Adam – Page 17 – ADAM VITCAVAGE

‘Gaurdians of the Galaxy’ reviewed

Marvel films aren’t the best superhero films, and sometimes they’re not even the most entertaining superhero films. But there is a certain aura around them that makes them appeal to the masses. Fanboys get the inside jokes and obscure references to comics that the average viewer might not pick up on; however, they generally are likable enough for the masses to enjoy.

Guardians of the Galaxy had a lot of hype leading up to it. Chris Pratt is an extremely nice, funny guy who kills it as Andy on Parks and Recreation, but there was concern about how he’d do as a lead in a Marvel film. The good news is, that this isn’t a typical Marvel film. (In certain regards.) It’s has a witty comedic undertone that Iron Man tries to have, but has to pull away from because he is the central Avenger. Guardians is filled with losers from the galaxy who will never really save Earth. In fact, aside from the opening scene, Earth isn’t really mentioned all that much.

Pratt does an amazing job on his own, and if one thing lacks, it’s the emotional backgrounds given to the characters, including his leading Peter Quill. We’re told, but barely showed, why we should care about these losers becoming winners. A few loved ones died and a raccoon was genetically modified. It takes it away from being a great film, but your average viewer who is in it for graphics and action won’t notice, or care if they do notice.

What Guardians does right is that it doesn’t try to fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe too much. It is its own entity that feels more like Star Wars than it does Avengers. It’s a ragtag bunch of aliens trying to do some good in outer space. It doesn’t even feel like Thor, which has become problematic because the Norse god is involved heavily with humans. It definitely is splitting hairs calling this a space opera and not a superhero film, but that’s what it is.

What works in the film is especially the interaction between the group. It helps carry the film when plot holes pop up (like why doesn’t Groot come help Drax at one point midway through the film?). One of the highlights of the film centers on a prison break where the quartet show off all of their skills. It is a turning point in the film that really showcases how the group can work together.

If you’re a diehard Marvel film fan, this one will jump to the top of your favorites list. If you’re wishy-washy about superhero films, this one should definitely be a good one for you to try and like them again.

‘This One Summer’ reviewed

This 300+ page graphic novel was conceived by cousins Jillian and Mariko Tamaki, the creators of the critically acclaimed Skim. The story follows Rose, a pre-teen whose parents are in a rough patch, and whose friend Windy – a year and a half younger than she – is a ball of energy and slightly annoying. Over the course of her time spent at a cottage for yet another summer, Rose talks about boobs, watches horror films, and gets intertwined with local store clerk Duncan’s life.

What is so delectable about this book is that it may read like a young adult novel, but it’s depth of character and theme rival some of the best writers of our time. Mariko is in charge of the words. She perfectly gets inside of Rose’s head as she narrates the story, but also nails the dialogue and emotional output of a wide range of characters. Sometimes – especially in comics – dialogue seems almost like an afterthought. It’s there to help guide the plot that the pictures can’t tell. In this case, it drives us deeper into the characters and makes a connection not often found in comics.

If Mariko’s words can do all of that, Jillian’s art is nearly a masterpiece. Expressed in black, white and grey, the artist uses heavy contrasting images and large portions of blank space to focus the reader onto a detail. While that is common in comics, what isn’t common is that she uses these techniques to tap into emotions ranging from uncertainty to tension. There’s certain pages that emphasize quick panels, highlighting a wide variety of thoughts and plot, while some of the best work are entire pages of large panels dedicated to a single moment.

The story and art are so cohesively married that this is something that everyone would enjoy. Simply put, it gives you the satisfaction of a novel that takes you on an emotional ride, much like The Fault in Our Stars, but has the brevity and delectable art of some of the most influential comics around.

After 300+ pages I felt both satisfied and craving more, but not really wanting more because it would ruin such a beautiful experience. This One Summer might be about preteen girls, but it will teach a 25-year-old man a thing or two about life.

Below is a page excerpt from the book.

What’s in a name? Bad team names according to ‘Bleacher Report’

If you know me, you know that I am a fanatic when it comes to sport team names, logos, jerseys, et al. My friend Abe and I were talking about some teams recently and we did what any person in today’s culture does: google the topic. That’s when I discovered Bleacher Report’s reports on team names.

