The One With the New Fantastic Four

 

 

 

As many people in the family know, I am a huge Fantastic Four guy. Ever since I watched the 1960s Hanna Barbera cartoon in the 1980s, I was hooked. There is something about the team that made them my favorite Superhero team, moreso than the Justice League or the Avengers.

Truth be told, I wasn't too sure how I'd take this version. The cast seemed a little "meh" to me in terms of how they match my expectations of the characters. After all, Johnny Storm has always seemed like a wild card to me and the Thing has always seemed like Hulk-light. However, neither character really came across that way to me in the previews. And, although they were like past iterations, this version worked well, as did Mr. Fantastic and Sue Storm. There was a fun chemistry between all of them. And the fact we did not need the backstory to how they came to be just added to the movie. We jumped right into the action.

Interestingly, I was more concerned that the presence of the robot, Herbie, was going to ruin it for me. When they added him to the 1970s remake of the Fantastic Four cartoon, I found him completely annoying and utterly useless. However, even he was an endearing member of the movie.

Overall, I felt myself mesmerized and found this to be a great addition to the renewed reboot of the Marvel Franchise. They even turned Galactus into an interesting villain...which I did not see coming.

The One With Jaws 50th Anniversary

 

 

Tonight, we had a cool opportunity to head to the Cape Cinema in Dennis. This old cinema, which rumor has it ran the first premier of the Wizard of Oz (because Margaret Hamilton was playing at the Dennis Theater at the time in 1939 and had the chance to have it premiered), is a true gem. I have so many movie memories there. As a kid, before it was air conditioned, I saw Author, Author and Four Seasons there with my parents and aunt and uncle (definitely not kid fun movies). Later, I saw the legendarily disappointing Blair Witch Project there with Mark and Mike

 So, tonight, we had a chance to make new history.  Emmie, Bri, Kiff, and I headed down to see the 50th anniversary showing of Jaws! what finer place to see it....particularly on Cape Cod where the sharks now roam (back when I first saw it down the Cape years ago, that was purely fiction).

It was great to see if on the big screen with other people down the Cape and it had a certain essence that could not be beat!!! What a phenomenal experience. 

The One With Eddington

 

 

Kiff and I decided to see the movie Eddington. Now, as I have come to figure out, sometimes Kiff finds interesting movies he enjoys. We've seen a few together. Some of them have turned out disturbing, others weird, and others fascinating. I will say I am not sure how to characterize this one....other than ZOINKS!!!

 The movie was quirky, annoying, odd, and captivating all at once. It took twists and turns - which I often see in movies with Joaquin Phoenix - and ended unexpectedly (and it took a little too long to get there).

The neat part was Kiff had a chat with two other guys when we left who were definitely moviephiles. You could tell they all found something endearing in the movie. As for me, well, I'm glad I saw it...even if I am not sure what I saw. 

The One With Jurassic World Rebirth

 

 

 

We had the chance to see Jurassic World Rebirth today. Now, as a fan of the original Jurassic Park, my feelings about some of the sequels are mixed. The original sequel - Lost World - was not my favorite movie and the third one was okay. Some of the reboots from the Chris Pratt days are decent. So, I had an open mind and low expectations.

Overall. I was pleasantly surprised. I found the movie interesting and captivating...though it borrowed some of the ideas from the Lost World (like getting stranded on the island with the dinosaurs). I thought it might be a retread of that movie, but it turned out a bit better.

The plot was a little bit convoluted - they needed DNA from a marine, avian, and land species of dinosaur. At the same time another family was sailing in the area and had to be rescued. There were too many moving parts to be a really good movie....but it was entertaining. And, best of all, Emmie was willing to see it (she is not a huge fan of the series).

 

  

The One with UMASS Orientation

 

 

Bri is looking forward to freshman year at UMASS. As part of the package, we had to go to Orientation Days at the school. It was technically a two day event - one full day and one half day over the course of two days.

The event itself was interesting. Technically, there were things for parents to do, but we missed the boat in signing up for those. It is just as well - I got a chance to explore the campus. However, I learned a ton about the place in the short period of time I was there. Emmie - who stayed home - and I had a virtual meet with the financial aid office, which was so helpful. And I also had a chance to find out more about moving in days. 

Bri had fun as well. She tried to stay overnight at one of the dorm rooms...but it proved to be too hot and we didn't send her with a fan (I knew there might be a problem when I saw a lot of people on the campus with fans).

Bri made some friends and is looking forward to going in the fall.  And, I found out that the UMASS hotel is not too bad...even if it has the look of the contemporary at DisneyWorld.

 

 

The One With F1

 

 

Today, we had a chance to see the movie, F1 staring Brad Pitt. Truth be told, racing movies aren't really my cup of tea. Typically, they make me think of Herbie or Days of Thunder - fun movies, but not the most exciting movies.

However, this one did catch me by surprise. It told the tale of Brad Pitt, an aging race car driver who helps a friend out and trains a new driver. Great, great movie!!!