24: Exile

Is it wrong that when I watched this I pretty much didn’t see anything until Jack showed up on screen and started laying out some pain?

I know the second half of Season Six 24 left a lot to be desired, I mean I expected that a cougar would show up sometime towards the end.  Actually I think I would have only been more disappointed if Jack had climbed into a fridge to survive a nuclear blast, but that would have been way too stupid.

So what do you all think?  Are you ready to give Jack another chance as he single handedly sorts out Africa’s problems?

Popularity: 5% [?]

Top five end of the worlds

Is it morbid to delight in watching the Earth burn? I don’t know, I do know however that it is Friday (in Australia) and that means that it is time for the Friday top five time.

Today we have the ‘it’s the end of the world’ top five:

1. ID4: Independence Day - Oh the complaints and the criticism that is directed at this film. From computer inaccuracies to the over abundance of America is cool’isms. I’m pretty certain that I’ve heard them all and you know what? I don’t care, this is an awesome ride of a film. Landmarks are destroyed, jet planes swarm and Data is a crazy scientist working in Area 51. I managed to see this on its opening night/morning (we caught the midnight premier) and it was a great experience with a bunch of people who were there to see a dumb popcorn film. I didn’t get to hear the end at the time because there was too much calling out and cheers when we got to see our very own Sydney Opera House with a downed mothership in the harbour.
2. Armageddon - If ID4 is considered to be ‘often criticised’ then Armageddon is crucified! Oh and by the way I still don’t care LOL. Big freaking badass space shuttles, that’s what we’re talking about here. At any rate if you want someone to blow something up you go get Bruce Willis or Jack Bauer and since JB wasn’t invented then you go with BW. Another couple of wonderful landmark destruction sequences and what an awesome soundtrack.
3. Mars Attacks - It’s not unusual to be loved by anyone. Essentially this film should have been called Tom Jones saves the world. It would be an inaccurate title but I still would have appreciated it. Any film that ends with Tom Jones emerging from a cave and declaring in one voice that it’s not unusual… is just plain brilliant and funny. This is a very uneven film but it has an amazing cast and some great visuals so it makes the list.
4. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea - OK this one is my wild card, it’s here because I dig submarines, big science fiction’y submarines and this one is pretty big, pretty cool and went on to be a standard of my childhood with its TV series later on. It’s a giant film for its time, directed by Irwin Allen and features Barbara Eden and Frankie Avalon as well as one of my favourite actors of the time Peter Lorre. It does feature a wonderful threat to the Earth, pesky meteors have slammed into the Van Allen Radiation belt and caused it to catch fire and this is heating up the Earth. Awesome.
5. The Core - I have a love hate relationship with the Core, I love to hate it and it is so bloody awful it’s hilarious. When I grow up I want to be a terranaut. There’s very little in this film that’s plausible which is of course not the reason to watch a disaster film but really guys!? Earth core stops? I’m giggling just thinking about it and will probably watch it again this weekend whilst eating cheetos! Just keep reminding yourself that Hilary Swank is an Academy Award winner.

All I am grateful for this week is that Groundhog Day is not a film that features the almost destruction of the Earth unless you count the space time continuum… no it’s not on the list. I don’t want to hear about Deep Impact either, don’t even bother because you won’t convince me. There are reasons behind this that I’m sure if you did a search of the site you would find yourself but for marital harmony I refuse to bring it up.

The Day After Tomorrow certainly nearly made the list, as did War of the Worlds (original not the disaster of a film) and I haven’t watched Sunshine yet.

If you vaguely enjoy the Friday Top Five list why not stumble it or add it to your Facebook or whatever (there are icons below!).

Next week: Comic Book Movies - because we don’t argue enough!

Popularity: 32% [?]

Jack Bauer vs Jason Bourne

Over on twitter the wife of my best friend from primary school whom I found via Facebook posted that he believed that Batman would beat Jason Bourne thanks to the utility belt, oh and probably because Batman is the world’s greatest detective, martial artist and all round ass kicker (Tracey got me Batman shoes for xmas: sweet!).

Anyway I countered with the fact that it matters little because Jack Bauer would beat them both. Miscmum’s response was that she believed that Bourne would be triumphant. Weird heh? Then I asked Tracey what her thoughts on the matter were. She backed Bourne also? Is this a world gone mad???

So here we are with a new poll:

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Popularity: 20% [?]

They say most of your brain shuts down in cryo-sleep

I have a number of eccentricities that make me the unique person I am, one of these happens to be my fondness for movie related watches and sunglasses.

At one stage I had something like fifteen pairs of glasses primarily made up of the various official Matrix glasses, T2 and movie related aviators. Unfortunately they have systematically all been lost, stolen or damaged. Apparently my thirst for these sunglasses is only matched by my ability to have them disappear.

Well a couple of weeks ago I added a pair of glasses to the now non-existent collection that will probably never be worn out and about.

The goggles that Riddick wears in Pitch Black (and the sequels, games etc).

Ugliest pair of glasses I’ve ever owned but the sickness that I have has forced me into buying some eventually and now they will probably join my command gold Star Trek tunic in the place of clothing I must own but will never ever wear for fear of being THAT guy.

Did I mention I have a Jack Bauer man bag? Actually I also have a CTU instructor shirt and mug also but was discouraged by almost everyone I know from getting the CTU field jacket and cap (foiled!).

Don’t look at me like that!! You know you all want Riddick goggles!!!!

Fine, I’m going to the bathroom to look at myself in Riddick goggles. Meanwhile why don’t you share your favourite piece of memorabilia?

Popularity: 32% [?]

Iron Man a la Crayola

If I had to choose my favourite comic character the answer is always going to come down to Batman. The can stuff around with the comic book series with weird crossover events (a giant earthquake turns Gotham into no man’s land?) but i’ll always come back to the fact that Batman is the coolest.

So the number one spot is reserved. That makes number two fight club for a whole bunch of characters. It changes all the time depending on my mood. Sometimes it will be Superman, rarely it will be Aquaman (there’s a whole post involved with that one - for another time), occasionally Spiderman but more often than not it is Iron Man.

Iron Man is not your A grade superhero although he’s been getting more and more attention of late. As a founding member of the Avengers and a key payer in the whole mess that is Civil War. He will gain more attention with the upcoming film staring Robert Downey Jr - whom I honestly believe is an excellent choice for the character (although had this film been made 10 years ago I would have argued for Tom Selleck!!!).

One of the cool things that I’ve liked about the comic book series is that Tony Stark is human, and human to the point of he has had a heart attack, been paralysed and he is an alcoholic. He just can’t cut a break!!! The character fuses technology and humanity, the ways that science can be great and it is never the technology that is evil but the people who use it.
Here is a quick sketch (I’ve been so busy of late) of the first generation Iron Man suit - Iron Man is one of the few characters that change of costume is an expected good thing!

It is a known fact that when Time magazine awards “The Man of Year*”, there is fine print on the bottom of the cover that says, ” *besides Jack Bauer.”

Popularity: 43% [?]