There were at least four articles from 2010 – 2012:

June 10, 2010: “The Top 20 Team Names That Need To Change Today”

September 17, 2010: “The Top 10 Worst Team Names in Professional Sports”

January 30, 2011: “The 20 Worst Team Names in Professional Sports”

December 13, 2012: “The Worst Team Names in Sports Today”

First, I want to complain that a site would re-write the same article a minimum of four times in three years to get page hits. That’s why I won’t link to them. If you really want to see their opinions, Google the articles. But I decided the topic was interesting, so I looked at the stats of the articles.

Over the four lists (that are all slideshows, no less), there were 50+ names listed. Some were obscure colleges (like Scottsdale Community College Fighting Artichokes) while others were overseas sport teams (a rugby and cricket team were listed). I decided to focus on the team names that appeared on either three or all four of the lists. Surprisingly, no team named after Native Americans made more than two of the lists.

First, the three teams on all four lists:

Nashville Predators (NHL)
One list said the name reminded them of men in soggy dreadlocks a la Predator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger while another thought the name reminded them of To Catch a Predator. In reality the name came after a logo was created. In 1997, the team president unveiled a logo that was inspired by the fact that a sabertooth tiger skull was unearthed in Nashville in 1971. At least there is a tie to the city. Fans were to vote on a name based off of the logo. Their choices were: Ice Tigers, Fury, and Attack. The president added his own submission to the vote, Predators, which ended up winning. I’m not a fan of the team name, but I don’t think it’s terrible. The other choices were awful and at least Predators is generic in the sense that it covers all vicious animals.

Washington Wizards (NBA)
They were the Bullets from 1963 – 1997 before the team president decided to change the name because of the violent undertone the name gave. A fan vote took place with the following names as finalists: Dragons, Express, Stallions, Sea Dogs, and eventual winner, Wizards. All of those are god-awful terrible. Generic mid-1990s names. Express could have garnered some support if it focused on a rail system… Only thing is that there is no substantial rail system in America. I admit, this name needs to change. Back to the Bullets? Maybe. Or it should follow the political trend of the Capitals and Nationals. Maybe the Senators?

Utah Jazz (NBA)
The New Orleans Jazz moved to Utah in 1979 and never changed their name. It’s as simple as that. And it’s as stupid as it sounds. But what exactly is Utah known for? The Great Salt Lake (Lakers is already a team name) and the Church of the Latter Day Saints. So, the Utah Saints? Yes. Get an entire church behind your sports team and sell out every home game and insane amounts of merchandise.

Here’s a few that were on three of the four:

Orlando Magic (NBA)
When an expansion team was announced the Orlando Sentinel held, you guessed it, a contest. Heat, Tropics, Juice, Magic. Out of those the Heat and Magic make the most sense/aren’t amazingly bad. So, it was a toss-up between the two and Magic won out because of the ties to DisneyWorld. One list says that the tie to magic and Disney is okay, but that they should become the Wizards, so that Washington is forced to come up with a new name. This is the same site that complains about the whole Charlotte/New Orleans fiasco (who exactly are the Hornets, Bobcats, and Pelicans?)… Makes sense they’d want to confuse us even more.

Minnesota Wild (NHL)
One of the best team names: Minnesota North Stars. Unforetunatly, when they relocated to Dallas, the Stars name still made sense. “The stars at night, are big and bright DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS.” So when the state was rewarded a new team, they couldn’t return to the North Stars moniker. Some possible names were: Blue Ox, Freeze, Northern Lights, Voyageurs, White Bears, and Wild. Out of those, I really like the Northern Lights. It’s bad, but good. But I also like the Wild. It invokes the idea that of the Minnesota wilderness the same way the Lakers basketball team referenced the 10,000 lakes the state has. I know the logo gets a lot of smack talk, but I like the combination of the wilderness background inside some sort of wild animal head.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (MLB)
Originally Los Angeles Angels, from the English version of the Spanish-language city, which is pretty cool One of the lists says that no team name should have a religious connotation, which is stupid because that’s not what the team name was meant to be. They became the California Angels when they moved 40 miles south to Anaheim, and eventually the Anaheim Angels. However, to get back into the LA media market, they wanted to become the Los Angeles Angels once more. However, the city of Anaheim had a clause in their contract with the team that the city name had to be a part of the team name (similar to why the Phoenix Coyotes are becoming the Arizona Coyotes because the City of Glendale has a name clause). So the most complicated team name came into existence. The Angles isn’t a bad moniker. But the city indicator is a mess. [Interesting note: there are no official logos with a city indicator and both jerseys just say Angels.]

