SHELLY: She became a gamer after suggestions from Brock.

PANDA NITA: She usually wears that necklace on Halloween.

HOLIDAY SKINS: They come from the Brawlidays Universe.

SHIBA NITA: In another JP-based universe, she is a normal schoolgirl that summons a bear-shaped shiba to fight bad guys. So kawaii!

ROCKSTAR COLT: Karaoke Night on Friday is a big deal for Colt so he always prepares for the best.

IMPERIAL AGENT COLT: In the same JP-based universe from where Shiba Nita hails, he is literally an imperial agent.

OUTLAW COLT: Hails from the same universe as Bandita Shelly.

VIKING BULL: He dressed up as a viking on Halloween and he even customized the shotgun.

QUARTERBACK/LINEBACKER BULL: Did we mention that Bull LOVES football? Sometimes he even calls it Footbull.

DRAGON KNIGHT JESSIE: They say she hails from a “Royal Clash” universe or something like that. ;)

SUMMER JESSIE/BROCK: They just prepared for summer, that’s all.

BOOM BOX BROCK: His attire back when he lived in the modern world.

LION DANCE BROCK: Sidekick of Imperial Agent Colt.

HOT ROD BROCK: His attire when he took a vacation in Retropolis.

CHEF MIKE: He is quite the bad chef, but he makes it up with his knowledge of spicy peppers.

ROBO MIKE: Comes from the same future as of Outlaw Colt and Bandita Shelly. The problem was an incident with the Robo Bandits. He doesn’t talk about it. Birdy is all that is left of his former self, and even then, he pilots him.

MECHA BO AND MECHA CROW : They got roboticized after a bad incident with the Robo Bandits in the Outlaw Universe (the one from which Robo Mike hails too). Colro variations are made by them to make themselves look cooler. They are what is left of the official Brawl Stars tournament members, the others kidna cut the ties with the “sport”.

EL RUDO: Primo’s darker self who manifested in the Outlaw Universe as a collateral effect of the meteor who hit him and gave him his powers.

EL REY: For special occasions in the battlefield, Primo wears this attire.

GOLDEN BARLEY: Back when he was still a fresh model, Barley used to look like this.

WIZARD BARLEY: You know it.

BAKE SALE BARLEY: In what was the worst moment of his whole life, he worked at Bull’s diner and was forced by Bull to wear that.

MAPLE SYRUP BARLEY: The guy once went to Canada. Canada changed him. Now he loves maple syrup.

SERENADE POCO: He once helped Colt trying to serenade Shelly. It ended with lots of spare shotguns being thrown at them.

LOADED RICO: Back when he was a pool bot, rich people used Rico to store gems. He HATES that.

POPCORN RICO: He also worked at Brawl Town’s cinema for a month or so. He got a popcorn addiction and got fired.

DUMPLING DARRYL: From the universe in which Colt and Brock are secret agents, he is a robot who loves dumplings and supports them in their secret missions.

BUNNY PENNY: During Easter, a prank war between Jessie and her was ongoing. She received a lesson by getting her outfit and cannon modified after hanging Scrappy upside down.

ROAD RAGE CARL: To try to look cool for the Leather Jackets he started dressing up like this. His Outlaw Universe counterpart keeps wearing it.

CAVEMAN FRANK: He dressed up liek this on Halloween.

ROCKABILLY MORTIS: Karaoke Night on Friday is a serious thing for Mortis too.

TOP HAT MORTIS: He once wore a hat that is now lost in time and space.

NIGHT WITCH MORTIS: Mortis once exchanged bodies with a Night Witch from Clash Royale. It was all her fault though.

SAKURA SPIKE: She comes from a similar species to that of Spike, made by sakura catuses. She hails from the same unvierse as Shiba Nita and the Lunar New Year skins.

WHITE CROW: A condition that Crow has is that in the winter he turns his feathers white.

PHONEIX CROW: Crow’s true form.

