Music Retrospective - Michael Jackson: HIStory - Past, Present, and Future Book 1

Well, it’s time to throw on the hat and glove because it’s time for another Michael Jackson album. It’s definitely a big one and I mean that literally. HIStory: Past, Present, and Future Book 1 was released during the summer of 1995. It’s split up into two discs. Disc One is a compilation of all of his biggest hits from Off The Wall to Dangerous. The other disc is the one that has new material. Unfortunately, it seems the the first disc is the only one that gets seen these days because it was eventually put out on its own.

The album sold well but not like the rest of his previous albums. Seven (technically eight) singles were released from the album. Jackson also wrote all but three of the songs on the album. It took me a long time to find this two-disc album. I didn’t want to download it from iTunes, so I looked around in music stores until I found it for a cheap price. I think my sister doesn’t even have this one though she probably does have the songs somewhere. Since I’ve basically looked at the first disc on my previous posts, I’ll only be concentrating on the second disc with new material. I will list what songs were included with the disc though.

HIStory: Past, Present, and Future Book 1

Random Thoughts #33 - "I rather believe that time is a companion..."

"...who goes with us on the journey, and reminds us to cherish every moment because they'll never come again."

It's a nice quote from a pretty subpar movie. I told you the not-so-good Trek movies have something good to offer! It's been a while since I've done one of these, so here are a couple of random thoughts.

High School Reunion

I recently had my 10 year high school reunion. I quite liked it. I got to see people I haven't seen since our last reunion and some I literally haven't seen since 2004. I ate, talked, took pics, and even danced a little bit. It was cool seeing most of my classmates and seeing what they're doing now. I even got to see faces of some people I didn't graduate with and that was real nice. My only peeve is that I didn't get to see some other old classmates that night. You know who you are, Ms. Person! Oh well, at least there's the 15 or 20 year reunion... if we're still here as a society, that is.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Linebackers"
I recently saw the new TMNT movie. I thought I might as well go see it since I've never seen a Turtles movie in theatres. Plus, it wasn't too long and I had time to do some before work. I knew it was getting bad reviews, so I was a little timid. In the end, it was okay. It wasn't really good, but I was entertained for the most part.

PROS

• The Turtles and Splinter -  I thought the Turtles and Splinter were fine. Their personalities were intact even if their origins were changed a bit. Their updated looks were weird, but I got used to them. Leo's was pretty cool.The only one whose new look I didn't particularly like was Donatello's. They, especially Michelangelo, provided some nice funny moments as well.
• The action - I thought the action scenes themselves were nice though there was some crappy shaky-cam going on at times. The mountain chase scene was definitely the highlight of the movie.
• Megan Fox and Will Arnnett -  I thought Megan Fox was okay as April. Yes, I said it. She wasn't the best but she was fine. I also thought Will Arnett was okay as Vern. He also provided a couple of funny moments.

I now introduce to you the 2014 NFL Draft Picks! God, help us all.

CONS

• The story - The overall story wasn't that good. It felt rushed at points especially at  the ending. There just wasn't much developed with the characters. Also, the villains' motivations were pretty poor.
• The villains - Sacks, Shredder and the Foot Clan weren't that great. As I said before, their motives were pretty weak. It also looked like the Shredder himself (the Asian guy behind the mask) was just thrown in so Eric Sacks wouldn't have been the Shredder as it looks like it was originally planned. His backstory even made it seem like he was the Shredder, so I didn't get it.

Even though it has some big flaws, I was still entertained by it.

Superman Month
Well, September is coming and you know what that means. I haven't gotten everything planned out, but I more or less know what I want to do. I know I'm looking at a couple of Grant Morrison stories. I also know I'm going to look at that one story Alan Moore is famous for. After that, I really don't know what else. Just stay tuned.

Hey, Jay Leno wants his chin back!

Women
I just got to throw that in there. I got no reason today though there is this one who... eh, never mind.

Well, that's all I got for now. Stay tuned for some more Superman love in September. Peace and God Bless.