A brief guide to reading baseball

America’s Pastime has been emblazoned in ink on the page for almost as long as it has been a sport. While there are some great pieces of fiction ranging from the classic The Natural to the modern hit The Art of Fielding, the most beautiful way to read baseball is in the non-fiction form. Here’s an alphabetical list mixed with some titles I love or some that have been recommended to me. (Note: books written by big name stars like Tony LaRussa or Pete Rose have been left off this list.)

Warning: spoilers for multiple shows, including HIMYM follow.

Is anyone ever pleased from a finale of a beloved television series? It seems that it was impossible to please everyone with the most recent highly anticipated finale from CBS.

How I Met Your Mother ended after nine long seasons, including a less than stellar final season which only spanned one weekend. The finale itself was unevenly paced with a depressing ending only to be followed by one last minute twist that was actually planned from the beginning. A lot love it. A lot hate it. But no one is in the middle over it.

You’ll learn to understand that critics have to separate their personal favorites with actual “bests.” For instance: Harry Potter is perhaps by favorite book series, but they may not be the best books I have ever read. Usually, when it comes to the Oscars, I try to pick the winners. Who the Academy will vote for. Not this time. I’ve went ahead and ranked every single major category (except a few that I didn’t see any of the nominees, like Documentary) from my personal favorite to my least favorite. This isn’t to say the film/actor in last place wasn’t good. Just not a favorite.

Herman Koch’s The Dinner (2013) is intriguing from the beginning. Sure, an entire story told through the course of a dinner is nothing groundbreaking, but the way Paul, the narrator, speaks to the reader is what makes this unique. He purposely omits details about the story at hand; the name of the restaurant, for example. Instantly he is seen as unreliable, but you grow to believe him as he spins his tale.

Paul Lohman is private and wearisome, yet his brother, Serge, is on the verge of being prime minister. The story promises to revolve around something that their two fifteen year old boys did, but that doesn’t come into play until much, much later. This book is a slow, laborious read. There are many pages spent describing the food and atmosphere of the restaurant. This doesn’t bother me as much as it does others, but I wish that Koch developed the characters’ problems earlier. There are passages that feel like if they were omitted then the pacing issues would be non-existent.

About halfway through the book is when everything finally becomes interesting. The plot moves quickly, and it’s rather refreshing. However, it feels rushed and we end up only get the slimmest of details. Perhaps this was to go in hand with Paul’s purposeful lack of narration, but I feel Koch just didn’t develop the gritty details enough. The action of the last half, especially the final act of the book, is boom-boom-boom. It left me wanting more, but not in a satisfactory way. In more of a, “wait-what?” way.

There were some points during my read that I felt that Koch’s beautiful prose was lost in translation from Dutch to English. It felt choppy at best during times I wanted the scenes to flow painlessly. However, Koch’s take on jumping back and forth in time to unfold a story was good. His jumps were always triggered by key moments and sometimes spent entire chapters on events that didn’t seem all that important until the rest of the story unfolded.

All in all, it’s a good read if you’re interested in dry drama and have a pension for rapid assault endings. If you’re looking for all out forceful novel a la Tom Clancy or Dan Brown, then this isn’t for you. Definitely a slow burner.

Not Your Average Valentine’s Day Playlist

It’s Valentine’s Day and that means there is a lot of love in the air. With the love comes a lot of music to aid in the wooing of significant others. Instead of putting on classics like “You Are So Beautiful” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” here’s a list of modern pop hits and some indie tracks to play instead.