WEWWWWWWWWWWWW ABOUT DAMN TIME I FINISHED

STICK A FORK IN ME, I’M DOOONE

Favourite films from 2017

1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi Directed by Rian Johnson

Star Wars fans suck, and I’m so happy to see Disney wrench the franchise from their greasy paws and deliver it to a general audience. Rian Johnson picks up where J. J. Abrams left off by fleshing out the character development of the new franchise leads. Poe learns hard lessons about sacrifice. Rey and Kylo’s complex relationship is given more layers. Even the oft-criticized Finn and Rose subplot is an important bit of character development for Finn to gain unconditional courage. The movie is highlighted by standout performances from Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley, a career best Mark Hamill and an iconic turn from Laura Dern. Rian Johnson delivers rousing action sequences (_that _throne room scene) and emotional highlights. Accompanied by polished sound design, visual (and practical) effects, and John Williams doing what he does best, The Last Jedi is one of the franchises best. It brings the franchise into a new era, reinstating the true spirit of Star Wars- that anyone can be a hero, as long as we look to the stars and hope

2. Lady Bird Directed by Greta Gerwig

It’s hard to stand out in the field of coming of age movies, but Greta Gerwig manages to do it and tell a story that is simultaneously unique and relevant. The often-ignored daughter-mother relationship is given full attention, exploring some poignant moments in middle age and young adulthood equally well. This is an incredible script that makes every plot detail and situation count, giving the actors a lot to work with. Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf deliver in spades, playing off each other with incredibly nuanced performances. Gerwig performs marvellously, allowing her actors to find the moments of humour and melancholy in her script, and creating a visually pleasing movie to boot. That she manages to do this all in her directorial debut is a remarkable achievement.

3. Logan Directed by James Mangold

Hugh Jackman is given a great vehicle for his final performance as Wolverine. Adapted from Mark Millar’s Old Man Logan, the movie hugely surpasses its source material. While it maintains the gritty sense of violence from the graphic novel, its emotional substance is much more… substantial. Logan is a superhero film that finds a distinctive voice both in terms of its visuals and its temperament. Its characters aren’t simply grappling with “doing the right thing” but with debility, lethargy, loneliness and remorse. Jackman and Patrick Stewart explore these themes expertly. They’re accompanied by Dafne Keen’s standout performance as Laura/X-23 forming an emotional crux to carry the story. It’s a story that stands out from the others in its genre, and one that I certainly consider one of the best.

4. Get Out Directed by Jordan Peele

In Jordan Peele’s directorial debut, he manages to tell a story that is remarkably relevant and important, without ever losing his distinctive creative voice. Get Out is very much a horror movie, but Peele lends a fair bit of levity whenever he can. He drops scares that are so jarring they’re practically self aware. The movie is sold by Daniel Kaluuya’s incredible lead performance, as we’re left to ponder the sheer ridiculousness of his circumstances, slowly evolving into genuine terror. This movie has a very clear message, and despite its importance if there are those who may complain that it’s too heavy handed, they need only look to it’s masterfully crafted finale. Watching the movie in a crowded theatre gives you a shared experience, where we all jump at the same scares, laugh at the same jokes, but most importantly feel the injustice that presents itself at the end, and cheer for the twist. It’s this shared experience that is Peele’s master stroke. A perfectly enjoyable finale that leaves us pondering the very real message of the film.

5. Wonder Woman Directed by Patty Jenkins

This is the most important superhero film since 1976’s Superman. Bringing to life the most iconic female superhero of all time took a long time to happen but it delivers in spades. Patty Jenkins has given the DCU it’s finest film yet, establishing a convincing mythos with interesting characters. Amidst DC’s penchant for dark brooding characters, Diana is a breath of fresh air: a hero that is compassionate and optimistic, even slightly naive. This lends to a truly compelling character arc that allows her to learn firsthand how complicated “the world of man” is. Gal Gadot commands the lead role expertly. She is the most convincing superhero performance since Christopher Reeve, and just like him it’s to bring to life an icon- a role model that she will forever be associated with.

6. Blade Runner 2049 Directed by Denis Villenueve

It is truly incredible that a sequel made 25 years after its predecessor can maintain the same tone and feel of the original, while lending a new creative voice. The original Blade Runner is one of sci-fi’s most contemplative stories, and it’s incredible that 2049 doesn’t do anything to damage this aura. It asks important questions while expanding on the franchise’s greater theme of what it means to be human. Denis Villeneuve is quickly becoming one of the most distinctive visual filmmakers currently working in Hollywood, and with this movie and Arrival it’s clear to see why. Hans Zimmer along with Benjamin Wallfisch manages to deliver some of his best work in years with a soundtrack that pays homage to Vangelis’s iconic original score. And then there’s the legendary Roger Deakins-lighting each scene with a painterly stroke to add a bit of nuance to already strong performances.

7. Thor: Ragnarok Directed by Taika Waititi

Perhaps more than any director in the MCU, Taika Waititi delivers his own distinctive creative voice to his entry in the franchise. While its easy to get carried away by the stunning 80’s visuals and synth score from Mark Mothersbaum, it’s Waiiti’s signature wit and charm that really shine through. He makes Thor, Loki and Hulk (and Banner) more likeable than they’ve ever been in the MCU and introduces new characters like Valkyrie and the Grandmaster that are instantly noteworthy. Stellar performances from practically the whole cast help to sell this, and we’re left with a movie that fully entertains while gearing us up for the MCU’s next big offering.