Turtle Tracks- Turtles Forever

Well, it’s that time again. I’m talking about the “Heroes in a Half-Shell” once more. I guess that’s how it is these days. When I've got nothing else to talk about, the turtles come out to play. There’s also another movie coming out featuring the characters and it’s produced by Michael Bay. Yay? I’ll say that I’ve been a little impressed by some of the trailers. I might see it at a matinee, but I don’t know. As long as they get the Turtles right, it could be okay.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), I’m not here to talk about the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Linebackers.” I’m here to talk about a 2009 made-for-TV movie that did something pretty cool. Turtles Forever was a 2009 animated movie that had the 2003 TMNT team up with 1980’s TMNT. It was the franchise’s 25^th anniversary, so someone wanted to do something special.  I want to say I saw it on TV but I may have seen it online somewhere. I recently watched this on YouTube mostly because it was a version not aired on TV.

Month of Batman/Batman Month: The Conclusion

Well, I’m finally at the end of Batman Month. I have to say that it has been fun looking at these stories, movies, and TV shows. Just like Superman, Batman has been done in all sorts of ways. He’s been dark, light, and everything in between. Still, There is one question that I don’t think I’ve answered: why do I like him? It’s really something I haven’t really thought about. I went back to my Greatest Heroes' list and see what I said about Batman. It sounds about right, but it still feels a little empty.

So, what drove me to Batman in the first place? Was it the coolness factor, the costume, the attitude, or the gadgets? I really don’t know. It’s probably all of the above. My first memory of the Batman had to have come from either the 1989 movie or some cartoons from the 70’s. I probably just saw his cool gadgets and stuff and got sucked in. I didn’t actually read his comics on the stands unlike with other characters. It was mostly Superman, the X-Men, Spider-Man, or the Justice League for me.

I think what really made me a fan was the 90’s animated series. I still have some episodes recorded on VHS at the house. I don’t know how many times I saw those things. I think they still work. I even saw Batman and Robin in theatres with my family. I don’t even know why we did in the first place. Unfortunately, my radar for taste hadn’t developed yet. I can at least say that I was about at the right age for that movie.

I think the gadgets and stuff he had mostly did it. He had Batarangs, gliders, planes, boats, and the Batmobile. I mean, the car just looks cool… if it isn’t handled by Miller and Nolan. The skills and the intelligence probably helped set my fondness in motion. I’m always a sucker for martial arts and I like mysteries for the most part. Then, there’s the attitude. He’s disciplined, he’s stern, dark, and can be adaptable to most situations. He also has what’s probably the coolest secret identity. He’s a billionaire!

Yeah, I still want this car! It's freakin' awesome!!!

 I think another thing that makes Batman cool is his supporting cast. He has one of the biggest and most diverse rogues’ gallery. You have villains like the Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman, and Ras Al Ghul to give Batman a challenge. A lot of them are pretty interesting. His allies are also pretty cool and interesting. He has the Justice League on his side. While he has other help like Robin (former and current ones) and Batgirl, he also has ordinary folk like Commissioner Gordon and Alfred to help him out.

Overall, Batman’s just a cool character to get behind. Has he had his bad times? Yeah, but there is even something I can find in that badness that is a little entertaining. I know I’ve already said this, but Batman: the Animated Series (and other Timm/Dini shows) really did the character and his world justice. They did it by taking the best elements (light and dark) from Batman’s long history. The Nolan films are good too, but they (except for Batman Begins) aren't the best interpretations of the characters.

Well, I’m finally tired from talking about the “Cotton-picking, butt-kicking, woman-getting, boy-training, man-handling, black-wearing, crazy-looking, money-making, hot-blooded, gosh-darn” Batman! I doubt I’ll do another Batman month, but there are things that I may still do that are related to the character. This is Ryell saying peace, God bless, and Happy Thursday! The day has to be special for someone out there. Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to go read a book about some "dang, dirty, apes." 

Tales From the 50 Cent Bin! - Brave and the Bold #200

I’ve finally gotten to my last comic for the month. I picked this one up since I was on a Brave and the Bold kick and the cover looks pretty interesting. The Brave and the Bold was where the Justice League of America first started. Since that time, it became a team-up book and Batman has been main star since the 60s. The Brave and the Bold #200 was an anniversary issue and it was actually the final issue of the series. The story is written by Mike W. Barr. Dave Gibbons, the artist of Watchmen, provided the pencils and inked some of the issue. Gary Martin inked the first part of the story. So, let’s see what happens when two Batmen take on a hellish villain.

The Brave and the Bold #200
Writer: Mike W. Barr Artist: 
Dave Gibbons Inker: Gary Martin (pgs. 4-19)
Colors: Adrienne Roy