1) “Just Impolite” – Plushgun

This synth-filled pop song has a catchy medley filled with cutesy lines like the irresistible hook “I walk the line like Johnny Cash / I made the bus in seconds flat / I called your line too many times / I’m not owantbsessed just impolite.”

2) “Crush” – Noise Ratchet (Mandy Moore cover)

Originally, I put in Mandy Moore’s original, but remembered Noise Ratchet’s cover from the Punk Goes Pop compilation is actually better. A great song to play for that person you simple have a crush on.

3) “Can You Tell” – Ra Ra Riot

It’s another song about yearning for someone, but still perfect to play for someone you just want to be with. Bonus for the simple, relatable lyrics, including: “What am I supposed to do / It’s hard to stay cool / When you smile at me / And I get nervous every time you speak.”

4) “Head Over Feet” – Alanis Morissette

Here’s one that’s not too lovey-dovey, but explains the feeling of being in love perfectly.

5) “Lovely Cup” – Grouplove

This isn’t a traditional love song, but it’s a unique metaphor. A terrific choice for having a fun dance party with someone you just can’t enough of.

6) “Iris” – Goo Goo Dolls

Movie soundtrack songs are the best. Instead of “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” here’s another choice that will make someone swoon for you. I mean that opening lyric (“And I’d give up forever to touch you”) is killer on its own.

7) “Fix You” – Coldplay

Perfection.

8) “Teenage Dream” – Katy Perry

Seriously what we all secretly want. “Let’s go all the way tonight / No regrets, just love / We can dance until we die / You and I, will be young forever.”

9) “I Just Do” – Dear and the Headlights

A terrific indie song filled with little moments that truly make up loving relationships like, “Calling to say hi on your break / In less than twenty words you made / My whole damn day and / Oh I just love you Oh I just love you.”

10) “Never Had Nobody Like You” – M. Ward

This one is for the one you’ve always wanted, but have never found. Bonus points for featuring Zooey Deschanel on backing vocals.

11) “Your Body is a Wonderland” – John Mayer

Ultimate panty-dropper.

12) “I Won’t Give Up” – Jason Mraz

Maybe things aren’t going well, but you just need the other person you’ll love them for always. This is it. It’s all a good song, but the chorus is everything: “I won’t give up on us / Even if the skies get rough / I’m giving you all my love / I’m still looking up.”

13) “The Only Exception” – Paramore

These pop-punkers really nailed it with this love song. We’ve all been hurt and said we’ve given up on love, but once you’ve found the one, you’ll want to play this to let them know.

14) “I’m Gonna Be” – Sleeping At Last

The Proclaimers really nailed it with this pop song, but Sleeping at Last made it into a hauntingly beautiful slow jam. For anyone how has half of their heart across the country.

‘Gilmore Girls’ Rewind: Season 5, Episodes 9-15

Originally aired November 15, 2004 – February 22, 2005.

We’ve crossed the 100 episode mark. A momentous milestone for every show lucky enough to make it that far into its run. This show’s century mark didn’t disappoint either.

Richard and Emily have been separated for a while now, but neither of them have moved on with their life. Emily finally goes on a date with a man thanks to advice Lorelai gave her. It seems as if the show is actually going to split up the grandparents, but that would make the show take a pretty dark turn. Instead, a lost puppy reconciles the marriage and they spend the 100th episode renewing their vows in a huge wedding party. But before we get to that, let’s look at everything else leading up to the episode.

Lorelai and Luke are going strong. She even discovers about his “dark day” – where he simply disappears for an entire day once a year. It turns out to be on the anniversary of his father’s death. This year, however, is different. He has been storing an un-finished boat he and his father were building in an old lady’s garage, but now she needs to move it, which causes Luke to freak out and says for her to get rid of it. Lorelai, trying to be a good girlfriend moves the boat to her garage, unbeknownst to Luke. This causes a little rift, but nothing too major.

Then there is Christopher, who was missing in action all of last season, but now is suddenly very much in the picture. He comes to try to make amends with Rory, but she gives him the cold shoulder. That is until we discover that his father has died and the two sort of make up. Rory comforts him and then Lorelai does the same with a bottle of booze, but doesn’t tell Luke about the evening.