8. The Post Directed by Steven Spielberg

Amidst all the hoopla surrounding Ready Player One, Spielberg manages to sneak away and make a movie with his dream team of Tom Hanks, John Williams and Janusz Kaminski. And include Meryl Streep. I mean, just on paper this looked to be a sure-fire success, and shockingly it doesn’t disappoint. It is absolutely a movie that speaks volumes about the current political climate in the United States, but it also honours the importance of investigative journalism and freedom of the press. Hanks delivers an incredible performance, but it is purely to support Streep’s powerhouse portrayal of Katharine Graham. She charts a fascinating and incredibly relevant character arc to show us just how important it is to find your voice and your courage in the face of prejudice.

9. The Big Sick Directed by Michael Showalter

Being such an incredible comedic talent, Kumail Nanjiani is finally given a chance to create a personal story. Along with his wife Emily V. Gordon they deliver a comedy movie that is so much more than just funny. It is deeply affecting, introducing us to two leads that are charming and worth rooting for. Culturally, relationally and physically, they contend with serious struggles that makes their character arcs incredibly meaningful. This is one of the strongest screenplays of the year and a testament to passionate storytelling.

10. The Shape of Water Directed by Guillermo Del Toro

The Shape of Water is very much Guillermo Del Toro at his best- telling an extremely humanistic story under a fantastical lens. As per most of his movies, it features an isolated hero searching for self-actualization. Mirroring this character with that of a monster, he subverts the idea of abnormal for a sense of harmony. He trusts his audience to be empathic, to see the benevolence in the creature and the compassion in Eliza. This is balanced by his clear depiction of immorality in Michael Shannon’s Colonel Stickland. Supported by incredible compositions from Alexandre Desplat and ethereal cinematography from Dan Laustsen, Del Toro once again proves that he is one of Hollywood’s most affecting storytellers and that even the most high concept fantasy stories can be poignant ones.

Honorable Mentions

War for the Planet of the Apes (Directed by Matt Reeves), God’s Own Country (Directed by Francis Lee), Mudbound (Directed by Dee Rees), Call Me By Your Name (Directed by Luca Guadagnino), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Directed by Martin McDonagh), The Florida Project (Directed by Sean Baker), Phantom Thread (Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson), Logan Lucky (Directed by Steven Soderbergh), The Disaster Artist (Directed by James Franco), Wind River (Directed by Taylor Sheridan)

Chris’s Tour - Naperville, IL 7-18-17

(Otherwise known as my birthday present :)) 

I see @wowbright - is posting her photos today (yay)! I didn’t have photos, sorry guys.  But hopefully I’ll have a decent account.  

So @multsicorn came to visit me for a few days, which was absolutely delightful.  We had a nice drive to Chicago listening to Glee music, because of course.  (We also had a splendid chat on the way home).  We met up with the lovely @notthatbea (at a Barnes and Noble where my old store manager works now apparently - small world).  And delivered in a lovely box was one of @snarkyhag‘s many gifts - a bingo card for the tour.  It’s funny - except for a few spaces - there were all pretty much filled during the event. 

So - we went out to this lunch where we had bison burgers and they gave us these pickled cucumbers -- they were too vinegar-y to be cucumbers but not pickled enough to be pickles.  It was interesting.  And then we went to an icecream place that sold raw cookie dough and it was amazing.  Afterwards we met up with @leydhawk and @wowbright, who are both amazing and kind, and we had a nice chat while we stood in line for two hours. 

The event - Chris came out, all relaxed and happy (and looking good - he looks better every year I see him - and Snarky untucked I mean c’mon).  His opening speech was a little more scripted than it was the previous year (or practiced as I’m sure he says the same lines at ever event) but he was still funny and charming, and of course it’s all new to the majority of the audience.  He then read a part of his book - and was more animated, getting into the voices more, than when he read last year.  He was have a great time acting out all the parts of his story.  

Oh also! He takes a selfie as he always did.  But first, he took a photo of the crowd.  He held his camera up - and bam - Notthatbea and I are probably, like, upfront and close in that photo.  Cause we were sitting four rows back, but he held it up a little (so not to get the first row in the shot) and we’re pretty sure our faces are front and center.  Also - in Alla’s shot of the crowd, you can totally make out the five of us who were there! 

I believe the trivia stuff was next.   The one thing about this that I remember is that there’s a portion where the kids could try to stump Chris.  There was one little boy who pointed out a continuity error (The Pied Piper is named one thing in book 2 (?) and something else in book 6 - and the kid asked why that was.)  Chris just stood there hilariously dumbfounded and speechless (in a good way), and claimed that he needed to reread his books more.  It was a fun little moment. Also - as notthatbea reported - during this section we learned that the original title for book 6 was Happily Forever After.  

The costume contest was next.  A sweet girl in a Cinderella costume won.  There was also an amazing Cyborg Queen costume (that came in second imo) and Morina - who’s horns kept falling off (poor girl - she had a great costume though. Chris, as usual, delighted at everyone, as I’m sure this is one of his favorite portions.  We had two rows of kids go up there - and most of them were really awesome costumes.  

Now - okay - there was one really awkward moment, though, during this.  The people from the news site that shall not be named were there and in the front row (I know it was them because they took video over everything, claimed it was their own stuff, and posted it on their site - even though Chris’s people explicitly told us not to take video).  Two of the posse got up for the costume contest.  One of them was wearing a ‘likes boys’ tshirt, and was obviously supposed to be Kurt.  The other one was dressed as kind of a hipster - I have no idea what they were going for - I don’t think it was anyone in TLoS.   Anyway - omg - second hand embarrassment.  Chris - amazing that he is - ignored them completely.  (This is also why he pretty much ignored the entire front row the entire night despite them throwing comments out to him throughout the night.)  I don’t know what they were trying to do pulling that - but c’mon.  But what can I expect from people deliberately ignoring his wishes. 

Anyway -- then we got the Q and A session, which was much, much longer than last year - it was nearly twenty minutes long.  And, cause my memory is perfect,  here’s what came up: 

A girl asked that if he wasn’t doing a movie, would he consider doing a musical.  He deadpanned a no, but then said it would have been a possibility.  He also mentioned that he was ‘in talks about something but then they stopped talking’.  I don’t know if this was TLoS related or not though.  

He was asked if he would appear in the movies (like Stan Lee!) and he said maybe as a troll or something, but he doesn’t want to play a major role. 

Someone asked how many publisher rejections he got for Wishing Spell.  (And his face was like, dayum, okay...) But he mentioned that being on TV helped with that, so he got zero.  But he did have to convince the publisher that he could write. 

His movie is going to be live action with real people (though he joked that ‘real people’ is a matter of opinion as well)

The acting v writing question again - and he said his standard I love them both answer, though he did remark that people keep wanting him to choose one but he really can’t. 

A 12yo girl asked what his favorite Glee performance was.  This time he answered Lucky Star cause he got to fly around.  Also - he and June Squibb are still besties. :) 

A unique question - someone asked if he knew anything about the TLoS characters that weren’t in the book.  It stumped him for a little bit, then said he had ideas for a prequel series, so he didn’t want to give much away.  But apparently there was a lot of drama with the fairy council.  Also - Mother Goose’s magic is not what it seems - and he hopes he lives long enough to eventually tell that story, lol. 

Someone asked about casting - and Chris said they haven’t found anyone yet - but then he goes on to say that it’s strange when his job is looking at pictures of 10yos all day.  (Out of context, the way he said it sounded really creepy, and made me laugh)

A little 9yo asked what inspired him to start writing TLoS - and mostly the standard answer about his mom reading fairy tales to him, and her getting fed up with all the questions so she told him to write them himself - but he directed the answer right to her, and spoke in a way relating to her, so it was sweet.  

A girl asked about when he wrote while on Glee - and he gave his usual story about being on tour and writing a page and then running up to sing - though he made the story a little longer this time, and mentioned DSB, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, and then Single Ladies.  (Usually he just mentions Single Ladies).  (as an aside - he mentions that everyone else was just kind of going out and doing things as he stayed in and wrote - so huh) 

Will there be multiple movies - he hopes so, but they’re going to focus on one at a time. He joked with the little girl asking, though, that it was her responsibility now to make sure the first movie does well so she needs to go out and spread the word - and if it fails, totally her fault, lol 

Which book was his favorite to write - Stranger Than Fanfiction has been his absolute favorite (this surprised me), but then book 5 was his favorite in TLoS series because he got to use his own original stories he made up as a kid.  The next question was kind of a follow up - where he was asked, which of those was his favorite.  And he can’t really choose (3 way tie between the three he made up as a kid).  Galaxy Queen is the one he created recently for book 5, but the rest were stories he made up when he was a kid. 