Meanwhile, Rory and Logan are flirting, but nothing officially happens. That is until the wedding episode where they decide to have sex, but without any strings. My, my, my little Rory has grown up quite a bit. But this wasn’t the most shocking part of the episode. That goes to Emily conspiring to get Christopher to profess his love to Lorelai in a bid to get her to break up with Luke.

It blows up in everyone’s faces and effectively ends Lorelai and Luke’s relationship. The next episode deals with Lorelai’s depression in an all too real way. They managed to encapsulate so many conversations I bet all of us have had immediately following a break up. Normally, Lorelai just rolls with the punches, but for two episodes now we really get to see her in a funk – a very realistic funk.

The more I think about it, the more the show feels different than ever before. Usually, when a show starts to feel different, it is because something that used to work just doesn’t anymore. However, this show really did a great job of evolving the major characters and always keeping them from becoming complacent in life. A great job, indeed.

‘Gilmore Girls’ Rewind: Season 5, Episodes 1-8

Originally aired September 21, 2004 – November 9, 2004.

This new season if Gilmore Girls finally sees Lorelai and Luke together. The sexual tension has built for four years, but that doesn’t mean the relationship has diminished the quality of the show. Throughout the first couple episodes of the season, the new couple is kept apart because Luke had to go with his sister and brother-in-law to help with the Renaissance festival circuit. The distance allows fans to see the two as a couple without seeing the two as a couple. Anticipation grew until the two finally went out on a date in the third episode.

Seeing the townsfolk get upset over the relationship was an interesting wrinkle. Apparently, two shop owners have previously gotten together and it ended in a hot mess. Taylor rallies up Stars Hallow to convince them Lorelai and Luke are headed towards disaster.

A lot of their relationship is typical television garb. Again, that’s not a bad thing. We knew R ichard and Emily would have a problem with the couple, but it is interesting to see the two parents take meddling to a whole new level. Because the Gilmores are separated for the moment, they each have to attack Luke in their own, cruel way. First, Emily insists on dinner with Lorelai and Luke and indirectly insults Luke every step of the way. She’s a mastermind, and now we get to see it. Then Richard takes Luke golfing. Luke doesn’t golf. The entire time is spent on Richard convincing Luke to franchise his diner, so that if their relationship lasts, at least the blue collar worker will be somewhat respectable.

On the other hand, Rory and Dean are back together. The long distance thing isn’t really working though. Especially considering Dean left his wife for her, and a lot of Stars Hallow residents are pretty bitter about that. Pretty dramatic stuff. Even Luke isn’t happy with Dean at the moment; this is a huge departure from how much he loved him in the past.

Things get murkier when Logan, a swarmy, rich kid is introduced into Rory’s life. His father is a newspaper magnet and Logan “works” at the Yale newspaper. He’s also a member of the Life and Death Brigade – an ultra-secret club that nobody really knows about. There’s an entire episode dedicated to Rory writing about it and getting invited to a weekend soiree. It introduces a major theme: is Rory too safe? Logan definitely pushes her boundaries, much like Jess, but seems safe enough, much like Dean.

In the final episode of this batch Emily and Richard throw a party for Rory, unbeknownst to her, to help Rory find a suitable boy because they aren’t a fan of Dean. Rory bumps into Logan and some Brigade members and they all have a gay old time. However, Rory forgot that she was supposed to slip away early for a date with Dean. Once he sees her come out tipsy, and late, he realizes he will never be a part of her world and breaks up with her.

She’s heartbroken, but the episode ends with her being dropped off by Logan and the Brigade, drunkenly walking into her childhood home as Lorelai looks on. Clearly her mother knows her little Rory is finding her place in the Yale world.

Some notes on minor characters:

Paris has been reduced to a caricature of herself yet again and is barely in the show. Lane started dating her bandmate/housemate Zack. Christopher popped back up again and his wife left him and his baby to fend for themselves. Sookie is preggers. Again. Oh, and Jackson dethroned Taylor as town selectman.

We’ve focused heavily on the Girls so far this season, and its a little upsetting because last season did a good job of making the show pretty well-rounded. Then again, the show is about them. So, no major complaints.

Author Archives: Adam