How’d he get the names Alex and Conner - same kind of answer as usual, Alex was originally Amy after a cousin, but then there was a new cousin named Alex.  Conner was from a character he played in community theater. 

Will he write more books like Starbordia? - Maybe? It’s a possible spin off idea.  (Side note - he didn’t sound that interested in the idea though) 

Favorite books growing up - Harry Potter, of course, but Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan - and he mentions Eva Ibbotson, who I’m not familiar with - but who is a British author who writes a lot of young, young children books (I’d say stuff for 6-9yos) 

Conner and Alex are both him, and the arguments they have are like arguments he has in his head. 

Someone asked him to sing - of course he said no, and that if he did it for one, he’d have to do it for all of them, and that’s just too much pressure.  Then, the front row yelled that he had a voice like an angel - to which he replied that his dog and cat don’t feel the same way cause they run out of the room when he starts singing.  He did say, to the original person asking, and the audience in general, that he was happy that people enjoyed his voice.  

Alright - so then this delightful 13yo girl, who was a bit Red-like, came up and basically pitched herself as an actress who’d be happy to be in his movie.  It was hilarious.  He asked if she’d be happy being a tree - and she said yes, and that her people will contact him.  Her question, though, was about how Glee impacted his writing.  And he joked that Glee made him so famous, that he couldn’t leave his house, so he had nothing better to do than write.  But more so, he talked about how acting helped him hear the voices of his characters better.  But also that writing helped with acting, so you can create backstory for your characters. 

What is he most excited to do, regarding the movies? He’s super excited about walking out on sets and seeing these places he only imagined become real. 

What songs does he listen to while writing? Film scores!! Including Danny Elfman and, my personal favorite which I totally listen to all the time to write, y’all know this, Hans Zimmer.  

So yeah - that’s the Q and A.  He was very sweet and engaged during the entire thing, which was awesome to see. 

He wrapped up by doing another reading, this time from the Mother Goose diaries.  The thing that stuck out to me about this was that he was reading an entry about Amelia Earheart - where she said she faked her own death and went away to an island because fame got too much for her, and she wanted to live peacefully away from everything for the rest of her days.  (hmm - Chris....) 

So that’s the event! It’s always a delight to see him - and I know he loves these events more than the signings - he’s just so thrilled to be there, and there’s a ton of excitement over the film.  

After that, we all headed back home.  Was a great time, and a great birthday. :) 

Release Date: June 14, 2013 Running Time: 2 hours 23 minutes

“With the imminent destruction of Krypton, their home planet, Jor-El and his wife seek to preserve their race by sending their infant son to Earth. The child’s spacecraft lands at the farm of Jonathan and Martha Kent, who name him Clark and raise him as their own son. Though his extraordinary abilities have led to the adult Clark living on the fringe of society, he finds he must become a hero to save those he loves from a dire threat.”

Because of the anticipated release of Justice League on Friday November 17, I’ve decided to write reviews of all of the movies that make up the DC Extended Universe so far. There have been a lot of talks about how long this franchise will last, but as a comic book fan, and huge lover of movies, I never want movies to be bad. I’m hoping that it’ll be amazing. You can find the dates for when the reviews for the other DCEU movie will be released at the link here. I wrote the review for Wonder Woman around the time it came out, and it can be found here.

DC Extended Universe – Source: Warner Brothers Entertainment

Man of Steel Trailer: Source – Warner Brothers Entertainment

Cast & Crew

The director of Man of Steel was Zack Snyder, whose work includes films that I enjoyed such as ‘Watchmen’ in 2009 and ‘Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole’ in 2010, as well as films that I didn’t enjoy so much such as ‘Dawn of the Dead’ in 2004, and ‘Sucker Punch’ in 2011. The film that in my mind, he’s the most known for is ‘300’, which while visually amazing, was more of a meh kind of film for me. He has since directed the sequel to this film ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’, and most of ‘Justice League’ before having to step away due to personal reasons.

Man of Steel was written by David S. Goyer, based on the story that he and Christopher Nolan wrote. Nolan’s work as a writer includes ‘Memento’, his ‘Batman’ trilogy, and ‘Inception’ prior to working on this film. He has since wrote ‘Interstellar’ in 2014, and ‘Dunkirk’ in 2017. Goyer’s previous writing jobs includes the ‘Blade’ trilogy from 1998 – 2004, working with Nolan on the ‘Batman’ films previously mentioned as well as the sequel ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’ in 2011 prior to working on Man of Steel. He’s since wrote the ‘Constantine’ television show, as well as ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ in 2016. He was recently announced to be one of the writers for the ‘Green Lantern Corps’ that will be coming out in 2020.

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Cast includes Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Ayelet Zurer, Russell Crowe, Antje Traue, Richard Cetrone, Mackenzie Gray, Laurence Fishburne, Christopher Meloni, Richard Schiff, Cooper Timberline and Dylan Sprayberry.

Review

The character of Clark Kent / Kal – El was played by Cooper Timberline, Dylan Sprayberry and Henry Cavill, with the latter also playing Superman. I feel like all three of them did a good job at playing the Clark Kent character, and I was surprised at how consistent they were in terms of character. Cavill’s acting in the role of Kal – El was rough at first, with some very wooden delivery of some lines, however that could also be the script or the direction that he got. I enjoyed the portrayal that we got, even if it was a ‘darker’ and ‘broodier’ version of what he is supposed to be, I still thought it was well done at the end. Cavill’s Superman still needs some work, but seems to have a lot of potential, and I was pleased with the improvements in the character in the follow up film.

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The character of Lois Lane was played by Amy Adams, in which she did an alright job with what she was given. I didn’t enjoy what they did with her character overall, but I will go into more detail about that further below. I feel like Adams was a good choice for the role that they put her in, but didn’t give off the Lois Lane vibe that I remembered from the few comic books that I read of Superman(read both Marvel and DC as a kid, but enjoyed Marvel more).

Michael Shannon as General Zod was a good choice in my mind for the role, as he demands the attention when on screen, and you need someone with a presence to portray Zod. I feel like the character could have been used a lot better, but from I enjoyed the performance that we got from Shannon. It demanded more than what we ended up getting.

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The Kent parents were played by Diane Lane and Kevin Costner, who I feel was really well cast in those roles. I would have prefered a lot more from Costner’s character, and the way he died was just stupid, but from the acting standpoint, I really enjoyed that Lane was able to capture Martha Kent’s essence of trying to connect with Clark on the emotional level, while Jonathan Kent was the moral compass of doing what’s right at the right time. I didn’t enjoy the fact that they made him say the word ‘maybe’ when asked if Clark should have let his classmates die.

The Kryptonian parents Lara Lor-Van played by Ayelet Zurer, and Jor – El who was portrayed by Russell Crowe was a mixed bag of emotions for me throughout this film. I loved everything about Zurer’s performance from the flashbacks to Krypton, and the struggle to send her child away for a chance for survival. It’s something that I wish would be explored more in the future, with the A.I. Jor – El talking about his wife to their son. Russell Crowe’s performance was a problem for me in this role. I don’t think he fit the role of Jor – El, whatsoever, and I didn’t like that they made him capable of beating General Zod in a fist fight. That was one of the problems with certain characters in the film.

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One thing that was really unexpected in the movie, was that it opens with the birth of Kal – El, literally Lara in labour, the first time that a natural birth happened on Krypton for centuries. I enjoyed what they did with the movie, in a way to make Kal – El ‘special’ in that sense, however I really wish that they will elaborate on the Codex. That is something that would be very interesting if ever they were going to have a new Krypton eventually in the universe, however I feel like they’ve already forgotten about it.

Seeing Krypton was absolutely amazing. I thought that the scenery and the animals in that sequence was very much inspired by James Cameron’s movie ‘Avatar’. The cinematography in general for this movie was beautiful. I thought that the way that they captured Krypton, Smallville, and the Arctic was extremely well done. It’s one of the better looking films in the past 5 years, and part of that quality is thanks to the cinematographer of the film – Amir Mokri. His work includes ‘Coyote Ugly’ from 2000, ‘Bad Boys 2’ in 2003 and ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ in 2011 prior to Man of Steel.

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The score for this film was put together by one of the most well known and fantastic composer since the early 2000s. Hans Zimmer‘s work has sadly been given a lot of slack in recent years for the loud ‘BWAM’ that marketing people love putting in trailers, which have become annoying, I have to admit. In my opinion, his work is on the same level in terms of quality and how memorable they are as other great movie score composers such as John Williams, Howard Shore and Danny Elfman. Zimmer’s work in this film was strong, hopeful, and sometimes inspiring while still having those epic moments that is required in big budget films.

Movie scores are what I listen to while I’m working at my desk, or writing these reviews, or when I was studying while in school. I just looked at my ‘instrumental’ playlist that I’ve had and been adding to it for the last 10 years and Hans Zimmer has 61 out of the 250 songs on that playlist. His work includes such soundtracks as ‘The Lion King’, ‘The Prince of Egypt’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’, ‘The Last Samurai’, ‘August Rush’, ‘Sherlock Holmes’, and ‘Inception’. I really enjoyed the music in this movie, and I know that a lot of people were disappointed when the Superman theme was never incorporated into the score, however I feel like Zimmer added a sense of wonder and grandness that was needed for this version.

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The flashbacks in Man of Steel was very much hit and miss for me. I feel like the two younger version of Clark Kent did a good job in their portrayals, and I was happy to see that they were providing some backstory to who he is, while at the same time not lingering too much on it.

One of the stupidest death scenes that I’ve ever watched was the flashback scene of Jonathan Kent being swallowed up by the tornado (twister, not entirely sure of the difference, if you know, tell me in the comments below) while telling Clark to stay where he was, and stupidly sacrificing himself. I feel like Clark could have easily saved him, but they wanted to make the film ‘darker’ and make Clark go on this long and arduous journey to find out what his place on Earth is, and to find out what kind of man he wants to become, but I was pissed off at that death scene.

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One of the bigger mistakes in this film was that Lois Lane was made to be an integral piece of the film. She was involved in everything, and while I know that she’s a reporter and loves getting information, the fact that she took a picture of cliff face, and saw a man enough to know to zoom in, then can somehow scale a mountain, and thinks she can escape the authorities after being called is funny. I feel like they should have kept her as a supporting character rather than one of the leads in the movie. I’m not happy that they made her find out that Superman is Clark Kent right away, as there’s a lot less in which they can explore and do in further films.

A small problem with the movie, is the magical appearance of the suit, with the crest of the house of El on it, that just happened to be on a spaceship that crashed on Earth 18 000 years ago, while also having one of the passengers on that ship survive and get out of their sleeping pod. Where are they? I don’t think we’ll ever find out.

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One of the most amazing things in the whole movie was that they were so casual with the destruction of Metropolis, and causing so much damage to the city, and they cry out that Superman is a hero. Yes, it wasn’t entirely his fault, but from the look of it, he did very little to save anyone, going as far as throwing Zod towards buildings full of people.

I enjoyed the nice touches of the greater plans that they might or might not have been planning towards the DCEU. Including the Wayne satellites, and the LuthorCorp trucks.\

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The most controversial part of the movie – the death of General Zod, is one of the most hated things about this movie, and I’m still upset about this to this day. Superman does not kill, yes, he’s killed Zod once in the comics, but that was one story that they had out of thousands of different stories. I feel like the circumstances of the death was stupid as well, I would have much prefered if Zod had gone into the Phantom Zone with everyone else when the ship collided with the World Engine. It would have been a much satisfying ending, rather than the whole air punching fight scene that caused so much damage to the city and to the Superman character as a whole.

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Overall, I feel like this was a solid film that had amazing music and cinematography, a little shaky on the characters and the acting, with an ending that is extremely divisive amongst the fans. I love Cavill’s performance as Superman, but there’s still a lot of room to grow. At the end of the day, I don’t have much more to say about this film, and I would end up giving this movie a final score of 7.5/10.

What did you think of Man of Steel? Are you excited for Justice League? Let me know in the comment section below!

Thanks for reading,

Alex Martens

Man of Steel Review Release Date: June 14, 2013 Running Time: 2 hours 23 minutes "With the imminent destruction of Krypton, their home planet, Jor-El and his wife seek to preserve their race by sending their infant son to Earth.

The One in Which I Torture Myself With Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

(written 3/27/2016) 1. I had NO IDEA Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered. I've NEVER EVER seen this on film before, like, you know, in almost every other Batman movie. 2. The gun breaking the pearl necklace was actually a cool visual. Give credit to Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns for that. In fact, go read that right now if you want to see an older, bitter, more brutal Batman done right. TDKR is probably the greatest Batman graphic novel of all time (not for the kiddos, though). 3. Little Bruce getting swarmed by bats. Another visual we've NEVER SEEN BEFORE! 3 minutes in and I'm already cranky. Step it up, Zack and hack scribes. 4. 9/11 imagery amidst an alien invasion in a superhero movie... mmmkay. 5. Sure, Batfleck. Run into the debris/particulate cloud without attempting to shield your eyes/nose/mouth. Whatever. 6. That little girl looked an awful lot like a doll when The Batfleck saved her from becoming an IHOP breakfast special. Perhaps the budget wasn't big enough to make that look better? Pfft. Yeah right. Laziness or incompetence. You pick. 7. I at least appreciate the effort to acknowledge the wanton destruction and mass civilian casualties that were the result of the over-the-top, moronic, seemingly interminable, and unintentionally hilarious Kryptonian Super Fight in Man of Steel (aka Man Is This Fight Steel Going On?) 8. Lois can't stay out of trouble: sand edition. 9. You know the secret to a long and injury-free life? Threatening Superman's girlfriend. Said no one ever. 10. Holly Hunter sounds just like Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs. 11. Get it, Lois. Flood that bathroom. 12. Batman gives out free autographs with a branding iron. Nice. 13. This version of Lex Luthor is just irritating to watch. Prop up Gene Hackman and let him give some life and charm to the role. 14. Hans Zimmer phoned this score in. A bit of overkill on the Lex Luthor walk into the Kryptonian ship/body area. Almost a parody. If so, well done Hans. 15. There are 2 more hours of this. I'm in cinematic hell. 16. Change.org petition to create a Lex Luthor-free version of this film. Sick of him. 17. Was I supposed to laugh out loud at The Batfleck's nightmare? Because I did. 18. Lois Lane in the men's room. Because she's ballsy. A Strong!Woman. 19. More Jeremy Irons, less Batfleck. Make it happen, DC. 20. There you are, Wonder Woman. Save us from this film! 21. Stop talking, Superman. Shirt off. Take it off. Back in the bathtub with you. 22. This messiah imagery is so subtle and nuanced that they go as far as to say it literally. Hmmm. Might he meet Jesus' end? A movie that came out on Good Friday. Gee. It's all so deep. I just can't guess where it's going................ 23. How convenient. The Batfleck has visions. The Flash comes to him speaking of Lois Lane. Mmmkay. 24. Seriously, Hans. Ease up on the score. 25. I'm bored. Batman is in action in the Batmobile and I'm bored. Not good. 26. "Tell me, do you bleed? You will." Bad dialogue for $100, Alex. Groan-worthy. 27. I get the feeling that explosion was supposed to be meaningful. Didn't work. Bored as hell. On the bright side, it's half-way over! 28. Batman works out! This was apparently worthy of a montage? It's not like Batman Begins where he's learning to fight; this is just a shirtless Batman swinging a sledgehammer against a large tire and other such details ESSENTIAL to the narrative. 29. More visions. This time Supes talks to Ghost Dad. Writers, we need to have a long talk. 30. In my opinion, The Batfleck is the crappiest looking Batman in the suit since the Clooney Bat-Nipple disaster. 31. I appreciate that Superman didn't abruptly stop Lois' descent when he rescued her from falling to her death. Yay for no broken necks or backs! 32. Cavill is so wooden as Superman. Good lord. 33. Shut up, Lex. Your philosophizing is tiresome and idiotic and extends the running time. 34. Well that brief scene between Lois and Clark was purely for plot contrivance so Lois knows where to chase him. --------Begin scene *Superman flies in* 'Hey, honey, I have angst. I have to fight Batman in Gotham. No one stays good.' *Flies away* End scene.------- WRITERS! WE REALLY NEED TO TALK! 35. Shoehorned intro to the future members of the Justice League. Can't wait for that one..................... (which actually makes me sad because I loved watching TJL as a kid). 36. This fight is so dumb. No suspense. Supes doesn't even want to fight so doesn't give it full effort and Batfleck ain't killin' Superman. 37. Batfleck stops fighting Superman because their mothers have the same first name. I'm not kidding. Mmmmkay. 38. Leave Diane Lane alone! Under the Tuscan Sun wasn't that bad. 39. Did one of the henchmen quote a Cole Porter song to Diane Lane? Smooth. 40. OK. I legit laughed at Batman bouncing that crate off of one of the henchmen's heads. Nap time for naughty people! 41. Doomsday looks like the Poo Monster from the X-Files episode Arcadia. Uncanny. 42. They were nice enough to inform us multiple times that the area of the fight was civilian free. The true legacy of Man of Steel. 43. Wonder Woman is here to kick some Poo butt! She looks pretty cool in costume. 44. Lois is in trouble again, but under water this time. No happy endings in the bathtub this time, sadly. 45. It would be nice to actually see what's going on and know who's who during this fight. 46. Kind of cheesy-bittersweet Lois and Clark moment, but I'll allow it. 47. Down goes Doomsday! Down goes Doomsday... and Superman. Ruh roh, Shaggy. As I predicted. The Messiah Sacrifice. 48. We have some not so subtle quasi-Pietà imagery with Lois and Clark. 49. Luthor gets prison-shaved and is finally bald. Good riddance rats nest! 50. Superman was going to propose. Poor Lois. 51. He won't be dead for long. He still has to be in the Justice League. Will he be resurrected with a mullet like in the comics? Let's hope.